’Failed?’
Zhao Qian’s expression darkened.
You Xing had a one hundred percent success rate. He also knew that this person had worked for the company before, completing his tasks with the sa high efficiency. That was why he’d trusted the man’s abilities.
’But soone like that actually failed?’
’What could be the reason?’
Since the "cleanup" was arranged through a platform, it guaranteed that the Ghost Walker wouldn’t know the client’s identity. But by the sa token, he had no way of knowing the specifics of the Ghost Walker’s operation.
He didn’t believe Chen Chuan could have survived on his own. Was it because of protection from the Processing Bureau or Wuyi Academy? Or had so unknown power intervened?
’If it was an unknown power...’
He had once believed that in the fight against the Mutual Aid Association and the Molan Company, Chen Chuan was just a pawn pushed forward by the governnt. And pawns were just pawns, usually discarded after use.
But what if the pawn wasn’t just a pawn? What if he had already joined one of those factions, or was a mber from the very beginning? That would explain You Xing’s failure. And he had to consider the possibility that this incident had already triggered the vigilance of certain departnts.
He took a deep breath and decided to wait. Because of his Zhao Family background, governnt departnts had investigated him several tis. Although he had narrowly passed each ti, many people within the company were dissatisfied with him, including so rivals.
If his personal actions affected the interests of his departnt or the company, those people would be eager to jump out and attack him. Even the most trivial matter could be blown out of proportion. Now was not the ti to give them any more excuses.
He understood clearly that in Central City, the company was the source of his greatest benefits. Only by wearing the "skin" of the company could he protect everything he currently had.
’In any case, I’m operating from the shadows. I still have ti. I’ll figure out the situation first.’
After considering all this, he said to the person on the other end, "Not at the mont."
"Understood. Your response has been recorded. The platform is always available should you require cleanup services again. Your deposit will be refunded to your account within three days."
Zhao Qian ended the communication, deleted the records, and stood up. He walked to the window and contacted soone using his Realm Token. After a mont, the connection went through, and a very stiff voice ca from the other side. "Boss, what do you need to do?"
Zhao Qian said, "I need you to investigate sothing for , regarding a Wuyi Student. Rember not to alert anyone. Don’t send the information through the platform; deliver it to personally."
"You’re being very cautious, Boss. Sounds like the target has so background. How much ti do I have?"
"I want the results within a month."
"Mmm, what about the other matter?"
"Don’t worry about that for now. This is more important."
"Understood. Await my news, Boss."
After ending the call, he remained standing there, deep in thought.
Footsteps sounded from behind him, and a petite girl of about fourteen or fifteen walked in from outside.
There were visible seam lines on her neck, and scattered flashes of bio-electricity sparked along her cervical spine. The parts of her body from the thighs down were clearly Implant limbs.
She picked up the carafe on the desk, poured a glass, and carried it with both hands to Zhao Qian. Then, she slowly knelt and offered him the drink.
Zhao Qian took it and had a sip. He looked down at her pure, delicate face and said, "Every ti I see you, I’m struck by the resemblance. Very good. Just stay kneeling like that."
The girl remained silent.
Zhao Qian turned and walked away, leaving the small figure kneeling there, her reflection cast on the glass curtain wall.
Outside the checkpoint of Central City’s north passage, Chen Chuan arrived in his Gard Car and slowly pulled over to the side of the road.
He looked at the wide road ahead and the city patrol officers making their rounds. This was one of the main passages into Central City. He hadn’t entered the city this way before due to the road blockades, choosing to take a detour around it instead.
Incidents like that weren’t uncommon. Central City was so vast that it was impossible to monitor every corner. Most people without official identification entered the city through the peripheral areas, where smuggling was rampant and various forms of violence were unavoidable.
Never mind those areas; even the checkpoints themselves had been subjected to forced entries and violent attacks. That was why he had co to pick up Gao Ming—more so for the latter’s safety.
He had only been waiting for a little while when he saw a greyish-white sedan drive toward the checkpoint and begin the tedious inspection process. More than ten minutes later, the car slowly drove out.
Just then, the gloomy rain of the past few days began to dissipate. Sunlight pierced through the clouds, spilling onto the road. He reached out, opened the door, and stepped out of the car.
The other car also slowed to a stop. The door opened, and Gao Ming got out from the back seat. He adjusted his gold-rimd glasses, smoothed out his long, dark-brown gentleman’s suit, and walked toward him.
Chen Chuan smiled faintly and walked forward, stopping in a patch of sunlight. The two n clapped hands. "Gao Ming, was the trip smooth?" he asked.
Gao Ming smiled. "Just had to wait a bit longer at the checkpoint."
Chen Chuan asked, "Have you found a place to live?"
"The firm arranged an apartnt. I’ll stay there for now."
"That’s good," Chen Chuan said. "Once you’re settled, I have sothing I need to discuss with you."
Gao Ming pushed up his glasses. "Cousin, you’re my number one client. You can tell anything right away."
Chen Chuan grunted in acknowledgnt. "Let’s talk about it when we get back."
He was well aware of his current driving skills, and besides, he was using a temporary pass. So he had Gao Ming get back into his original car while he simply followed behind.
After taking Gao Ming to the firm’s apartnt and helping him settle in, they only started talking business once everything was put away. He told Gao Ming about Zhao Qian.
"This man was also a mber of the Mutual Aid Association and one of the main planners behind what happened to Senior Brother Shen. Wei Jun’s later actions were just an imitation of his. But even though the Molan Company collapsed and the Zhao Family was destroyed along with it, he managed to escape the reckoning."
Gao Ming said, "Cousin, based on the information you’ve given , this man has a major corporate background. If we’re going to deal with him, regardless of the thod, I’ll first need to gather so necessary and detailed information. That will take so ti."
Chen Chuan nodded. He knew this couldn’t be rushed. After all, this ti they weren’t facing a lone wolf like You Xing, but a mid-level manager at a large corporation. The resources at his disposal were far beyond what an ordinary Fighter could compare to.
After finishing their business talk, he and Gao Ming chatted about Yangzhi and things back ho. They had a al together before he left the apartnt and drove his Gard Car back toward the academy.
He was still on his way when his Realm Token indicated an incoming call. Seeing it was Old Qi, he accepted it. Old Qi’s voice ca through: "Brother Chen, I’ve bought the materials you wanted in the requested quantity. They’re all in the warehouse."
Chen Chuan said, "Old Qi, you didn’t run into any trouble, did you?"
Old Qi said, "None at all."
"Good. Thanks for your trouble, Old Qi."
"It’s nothing."
Chen Chuan thought for a mont, then turned the car around and headed toward the warehouse.
The matter of the Raccoon Cat Stone Carving needed to be resolved as soon as possible. Even though the weird tale entity had been sated by You Xing, he deduced that if no rituals were perford for a long ti and the entity’s needs weren’t t, it might erge on its own to satisfy itself. If that happened, the containnt might no longer be effective.
That was why he had brought the item back with him instead of just leaving it there.
He drove all the way to Wubei’s warehouse, found the Esoteric Materials, and confird that both the quantity and quality were correct. Old Qi was very reliable in this regard.
The next step was to perform the ritual. However, there were many important things in the warehouse, so the ritual couldn’t be held there. But he knew of a suitable place.
He parked the Gard Car there, borrowed the small truck from Wubei, and moved the stone carving onto it. He drove out from there, heading straight for the wasteland where Teacher Wu had originally lived.
This location wouldn’t disturb anyone, and the Domain surveillance seed to be weaker here because of the area’s inherent problems, making it a convenient place to handle certain matters.
After arriving, he scouted around and finally found a place that looked suitable. He stopped there, moved the Raccoon Cat Stone Carving off the truck, and set it in an appropriate position.
Then he went back to the truck, took down the duffel bag containing the Ritual Materials, and found a spot sheltered from the wind to take out the contents one by one. Finally, he opened the file Director Lei had given him and, following the diagrams inside, began to carefully draw the containnt ritual on the ground around the carving.
This ti, he drew two ritual patterns in succession. The first was a simple enclosing circle to prevent the weird tale entity from escaping. The second was the more important containnt ritual. Having perford it once before, he was more confident this ti. In less than two Hours, he had completed both setups.
He checked his work and, seeing no omissions or mistakes, walked over to stand before the Raccoon Cat Stone Carving, his gaze fixed upon it.
This Raccoon Cat Stone Carving was extrely old. He surmised that its original form had been sculpted rely for the convenience of placing offerings and kowtowing; the weird tale entity itself had no fixed form.
However, precisely because the statue was so ancient, it had beco a sufficient vessel to contain the weird tale entity. This ant it could be repurposed later.
He reached out and placed his hand on the head of the Raccoon Cat Stone Carving. His gaze sharpened, and a surge of Power instantly perated it. The stone carving trembled, and fine cracks imdiately appeared on its surface.
At the sa ti, a violent roar echoed in his ears, and his Second Self began to show signs of fading.
After the battle with You Xing, his overlap ti had reached two days and ten Hours. The power possessed by his Second Self had also grown closer to that of his main body. But even so, as the weird tale entity was gradually released, the overlap ti was being rapidly depleted. The intensity of this assault was the strongest he had ever encountered.
But at the sa ti, while the weird tale entity was assailing him, it was also constantly stimulating the Mutated Organization throughout his entire body.
As a CRACKLING sound ca from the stone carving, pieces of rubble fell from it. Finally, with a CRASH, it shattered into a pile on the ground. At that sa mont, a shriek that could almost tear his skull apart pierced his ears.
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