The group first conducted a careful search of the camp, checking for any bandits still in hiding. They finally confird that all the bandits inside the camp had been killed. However, they did find a Maka Student with a severed hand lying outside, still alive.
Despite significant blood loss, he was clinging stubbornly to life thanks to the tenacious Life Force of a Fighter. Although he had fallen unconscious, they bandaged his wounds and brought him back, planning to take him with them later.
However, it was hard to say how the Yangzhi City Administrative Affairs Hall would ultimately deal with him.
During the search, they also found a relatively large basent. Seeing the discarded handcuffs and shackles, along with other signs, it seed many people had recently been imprisoned there. Most teams in the wilderness engaged in human trafficking, but perhaps because the Copper Rust Corps was about to return to Maka, they had disposed of their captives ahead of ti.
After confirming there was no further danger, the group began to relax and started clearing out and inspecting the camp’s contents. First, inside the largest tent, they found a good deal of cash in small denominations, all neatly wrapped.
The bag wasn’t large and could be carried away in one hand, but the amount was nothing to sneeze at. Mi Tai hadn’t even taken it when he fled. The group guessed it was money ant to be paid out to the gang mbers. It was highly likely these bandits were planning to return to their ho country with the Maka delegation, which was why they had prepared it in advance.
Besides, since Mi Tai hadn’t bothered with this cash, he must have had sothing more valuable on him. They went back to carefully inspect his body and, sure enough, found two numbered gold notes from Wansheng Finance on him and You’an.
These gold notes could be cashed by anyone. The exact amount was still unknown, but they figured it couldn’t be a small sum. This was a complete windfall for them.
The group discussed it and decided to cash the notes after they returned before figuring out how to split the money.
Additionally, they found stacks of Jiaoshan Trading Vouchers in a corner of the tent. These were only useful in Jiaoshan, but they still had so value, so they gathered them up as well.
Just then, Feng Xiaochi called out loudly, "Quick, co look at this!"
The others walked over and saw a powered freezer. Inside were several packaged human organs. Everyone frowned at the sight; the discovery sparked so very unpleasant ideas.
Chen Chuan glanced over them. So of the organs looked a bit like mutated tissue. ’The Copper Rust Corps shouldn’t have the ability to get these things,’ he thought. ’They either stole them or are transporting them for soone else.’ He said aloud, "Destroy them."
Everyone nodded in agreent.
"There’s this, too." Feng Xiaochi pointed to the side. Everyone saw a box with a combination lock, with no telling what was inside.
They didn’t know how to open the combination lock, and they were afraid of damaging the contents if they forced it. But they couldn’t just load it onto a vehicle without knowing what it was.
Wei Chang’an turned and called out, "Fourth Brother, go get Old Fan."
Cai Si nodded and left. A mont later, one of their team’s technical specialists ca over. He examined the lock, went back to get so tools, and then began to carefully work on it.
Since opening the lock would take so ti, the others went to continue checking other areas.
anwhile, Wei Chang’an had a team mber take a photo of each dead bandit, as well as pictures of the general state of the camp. He also collected a few identifying items. These could be used to claim wanted bounties later.
Although the amounts weren’t large—so bandits had no bounty at all—it would help offset so of the expenses for this operation.
After they finished, one of his team mbers ca over. "Brother Wei, we’ve inspected all the vehicles in the camp and replaced the tires. They should all be drivable."
The Copper Rust Corps had a total of nine vehicles. Aside from one that had overturned outside and was severely damaged, the rest were probably drivable. However, the two ard vehicles couldn’t be driven back into the city. They could, however, be sold to people who specialized in buying black market cars, which should recover so funds.
Ren Xiaotian said he had connections in that area and could take care of selling them.
Wei Chang’an actually had connections too, but given his current status as a Wuyi Student and his role as a formal contractor for the mission, he didn’t want to get involved in that sort of business.
The bandits had left behind a considerable number of guns and bullets. The team had no interest in the homade firearms or the Maka weaponry, so they decided to destroy them on the spot. However, a few guns manufactured by Dashun were worth keeping, and they set aside the ammunition, as it might be needed on a future mission.
After another period of busy work, a voice called out that the combination lock was open.
Everyone gathered around again. When the specialist opened the box, they saw a strange object sealed inside. It was about thirty centiters in size and looked like an oversized silkworm pupa, but it also seed to have several splayed limbs.
Feng Xiaochi asked curiously, "What is this? A bug?"
Ren Xiaotian said in a low voice, "It’s a biological Implant."
Most people present knew what biological Implants were, but they had never seen one that looked so strange.
Ren Xiaotian stepped forward. He didn’t touch it, but examined it closely. "There are no obvious company markings on it," he said. "It’s probably experintal."
Chen Chuan said, "The Maka People revere nature and never use biological Implants. So this was probably sothing the group was planning to sell for cash. The only question is what kind of Implant it is."
Feng Xiaochi’s eyes lit up. "So this thing is really valuable?" The technician replied, "Valuable, yes, but I’m afraid it’s also trouble."
Feng Xiaochi imdiately shook his head. "Never mind then."
Chen Chuan considered it for a mont. "Since we’ve found it, we’ll take it. I’ll figure out how to deal with it when we get back."
’There’s no need to be overly concerned,’ he thought. ’These experintal items are often intentionally leaked onto the market by certain dostic or foreign companies so they can observe the product’s performance. They don’t care whose hands it passes through. I can ask Cheng Zitong how to handle it later. If all else fails, I can just turn it over to Director Lei or the Patrol Bureau.’
By the ti they finished sorting through all the valuable items in the camp, it was already past nine in the morning, and the group prepared to head back.
Since they needed to drive all the vehicles back, almost everyone had to get behind a wheel. The only problem was that Chen Chuan, Feng Xiaochi, and Wu Han didn’t know how to drive, so they were given a crash course on the spot.
Out in the open wilderness, there were no traffic rules to follow, no stop-and-go, and no need to worry about fuel consumption. All they had to do was get the cars moving. It wasn’t actually that difficult, so after a quick lesson from Wei Chang’an and the others, they all got a rough grasp of it.
On the way back, they received a radio ssage from Lin Xiaoti. She reported that the Maka delegation was showing signs of departing. The group felt a wave of relief. They were lucky to have intercepted these people today, and luckier still that the bandits had the item on them. Otherwise, the mission would have been much harder, likely forcing them to take action at a checkpoint.
As the convoy approached the outskirts of Yangzhi City, the contacts they had notified by radio had already arrived and were waiting to take the vehicles off their hands.
Ren Xiaotian got out to handle the exchange. It was clear this wasn’t the first ti these people had done this sort of thing; the whole process was amicable and smooth.
After the transaction was complete, the group parted ways with him there and drove their original vehicles back toward the city, returning to Wuyi Academy without incident.
Chen Chuan said goodbye to Wei Chang’an and his team, asking them to take the unconscious, injured Maka Student and the photos of the wanted criminals to the Patrol Bureau.
Next, he called the rental company and asked them to co pick up the car, telling them they could send him a bill for any damages.
After taking care of these matters, he, Luo Kaiyuan, Feng Xiaochi, Weidong, and Wu Han headed toward the dorms.
Having just returned from a deadly fight—with Chen Chuan and Wu Han in particular still carrying their weapons—the group exuded a faint, dangerous aura as they walked. So of the more perceptive students instinctively gave them a wide berth, while experienced upperclassn couldn’t help but give them a second look.
It was lunchti, so the group first went to grab a al before returning to their dorm rooms.
The next task was to count the cash in the bag and the Jiaoshan Trading Vouchers. Feng Xiaochi volunteered for the job.
As for the two gold notes, since they had no expiration date, Chen Chuan planned to cash them only after the mission was officially concluded, at which point he would decide how to divide the money.
Seeing that there was nothing else urgent, Chen Chuan gave a few simple instructions and told everyone to go get so rest.
Once everyone had left, Chen Chuan took out the box containing the Oak Leaf. He opened it, removed the leaf, and examined it carefully.
The veins of the leaf were perfectly clear, and its body was a vibrant erald green. It emitted a faint, pleasant fragrance. However, apart from the mont his Second Self had turned illusory upon first touching it, there had been no other signs of a reaction since.
’This thing requires a Maka ritual to work, a process the Maka People have never shared with Dashun,’ he mused. ’Dashun never cared before, but that might change in the future.’
’But whether it’s useful or not has nothing to do with . It’s impossible for to uncover its secrets alone, and I don’t need to. My goal for this mission is simply to get a good evaluation from the Administrative Affairs Departnt and earn the qualification to go to Central City. That’s my main objective; everything else is secondary.’
After looking at it for a while longer, he put the item away, walked over to the telephone, picked up the receiver, and dialed a number. When the call connected, he said, "Director Lei, I’ve recovered the item."
"You’ve recovered it?"
Director Lei was very surprised. According to the news he’d received, the Maka delegation was preparing to depart today. He had even given Chen Chuan a heads-up because of it. He never expected Chen Chuan to have already retrieved the item before the delegation had even made a move.
He said, "Tell what happened. I want to see if there are any loose ends."
Chen Chuan recounted the key points of the events. After listening, Director Lei nodded and said, "So you received intel first. That’s for the best. It avoids a direct confrontation with the delegation.
"Here’s the plan. If it’s convenient, bring the item to my place now. I’ll go with you to the Foreign Affairs Bureau to hand it over. We need to resolve this as quickly as possible to prevent any further complications."
Chen Chuan said, "Alright, Director Lei. I’ll be right over."
Director Lei thought for a mont, then added, "Don’t take any other car. You’re at the academy, right? Just wait there. I’ll have He Nan’s driver pick you up."
Chen Chuan agreed. He took a quick shower, changed his clothes, and then walked from his dorm to the academy gate. Just as he arrived, the Yu Fulan sedan pulled up. He greeted the driver, got in the car, and forty minutes later, he was at Director Lei’s ho. After a brief exchange, he followed the director to the Foreign Affairs Bureau.
Upon their smooth arrival at the Foreign Affairs Bureau, Chen Chuan, accompanied by Director Lei, handed the item over to the Foreign Affairs Bureau Director, Liu Zhan. The man was incredibly emotional. If the item had been lost, the Foreign Affairs Bureau would have taken the bla, and he would have lost face. But now that it was recovered, things were different. In fact, it could even draw positive attention from his superiors. This turn of events, from loss to gain, was a good thing.
He gripped Chen Chuan’s hand, thanking him profusely, and asked enthusiastically, "Chen, is there anything the Foreign Affairs Bureau can help you with? Please, don’t hesitate to ask. I will be sure to reward you."
Chen Chuan thought for a mont, then said sincerely, "Actually, there is one thing I’d like to ask for your help with."
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