Chapter 128: Two Evaluations
Chapter 128: Two Evaluations
Director Lei ended the call and took a moment to compose himself before returning to the sofa. He turned to Chen Chuan and said solemnly, "Chen, I was able to find my son thanks to your help. If there's anything I can do for you, please don't hesitate to ask. I'll do my utmost to assist you within my capabilities."
Chen Chuan nodded, "I do have a request, but since you've just found your son, let's discuss it later."
Director Lei glanced at his watch and said, "We still have some time." He continued earnestly, "I'm a man of clear principles, so please don't hold back. Tell me what you need."
Chen Chuan, seeing his determination, thought for a moment and replied, "I need an evaluation from the Administrative Department."
Director Lei immediately understood what he meant. He stared at Chen Chuan and said, "You're a student of Wu Yi Academy, and an evaluation from the Administrative Department is only useful if you're going to Central City. So, are you planning to go there?"
Chen Chuan nodded.
Director Lei spoke slowly, "The Secret Investigation Bureau can provide an evaluation, but it requires you to take on a commission first."
Chen Chuan agreed without hesitation, "Of course, what do I need to do?"
Director Lei looked at him and said, "The director of the Secret Investigation Bureau, Lei Guangcheng, had his temporary residence exposed, leading to his son Lei Ying being controlled by members of the secret sect and subjected to a ritual. He has commissioned Wu Yi University student Chen Chuan to rescue his son and break the ritual..."
Director Lei paused briefly before continuing, "I've just received confirmation from Director Lei Guangcheng that Lei Ying has been rescued and the ritual has been broken. Chen Chuan, your commission is complete. Tomorrow, when I return to the bureau, I'll write you a detailed evaluation."
Chen Chuan understood his meaning and thanked him sincerely, "Thank you, Director Lei."
Director Lei waved his hand dismissively, "It's nothing." He paused for a moment and then said, "Going to Central City with just one evaluation might not be enough. I know you have an internal evaluation from the Handling Bureau, but since you're not a recommended student, two evaluations might not be sufficient. How about adding an evaluation from the Foreign Affairs Bureau?"
Chen Chuan was surprised, "The Foreign Affairs Bureau? Can Director Lei arrange that?"
Every department in the Administrative Hall usually handled their own affairs, and they were all quite traditional and conservative. It was rare for one department to interfere in another's matters. Did Director Lei's words imply that the Secret Investigation Bureau had influence over the Foreign Affairs Bureau, or did Director Lei have a powerful background or other connections?
Director Lei explained, "You might not know this, but many departments in Yangzhi City are located there simply because the framework is established there, and their absence would be noticeable. The Foreign Affairs Bureau in Yangzhi City still has some presence because of the Makaran legend and the need for exchange between the two countries.
However, with the recent events involving the Makaran people, the relationship between the two countries will inevitably deteriorate, and exchanges will likely be hindered for the next few years, further diminishing the presence of the Foreign Affairs Bureau.
The Secret Investigation Bureau, primarily responsible for banning foreign secret sects, often requires communication and collaboration with other countries. If necessary, they will ask the Foreign Affairs Bureau to provide support, so the two departments are mutually supportive and collaborative."
Chen Chuan understood, but whether the Foreign Affairs Bureau should be involved depended on the attitude of the Secret Investigation Bureau. As a semi-violent organization dealing with foreigners, the Secret Investigation Bureau must have its own channels of communication. If their help wasn't needed, they could simply exclude the Foreign Affairs Bureau.
Now that relations between the Makaran people and the Great Harmony had reached a freezing point, the Foreign Affairs Bureau in Yangzhi City became a dispensable, marginal department. Considering the past cooperation between the two departments, the Secret Investigation Bureau would surely want to bring the Foreign Affairs Bureau along.
Director Lei added, "You should have earned an evaluation from the Foreign Affairs Bureau at the exchange conference, but that might not be enough for them."
Chen Chuan didn't hesitate, "What do I need to do?"
Director Lei said, "If the Foreign Affairs Bureau can retrieve what they lost, they might gain some favor with the higher-ups. Failure won't be entirely negative, but might even become an opportunity for progress. I'll discuss this with the Foreign Affairs Bureau. As long as you can find a way to retrieve that oak leaf, I can ensure you get an evaluation from them."
Chen Chuan thought for a moment. If he was capable of completing the task, he would definitely do it, but if it was too challenging, he wouldn't force it and would rather give up.
Currently, he had no leads on the matter, and it also involved the Resistance Force, making it more complex. So, he asked, "Does Director Lei have any suggestions?"
Director Lei appreciated his perceptiveness and said, "That oak leaf might have a unique significance for the Makaran people, but we don't need to discuss that now. Let's talk about what comes next.
If the Makaran who took the oak leaf has a genuine Makaran student identity, it would be advantageous for the Resistance Force to cooperate with them, even if they aren't on friendly terms.
However, now that they've been exposed as a group of fugitives, the Makaran government has disassociated itself from them. They hold no special value for the Resistance Force and might even be threatened or manipulated. They should be aware of this, and they would have left long before their identities were revealed.
But since they've obtained what they wanted, they wouldn't stay in Yangzhi City for long. They would return and deliver the item back to their country, which they couldn't do on their own. So, they have only one option left."
Chen Chuan's eyes lit up, "The exchange delegation!"
Director Lei nodded and said coldly, "There are no fugitives. How could the Makaran people control an entire exchange delegation without any reaction for half a month? There hasn't even been a single telegram sent, clearly indicating that this is all a staged act.
Now that they had obtained what they wanted, the first priority was to leave. But even if they wanted to take back the Oak Leaf, which was a gift to the Dashun government, they could only request its return through official channels or as a gift from our nation, not by force.
Having said this, Director Lei turned to Chen Chuan and said, "Chen Chuan, the situation has been explained to you. If you're willing to accept, I can call Liu Zhan today."
Chen Chuan thought carefully, then raised his head and said, "I'd like to give it a try."
Director Lei looked at him with appreciation and said, "Then it's settled! Don't worry, it's just a phone call for me. It's not even a favor, and it's more like we're helping Liu Zhan. So, it's no big deal if it doesn't work out. Even if this opportunity doesn't pan out, I'll find another way to thank you."
This was a favorable situation for Chen Chuan, so he readily accepted. "Thank you, Director Lei, for your help."
Director Lei spoke in a low voice, "These things are nothing compared to the help you've given me. Xiao Ying is my everything, and you saved him. That's far more important than anything else."
Chen Chuan thought for a moment and said, "Director Lei, there's something I'd like to ask you."
"Go ahead," Director Lei replied.
Chen Chuan looked at him and said, "It's evident how toxic the ritual was, as it took the life of your former wife. You must have been affected by the ritual as well, but how did you manage to avoid its fatal consequences?"
Director Lei answered, "That's a reasonable question, and I can tell you this. As the director of the Secret Sect Review Bureau, I have a counter-ritual set up by the secret sect. So, even if something like a monster tale could affect me, it wouldn't be able to harm me. It's because of this that I became overly confident in myself."
Chen Chuan understood, and although he was very interested in these rituals, he knew it wasn't appropriate to discuss it further. So, he said, "Director Lei, I've been here for a while, and I need to get back to school soon. I won't disturb your reunion with your son any longer."
Director Lei said, "Okay, I won't keep you today. Another day, I'll treat you to a meal. You must come, and I want to thank you together with Xiao Ying."
Chen Chuan agreed and was about to leave when he suddenly remembered something. "Oh, Director Lei, can I take the puppet's remains with me?"
Director Lei didn't ask further questions. "Even if you didn't mention it, I'd still have to dispose of this. It's better for you to take it, as you're an expert in this field. I'm sure you know how to handle it properly."
Chen Chuan went upstairs again, packed up the puppet, borrowed a package to put it in, and came downstairs carrying it. Director Lei saw him off.
As they reached the door, Chen Chuan looked up and was surprised to see He Nan standing there, with another car parked behind her.
In a 6-1-9-1-9 book, a bar, a look, and a mistake, there is no wrong version!
Her gaze fixed on Director Lei, "Old Lei, I heard about your son's situation. I called Dr. Li, and he's particularly skilled in physical conditioning."
Director Lei was silent for a moment, then said, "Thank you for your thoughtfulness. I'll thank you on Xiao Ying's behalf."
He Nan walked up and hugged him gently, "Why are you being so distant? It's all in the past now."
Director Lei raised his hand and hugged her back, then let go. He turned to Chen Chuan and said, "Chen Chuan, wait for my call."
He Nan also looked at him and said gratefully, "Chen Shidi, Old Lei has been tormented by this for a long time. Fortunately, today, Master Cheng sent you here. I'm also grateful to you, Shidi."
"There's no need for gratitude, Shijie," Chen Chuan replied. "Shijie, Director Lei, I'll take my leave now."
"Shidi, why don't you ride back with me?" she suggested.
Chen Chuan didn't refuse. The place was quite remote, and although he could run back, it would be a waste of time. After bidding farewell to the two, he got into the car and headed back to school.
As he sat in the car, he reflected on what had just happened. When he arrived earlier, he hadn't anticipated that things would progress to this point, and he had directly obtained the evaluation from the Secret Sect Review Bureau.
As for the evaluation from the Foreign Affairs Bureau, it was still uncertain. But if he could get it, along with the evaluation from the Patrol Bureau, he would have three evaluations. This would give him a significant advantage and sufficient weight.
If he could add an evaluation from the Processing Bureau on top of that, it would look even better.
The Yu Fu Lan sedan drove him all the way back to school. He bid farewell to the driver and made his way back to the dormitory. He picked up the phone and called Cheng Zitong to tell him about his experience.
After listening to the story, Cheng Zitong was not only amazed but also delighted for Chen Chuan.
"Xiao Chuan, it's excellent that you got the evaluation from the Secret Sect Review Bureau. You must do your best to get the evaluation from the Foreign Affairs Bureau as well. Opportunities like this are rare, and you might never get another chance."
"Yes, Director Lei asked me to wait for his call," Chen Chuan replied.
Cheng Zitong thought for a moment, then said, "Regarding the exchange delegation, if the Foreign Affairs Bureau asks you to handle it, you should be able to get the exact itinerary. There are many Makarans in the delegation, and they have their own security.
If the Makaran who has the Oak Leaf meets up with them beforehand, it'll be difficult to retrieve it. Moreover, this task involves many aspects, and it might be challenging for you to handle it alone."
"Yes, Teacher," Chen Chuan agreed. "I plan to work on this task with my trusted classmates. And, if possible, could you ask Senior Ren Xiaotian for help?"
Cheng Zitong said, "Xiao Tian, I'll ask him. You start preparing on your end."
Chen Chuan acknowledged and hung up the phone. He pondered for a moment, considering that the delegation might include people like Du Ma. So, he decided to recruit Wu Han, Wei Chang'an, and his classmates to complete this task together!
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(End of Chapter)
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