Chapter 694: The Command
Chapter 694: The Command
Chen Chuan looked up and saw the large bird flying at a moderate height, as the length of the hanging rope was limited.
Its wings, spanning four to five meters, flapped with immense force, and its movement rhythm gave him the impression of a fighter.
Instantly, he deduced that this was a bird with Adaptation Organ, and it was not an implanted ability but an innate one.
It must be a creature from the Fusion Zone.
As he observed, Chen Chuan grabbed a handful of polished stones and, with a quick turn of his shoulders, flung them into the sky.
In an instant, numerous air currents carrying a piercing whistle shot towards the bird.
Qi Qianyang, suspended in mid-air, seemed prepared, and upon seeing this, he quickly removed his practice clothes, revealing his bare upper body. With a swift swing, he unleashed a Heart Power that traveled through the clothing, instantly expanding the highly resilient fabric and catching most of the stones.
A series of muffled sounds erupted where the stones struck, and although many penetrated the clothing and continued towards the bird, colliding with its body, the remaining force was blocked by the sturdy feathers and Adaptation Organ, preventing excessive injury.
Qi Qianyang had already risen higher, and since he was moving through the air, he anticipated this move. Chen Chuan's stone-throwing force was formidable, so he had to defend against it; otherwise, even ordinary bullets would have little effect on this bird.
However, due to the obstruction of the clothing, his vision was momentarily blocked. When he flung the clothing aside, he suddenly noticed that Chen Chuan's figure below had disappeared, causing his expression to turn solemn.
At that moment, a shadow descended from above, and as he looked up, he saw Chen Chuan appearing above him, his silhouette backlit by the sun, resembling a soaring dragon, with a fist hurtling towards him.
Qi Qianyang roared, and his muscular body tensed. Releasing the rope, he pressed one hand against the back of his other hand and pushed it diagonally upwards, blocking the incoming fist. A loud bang echoed as a visible wave of energy burst forth where they made contact.
Qi Qianyang's arm, which collided with Chen Chuan's fist, began to crack, starting from the back of his hand, then spreading to his forearm, upper arm, and finally reaching his shoulder, accompanied by a series of bone-cracking sounds.
Blood swirled and burst from within, forming concentric circles of blood around him.
Chen Chuan also felt a surge of Heart Power, but he countered with Dragon Soar Fist Energy, and although there were no gaps for him to maneuver, he could transform the force into a leaping attack.
At this moment, the Dimensional Token transmitted Wu Ju's deep voice: "Chen Manager, do not pursue. I'll explain when you return."
Chen Chuan glanced at Qi Qianyang's position, who, at that moment, had securely grasped the rope with his uninjured hand. During their previous clash, Qi Qianyang had sent a mental message.
Chen Chuan had seen it—a vast, open area. He understood that this was the opponent's response to his challenge for a decisive battle.
Considering that Wu Ju had used the emergency channel and was not one to deliberately let enemies escape, Chen Chuan deduced there must be a reason. He restrained his power, flipped in mid-air, and let his body fall, landing with a soft thud on the ground.
Looking back, he saw Qi Qianyang swiftly flipping onto the bird's back and using its power to fly away into the distance.
Activating the Dimensional Token, Chen Chuan asked, "Wu Ju?"
"Return to the bureau," Wu Ju replied solemnly.
Chen Chuan first checked on the Armed Squad behind him, offering them specially formulated medications to sniff. After a while, they regained consciousness, although they still felt dazed, with most experiencing splitting headaches.
The previous mental shock would have been fatal to ordinary people, but the squad members were fighters. Only the leader, Yu Xiao, quickly recovered and insisted on driving Chen Chuan back to the bureau.
Seeing that Yu Xiao was indeed fine, Chen Chuan agreed. He instructed the others to rest while he got into the car. Once the vehicle started, he took out the envelope Percival Harford had given him.
A subtle gleam shone in his eyes as he examined the contents—several photographs. They depicted scenes of Manager Wen meeting with someone in a private space, apparently exchanging something.
Chen Chuan raised an eyebrow, choosing not to use the Dimensional Token to search for the individuals' identities. Instead, he thought for a moment and returned the photos to the envelope.
The return journey was swift, taking less than forty minutes to reach the Processing Bureau headquarters in Wuding District.
After entering the headquarters, he immediately went to Wu Ju's office. After greeting and seating the person, Wu Ju said, "Just ten minutes before your fight with that fighter, three high-ranking officials from the Government Department were attacked.
We successfully thwarted two of the attacks, but the third one, due to the stubbornness of the involved party, who insisted on leaving the Government Hall building, resulted in an ambush and hostage situation on their way out. This included over a dozen innocent bystanders, and even a child.
Initially, they ignored our questioning, but after Qi Qianyang appeared and attacked the Linaksis Federation's foreign affairs personnel at your location, they immediately proposed a condition: Qi Qianyang must be allowed to leave safely, and no one is to interfere."
Looking at Chen Chuan, Wu Ju spoke solemnly, "Even if I hadn't given this order, the Government Hall would have conveyed the message to you through emergency communication. If you refuse to comply, the blame for the death of this government official and the surrounding hostages will fall on you.
Even if this doesn't significantly hinder your official duties, you will undoubtedly face some procedural inquiries. At least for a while, you won't be able to interfere with internal affairs."
Chen Chuan's thoughts turned, and he couldn't help but consider something.
If this had been an ordinary situation, even if he had killed Qi Qianyang on the spot, accepting an inquiry afterward wouldn't have been a big deal. At most, he would have ignored internal affairs for ten days or half a month, considering it a vacation.
But the current situation was different. The timing was delicate, as various parties were preparing to enter the Fusion Zone to compete for the Relic. Was this move intended to exclude him prematurely?
However, from the current situation, letting Qi Qianyang go would also cause trouble.
Since a Linaksis Federation foreign affairs officer was killed on the spot, they could make a case out of it.
Furthermore, he wondered why Percival Harford happened to be there and was killed by Qi Qianyang. Why did the hostage situation occur just a moment earlier? This series of events didn't seem like a mere coincidence.
Chen Chuan shared his thoughts with Wu Ju, who responded gravely, "Yes, but this has nothing to do with you, Chen Manager. I gave the order, and you merely executed it."
Chen Chuan looked at him and asked, "Wu Ju, will this affect you?"
Wu Ju said, "There won't be a significant impact, but procedural inquiries will still exist. For a while, I may not be able to pay as much attention to internal affairs as before, but I will make prior arrangements for some matters."
Chen Chuan thought for a moment, then took out an envelope from his pocket and handed it to Wu Ju, saying, "This is something I received from the Linaksis Federation's foreign affairs officer."
Wu Ju took it, opened it, and his expression became serious. He asked, "When you received this, was anyone nearby?"
Chen Chuan replied, "Yes, my team was there, but they didn't see what was inside. I used my spiritual power to disrupt the field for a moment, so even Guardian Shield wouldn't have been able to record it."
With such an unknown source of intelligence, how could he not be cautious? Without a specific record, the contents inside were unverifiable by others.
Wu Ju said, "Well done." He quickly put away the item and instructed, "Don't mention this to anyone."
Chen Chuan nodded.
Wu Ju added, "Wait a moment."
He stood up, went to the adjacent secure room, and after a while, returned with a key in his hand, which he handed to Chen Chuan.
"Take good care of this," he whispered, giving Chen Chuan a few instructions.
Chen Chuan took the item and listened to Wu Ju's instructions, nodding slightly. He could sense the complexity of the situation.
After Wu Ju finished speaking, he tapped the Dimensional Token, and a map appeared on the adjacent light screen.
"Captain Xu will lead a team into the Fusion Zone this afternoon at 5:00 PM, but the route they will take will be temporarily arranged by the Defense Department, so I don't know the details.
However, within the next two or three days, armed personnel from the Linaksis Federation and the Union will also enter through special channels."
After the Coccus Split, over the past few months, the Fusion Zone garrison and the former imperial army have been engaged in intermittent battles. The large-scale clashes between the armies, coupled with strict controls on personnel entering the Fusion Zone, have hindered the entry of non-military personnel to some extent.
It was during this time that news of the discovery of the third-level Relic emerged.
Since the latter half of September, both sides have ended large-scale battles and entered a stage of small-team confrontations, with each side trying to find the Relic.
"Lao Xu has a heavy burden this time. I hope he can withstand the pressure and find the item. But nothing is foolproof, so we must also prepare for failure."
Wu Ju looked at the map and spoke solemnly, "However, the impact of a third-level Relic is significant. Under no circumstances should it fall into the hands of the Linaksis Federation or the Union. If necessary, we must take some aggressive measures, Chen Manager. Wait for my instructions."
(End of Chapter)
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