Chapter 220: The Setup
Chapter 220: The Setup
Three days later, Chen Chuan received a notification from Director Lei and proceeded to He Nan's private training hall, located adjacent to the Baihe River.
Upon arriving, he entered the main hall, where He Nan was waiting for him. She greeted him with a smile, "Sister."
He Nan smiled and said, "Come in. Director Lei and the others are waiting for you."
Chen Chuan nodded at her and walked inside. Beyond the screen, he saw Director Lei, Guan Yuming, and a slightly overweight man in his fifties sitting there.
The man had a pleasant smile, but his hair was slightly thinning. However, from his demeanor and body language during the conversation, it was clear that he was of the same official rank as the others.
Director Lei introduced them, "This is Director Wang from the Communication Bureau. He was at the review meeting the other day."
Director Wang smiled and said, "Chen, we at the Communication Bureau were sincere in our invitation to you during the review meeting. If you join us, we will provide you with the best benefits and treatment. Ah, we have many young and beautiful female employees at the Communication Bureau, and I'm sure you young people like yourself will get along well with them."
Guan Yuming joked, "Director Wang, you're poaching right in front of me. You're quite shameless."
Director Wang shrugged, "If I'm not shameless, I won't get any meat."
Director Lei invited Chen Chuan to sit, "Come and take a seat."
Chen Chuan thanked him and nodded to Directors Guan and Wang, then took a seat opposite the three of them. He Nan entered and poured tea for Chen Chuan and refilled the cups of the others before leaving and gently closing the door.
Guan Yuming spoke up, "Did Governor Zhu summon you?"
Chen Chuan nodded.
Director Wang smiled, "Our new governor, Governor Zhu, has some ideas."
Guan Yuming added, "If he can resolve the issues that his predecessor couldn't, it will be beneficial for him too."
They needed to collaborate with multiple departments to deal with the Secret Sect and the resistance organization, and Minister Zhu's support was crucial. Although he had not openly expressed his stance, summoning Chen Chuan was an implicit show of support. They understood this approach, as the situation was still unclear, and the Minister was being cautious.
However, in this matter, such support was sufficient. As long as they didn't create obstacles or hinder their efforts, they could handle the situation themselves.
Director Lei assured Chen Chuan, "Everyone here was part of the team that dealt with Mo Lan. They are trustworthy, so you can speak freely."
Director Wang smiled, "This time, the Communication Bureau has also taken advantage of the opportunity. While the multi-party collaboration channel is still open, we've joined forces with several city communication bureaus to set up a net. Our efforts haven't been in vain, as we've intercepted a telegram from the resistance organization in recent days.
Although the decrypted content only revealed some code words, the frequency of these messages is much higher than before. There's no doubt that they will make a move soon, and according to intelligence analysts, their target is likely a major transportation hub."
He turned to Director Lei, "This aligns with the information you provided."
Guan Yuming spoke up, "In the past few days, frequent discoveries of explosives near the city center have been reported. The purpose is obvious—to distract the Patrol Bureau's attention."
He then addressed Chen Chuan, "This time, our strategy is to let them act freely for now and then capture them all in one go, resolving Yangzhi City's long-standing problem!
However, we can't mobilize too many people. It's certain that the resistance organization has informants in various departments, and our familiar faces are likely under their surveillance. Therefore, we can't make any significant moves.
Moreover, there are very few people within the bureau who can be trusted and are capable of handling this matter. But since you, Chen, can single-handedly deal with Tan Wang, a Level Three Fighter, your capabilities are more than enough. So this time, we've decided to entrust you with the primary responsibility for handling this matter. What are your thoughts?"
Director Wang smiled and said, "We will jointly commission several departments to assign you the task. 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." He needed the opportunity to increase his overlapping time and lacked resources, so if he could also eliminate some hostile elements, it would be ideal.
Guan Yuming then reminded him seriously, "Ordinary people won't be your match, but this time, the enemy might be different. Be cautious."
Chen Chuan nodded. Aside from the resistance organization members, he also had to face the Secret Sect ritual, so caution was indeed necessary. He thought for a moment and said, "This time, I want to bring a team with me."
He turned to Guan Yuming, "They are all highly trustworthy individuals. Last time, we dealt with an armed group in the wilderness together, and we also collaborated on a national recruitment mission. There should be a record of this in the Patrol Bureau."
Guan Yuming agreed immediately, "That's even better. To be honest, we'd still be a bit worried if you were going solo."
Chen Chuan added, "I also need the Patrol Bureau's support in terms of equipment and permissions."
Guan Yuming waved his hand, "Whatever equipment, weapons, or permissions you require, the Patrol Bureau will provide them all. Moreover, I can give you an advance notice..."
He looked at Chen Chuan, "This mission primarily aims to eradicate the resistance organization and the Secret Sect expert. Any losses incurred during the process are within the acceptable range, and we can accept that. Sometimes, it's necessary."
He continued, his voice turning serious, "Chen, sometimes it's best not to overthink things. Otherwise, it's a disservice to yourself."
Chen Chuan understood what Director Guan meant. The primary objective of this mission was to eliminate the two groups mentioned, and the safety of other individuals they encountered was not a top priority. Sometimes, sacrifices had to be made.
He grasped the concept; after all, it was challenging to predict what they might encounter, and sometimes, the more they desired, the less they could attain. A balance had to be struck.
"Director Guan, I understand," Chen Chuan replied.
As for the innocent bystanders, Chen Chuan would do his best to protect them, but if he couldn't, his priority was to ensure his own survival and that of his team.
Director Wang smiled and said, "Chen, your reputation has spread far and wide. You even dealt with Fang Dawei's group single-handedly, and the resistance organization is likely keeping an eye on you. They might be tracking your movements, so it's best to find an excuse to leave Yangzhi City before the operation."
Director Guan Yuming suggested, "The Patrol Bureau will offer rewards for information on armed groups in the wilderness. You and your team can head to the wasteland first, bringing along a radio. When the time is right, you can change course towards the target. You decide how to arrange things, and if you need anything, I'll have my assistant, Xiao Bei, coordinate with you."
Chen Chuan acknowledged with a nod.
At this moment, Director Lei spoke up, "Regarding the secret sect ritual you might encounter, the bureau's reviewers will take care of it. But this time, the ritual is unlike anything we've seen before, and it may not go as expected. There's a risk involved, so you might need to handle it yourselves."
"For the next few days, stay here. I'll teach you some simple methods to counter the ritual and some techniques to combat it. They might come in handy."
Chen Chuan's interest was piqued. He had studied various materials, but without the necessary resources, he hadn't had the chance to put his knowledge into practice. Now that Director Lei was willing to teach him, it was an excellent opportunity.
He didn't aim to become an expert in this field; he just wanted to learn enough to make practical use of it.
Noticing that the other three seemed to have more to discuss, Chen Chuan bid them farewell and left.
After he exited, Director Wang sighed, "Chen Chuan is remarkably composed for his age. He's an impressive young man."
Director Guan Yuming added, "There's no doubt about Chen Chuan's abilities. He holds a Class B Infinite Defense Permit, which he obtained while still a first-year student at Wu Yi Academy. I've never seen anyone achieve that before."
Director Wang nodded in agreement. This was one of the reasons he had chosen Chen Chuan to lead this operation. Having served as the Communications Bureau Director for many years, he had access to a wealth of information. But even he had never heard of a first-year student acquiring a Class B Infinite Defense Permit.
What truly set Chen Chuan apart was his ability to defeat a Level Three Fighter from Central City in combat. This alone made him one of Yangzhi City's most formidable fighters.
Director Guan Yuming continued, "Additionally, I'll have our instructors 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 peaceful years."
Director Guan Yuming didn't respond; he simply sipped his tea in silence.
Meanwhile, Chen Chuan, having exited the living room, was led by He Nan to a study filled with books related to secret sect rituals. As he perused the titles, Director Lei entered the room and invited him to take a seat.
Director Lei sat down and got straight to the point, "Over the past few days, I've been observing Xieshan Mountain and have a good idea of what that person is planning."
He spoke in a grave tone, "A ritual of this magnitude requires meticulous planning, and they currently lack the necessary manpower and resources. So, they'll have to rely on external forces."
"Xieshan Mountain used to be a gathering place for secret sects, and it's also known for frequent supernatural occurrences. This person might be attempting to utilize old rituals left over from bygone eras, perhaps still present there, as catalysts to advance their plans. This saves them effort and adds an element of surprise."
Chen Chuan recalled the secret sect ritual he had encountered during a mission, which had trapped the Mountain Spirit. He found Director Lei's words insightful and nodded in agreement.
Director Lei, noticing his reaction, asked, "Have you seen something similar before?"
Chen Chuan didn't hide anything and described the ritual he had witnessed.
Director Lei paused for a moment before speaking, "The ritual you encountered was likely an ancient one belonging to the Bowing Secret Sect, not the Flying Head Sect. Technically, the Flying Head Sect isn't a secret sect; it's more of a mass hysteria triggered by lore, leading to religious worship due to fear and helplessness."
"The Bowing Secret Sect believes that all heads and similar objects hold the key to the universe's deepest secrets. From their perspective, the Flying Head is a subject for their research and utilization. So, they are distinct from the Flying Head Sect."
Chen Chuan was intrigued by this new information 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 resources to search it thoroughly. Moreover, if we were to search the mountain prematurely, we might alert them, making it even more challenging to deal with this hidden enemy in the future. Fortunately, we have another approach, but it may require you to take some risks."
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(End of Chapter)
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