Chapter 104: The Impact
Chapter 104: The Impact
"A theater troupe?"
Manager Huang replied, "Yes, the Orchid Fragrance Cinema used to be called the Feng Hua Opera House, and they performed traditional plays. That was over sixty years ago, before the Great Expansion. Mr. Chen, are you looking for this person? She was at most twenty years old back then, and if she's still around, she'd be an old lady by now."
Chen Chuan nodded, "Thank you, Manager Huang."
"Mr. Chen, don't be a stranger. After resolving this matter, you're practically a savior to me."
Chen Chuan said, "With the matter settled, Manager Huang, I should be heading back."
"Okay, okay, Mr. Chen, take your time, and be sure to come and play next time. I'll personally host you."
Manager Huang enthusiastically escorted Chen Chuan to his car and returned to the upper floor, his mind filled with thoughts. He couldn't help but wonder why Chen Chuan was looking for a woman from so many years ago.
As he pondered this, his face suddenly turned pale, and he trembled as he took out a handkerchief to wipe his sweat. He composed himself and said, "It's resolved, it's resolved. I'll just sleep on it, and everything will be fine."
Meanwhile, Chen Chuan returned to Wu Yi Academy by car. Upon reaching the dormitory, he exerted force and tore open a slit under his armpit.
As expected, his clothing had become old and brittle. He grabbed the collar of his shirt and pulled slightly, causing the entire garment to rip open.
Before leaving, he had brought a change of clothes, which was fortunate as the situation wasn't as bad as he had imagined.
He tidied up the torn fabric, went to the bathroom for a shower, and then returned to catch up on some sleep.
When he woke up, it was 8 a.m. He glanced at his second self, which was still undergoing dematerialization. However, this time, it seemed to be a fruitful process.
Using the Breath Control Method, he examined himself and found that the altered tissue in his body had grown as if it had been a month. This meant the altered tissue had become stronger, but if he hadn't addressed the issue earlier, the outcome might not have been so pleasant.
The continued presence of dematerialization indicated that there were additional adverse effects. However, his recovery time had improved since the last time, and he might be able to eliminate these issues sooner than before.
Chen Chuan went for breakfast and then called Cheng Zitong to inform him that the matter was resolved. Cheng Zitong asked him to come to the administrative building.
Chen Chuan agreed and left the dormitory building. He turned and walked towards the school's administrative building, making his way to the logistics office on the sixth floor.
The office door was open, and when Chen Chuan arrived, Cheng Zitong was on the phone. Seeing him, Cheng Zitong gestured for him to come in and sit down, then said, "The tea leaves are in the cabinet."
Chen Chuan noticed that the tea in his cup was almost gone, so he walked over, filled his cup from the hot water bottle, and then sat down.
After finishing the call, Cheng Zitong signed a few documents and walked to the door. He called someone over, gave them instructions, and then returned. He looked Chen Chuan up and down and said with a smile, "It seems like things went smoothly."
Chen Chuan sincerely replied, "The teacher's method is very effective."
As he spoke, he took out the antique mirror. To his surprise, the once rusty mirror surface now appeared pristine and clear.
Cheng Zitong didn't seem surprised at all. He took the mirror from Chen Chuan's hand, walked to the desk, opened a drawer, and placed it inside. Then he said, "Tell me the details."
Chen Chuan recounted the process and took out the photograph from his pocket. "I found this photo where the urban legend disappeared. I asked around, and it turns out it's a sixty-year-old photo. It might be related to this urban legend."
Cheng Zitong walked over, took the photo, examined it, and then returned it to Chen Chuan. In a relaxed tone, he said, "Keep this photo. We can't trace the past of these things. After dealing with urban legends, sometimes there are remnants left behind. As you've seen, these things can undergo changes. You can collect them, and some of them might be useful in the future, just like my antique mirror."
"Okay, teacher," Chen Chuan agreed. He couldn't help but ask, "Teacher, what are these urban legends or myths about? I'm still curious about this." Cheng Zitong hadn't given a direct answer last time, so Chen Chuan took the opportunity to ask again.
Cheng Zitong said, "After experiencing this, you must have some guesses, right? But I want to say that what you've seen is only a part and doesn't represent the whole picture.
In this matter, I'm just a student and explorer like you, but I've been on this path a little longer and have encountered more. However, I can't draw definitive conclusions either, and my words might mislead you.
So my suggestion is to not jump to conclusions yet. Let's wait and see, and as you encounter more, you might form new judgments."
Chen Chuan nodded and then asked, "Teacher, I'd like to ask. If I plan to take the Infinite Defense License exam, what's the process?"
Hearing this, Cheng Zitong's expression turned serious. He walked to the door, checked outside, and closed it. "Let's talk about this in a few days. The year-end vacation is coming up, and before that, I'll find time to discuss this with you in detail."
"Okay, teacher," Chen Chuan agreed.
He didn't want to disturb Cheng Zitong further and left the office. As he reached the corridor and looked outside, snowflakes began to fall.
Unintentionally, a snowstorm had arrived.
The next day, in the southern part of the city on Guomai Street, a simply decorated hall hosted a young man in his late twenties, holding sheets of paper in his hands. His face looked somewhat listless.
Seated next to him were several young people, both male and female, each wearing meticulously tailored clothing. However, at this moment, they all appeared dispirited.
Above them hung a large chandelier, and in front of them was a solid wood table with a map of Yangzhi City and its surrounding counties and towns. The map was marked with various colors and symbols.
The door suddenly swung open, letting in a gust of wind and snow along with a figure, causing everyone in the hall to shiver.
"Brr, it's freezing out there!"
"Quick, close the door!"
"Xiao Jiang, what's wrong with you? Close the door!"
Unfazed by the scolding, Xiao Jiang hastily shut the door and rushed back to the man's side. "Brother Ren, did you know that the Midnight Phantom at Orchid Fragrance Cinema has been dealt with?"
"Dealt with?"
Brother Ren paused for a moment, his eyes lighting up. He grabbed Xiao Jiang by the arm, eager to know more. "Really? Who did it?"
Xiao Jiang nodded vigorously.
The other young men, upon hearing this, looked up with interest.
"Who did it? Did you find out?" Brother Ren asked impatiently.
"I asked around," Xiao Jiang said, "Manager Huang said he couldn't reveal the client's information, but I managed to find out that his driver is always responsible for picking up the person. So, I bribed his assistant, and he privately told me that it was a student from Wu Yi Academy, but he couldn't say the name. However, he always comes armed, and Manager Huang had to pull some strings to find him."
"A student from Wu Yi, and always armed? That must be someone with a Weapons Permit! No wonder!" Brother Ren exclaimed excitedly. "This is exactly the kind of person we need!"
But one of the young men at the table poured cold water on his enthusiasm. "Brother Ren, don't get too excited. Students from Wu Yi Academy aren't easy to hire. They usually work for big Commission Agencies. Why would they come to a newly established small company like ours?"
Brother Ren remained confident. "How do we know if we don't try? Have we forgotten our dream? We aim to become the largest Commission Agency in Yangzhi City and even the entire Fudao region. We'll find a way to overcome this minor obstacle."
He rallied the young people, "We may not be as big as those companies, but starting with these Urban Legends is our best breakthrough. The expert who can solve these cases is the Commission Agent we're looking for. We must find a way to convince him to join us."
"Okay, Brother Ren, you're right. But how can we even meet him when we can't get into Wu Yi Academy and don't even know his name?"
"Manager Huang doesn't know him personally," someone said. "He has high professional ethics, and if he leaked client information, no one would hire him in the future. Moreover, he also got the job through connections, so he won't help us."
"Then we'll give more money to the assistant. He might leak a little information, maybe even a physical description, even without a name. There can't be many people with Weapons Permits, so we should be able to find him."
Hearing the young men's debate, Brother Ren paused and then snapped his fingers. "That's it! The Tournament!"
"What?" The young men turned to look at him.
Brother Ren clenched his fist, his eyes shining with excitement. "At the end and beginning of the year, Wu Yi Academy holds tournaments that are open to the public. If we get tickets, we can enter Wu Yi Academy and might even find him there!"
"That's right!"
The young men's eyes lit up at the prospect. Not only could they find the person they were looking for, but they could also watch the tournament. It was a two-for-one opportunity.
A girl with her hair in a bun raised her hand and spoke in a crisp voice, "I'll take care of the tickets. I haven't had a chance to help everyone yet."
"Okay, Xiao Wan, it's all yours."
Brother Ren readily agreed.
While it might be difficult for others to obtain these tickets, it was not a problem for these wealthy young heirs gathered together. Within half a day, they had gathered enough tickets.
However, it was already the 27th, and the holidays were just two days away. The next day's tournament was the last one of the year, so if they didn't find him now, they might have to wait until the following year.
Initially, the young men were relaxed, thinking they could wait until next year. But Brother Ren disagreed and provided a compelling argument: "An expert like this won't go unnoticed by other Commission Agencies. If we don't find him quickly, someone else might get to him first!"
Convinced by this logic, the young men, upon receiving the tickets, immediately drove to Wu Yi Academy.
At around 6 pm, Chen Chuan stepped out of the training hall. He had just heard the dormitory manager knocking on the door, asking him to clear out the internal mailbox.
As he opened the box, he was surprised to find it stuffed with letters. He took the letters back to his dorm room and began flipping through them. Many were from senior students, most expressing their desire to have a meal with him and get to know their junior classmate, with warm and polite words.
Chuan noticed that the letters had arrived in the past couple of days, likely related to the resolution of the Orchid Fragrance Cinema incident. Many graduates and seniors were interning or working at various Commission Agencies, so it was likely they had heard about it and wanted to meet him because it wouldn't be difficult for them to know he was the one who did it.
After organizing the letters, Chuan first prepared for dinner before leaving the dorm building. As he walked out, he noticed a female senior student standing there, elegantly dressed in an imported formal outfit. She seemed to be waiting for someone.
He glanced at her and continued walking, but footsteps approached from behind, and a voice called out, "Student Chen Chuan? Please wait a moment."
Chuan stopped and turned to face the speaker. "Senior, is there something I can help you with?"
The senior extended her fair hand and smiled, "Student Chen Chuan, it's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Min Lan, a Commission Agent from Wu Yi Academy. You should have received a name card from one of our seniors, Tong Fang."
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(End of Chapter)
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