Chapter 60: Jiao Mountain
Chapter 60: Jiao Mountain
September passed, and October arrived.
Chen Chuan focused solely on practicing Zhouyuan Power Technique and repeatedly honed his Correct Free Fighting skills. He also spent some time learning the basic sword techniques that Cheng Zitong had taught him during their brief encounters.
On a holiday in early October, Cheng Zitong called Chen Chuan in the morning. "Chuan, the assignment can begin. The teacher has arranged everything. The person leading you is my junior martial brother and your peer. You can call him Xuelong or Shixiong."
"He's waiting downstairs for you. Assignments often involve unexpected situations, and he has more experience. Just follow his lead when the time comes."
"Yes, Teacher. I'll keep that in mind," Chen Chuan replied, then asked, "Teacher, what's this Shixiong's name?"
"Ren Xiaotian," Cheng Zitong answered.
Chen Chuan thought to himself that this Shixiong's name sounded quite wild.
After hanging up the phone, he thanked the dorm supervisor, quickly prepared, and took the elevator downstairs. Upon exiting the building, he saw a gray off-road vehicle parked not far away. A man under 1.6 meters tall, probably in his thirties, stood nearby with a stern and solemn expression. When he saw Chen Chuan, he briefly said, "Chen Chuan?"
Chen Chuan nodded and asked, "Shixiong Ren?"
"Yes, get in," Ren Xiaotian said, opening the driver's door and stepping into the vehicle with a long stride.
Chen Chuan went to the passenger seat, opened the door, and slid inside. Once the door was closed and the seatbelt fastened, the car started moving.
Unlike Wei Chang'an, who had been very attentive during their previous interactions, Shixiong Ren remained silent, his face expressionless for a long stretch after they left the school gates.
Chen Chuan wasn't sure if this was due to his personality or some other reason, but since the other man wasn't talking, he didn't want to disturb him. Instead, he used the time to practice his breathing technique.
After a while, Shixiong Ren suddenly spoke up, "The basic breathing technique?"
"Yes," Chen Chuan replied.
Shixiong Ren fell silent again, and after a moment, he said, "It's pretty good."
Chen Chuan glanced at him, confirming that this Shixiong was not one for small talk. After some thought, Chen Chuan took the initiative, "Shixiong Ren, where are we going?"
Shixiong Ren seemed to breathe a sigh of relief and said, "We're going to Jiao Mountain."
Chen Chuan pondered, "Jiao Mountain? What exactly are we doing there?"
"We're retrieving something for a client," Shixiong Ren replied.
Chen Chuan recalled the words Lu Ke had spoken to him in the past and could roughly guess their destination for this trip.
At that moment, Shixiong Ren handed him a notebook, saying, "Take a look..."
Chen Chuan took the notebook and flipped through it. It was filled with densely written words, all related to assignment tasks. Key points were highlighted with red lines at the bottom.
Since the client paid the fee in full upfront, after confirmation between the company and the client, the compensation would not be supplemented or compensated. Therefore, any additional expenses during the execution had to be borne by the assigned executor.
If variables arise during the process, the executor must handle them appropriately. Failure to do so or mission failure will result in a lower evaluation, making it difficult to receive decent assignments in the future.
To avoid such situations, one must ensure a high success rate and minimize costs. He noticed that the notebook had a note in bold at the back: 'Information channels are crucial.'
He nodded in agreement.
The emphasis here was on information channels: one was the ability to quickly find various assignment tasks, and the other was to obtain timely information about the required tasks. The more detailed and precise the information, the higher the success rate and the lower the cost. Therefore, networking was extremely important for those specializing in this field.
However, right below the phrase 'Information channels are crucial,' there was another sentence: 'Protecting yourself is the most important.'
Chen Chuan agreed even more with this statement. Assignment tasks were merely tools on his path forward; if he couldn't protect himself, none of it would matter.
He continued flipping through the notebook, finding that the information within was both new and old. The most crucial points were specially marked with red pen lines, presumably for his convenience. He thought, 'This Shixiong Ren is indeed thoughtful. The teacher has indeed found a reliable person.'
The off-road vehicle headed east, crossing the National Avenue, and drove into the wasteland where there was barely a road.
Chen Chuan gazed at the desolate landscape outside, feeling as if he had suddenly left civilization behind, even though Yangzhi City wasn't that far away.
However, the six counties of Yangzhi City were mostly concentrated in the west and south, with the north dominated by mountainous areas and small towns, and the east, near Jiao Mountain, was sparsely populated. It was said that only a few illegal organizations existed in this area.
On the other side of Jiao Mountain, there were many people who made a living by scavenging garbage. They were nominally citizens of Dashun Republic, but in reality, they didn't enjoy any civil rights, not even having household registrations. Therefore, these people didn't exist in any official records.
He looked at the distant black mountain shadow, and according to Lu Ke's words, there were many villages and tribes living near the mountain, who didn't trust each other and had their own territories.
Most of the time, the people of Jiao Mountain traded with the people of Zhang Mountain to the northwest and the surrounding villages and towns, obtaining supplies, among which the Iron Chain Gang controlled a large portion. However, it seemed that this time, they weren't heading there.
The journey was bumpy, but fortunately, both of them had excellent physical conditions and didn't feel any discomfort. After about three hours of driving, a patch of charred soil appeared ahead, and beyond it, a massive black mountain shadow gradually rose above the horizon. They knew they were about to enter the territory of Jiao Mountain.
At this moment, Ren Xiaotian handed him a mask and a neck warmer, saying, "Put these on."
Chen Chuan took them, knowing that most of the residents of Jiao Mountain had lung diseases, likely caused by the unique dust in the area. Putting on these items was a necessary precaution, so he immediately put on both.
By now, a faintly visible, relatively flat road could be seen ahead, probably cleared for passage. After driving along this road for about half an hour, a road sign made of old tires and metal wire appeared on the side of the road. The top of the sign had the words 'Nan Gou Village' twisted out of metal wire.
As the sound of the car approached, a man covered in dust and wearing a work uniform emerged from behind the road sign. He wore old-fashioned windproof glasses and a leather hat that covered his ears. He cautiously looked around, checked the license plate, and compared it to a piece of paper in his hand, then waved both hands at them.
The off-road vehicle slowly approached and stopped near the road sign. Ren Xiaotian put on his hat and quickly wrapped the neck warmer around his neck, covering himself tightly. He said, "Get out of the car," and then opened the door and jumped out, walking towards the man.
Chen Chuan also got out of the car, and as soon as he stepped outside, he felt gusts of wind blowing, carrying fine powder. He glanced at the distant Jiao Mountain, which seemed to merge with the clouds, and covered his student hat with his hand, following Ren Xiaotian.
As the two of them approached, the man ran over, smiling and extending his dirty hand towards Chen Chuan. He nodded and bowed, saying, "You must be Mr. Ren? You're indeed young and promising."
Chen Chuan waved his hand and gestured to the side, saying, "This is Mr. Ren."
The man immediately realized his mistake, but he didn't feel embarrassed. He quickly turned and shook hands with Ren Xiaotian, saying, "Mr. Ren? You're truly a hidden talent."
Ren Xiaotian frowned and said, "Are you Lao Mi?"
"Yes, yes, that's me. Everyone calls me that."
"Where are the goods?"
Lao Mi sighed and said, "I had the goods with me, ready to bring them out for the trade, but I encountered some trouble when leaving the village..."
Ren Xiaotian, with a dry voice, said, "The price can be negotiated, but don't lie to me."
"No, no," Lao Mi waved his hands, "It's like this, the village was afraid of an accident, so the village chief wants you to come to the village for the trade. That way, everyone can feel more at ease, right?"
Ren Xiaotian remained silent for a moment, then suddenly drew a revolver from his clothes and pointed it at Lao Mi's forehead. With a flat tone, he said, "Give me the goods, or you die."
...
...
(End of Chapter)
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