Chapter 444: The Welcome
Chapter 444: The Welcome
The next morning, at 8 AM, a train arrived at the Fourth Fort Convergence Zone, halting amidst the blaring of its horn.
As the crowd watched, a squad of soldiers descended and lined up on both sides. Then, a handsome officer with a vigilant gaze stepped down.
He surveyed the surroundings and turned back, respectfully saying, "Teacher."
Following the descent of military boots, a man in a gilded hat and military overcoat emerged from the train. He wore a half-face mask, appearing to be in his forties or fifties, but his exposed half-face was marked with deep wrinkles and hair interspersed with silver strands.
His uniform was neatly pressed, with tightly fastened collar and cuffs, and the brass buttons gleamed. His eyes were sharp as blades, giving him an old-school military demeanor.
Despite his average height, he seemed to be only about 1.7 meters tall, not even taller than ordinary soldiers. It was hard to tell he was a powerful fighter unless one paid attention to his spirited eyes. Many would believe him to be an ordinary officer.
Following him was a female officer, tall as a tower, at least 2.2 meters. Though robust, she was not unattractive, with surprisingly harmonious facial features.
Despite their significant height difference, everyone's attention was instinctively drawn to the former. As he stepped off the train and approached, the soldiers on both sides, including those on the platform, snapped to attention.
"Teacher Chen," a voice called out from the waiting area. Lai Wu, the Third Limit Combatant of the Fourth Fort Convergence Zone, emerged from the welcoming crowd with a beaming smile.
Lai Wu was unpopular in the Convergence Zone due to his indifference towards others. Once, when Chen Chuan's squad passed by and greeted him, he merely glanced away without responding.
However, this seemingly aloof individual now stood before Chen Bitong with utmost respect, offering a standard salute and saying, "Teacher Chen, please stay a few more days at the Fourth Fort Convergence Zone. Allow your student to fulfill the duties of a host."
Chen Bitong replied, "You're busy with official duties, so don't waste time on someone insignificant like me."
He stood in place, raised his hand, and returned the salute to everyone. Then, escorted by the lead officer and the towering female officer, he walked into the Convergence Zone.
The soldiers shouldered their rifles and followed in a disciplined march.
Yuan Qiuyuan, despite his early arrival, couldn't go to the station to greet them due to not being part of the relevant personnel. Watching the approaching figure, he felt a slight surge of excitement.
He turned to Qin Qingque beside him and said, "I wish I could be Teacher Chen's student too. Even if that's not possible, I'd be content with just a bit of guidance, don't you think, Executor Qin?"
Qin Qingque shook her head.
Yuan Qiuyuan found her reaction strange but didn't think much of it. He looked ahead again and said, "I wonder how long Teacher Chen will stay... Hey, where's the captain? He said he'd be here this morning..."
Chen Chuan stood on an elevated walkway in the Convergence Zone, watching Chen Bitong approach from a distance. He noticed that most of the soldiers present had looks of genuine respect.
It was no wonder the higher-ups couldn't directly convict this individual, aside from the issue of evidence. With a brilliant record of achievements and being an object of admiration for many, the impact of associating him with the rift in the dimensional curtain would be immense, causing severe psychological shock.
Even if it were proven that he was indeed involved, the higher-ups wouldn't likely use this charge to deal with him. They'd probably need to find another excuse.
As Yuan Qiuyuan observed him, Chen Bitong suddenly turned, and his sharp gaze locked onto Yuan Qiuyuan. Those piercing eyes seemed to shoot like two sharp arrows.
But after a glance, the sharp gaze retracted, and his expression returned to normal.
Chen Chuan raised an eyebrow, noticing that while the man had looked his way, no one around him showed any signs of abnormality, and no one followed his gaze. Even Chen Chuan felt like it was just a fleeting illusion.
Upon careful recollection, he realized the man hadn't made a move to look his way. It must have been a combined effect of field technique and mental influence, creating the illusion of a mutual gaze.
This was a highly skilled application of field and mental techniques, and during this, Chen Bitong couldn't sense the man's field at all.
As Chen Bitong and his group entered the fort, disappearing from view, Yuan Qiuyuan didn't linger but returned to his dormitory.
The welcoming party for Chen Bitong at the Convergence Zone had come voluntarily, and the main officials of the Convergence Zone remained absent, clearly aware of something, adopting a cautious attitude. However, they didn't skimp on hospitality, providing Chen Bitong and his entourage with the best accommodation in the Convergence Zone.
After Chen Bitong entered the room, a young officer approached with a stack of documents and placed them on the side table, saying, "Teacher, these are the accumulated reports from the past few days."
He had been forced to take a leave of absence and was not allowed to access any outside news during his journey. Only upon reaching the outpost could he review some outdated information.
He picked up a few reports and skimmed through them. When he saw one particular page, his hand paused, and he asked, "Was the Iron Demon dealt with?"
The handsome officer replied, "Yes, it was taken care of by an Executor who had just arrived in the Convergence Zone."
Chen Bitong slowly said, "I had heard about the Iron Demon before. I was thinking that if this person came to the outpost, I would take the opportunity to deal with it myself. But it seems I won't need to get involved now."
The handsome officer said, "For someone like the Iron Demon, it's giving him too much face to have the teacher personally handle it. If it were me, I'd let the students handle it.
But seeing that he was killed by an Executor who had just arrived, it seems his abilities aren't that impressive. I wonder how he managed to build such a reputation in the past. I think it's mostly just talk."
Seeing that Chen Bitong was still reading the battle reports, the handsome officer knew that the teacher enjoyed mentoring the younger generation, especially those with great potential. He said, "Teacher, do you want to meet this Executor? It's not a simple matter. Perhaps he's outside right now. I can go and ask him to come. He shouldn't be in a hurry to meet the teacher, right?"
Chen Bitong replied, "I do want to meet him, but let's leave it for tomorrow. Although I'm not restricted in my movements now, I'm still under surveillance from above. It's my first day here, so there's no need to rush into too much. Otherwise, many people might have to hold a meeting in the middle of the night again."
The handsome officer glanced at the tall female officer standing silently to the side, and said indignantly, "This matter has nothing to do with the teacher, yet they insist on pinning it on him. Now even the teacher's movements are restricted. Don't they realize the great contributions he has made in the past? They don't care about any favors at all."
Chen Bitong remained calm and said, "Those above never consider personal favors, only risks. As a potentially dangerous person in their eyes, if I were in their shoes, I'd do the same."
He continued, "Let's not talk about this anymore. Zhan Yi, you just returned from abroad. I'm sure you've seen a lot out there. I'd like to hear about your experiences."
The handsome officer immediately stood at attention and said, "If the teacher wants to know, the student will leave nothing unsaid."
Meanwhile, Chen Chuan returned to the dormitory from above. He locked the door, sat down, and took out a tube of special medication that he always carried with him.
When the outpost distributed special medication, they would issue a warning, advising everyone to avoid cultivating in the Convergence Zone, especially those who had never used special medication before. Sometimes, even a momentary lapse in concentration could lead to problems.
Except for those with high levels of spiritual cultivation, most fighters would choose to wait until they left the Convergence Zone before taking the medication as a precaution.
However, Chen Chuan could rely on his second self to mitigate the invasion, so he didn't need to be overly concerned. Moreover, he didn't know how long he would be staying there, and he couldn't afford to waste so much time.
The next day, when Chen Chuan left the dormitory, he found that the outpost had become surprisingly "lively." This was a military outpost, and usually, aside from the sounds of soldiers training and drilling, there were hardly any extra noises. But now, he could hear occasional footsteps and conversations passing by.
It wasn't until he had breakfast with Yuan and Qin that he learned the reason for this change. Many of Chen Bitong's students and those he had taught in the past had heard that he was returning to Central City from this outpost. They had come specifically to meet him, and among them were some high-ranking officials' offspring who had come out of admiration.
Chen Chuan thought that the situation might not be as simple as it seemed. The information provided by Commissioner Liang mentioned that Chen Bitong had a certain background, and this might be a show of support from his faction.
Just as he was thinking about this, an unfamiliar signal appeared on the Interdimensional Connector, attempting to contact him. He hesitated for a moment before accepting the call and asking, "Who is this?"
A powerful voice came from the other end, "Captain Chen, I presume? I'm Zhan Yi, a student of Instructor Chen. If Captain Chen had been present yesterday, we would have met.
I heard that you killed the Iron Demon. My teacher wants to meet you. Are you available? If it's convenient, there's a tea gathering at 3 p.m. You're welcome to join us."
Chen Chuan's heart stirred. He had been tasked with contacting Chen Bitong, so this was a perfect opportunity. He replied, "Sure, I'll be there on time."
His response seemed natural to the other party, who said, "Great, see you then."
After ending the call, Chen Chuan contacted Qin Qingque, "Executor Qin, could you help me check with the Communications Department to find out who leaked my contact channel?"
"Yes, Captain, I'll get to the bottom of it."
...
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(End of Chapter)
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