That night's thorough investigation and sweep lasted for over seven hours, drawing to a close only as the horizon paled with the first faint light of dawn.
Of the Municipal Council's two hundred and three councilors, one hundred and seventy-two were arrested.
The remaining councilors either belonged to fringe factions or were part of the pro-government minority, while a scattered few had not been in Center City when the incident occurred, being abroad on foreign exchange visits.
Most of them were of little consequence, and those abroad would hardly dare return upon hearing the news; they no longer posed any obstacle.
Beyond these councilors, the Government Affairs Hall rooted out and arrested the armed forces and primary interest groups entangled with them, moving swiftly to secure convictions. Anyone who resisted arrest by force or posed an explicit threat to national security was shot dead on the spot.
Along the way, Chen Chuan stopped by the Disposal Bureau's detention hall for a look. Those councilors, usually so high and mighty, were now reduced to a wretched, frantic state. Yet a few remained obstinate, ranting that they would appeal to the Privy Council, take the matter to international conferences, and make the Government Affairs Hall and Qi Weizhao pay.
In the past, people might have had no choice but to let them rant and rave, but no one indulged them now. Guards simply stepped forward and administered an injection, quickly silencing them.
Chen Chuan examined each arrested councilor and key affiliated person one by one, arriving at the same conclusion as Yao Zhiyi: there was indeed no trace of "that thing" among them.
Furthermore, he was certain that none of the people before him showed any signs of having been possessed in the past. After all, as a member of the Purist Faction possessing its esoteric arts, he could spot an abnormality at a single glance.
Past experience dictated that unless exceptional circumstances arose, an entity of that kind would generally not leave Center City. If it truly had departed, things would actually become much simpler.
If not, then it most likely harbored a deeper scheme.
Assuming the latter was true, if it wasn't among these council members, where could it be?
A location came to his mind.
As he was pondering this, a chime rang from the boundary credential at his ear. Because the Municipal Council Building had been fully taken over by the Government Affairs Hall, full field communication was restored from that moment on. On the massive building screens surrounding Central Square, Qi Weizhao's figure appeared, formally broadcasting the operation to the entire Center City.
He proclaimed that the operation had been carried out to safeguard the national security of Great Shun, confirming that all involved personnel had been arrested. Speaking on behalf of the Government Affairs Hall, he pledged that every effort would be made to uphold lawful and reasonable order across Center City, and that no commercial or social activities would suffer disruption.
A crowd began gathering around the square, gazing up at the screens, their numbers steadily swelling.
Chen Chuan glanced up at the sky, noticing that the rain had stopped at some point. The air had turned remarkably crisp and fresh.
Glancing aside, he spotted an internal city patrol food truck parked on the square alongside a patrol car. Two Disposal Bureau staff members were buying roujiamo there.
He walked over. "Give me one as well."
When the server in the food truck saw him, he immediately said, "Yes, sir!" In just moments, a piping hot, savory roujiamo was handed to him.
The two Disposal Bureau inspectors happened to be Sun Rao and Wei Yuji. At first, they hadn't paid him any mind—almost the entirety of the bureau's leadership had deployed to the front lines tonight, and as patrol inspectors, they had encountered countless superiors. But once Sun Rao saw who it was, he was startled.
"S-Section Chief Chen?!"
Chen Chuan gave him a nod. "Senior Sun."
Flustered, Sun Rao barely knew where to put his hands. Catching himself, he snapped a salute. "Good morning, Section Chief!"
Beside him, Wei Yuji set down his roujiamo, saluted, and greeted, "Senior Chen!"
Chen Chuan nodded to Sun Rao, then turned to Wei Yuji. "I've seen your file. Hello, Junior Wei."
Wei Yuji was normally proud and arrogant, but hearing Chen Chuan address him as a fellow junior classmate filled his eyes with barely suppressible excitement, and his posture straightened even further.
It was not merely because of Chen Chuan's position as section chief, but because the man standing before him was a martial artist. To a fighter from Wuyi Academy, reaching such heights commanded awe and set the heart racing.
Chen Chuan asked, "Were you two responsible for patrolling this area tonight?"
Sun Rao hastily replied, "Yes, sir! We're on the final shift. Most of our colleagues were devoted to their duties; only a few slacked off, and we've already logged them and issued disciplinary reports. Replacements will be here shortly to relieve us."
Chen Chuan asked a few more questions. Sun Rao remained somewhat constrained, answering strictly what was asked.
Wei Yuji, carrying the sharp ambition of youth, eventually chimed in with a question of his own. "Section Chief, from what I've seen, everyone arrested tonight was from the council. Is the council completely finished from now on?"
Chen Chuan replied, "The council will still exist."
Wei Yuji understood at once: in other words, it would exist in name only. He asked, "Senior, does that mean our ranks will be going up soon too?"
Sun Rao was aghast. *Is that something you should be asking?*
Chen Chuan smiled faintly. "What makes you think that, Junior?"
Wei Yuji boldly explained, "Without the council's backing, White Bird District will surely be brought under the Government Affairs Hall's direct administration. Otherwise, what if another council emerges? A branch bureau will almost certainly be established over in White Bird District, which means selecting competent people—transferring a batch over and promoting another batch. Senior Sun and I are both capable; even if we aren't transferred there, we should still be up for promotion."
Sun Rao grew anxious listening to this. *Hey, Junior, whatever crazy thing you're trying to do, leave me out of it!*
Chen Chuan cast a glance at Wei Yuji. This junior had indeed grasped the situation quite clearly. In the past, the entanglements and under-the-table dealings between White Bird District and the Municipal Council had been the thorniest problem.
If they merely dealt with the councilors without taking measures in White Bird District, it wouldn't take long for the council's influence to reignite from the ashes. Securing White Bird District and asserting control at the source was indeed the prudent course.
That this junior could perceive this much and tie it directly to career advancement showed he was not only sharp-minded, but also driven by fierce ambition.
Without giving a definite answer, Chen Chuan said, "Just wait and see. Enjoy your food." With that, he raised the roujiamo in his hand toward them in a parting gesture, turned, and walked away.
The two quickly saluted, watching him depart.
Once he was far enough away, Sun Rao grabbed Wei Yuji and hissed, "Junior, what the hell were you babbling about in front of the section chief?"
Wei Yuji shook off his grip in disgust and smoothed his uniform. "Just you watch, Senior. By the time I get promoted, you'll still be walking the beat. Even with our current inspector posts—do you think you would have been promoted without me?" He added, "Don't worry, I won't forget you when the time comes. You might be lacking in every other department, but your greatest virtue is that you know how to listen."
Sun Rao's face darkened, rendered momentarily speechless.
Wei Yuji said, "All right, the relief shift is almost here. Let's go change." With that, he headed straight for the patrol car.
Sun Rao froze for a moment before snapping out of it and chasing after him, sputtering in indignation, "Brat, you're not my boss yet! I'm the team leader!"
After parting from the two, Chen Chuan suddenly felt a wave of warmth. Looking toward the east, where the expansive plaza opened into a broad avenue stretching all the way to the distant horizon, he saw the morning sun slowly cresting above the skyline. Its brilliance bathed the faces of the people, gilding the buildings and onlookers in a luminous layer of gold.
Sunrise had arrived.
He stood facing the rising sun for a moment, adjusted the brim of his cap, and walked toward the Administration Building. Flanked by saluting guards, he entered the lobby and took the elevator up to the administrator's office floor.
Qi Weizhao was waiting there in person. When Chen Chuan entered, he shook his hand and said solemnly, "Section Chief Chen, thank you for your hard work. I have already reported the situation here to the central authorities, and they have affirmed our actions." He emphasized, "Section Chief Chen, that the council issue could be resolved so swiftly is thanks to your prompt and proper handling."
Chen Chuan said, "Every member of the steering group pulled their weight. I merely did my part."
Qi Weizhao agreed with this sentiment. Everyone in this operation had duties they needed to shoulder, yet Chen Chuan's responsibility had undeniably been the heaviest. It was no exaggeration to say that his actions directly dictated the success or failure of the entire endeavor.
He had originally thought that dealing with two extremely dangerous active conscious entities within the span of a single night was cutting it far too close, and he had harbored considerable worry. Yet in less than an hour, Chen Chuan had effortlessly neutralized both.
In truth, that hour had included transit time; the time actually spent dealing with them had probably been under ten minutes. This gave him an even deeper appreciation of Chen Chuan's strength. His prior attempts to estimate as generously as possible had still fallen short.
The faster the matter was resolved, the more advantageous it was for controlling the ensuing situation, stamping out many potential variables before they could emerge.
He gave a heartfelt sigh of admiration. "How fortunate Jibei Dao is to have Section Chief Chen!"
After his exclamation, he turned, retrieved some documents from his desk, and handed them to Chen Chuan. "Supervisor Xu brought in Speaker Quan. The speaker has been very cooperative and confessed to quite a few things, some of which are directly connected to the previous attack on you, Section Chief Chen. There is also information sent over by covert departments. It's all here for you to look over."
Chen Chuan accepted them and looked them over.
The material provided by the covert department concerned Mr. Chi and his recent suspicious movements. Coupled with Speaker Quan's confessions, the two made it clear that even if Yuanren Company was not the direct instigator behind the attack, it was deeply entangled in it.
In truth, once matters here in Jibei Dao were settled, he intended to look into his original body's parents. However, Yuanren Company was a global megacorporation possessed of immense resources and formidable power, far from an easy target. What was more, its headquarters lay far away in the Linax Federation. How to approach it would require careful thought.
Qi Weizhao offered a serious reminder: "Although the operation concluded smoothly, it may trigger numerous repercussions down the line. Section Chief Chen, we both need to be mentally prepared."
Chen Chuan nodded. "I will be."
Chapter 916