Chapter 141: The Record
Chapter 141: The Record
On the way back to Yangzhi, Chen Chuan sat in the car, gazing at the scenery outside and reflecting on his previous approach to handling the situation.
This was the first time he had encountered a ghost story he had never heard of, and fortunately, it was successfully dealt with.
However, if it weren't for the unexpected death of that person, the handling process might have been much more complicated, and perhaps a few more lives would have been lost in the process.
This was already the best possible outcome.
But could it have been done better?
He pondered for a moment. Currently, it seemed that ghost stories were something that could only be guided by the circumstances and handled in an appropriate manner. Merely having strength didn't seem to be enough, but that could also be because the strength wasn't powerful enough. With sufficient strength, there would be more options to choose from, and the margin for error would undoubtedly be higher.
However, he also noticed that ghost stories had become more frequent than before, and this wasn't just because he had entered this circle. From the commission orders, it was evident that the number of ghost stories had been increasing year after year. What was the reason behind this?
He couldn't help but recall the words spoken by Duma, "The echo deepens." Was there a connection to this?
As he was deep in thought, the car suddenly came to a screeching halt. Sensing the change in force, he didn't wait for the seatbelt to restrain him. Instead, he pressed down on the front seat and stepped forward, simultaneously using his transmuted organs to dissipate the force, preventing him from being thrown forward.
The driver in the front seat let out a curse. It turned out that several two-wheeled motor vehicles had come speeding out of the canyon, almost scraping the side of the car as they passed by. They had narrowly avoided a collision.
After those two-wheeled motor vehicles drove past, they seemed to realize that the car didn't belong to Jia County and didn't have a local with them. So, they turned around and followed alongside the vehicle. They were very bold, occasionally coming up to the front of the car to show off.
The driver asked, "Mr. Chen, how should we handle this?"
Chen Chuan took a quick glance and noticed that although these motor vehicles were getting close, most of the time they were showing off their driving skills. He said, "Don't pay attention to those who get too close. Just drive as you normally would. If there's anyone blocking the way, do what you need to do."
The driver's spirits lifted, and he said, "With your words, Mr. Chen, I know exactly what to do." He wasn't without connections either. The company's bosses all had their origins, so why should he fear these country bumpkins?
He honked the horn, stepped on the accelerator, and shifted gears to increase the car's speed. The two vehicles blocking the road ahead, seeing him suddenly surge forward in the rearview mirror, were startled and hastily made way, almost scraping the sides of the car. They were instantly drenched in cold sweat, and since it was a downhill road, the car's speed quickly picked up, and they darted out in an instant.
The driver turned around and saw that those motor vehicles were still following behind. He said with some regret, "If only this were Young Master Sun's hurricane sports car; otherwise, we could have easily shaken them off by now."
Chen Chuan thought to himself that it was no wonder the company had assigned this bold driver to accompany him this time instead of the more cautious Xiao Wei. This driver was more suited to handling such situations.
However, after a while, they left Pingkong Gorge, and the road turned into winding mountain roads. The driver became even more adept at navigating the curves, ensuring that the motor vehicles behind couldn't overtake them.
Soon, they exited Jia County and passed through the highway checkpoint, and those vehicles didn't pursue them further. Apparently, they knew they wouldn't fare well if they ventured outside.
Over an hour later, Chen Chuan returned to Yangzhi. He first went back to the commission company to report the situation before and after the commission and drafted a form for filing.
Ren Shu was delighted because this commission had been recommended by the County Government Office to the Government Hall. Now that it had been successfully completed, the company's reputation would undoubtedly be enhanced. In the future, when other government departments needed to handle similar situations, they would undoubtedly think of them first. Their previous strategy had been correct.
However, it was a pity that very few people could take on ghost story commissions, and even ordinary people were hard to find, let alone experts like Chen Chuan. This limited their ability to expand their business. For now, they could only focus on building their reputation. Fortunately, they didn't have to worry about funding; they just needed to find a way to become the best in this field.
After Chen Chuan finished handling the company's affairs, he asked the driver to take him back to school.
This trip to Jia County had taken several days, and before he knew it, it was already March.
Although his training had been delayed during his stay in Jia County, it didn't matter much for his current level. The key was to pursue the strengthening of his transmuted organs, and the gains from these few days were enough to make up for the lost training time, with plenty of room to spare.
Overall, the benefits outweighed the drawbacks.
Upon returning to school, Chen Chuan, as usual, called Cheng Zitong to discuss his handling of the situation. After the teacher and student had a brief discussion, they ended the call and resumed their regular training.
However, the effectiveness of the medicine was gradually diminishing, but fortunately, he had the bone beads he obtained from Qisai, which could serve as a substitute. The supply would last for the next two months.
Several days passed in the blink of an eye, and soon it was the leisure day in the early part of the month.
Chen Chuan had arranged to meet with Gao Ming, so he didn't go anywhere and waited in his dormitory. Just before noon, the phone rang, and he answered it. Gao Ming's voice came through the receiver, "Brother, I'm here."
Chen Chuan hung up the phone, left the dormitory, and walked to the school entrance. He saw Gao Ming leaning against the car door in the square outside. Chen Chuan approached and asked, "Didn't you go home first?
Gao Ming smiled and said, "Brother Chen, this matter is of utmost importance to me." He gestured with his hand, "Let's talk in the car."
Chen Chuan opened the car door, got in, and closed it. Gao Ming took out a file from his bag and handed it to him, "All the information is here. You can take it back and read it at your leisure. I'll just give you a general overview."
He became more solemn and said, "I've been searching for this student's records, but as I delved deeper, I found that there is very little information about him. Aside from what I found earlier, there's almost nothing. I had to search elsewhere for more clues."
"I had thought that if I couldn't find anything, it might be a good thing. It would mean that this student successfully made it to Central City and probably assumed an important position, so his files were transferred there."
"Last month, I was lucky. A senior went to a high-level firm in Central City to deliver some documents, and I asked him to look into this matter if possible. He agreed at the time."
He smiled, "But Central City is a complex place, and I didn't really expect much when I mentioned it casually. However, he got back to me quickly because this person is quite unique."
"Unique?" Chen Chuan's thoughts turned to the unique nature of Central City, which was no ordinary matter.
"He's relatively well-known in Central City, but not for good reasons."
Gao Ming raised his hand, "Brother Chen, let me start with some good news. Fifteen years ago, this student successfully entered Central City after receiving a recommendation. This proves that our plan worked."
"After arriving in Central City, he first worked at the Central City Management Bureau. Later, for reasons unknown, possibly due to personal choice, he joined a company. However, midway through, he became entangled in a lawsuit and left two years later."
"Up to this point, it's not a big deal. But just six months later, an explosion occurred within the company, resulting in the deaths of many employees and executives, suspected to be related to this individual. That's why his records were transferred, and it's also the reason I couldn't find any information."
He looked at Chen Chuan, "Brother Chen, the events I mentioned happened after he went to Central City, but the earlier example proves his success."
"However, we must consider one factor. Because of his actions, it might make it more difficult for people from civilian backgrounds to enter Central City. So, your path to Central City may face more resistance."
At this point, he smiled, "But I personally think you still have a chance. This might even be a more favorable time for you."
Chen Chuan asked, "How so?"
Gao Ming's expression turned serious. He pointed upwards with his hand, "We overlooked one factor—how the upper echelons think. I've been researching how to open this path from the bottom up, but then I looked into the policies the upper echelons have implemented for the Wuyi Branch Academy over the past decade. At least in recent years, they've been leaning towards favoring civilian students.
"However, due to the obstruction of local powers, most resources are in the hands of these people, so the results are minimal. But if there's a suitable student, they might be more likely to be valued by the higher-ups."
"It's a fifty-fifty chance, after all, without more information, this is the best deduction I can make. This is all I can offer; the final decision is up to you, Brother Chen. But I personally think that if we don't give it a try, we'll never know what the outcome might be."
Chen Chuan pondered for a moment and said, "Thank you, Gao Ming."
Gao Ming smiled, "It's nothing. I want to make this deal happen for you."
Chen Chuan said, "Your previous advice was very helpful. I might take the Infinite Defense Certificate exam early, but I need your help with some other things."
Gao Ming became serious, "Brother Chen, tell me."
Chen Chuan asked, "Do you have paper and a pen?"
Gao Ming searched and handed them to him.
Chen Chuan took them, wrote a few notes, circled and highlighted some parts, and handed it back. Gao Ming took it, glanced at it, and nodded, "I understand, Brother Chen. I'll wait for your news."
After their conversation ended and they bid each other farewell, Chen Chuan returned to his dormitory to review the documents. Then, with the file in hand, he went straight to Cheng Zitong's office.
When Cheng Zitong saw him approaching with a file in hand, he understood the purpose of his visit. He paused his work and asked, "Did you get the file?"
Chen Chuan nodded.
Cheng Zitong instructed, "Close the door and let me see it." Chen Chuan closed the door, walked over, and handed the file to him.
Cheng Zitong took it, spread it out on the desk, and examined it carefully. Finally, he read the note Gao Ming had written at the bottom, which was essentially what Gao Ming had told Chen Chuan.
After reading it, he looked up at Chen Chuan.
"What do you think?"
Chen Chuan replied seriously, "Teacher, everything I've done was for the chance to go to Central City. No matter what this file reveals, I've already decided to fight for that spot.
The information in this file is even better than I expected, which strengthens my resolve. So, this month, I'll submit my application to take the exam for the Infinite Defense Certificate."
...
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(End of Chapter)
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