Chapter 601: The Mask
Chapter 601: The Mask
Chen Chuan could sense the sincerity in Scholar Pei's words. Although Chen Chuan had his own thoughts, he was still grateful for the other's kindness. If Scholar Pei wasn't genuinely impressed by him, there would be no need to offer such advice.
"Thank you, Scholar Pei. I'll remember what you said," Chen Chuan replied.
Scholar Pei smiled and said, "I never expected Mr. Xue to come forward and vouch for you. This is a good thing for you personally. The Municipal Parliament probably won't bother you for a while."
"By the way, your job adjustment is in progress, and the three-month leave has been approved. Captain Chen, what are your plans during this time?"
"I haven't decided yet, but before that, I might take the teacher's certification exam at Wu Yi Academy," Chen Chuan said.
Currently, he was contemplating a suitable heart energy technique for himself, one that would require referencing various skills. With a teacher's certification, he could better utilize the resources of Vermilion Whirlwind and access higher-level books from Wu Yi Academy.
The platform of Wu Yi Academy was indeed very useful, and he wasn't planning to give it up just yet.
Scholar Pei was slightly surprised but then said, "With your abilities and status, Captain Chen, it's not suitable for you to remain a student. Being a teacher at Wu Yi Academy is indeed more fitting for you.
"Wu Yi Academy has no shortage of talents. During the Shengmu Split, the teachers and students of Wu Yi contributed significantly. Do you remember the previous multi-departmental joint plan? Your assistant Ling also played a part in proposing that plan."
Chen Chuan raised an eyebrow, "Assistant Ling?"
Scholar Pei explained, "Yes, Assistant Principal Ling Jianxing. He was involved in persuading the upper management of Wu Yi Academy to allow Vermilion Whirlwind, an active consciousness entity, to participate in the plan and believed that you were the most suitable candidate.
"Initially, the various departments thought that active consciousness entities sometimes acted on their own preferences and might not follow the plan precisely. But he argued that you, as a student of Wu Yi Academy and a regular user of resources, would have an unspoken understanding and coordination that others couldn't match. Later, this proved to be true."
"Scholar Pei, how well do you know Assistant Ling?" Chen Chuan asked.
"Not much," Scholar Pei replied. "I heard that although he's from Jinbei Province, he's been studying in the capital city all along. He was recently assigned here as an assistant principal, and he's very talented. To become an assistant principal at such a young age requires not only ability but also martial prowess that commands respect."
Chen Chuan looked at him and nodded.
Scholar Pei glanced at his watch and said, "Captain Chen, I have other matters to attend to. I'll take my leave now, and I'll inform you if there's any news." After bidding farewell to Chen Chuan, he opened the car door, got back into the vehicle, and drove away as Chen Chuan watched him leave.
After Scholar Pei's departure, Chen Chuan pondered his words. The mention of Assistant Ling seemed to follow Chen Chuan's train of thought, but he sensed that it was a deliberate hint, as if implying something.
He had suspicions about Scholar Pei's true identity due to certain qualities that reminded him of someone he had met before.
Of course, this was just a fighter's intuition, and he had no concrete evidence.
So, the specific mention of Assistant Ling must have had a reason.
Although he didn't know what Assistant Ling was thinking, Chen Chuan felt he could handle whatever came his way.
As he pondered, he made his way back to the dormitory, checked a few messages, changed into a fresh set of clothes, and entered the practice room.
He felt the spiritual imprint left by Teacher Wei on his shoulder and realized that the technique was quite complex and didn't seem easy to practice. No wonder Teacher Wei had mentioned coming to check on him.
Despite the difficulty, the technique seemed to have promising effects once mastered.
According to what he had heard, this technique, when perfected, could not only defend against field domain scans but also evade certain external spiritual contacts and probes.
This was impressive because, based on his combat experience, spiritual attacks posed significant risks for both sides. So, a preliminary touch and probe using a technique was a better approach, but being able to conceal one's true strength was indeed advantageous.
With his second self, he could divert and avoid such attacks, but he didn't reject the idea of enhancing his primary self's techniques. The second self consumed energy, and having the ability to possess such a skill could provide an additional method to confront enemies in critical moments.
This time, although he had escaped unharmed due to Teacher Wei's intervention, he couldn't rely on the enemy's negligence or kindness. Self-improvement was the best way to deal with such situations.
It took Chen Chuan several days to grasp the technique roughly, and now it was time for in-depth cultivation. With Vermilion Whirlwind's assistance, he believed he could master it soon.
Time flew by, and before he knew it, a month had passed. The city gradually regained stability, and he received a message from the Disciplinary Bureau officially promoting him to the position of Investigation Supervisor. The inauguration ceremony was scheduled for June 2nd, and he was asked to attend punctually.
After replying to the message, Chen Chuan contacted Lu Fang, "Lu Fang, how have you been these days?"
Lu Fang replied, "There haven't been any issues. After your warning, I closed the gym for a few days with the two senior students. We didn't encounter too much trouble."
Chen Chuan asked, "Has Xiao Jin been coming these days?"
Lu Fang replied, "Yes, except for those two days when there was biological contamination, he's been coming every day since then."
"Is there any difference compared to before?"
"Difference?" Lu Fang thought for a moment, "Maybe he has some worries. His training has become more rigorous these past two days."
Chen Chuan nodded, "Senior, I'll come over later."
"Sure."
After ending the call, Chen Chuan changed into casual clothes and went downstairs, then drove to the combat gym where Lu Fang was.
After entering the Shen Wei District, he saw that the dump trucks on the side of the road still had some residual insect corpses that hadn't been cleared away. Many people were spraying pungent, unpleasant-smelling chemicals on the trees to eliminate insect eggs, and occasionally some insects would fall from the leaves.
This place was not Wei Guang District or Wu Ding District, so the prevention and cleanup of the invasive creatures from the Fusion Grounds were a bit slower.
Even with repeated cleaning, many would still remain. These insects would quickly adapt to the environment here, becoming more suited to survival, and the Central City would be unable to stop them. They would gradually spread out, just like the fusion of the two worlds, which was almost impossible to prevent.
In less than an hour, he arrived at the entrance of the combat gym. To his surprise, there were many more people than usual, and there were also a few groups of gang members at the entrance.
He parked his car and got out. When the gang members saw him, they said a few words and then turned to leave. Although he wasn't in uniform today, the aura of a warrior was hard to hide, and these people clearly didn't want to cause trouble.
After looking around, he walked into the combat gym. Lu Fang knew he had arrived and came out to greet him. After exchanging pleasantries, Chen Chuan asked, "There seem to be a lot more gang members here?"
Lu Fang said, "Don't worry, they're not here to cause trouble. The biological invasion a few days ago and the widespread conflicts in the city have affected many gangs. Many of them have suffered losses, and some have been completely eliminated. The remaining gangs have been fighting for territory these past few days. They know it's safe here, so they've sent their children to learn combat techniques. Whether they learn anything or not doesn't matter to them; they just want peace of mind."
Chen Chuan nodded. Lu Fang and the two seniors were all Second Limit Warriors. With three warriors here, most gangs wouldn't dare to cause trouble.
If it weren't for the fact that Lu Fang and the two seniors had their own pursuits and didn't want to go down that path, they could easily form their own gang.
However, they couldn't solve the identity issue, so the combat gym couldn't expand. Even if he became a regional supervisor, he couldn't solve it because only the Government Hall had the authority to grant citizenship. Unless someone could reach the Third Limit.
As they talked, they walked inside.
He immediately saw Chen Xiaojin training seriously with someone. He looked very focused, not much different from usual.
Chen Chuan stood to the side and watched. After about ten minutes, the training session ended, and Chen Xiaojin came down, breathing heavily, to Lu Fang. The latter pointed out the areas he needed to improve and then patted his shoulder, gesturing to Chen Chuan.
Chen Xiaojin walked over and said casually, "Captain Chen, you need me?"
Chen Chuan said, "Your last kick, you raised your leg a bit too high."
"Raised it?"
Chen Chuan lifted his hand, "Try kicking again."
Chen Xiaojin looked at him, took a few steps back, and then kicked out. However, Chen Chuan slightly pressed down, catching his foot, causing him to step back several steps.
Chen Chuan said, "Your foot only fully exerts its power at this height, but it reaches the opponent first. This means the power, though strong, is not effectively used, making it useless and exhausting you. That's why you didn't win just now."
He commented, "You're too impatient."
Chen Xiaojin lowered his head and clenched his fists.
Chen Chuan then felt in his pocket and took out the half mask left by Chen Bitong, handing it to him, "This belongs to Teacher Chen. I think it should be given to you."
Chen Xiaojin looked at it but didn't take it. Instead, he raised his head and asked, "He's not coming back, is he?"
Chen Chuan looked at him silently, not saying a word.
Chen Xiaojin lowered his head again, wiping his eyes with his arm, and said with red eyes, "Actually, I'm used to it. He used to be gone for long periods, so it's the same whether he's here or not."
Chen Chuan said slowly, "Teacher Chen has things he must do. You might think he's letting you down, but he's always tried to protect you and hasn't really ignored you."
He turned the mask over, and on the back, a small whale was carved.
Little Whale.
Chen Xiaowhale.
"I don't know if he can come back, but if you want to see him again, then train hard. When you have enough strength, go and find him yourself."
Chen Chuan looked at him and said, "If you want to, when you've mastered the necessary techniques, come to Wu Yi and find me." He placed the half mask on a nearby table and then turned to leave.
...
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(End of Chapter)
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