Chapter 618: The Polished Cultivation Sect
Chapter 618: The Polished Cultivation Sect
As Chen Chuan was returning to Yangzhi City, a luxurious vehicle from Central City arrived and parked in front of the Administrative Building of the Government Hall. Three people emerged from the car, one of them wearing sunglasses and looking up at the building with a hint of disdain for its outdated style from decades ago.
After a brief observation, the trio headed towards the building.
Inside the Civil Affairs Commissioner's office, Zhu Xian was handling official duties when his secretary entered and whispered something in his ear. Zhu Xian furrowed his brows and asked, "Are you sure?"
The secretary nodded and replied, "They have a letter of recommendation from Councilor Shao of the Central City Parliament." He then placed the letter on the desk.
Zhu Xian put down his pen, leaned back in his chair, and asked, "Are they here to cause trouble?"
"Only three of them came, and they don't seem to be looking for trouble," the secretary assured him.
Zhu Xian eyed the letter but didn't touch it. Instead, he asked the secretary to leave and then reached for a phone placed separately on the desk, dialing a number. After a long wait, the call was answered, and Zhu Xian stood up, his voice filled with respect.
An aged voice came from the other end, "Is it Zhu? What's the matter, did you encounter a difficult situation?"
"Teacher, I have a question I'm unsure about," Zhu Xian began, "It's like this..."
About ten minutes later, the secretary was called back in, and Zhu Xian instructed, "Accommodate them, assign someone to accompany them, and if they wish to go out, ensure their safety."
"Commissioner, do you want me to inform the Patrol Bureau?" the secretary asked.
Zhu Xian shook his head, "No need, just use the Government Hall's security team."
The secretary nodded and left to make the arrangements.
Around 11 a.m., Chen Chuan returned to Yangzhi City. The previous night, the Headquarters had taken over the matter, so he didn't have to worry about any further complications.
The telegraph operator approached Chen Chuan, "Supervisor, a telegram from the Bureau." He handed over a translated telegram.
Chen Chuan took it and wondered if there was an issue at the Bureau, but upon reading it, he realized it was from the Government Hall, sent in the name of Civil Affairs Commissioner Zhu Xian. They had been unable to locate him yesterday, so the Bureau was relaying the message.
After some thought, Chen Chuan instructed his driver to head towards the Government Hall located in the southern part of the city.
At noon, Chen Chuan arrived at the Government Hall and was greeted by Zhu Xian's secretary, who explained, "This time, someone from Central City is looking for you, Supervisor. They have a letter of recommendation from a Councilor, but we don't know the specifics."
Chen Chuan understood the implication—the visitors had a powerful background, so Commissioner Zhu Xian had no choice but to cooperate.
Visitors from Central City...
Who could they be, and why were they looking for him?
In the room, Zhu Xian smiled and stood up, "Supervisor Chen has arrived." He turned to Chen Chuan, "Supervisor Chen, these three gentlemen are here to discuss something important with you. I have official duties to attend to, so please talk." With a smile, he apologized to the group and left the room.
One of the three visitors stood up, extending his hand, "Supervisor Chen, I'm Ji Xinmin. I'm from the Purified Cultivation Sect, and these are my fellow sect members." His companions nodded in agreement.
Chen Chuan's heart stirred, and he shook Ji Xinmin's hand, "The Purified Cultivation Sect, I haven't heard of it, but I've encountered a few martial arts schools."
Ji Xinmin smiled, "Indeed, the Purified Cultivation Sect. Hmm, it seems Supervisor Chen isn't very familiar with us."
"It appears I don't know much about your sect," Chen Chuan admitted.
Ji Xinmin laughed, "Why don't we sit and talk?"
Chen Chuan took a seat.
Ji Xinmin returned to his seat, maintaining a proper demeanor. "Supervisor Chen, our sect, the Purified Cultivation Sect, is indeed a martial arts school, but it's different from those you've encountered. The primary condition for joining our sect is holding a certain position and status. Our members are spread across various Central Cities and even the Capital City. We learned about your past achievements and accomplishments, and one of our high-ranking members admires you greatly. After discussions, we believe you are qualified to join us, so we specially arranged this meeting with you."
One of Ji Xinmin's companions spoke up, "Actually, there was debate within our sect about your membership. We, the Purified Cultivation Sect, have strict requirements for all new members. So, we are here to assess you before finalizing our decision."
"Taking the example of Central City in Jinbei Province, in the past three years, only one person has joined us. We can't disclose their position, but their achievements in Convergence City are not only no less than yours, Chen Supervisor, but they are also solid accomplishments without a trace of water."
After the two of them finished speaking, Ji Xinmin smiled and said, "Opportunities are hard to come by, Supervisor Chen. Your past achievements are outstanding, and your resume is impressive. But you need to understand that the world has its own way of functioning. Many times, those things written on paper are useless, and they can't be transformed into substantial things."
"But our Polished Cultivation Sect has the ability to make it a reality."
He paused here, smiling at Chen Chuan, giving the latter time to think.
He believed that through the information Chen Chuan had received when he entered and his introduction at this moment, he should understand the weight of his words.
Chen Chuan now had a feeling that he seemed to have encountered his previous mutual aid society. Although these people spoke politely and repeatedly offered to help him, they all had that air of superiority, as if they were doing him a favor. Their condescension was almost palpable. Chen Chuan raised his head and said, "I think I understand."
Ji Xinmin smiled and said, "Then, Supervisor Chen, do you have any intention to join our school? Well, let me explain, this is just an inquiry. If you want to join us, there will be a certain assessment process."
Chen Chuan calmly replied to the three of them, "If the three of you came here today specifically for this matter, then I apologize. I can clearly state that I have no interest in joining your sect."
Hearing his refusal, Ji Xinmin was taken aback, but he didn't show any displeasure. Instead, he smiled and said, "Mr. Chen, you may not fully understand our Polished Cultivation Sect yet. We understand, and our visit today was rather sudden. It's alright..."
He took out a membership card and placed it on the table.
"Supervisor Chen, if you need our help in the future, please don't hesitate to ask. We'll find a way to help you. It seems Supervisor Chen has other matters to attend to, so we won't disturb you further. We'll take our leave now."
He stood up and shook hands with Chen Chuan in a friendly manner, appearing unbothered even after being rejected in person.
After the three of them exited, Ji Xinmin's smile faded.
The person behind him showed an unsurprised expression and coldly said, "I told you before. This person is not even twenty years old, and he's already in the position of Investigation Supervisor. It's when he's full of ambition and pride. Without experiencing some setbacks, he won't realize how difficult the road ahead is."
Ji Xinmin nonchalantly replied, "But what can we do if someone above values him? We had to come here first, just to fulfill the task."
"What's the next step?"
Ji Xinmin said, "Since we've been given this task, we must complete it, but there's no need to rush. Let's go back and make arrangements. He'll understand."
In the past, they had encountered people who were unwilling to join them, and they had plenty of experience dealing with such individuals.
They had extensive connections and could exert pressure on them in various aspects.
For instance, the simplest method was to transfer the person out of Jinbei Province to another Central City, effectively removing them from their original network. Then, they would assign them to a less popular position, denying them any opportunities and providing no cultivation resources.
Usually, after enduring for a period or facing a few tactics, people would give in. Even if some stubborn ones held out, over time, they would blend into the crowd, and there would be no need for further attention.
Of course, if they were truly talented, other schools might try to recruit them during this period. However, this was the purpose of their visit today.
To avoid malicious competition, there was an unspoken agreement between schools. Once a person was targeted by a particular school, others would not interfere.
They had checked, and Chen Chuan had no school background and had never joined any sect. They could easily control him through the sect's extensive connections.
At this moment, one of them looked around and said with disgust, "Let's leave quickly. I don't want to stay here for another moment."
Compared to Central City, Yangzhi City seemed backward in almost every aspect, and it still retained many buildings from the Great Exploration era, making this feeling even stronger.
His words received unanimous agreement from the other two, and they quickened their pace, soon leaving the place.
After the three of them left, Chen Chuan didn't even glance at the membership card left on the next time you come, I won't be here anymore."
Chen Chuan had just exited the corridor when he saw Zhu Xian's secretary waiting there. Upon seeing him, the secretary politely bowed and said, "Supervisor Chen, Director Zhu is requesting your presence."
...
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(End of Chapter)
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