Chapter 639: The Return Journey
Chapter 639: The Return Journey
Upon returning to Ro Wang Island, Chen Chuan sensed a newfound sense of order, and in the distance, he could see a radio tower under construction.
On one side of the dock, a security guard in a company uniform was training a group of indigenous people dressed in the same uniform.
The back of the uniform bore a logo resembling a circular plate.
The center of the circular plate was slightly convex, like a full blue water ball, but with an opening at the bottom from which water flowed down, resembling a droplet.
This was the logo of the Ocean Expansion Group, and everything before him indicated that the company's influence had truly reached this island. The old rules would likely be reshaped.
He turned around and looked towards the distant harbor, where an ocean liner was docked. He had booked his ticket a few days ago, and this evening, the ship would take him back.
So, he still had about a day's time.
On his previous visit, he hadn't explored the entire island, only wandering through the bustling area. As the island was said to have the best scenery and the highest Inversion Mountain, he decided to visit it before his departure.
Due to the considerable distance, he hired a horse-drawn carriage and took out his camera along the way, capturing some beautiful landscapes. As noon approached, he arrived at the foot of the mountain, disembarked from the carriage, and began ascending the wide mountain path.
The main peak of Inversion Mountain was over two thousand meters high, with numerous steep and rugged trails. He didn't rush, taking his time and reaching the summit in less than half an hour.
He gazed into the distance, and Ro Wang Island seemed to float on the vast blue ocean. The island's outline was clear, and the scattered reefs and green vegetation provided a feast for the eyes.
He picked up his camera and snapped away for a while. Seeing a wooden bench nearby, he walked over and sat down, taking a few sips from his water bottle and leaning back in the chair to enjoy the beautiful scenery.
After a few minutes, someone approached and looked at the other side of the bench, asking, "May I?"
Chen Chuan glanced at the man, a forty-year-old in a foreign-style suit, wearing a sun hat and exuding an aura of authority.
He nodded slightly, "Go ahead."
The man sat down, fanned himself with his sun hat, wiped his sweat with a handkerchief, and then turned to Chen Chuan with a smile, extending his hand.
"Hello, Mr. Chen. I'm Zheng Hai, the business manager of the Ocean Expansion Group in this sea area. I'm currently in charge of business development on Ro Island and the surrounding islands. I never expected you to come here for a vacation."
Chen Chuan shook his hand, "Pleasure to meet you."
It wasn't surprising that the man knew his identity, as he had booked his ticket here. Although he was an investigation supervisor, he no longer needed to report his status as a Third Limitation Fighter when traveling. However, if the Ocean Expansion Group paid attention to the identities of its passengers, it wouldn't be difficult for them to find out who he was.
But since this was his return journey, he didn't mind revealing his whereabouts.
Zheng Hai leaned back in his chair as well, gazing forward and gesturing with his hand as if to encompass the entire island.
"We plan to establish an Information Field here, there, and oh... over there..."
He pointed in several directions, "We'll deploy Field Creatures in these locations to connect the island's communications and provide a certain level of information."
Chen Chuan remarked, "That's quite a cost."
Although Field Creatures didn't consume algae oil or electricity, they required high-energy nutrients, which were not cheap.
Zheng Hai smiled, "Of course, we won't do this on every island. Ro Wang Island and this sea area have always been known for tourism and commerce. To manage it well, maintaining security is essential, and good security requires efficient communication and transportation."
He paused, "With these in place, the rule of Grand Prosperous can be firmly established here. However, relying solely on commerce and tourism might not be enough. The surrounding sea is unique, and I believe that in the future, the Canglong Company may establish a biological research facility here. These initial investments will be recouped from future returns."
Chen Chuan asked, "A biological research facility like the one in the Linaksa Federation?"
Zheng Hai smiled, "No, this area will be considered our own territory in the future. We won't conduct such experiments on our own land like the Linaksa Federation does. Moreover, these experiments won't involve high-risk projects. We don't want to turn this beautiful island into a living hell."
Zheng Hai, he reached into his shirt pocket and took out a name card, offering it to Chen Chuan with both hands, "Mr. Chen, this is my name card. If you ever come to this sea area for business or vacation and have any suggestions or needs, please feel free to contact me."
Chen Chuan took the card.
Zheng Hai then noticed Chen Chuan's camera and smiled, "Oh, and this." He took out a briefcase and retrieved a delicate letter from it.
"These are postcards featuring the scenery of the surrounding islands, designed by our company. This is the first edition, and we've only printed a hundred sets. They hold great commemorative value. Why don't you keep a set, Supervisor Chen?"
Chen Chuan was quite interested in this, and although he hadn't taken the photos himself, he acknowledged their significance. He thanked the person and took the postcards.
Zheng Hai put his hat back on, stood up, and bowed slightly. "Then, I wish you a smooth journey back." He bowed once more before leaving.
After Zheng Hai's departure, Chen Chuan flipped through the postcards.
He understood the reason for the visitor's approach. As an investigation supervisor, his primary focus was on companies, not just independent enterprises but also state-owned ones.
This time, the visitor claimed to be on a leisure trip, but at this juncture, neither company could confirm if he was assigned to inspect them. Hence, they initiated contact to express their stance.
At that moment, Chen Chuan suddenly realized that beyond the ocean, Da Shun was not the only company operating in the region. It was likely that military forces had been dispatched as well, and his cousin, Nian Qian, might be conducting military operations on one of the islands.
With the collapse of Skywheel Company, the influence of the Linaksa Federation was being purged. Perhaps this year, Nian Qian could return home for the holidays.
Meanwhile, Zheng Hai rode the cable car down the mountain and then drove back to his office. His assistant greeted him, "Sir, the materials you requested have been prepared."
Zheng Hai paused and asked, "Are they all inside?"
The assistant replied, "Yes, including old records from Fei Guang Island, inspection data left by the Linaksa Federation, and some archives from Skywheel Company."
Zheng Hai whispered something to his assistant, who looked surprised but did not question it. He nodded and left.
[No errors found in this version.]
Half an hour later, a raging fire erupted in Zheng Hai's temporary office, followed by frantic firefighting efforts.
Zheng Hai and his assistant stood at a distance, observing the chaos. The assistant whispered, "Sir, why?"
Zheng Hai sighed, "If there truly is that thing in these waters, peace may not last here. I've put in so much work initially, and it was not easy to open up these opportunities. I don't want someone to suddenly replace me or halt these efforts for some reason."
The assistant found this reason insufficient but dared not ask further.
After standing for a while, Zheng Hai returned to his residence and pulled out a telegraph machine from below. He tuned it to a secret frequency and began transmitting:
"As per the initial instructions, all abnormal records have been destroyed. Awaiting further orders. Sender: Octopus. 95th year of Jianzhi, August 20th, 15:10."
Chen Chuan spent over an hour on the mountain and, upon his return, did not linger on the island. He boarded the cruise ship for his journey back.
At 7 p.m., after dinner, he left the ship's restaurant and headed to the open-air lounge chairs on the deck. He asked a waiter to bring him the latest newspapers and reports from Jinbei Province Central City.
Flipping through them, he found nothing new. Most of the content revolved around the Linaksa Federation's biological experiments and their subsequent impact.
However, one piece of news caught his attention. It reported that the representative of the Union in Jinbei Province Central City stated that Skywheel Company had conducted business with the Union and signed numerous agreements.
Now, due to the Government Hall's actions, Skywheel could no longer fulfill these agreements, so the Union demanded compensation from the Jinbei Province Government Hall and disciplinary action against the relevant personnel.
Chen Chuan raised an eyebrow. To his knowledge, Skywheel had indeed proposed numerous business collaborations with the Union but had not reached any agreements. The Union was likely using this as an excuse to pressure the Government Hall.
If Skywheel didn't have concrete evidence of collusion, there might have been even more accusations.
It was not surprising that the Municipal Parliament would use this opportunity to create chaos. The companies that suffered losses during the Wyrm Split Era and opposed the government's expansion would likely take advantage of the situation.
This was not uncommon, as conflicts between the Government Hall and the Parliament had been ongoing. Such struggles would persist until one side was thoroughly defeated.
However, as he flipped through the papers, he realized that they only provided news from Da Shun's perspective and lacked any information about the Linaksa Federation. He wondered what was happening on the other side and decided to investigate further upon his return. After all, as an investigation supervisor, this was his area of expertise.
While Chen Chuan was on his way back, in an office building in Jinbei Province Central City, Ji Xinmin of the Refinement Sect was on the phone with someone. He maintained a respectful demeanor.
He repeatedly said, "Yes, yes."
After a while, he hung up the phone and spoke to the other two people in a low voice, "We've received instructions from above. That person might return to Central City in the next few days, and we need to find a way to contact him again."
...
...
(End of Chapter)
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