The Nian family walked back toward the checkpoint station in high spirits. Approaching the off-road vehicle, Nian Qian let out a soft exclamation of surprise. After stowing his luggage, he circled the vehicle twice, clicking his tongue in admiration.
"Cousin, your perks are really something. If I'm not mistaken, this has to be Fenghai Company's 'Courtyard Guard.' It's the most understated model Fenghai makes. They say a single full tank can keep it running through rough terrain for a day and night straight. A ride like this must run thirty or forty thousand at least, right?"
Chen Chuan didn't know much about it himself. The vehicle had simply been gifted to him by the Government Affairs Department along with the villa. What was more, there had been more than one vehicle parked in the garage—both sedans and off-road vehicles. For this trip back to Yangzhi, he had simply picked this one because it looked relatively unassuming yet practical.
In truth, he felt his old Jiade car was pretty good—sturdy, durable, bulletproof, and capable of hauling cargo. But after all, that had been a gift from someone else for free, and these days it wouldn't look proper to drive it around too often.
At that moment, Nian Qian rubbed his hands together. "Cousin, how about letting me drive?"
Chen Chuan smiled, knowing he wanted to take it for a spin, and agreed with an easy "Sure." Once Nian Fuli and Yu Wan had boarded with the two little ones, Chen Chuan slipped into the passenger seat, giving up the driver's seat. His eldest cousin was dependable enough; there was no need to worry about any trouble.
As the car pulled out from the checkpoint station, all the guards snapped to attention and saluted in unison. Catching sight of this in the rearview mirror, Nian Qian felt a flicker of surprise; the personnel at this checkpoint station certainly seemed sharp and capable.
After driving for a stretch, Nian Qian remarked admiringly, "This car really is comfortable. High seating, steady as a rock, and the view is wide open." Looking left and right, he suddenly thought back to the past and said, "Cousin, remember when we were kids? Once, I brought you out of the city to play..."
Hearing this, Yu Wan snapped her head up and asked vigilantly, "When did you two go out of the city to play? Didn't I tell you never to leave the city?"
Nian Qian gave a couple of dry coughs. "Mom, wasn't that just being young and reckless?"
"Your cousin didn't know better, but you didn't know better either?"
"Mom, that's all in the past, isn't it? You know what surprised your son the most when I just got back? Mom, you look even younger than you did a few years ago. At first I almost didn't recognize you."
"Really?"
"Of course!"
After cajoling her with a few more words, Nian Qian immediately turned to the two little ones. "Big brother brought you lots of fun things this time. I guarantee you'll love them."
The two little ones clapped their hands. "Thank you, Big Brother! Thank you, Big Brother!"
Nian Qian was quite good with directions. Although he hadn't returned in years, the roads hadn't changed much. Besides, as a technical officer, reading maps and identifying orientations were mandatory skills. The drive was exceptionally smooth, and before long, the car exited the National Boulevard and entered the urban district.
At this moment, seeing patrol cars from the constabulary coming from the opposite direction and passing by one after another, he asked, "Dad, has something happened in the city lately? Why are there so many constabulary cars?"
Nian Fuli replied, "Director Guan's arrangements. Tightening security inside and outside the city, and helping maintain order for the people in the outlying villages. The results have been quite good. Over the past year and more, many villagers living deep in the mountains have come down, and the Civil Affairs Department has registered household identities for all of them."
Nian Qian nodded thoughtfully, then turned his head to look at Chen Chuan. "Cousin, I heard that rooting out that festering ulcer, Molan Company, had something to do with you?"
Chen Chuan said, "Right time, right place. I just lent a modest hand."
Nian Fuli said, "Your cousin performed tremendous service in that matter back then. That's why he was recommended to Wuyi Academy."
"Then that's even more impressive! Cousin, you're truly something!"
Nian Qian held genuine admiration for this. Even though Molan Company had withdrawn from Center City back then, its remaining local power had been nothing to scoff at. For Chen Chuan to have taken part in bringing it down and earned merit was truly remarkable!
Chen Chuan asked at this point, "I heard earlier that you went to the Outer Ocean on a mission, Cousin?"
"That's right!"
Mentioning this, Nian Qian's brows brimmed with spirited pride. "The unit I led was a newly formed technical force. From soldiers to officers, everyone was equipped with the latest implants."
Speaking of this didn't violate secrecy regulations. The mission was over, and foreign powers likely already possessed relevant intelligence. As long as specific data wasn't disclosed, sharing general details was harmless—let others guess.
Yu Wan looked at him, asking with slight worry, "Qian'er, using implants... does that mean amputating or replacing some part of your body?"
Nian Qian chuckled. "Don't worry, Mom. What I have is an implant cultured from mutated tissue, not the kind where they cut out your heart and lungs. It's like fighters..." He glanced over. "Xiao Chuan is a fighter; he should understand."
Chen Chuan hummed in acknowledgment and said, "Aunt, don't worry. Cousin didn't have any body parts removed. He merely had some mutated tissue implanted. This tissue can enhance his athletic capabilities and information processing, and it matches his body quite well, with virtually no abnormal mutation or rejection."
Yu Wan didn't understand what implants or mutation meant, but she could tell her son was completely fine, and her heart was instantly put at ease.
Nian Qian, however, was secretly startled. Chen Chuan had hit the nail right on the head. He said in surprise, "Cousin, your eye is sharp! If you weren't with the Disposal Bureau, I'd submit a report to my superiors right now to recruit you over."
Yu Wan scolded, "Nonsense! How dangerous is the battlefield? Having one soldier in the family is enough. You want to drag your cousin in too?"
Nian Qian smiled and said, "Mom, war nowadays is completely different from the past. Us officers, we're commanders, but we're also information-processing units, strictly protected.
"In battle, aside from a small number of elite soldiers, there are integrated air-ground combat organisms specifically coordinating with the troops, field organisms assisting in communications, and inactive conscious entities helping formulate sound tactics. It emphasizes multidimensional links and multifaceted strikes. Those old tactics from before just don't cut it anymore."
Nian Fuli asked, "The old tactics don't work anymore?"
What he had fought back then was trench warfare: artillery, barbed wire, trenches, and dense clusters of fortresses behind them. Whichever side attacked first took heavy losses. That campaign against the rebel army had been a grueling grind, gnawing through fortresses one by one. The reinforced company he served in went through three full rotations of men by the end. By the time he was discharged, over seventy percent were no longer the original soldiers.
"Dad, put it this way," Nian Qian said. "My special company, backed by field organisms, biological combat weapons, and a few airships, can guarantee the complete annihilation of a full-strength old-style brigade in pitched battle. What's more, our information flow and speed are leagues beyond any old military. Aside from direct combat, we can carry out infiltration and rear-area sabotage. As long as we aren't surrounded, holding out independently for tens of days is no problem at all."
Chen Chuan pondered briefly and remarked, "That sounds somewhat like the Old Imperial House's elite cavalry in the Confluence."
"Right, Xiao Chuan, you understand!" Nian Qian praised. "Though each of us has our strengths. In fact, our reinforced company was originally formed specifically to counter that elite cavalry, and it's been tested many times. However, they have commissioned warriors, so during combat, we sometimes include fighters in our ranks."
"Sometimes?"
"Right. Sometimes they aren't even needed." Nian Qian offered a faint smile, laced with a hint of pride.
Chen Chuan caught his meaning. If fighters weren't used, then implant-enhanced armaments were relied upon to boost combat capabilities. He surmised that the state might have achieved a breakthrough in implant technology, allowing implants to substitute for fighters under certain circumstances.
However, based on what Chen Chuan knew from the Defense Department, the hardest part of implants remained host compatibility. Even with a technological breakthrough, those who could achieve sufficient integration were likely still few and far between. Otherwise, the Old Imperial House would have collapsed long ago.
By now, the car had driven onto the city's main thoroughfares. Nian Qian noticed constables stationed along the road, and whenever the vehicle passed, someone would raise their hand and salute the car with solemn respect.
At first, he assumed it was because of Nian Fuli. After all, his father was a constabulary captain, something mentioned in telegrams numerous times.
Yet he soon realized something was off. Along the way, it wasn't just constables; even armed guards who clearly didn't belong to the constabulary system saluted the passing vehicle. If his eyes didn't deceive him, those guards belonged to the Civil Affairs Department's security detail. Let alone his father, even if Bureau Chief Guan Yuming himself showed up, he wouldn't receive such high-level treatment.
Wait a second...
He couldn't help glancing at Chen Chuan beside him, an unbelievable answer surfacing in his mind. As they drove further and the scene persisted, he suddenly felt a wave of heat wash over him. He wanted to ask, yet the words caught in his throat.
After traveling a bit farther, the off-road vehicle arrived before the constabulary residential compound. The guards here were even more numerous, and his heart couldn't help beating faster.
As the car slowly decelerated, he asked with feigned casualness, "Cousin, on my way here earlier, I saw in the newspaper that the Security Defense Department Chief has arrived in the city. Say, you work in Center City too—do you know each other?"
Chen Chuan smiled and said, "Cousin, that's me."
Nian Qian's eyes went wide. His foot jammed the brake reflexively, sending the entire Nian family lurching forward.
Seeing that they were almost at the entrance to the alley, Chen Chuan pushed open the car door and stepped out of the passenger seat. At that moment, the guards lining the entire street snapped salutes the instant they saw him alight. A rustling whoosh swept through the air, startling several sparrows out of the roadside trees.
Chen Chuan also raised his hand, returning the salute.
Nian Qian looked out. From one end of the street to the other, nearly every guard within sight faced Chen Chuan and saluted him. The shock in Nian Qian's heart was overwhelming. Moreover, with his professional military eye, he could spot personnel posted at vantage points up high, who were likewise saluting in this direction.
Drawing a breath, he murmured, "Cousin, you've really given me one massive surprise." He turned back with a wry smile. "Dad, Mom, did you already know?"
Yu Wan smiled gently. "Qian'er, in a mother's eyes, both of you are the same."
Nian Fuli remained utterly placid.
"No, but Cousin..." Nian Qian said in sheer disbelief, "how did he rise through the ranks so fast?"
Yu Wan said softly, "Because your cousin is a martial artist."
Chapter 847