Chapter 470: Verification
Chapter 470: Verification
Arriving at the Shu Tianxia Hotel, Chen Chuan ordered a private room with a view overlooking the Central City's night scenery. He placed an order through the Interdimensional Link, and soon enough, a steaming hot dish was served.
Wu Han eagerly picked up a piece of tender, marbled meat from the braised pork dish, its texture trembling slightly. As he took a bite, the meat melted in his mouth, soft and juicy, with a slightly chewy skin that held a hint of stickiness. The flavorful juices instantly filled his mouth, and he exclaimed in delight, "Delicious! This taste is almost as good as Yangzhi's!"
Chen Chuan explained, "They say the water used here is sourced from Yangzhi. This is the only hotel in Central City that uses it."
Enlightened, Wu Han said, "No wonder it tasted somewhat familiar. This hits the spot."
He devoured several more pieces of the braised pork, satisfying his craving. Setting down his chopsticks, he wiped his mouth with a napkin and asked a question he hadn't posed earlier, "By the way, Junior, who were those people who attacked us today? Judging by their equipment, guns and mortars, they're not to be taken lightly."
Chen Chuan replied, "Although we don't have concrete evidence yet, I suspect it was likely the Ferris Wheel Corporation. Be cautious if you encounter them again."
"The Ferris Wheel Corporation?"
Wu Han pondered for a moment, "I feel like I've heard of them somewhere before." Then, it clicked, "Oh, I remember! The last time I accompanied you on a commission, we might have encountered this company, right?"
Chen Chuan nodded, "Yes, it was them."
Wu Han remarked, "This company seems quite audacious. Hey, Mo Lan Corporation was like that too, but they didn't last long."
Chen Chuan said, "These companies share some similarities with us fighters. It's a matter of advancing or retreating."
"However, the environment they operate in doesn't allow them to pause. They'll do whatever it takes to expand their ecological reach. In the end, either they consume others or others consume them."
As soon as food was mentioned, Wu Han's craving returned. In the blink of an eye, he realized that Wei Dong had silently devoured most of the large plate of braised pork in just a few moments.
Hurriedly picking up his chopsticks, Wu Han exclaimed, "Hey, kid, slow down! Leave some for me."
Smiling, Chen Chuan tapped twice on the Interdimensional Link, ordering a few more dishes.
As plate after plate of food arrived, the two men indulged, their stomachs fully satisfied, mouths greasy from the delicious fare, exclaiming their enjoyment.
When they were at Wu Yi or on commissions, they usually ate nutrient gel, which was incredibly filling. It wasn't that they couldn't afford a few meals at restaurants; they had earned quite a sum from commissions in Yangzhi. The main reason they didn't dine out was to save time.
With an extra hour or two, they could take on more commissions and undergo more training. Nutrient gel was far more time-efficient, and the nutrients and energy it provided were more comprehensive than regular food. So, at most, they occasionally dined out to treat themselves to a change of taste.
After dinner, the two men, content and holding their drinks, admired the night view from the window, pointing and debating.
When Chen Chuan paid the bill using the Interdimensional Link, the hotel platform notified him that the Boundary Fusion Company had covered the charges on his behalf.
He checked and found that the company had an account linked to the Central City Public Service Platform. As the company's chief security advisor, during the holiday season, any expenses incurred in Central City below a certain limit would be covered by the company as a welfare benefit.
He took the opportunity to check the company platform and found that everything had been normal for the past month. Meng Shu hadn't encountered any attacks during her travels, indicating that the Ferris Wheel Corporation wasn't specifically targeting her anymore. This suggested that the previous attack and this one were likely directed at him alone.
He scrolled through the news from the past month, particularly checking the Fringe Channel. Aside from regular reports of violent conflicts in various parts of Central City, nothing seemed particularly noteworthy.
However, he noticed a voice message below. After the holiday, the number of airships in the docking ports of various districts seemed to have increased significantly, and there were more ocean liners docked at the port than in previous years.
He pondered this. Airships and ocean liners, aside from military purposes, were primarily used for trade, transportation, and the movement of large numbers of people.
This indicated that Central City wasn't as unchanged as it appeared on the surface. Something was being prepared or brewed, but it was either too distant for ordinary people to notice or intentionally concealed by those in power.
After reading the news, Chen Chuan picked up his hot drink from the table and left the hotel with Wu Han and Wei Dong, heading towards his residence in the Wu Ding District, where he planned to let Wu Han stay for the night.
Although the Shu Tianxia Hotel had guest rooms, they required citizen status, and non-citizens were not accommodated. It was better to stay at his place, where he could also show the two men around.
Upon reaching his residence, Wu Han exclaimed in surprise, "Junior, you have such a large house in Central City? Do all students at the Academy earn this much?"
Chen Chuan explained, "Most students at the Academy are recommended students with relatively well-off families. However, this estate has a different origin, which I'll elaborate on later. There's a training hall on the fourth floor, and if Senior and Wei Dong feel restless, you can go there to stretch your legs later."
"Wei Dong's attention was immediately drawn, and he eagerly asked, 'Is this a training hall like the one near the dormitory?'
Chen Chuan replied, 'The size is roughly the same, but the functionality is far inferior. The field resources of the Academy of Martial Arts are unparalleled. You'll understand once you experience it for yourself.'
He led the two around the premises, then took them to see the 'Conqueror General' vehicle in the garage, with its flag fluttering atop.
Wu Han let out an exclamation and eagerly circled the car. 'This car suits my personality, Junior Brother. I must get one for myself someday. Conqueror General—what a fitting name, with a great meaning. It suits me.'
Chen Chuan smiled and said, 'If you like it, give it a try. I rarely drive this car myself, as long as you don't take it out.'
Wu Han shook his head. 'Never mind. Wei Dong is always clumsy. I don't want him to damage it.'
Wei Dong, puzzled, asked, 'Why would I damage it?'
Wu Han snorted. 'Who else if not you? Remember the last time we seized a car? You were driving, right? It flipped over seven or eight times on the way, and by the time we reached our destination, it was in terrible shape. The person who came to collect the car gave us a disdainful look.'
Chen Chuan chuckled. At that moment, an additional flickering light appeared on his interdimensional link. He glanced at it and saw that Ni Qianxi was contacting him, so he stepped aside.
'Senior Sister Ni?'
Ni Qianxi's voice came through, 'Chen, your report has been received by the Bureau. They're taking it very seriously and are currently investigating. When we pursued the other convoy during the day, we found the vehicles parked there, but the people had already withdrawn.'
'The Union Heavy Transport's logo was temporarily affixed. We've already notified Union Heavy Transport and asked them to provide an explanation.'
Chen Chuan nodded. It was highly unlikely that Union Heavy Transport was responsible, but the Processing Bureau now had an excuse and would not let this go easily. It also allowed Union Heavy Transport to use their resources to investigate, as such actions of misusing other companies' identities were universally despised by all companies.
'In the 1691st book, the 1st bar, the 1st look, and the 1st version are all correct!'
'The attackers came from various sources. We checked their identities, and some were from foreign lands, some from the Shenyi Peninsula, and some from the Linaks Federation.
The combat implants on these individuals were all foreign products, indicating a unified custom design. The two Third Limit Fighters appeared to be outsiders hired from the platform, but their past sponsorship experiences were very obscure, which suggested that they had similar backgrounds.
We conducted residual biophysical field analysis on them, and both individuals had likely spent some time living at sea.
Combining this with previous information, the analysis department concluded that the mastermind was most likely the Ferris Wheel Corporation.'
At this point, she hummed, 'We don't even need their analysis; I could have guessed it. Who else but the Ferris Wheel Corporation? They've been the most active recently.'
Chen Chuan asked, 'Senior Sister Ni, how is the Bureau planning to handle this matter?'
Ni Qianxi replied, 'This is no small matter. After all, it was a blatant attack on government officials on the National Highway. The Bureau has already reported it, and a request has been made to conduct a strict review of the Ferris Wheel Corporation. The higher-ups are currently discussing it. Let's wait for the results; this won't be resolved in a day or two.'
Chen Chuan nodded. 'Thank you for the information, Senior Sister Ni.'
Ni Qianxi said, 'Don't mention it. The Bureau should keep you informed about this matter. You can rest assured during your vacation, and I'll keep an eye on it. I'll notify you of any progress.'
Chen Chuan thanked her again and said he would treat Ni Qianxi to a meal another day. He then ended the call. Seeing that it was getting late, he didn't feel like returning to the Xuan Gong Tower. After arranging rooms for Wei Dong and Wu Han, he went back to his study on the top floor.
He took out the broken sword from earlier and felt the same sensation as before as soon as he held it.
He turned the hilt towards himself and noticed a screw. After removing it, he discovered something shimmering inside the gap under the light, and his mind became clear. The source of this invigorating energy seemed to be right here.
He poured out the contents and found numerous sparkling crystals. He didn't know what they were, but he could sense that they were beneficial to him.
As soon as he stepped outside, he felt his spirit becoming lucid and concentrated. Instinctively, he knew these crystals had a significant supportive effect on cultivating the Divine Stillness."
It seemed that Jian Chengsheng's remarkable mental focus was likely due to these crystals.
He tried searching with his interdimensional link but found no related information, which only confirmed the crystals' significance. He decided to ask Cao Xuelang about them when he had the chance; this senior brother would surely know what they were.
As for the broken sword itself... He looked at the sword, now split into two pieces. He would have to ask the logistics team at the Processing Bureau for help with repairs before he could display it in the collection room.
...
..."
(End of Chapter)
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