Chapter 296: Disposal
Chapter 296: Disposal
Failed?
Zhao Qian's face darkened.
Youshang had a perfect success record in the past, and Zhao Qian was aware of his efficiency in completing tasks for the company. As such, he trusted the man's abilities.
But how could someone like him fail?
What could be the reason? Since the cleanup was arranged through the platform, the client's identity was kept anonymous to the purifier. However, the client also had no knowledge of the purifier's specific actions.
Zhao Qian didn't believe this could be accomplished by Chen Chuan's personal abilities alone. Was it because of the Processing Bureau or the protection of Wu Yi Academy? Or was there some unknown force involved?
If it was an unknown force...
He had once thought that Chen Chuan was a pawn used by the government to deal with the Mutual Aid Society and Ink Orchid Corporation. But what if the pawn wasn't just a pawn, and was already involved or even a member of the organization? Then Youshang's failure could be explained, and he had to consider that this incident might have already triggered the alertness of certain departments.
Zhao Qian took a deep breath, deciding to wait and see. Due to his identity as a member of the Zhao family, government departments had investigated him several times, and although he had narrowly escaped each time, there were also many people within the company who were dissatisfied with him, including some competitors.
If his personal actions affected the interests of the department or the company, these people would be eager to criticize him, even for trivial matters. They might even blow things out of proportion, and at this moment, he couldn't give them any more excuses.
He was well aware that in Central City, the company was his greatest source of interest. Only by maintaining his position in the company could he protect his current status.
After all, he was operating in the shadows, and he still had time. It was better to clarify the situation first.
After considering this, he said to the person on the other end of the line, "It's not necessary for now."
"Okay, the message has been noted. If you still require cleanup services, the platform is always open, and the deposit will be refunded to your account within three days."
Zhao Qian ended the communication, cleared the records, stood up, and walked to the window. He contacted someone using a boundary token, and after a short wait, the other party answered, their voice sounding rather dull: "Boss, what do you need me to do?"
Zhao Qian said, "I need you to investigate something for me, and it's about a Wu Yi Academy trainee. Remember, don't alert anyone, and don't use the platform. Deliver the information to me personally."
"Boss, you're being so cautious. The target must be someone important. How much time can I have?"
"I need the results within a month."
"Hmm, what about the other matter?"
"Let's put that aside for now. This is more urgent."
"Understood, boss. I'll get back to you soon."
After ending the call, Zhao Qian remained standing there, deep in thought.
Footsteps approached from behind, and a petite girl, around fourteen or fifteen years old, walked in from outside.
She had visible embedded wires on her neck, scattered biological lights on her cervical spine, and below her thighs were obvious implanted limbs.
She picked up a drink from the table, poured a cup, and brought it to Zhao Qian with both hands. She then knelt down and offered the drink.
Zhao Qian took the drink, took a sip, and looked down at the pure and delicate face. He said, "Every time I see you, I feel a strong resemblance. Good, stay like that."
The girl remained silent.
Zhao Qian turned and left, but the petite figure remained kneeling, her reflection visible on the glass curtain wall.
In the area outside the North Channel Checkpoint of Central City, Chen Chuan drove a Gader car and slowly parked it by the roadside.
He looked at the wide road ahead and the city patrol personnel patrolling back and forth. This was one of the main entrances to Central City. Initially, due to road blockades, he hadn't entered the city from here but had chosen to go around from the side.
Such incidents were not uncommon. Central City was vast, and it was impossible to monitor every entry point. Most people without identification entered the city through the marginal areas, where smuggling activities were rampant, and various violent incidents were unavoidable.
Not only in the marginal areas but even the checkpoint had experienced forced breaches and violent attacks. This time, when he came to pick up Gao Ming, it was more for the latter's safety.
After waiting for a while, a grayish-white sedan approached the checkpoint and underwent a tedious inspection process. After more than ten minutes, the car slowly drove out.
At that moment, the continuous days of overcast rain gradually dissipated, and sunlight shone through the clouds, illuminating the road. Chen Chuan opened the door and stepped out of the car.
The sedan also came to a slow stop, and as the door opened, Gao Ming emerged from the back seat. He adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses and straightened his tall, slender frame, dressed in a brown gentleman's suit, and walked towards Chen Chuan.
Chen Chuan smiled slightly and walked up to him. Standing in the sunlight, they patted each other's shoulders, and Chen Chuan said, "Gao Ming, was your journey smooth?"
Gao Ming smiled and replied, "It was just a bit of a wait at the checkpoint."
Chen Chuan asked, "Have you found a place to stay?"
"The firm has arranged an apartment for me. I'll stay there first."
Chen Chuan said, "That's good. Once you're settled, I have something to discuss with you."
Gao Ming pushed up his glasses and said, "Cousin, you're my first client. You can inform me of any matters at the first opportunity."
Chen Chuan nodded, "We'll talk about it when we get back."
He was well aware of his current driving skills, and since he was using a temporary pass, he asked Gao Ming to return to his original vehicle while he followed behind.
After dropping Gao Ming off at the firm's apartment, Chen Chuan helped him settle in. Once everything was organized, he began discussing the matter at hand, informing the person about Zhao Qian.
"This person was also a member of the Mutual Aid Society. He was one of the main masterminds behind Shen Xuelong's incident. Wei Jun's later actions were merely an imitation of him. Although the Ink Orchid Corporation collapsed and the Zhao Family was subsequently destroyed, he managed to evade reckoning."
Gao Ming said, "Cousin, according to the information you provided, this person has a large company background. If we want to deal with him, regardless of the method, I'll first need to gather some necessary and detailed information, which will take some time."
Chen Chuan nodded, knowing that this wasn't something that could be rushed. After all, they were facing not just a lone wolf like Youshang, but a mid-level executive of a large company. The resources at his disposal far surpassed those of an ordinary fighter.
After finishing their discussion, Chen Chuan and Gao Ming chatted about Yang Zhi and family matters. They shared a meal before leaving the apartment, driving the Garder car back towards the academy.
On the way, Chen Chuan noticed a communication request on his Boundary Token from Lao Qi. He accepted the call, and Lao Qi's voice came through, "Chen, I've purchased the materials you requested, and they're all stored in the warehouse as per your instructions."
Chapter 69
Chen Chuan asked, "Lao Qi, did you encounter any trouble?"
Lao Qi replied, "No, none at all."
"Great, thank you, Lao Qi."
"It's no trouble."
Chen Chuan thought for a moment, then turned the car around and headed towards the warehouse.
The lynx statue issue needed to be resolved as soon as possible. Although the monster was currently sated by Youshang, Chen Chuan's deduction suggested that if the binding ritual wasn't performed for an extended period, the monster might act on its own to satisfy its needs, rendering the binding ineffective.
This was why he brought the statue back instead of leaving it unattended.
Upon arriving at Wu Bei's warehouse, Chen Chuan located the esoteric ritual materials and checked their quantity and quality, finding no issues. Lao Qi was reliable in this regard.
Next was the ritual itself, but the warehouse contained many important items, making it unsuitable for the ceremony. Fortunately, there was an ideal location nearby.
Chen Chuan parked the Garder car and borrowed a small truck from Wu Bei. He loaded the lynx statue onto the truck and drove directly to the wasteland where Teacher Wu had originally lived.
This location was not only secluded but also seemed to have weaker field surveillance due to the problematic nature of the area, making it convenient for handling matters.
Upon arrival, Chen Chuan searched for a suitable spot and stopped there. He unloaded the lynx statue and placed it in a proper position.
He then returned to the truck, retrieved the bag containing the ritual materials, and found a sheltered spot to lay out the contents. Finally, he opened the book given to him by Director Lei, carefully drawing the binding ritual patterns around the statue according to the illustrations.
This time, he drew two sets of ritual patterns. The first was a simple containment circle to prevent the monster from escaping, while the second was the crucial binding ritual. Having performed it once before, Chen Chuan felt more confident. In less than two hours, he had completed both setups.
After a thorough inspection to ensure nothing was amiss, Chen Chuan approached the lynx statue and focused his gaze upon it.
The lynx statue was ancient, likely sculpted for the convenience of offering sacrifices and worship. In truth, the monster had no fixed form.
However, due to the statue's age, it was already sufficient to serve as a vessel for the monster, allowing for its waste utilization.
Chen Chuan extended his hand and placed it on the statue's head. Instantly, his eyes narrowed, and a force seeped into the statue, causing it to tremble and develop fine cracks.
Simultaneously, a fierce roar echoed in his ears, and signs of dematerialization appeared on his second self.
After the battle with Youshang, the overlap time had reached two days and ten hours, and the second self's strength had grown closer to that of his original body. Yet, even with this progress, as the monster was gradually released, the overlap time was rapidly diminishing. The intensity of this assault was the strongest he had ever encountered.
However, as the monster invaded, it continuously stimulated the altered organs throughout his body.
As the cracking sounds emanated from the statue, pieces of stone began to fall, eventually shattering into a pile of rubble. Simultaneously, a shrill scream, loud enough to tear through one's skull, reverberated in his ears.
...
(End of Chapter)
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