Chapter 1042: Settling Affairs
Chapter 1042: Settling Affairs
Cheng Shang, accompanied by his disciples, boarded the airship, fully participating in this journey. During their free time, they diligently inquired and searched, speaking with batch after batch of relocating villagers, all in an effort to find his nephew.
Unfortunately, their efforts yielded no results.
Before the temple was completely sealed off, Cheng Shang specifically went inside to take a look, but he still made no discoveries.
He had examined every skeleton in the temple, and it was evident that they were at least over a hundred years old.
As the airship took off, Cheng Zicheng looked down at Jiao Mountain and said, "Uncle, what about Zishun...?"
Cheng Shang sighed and said, "Not finding him might be for the best. At least we can still hold onto some hope." There were so many pits and tunnels on Jiao Mountain that even the locals might not be able to figure them out, let alone outsiders.
"So, will we come back here again?" asked Cheng Zicheng.
Cheng Shang fell silent for a moment before replying, "Yes, we will. Our Cheng family must get to the bottom of this matter."
He knew that at least the current generation of their family still had feelings for Cheng Zishun and remained persistent in their search. However, the next generation had no interest in it whatsoever. Therefore, they had to find a solution while they were still around; otherwise, there would never be an answer.
Inside the main cabin of the airship, Chen Chuan and Lei Bureau Director sat facing each other. It was already August, and the sunlight outside was bright, shining through the porthole and casting a warm glow on the two of them and the table in front of them. Their teacups emitted wisps of steam.
Chen Chuan said, "Lei Bureau Director, the Esoteric Sect Handling Bureau has handled this matter very well. Now, the bureau has an irreplaceable importance. At the next meeting, I will formally propose a motion to include Lei Bureau Director in the Security Decision-Making Team."
Lei Bureau Director nodded. This matter wasn't something Chen Chuan had brought up suddenly; he had discussed it with him beforehand and even communicated with every member of the decision-making team. Now, they only needed to make the proposal, so the matter was essentially settled.
Becoming a member of the team not only elevated his status but also meant that the bureau would receive more funding and material supplements, making it easier for them to carry out their work.
Chen Chuan continued, "After the Queen Mother's asexual reproduction, the environment in the Central City has become very close to the interpenetration zone, and we haven't been affected by the various pollutants of the interpenetration zone. This is an ideal environment for developing various biological technologies and conducting various rituals."
"The world on the other side is gradually approaching, and many things that should have been eliminated and buried are now returning. Therefore, before the Great Impact, strange occurrences will inevitably become more frequent, and the Esoteric Sect Handling Bureau will undoubtedly have a lot to do."
Lei Bureau Director said, "With Lan Advisor's help, he can share some of the burden. The bureau is currently accelerating the cultivation of backup talents to deal with future situations."
Chen Chuan acknowledged this with a sound and then said, "In addition to the motion for your inclusion in the team, the next meeting will also propose enhancing the security mechanisms of Horizon-Line.
Furthermore, we will hold a regular security and defense meeting with the Haidong Dao Association, and in the future, more central cities may join, forming a collaborative discussion group."
Lei Bureau Director, with his political acumen, asked, "What is the view of the capital on this matter?"
Chen Chuan replied, "Director Qi has already submitted a report to the capital, and at the appropriate time, a specialist from the capital will come over to coordinate and communicate."
Lei Bureau Director nodded. After some thought, he said, "I'm not overly concerned about the current situation. With the full support of the Central City and you, Director Chen, the security and defense of Jibei Circuit should be fine for now.
What we truly need to worry about is the post-Great Impact era. The situation will become even more complex then.
I know there might be a response plan from above, but in the worst-case scenario, it's likely that only a limited number of people can be saved. You and I might be among them, but many others might not."
Chen Chuan agreed with this point. Without its people, the Central City would be nothing. Currently, the entire security system relied on the Queen Mother, and more broadly, on the Ring of the World. However, if the Central City still had a larger number of higher-level martial artists stationed there, their combined efforts would undoubtedly provide a higher level of security.
Now that he had gained some self-protection abilities, Chen Chuan looked ahead to the challenges he would face in the future: the "High Deities," the beings from the other side, and even some domestic opponents. His current abilities were not enough, so he could start searching for his next path of cultivation.
Since he could no longer hide his realm after eliminating Su Kuo, he could now try to seek guidance from the Purification Faction for his next step in cultivation.
If he couldn't find what he needed here, he could still turn to the Wan Song Entrusted Company. The cultivation technique they had provided him last time was quite reliable and sufficient for ordinary martial artists, but his situation was special.
After discussing these matters, the two of them shifted the conversation to lighter topics.
Half a day later, the airship landed on the mooring tower in the Weiguang District of the Central City.
After everyone had disembarked, Chen Chuan first went to the Government Hall to inform Director Qi and a few other team members about the handling of the old evil and then left the Government Hall and took a special car back to the villa district.
Upon returning home, he washed up and prepared to rest for a few days. After this trip for external cultivation, he had been constantly dealing with various matters. Although his body didn't feel tired, his mind felt tense.
And now it was August, and the two little ones still had nearly a month of vacation left. He was thinking of taking Aunt Xiao's family out for a trip.
Perhaps they could go to Haidong Circuit; after the Horizon-Line connection, there were many suitable tourist spots there.
That evening, when he shared his idea with Yu Wan, she didn't object. Nian Fuli also thought it was a good idea, as there weren't any major issues at the moment, and he still had some vacation days left. The two little ones, upon hearing the news, were overjoyed and jumped around in excitement.
Chen Chuan checked with his Boundary Talisman and found that Canglong Company had cruise services available for the next few months. Coincidentally, there was a cruise ship currently docked outside the Central City, so he could book tickets. In fact, if there weren't any cruise ships, he would have taken an airship, although it would have lacked some of the charm.
The Canglong Company's dedicated customer service staff quickly replied, informing him of the available travel dates and precautions. The manager even personally communicated with him to ensure the best service and safety guarantees during the journey.
Chen Chuan set the date for three days later, avoiding any rush. After finishing the arrangements, he went upstairs to read for a while before heading to rest.
The next day, as he was feeding Chaoming, a message came through his Boundary Talisman.
It was from the Martial Artist Council, stating that they wanted to sign a new agreement with him.
After the initial signing of this agreement, he didn't need to meet with the Martial Artist Council every year. They only needed to send him a ritual document for him to renew his signature and acknowledgment before sending it back.
However, this time, they had directly contacted him, indicating an unusual situation.
Chen Chuan opened an encrypted package attached to the message, which contained a detailed explanation:
"Director Chen, in light of your numerous contributions to the nation over the past twelve months and your personal achievements, the Martial Artist Council, in accordance with its charter, has decided to upgrade your security protocol by one level.
To ensure the smooth progress of related matters, please inform us of your specific arrangements, and we will visit you at an appropriate time."
The message also included the date and the sender, still Miao, who had signed the agreement with him previously.
He finished reading and realized that he currently had a Level 5 security protocol, and an upgrade would take it to Level 4, implying fewer constraints and more authority.
This was, of course, a good thing. The agreement itself was a world ritual, and each upgrade provided some beneficial feedback. If he could reach the highest level of authority, it would bring him tremendous benefits.
He didn't know the specifics, but this ritual, passed down from the Grand Alliance era, was undoubtedly complex.
The Martial Artist Council members would arrive in Jibei Circuit within two days at the latest, so he decided to settle this matter before their departure. He immediately replied, confirming the arrangement.
Just as he finished, another message arrived from the City Hall.
He saw that it was from Secretary Qiao Yang, so he accepted the call and asked, "Secretary Qiao, what's the matter?"
Qiao Yang said, "Director Chen, we have added you to the main list of the second batch of visitors to the Linax Federation. This trip will include invited guests and inspectors from various departments and well-known social figures. Therefore, we need to confirm and coordinate the departure time with you.
Additionally, at your level, Director Chen, you can bring up to thirty security team members and twenty family members or accompanying personnel.
If you have confirmed your choices, we can submit them together."
As he spoke, Qiao Yang sent a form through the Boundary Talisman.
Chen Chuan took a glance and saw that the invited visit would involve traveling to many places and meeting with important figures from the Federation and martial artists. The initial plan was for a year-long trip, and all communication expenses would be covered by the Federation.
There were two possible departure dates: one in August and the other in October. This month was definitely out of the question.
October would be feasible, as even after returning from the trip, there would still be more than a month for preparation, leaving ample time. So, he clicked and sent the form back.
Qiao Yang reviewed it and, upon confirming there were no issues, said, "Director Chen, I'll make the arrangements. Please inform me of any changes."
Chen Chuan replied with a 'yes.'
As he was about to pick up his book again after the call, the Boundary Talisman's alert sounded once more.
He checked and saw that this time, it was Zuan Xiansheng calling from the southern industrial district, which was now also covered by the Horizon-Line signal, enabling direct communication.
He answered the call.
Zuan Xiansheng's voice came through: "Member Chen, I just received a message that the headquarters' people will arrive tomorrow at the latest."
Chen Chuan's heart stirred.
Zuan Xiansheng's serious voice continued, "The headquarters' visitors may ask some questions. Be cautious, as you are the Jibei Circuit Divisional Director. There are some questions you can choose not to answer."
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(End of Chapter)
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