Chapter 840: Gaining Trust
Chapter 840: Gaining Trust
Chen Chuan calmly explained, "I learned about your situation from Senior Fang, and then I heard from other sources that you were living here."
"As for the reason I'm looking for you, it's regarding a matter involving some elders who wish to inquire about you. You don't need to doubt me; I have proof of my identity here."
He retrieved the bag he had set down earlier, opened it, and took out a notebook, which he handed to He Zhi Lan, who had approached him.
He Zhi Lan immediately recognized the notebook with delight, "This is... Senior Zhen's notebook? It was a memento she gave to the teacher. It can't be wrong." She turned to look at He Ru Hai, who was sitting there, and excitedly shook her head, saying, "I bought this notebook for her back then. Look, one of the pages has a torn corner. I wanted to exchange it, but Senior Zhen said it was fine. She said that the Uninterrupted School values imperfection, and since she herself had flaws, it was only right that her notebook had flaws too. It's been so many years..."
As she spoke, her eyes lit up as she looked at Chen Chuan, "Senior Zhen's notebook is with you, and you... you're Senior Zhen's son, aren't you?"
Chen Chuan replied, "Yes, Senior, it's me."
"It's really you! I knew it!" He Zhi Lan became a little emotional, and her voice rose with excitement, "You and Senior Zhen look so much alike. Your eyebrows and eyes are almost identical, so neat and beautiful, as if drawn with a brush, and your eyes are so full of life and brightness."
However, He Ru Hai remained seated, unmoved. He looked at Chen Chuan and said, "The notebook is real, but I still can't trust you."
"Brother, you..." He Zhi Lan was immediately dissatisfied, but He Ru Hai shook his head at her. Then, looking at Chen Chuan, he asked, "Do you have anything else?"
Seeing his caution, Chen Chuan became more certain that something was amiss. Fortunately, he had made some preparations before leaving and took out some old photos from his bag, including some from when he was younger and living with his aunt.
He Zhi Lan immediately picked them up and, upon seeing the figures in the photos, her eyes welled up, "This is Senior Zhen, and there's her husband and you, little Chuan... Is this her younger sister?"
"Yes, this is my aunt, Yu Wan," Chen Chuan confirmed.
He Ru Hai examined the photos and finally believed him. These items were not easy to forge, especially the finer details that only a familiar person could distinguish.
He carefully put the photos away and returned them to Chen Chuan, asking He Zhi Lan to wash her face and bring up some dried fruit and sugarcane. Then, he said to Chen Chuan, "I'll call you Little Chuan; I hope you don't mind."
"Both of you are my elders, so calling me that is no problem at all," Chen Chuan assured them.
He Zhi Lan sat down beside them and asked with concern, "Little Chuan, you came here to find us, and this is..."
Chen Chuan explained, "Over a decade ago, my mother and father went missing. After that, my aunt and uncle took me in and raised me. A few years ago, I found some things left behind by my parents and discovered that their disappearance might not have been as simple as it seemed. I wanted to investigate, but I realized that many important clues were missing.
Later, I saw in their records that they had found me a martial arts teacher, but I never met this teacher. Recently, I traveled to Besa Khanate and found Senior Fang, who was teaching at a martial arts dojo. After talking with him, I learned that he might be the teacher they had found for me. So, when I heard about your whereabouts, I came here."
He noticed that when he mentioned his parents finding a teacher for him, both of them showed a hint of guilt on their faces.
After a while, He Zhi Lan spoke up, "Little Chuan, I won't hide it from you. Initially, Senior Zhen and we agreed that we would be your martial arts teachers, but... this matter is complicated, and..." As she spoke, hesitation appeared on her face again.
At this point, He Ru Hai spoke up, "Little Chuan, from your appearance, it seems like you've also practiced martial arts, right?"
Chen Chuan nodded, "I've learned a little."
"Are you learning from a teacher at a martial arts dojo?"
"I was admitted to Wu Yi Academy," Chen Chuan replied.
Upon hearing this, the He siblings were surprised and looked at each other. Getting into Wu Yi Academy was not easy; it required both talent and a solid foundation, especially the latter, which needed guidance from a reliable teacher.
He Zhi Lan asked, "Little Chuan, to enter Wu Yi, did you have someone teaching you before?"
"My uncle found me a teacher," Chen Chuan replied.
"No wonder. It seems your uncle and aunt have been good to you."
"Yes, my aunt and uncle have been very kind to me. They raised me to adulthood," Chen Chuan confirmed.
He Zhi Lan couldn't stop asking questions, "Little Chuan, at your age... you're not even twenty yet, right? So, you've graduated from Wu Yi? Are you still in Yangzhi?"
"I graduated some time ago, and now I'm in Jingbei Province's capital city," Chen Chuan answered.
"You went to the capital city..."
Both He siblings nodded. After all, Yangzhi was a marginal city with limited resources and a closed environment. Anyone with ambitions to make a name for themselves would head to the capital city.
He Zhi Lan sincerely said, "That's wonderful. If Senior Zhen could see how well you're doing now, she would be so happy."
Hao Ru Hai turned to Chen Chuan and spoke in a low voice, "Xiao Chuan, you've learned martial arts, and you've been to the capital city. From what I can see, you're doing well now. The situation back then was complicated. It's best if you stay away from it. It's better for you, your aunt, and your uncle."
Chen Chuan glanced at the two of them and said, "Seniors, let me tell you something. In the year Xiao Chu graduated, I encountered an attack. I barely escaped with my life, and to this day, I still don't know who was behind it."
Upon hearing this, the He siblings were both startled. He Zhi Lan looked at him anxiously and asked, "Are you okay? Did it leave any hidden problems?"
Chen Chuan replied, "I recovered well afterward, but the person who attacked me was indeed after my life."
He Zhi Lan clenched her teeth and turned to Hao Ru Hai, asking, "Was it them?"
Hao Ru Hai furrowed his brows, "Xiao Chuan graduated four or five years ago. It's been so long, how could it be related...?"
Chen Chuan stared at the two of them and said, "Seniors, this might be a coincidence, but it could also be related to the incident back then. As long as there's a possibility, I won't take it lightly."
His eyes flashed with sharpness, "I will definitely get to the bottom of this. There might be some forces involved, but I believe I have the ability to protect myself now."
Hao Ru Hai spoke in a low voice, "Xiao Chuan, it's not that simple. Since you've graduated from Wu Yi Academy, you should be at the Second Limit now, right? In a few years, you might reach the Third Limit. But even as a Third Limit martial artist, this level of force won't be of much help to you in the face of what you're up against."
Chen Chuan agreed, "A Third Limit martial artist indeed isn't enough." He paused and looked up, "But what if it's a martial artist?"
...
When they heard the term "martial artist," both Hao Ru Hai and He Zhi Lan were stunned. They stared at Chen Chuan, seeing his calm and composed demeanor, and suddenly, He Zhi Lan's eyes lit up. She asked eagerly, "Xiao Chuan, did you... find a martial artist as your teacher?"
Hao Ru Hai straightened up. If a martial artist was involved in this matter, there was indeed less to fear. Even if the issue couldn't be resolved, at least Chen Chuan's safety could be guaranteed.
However, they soon saw Chen Chuan shake his head, and they couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed. They thought they might have overreacted. How could he possibly encounter a martial artist? And even if he did, how likely is it that the martial artist would take Chen Chuan as a disciple?
But then they heard Chen Chuan speak calmly, "Among the seniors I've met, there are indeed many martial artists. But I don't need to rely on them because I myself am a martial artist."
Upon hearing these words, the two of them looked shocked and incredulous, "You, Xiao Chuan, you..."
Immediately, they felt a powerful oppressive force emanating from Chen Chuan. In that instant, the divergent organization in their bodies started to go crazy, and the surrounding sounds seemed to disappear.
At this moment, Chen Chuan didn't restrain his bio field but instead released some of it. He spoke slowly, "Seniors, I haven't formally introduced myself. I am Chen Chuan, a national-level martial artist, currently serving as the Chief of Safety and Defense in the capital city of Ji Bei Province. I'm also a member of the Safety Decision Group and a Military Advisory Committee Member in Fusion Land."
The He siblings were shocked beyond words. In their subconscious, they believed this was impossible, but in reality, they felt a trembling sensation from within their bodies, causing a sense of cognitive dissonance.
After releasing his bio field for a while, Chen Chuan retracted it and then spoke to the two of them, "Seniors, my apologies."
It took a while for the He siblings to recover, but they still looked shocked.
Hao Ru Hai took a deep breath to calm himself and said excitedly, "The son of Zhen Senior Sister has become a martial artist?"
He exhaled forcefully and said decisively, "A Lan, go and get the things Zhen Senior Sister left behind and give them to Xiao Chuan."
He Zhi Lan hesitated for a moment.
Hao Ru Hai spoke solemnly, "No matter what Xiao Chuan decides to do, in this matter, we don't have the right to make decisions for him. It's his choice to make."
He Zhi Lan nodded seriously. She went upstairs and returned with a small vault, which she placed carefully on the table in front of Chen Chuan.
Chen Chuan saw that it was a small password vault, similar to the one he had obtained from Wan Sheng Cai. He thought for a moment and entered the password, and with a click, the vault opened, revealing a blue injection tube inside.
He stared at the object.
Was this... another memory serum?
...
...
(End of Chapter)
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