Chapter 35: An Unusual First Day of School
Chapter 35: An Unusual First Day of School
On September 1st, the opening day of Wu Yi University, Chen Chuan woke up at 6 a.m. He stood in front of the wardrobe mirror, straightening his Wu Yi University formal attire, which Aunt Yu Wan had already ironed for him.
Chen Chuan reached for his student cap, putting it on neatly, then straightened his clothes and turned to leave the room. He picked up his suitcase and walked outside, taking one last look at the room before slowly closing the door.
Aunt Yu Wan was waiting for him in the living room, giving him instructions, "Xiao Chuan, no one will take care of you at Wu University. Remember to eat well and don't study too hard. Remember to go to bed early and don't tire yourself out."
Chen Chuan smiled and said, "Auntie, don't worry. The school is very generous with food and accommodation, and we get a break every ten days. I'll come back to visit you and Uncle."
Aunt Yu Wan came over and straightened his cuffs, then patted him on the back and took a step back, saying with satisfaction, "My little Cicada is so handsome."
Chen Chuan said, "Auntie, I'm leaving. Please say hello to Uncle for me."
"Okay, take care on your way."
Chen Chuan opened the door and was greeted by a breath of fresh air. Today, he decided not to ride his bike and instead walked directly to Wu Yi University.
He went over the day's schedule in his mind. The opening ceremony was scheduled for 9 a.m., but before that, he needed to go to the dormitory to drop off his luggage. After the ceremony, senior students would lead him around the school to familiarize him with the campus and his future directions. After that, he would have free time until the next day, when his new academic life would officially begin.
In less than an hour of walking, he could already see the school gate.
Just as he was about to walk over, a silver-gray Touareg car drove up and stopped a short distance in front of him. A tall young man with neatly trimmed black hair stepped out, wearing a smart navy blue imported suit, a tie, and polished black leather shoes that reflected the sunlight.
"Chen Chuan, is that you?" The young man smiled and approached, extending his hand, "Let me introduce myself. I'm Wei Chang'an, a third-year student at Wu Yi University."
Chen Chuan's heart skipped a beat at the name. He shook Wei Chang'an's hand and said, "Hello, Senior Wei. Are you... the son of Captain Wei?"
Wei Chang'an smiled and said, "Yes, I'm the son of Wei Laohu. There's no need to be embarrassed about it. Just call him Laohu."
Chen Chuan looked at Wei Chang'an, remembering Wei Laohu as a big and burly man. He was surprised to see his son as such a well-dressed and refined person. Sensing that Wei Chang'an had specifically come to find him, Chen Chuan asked, "Senior Wei, is there something you need from me?"
"Well..." Wei Chang'an became slightly more serious, "Chen Chuan, there's a school-assigned mission that requires your cooperation. I'm sorry, but it looks like you won't be able to attend today's opening ceremony on time."
Chen Chuan was taken aback and said, "A school-assigned mission? Senior Wei, are you sure? I'm just a new student who hasn't even enrolled yet..."
At that moment, the rear window of the car rolled down, and a deep voice that Chen Chuan recognized spoke, "Chen, follow him. This is a task given to you by the school, and Wei Chang'an will explain the details."
Chen Chuan recognized the voice as belonging to Lecturer Bian Feng, who had admitted him during the entrance exam. He greeted, "Hello, Lecturer Bian."
Bian Feng said, "Chen, by passing the final exam, you've become a top-ranked student at the university. You have both the obligation and the responsibility to cooperate with the Civil Affairs Department." He took out two documents and said, "Wei Chang'an, give him this one, and have him sign the other."
Wei Chang'an handed Chen Chuan a document and said, "This is your travel permit from the school. With this, you're exempt from school activities and granted defensive rights.")
Chen Chuan took the document and saw that it was stamped by three school departments: the Recruitment Office, Administrative Office, and Execution Office. It also bore the seal of Vice Chancellor Gu Bertang.
Wei Chang'an handed Chen Chuan a pen and said, "Please sign here, Chen. Lecturer Bian needs to take this back for filing."
Chen Chuan thought for a moment. It seemed like this was a decision made by the school's management, so he had no choice but to comply. However, he wondered what the task was and whether his selection had anything to do with the final exam.
Chen Chuan took the pen and signed the document.
Wei Chang'an took the signed document, glanced at it, and walked back to hand it to Lecturer Bian. Lecturer Bian placed it in his briefcase and headed towards the school gate, while Wei Chang'an offered to help, "Let me put your luggage in the trunk."
"Thanks," Chen Chuan said.
Wei Chang'an took the suitcase, opened the trunk, and placed the luggage inside. He then walked to the front of the car, opened the door, and gestured for Chen Chuan to get in.
Chen Chuan walked over and sat in the passenger seat, fastening his seatbelt.
Wei Chang'an got into the driver's seat, started the diesel engine with a skilled turn of the key, and drove onto the highway.
After a while, noticing that Chen Chuan hadn't spoken, Wei Chang'an smiled and said, "What's wrong? Are you disappointed about missing the opening ceremony? In my opinion, it's not worth attending. It's just a bunch of old people talking, and it's boring. If you have any questions, just ask your brother Wei."
Chen Chuan asked, "Senior, may I ask what this mission is about?"
"Don't call me senior, just call me Brother Wei. Well..." Wei Chang'an looked ahead and said, "This matter is also related to you."
"Oh?" Chen Chuan was slightly taken aback.
Wei Chang'an said, "Do you remember someone attacking you on the road before the final exam?"
Chen Chuan thought for a moment and replied in surprise, "Is this related to that incident?"
Wei Chang'an explained, "The attacker was Dou Qi, who was protecting an underground drug transaction site. When the police went to arrest him, they discovered a fugitive named Tong Qianjiang. Oh, this guy was an accomplice of a group of fugitives who escaped from Qiguang Prison three months ago, and they haven't been caught yet..."
At this moment, Wei Chang'an turned on the right turn signal and took a detour. Chen Chuan glanced at the direction; they seemed to be heading east.
Wei Chang'an continued, "After discovering this lead, Captain Yu... oh, the captain of the Xigang District Police who led the operation that day, reported the matter and conducted an interrogation."
"Dou Qi's employer is an old man named Lao Hei, who controls an illegal drug channel. And this time, Tong Qianjiang was there to buy anti-mutation drugs, which is where it gets interesting."
Chen Chuan pondered and said, "Anti-mutation drugs? I think I've heard about them somewhere."
Wei Chang'an glanced at the rearview mirror and added, "Implants, do you know about them? Giant corporations and major companies use biological implants to replace human limbs and organs, thus acquiring functions beyond the human body. Of course, military-grade implants are different from civilian ones. Most of the implants circulating outside are civilian-grade, and it's said that everyone in Central City uses them. But these things require long-term consumption or injection of anti-mutation drugs; otherwise, they will cause mutation reactions with severe consequences."
"Implants are not commonly seen outside Central City, perhaps because implantation requires certain technical support. Even anti-mutation drugs are considered prohibited substances outside the city."
"Now, here's where it gets interesting," Wei Chang'an continued. "When Tong Qianjiang and his gang were arrested, they didn't have any implants on them. What do they need anti-mutation drugs for? Did they get implants after their escape, or are they buying them for someone else?"
"The police investigated and found that Lao Hei obtained the drugs from his supplier, Chou Huizi. According to his confession, Tong Qianjiang's gang might have obtained drugs from Chou Huizi before, but later they were introduced to Lao Hei. But Lao Hei kept a hand, fearing he'd be implicated, so he didn't show up personally. Instead, he sent an unaware subordinate to meet with Fang Dawei's people."
"To find Fang Dawei's gang, the police need to search for clues from Chou Huizi. This guy is under the protection of a boss in the Bloodstain Gang, and we're going to find this person and have him hand over the gang."
Chen Chuan was a bit puzzled and asked, "Since the matter involves a gang, why doesn't the police department go directly to arrest them? Why do they need us, the students of Wu Yi Academy, to find them?"
"Why not arrest them directly? Hey, the Bloodstain Gang has the backing of Mo Lan Corporation. The companies they set up are under the name of Mo Lan Corporation. They not only have their own lawyers but also the legal team of Mo Lan Corporation to support them. If we go through the official channels, there's no evidence to hold them accountable."
"As for why this matter was entrusted to us," Wei Chang'an smiled, leaned forward, and handed Chen Chuan a name card, saying, "Take a look."
Chen Chuan took the card and saw the words, "Registered member of the Mandate Association, Mandate Commissioner, Wei Chang'an."
Wei Chang'an explained, "Wu Yi Academy students start internships in their second year and can work in various departments of the Civil Affairs Bureau or go solo in their third year. I'm currently a member of the Mandate Association, specifically handling communication and negotiation with non-government groups."
Chen Chuan was familiar with the mandate system, which was not only prevalent in various departments and individuals in the country but also popular abroad.
When a department or individual needs to manage or interact with another non-system entity or organization, they will hand over the matter to a mandate to handle communication and various affairs to save costs and avoid cumbersome procedures.
These mandates have extensive connections and compete with each other. Some senior mandates are even granted power.
Understanding Wei Chang'an's position, Chen Chuan also understood why he was involved in this matter.
Wei Chang'an sighed, "Don't worry, junior. My mandate company has already negotiated with the boss of the Bloodstain Gang, and they've agreed to hand over the gang to us. This time, we're just going to pick them up."
Chen Chuan asked with doubt, "Am I only brought along because this matter is related to me?"
Wei Chang'an sighed and said, "Brother Wei is doing you a favor. You know, missions like this are related to academic evaluations, which will affect your certification in the future. Yeah, those certificates that are only available nationwide to Wu Yi Academy students!"
"Thank you, Brother Wei."
"Of course, we're all sons of Yangzhi Police Department. For such a large police department, only four of us, including you and me, passed the final exam. If I don't help you, who will I help?"
Chen Chuan thought for a moment; there was a tradition of unity within the police department, but...
His expression became a bit complicated. Could it be that Wei Laohu was about to be exposed, so he sent his son to offer a favor to him, so his uncle wouldn't dare to cause trouble anymore?
(End of Chapter)
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