Book 3, Chapter 122: Friends And Family

Once he was back in the house, Chen Chuan removed his jacket and took out the gifts he had brought. “Uncle, Aunty, I brought some stuff for you two.”

He took out an aluminum tobacco case and handed it to Nian Fuli. “This is high-class tobacco. It was imported from Tayana.”

The moment Nian Fuli saw it, he felt an urge to smoke, and he rubbed his hands together. “Tayana’s tobacco? I’ve been wanting to try it for ages.”

He then took out his tobacco pipe. “I haven’t put the tobacco pipe you gave me to good use. It’ll be perfect for this.”

Chen Chuan laughed at that, then took out a beautiful tea set and skincare products from Green Satchel Pharmacy. “This is for you, Aunty.”

Skincare products were Black Orchid Co.’s forte, but after it collapsed, its market and tech were divided among other companies. Green Satchel Pharmacy took a slice of the pie and began producing high-end skincare products, but there were only a limited number of them. As a drug tester, Chen Chuan pulled some strings to get himself some of those products.

“You sent us quite a number of things last time. Don’t you need to spend money on a lot of things in Central City? You don’t need to bring anything back when you come home,” Yu Wan tried to convince him to stop.

“I have a job at the Resolution Department now, which means I get a salary. I don’t need to spend any money for accommodation and food at the university, so I can buy a few gifts for you,” Chen Chuan shot back with an easy smile.

“What job?” Nian Fuli took the chance to ask.

“A member of the special operations unit,” Chen Chuan answered.

Nian Fuli asked a few more questions to get a gist of the job before sighing with emotion. “If you came back to Yangzhi City, the Constabulary would make you a constable brigade commander, at the very least. If we compare things this way, we’re the same rank.”

Chen Chuan laughed and said, “You can’t compare us that way, Uncle. I only take care of myself in the Resolution Department. You, though, command more than a thousand constables.”

“It’s not as if I get a higher salary for that, and I have to worry about so many things. It’s not an easy job,” Nian Fuli said with a sigh.

“If you think it’s so tiring, let someone else do it,” Yu Wan shot back with a roll of her eyes.

“Absolutely not. I have so many constables counting on me. I can’t just quit.”

Nian Mo and Nian Lu started jumping up and down beside Chen Chuan while chanting, “What about us, Chen Chuan? Did you get us toys?”

“Of course I bought you two some things,” Chen Chuan said with a grin. He took out the rest of the items from the bag. Aside from toys, he had also bought brainteasers for the children.

After handing all of them over to the two cheering children, he took out a tube-shaped thing wrapped in cloth and set it on the table.

“What’s this, Chan’er?” Yu Wan asked curiously.

Chen Chuan removed the cloth to reveal a palm-sized cage. It contained a colorful bird. “This is a Pocket Parrot. It can welcome guests and catch the insects at home.”

Chen Chuan had bought the Pocket Parrot from the Secret Python Cult, which had sent it to his room. This creature was really easy to take care of, and it had a long lifespan. It could even put in a lot of good words about its owners.

However, the best part about the Pocket Parrot was that it could recognize people. If someone came into the house, regardless of whether it recognized the person or not, it would alert its owners about them.

Chen Chuan gave the cage a light shake, and the parrot twitched before opening its sleep-hazed eyes. When it saw the people staring at it, it immediately became full of energy. It opened its wings and sang loudly, “May good fortune be upon you! May peace be upon you!”

Yu Wan found the parrot intriguing. Even Nian Mo and Nian Lu came over with Dawncall.

The Pocket Parrot wasn’t timid at all, but it did shrink back a little when Dawncall leaned over. It soon puffed its chest out, though, and turned to Nian Fuli and Yu Wan, as if asking for help. That reaction made them both chuckle.

“It’s hot, and there are a lot of insects around. Since it can hunt those pests down, let’s keep it. How long are you staying, Chan’er?” Yu Wan asked.

“A month or so. I have a car now, Aunty, so I can come visit you often,” Chen Chuan said.

“You need to study and work. Those are more important. You don’t have to bother visiting us. Just make sure you call. Central City is far away from Yangzhi City. Coming back and forth all the time is tiring,” Nian Fuli rejected the idea.

“Your uncle’s right. Studying and working isn’t easy. If you have free time, you should rest. You always forget about the time once you put your mind to something. You need to take better care of yourself,” Yu Wan said.

“I will,” Chen Chuan promised with a nod.

At noon, the family had lunch together, and Chen Chuan told them some things about Central City.

Since the children were at the table and he didn’t want Yu Wan to worry, he didn’t dive into the negative things too much. He just presented to them the general situation of Central City.

The amazing world created by the biosentient entities’ biofields enraptured the family. Even though they had occasionally heard strange tales of Central City, they were never as detailed as Chen Chuan’s. His words made them feel as if they were right there and saw those things themselves.

“Take a walk with me,” Nian Fuli said after lunch.

“Okay,” Chen Chuan agreed.

They left the house together. On the way out of the alley, they greeted the people who saw them. Then, they went to the park near their area.

Nian Fuli took out the tobacco pipe, and Chen Chuan lit it up for him with a lighter. After a while, Nian Fuli took a light puff before exhaling slowly.

“What a great taste,” he praised it.

As they walked slowly, he said, “Black Orchid is out of the picture now, and the Blood Scars Gang is gone too. We have a lot less trouble in the city. The Chain Links Gang knows the rules, so Yangzhi City has become much safer than before.

“Quite a lot of things have changed in the Constabulary, though. The chief has been promoted, and Guan Yuming has now become the chief. Instructor Wen has also been transferred, so we got a new head instructor, but I can’t read him. He’s always smiling at everyone, but he’s also always staring at us while we’re not looking.”

With a chuckle, he grumbled, “Now that Black Orchid is gone, the higher ups have sent someone to keep an eye on us.”

Chen Chuan understood what he meant. In the past, the Constabulary’s most important task was to keep an eye on Black Orchid Co.. Since the company was gone, it was only natural that the central government chose a new method to keep balance in the city.

After some thinking, he asked, “Has anyone claimed Black Orchid’s company building and land?”

“Enclosed Shore has taken the place. Right now, we’re building a railroad in the north that will connect us to the military port in Frozen Valley City. It was decided last year. I heard that Enclosed Shore invested in the project.”

Chen Chuan nodded to show his understanding. Enclosed Shore was a state-owned company that manufactured weapons. If the building and land was handed over to them, then it was most likely that the government had stepped in to make sure it happened that way.

Nian Fuli took a slow drag. “I heard that the island nations are fighting us and each other every day. Xiao Qian sent a telegram back a few days ago saying that his unit might be stationed at one of the islands. I don’t think he will be back for New Year again.”

Chen Chuan had heard about this. The resistance groups in the island nations were numerous. They didn’t have a good relationship with each other, though, so they fought practically every day. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that they were in a constant state of war.

“The islands’ military equipment is much worse than ours. Nian Qian will be a military officer the moment he graduates, and military strategies nowadays are different from before. He won’t need to fight at the front lines. You don’t have to be too worried,” Chen Chuan comforted him.

Nian Fuli shook his head. “Even if he does fight at the front lines, it’s fine. If I hadn’t fought there myself when I was younger, I wouldn’t have gained all that I have now. But you need to be careful in Central City. Even though you didn’t tell us anything, I know that it isn’t easy to survive there. You don’t have to worry about us. I’m still tough and strong. I can last for another twenty years with no problem. Just focus on your own things and do them well.”

“Okay,” Chen Chuan promised.

Suddenly, Nian Fuli patted his head and gasped. “I almost forgot. A kid called Lu Ke called a few days ago. He’s Yu Gang’s disciple, isn’t he? He wanted us to pass you their address.”

He searched around his pocket before producing a note. “I wrote it down here.”

Chen Chuan took it and gave it a look. “Thanks, Uncle.”

Nian Fuli waved off his thanks and said, “Yu Gang had a criminal record, but after the Chain Links Gang helped the government stop the Blood Scars Gang and Black Orchid Co., it was wiped off. Yu Gang knows how to conduct himself, is reliable, and taught you before. If you think it’s possible, help him out, okay?”

Chen Chuan nodded as a promise.

After taking a walk outside, they went back, and Chen Chuan spoke at length with Yu Wan before returning to his room.

He had been away for more than half a year, but his room remained the same as before. Yu Wan clearly often cleaned it.

He took out all the things he needed and cleaned up the place a little. In the afternoon, he took his cousins to the new theme park for fun before going to the places he often visited in the past.

When he returned home, he took a shower and went to sleep.

The next morning, he woke up early and went out to practice Principal Sanshou for a while to exercise his limbs. After having breakfast with his family, he made a call. “Ding Jiao, it’s me, Chen Chuan.”

“Xiao Chuan… You’re back?!” Ding Jiao yelled.

Chen Chuan chuckled and said, “Yup. I’m back for the summer holidays.”

“Holy… Why didn’t you tell me sooner? We could have thrown a welcome party for you! Also, you’ve been in Central City for so long! You need to give us all the details about that place. Then, we’ll be able to boast about it to our other friends, you know?” Ding Jiao cried out.

Chen Chuan laughed at that. Ding Jiao was the same as before. “I only came back yesterday, and now, I’m calling you, aren’t I? Let’s meet up sometime. I’m going to be home for a month or so.”

“Alright. I’ll tell the guys right now. See you later.” Ding Jiao quickly hung up.

Chen Chuan laughed again before calling another number. This time, it was Cheng Zitong’s. Once the call went through, he said, “Mr. Cheng? It’s me, Xiao Chuan. Yeah. I came back yesterday. Are you free now? Okay, I’ll come over right away.”

Then, he put on a hat, grabbed some of the things he bought from Central City, and left.

These were just additional gifts, though. He had prepared a special gift for Cheng Zitong. It was a notebook of supernatural beings he had recorded based on all the clues he had gathered in Central City. He was sure Cheng Zitong would love it.

After getting into his car, he drove to Martial Valor University.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep