Chapter 220: The Setup
Chapter 220: The Setup
Three days later, Chen Chuan received a notification from Director Lei, and he brought along some items and headed towards He Nan's private training hall located near the White River.
Upon arriving, he walked into the main hall, where He Nan was waiting for him. She greeted him with a smile, "Senior Sister."
He Nan smiled and said, "Come in, Old Lei and the others are waiting for you."
Chen Chuan nodded to her and proceeded inside. After passing the screen, he saw Director Lei, Guan Yuming, and another man in his fifties with a slightly plump build sitting there.
The man had a pleasant smile, and although his hair was a bit sparse, his demeanor and expression during the conversation indicated that he was likely an official of the same rank as the others.
Director Lei introduced them, "Chen Chuan is here. Guan Director, you know each other, and this is Director Wang from the Communications Bureau."
Director Wang smiled and said, "Chen Chuan, we at the Communications Bureau were sincere in our invitation to you during the review meeting. If you join us, we will definitely provide you with the best benefits and treatment. Ah, we at the Communications Bureau have many young and beautiful female staff members. I'm sure you young people will get along well with them."
Guan Yuming joked, "Old Wang, you're poaching right in front of me. You're quite thick-skinned."
Director Wang shrugged it off, "If you're not thick-skinned, you won't get any meat."
Director Lei then called out to Chen Chuan, "Come and sit down."
Chen Chuan thanked him and nodded to both Director Guan and Director Wang before taking a seat across from the three of them. He Nan entered and poured him some tea, refilled the cups of the others, and then quietly closed the door as she left.
Guan Yuming spoke up at this moment, "Did Governor Zhu call you?"
Chen Chuan nodded.
Director Wang smiled, "Our new Governor Zhu has some ideas."
Guan Yuming added, "It will benefit him if he can resolve the issues that his predecessor couldn't."
They needed the cooperation of multiple departments to deal with the Secret Sect and the resistance organization. The Minister of Civil Affairs was an unavoidable obstacle, but this new governor had not yet expressed his stance and had only shown implicit support by calling Chen Chuan. They could understand this approach, as the new governor had just taken office, and the situation was still unclear, so he was being cautious.
However, in this matter, this was already sufficient. As long as they didn't create obstacles or hinder them, they could handle the situation themselves.
Director Lei assured Chen Chuan, "Everyone here was part of the original team that dealt with Mo Lan, and they are trustworthy. So, feel free to speak openly."
Director Wang smiled, "Our Communications Bureau has also taken advantage of this opportunity. While the joint channels with other city communication bureaus are still open, we've worked together to set up a net, and our efforts have not been in vain. In recent days, we have successfully intercepted a segment of the resistance organization's telegraph."
Although the deciphered content was just a series of code words, the frequency was much higher than before, leaving no doubt that they would make their move soon. Through analysis by intelligence experts, it was highly likely that their target was a transportation hub.
He turned to Director Lei, "This matches the intelligence you provided."
Guan Yuming also spoke up, "In the past few days, frequent discoveries of explosives near the city center have been made. The purpose is too obvious; they want to distract the patrol bureau's energy."
He then addressed Chen Chuan, "Our strategy this time is to let them act first and then catch them all in one go, eradicating Yangzhi City's long-standing problem!
However, we can't mobilize too many people. After so many years, it's certain that the resistance organization has informants in various departments, and our familiar faces are likely under their watch. So, we can't make any big moves.
Moreover, there are very few people within our ranks who can be trusted and are capable of handling this matter. But Chen Chuan, you can handle Tan Wang, a Third Limit expert, on your own. So this time, we've decided to have you take the lead in handling this matter. What are your thoughts?"
Director Wang smiled, "Our departments will jointly entrust this task to you. What do you think? Feel free to voice any concerns."
Chen Chuan's attitude was clear and decisive. "It's my duty to contribute to this matter." Now, he needed money and more opportunities to increase his convergence time. If he could also resolve some issues with the resistance organization along the way, it would be even better.
Guan Yuming solemnly reminded him, "Ordinary people won't be your match, but this time, the enemy might be different. You need to be careful."
Chen Chuan nodded. This time, he would be facing not only members of the resistance organization but also the Secret Sect's rituals, so caution was necessary. He thought for a moment and said, "This time, I want to bring a team to work with me."
He turned to Guan Yuming, "They are all absolutely trustworthy people. The last time, we dealt with an armed group in the wilderness together, and they also assisted me during a national draft, should have a record in the patrol bureau."
Guan Yuming immediately agreed, "That's fine. To be honest, we're still a bit worried about you going solo."
Chen Chuan added, "I'll also need to request some equipment and authorization support from the patrol bureau."
Guan Yuming waved his hand, "Whatever equipment, weapons, or permissions you need, the patrol bureau will provide them this time. And I can also give you an advance notice..."
He looked at Chen Chuan, "This time, the main goal is to eradicate the resistance organization and that Secret Sect expert. Any losses incurred during this process will be within acceptable limits, and we can accept that. Sometimes, it's necessary."
His voice turned serious, "Little Chuan, sometimes you need to be less cautious. Otherwise, it's irresponsible to yourself."
Chen Chuan understood the intention behind the words. This mission primarily aimed to eradicate the two aforementioned groups, and any other individuals encountered during the operation were not necessarily to be protected. If necessary, they could be abandoned.
He grasped the idea, as it was difficult to predict what situations they might encounter, and sometimes the more one desired, the less one could obtain. It was essential to make choices and sacrifices.
"I understand, Director Guan," Chen Chuan replied.
As for the innocent bystanders, he would do his best to protect them, but if he couldn't, he could only prioritize ensuring his and his team's survival.
Director Wang chuckled and said, "Chen Chuan, your reputation precedes you. You even single-handedly dealt with Fang Dawei's gang, and the Resistance Organization might have their eyes on you. They may pay attention to your movements, so before you prepare, it's best to find an excuse to leave Yangzhi City first."
"I'll keep that in mind," Chen Chuan acknowledged.
Director Lei then spoke up, "Regarding the secret rituals you might encounter, I and the reviewers from the Bureau will take care of that. But this time, we're dealing with a ritual we've never seen before, and there might be some discrepancies from our estimates. There's a risk involved, so you might need to solve the problem on your own."
"Take a few days to rest here, and I'll teach you some simple methods to break and counter the rituals. It might come in handy later."
Chen Chuan's interest was piqued. He had read a lot of materials, but without the practical application, he hadn't actually tried it himself. Now that Director Lei was willing to teach him, it was more than he could ask for.
He didn't aim to become an expert in this field; he just wanted to learn enough to utilize it effectively.
Seeing that the three men might have more to say, he didn't linger and bid them farewell after a quick greeting.
After Chen Chuan left, Director Wang praised him, "Chen Chuan is very composed. He's a fine young man."
Director Guan added, "Chen Chuan's abilities are beyond question. He holds a Grade B Infinite Defense Permit, and he obtained it while still in his first year at Wu Yi Academy. I've never seen that before."
Director Wang nodded in agreement. Chen Chuan's qualification as the main force for this operation was his ability to obtain the Grade B permit in his first year and his success in capturing a Third Level Fighter from Central City during combat. This alone made him one of Yangzhi City's most formidable fighters.
Director Guan continued, "Additionally, I'll ask the instructors from the Bureau to be on standby as a backup plan to ensure everything goes smoothly."
Director Wang was now completely at ease, "With these people eliminated, we should have a few years of peace."
Director Guan didn't respond but silently sipped his tea.
Meanwhile, Chen Chuan was led by He Nan from the living room to a study filled with books related to esoteric rituals. As he perused the titles, Director Lei entered and invited him to sit down.
Director Lei got straight to the point, "I've been observing Xieshan Mountain these past few days, and I've figured out what that person is planning to do."
He spoke solemnly, "A ritual of this magnitude requires meticulous planning. Without sufficient manpower and resources, they can only rely on external forces.
Xieshan Mountain used to be a gathering place for various esoteric sects, and it was also known for frequent paranormal occurrences. This person might be trying to utilize the old-age rituals left behind, possibly still existing in that area, as a catalyst for their plans, saving them the trouble of setting up and achieving the element of surprise."
Chen Chuan suddenly recalled the esoteric ritual he encountered during a mission that trapped the Mountain Goblin. He found Director Lei's words insightful and nodded in agreement. Noticing Chen Chuan's reaction, Director Lei asked, "Have you seen something similar before?"
Chen Chuan didn't hide anything and described the ritual he had witnessed.
Director Lei pondered for a moment and said, "The ritual you encountered is likely an ancient Bowing Secret Sect ritual, not the Floating Head Sect. Strictly speaking, the Floating Head Sect isn't an esoteric sect but a group activity triggered by paranormal phenomena, leading to religious worship due to fear and helplessness."
"The Bowing Secret Sect believes that all head-like objects have a connection to the mysteries of the cosmic depths. From their perspective, the floating heads are tools they can research and utilize, so they are distinct from the Floating Head Sect."
Chen Chuan was intrigued by this explanation and asked, "Director Lei, can we find these old rituals?"
Director Lei shook his head, "Xieshan Mountain is vast, and we don't have the manpower or resources to search for them. Moreover, if we conduct a mountain search beforehand, we might alert those people, making it more difficult to deal with them in the future. Fortunately, we have another way to target them, but it might require you to take some risks."
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(End of Chapter)
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