Inside the Yangzhi City Civil Administration Hall, Civil Administrator Zhu Xian was attending to official business when his secretary hurried over and said in a hushed voice, "Administrator, there is a telegram from Center City notifying us of a reception."
Zhu Xian paused his pen and asked, "Which superior official?"
"Chief Chen Chuan of the Center City Security Defense Department."
"So he truly has returned."
Although Zhu Xian was merely the civil administrator of a peripheral city, he kept a close eye on news from Center City, and internal notifications were issued to him whenever there were major personnel reassignments there.
The chief of the Security Defense Department was on equal footing with the Center City Administrator—a full two ranks higher than Zhu Xian himself.
Back when the news first came, he had already begun mulling over the matter. There was a strong chance this official might return home to spend the New Year, which meant preparations had to be made well in advance.
However, starting preparations too early would appear overly obsequious, and the man himself would likely dislike such displays. Zhu Xian had therefore made no grand overt gestures, merely instructing trusted subordinates to take care of whatever duties were proper and strictly necessary ahead of time. Now, sure enough, the time to put those preparations to use had arrived.
He glanced down at the telegram. It had been sent just over an hour ago. Calculating the travel time, the arrival would likely be in less than an hour.
Given Chen Chuan's current status, protocol dictated that he give prior notice to the local authorities whenever he traveled. However, because this was not an official state visit, giving early notice would have thrown the local officials and their subordinates into frantic turmoil. Yet arriving without a word would be improper as well, so he had sent the message only when he was nearly at Yangzhi.
As for his status as a martial artist, once an agreement was signed, he needed only to report his movements to the Martial Arts Council without alarming the local government. Just like when Mr. Zhuan came to Yangzhi in the past, he had arrived in complete silence, unnoticed by anyone else.
Zhu Xian instructed his secretary, "Xiao Pan, call down to the lower offices and prepare to welcome Chief Chen."
The secretary immediately replied, "Understood, Administrator."
Half an hour later, in front of the Yangzhi City Constabulary residential quarters, the street intersections ahead and behind had all been placed under martial law and cordoned off.
Guan Yuming had arrived in person. His deputy looked around and said, "Director, is this really necessary? Chief Chen might not appreciate it."
Guan Yuming replied, "Administrator Zhu arranged it. We simply follow orders."
A moment later, Civil Administrator Zhu Xian's car arrived, accompanied by other key administrative officials from the Civil Administration Hall. It was fair to say that virtually every official not required to keep Yangzhi City running had shown up. Guan Yuming led his men forward to greet them, then stood beside Zhu Xian, waiting together.
Wei Laohu stood among the crowd in the rear, chatting casually with his colleagues. His voice was particularly booming, loud enough to carry across two streets. "My son is coming back to see me this year! Heh, he earned Center City citizenship this year!"
A captain behind him watched him swagger and could not help muttering, "Damn it, look at Wei Laohu gloating."
Someone next to him said, "If my son got Center City citizenship, I'd gloat just like him."
"Is that his son's doing? Isn't it all thanks to Captain Nian's nephew?" At that, the captain could not hold back another grumble. "Damn it, Wei Laohu is blessed with sheer dumb luck. His son managed to cling to such a high branch!"
Everyone looked at Wei Laohu in the distance, their hearts burning with envy. Damn it, why hadn't their own younger generation stumbled into such good fortune?
The news that Chen Chuan had become a martial artist had actually made its way back a while ago, but it had not caused much of a stir. Yangzhi had its share of fighters, though most were at the first or second limit. The few at the third limit were all with Wuyi Academy or the constabulary, and since they rarely fought in public, outsiders had no real sense of how strong they were. As for anything beyond that, people had no concrete concept at all.
Official rank, however, was something they understood. Rumor had it that Chen Chuan's post was already much higher than Civil Administrator Zhu Xian's. That was a truly towering official.
Behind the main street, not far from the residential quarters, Nian Fuli and Yu Wan stood with Nian Lu and Nian Mo. Although it was winter, there was fortunately little wind today and the sun shone bright, so it did not feel cold.
Not far from them, a crowd of neighbors craned their necks to look, watching the family with eyes full of envy and eager admiration.
Over the years, every time Chen Chuan returned to visit Nian Fuli's family, he became the talk of the neighborhood. The conversations would often carry on for six months before dying down, only for a fresh wave of discussion to erupt soon after, each time bringing greater shock and awe. What was happening today exceeded their wildest imaginations. Quite a few among them were so agitated and excited they seemed even louder and more thrilled than Chen Chuan's actual relatives.
Watching the animated crowd in the distance, Nian Mo tilted his head up and asked, "Dad, so many people came to meet Cousin. Did Cousin get promoted to an even bigger official?"
Nian Fuli let out an appreciative sigh. "Your cousin has real ability." His gaze dropped, and he curled his lip. "Don't go staring at your dad. Look ahead—those are all officials several ranks higher than your old man, and aren't they all here today? So you see, it makes no difference."
Nian Mo said, "Dad, if I become a big official someday, I'll definitely have you stand right in the front row when I come home."
Nian Fuli lightly cuffed the back of his head and chided with a laugh, "You little brat, what kind of talk is that? A son expecting his old man to welcome him? No matter how successful you become in the future, your old man is still your old man!"
Nian Mo clutched his head. "Dad, stop hitting my head. If you hit it again, I'll turn stupid."
"Stupid? If you ask me, you're too clever for your own good. When we get home, you're finishing today's homework, and not a single word missing!"
"Dad—"
Yu Wan smiled as she watched the father and son banter. Looking toward the front, she thought to herself, *Now that Chan'er has achieved so much, he won't suddenly vanish like Second Sister did, will he?* At that thought, she instinctively drew her two children closer in her arms.
A shout suddenly came from up ahead: "They're here!"
The bustling noise around them abruptly died down, leaving the entire length of the street utterly silent.
The crowd had all been craning their necks to watch the road, but someone quickly pointed to the sky. "Up there!"
Looking up, they saw a black speck appear high in the air. As it drew closer, it resolved into a silver airship, the faint hum of its propeller blades carrying down through the air.
Then they saw that it was not alone. Behind it followed two smaller airships, dwarfed into insignificance by the sheer size of the leading vessel.
At that moment, Zhu Xian's secretary hurried over to Nian Fuli's family, bowed, and said, "Captain Nian." He nodded to Yu Wan as well. "Mrs. Nian. I am Administrator Zhu's secretary; you may call me Xiao Pan. The administrator asked me to inform you that we have confirmed Chief Chen, your nephew, is aboard the airship. Would you like to come forward to the front...?"
Nian Fuli hesitated briefly, then shook his head. "I think I'll pass."
Yu Wan spoke up from beside him, "Thank you, Secretary Pan. Our family is fine right here, standing with our neighbors. We appreciate you making the trip over."
Secretary Pan understood at once. This family had no desire to show off and merely wished to keep a low profile. He offered a polite smile. "You are too kind. I am just running an errand, which is my duty after all. It pales in comparison to Captain Nian's hard work. Administrator Zhu has seen all the heavy burdens the constabulary has borne over the years. Well then, I shall take my leave."
Once Secretary Pan departed, Yu Wan teased Nian Fuli, "Old Nian, hanging back like this doesn't sound like you."
Nian Fuli widened his eyes. "Am I that sort of person?" Glancing down, he saw Nian Mo and Nian Lu looking up at him, only to hastily drop their heads the moment his glare swept over.
Yu Wan tapped his arm and said in mild reproach, "Why go scaring the kids for no reason? What, showing off your official authority? Go up to the front, then; there are plenty of people up there eager to flatter you."
Nian Fuli took off his cap and rubbed his bristly stubble-covered scalp, saying helplessly, "I truly mean it. My thinking is, Xiao Chuan is already in the limelight enough as it is. There's no need for us to make a big show of ourselves, or else every good and bad character imaginable will come knocking at our door. Besides, we can't help Xiao Chuan with anything; the least we can do is not become a burden to him, right?"
Yu Wan looked at him. "Old Nian, that actually sounds sensible."
Nian Fuli chuckled, patted his cap, put it back on, and straightened his back. "When has Nian Fuli ever been anything but sensible?"
Yu Wan reached up to help straighten his cap, smoothed his collar, and gently dusted off his coat with a quiet hum of agreement. The two little ones looked between them and nestled their heads closer into their parents' embrace.
By now, the leading airship grew steadily larger in everyone's eyes. Comparing it against the surrounding reference points, the onlookers realized it was extraordinarily vast, easily two to three hundred meters from bow to stern. With no mooring mast erected here, the entire street had to be cleared to accommodate it.
Before long, the airship hovered directly above the broad street. The thrumming roar of its propellers whipped up drafts of wind, rattling the surrounding leaves.
Under the gaze of the crowd, all three airships descended slowly, the noise swelling until people could not help but cover their ears.
When they were about ten meters above the ground, rope ladders dropped from the combat airships first. Fully armed personnel swiftly descended and deployed to secure both ends of the street.
At the same time, a ten-meter-long lift platform detached from the belly of the massive airship, slowly lowering on thick cables.
The midday sun was dazzling, its glare reflecting brightly off the airship's hull. Squinting upward, one could make out numerous silhouettes standing on the platform. Moments later, the platform touched down on the pavement, kicking up a burst of dust.
Chen Chuan adjusted the brim of his cap and smoothed his Security Defense Department Chief uniform before stepping forward. As the sunlight struck him, his brass buttons and epaulets gleamed brightly.
Behind him followed Wei Chang'an, Wu Han, Feng Xiaoqi, Luo Kaiyuan, and the others, every one of them clad in the crisp, tailored uniform of the Disposal Bureau. Their boots struck the ground in a steady, synchronized rhythm.
The sight took everyone's breath away. The sheer pressure radiating from the group was simply overwhelming. Chen Chuan in particular carried no deliberate swagger, yet as his tall, imposing figure strode toward them, a tense hush fell over the crowd involuntarily.
Civil Administrator Zhu Xian drew a deep breath. Overcoming the slight numbness in his legs, he led his entourage forward to welcome him. Standing before Chen Chuan and looking up at the man who stood half a head taller than himself, Zhu Xian wore an earnest smile, bowed slightly, and reached out with both hands to grip his in a firm shake.
"Chief Chen, welcome back to Yangzhi."
Chapter 843