Chapter 601: The Mask
Chapter 601: The Mask
Chen Chuan could sense the sincerity in Advisor Pei's words. Although he had his own thoughts, he was grateful for the other's kindness. If it weren't for the fact that Advisor Pei genuinely believed in him, there would be no need for such a conversation.
Chen Chuan replied, "Thank you, Advisor Pei. I'll keep that in mind."
Advisor 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 City Council probably won't bother you again, at least for a while."
Then, he added, "By the way, your position is currently being adjusted. The procedure for your appointment is already in motion, and they've approved the three-month leave they offered. What do you plan to do during this time?"
Chen Chuan said, "I haven't decided yet, but before that, I might take the teacher's certification exam at Wu Yi Academy."
Currently, he was contemplating the heart skill that would suit him best, needing to refer to various techniques. With the teacher's certification, he could better utilize Red Whirlwind's resources and access some of the higher-level books from Wu Yi Academy.
The platform of Wu Yi was indeed very useful, and he had no plans to give it up just yet.
Advisor Pei was slightly surprised but quickly understood, "With your strength and status, Chen Chuan, it's not suitable for you to be a student anymore. Being a teacher at Wu Yi is indeed more fitting for you."
Wu Yi has no shortage of talents. During the Silkworm Mother's split, the teachers and students of Wu Yi contributed significantly. Remember the multi-departmental joint plan? Advisor Pei continued, "The proposal for that plan was also partly thanks to the efforts of Assistant Ling, Wu Yi's Vice Principal Assistant."
Chen Chuan raised an eyebrow, "Assistant Ling?"
Advisor Pei explained, "Yes, Vice Principal Assistant Ling Jianxing. He played a role in persuading the upper echelons of Wu Yi to involve Red Whirlwind, an active sentient entity, in this plan. He also believed that you were the most suitable candidate for execution."
"Initially, various departments were concerned that active sentient entities might act based on their personal preferences and not strictly follow the plan," Advisor Pei continued.
"But Assistant Ling believed that as a student of Wu Yi Academy and a frequent user of resources, you would have an unparalleled understanding and be able to cooperate seamlessly. Later, the facts proved him right."
Chen Chuan asked, "How much does Advisor Pei know about Assistant Ling?"
"Not much," Advisor Pei replied. "I heard that although he is from Jinbei Province, he has always studied in the capital. He was later assigned here as the Vice Principal Assistant. He's a very talented individual. To become a Vice Principal Assistant at such a young age, it's not just about capability; his martial prowess also commands respect."
Chen Chuan looked at him and nodded slightly.
Advisor Pei glanced at his watch and said, "Chen Chuan, I have official duties to attend to. I'll take my leave now. I'll keep you informed of 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.
After Advisor Pei left, Chen Chuan pondered for a moment. Advisor Pei had mentioned Assistant Ling at the end, seemingly following Chen Chuan's lead in the conversation, but Chen Chuan felt that it was a deliberate mention, as if hinting at something.
In truth, Chen Chuan had his suspicions about Advisor Pei's true identity, as certain traits reminded him of someone he had encountered before.
Of course, this was merely a hunch based on his intuition, without any concrete evidence.
Therefore, the specific matter Advisor Pei had pointed out must have had some significance.
Although Chen Chuan didn't know what Assistant Ling's intentions were, he felt confident in his ability to handle the situation.
As he pondered, he made his way back to the training room, having received several messages and changed into a fresh set of clothes.
He sensed the mental imprint Mr. Xue had left on his shoulder and found the technique to be quite complex, making it challenging to practice. No wonder Mr. Xue said he would come to check on my progress," he thought to himself.
Despite the difficulty, the technique seemed to have promising effects once mastered.
According to what I've been told, this technique not only helps defend against domain scanning but also allows one to avoid external spiritual contact and probing," he mused.
This was no small feat, as his combat experience suggested that spiritual attacks posed significant risks to both allies and enemies. While it was better to make preliminary contact and probe cautiously, having a technique that could conceal one's strengths and weaknesses would be invaluable.
With his second self, he could redirect and avoid such attacks, but he didn't reject enhancing his primary self's skills. The second self consumed energy, and possessing such a capability could provide an additional method to confront enemies in critical moments.
Although Mr. Xue's intervention had temporarily averted disaster, Chen Chuan couldn't afford to be complacent. He couldn't rely on the enemy's negligence or mercy, and self-improvement was the best way to respond.
It took Chen Chuan several days to grasp the technique roughly, and now it was time for in-depth cultivation. With Red Whirlwind's assistance, he believed he would soon master it.
Time flew by, and a month passed in the blink of an eye. The city gradually regained stability, and Chen Chuan received a notification from the Handling Bureau officially appointing him as the Investigation Director. He was to assume his post on June 2nd and was instructed to attend the ceremony promptly.
After acknowledging the message, Chen Chuan thought for a moment and contacted Lu Fang, "Senior Lu, how have you been these days?"
Lu Fang replied, "There haven't been any significant issues. After your warning, Senior Chen, I closed the gym with the other two seniors for a few days. We didn't go anywhere, so we didn't encounter too much trouble."
Chen Chuan asked, "Has Chen Xiaojin been coming these days?"
Lu Fang replied, "Yes, he's been here every day except for the two days when the biological contamination occurred. After that, he's been here regularly."
"Is there anything different from usual?"
Lu Fang thought for a moment, "Maybe he has some worries. These past few days, his training has become even more diligent."
Chen Chuan nodded, "Senior, I'll come over later."
"Sure."
After the call, Chen Chuan changed into casual attire and headed downstairs. He then drove towards the combat gym where Lu Fang was located.
As he drove into the deeper areas of the district, he noticed that there were still remnants of insect corpses in the overturned trucks on the roadside that hadn't been cleaned up properly. Many people were spraying pungent and unpleasant medicine onto the trees to eliminate insect eggs, and from time to time, some insects would fall from the leaves.
This place was not as well-prepared as the Weiguang District or the Wuding District in terms of preventing and cleaning up the invading organisms in the convergence ground.
In fact, even with such repeated cleaning efforts, there would still be quite a few insects left. These insects would quickly adapt to the environment and become better suited to survive here. The Central City couldn't hold them back, and they would gradually spread out in all directions, just like the unstoppable fusion of two worlds.
In less than an hour, he arrived at the entrance of the combat gym and was surprised to find that there were more people here than he had ever seen before. There were also several small groups of gang members standing outside.
After parking his car, he stepped out, and the gang members, upon seeing him, exchanged a few words before turning and leaving. Although he wasn't wearing his uniform today, the aura of a fighter was undeniable, and these people clearly didn't want any trouble.
He glanced around a few times before entering the gym. Lu Fang, who was aware of his arrival, greeted him from inside. After exchanging greetings, Chen Chuan asked, "It seems there are a lot more gang members here than usual?"
Lu Fang explained, "Don't worry, they're not here to cause trouble. The recent biological experiment intrusion and the large-scale conflict within the city have affected many gangs, resulting in significant losses of personnel and even some being disbanded. These gangs have been fighting for territory these days, and knowing that this place is safe, they specifically sent their children here to learn martial arts. Whether they learn it or not doesn't matter to them; they just seeking peace of mind."
Chen Chuan nodded. Both Lu Fang and the two seniors were second-limit fighters, and with three fighters here, most gangs wouldn't dare to provoke them.
If it weren't for Lu Fang and these two seniors having their own pursuits and not wanting to follow this path, forming a gang would have been an easy task.
In a 1619 book, there's a version that's error-free!
However, without resolving their identities, the combat gym couldn't expand. Even if he became the regional supervisor, he couldn't solve this issue because only the Government Hall had the authority to grant citizenship. Unless someone could reach the third limit, this problem would persist.
As the two continued their conversation, Chen Chuan's gaze fell upon Chen Xiaojin, who was earnestly sparring with someone, his focus and dedication apparent. He seemed no different from usual.
Chen Chuan stood to the side and observed for about ten minutes. When the sparring session ended, Chen Xiaojin, slightly out of breath, descended from the training area and approached Lu Fang. Lu Fang pointed out the areas where Chen Xiaojin needed improvement, patted him on the shoulder, and gestured towards Chen Chuan.
Chen Xiaojin approached Chen Chuan and casually asked, "Did you need me, Captain Chen?"
Chen Chuan responded, "In your last kick, you lifted your leg a bit higher."
"Higher?"
Chen Chuan raised his hand, "Try kicking again."
Chen Xiaojin took a look, stepped back, and delivered a kick. But Chen Chuan slightly lowered his hand, blocking the tip of Chen Xiaojin's foot, causing him to stumble backward several steps.
Chen Chuan explained, "At this height, your accumulated power is fully utilized, but your foot reached your opponent's body first, resulting in the power not being effectively applied. That's equivalent to being useless and even counterproductive, as it exhausts you. That's why you couldn't win just now."
He added, "You're too hasty."
Chen Xiaojin lowered his head and clenched his fists.
At that moment, Chen Chuan reached into his pocket and retrieved half of a mask left by Chen Bitong. He handed it to Chen Xiaojin, saying, "This was Chen Teacher's. I think it should be given to you."
Chen Xiaojin glanced at the mask but didn't take it. Instead, he looked up at Chen Chuan and asked, "Is he not coming back?"
Chen Chuan looked at him silently, not speaking.
Chen Xiaojin lowered his head again and wiped his eyes with his sleeve, his eyes red. "Actually, I'm used to it. He often stays away for long periods, and it's the same whether he's here or not."
Chen Chuan slowly said, "Chen Teacher has something he must do. You may feel he's letting you down, but he's always trying to protect you and hasn't truly neglected you."
He turned the mask over, revealing a small whale engraved on the back.
A small whale.
Chen Xiaojing.
"I don't know if he'll come back, but if you want to see him again, train hard. When you're strong enough, go and find him yourself."
Chen Chuan said, "If you wish, come to Wu Yi after you've mastered the necessary techniques." With that, he placed the half-face mask on the nearby table and turned to leave.
...
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(End of Chapter)
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