Book 4, Chapter 70: Meeting
Book 4, Chapter 70: Meeting
Once the airship returned to Central City, Chen Chuan put on his Realm Pass and found that he had missed a call. It was from Xu Chan.
Surprise flickered in his heart. After the emergency last time, they had spoken to each other a few more times, but it had all been through voice messages. Something had to have happened for Xu Chan to suddenly contact him, so Chen Chuan tapped on his profile picture.
The call went through after a moment. “Did you call me, Captain Xu?”
“Sorry for bothering you, Lead Investigator Chen. Do you have a minute? I’d like to treat you to a meal,” Xu Chan said.
“If you’re treating, I’m definitely coming,” Chen Chuan replied with a smile.
Xu Chan set a time and place.
Upon checking the restaurant, Chen Chuan found that it was a famous noodle restaurant in Grand Morals District. He wondered whether it was a coincidence, but the Heavenly Pardon Gang’s base was less than five hundred meters from there.
He pondered over this, and once the airship returned to the mooring point, he drove over to the restaurant. Around an hour and a half later, he reached his destination.
Xu Chan was already there, but still sitting in his car. Once he saw Chen Chuan’s car, he got out and waved at him.
After parking his car, Chen Chuan got out and shook his hand. Xu Chan pointed at the restaurant across from them. “This is my favorite noodle restaurant. It’s been open for twenty years. When I came to Jibei Road, I had my first meal here. It suited my tastes really well. I hope you’ll like it too.”
Chen Chuan took a look and saw the words Southern Noodles carved into the signboard in gold. “I’ve never been here, but since you recommended the place, I’m going to try it today.”
Xu Chan ordered two bowls of noodles with familiar ease. Then, he asked about what Chen Chuan would prefer and ordered a few more side dishes.
A little while later, two steaming hot bowls of noodles were brought out.
Xu Chan took out two sets of sealed chopsticks and handed one to Chen Chuan before pointing at the thin, even noodles. “This is the Spring Snow Noodles. The noodles look like a fine-toothed comb, and they’re as smooth as a fish’s back. That’s why when they’re wrapped this way, they’re known as the Fish Comb. If you sprinkle some spring onions and top it with specially prepared meat slices, the taste is heavenly. Try it.”
The broth appeared rich but refreshing, and it made his stomach growl from just the smell of it. Chen Chuan took out the chopsticks, stirred a bit, then tasted the noodles. They were perfectly smooth and soft. Each individual noodle was soaked full of the savory broth. They were truly worthy of coming all the way here.
Chen Chuan checked the customers coming in for the noodles. Most of them didn’t talk to each other. They only focused on eating their noodles, so he heard slurping sounds all around him while patrons got covered in sweat.
Both Chen Chuan and Xu Chan were martial artists, so they couldn’t fill their stomachs with normal food. Eating here was just them tasting the noodles.
The side dishes came. They had ordered a bowl of vermicelli soup with duck blood cubes, a plate of spring rolls stuffed with meat, a bowl of crystal shrimps, a bowl of watershield and fish ball soup, along with two bottles of osmanthus honey drink.
Xu Chan took a bottle and poured a glass for Chen Chuan. “This isn’t wine, just a sweet drink from the south. I don’t know whether you’ll like it, though.”
Chen Chuan took a sip and found it refreshing and sweet. He could feel the sweetness lingering on his tongue, along with the faint fragrance of osmanthus. He nodded in approval. “It’s really good. By the way, you’re not a local?”
“I’m from Huainan Road, and I studied in the branch campus of Martial Valor University there. Later on, I joined the military and was transferred to Jibei Road. This year marks the twentieth year since I came here. Time sure flies.”
He looked around. “The signboard looks a little older, but the place hasn’t changed much.”
He then looked outside, and for a brief moment, he thought of that young, energetic, and ambitious military officer.
“Is your family here too?”
Xu Chan took out a card holder and opened it. There was a photo inside with a young man holding a pair of twins. “My wife and children are in Huainan Road. It’s been a long time since I went back to visit them. I can only call or send them telegrams every day.”
Chen Chuan didn’t ask why he didn’t bring his family over. The situation in Central City and Xu Chan’s job made it so that it would be far too easy for him to get on people’s bad sides. Away from the Central City, his family could still get the same benefits, but stay safer.
Xu Chan put his chopsticks down and looked outside. “Look over there.”
They were sitting beside a window and could see everything outside. When Chen Chuan looked out, he saw armored cars driving past. They had the words Heavenly Pardon on them. There was an air of aggression and superiority to them.
Xu Chan took a sip of the osmanthus honey drink. “The biggest gang in Grand Morals District is the Heavenly Pardon Gang. Every year, a large number of martial artists ‘graduate’ from their gang. A handful of them join the military, but most join companies. The real elites join the government, and they’re a force that can’t be overlooked.”
Chen Chuan nodded. Wei Wusheng, Chang Kuanghai, and Xiongjian Yi had been from the Heavenly Pardon Gang, and these people had left a really deep impression on him.
Xu Chan continued, “The Heavenly Pardon Gang has two elders. One of them is Yu Hongming, who is more than 110 years old. His mind and body have long since reached perfection. He had been a famous martial artist around seventy years ago, but while his qi and blood have turned weaker, and his mutated tissue has shriveled up, he has only become more formidable with age. His fighting experience can’t be ignored.
“Luckily for us, while he was ruthless when young, he obeyed the rules and laws. After getting old, he has lost most of his temper. Right now, both he and his disciples are in charge of the gang’s operations, and he’s a really conservative martial artist.
“The other elder goes by Yue Hongtao. He’s peers with Yu Hongming, but he’s younger and only in his nineties. Compared to Yu Hongming, he’s utilitarian and very scheming. He has deep ties with the municipal government, and he has played a huge role in why the Heavenly Pardon Gang has been able to exist for so long.
“Many of the important combat forces of the municipal government are made of members from the Heavenly Pardon Gang. These people have left the gang in name and have legal citizenship, but in truth, they still have deep ties with Yue Hongtao.
“The Heavenly Pardon Gang has settled deep into this area since the old era. With these two around, there’s practically no way for anyone to threaten their existence. The Resolution Department’s plan has always been to divide them into two and subjugate them one by one.”
Chen Chuan’s gaze sharpened. If the Heavenly Pardon Gang were just a normal gang, the Resolution Department might not bother to target them, but if they had such deep ties with the municipal government that they were practically subordinates, the department really needed to dissolve them.
“Aside from taking part in missions in the merged space, I spend the rest of my time stationed in Grand Morals District. My main task is to let the Heavenly Pardon Gang know that I’m here so that they won’t step out of line.”
Then, in a stern voice, he said, “It’s impossible to believe that a gang has morals, especially when they have someone powerful supporting them. I’m going to the merged space soon, though, and I will likely only return by the end of the year. The Heavenly Pardon Gang might act up during this time.”
He turned to face Chen Chuan. “I know that you’re very strong, Lead Investigator Chen. You might even be stronger than I am. After I leave, I’d like to rely on you to do a few things.”
“Director Wu mentioned them to me. I’ll be sure to do my duties seriously,” Chen Chuan said with a nod.
When Xu Chan saw Chen Chuan give a clear confirmation, his expression relaxed slightly. “One more thing. The municipal government is fighting hard against the Department of Administrative Affairs, which is trying to pass certain laws to cover up some loopholes. If they succeed, the municipal government’s power will be further cut down, and one person is going to play a crucial role in this.”
He tapped on his Realm Pass, and a stern-looking middle-aged man showed up on Chen Chuan’s screen.
“This is Yao Kang, an important member of the legal division in the Department of Administrative Affairs. He has a great sense of justice and is unwilling to be swayed by lobbying from the municipal government. He insists on pushing the new laws forward. The Resolution Department has been protecting him for months. One member from my team is in charge of his protection.
“Everyone knows that he’s my teammate, so while I’m around, they didn’t dare to pull any dirty tricks, but once I go to the merged space, I might be unable to serve as an effective deterrent anymore.”
Chen Chuan took a look at the photo and said, “Got it. I’ll keep an eye on this too after you leave.”
“Thank you.” Xu Chan lifted his glass.
Chen Chuan did the same and clinked his glass against Xu Chan’s.
After taking a sip, Xu Chan tapped on his Realm Pass, and Chen Chuan received a rather long list of names.
“What’s this?”
“The people you can trust in the department. I’ve already given them a heads-up. If you need any help, they’ll listen to your orders,” Xu Chan stated.
Chen Chuan knew that Xu Chan was a veteran in the department, and he could have easily made it to the position of a lead investigator if he wanted, but he had turned the offer down. These people should be his subordinates.
Chen Chuan asked about them, and Xu Chan took his time explaining. After some time, they finished their food and walked out of the restaurant.
Once they were outside, Chen Chuan looked around and saw the Heavenly Pardon Gang’s gate all the way on the other street. “Captain Xu, it’s actually not hard to intimidate the Heavenly Pardon Gang into behaving.”
He turned around and started strolling over.
Xu Chan was stunned, but quickly realized that Chen Chuan was about to do something. After giving it some thought, he decided to stand still.
***
At that moment, Yu Hongming was standing in front of a screen in Longevity Hall. Two people took up half the screen. The other half had a thin, tall old man with a braided beard. Compared to Yu Hongming’s amiable demeanor, there was an air of arrogance about this other old man.
“Xu Chan is going to the merged space, so they should be coming here to show their strength and warn us not to cause trouble. After he leaves, this new young man will be the one in charge of keeping an eye on us,” Yu Hongming said while staring at the screen.
The thin old man took a look and said, “That’s a lead investigator from the Resolution Department. He’s also the one who captured Kuanghai, isn’t he? Lao Yu, your disciple is crippled and still in jail. Are you really going to take this lying down?”
“The disciples choose their own paths. As their master, I’m only in charge of teaching them martial artists. I can’t control how they use them,” Yu Hongming retorted calmly.
“Where did all your spark go?” the thin old man asked sarcastically.
“I’ve only learned how to be more respectful of things. That’s all,” Yu Hongming replied slowly.
“Respectful?” The thin old man didn’t agree. “I respect Xu Chan, alright. After all, his strength is obvious. But what’s the young man going to use to keep us in line? His position?”
Just then, Yu Hongming noticed something and looked over to see Chen Chuan walking over.
The thin old man saw it too. When Chen Chuan reached the entrance to their street, he stopped and stared at their base. Puzzled, he asked, “What is he trying to do?”