Chapter 717: The Return
Chapter 717: The Return
Gade's vehicle drove along the road towards Mount Motie, with Chen Chuan sitting in the driver's seat. He thought about the students of the Wu Yi Academy and their immense growth potential, having been selected through multiple rounds of rigorous screening.
These students were the cream of the crop, and with the right platform and ample resources, they could truly shine.
It was a wise observation, and indeed, compared to the others in the bureau, the students from Yangzhi held a higher level of trust in him. They naturally stood by his side.
Aside from his old friends and classmates, he had also considered recruiting Geng Zhang and the other two individuals.
However, as he wasn't overly familiar with them, it wouldn't be appropriate to offer them a position right away. He planned to wait until his old friends and classmates had made some progress before extending the offer.
He decided to leave it for another day.
Gade's vehicle had now arrived at the foothills leading to the Cao family estate. As October approached, the maple trees on the mountain ridges gradually turned red. With a gentle breeze, half-gold and half-red maple leaves danced in the wind, drifting and settling on the ground.
Upon reaching the estate's entrance, Ding Shu was already waiting there. After Chen Chuan exited the vehicle, Ding Shu greeted him respectfully and led him into the estate, saying, "The young master is in the garden."
Chen Chuan followed him, and before they even reached the garden, he heard the sound of a xun, a Chinese wind instrument, playing a soft and melancholy tune, evoking a sense of autumn's desolation.
He stood aside and listened for a while. Only after the music ended did he approach.
"Please sit, junior."
Cao Guiqi was dressed in a red robe, wearing a jade headband. He sat in a delicate stone pavilion, with a white ceramic xun placed on the table. In the shallow waters of the lake nearby, several cranes gracefully flapped their wings, dancing and interacting as if in a graceful dance.
After Chen Chuan sat down, Ding Shu immediately brought over a black lacquered and gold-inlaid purple clay teapot and poured him a cup of tea.
Chen Chuan nodded in gratitude.
He took a sip and then said, "Senior, I will be going out for a while. I might be away for some time, so I came to inform you, Senior Cao."
Cao Guiqi paused for a moment and asked, "To the Convergence Zone?"
Chen Chuan confirmed, "Yes."
Ding Shu couldn't help but look up at him.
Cao Guiqi said, "I've also heard about the recent events in the Central City. Although I don't know the specifics of your mission, I can guess its nature."
He didn't inquire about Chen Chuan's exact task, but he seemed to have a good understanding of the situation. "Junior, if you're going to the Convergence Zone, you might as well take this token with you. It might still have some use, and if not, it's better to leave it behind."
Chen Chuan didn't decline the offer. He could tell that Senior Cao genuinely didn't care about the token and even seemed to want to distance himself from it. By taking it, Chen Chuan was also helping Senior Cao get rid of it.
At this moment, Cao Guiqi picked up the ceramic xun and began playing it again. The cranes in front responded to the music, flapping their wings and leaping, displaying their graceful and lively movements.
Chen Chuan quietly listened from the side.
He didn't stay long, only about an hour, before bidding farewell and leaving the estate.
This time, he went straight home without attending to other matters. He only conducted the final checks and preparations before his departure.
October 11th, 4:00 a.m.
Chen Chuan woke up early from his breath meditation and cultivation. After freshening up, he put on the uniform of the Investigation Supervisor, checking his appearance in the mirror.
This time, he also prepared multiple sets of casual clothes for daily use, including several windbreakers. These were necessary due to the high likelihood of clothing damage while traveling through the Convergence Zone.
He adjusted his peaked cap in the mirror, took one last look at himself, and then grabbed the Snow Lady Sword. Carrying his luggage, he left the room.
The predetermined meeting location was not far from the station, only a ten-minute walk away. So, instead of driving, he headed there on foot.
Soon, he arrived at the station and took the elevator to the lowest level. It was now around 4:20 a.m. When he exited the elevator and approached the platform, Councillor Pei was already there, and they shook hands.
Councillor Pei glanced at Chao Ming, knowing that Chen Chuan had this pet. However, at this moment, it seemed to be more than just a pet, and Councillor Pei didn't inquire further, assuming Chen Chuan had his reasons.
After waiting for only a few minutes, at 4:30 a.m., a train arrived punctually at the platform, and the two of them boarded together.
As the train came to a stop, Councillor Pei took out a deck of cards and smiled, saying, "It's going to be a long day, Mr. Chen. Care for a game?"
Mr. Chen asked, "Just the two of us?"
Councillor Pei gestured to his assistant, who approached and sat on the other side. Councillor Pei handed the deck to the assistant to shuffle and deal. As he picked up his cards, he said, "The Former Imperial Court, the Coalition, the Linax Federation, and the Administrative Hall—a three-way struggle."
Glancing at his hand, he found himself holding the highest-ranked card, the Sun. He couldn't help but smile, thinking, "It seems I have a good chance of winning this time."
Although several cards had already been dealt to Mr. Chen, he didn't reach for them. Instead, he said, "Winning isn't about having the highest cards; it's about having the ability to turn the table."
Councillor Pei paused briefly before nodding.
The train arrived at the Convergence Zone at 5 a.m., traveling along the tracks until 3-4 p.m., when it reached the vicinity of a military fortress.
Mr. Chen looked out the window, noticing significant differences from the previous visit to the Fourth Fort. This fortress was at least two to three times larger, surrounded by a substantial garrison.
[A 6, 9, a book, a bar, and a glance—not a single mistake in this version!]
Outside the fortress, there was a perpetual camp with numerous guard posts, roadblocks, and barbed wire everywhere. The air was filled with the acrid smell of sulfurous smoke, and on the ground were the remains of domain creatures from the Convergence Zone that hadn't been fully cleaned up.
Councillor Pei explained, "This is the Third Fort, the largest garrison on the way to the heart of the Convergence Zone. Beyond here are smaller guard posts without direct access routes. We'll stay here for the night."
"Tomorrow, I'll arrange for an airship to take Mr. Chen to the native settlement we've been in contact with. It should save a lot of travel time."
Mr. Chen nodded in agreement. Although he didn't need rest, he required information about the Convergence Zone. The fortress was the central hub for news, and he could obtain the transportation he needed.
As the train slowed to a stop, Councillor Pei picked up his luggage and said, "Mr. Chen, let's disembark."
Mr. Chen stood and exited the VIP cabin. Behind him, an attendant attempted to lift his suitcase, which was perched atop Chao Ming. Chao Ming smiled, then reached up with both hands, but the suitcase was surprisingly heavy and didn't budge.
Chao Ming looked down, tilted his head in thought, and then, with a tweet, jumped down from the suitcase.
The attendant exhaled in relief and tried again, but the suitcase remained immovable. Feeling embarrassed under Chao Ming's gaze, his face turned red.
Mr. Chen approached and said, "Let me." He grabbed the suitcase's shoulder strap and lifted it effortlessly. The entire suitcase rose from the ground, and he nodded to the embarrassed attendant, who quickly followed him off the train. Once on solid ground, Mr. Chen kicked the suitcase's wheels to release them, finally setting it down.
Looking up at the sky, he thought about his return to the Convergence Zone after a long absence. It seemed nothing had changed; the sky above remained gloomy.
A series of flapping wings sounded, and Chao Ming flew out, immediately circling overhead. However, it seemed well-adapted to the environment, tweeting a warning. Mr. Chen had previously attached a vitality line to Chao Ming, and now he checked its vitality index. Initially, it had been at one, but it quickly jumped to three and then five. However, as Chao Ming began using the breath technique Mr. Chen had taught it, the number stabilized between three and five.
Mr. Chen nodded to himself, confirming the effectiveness of the breath technique.
At that moment, Councillor Pei also descended with his luggage, glancing into the distance. "Our ride is here," he said.
In the distance, an open-top jeep approached, stopping near the two men. A second lieutenant officer stood up and saluted them.
"Reporting for duty, Second Lieutenant Dai Hu from the Third Fort. I've been ordered to escort you, sirs. Please board the vehicle."
Councillor Pei and Mr. Chen returned the salute and boarded the jeep.
Once seated, Mr. Chen noticed he could use the boundary token. He compared the map provided by the Defense Department with the surroundings and saw that the Third Fort was located to the north, surrounded by numerous smaller garrisons with thousands of troops.
The destination was even further north, accessible only by airship, and that route barely reached the edge of that region.
As he studied the map, a signal flare suddenly rose from a guard post, accompanied by the sound of machine guns.
Mr. Chen's boundary token alerted him to a warning tweet from Chao Ming. Turning back, he saw a large-winged creature rapidly flying towards them from the distant sky.
...
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(End of Chapter)
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