Chapter 187: Morning Sun
Chapter 187: Morning Sun
Director Lei, upon his arrival, also spotted Guan Yuming. The Secret Sect Review Bureau, much like the Handling Bureau, is a department that interacts less with other surrounding departments.
However, as officials from the same government department, they naturally knew each other. He nodded towards them and gestured with his hand, indicating for the members of the Review Bureau behind him to wait, clearly giving face to the Patrol Bureau and Guan Yuming.
Guan Yuming nodded back, and his deputy, Leng Ran, spoke up, "Who is in charge here? We need someone who can speak to come out!"
The Wei family's butler, at this moment, gestured with his hand behind him, and those who understood immediately moved towards the factory area, while he approached Guan Yuming. He stood still and replied, "This humble one is temporarily in charge here. Is there anything I can do for you, esteemed officers?"
The deputy said, "I received information that there are a large number of armed individuals here illegally possessing firearms and intending to harm Wu Yi students. Is this true?"
The butler smiled and said, "That's impossible. Someone must be spreading rumors. Please, esteemed officers, don't believe such words."
They had arranged everything meticulously. No one outside was carrying firearms, at most they had crossbows, which was permitted for security companies. As for those with firearms inside, some of them had temporary weapon permits granted by the Government Hall, so there was no issue.
As for harming Wu Yi students, that was out of the question. It didn't happen in the past, and it won't happen now.
The butler didn't wait for the Patrol Bureau to ask further questions and took the initiative to greet Director Lei, saying, "Director Lei, what brings you here? Is there anything we can assist with?"
Director Lei said, "The Review Bureau received a report that there is a secret sect ritual being held nearby. Since we receive this salary, we must fulfill our duties and not turn a blind eye."
The butler hurriedly replied, "Director Lei, there must be a misunderstanding. There is no secret sect ritual here."
Those secret sect symbols were indeed a problem, and they truly didn't expect Ray Guangcheng to come and investigate this matter, as they had already made the necessary arrangements.
Moreover, the personnel they placed at the main intersections hadn't reported anything, which suggested that Ray Guangcheng might have chosen to bypass the city from the outside and approach from the west. This also explained why they appeared on a different road, clearly targeting them. He could only try to stall for time and hope that the young master would quickly wrap things up after receiving the notification.
Director Lei glanced at him, his voice calm, "We'll see after the inspection."
The butler took a step forward and reminded him, "Director Lei, this is a private factory area..."
Director Lei said, "It's a national decree to capture cult members. All personnel and groups must cooperate unconditionally. Uninvolved personnel, please step aside. If no situation is found, I will request punishment from my superiors. Move aside."
Guan Yuming glanced at his deputy, who raised a piece of paper in his hand and said, "This is a search warrant from the Patrol Bureau. All patrol officers, follow the order. If anyone obstructs, shoot to kill."
"Yes!"
The patrol officers behind them responded in unison, raising their guns and aiming the dark muzzles at the front.
While they were talking, most of the patrol officers had already dispersed to various positions, surrounding the entire factory area. More personnel were setting up roadblocks at the back, clearly not planning to let anyone leave.
The butler didn't say another word and silently retreated to the side. He had done all he could, and he couldn't stop what was about to happen. He could only hope that the young master would quickly wrap things up after receiving the notification.
After the security personnel obediently stepped aside, a large number of patrol officers rushed towards the factory building. They first secured all the main entrances and exits, set up shooting positions, and then proceeded to open the doors.
As two security personnel stepped forward, the wide roll-up gate slowly opened, and the morning sun of the summer day shone into the factory.
The patrol officers from the Patrol Bureau immediately rushed in, but when they saw the scene inside, their footsteps involuntarily slowed down.
Chen Chuan stood calmly in the center of the factory, holding the sheathed Snow Lady Sword in one hand, with the other resting on the ground beside him. He was dressed in a spotless suit, and the sunlight shining through the entrance illuminated his body, casting long shadows behind him.
On the ground around him, the steel structure platform, passageways, and corridors, wherever the eye could see, were littered with severed limbs and dismembered corpses, with hardly any intact bodies in sight.
The fresh blood that had flowed down but not yet completely dried up, mixed with the patterns drawn on the ground with paint, flowed along the lines, as if radiating from the position where he stood.
The patrol officers were all stunned. Although most of them were retired soldiers who had witnessed the most brutal scenes on the battlefield, this was indeed the first time they had encountered such a scene. They couldn't help but raise their guns and aim at Chen Chuan.
The officers among the patrol squad recognized Chen Chuan, and upon seeing him, they immediately restrained their colleagues' guns and whispered a few words.
The surrounding officers, upon hearing these words, lowered their weapons and dispersed as if they hadn't seen Chen Chuan. They secured the entire scene.
The deputy followed and entered the factory, immediately spotting Chen Chuan unharmed, which brought a smile to his face. But as he took in the gruesome scene of scattered corpses, he was momentarily stunned, almost mistaking the place for a slaughterhouse. He quickly regained his composure, turning to instruct, "Tell the brothers below to remove the bodies as soon as possible, and no photos allowed."
The officers nearby saluted in response.
The forensic officer from the Patrol Bureau, who had been waiting outside, received a notification and entered with his toolbox. He surveyed the scene, muttering to himself, "It's been a while since I've seen such a grand spectacle."
He put on gloves, noticing Wei Jun standing next to a steel pillar, the only relatively intact body at the scene.
Wei Jun's hands tightly gripped the steel pillar, his mouth agape, eyes rolled back, and his body in a backward-leaning position. The expression on his face, frozen in death, seemed to have witnessed something utterly terrifying.
By the time he lost consciousness, he should have been unable to strangle himself. However, even in his unconscious state, his mutated body continued to exert force under some mysterious influence until his death.
The forensic officer instantly recognized that he had died of asphyxiation, but this method of death... Hmm, it seemed familiar from somewhere. After a few glances, he led his apprentices to examine the scattered remains on the ground.
The officers thoroughly inspected the scene, both inside and out, and saluted the deputy, reporting, "We found numerous firearms, but the owners cannot be identified at this time."
The deputy understood the difficulty of identifying the owners in such a chaotic scene.
After half an hour, the forensic officer returned after a preliminary examination and reported to the deputy, "Apart from one student, everyone else in the factory is dead. Most died from blade wounds, and the force and angle indicate a single attacker. A small number were killed by unknown combat creatures. Additionally, there are two damaged combat creatures left at the scene..."
As the deputy listened to the report, he couldn't help but glance at Chen Chuan, his eyes filled with shock. He hadn't expected such a scene upon his arrival.
The second group to enter was from the Review Bureau. Director Lei, upon entering, immediately spotted Chen Chuan and nodded slightly. He quickly scanned the surrounding corpses, seemingly accustomed to such sights, until his gaze fell upon the patterns on the ground and walls, and his eyes sharpened.
After communicating with the Patrol Bureau officers, the Review Bureau officers sprinkled powder on the ground, revealing the hidden patterns with clarity, as if they had just been freshly painted.
Each officer began photographing the patterns, while others used shovels to scrape off the paint and place it into prepared sealed bags.
Guan Yuming had been waiting outside. After the deputy clarified the situation, he came out to inform Guan Yuming, who listened without a change in expression. After a moment's thought, Guan Yuming headed into the factory.
He approached Chen Chuan, observed him, and said in a low voice, "Student Chen, let's go back together. You're the only survivor here, and we need you to clarify what happened."
Chen Chuan nodded, "Director Guan, I will cooperate."
Guan Yuming patted him on the shoulder, and Chen Chuan understood his intention.
The identities of these deceased individuals were not simple, and this matter wouldn't be easily concluded. Fortunately, Guan Yuming had sealed off the scene, preventing the news from spreading. Once they reached the Patrol Bureau, they could temporarily contain the situation, and the rest could be dealt with later.
Guan Yuming hadn't anticipated this outcome either. He couldn't help but feel that Yangzhi City was about to undergo a significant change.
The butler waited anxiously outside, blocked by the Patrol Bureau officers from entering. He had no idea what had transpired within until he witnessed the shattered corpses being carried out, one after another. His face paled, and he rushed forward in shock, "Young Master, where are you?"
The members of the Determined Heart Society were also kept outside, deeply concerned. They, too, witnessed the gruesome sight of corpses being carried out.
It wasn't so much 'carrying' as it was 'moving', as most of the bodies were not intact, and it was impossible to reassemble them on the spot. They were piled onto a rack and then placed into body bags, ready to be transported to the Patrol Bureau for further processing.
As the first stretcher emerged, although the distance made it difficult to piece together the body, the head was mostly intact, allowing them to see it clearly. They were stunned by what they saw. Were those... members of the Mutual Aid Society?
With each stretcher that came out, they craned their necks, anxiously trying to identify the bodies. The Mutual Aid Society... the Mutual Aid Society... it's them!
Everyone could tell that a fierce battle had taken place inside the factory. What on earth had happened?
Standing next to Shu Han, Shen Shao suddenly thought of a possibility. He hesitated for a moment before saying, "You see, could it be that Chen Chuan... huh? Am I right?"
"Could it be... could it be..."
The Determined Heart Society members also thought of this possibility at that moment. One of them trembled with excitement, but the result was too surreal and unbelievable, and they couldn't bring themselves to accept it.
Suddenly, a voice shouted from a distance, "That body is our young master! You can't take him away!"
The person moving the body was a member of the Review Bureau. He said, "I'm sorry, but this body is suspected to have died in a secret sect ritual. According to the bureau's regulations, we need to take it back for review."
The butler shouted, "Do you know who he is? He's the heir to the Wei family fortune!"
The Review Bureau member scoffed, "You're shouting so loudly, I thought he was the heir to the Mo Lan Corporation." He raised his hand and said, "Take him away!"
The butler wanted to stop them, but the Review Bureau members were ruthless, punching him twice and pointing at him, "Warning, anyone who dares to obstruct us will be treated as a heretic." They then left with the body.
Seeing this, a member of the Determined Heart Society muttered, "That's Wei Jun..."
"Is Wei Jun dead too?"
The Determined Heart Society members were in a daze. Wei Jun was one of the main participants in the plot to harm Shen Zheng, and they all despised him. But they had no way to deal with him, and they never expected that he would die here today.
"Good riddance!"
A society member cursed bitterly.
"Yes, good riddance!"
The surrounding members of the Determined Heart Society nodded in agreement, clenching their fists tightly. They felt a long-suppressed anger being released.
At this moment, a keen-eyed society member seemed to notice something. He pointed at the factory and exclaimed, "Look, it's Chen Chuan! Chen Chuan is coming out, and he's fine!"
Everyone hurriedly looked in that direction.
Chen Chuan held the Snow Lady Sword in one hand and a box in the other. Surrounded by patrol officers, he walked out alongside Guan Yuming.
As the sun rose higher, its light became brighter, casting a warm glow on people. The dark trees from the previous night now appeared lush green, their leaves swaying gently in the breeze.
Chen Chuan stood in the morning light, taking a deep breath of the fresh outdoor air. Despite not sleeping the entire night, his eyes remained incredibly bright.
At this moment, he also noticed the members of the Determined Heart Society standing behind the barricade, looking at him with excitement. He immediately understood that they must have heard the news and come to help him.
Despite past disagreements, the fact that these people had come to his aid in a potentially dangerous situation showed their genuine intention to help.
He nodded to these members of the Determined Heart Society and then walked towards Guan Yuming's car. As the car door closed and the vehicle started, armed patrol cars followed, heading towards the Ding'an District Headquarters.
The members of the Determined Heart Society watched him leave with excitement, but they soon calmed down from their exhilaration and began to worry about Chen Chuan.
The deaths of these Mutual Aid Society members were clearly related to Chen Chuan, but would he be in danger? The backing of these Mutual Aid Society students was a powerful force, and just the thought of it made them anxious.
One of them immediately suggested, "Let's go to the radio and send a message to the master, telling him that the young master and his classmates have all encountered trouble..."
"Yes!"
"You're right!"
"We'll go back first!"
After discussing, the members of the Determined Heart Society also returned to their vehicles and drove away.
In the open space in front of the factory, the Wei family's butler trembled as he pulled on the arm of a security guard. Weakly, he said, "Get the radio, quickly! Send a message to the master, telling him that the young master and his classmates have all encountered trouble..."
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(End of Chapter)
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