Chapter 216: The Secret Diagram
Chapter 216: The Secret Diagram
By the off-road vehicle, Xiao Wei, the skilled driver, was leisurely waiting. With his extensive experience, he knew that Mr. Chen would return shortly after completing his mission, unless instructed otherwise.
Xiao Wei turned on the car radio, and the latest news broadcast began to play. For the past few days, the hottest topic had been the ownership of the Mo Lan Building.
The issue had gained significant attention, with numerous companies expressing interest, including state-owned enterprises like Yuan An and Cang Hong Tian Qu, as well as domestic giants such as Long De Foods and Tian Cong Bai Cao. Surprisingly, some foreign companies also seemed keen on the matter.
Xiao Wei wasn't interested in that, so he switched to a mystery program, which he preferred for its intriguing tales and urban legends.
Being assigned as Mr. Chen's driver, Xiao Wei not only had exceptional driving skills but also shared his boss's curiosity about the unknown, believing that accompanying Mr. Chen would expose him to many fascinating things.
Soon enough, Mr. Chen approached, and Xiao Wei immediately sat up and opened the door for him.
Mr. Chen thanked him and settled into the back seat. As Xiao Wei returned to his position, Mr. Chen said, "Xiao Wei, you can head back now."
"Okay, Mr. Chen. Please fasten your seatbelt."
The car started slowly, cruising smoothly back to the city.
Mr. Chen placed the small leather suitcase he had obtained from Uncle Han on the side. It might contain valuable information, but he had no intention of opening it. Instead, he planned to hand it over to Director Lei to handle.
Upon returning to the city, Mr. Chen called Director Lei. By the time they reached the entrance of the Wu Yi Academy, Director Lei's car was already waiting there.
Mr. Chen asked Xiao Wei to return first and then carried the small suitcase to Director Lei's car. He narrated the events of the mission while an assistant recorded the details. Then, they opened the suitcase, revealing a stack of gold certificates, a substantial amount of Jianyuan currency, some ledgers, deeds, and a notebook.
Director Lei ignored the gold certificates and flipped through the contents, pulling out a booklet. After examining it for a while, he looked up and asked, "Chen, have you reviewed the materials I sent you in the past few days?"
"Yes, I have," Mr. Chen replied.
Director Lei handed the booklet to Mr. Chen, saying, "Take a look and tell me your thoughts."
Mr. Chen took the booklet and flipped through it. He noticed simple drawings and a price list of materials used in secret sect rituals.
After reviewing the contents, Mr. Chen thought for a moment and said, "Director Lei, the materials I received from you include the ritual diagrams of the Vitality Sect and the required secret sect materials. However, this booklet seems to be missing a lot of information. I think they might not want to recreate the original ritual but are limited by their circumstances, unable to gather all the necessary materials, so they had to make do with a simplified version."
"You're right," Director Lei agreed, "but it's not that simple. Rituals are the result of generations of secret sect members' knowledge and are not easily modified. Those who can simplify them are usually rare elites within the sect."
Director Lei continued, "The simplified ritual may not be as effective as the original, but it is more conducive to spreading. This is not a good thing."
He took out another booklet from his briefcase and flipped to a specific page, handing it to Mr. Chen. "Based on the clues, we found some previous arrangements made by this sect. Compare the ritual diagrams used in the past with the one you encountered. Do you notice anything?"
Mr. Chen opened the booklet and saw two similar yet subtly different diagram photos. After studying them for a while, he looked up and said, "He's trying to improve it?"
Director Lei nodded with appreciation. "Yes, exactly. I suspect that the person behind this is using these Bloodstain Gang members to set up more rituals and improve his ritual structure."
He took the booklet from Mr. Chen and turned to a specific page. "Take a look at this one."
Mr. Chen glanced at it and recognized the diagram. "This looks similar to the ritual diagram used by the Mutual Aid Society in the old factory..."
"Yes," Director Lei confirmed, "but this one is from three years ago. Flip to the next page, and you'll find the one you encountered."
Mr. Chen turned to the next page and compared the two diagrams. While they weren't identical, there were subtle differences. At that moment, a thought occurred to him, and he looked up at Director Lei. "Director Lei, I think..."
Director Lei nodded, "Yes, your intuition is correct. After comparing the diagrams, we can confirm that the person who drew the ritual diagrams in the old factory is the same person who previously drew them for the Vitality Sect."
Director Lei's expression turned serious. "We have reason to believe that this individual is closely connected to many secret rituals in Yangzhi City. If we can apprehend this person, it will not only prevent the collapse of the underground secret rituals in Yangzhi City but also ensure their disappearance for an extended period."
Mr. Chen pondered this new revelation. It seemed that this person had been hiding in the shadows, even after the collapse of the Mo Lan Corporation.
He asked, "Director Lei, if these influential families require this person's skills to draw ritual diagrams, is it possible that none of them know his identity?"
"Director Lei spoke, "They don't know because the person was hired through the Double-Faced Sect, and there's a set of rules for interactions between sects. Even the Double-Faced Sect members don't know his true identity.
Chen Chuan nodded in agreement, "I think so too."
Director Lei turned to him, seemingly curious about his reasoning, "Tell me your thoughts."
Chen Chuan pondered, "I feel like this person is seeking a breakthrough in skills. Just like us martial artists, always chasing after higher and stronger limits, trying to challenge each peak."
He pointed to the two paintings above, "My impression of him is that he's also pursuing something, and this intense spirit is clearly expressed. It's hard to ignore, and I believe someone like this won't easily retreat without achieving their goal, even if they encounter temporary setbacks."
Director Lei glanced at him and slowly said, "You're very observant." He took out a hard folder from his briefcase and opened it, gesturing for Chen Chuan to take a look.
Chen Chuan put down the booklet and took the folder, examining its contents, which were an analysis of the person's sect patterns and paintings.
The handwriting seemed to be Director Lei's.
The analysis also believed that the person had a very obsessive temperament and a kind of absolute pursuit of perfection.
There was a comment written at the end: "Someone like this will never succumb to temporary setbacks. They will continue to perfect their work in Yangzhi City to prove the completeness of their skills."
Director Lei spoke in a low voice, "The principle is the same. Martial artists like you need to challenge and defeat opponents, and he's the same. Looking at his ritual works, they are always on a larger scale, as if he's trying to compensate for the original simplicity with grandeur. But the current situation in the city leaves little room for him to maneuver."
"If he wants to complete such rituals, he might have to find a way outside the city or bring in external forces to disrupt the city and divert attention, giving him space and time for his rituals. Even if the Mo Lan Corporation falls, this force in Yangzhi City won't disappear."
Chen Chuan immediately understood, "Director Lei, are you referring to the Resistance Organization?"
Director Lei nodded, "The so-called Resistance Organization in Yangzhi City has been carrying out various malicious attacks under the guise of resisting the government, completely disregarding the lives of the people."
Chen Chuan agreed, recalling the traces of the Resistance Organization in Fang Dawei's group actions and their reckless behavior during the Foreign Affairs Bureau incident, where they fired directly into the crowd, contrary to their proclaimed ideals.
Listening to Director Lei, Chen Chuan sensed a distinction within the Resistance Organization, but the topic was sensitive, so he didn't ask.
Director Lei continued, "Due to the lack of leads, there's little we can do now but wait. You should study the materials I gave you thoroughly, so you know how to guard against key areas. Martial artists are skilled in direct combat, but it's hard to guard against sect rituals, so understanding them will be beneficial."
Chen Chuan deeply agreed, remembering how Shen Zheng, despite being unmatched in the academy, had fallen victim to sect ritual schemes.
Moreover, Chen Chuan was interested in sect rituals not only because of their mysterious nature but also because they seemed to have the power to restrain yokai.
If that's possible, could yokai be used as an alternative source of medicine?
After this conversation with Director Lei, Chen Chuan got out of the car and headed towards the academy. As he walked, he contemplated this idea.
If there were no leads, perhaps there was still a way.
Earlier, while inspecting the bodies of the Blood Stain Gang members, he had noticed several individuals who didn't seem to belong to the gang. Blood Stain Gang members typically had five bloodstains on their chests and clothing, making them easily identifiable. However, these individuals lacked any distinctive markings.
Could they be members of the Resistance Organization?
As he pondered, he entered the dormitory building, and the dormitory supervisor called out to him, "Student Chen, Director Cheng is looking for you. Give him a call when you get back."
Chen Chuan snapped out of his thoughts and thanked the supervisor. He returned to his dorm and called Cheng Zitong.
Cheng Zitong's excited voice came through the phone, "Little Chuan, get ready. The Armored Permit Review Committee will be coming to the school tomorrow for an on-site review. If you pass, you can obtain your Armored Permit."
Chen Chuan asked, "An on-site review?"
Cheng Zitong explained, "Mostly just a few questions. The process has to be followed, or else there'd be no point in having a review committee."
Chen Chuan understood. After asking about the timing, he said, "Alright, Teacher. I'll be there on time tomorrow."
...
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(End of Chapter)
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