Book 4, Chapter 261: Unseen Forces Pushing Things Forward

While Chen Chuan had taken down United Might’s branch in Jibei Road and cut off their influence in Jibei Road’s Central City, the company didn’t suffer any losses. According to what he knew, they were trying to file a complaint to the central government. The Defense Bureau had also received a complaint about the Resolution Department. It seemed like United Might still haven't given up on expanding their business into Jibei Road.

***

When Chen Chuan took the airship away from Shannan Road, ten or so important directors in United Might’s headquarters were having a meeting.

One of them asked the information analyst, “How badly will our business be affected by this?”

“In any other situation, even if the garrison stopped selling firearms to the resistance groups, we could do it through other places, but after the purge, the garrison’s next step will be eradicating the resistance groups. They will also try to cut off all channels the resistance groups could possibly use to get their firearms. It’s highly likely that we will not only be unable to earn any money from this, but will also suffer great losses.

“We can only work on a more detailed assessment of how great the impact is based on how things progress later.”

The directors started discussing how they should revise their business strategy and cut their losses.

Just then, one of them rapped his knuckles against the table and said to the directors in the meeting room and those only present on the screen, “Sirs, allow me to interrupt. Compared to prioritizing short-term profit, what we need now is long-term planning and to pay special attention to a certain person.”

With a wave of his hand, Chen Chuan’s picture showed up on the screen. It was taken from above, and he seemed to have noticed it, because he looked over. His gaze was cold, and he had a long saber in his hand. The picture caused all their hearts to freeze.

“Chen Chuan, director of Jibei Road’s Defense Bureau, a martial arts master, and former lead investigator of Jibei Road’s Resolution Department. He played a crucial role in Shannan Road’s operation. The Department of Administrative Affairs and the National Defense Ministry were only able to get rid of the problem in the garrison because he critically wounded Security Advisor Bai,” the director said.

“Hasn’t he left? Why should we still pay attention to him? Are you saying that he will come back, Director Xing?”

“I’d like to remind everyone that this isn’t the first time he has fought against us. It’s because of him becoming a lead investigator that our plans to set up a branch in Jibei Road were ruined. Now that he has become a martial arts master and was promoted to the director of the Defense Bureau, it’s practically impossible for us to return to Jibei Road. This has caused a major setback to our strategic development.” Director Xing pointed at Chen Chuan’s picture.

Since they were a logistics and security company, most of United Might’s businesses were within the mainland, or more accurately, at the central territory, as well as the large border zones of the eastern and western territories.

However, the company wasn’t satisfied with just this and wanted to expand their market. Their original plan was to bring their business to Jibei Road, since it was located at the center of the eastern territory. With Jibei Road as the pivot point, they would have the entire eastern coast connected.

“Right now, Jibei Road is setting up an airship logistics company. Once they succeed and form a mature transportation route, the small slice of the pie we have in the eastern logistics market will be taken away from us, and we might permanently lose this market. Our business will become restricted to the mainland. That’s why we need to come up with a targeted strategy. This is of utmost importance to the future development of the company,” Director Xing continued.

“Do you have one?” one of the directors asked.

Director Xing lifted a document and waved it. “We’ve collected letters from our business partners in Jibei Road. They’re also displeased with how Jibei Road’s Department of Administrative Affairs has been suppressing them. The Union, Linacrox Union, and many other foreign companies are displeased with the current situation and want to change things. I believe we can join their side.”

The directors discussed the matter, and one of them said tentatively, “I noticed something crucial. We’re talking about a martial arts master. Working with the Union and becoming allies with them isn’t wrong, but that doesn’t mean that we can solve the problems you mentioned. I don’t think what you said is going to work. What are you going to do to persuade him to let us expand our business into Jibei Road?”

“I believe that a martial arts master with ambition to improve won’t stay in Central City for long. He will definitely go to the merged space. If he stays there and doesn’t come back, it’ll be beneficial to us. I’m sure that everyone wants to see that happening,” Director Xing said.

Even though he didn’t say it blatantly, everyone figured out what he meant. If they came up with a reason to make him stay permanently in the merged space, he wouldn’t be able to interfere with the matters in Central City. Once they tied this to the “business partners” he mentioned before, they knew that the plan was a little extreme.

The directors became nervous, and their expressions turned grim. They were talking about taking down a martial arts master. It was a huge risk to get involved in this, so all of them chose to stay silent.

Director Xing wasn’t hoping for them to make their choice immediately. He was only throwing the idea out into the open. Often, there was no need to get everyone’s approval to get something going. All that was needed was for no one to say no.

They didn’t talk about this again. After the meeting ended, Director Xing returned to the reception area. There was already a middle-aged man waiting for him inside.

“Mr. Wang, I’ve brought it up during the meeting with the directors, just as you requested. I’ll try to get them to agree to it as soon as possible,” he said once he sat down.

Mr. Wang smiled and thanked him. “Thank you for your support, Director Xing. I just received a piece of news that might be of help to you. Director Chen is from the purity faction, just like Chang Shuyu of the merged space’s military.”

Director Xing’s eyelid twitched as he recalled the face of a tough, unyielding soldier in his head. With a grave face, he said, “Is that so? If they’re from the same faction, then the operation makes sense.”

“That’s why we believe that he didn’t come here just to visit his relatives. This was an operation planned in advance, and if they can work together once, they can work together again. This is a threat to both of us,” Mr. Wang said.

Director Xing leaned against his chair considering it. After a while, he said, “We’ll continue pushing the matter of the active biosentient entity, but even if the board of directors gives it the okay, we will need you to send it to the merged space. We won’t be directly involved in this.”

Mr. Wang smiled and said, “Of course. We’ll think of a way to do it on our own. We just need you to provide us with technical support.”

Director Xing relaxed a little and nodded. “That’s that, then.”

“Thanks for all the hard work. I assure you that once our greatest obstacle is gone, Jibei Road will welcome you back,” Mr. Wang said.

***

On the twenty-ninth of January, Chen Chuan’s airship returned to Jibei Road’s Central City. The large airship headed straight for Majestic Light District.

Nian Fuli and his family stood by the portholes to look down.

While they had gone to Shannan Road’s Central City to buy things, they spent most of the time in a car and were surrounded by skyscrapers and all sorts of lights and sounds. There were too many things to take in, and they had little time for it, so they couldn’t really get to know the place. When they looked down at it now, they felt as if they could see the entire city from where they stood.

The moment Chen Chuan came back, the Fu-Mu Entity said, “Welcome back, Director Chen. You have 127 unread messages, and 39 messages from unknown IDs. Would you like to reply to them now?”

He asked the Fu-Mu Entity to filter out all the messages from the unknown IDs before he looked through the unread messages. Once he sorted them based on how important they were, he started replying to them one by one. Most of them were reports from the Defense Bureau.

Even during the New Year, City Patrol and the Resolution Department didn’t stop working, since they were combat forces. There were also some important documents that required his signature. The deputy directors couldn’t sign them.

Once he replied to them, the airship reached Golden Maple Residences’ airspace and descended at the mooring tower.

After it stopped, Chen Chuan led his family out of the airship and down the tower to his house.

The moment they stepped through the front door, the first thing they saw was the living room. It was big enough to host a small tournament. When Nian Mo and Nian Lu saw such a huge house, they gasped in amazement and started running around in glee.

Nian Fuli and Yu Wan were shocked as well. While Chen Chuan had told them that his manor was large, they just thought that his place was slightly larger than Han Kuang’s villa. He was staying alone, so they didn’t expect the place to be so big. Chen Chuan really wasn’t exaggerating when he said that it was a manor. However, after going through everything back in Shannan Road, they could accept this fact calmly.

The attendants came forward and took the suitcases from their hands. Chen Chuan brought his family around so that they could pick their rooms, then they took a shower.

Nian Qian was the first to be done. When he saw that an attendant had already prepared some afternoon tea snacks for him, he put one straight into his mouth, since he was hungry. It tasted great, and he said jokingly to Chen Chuan, who was busy with a call, “Say, is it too late for me to start learning martial arts now?”

Chen Chuan ended the call and turned around to answer with a smile. “This place might be big, but I needed to do a lot of things to get it, you know?”

“True that.”

Nian Qian leaned against his chair and looked up. Suddenly, he said, “While I was training, the army kept telling us to be ready for the Great Crash, but no one can tell just what it’s going to be like. What do you think it’s gonna be like?”

Chen Chuan looked out. The vortex in the sky seemed to have come even closer. He walked a few steps to the floor-to-ceiling window and stared at the sky as he said, “No matter what it’s going to be like, I’m going to stand at the forefront and see it with my own eyes.”

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