Chapter 318: Application
Chapter 318: Application
Upon hearing Lu Fang's words, he couldn't help but ask, "Her face has been modified? Wu Xiaoge, can you confirm that?"
Wu Bei replied, "I don't know what she originally looked like, but her skeletal structure and facial features have undergone certain adjustments, and they also used implant fibers for reinforcement."
I've heard family members mention that some companies cater to clients' preferences and personal quirks, providing them with unique or similar-looking individuals."
Lu Fang suddenly understood upon hearing this. He looked at the girl with regret, then turned to Chen Chuan and said, "If that's the case, then she's probably not Shen Xuezhang's sister. Perhaps she's just a puppet created by Zhao Qian to resemble someone, maybe to humiliate Shen Xuezhang? Or perhaps he wanted to replicate someone?"
Chen Chuan also considered this possibility. If so, this self-proclaimed "Thirteen" girl's appearance might have been modeled after Shen Zheng's sister by Zhao Qian.
However, what's strange is that Zhao Qian took Shen Zheng's sister away, so why would he go through the trouble of ordering a similar puppet?
What exactly happened between them?
He paused for a moment, then asked, "Did Zhao Qian ever say who you resemble?"
The girl replied softly, "Mr. Zhao seemed to say that I look like someone, but I don't know who it is."
Lu Fang murmured, "Perhaps that's the case."
Chen Chuan said, "Xuezhang, there might be clues in this house. Let's search the place and see if we can find anything."
Lu Fang nodded.
Chen Chuan turned to the girl, "Do you know if there's anything unusual about this place?"
The girl said, "There's a study in the southeast corner on the third floor that Mr. Zhao usually doesn't let me go near."
Seeing her willingness to answer, Lu Fang remarked to Wu Bei, "Her psychological resistance doesn't seem strong?"
Wu Bei replied, "Large companies often use consciousness-editing implants, combined with hypnosis techniques, to predetermine the behavior logic of puppets. However, the higher the requirements, the more expensive it is. Zhao Qian might not have ordered these features."
Understanding this, Lu Fang pointed to the person lying on the ground and asked the girl, "Then who is he?"
The girl replied, "He's a person arranged by Mr. Zhao to guard the house, and his name is Zhao Er."
Lu Fang asked further, "So the nutritional salve delivered daily is ordered by him?"
The girl nodded.
Lu Fang, puzzled, asked, "Then why not order more at once?"
"Because the amount Mr. Zhao transfers from his account daily is limited, just enough for daily consumption. We can't buy too much at once, and we're not allowed to contact Mr. Zhao proactively. We can only wait for his instructions."
Lu Fang couldn't help but sigh. From this perspective, these two are truly tool-like individuals. Due to their inability to contact Zhao Qian proactively, even after his death, they wouldn't leave but would rigidly follow Zhao Qian's orders.
After understanding the situation, Chen Chuan and Lu Fang discussed and decided to search separately. Lu Fang took charge of other areas, while Chen Chuan headed straight to the room the girl had mentioned.
The lock outside was no obstacle. With a gentle push, he entered the room and saw a plant growing from the floor to the ceiling.
Wu Bei's voice echoed, "This is a field interference plant. This one is the 'Cactus' from Wumian Company, a mid-range product. It can generate five fixed field signals, rotating every six days."
Chen Chuan took a glance, observed the room, and discovered a hidden door on one side of the wall. He opened it and found a small collection room with several gun models mounted on the wall, each sealed in a removable transparent membrane suit.
There was a metal cabinet in the front. He tried it, and it wasn't locked. Inside, there were three rows of drawers. The first drawer contained some spare cash and coins, roughly three to four thousand.
The second drawer held paper-based record documents. He flipped through them, most were password-protected, but from their arrangement, they likely pertained to Lianwei Zhengyu Corporation.
He pushed it back and opened the third drawer, finding a delicate red wooden box. Initially, he thought it might contain something important, but upon opening it, he discovered a Zhao Clan genealogy.
He took it out and flipped through it. It recorded that the Zhao Clan's ancestors had served as the Venerable General in the old era, and one branch had migrated to Yangzhi Town, now known as Yangzhi City.
Before the Algal Revolution, the entire old town's land belonged to the Zhao Clan. In the new era, instead of clinging to the land, the Zhao Clan ventured into ocean trade.
During the Great Expansion Era, the Zhao Clan actively supported and cooperated with the military, becoming one of the civilian military suppliers, regaining political status and influence.
However, within a few years, the Zhao Clan lost in business competition and faced political suppression. They retreated to Yangzhi City once more, only regaining their momentum after connecting with Mo Lan Corporation.
Chen Chuan skimmed through the genealogy. Although it was just a family record, he felt there was more to it. Moreover, it had an extensive description of the Great Expansion Era, which he had only briefly learned about in school. Here, the details were more comprehensive, and he decided to take it back for further study.
At the bottom of the genealogy box, there was a General's Tiger Token, crafted purely from gold, with the ancient characters "Venerable General" inscribed on it.
Was this from the Venerable General of that time? However, according to the genealogy, the Yangzhi Zhao family is just one branch, so how did this item end up in Zhao Qian's possession?
As he was thinking, a voice of excitement came from the boundary vessel, "Chen Xue Di, come and take a look at this."
Chen Chuan put down the item and walked over to the second floor bedroom. He saw Lu Fang holding a photo, and as he approached, Lu Fang handed it to him.
Chen Chuan took the photo and saw a girl of about ten years old. Below, Shao Nu bore some resemblance to her, but upon comparing the photo, it was clear they were two different people, and her facial features were closer to those of Shen Zheng in the photo he had seen before.
Lu Fang said, "There's a date on the photo. It's from four years ago."
"Four years ago, the same year Shen Xuezhang got into trouble?" Chen Chuan asked.
"Yes," Lu Fang said gravely. "Xuezhang's sister was taken away by Zhao Qian four years ago. The girl in the photo is of the right age, so it should be Xuezhang's sister."
Chen Chuan looked at the background of the photo, which seemed very familiar. It was probably taken in the abandoned factory where the Mutual Aid Society plotted against Shen Zheng. The location matched, so the identity should be confirmed.
"Let's look for any other clues," he said.
Lu Fang nodded vigorously.
Unfortunately, after searching the entire building and repeatedly questioning the girl, they couldn't find any more useful information.
Chen Chuan suggested they stop for the day, as Zhao Qian had left some password records, and there might be something to find from them. Lu Fang agreed.
It wasn't appropriate to release Shao Nu and Zhao Er for the time being, so Lu Fang volunteered to stay and guard the two.
Seeing this, Chen Chuan, as a precaution, set up some secret signals with Lu Fang and then left the residence with some valuable items, returning to Xuan Gong Mansion.
The next day, he first went to Gao Ming and handed over the password book and some suspected Lianwei Zhengyu materials, asking him to investigate the origin of such passwords.
After that, he went to Zheng Laoshi's residence for training.
Recently, every time he came here, it was to engage in practical combat training with Zheng Tongtong. From being one-sidedly suppressed to now being able to fight back and forth.
This time was especially different. His muscles and internal organs, with continuous resource investment, had become even stronger, and with enhanced senses, even in a low state, he had faster reaction abilities and coordination, able to keep up with Zheng Tongtong's rhythm.
Both were composed in their attacks, and neither revealed any flaws. They fought throughout the entire day without stopping.
With their stamina and endurance, they could go on for several more days without issue, making it a pure test of endurance.
While this was useful for honing skills, the effect wasn't ideal, so both, as if on cue, simultaneously increased the pace of their strikes and the force of their swings. In just a few seconds, they exchanged over a hundred attacks, the sound of clashing blades echoing throughout the training ground.
Zheng Laoshi saw that their speed was increasing, and the force of their swings was gradually intensifying. Knowing that if they continued, they would lose control, he casually picked up a training wooden sword and, at just the right moment, inserted it between their blades, gently deflecting them and separating their weapons.
Chen Chuan took the opportunity to sheathe his sword, feeling that the incoming force perfectly separated him and Zheng Tongtong. The timing and strength were just right, no more, no less. Even if he released his state, he couldn't have done it, indicating that he still had a long way to go in improving his skills.
Zheng Laoshi, with a satisfied tone, said, "Chen Xueyuan, let's end today's training here. Your progress is remarkable. Now, you don't need to learn too much more for now; just practice and master what's in front of you. My suggestion is that after you return, you can apply for the skill evaluation exam."
Chen Chuan nodded. It was already early June, and there was less than a month left before the end of the semester. His skill level couldn't be improved much in a short time, so it was time for the evaluation.
After bidding farewell to Zheng Laoshi and his daughter, Chen Chuan drove back to Xuan Gong Mansion and contacted the Shangwu Yi Platform. "Hong Fu, I'm applying for the skill evaluation exam this semester."
Hong Fu's voice came through, "Application received, Chen Xueyuan. Based on your application time, the available exam dates are June 5th, 10th, and 25th. Please confirm your preferred date."
Chen Chuan thought for a moment. The 5th was tomorrow, and he didn't see the need to wait, so he said, "I'm applying for the June 5th exam."
...
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(End of Chapter)
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