Chapter 217: Traces

At 8 a.m. the next morning, Chen Chuan put on his uniform and arrived at the administrative office building with Cheng Zitong.

Just like when he got his weapons permit, there were seven examination committee members present. All of them sat behind a long table.

Once they verified his identity and he filled out a form, an elegant woman in her thirties with light makeup sized him up. “Chen Chuan, we’ve read your file. You completed more than one mission when you were summoned to serve the country and performed outstandingly in all of them. You’re an excellent student. Now, you’re a sophomore. Have you thought about where you want to go for your internship?”

“Of course I did,” Chen Chuan answered.

The examination committee member continued smiling. “May I know what your plans are?”

The other examination committee members also focused all of their attention on Chen Chuan.

Central City, of course, but that has nothing to do with you, does it? Still, it’s not very nice to say that outright… Chen Chuan thought.

So, he said humbly, “I’m considering interning at some agent company to get some experience or joining one of the subdivisions under the Department of Administrative Affairs to learn from the officials there.”

The woman’s eyes lit up, and she said even more warmly, “What do you think of the Finance Department? We provide great benefits, and we need outstanding talents like you as part of our security.”

Another examination committee member did not leave her offer alone. “That’s the same for the Communications Department. Would you have any interest in joining us? After all, we’re always lacking in security and need powerful martial artists to fill the gaps. If you’re willing to come to us, we can give you the best benefits.”

Then, he cast the woman a glance before clearing his throat. “While we can’t compare to the Finance Department, we can offer you greater benefits in other areas.”

The moment he said this, the other examination committee members spoke up to offer Chen Chuan chances to intern at their department.

Cheng Zitong could tell what was going on. These people and their organizations thought well of Chen Chuan, so they wanted him to join their department.

Chen Chuan had the unrestricted defense permit and had even been summoned to serve the country before. He had limitless potential, so anyone could tell that no matter which department he joined, he was bound to achieve great things. He might even climb high up the career ladder.

If they could recruit him into their department, then even if Chen Chuan wouldn’t bring them substantial benefits, he would bring glory and prestige.

Chen Chuan may also decide to leave their department later, but by then, he would have formed some level of friendship with them, and they could maintain contact and cooperation down the line.

Cheng Zitong came forward and spoke for Chen Chuan. “Sorry to say this, but my mentee already has plans. If you have any questions, you can come to me about them.”

The examination committee members glared at Cheng Zitong in displeasure, but he just met their gazes squarely. They weren’t in the same department, and Cheng Zitong’s rank wasn’t lower than any of theirs, so he wasn’t scared of them. Besides, his mentee was going to Central City and didn’t need to get involved. It would just be a waste of time and energy.

The examination committee members could do nothing about this. After all, Cheng Zitong was Chen Chuan’s mentor. If he said that he had plans for Chen Chuan or that Chen Chuan had his own plans, they couldn’t bypass him.

They went through the rest of the questions perfunctorily, and the examination committee presented Chen Chuan with the armor permit.

Just like the others, it was a jade card. This time, it was black in color. Even though it was thin, it felt heavy. There were white, misty patterns on it that formed the outline of a shield. Chen Chuan’s name and student ID were carved on it in seal script.

Once the armor permit was presented, the test was considered to have ended. Cheng Zitong didn’t waste any time exchanging pleasantries with the examination committee members and led Chen Chuan out of the room. When they were outside, he said, “Xiao Chuan, looks like they think highly of you.”

“They’re only doing that because they think I’m strong, but I don’t think I’m strong enough yet,” Chen Chuan remarked.

“That’s right. I’m glad you can see that. When you have power and status, you don’t need to approach anyone for favors. Other people come to form connections with you. Never waver on your goal and keep moving forward without fear,” Cheng Zitong said.

Chen Chuan nodded.

“Alright. Now, you have both the weapons permit and armor permit. You have the Halberd Pistol, but what about protective gear? Do you want me to get it for you?”

“Thank you, Mr. Cheng, but the operation committee gave me a set while I was working with them. I can use it.”

Even though, theoretically, the armor permit should have been harder to get than the weapons permit, there was no basic requirement to use protective gear. After all, even if a person wore protective gear, no one would know. What was more important, though, was where they got the protective gear from, since they could not get it without permission. Only those who had the permit could use protective gear openly without fear of being investigated.

“That’s good,” Cheng Zitong said. After a brief pause, he continued, “Speaking of internship, you’re free to choose whether you want one or not. You don’t need it for your resume, but you need to earn more money.

“Far too many things in Central City cost money, so do your best to earn as much as possible before you go. Otherwise, you’ll end up spending a lot of time earning money instead of training.”

Chen Chuan nodded. He knew that once he was in Central City, no matter how much money he had, it was not going to be enough, which was why he was earning and saving as much as he could.

It seemed like he still needed to do missions, regardless of whether they were from the Cult Investigation Bureau, the Constabulary, or supernatural-related. He wanted to do everything he could. While he earned money, he could also increase his overlap time and be even more prepared for his eventual journey to Central City.

After parting ways with Cheng Zitong at the administrative office building, he returned to the dorm. Before he even reached the corridor leading to Area One, he heard Feng Xiaoqi and Luo Kaiyuan’s voices.

“I heard that the government intends to repair the railway in the north so that they can connect Frozen Valley City with Yangzhi City, but the ground where they killed the Black Orchid employees has turned red.

“I heard that the stuff that did it is a medicine good for health and beauty. It’s Black Orchid’s core product. Even if you re-refine it, it’s still effective. That’s why so many people have been trying to buy that plot of land. I heard that you can sell fifty grams for one dev. Isn’t that a great business opportunity? Even I want to go.”

“I don’t believe it. If there really was such a great thing lying around, why hasn’t the government scooped it all up instead of leaving it open for sale? Even if it was really some great medicine, I’m sure it’s useless now after the artillery fire,” Luo Kaiyuan countered.

“But if there are so many rumors about it, there must be something behind it, no? What if the red earth is actually useful? Besides, it’s the place where Black Orchid’s employees were wiped out. Don’t you think it’s worth a visit just for that alone?” Feng Xiaoqi asked.

When Luo Kaiyuan heard this, he was indeed a little tempted. Just then, they saw Chen Chuan walking over and greeted him.

“Chen Chuan, we were talking about going to visit the place where Black Orchid’s employees were killed. What about you? Would you like to take a look?”

“I don’t mind going if I have the time. It’d be a good way to remember them.”

It was the place where the last remnants of Black Orchid Co. were destroyed, so naturally, he had to go on a “pilgrimage” there. Chen Chuan had never gone to North Ornament Highlands before because that was where his old house was, and he had been worried about the possible danger, but now, he had gone there, and he had nothing to worry about anymore.

“Let’s go during our next day off, then. We might be able to get some red earth back and sell it for money,” Feng Xiaoqi suggested happily.

With that settled, they went back to their own training.

A few days later, during the second day off of the month, Chen Chuan, Luo Kaiyuan, and Feng Xiaoqi rode to North Ornament Highlands. They had wanted to bring Wei Dong and Wu Han as well, but Wu Han had brought Wei Dong along for a mission, and they didn’t know when they would be back.

The closer they got to North Ornament Highlands, the more people they encountered. It seemed like many people shared the same thoughts as they did. Of course, it was also highly likely that they were going for the red earth.

When they were at the foot of the mountain, they saw a parking spot for bicycles and cars. After asking around, they learned that the Chain Links Gang had set it up, and they put their bicycles inside with complete ease. The Chain Links Gang was huge and wouldn’t scam them off their bicycles. Thieves wouldn’t dare to steal from the Chain Links Gang’s territory either.

The trio walked up the slope with ease and went past the flat mountain pass filled with forts until they arrived at the back of the mountain. There were fewer mountains there, and they could see further into the distance. Feng Xiaoqi pointed downward and said excitedly, “Look! It’s right there!”

Chen Chuan and Luo Kaiyuan looked down. Everything they saw was covered in a brilliant shade of red, as if the ground had been dyed in blood. Many people were down there, scooping up earth. After they filled up a bag, they happily went to the side to weigh it and sell it for money.

No matter how much earth they dug up, it was still red.

“See? I told you that red earth sells! Look! So many are digging it up.” Feng Xiaoqi was really excited and held up the camera he had hanging around his neck. “I’m taking a few photos.”

While Feng Xiaoqi was busy taking pictures, Chen Chuan stood to the side and cast a quick glance at his second self. He was blurring out a little, but only very faintly. If Chen Chuan hadn’t been paying attention, he would have overlooked it.

The earth’s color…

He focused on the vast expanse of land below and remembered the first mission he had with Ren Xiaotian. They had collected something resembling red, shattered tiles near Smoked Hills.

Black Orchid Co. had bought them.

After observing for a while, Chen Chuan, Luo Kaiyuan, and Feng Xiaoqi went down the slope. The slope was steep and rough, making the descent quite unpleasant. Since there were scores of people digging up the earth, the place was full of dirt and dust. The place was also already considered the wilderness, so it wasn’t a place where people should stay for long. The trio did not linger and went back after a while.

While Feng Xiaoqi had said that he wanted to grab some earth, he didn’t actually do that.

On their way back, Chen Chuan was immersed in thoughts about the red earth and Black Orchid Co.’s destruction.

Black Orchid, red…

Suddenly, he thought of something. After saying he had something to do at the company, he parted ways with Feng Xiaoqi and Luo Kaiyuan and cycled to where Black Orchid Co.’s building had been.

He parked his bicycle before heading to the nearby river. After observing the riverbanks and the bottom of the river for a while, he found a long, almost unnoticeable red line.

Chen Chuan jumped into the river and traced the lines until he reached White Riverbank. Even there, the line did not end. It just kept stretching outward until God-knows where.

Chen Chuan didn’t continue tracing the line. He climbed out, and white steam started wafting off of him. When he eventually got to a phone booth, his clothes were already dried.

He picked up the phone receiver and called a number. After waiting for a while, it went through, and he said, “Hello, Mr. Lei? It’s me, Chen Chuan. I think I know what that cultist is planning.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep