Chapter 35: An Unusual First Day of School
Chapter 35: An Unusual First Day of School
September 1, the opening day of Wu Yi Academy.
At six in the morning, Chen Chuan stood in front of the dressing mirror in his wardrobe, tidying himself up. He put on the student uniform of Wu Yi Academy, which Yu Wan had already ironed neatly for him.
He reached out to pick up the student cap, placing it squarely on his head. He straightened his clothes, turned to the door, picked up a suitcase, and stepped outside. He glanced back at the room one last time before slowly closing the door.
Yu Wan was waiting in the living room, reminding him, "Little Chuan, no one will be there to take care of you at Wu Yi. Remember to eat well, don't study too hard, and get plenty of rest. Don't overwork yourself."
Chen Chuan smiled and said, "Auntie, don't worry. The school is very generous with food and accommodation. Besides, there's a break every ten days, and I'll come back to visit you and Uncle."
Yu Wan came over to adjust his cuffs, patted him down, stepped back, and said with satisfaction, "My Chuan is so handsome."
Chen Chuan said, "Auntie, I'm leaving now. Please say hello to Uncle for me."
"Alright, be careful on your way."
Chen Chuan pushed the door open and stepped out, greeted by a fresh morning breeze. Today, he didn't ride his bike; instead, he walked directly to Wu Yi Academy.
He reviewed the day's schedule in his mind: the opening ceremony would start around nine o'clock. Before that, he needed to place his luggage in the dormitory. After the ceremony, senior students would guide him around the campus to familiarize him with the main areas of study. After that, he would have free time until the next day, when his new academic life would officially begin.
Less than an hour's walk later, he saw the school gate.
"Chen Chuan, is that you?" The young man smiled and walked over, extending his hand, "Let me introduce myself, I'm Wei Chang'an, a third-year student at Wu Yi Academy."
Hearing the name, Chen Chuan's heart skipped a beat. He extended his hand and shook it, saying, "Hello, Senior Wei, are you Captain Wei's son?"
Wei Chang'an smiled, "Yes, I'm Wei Laohu's son. Don't worry about the nickname; just call him Laohu."
Chen Chuan looked at him. He had seen Wei Laohu, a rough and burly man, but his son was surprisingly refined. Clearly, Wei Chang'an had come specifically for him, so he asked, "Senior Wei, what do you need me for?"
"Like this..." Wei Chang'an became a bit more serious, "Chen Chuan, there's an external mission for the academy that requires your cooperation. I'm sorry, but you won't be able to attend the opening ceremony today."
Chen Chuan was a bit surprised and said, "An external mission? Senior Wei, are you sure? I'm just a new student who hasn't even started yet..."
At that moment, the rear window of the car rolled down, and a familiar, deep voice came from inside, "Chen, follow him. This is a task assigned by the school, and Wei Chang'an will explain the details to you."
Chen Chuan looked and recognized the speaker—it was Lecturer Bian Feng, who had admitted him during the entrance exam. He hurriedly greeted, "Hello, Teacher Bian."
Bian Feng said, "Chen, after passing the second round of exams, you are now a top student of the academy. You have the duty and responsibility to assist the Government Hall and its departments." He took out two forms and said, "Wei Chang'an, give him one and have him sign the other."
Wei Chang'an ran over to take the forms, then walked back and handed one to Chen Chuan, "This is your travel order. With this, you can skip school activities and have limited defensive rights."
Chen Chuan took it and glanced at it. It had the seals of the Recruitment Office, Affairs Office, and Execution Office, as well as the signature of Vice Principal Gu Bozhang.
Wei Chang'an handed him a pen, "Please sign the second form, Teacher Bian needs to file it."
Chen Chuan thought for a moment. This must be a decision from the school administration. He had no choice but to comply, though he wondered what the task was and if it was related to the second round of exams.
He took the pen and signed his name.
Wei Chang'an took it, checked it, and walked back to hand it to Bian Feng. Bian Feng put it in his official document bag and got out of the car, "I'll head back to the school. This task is yours now. Remember to handle it well."
Wei Chang'an said, "Rest assured, Teacher Bian."
Bian Feng walked towards the school gate, while Wei Chang'an extended his hand, "Junior, let me help you with your luggage in the trunk."
Chen Chuan thanked him. Wei Chang'an took the suitcase, walked to the back of the car, opened the trunk, and placed the suitcase inside. He then walked to the front, opened the car door, and gestured, "Junior, get in. We're leaving now. The sooner we finish, the sooner you can return."
Chen Chuan walked over, sat in the passenger seat, and fastened his seatbelt.
Wei Chang'an also got in from the other side, fastened his seatbelt, placed his hands on the steering wheel, turned the key, and with a series of skilled maneuvers, the engine roared to life, and they drove onto the main road.
After a while, seeing Chen Chuan was quiet, he smiled and said, "What, feeling a bit disappointed about missing the opening ceremony? In my opinion, what's the point of the opening ceremony? Just a bunch of old folks talking, it's boring. If you want to know anything, just ask me, your Wei Big Brother."
"Chen Chuan, can I ask what this mission is about?"
"Don't call me Senior, just call me Brother Wei. Well..." Wei Chang'an looked ahead as he spoke, "This matter is actually related to you."
"Oh?" Chen Chuan was slightly taken aback.
"Do you remember someone attacking you on the road before the retake exam?" Wei Chang'an asked.
Chen Chuan thought for a moment and replied in surprise, "Is this related to that?"
"The attacker was named Dou Qi. He was responsible for protecting an underground drug exchange. That day, the Patrol Bureau went to arrest him and discovered a fugitive named Tong Qianjiang. Oh, this guy was an accomplice to a group of fugitives who escaped from Qiguang Prison three months ago, and they haven't been captured since then..."
As he spoke, Wei Chang'an turned right, taking a detour. Chen Chuan glanced at the direction; they seemed to be heading towards the east of the city.
Wei Chang'an continued, "After discovering this lead, Captain Yu... oh, the captain of the West District Patrol who led the operation, reported the matter and conducted an interrogation.
Dou Qi's employer is known as Old Hei. He controls a channel for prohibited drugs. This time, Tong Qianjiang was there to buy anti-mutation medicine, which is where it gets interesting."
Chen Chuan pondered, "Anti-mutation medicine? I think I've heard of it somewhere."
Wei Chang'an glanced at the rearview mirror and added, "Implants, you know? Global Enterprises and major companies use biological implants to replace human limbs and organs, thereby acquiring functions beyond the human body. Of course, military-grade and civilian-grade products are different. Most of the implants circulating outside are civilian-grade, and it's said that everyone in Central City uses them. However, these things require long-term consumption or injection of anti-mutation medicine; otherwise, they can cause mutation reactions with severe consequences."
Implants are not very common outside of Central City, perhaps because implantation requires a certain level of technical support. Even anti-mutation medicine is considered a prohibited drug outside of Central City.
An interesting twist emerged. When Tong Qianjiang's group was arrested, they didn't have any implants. So, why did they need the anti-mutation medicine? Did they get implants after their escape, or were they buying them for someone else?
The Patrol Bureau investigated and found that Old Hei's drugs came from his supplier, Chou Huzi. According to Old Hei's confession, Tong Qianjiang's group had likely obtained drugs from Chou Huzi before, but later, they were introduced to Old Hei. However, Old Hei kept a low profile and didn't want to be implicated, so he didn't show up personally. Instead, he had an unaware subordinate meet with Fang Dawei.
The Patrol Bureau, in order to find Fang Dawei's group, needed to search for clues from Chou Huzi. This person is under the protection of a leader in the Bloodstain Gang, and we're going to find this person and have him hand over the fugitive."
Chen Chuan had doubts, "Since this involves a gang, why doesn't the Patrol Bureau go directly to arrest them? Why are they letting us students from Wu Yi handle it?"
"Why not arrest them directly? Hey, the Bloodstain Gang is backed by the Mo Lan Company. The gang not only has its own lawyers but also the legal team of the Mo Lan Company. If we were to take the formal route, there would be no evidence on the surface to arrest them."
"As for why this task was given to us," Wei Chang'an smiled and leaned forward, reaching into the glove compartment to retrieve a name card, which he handed to Chen Chuan.
Chen Chuan took the card and saw the following words: "Commissioned Association Registered Member, Commissioner, Wei Chang'an."
"Starting from the second year, students at Wu Yi Academy begin internships, and in the third year, they can either work in various departments of the Civil Affairs Hall or venture out on their own," Wei Chang'an explained. "I'm currently a member of the Commissioned Association, specifically handling communication and coordination with non-governmental groups."
Chen Chuan was familiar with the concept of commissioned members, which was not only prevalent within the Dashun Republic but also common in foreign countries.
When a department or individual needed to manage or interact with another non-affiliated organization or system, they would often delegate the task to a commissioned member to handle communication and processing, aiming to reduce costs and avoid cumbersome procedures.
These commissioned members possessed extensive networks and resources, engaging in both cooperation and competition among themselves. Some high-ranking commissioned members were even granted certain powers.
Understanding Wei Chang'an's current identity, Chen Chuan also understood why he was involved in this mission.
"Rest assured, Junior," Wei Chang'an said. "The commissioned member company I belong to has already communicated with the leader of the Bloodstain Gang. They've agreed to hand over the fugitive, and this time, we're just going through the motions."
Chen Chuan asked, "Am I only being brought along because this mission is related to me?"
Wei Chang'an sighed, "I'm doing you a favor, you know. These external missions are related to academic evaluations, which will affect your ability to obtain certification in the future. You know, those certifications are only available to Wu Yi students nationwide."
"Then I'm grateful to you, Brother Wei."
"Of course, we're all sons of the Yangzhi Patrol Bureau. There are only four of us who passed the retake, including you and me. If I don't help you, who will I help?"
Chen Chuan thought for a moment, considering the tradition of solidarity within the Patrol Bureau, but...
His expression became slightly complex. Could it be that Wei Laohu was about to 'eat the broom'? So, he had his son come over to offer this favor, making it difficult for the 'uncle' to refuse.
(End of Chapter)
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