Chapter 596: The Ebb Tide
Chapter 596: The Ebb Tide
April 26th, two days after Shengmu's split had ended.
Chen Chuan stood by the window on the 49th floor of Xuanguang Tower, basking in the bright and dazzling morning sunlight.
At this moment, he was reading the news on Ji Pei's news feed, which was almost entirely about the downfall of the Ferris Wheel Corporation, with public opinion leaning mostly towards the negative.
As soon as Shengmu's split ended and the field barrier was lifted, the Municipal Parliament was among the first to learn of the situation at the Ferris Wheel.
The Municipal Parliament immediately issued severe criticism and condemnation towards the Government Hall and various other departments, and mobilized their media to extensively report on the Government's infringement of business interests and abuse of violent means to suppress the company.
They stated that this action made many enterprises feel uneasy, questioning the ability of the Jinbei Province Central City Government to maintain a conducive business and security environment, and demanding a reasonable explanation.
Some parliamentarians even suggested that the Chief of Government Affairs should personally explain and apologize, and proposed amendments to the Emergency Act to prevent similar incidents from happening again in the future.
However, the Government Hall seemed to have no response, and this lack of reaction seemed more like a brewing and waiting game.
Chen Chuan pondered for a moment. The Government Hall had taken the initiative in this matter and should have a response and backup plan.
Even if the Municipal Parliament knew this, they still had to make such a statement because they represented the interests of various companies and local factions, and had to voice their concerns in this matter.
After reading for a while, he turned off the news, and all the noisy and seemingly endless voices disappeared, leaving only the sound of the wind blowing across his face.
He looked towards the distant end of the city, feeling as if his spirit had traveled to a faraway place.
Over the past three days, he had continuously absorbed Pure Essence, sensing that the barrier blocking him was becoming increasingly weaker.
However, the amount of Pure Essence he had absorbed over these days did not add up to what he had obtained on that day. Even if his spirit hovered there constantly, it would take a long time to capture a trace.
This was consistent with what Chen Bitong had said. The Pure Essence had likely started to spread throughout Dashi and even the entire world, reducing the amount he could access.
Moreover, at this moment, someone should have begun to fill the gap in the World Ring. This was the reason why he hadn't slept in the past few days, instead using every moment to capture and absorb as much as possible.
However, even if the gap could be filled, it couldn't calm the tremors of the world.
Once something happens in the world, it will happen again.
If it hadn't happened before, it would be fine, but now that it has, and it's been confirmed that it can be done, someone will definitely try again because they now know there's another choice.
He gazed at the dazzling sunlight above, feeling the omnipresent radiance emanating from it, and thought to himself that this was probably Teacher Chen's true intention—not just to open a gap, but to create hope.
After standing there for a while, he turned and went back to the training room. Having absorbed so much Pure Essence and essence, he needed to quickly transform them into true power.
The morning passed in his cultivation, and as noon approached, he received a voice message from Scholar Pei, asking if he was available to discuss something.
He replied with a time and place, agreeing to meet in two hours.
At around 1:00 pm, he emerged from the training room, freshened up, changed his clothes, and descended from the tower.
As soon as he stepped out of Xuanguang Tower, a familiar car approached and stopped in front of him. The window slowly lowered, and Scholar Pei waved from the backseat, "Captain Chen, get in."
Chen Chuan opened the door and sat inside. The car slowly started moving towards the overpass.
Scholar Pei asked, "Have you been following the news these days?"
Chen Chuan replied, "Yes, it's all criticism and accusations."
Scholar Pei smiled, "That means we did the right thing."
As the car drove onto the overpass, he continued, "They want me to ask you about Chen Bitong's case. What are your thoughts? They want to hear your opinion."
Chen Chuan looked at him and asked, "What's their opinion?"
Scholar Pei sighed and said, "Letting him pass as a hero is the best option for everyone. It preserves his reputation and provides closure for others."
Through their investigation over the past few days, the Defense Department had a good understanding of what Chen Bitong had been planning.
However, whether due to information suppression or other considerations, they didn't want to expose this matter further, as it would implicate more people and events.
It was best for Chen Bitong to pass as a hero, ensuring that military morale and the many people associated with him would be pacified.
However, they weren't clear about Chen Chuan's thoughts. After all, if the matter was settled this way, Chen Chuan's achievement in resolving Chen Bitong's threat would be erased, and while a simple notification and compensation might suffice for an ordinary fighter, they still needed to consider Chen Chuan's feelings.
In this incident, Chen Chuan demonstrated exceptional strength, and each of his actions played a crucial role. Especially the final strike from the sky, witnessed directly by thousands of people, has now gained even more attention as the situation unfolds. Unbeknownst to Chen Chuan, his reputation has grown among the troops below, and this development must be carefully considered.
Seeing that Chen Chuan didn't respond immediately, Scholar Pei continued, "Captain Chen, rest assured. Before I came, the Defense Department had already given instructions. We will provide you with reasonable compensation."
Chen Chuan didn't have any objections to this. To be honest, this was the best outcome he could have hoped for. He said, "Then let's handle it according to the instructions from above."
Scholar Pei's expression relaxed slightly when he saw that Chen Chuan didn't object.
"By the way, there's one more thing I should tell you. The Government Hall will soon find a way to emphasize the justice and necessity of this action. In the specific reports and news, they might introduce a representative figure afterward."
He paused for a moment and said, "Now that Chen Bitong has sacrificed himself, his vacancy needs to be filled, and the most likely candidate is you, Captain Chen."
He glanced at Chen Chuan and said, "This isn't necessarily a bad thing for you. Why did the higher-ups know that Chen Bitong might have issues but didn't take action against him? It's not because of evidence. It's because he has extensive influence and connections. That's why they had to provide evidence against him; otherwise, not mentioning his powerful and influential old friends could have a significant impact on morale."
"Of course, with fame comes responsibility. So, we respect your decision. If you're not willing, we won't force you."
Chen Chuan wasn't interested in these matters. Being highly praised meant that every move he made would be under scrutiny, and to some extent, he would be influenced and constrained, which was not what he desired.
He believed that personal strength was the most important, not these superficial things. Once his strength reached a certain level, it would be others who would have to accommodate him, not the other way around.
Scholar Pei didn't force the issue when he saw that Chen Chuan wasn't interested, and he quickly changed the subject. "Captain Chen, I have some good news for you. In recognition of your outstanding performance, the Defense Department has specially granted you three months of vacation. You can take a good rest. If you want to visit other central cities or go abroad, we can provide you with special approval."
Chen Chuan looked at Scholar Pei and asked, "Is there a problem?" Even if they granted him a vacation, they wouldn't specifically ask him to leave.
Scholar Pei sighed and said, "Captain Chen, you did a great job this time, but you might also attract the attention of certain people."
He added, "The Municipal Parliament is paying close attention to your performance. They might try to find a breakthrough from you."
Chen Chuan thought for a moment and said, "Thank you for the reminder, Scholar Pei. I understand."
After the car circled outside for a while, Scholar Pei dropped him off at the Wuyi Academy. As he got out of the car and was about to enter the building, a communication signal flashed on the Ji Pei.
He took a look and saw that it was from Yu Lie. After a moment's hesitation, he accepted the call.
Yu Lie's voice came through, "Captain Chen, sorry to disturb you. Someone wants to meet with you. Is it convenient for you?"
Chen Chuan asked directly, "Someone from the Temporary Special Operations Committee?"
Yu Lie paused for a moment and then answered honestly, "Yes, don't worry. I assure you that this person just wants to meet with you, talk to you about something, and has no other intentions. Captain Chen, if you're not comfortable with this, you can contact other parties first."
Chen Chuan considered Yu Lie's assurance, but it didn't ease his concerns. However, he had nothing to fear.
From Scholar Pei's words, it seemed that the matter with Chen Bitong had been concluded, and there was little chance of reopening it. The person from the Operations Committee probably didn't want to meet him about this issue.
If this person from the Operations Committee kept pursuing him, it would be difficult to avoid them. It might be better to meet them once, listen to what they had to say, and then consider how to respond.
Chen Chuan said, "In that case, I'll meet them. I have time now."
Yu Lie quickly agreed and said that someone would come to pick him up, asking him to wait for a moment. The communication ended shortly after.
Chen Chuan drafted a report on this matter and sent it directly to Director Wu. Just five minutes later, three armed vehicles approached from outside and stopped in front of him. Yu Lie stepped out of one of the vehicles.
Yu Lie approached Chen Chuan, his eyes filled with complexity. He said, "Captain Chen, Chu Shi is waiting for you in the car." After saying this, he stepped aside and made a welcoming gesture.
Chen Chuan looked toward the vehicle, adjusted his hat, and walked over.
...
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(End of Chapter)
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