Chapter 749: Authorization

A little over half an hour later, Chen Chuan walked out of Wuyi Academy. The plaza outside was filled with Processing Bureau vehicles and personnel. When they saw him, they saluted one after another.

Every member of the Processing Bureau on site would now be bound by strict protocols. All their external communications and actions would be monitored by An Shield. Any violation would result in immediate and severe punishment, ensuring no details of the incident would leak in the next few hours.

He planned to return to the Processing Bureau first and use the time to get to the bottom of the matter.

An orderly opened the door to his official car. Before getting in, he glanced back at the Profound Palace Building. The rooftop was empty; the red figure from before was nowhere to be seen. But the red scarf she had worn was now fluttering around his own neck.

He turned away and got into the car. The door shut, and the convoy set off, heading for the Processing Bureau.

Eight or nine minutes later, just as they were approaching the Processing Bureau, he suddenly heard a BEEP from his Realm Token.

He glanced at it. The message was from Manager Wen, and judging by the format, it had been scheduled for timed delivery. He raised an eyebrow and opened it. As he read the contents, his expression grew grim.

He thought for a moment before contacting An Shield. “An Shield, has Manager Wen returned?”

An Shield replied, “Manager Wen is on a covert mission. Details are unavailable. No report has been received.”

Chen Chuan asked, “Was Manager Han in the White Bird District all day yesterday?”

An Shield replied, “Yes. Starting at 5 PM yesterday, Manager Han, as the head of security, has been in the White Bird District protecting dignitaries from various departments. He has not left the area.”

Chen Chuan was lost in thought.

A moment later, the car arrived back at the Processing Bureau and stopped in the plaza.

After sitting for a moment, Chen Chuan got out and strode into the Processing Bureau. The main hall was just as sparsely populated as when he had left. The few people there hastily stood at attention and saluted as he entered.

He took the elevator directly to the Upper Layer and went into his office. After checking the time, he brewed a cup of tea and sat down to wait.

At precisely 3:00 AM, he reached for the phone on his desk and dialed a number.

Someone on the other end must have been waiting, as the phone was picked up after just two rings. “Hello, this is Shao Xinquan.”

Chen Chuan said, “Executioner Shao, this is Chen Chuan.”

“Manager Chen!” The voice on the other end immediately grew louder.

Chen Chuan said, “Manager Wen sent me a message. He said that if he hadn’t returned by 3:00 AM and there was no word from him, it would mean his mission had failed. His instructions were to contact you.”

Shao Xinquan seemed to be suppressing his emotions. “Yes, Manager Wen instructed me before he left. He said… he said…” He struggled to steady his voice, then said grimly, “He said that if there was no word, then all personnel and operational command would fall under your orders, Manager Chen.”

Chen Chuan said, “In that case, as of this moment, I am assuming command of all your personnel. Be ready and await my orders.”

“Yes!”

After acknowledging the order, Shao Xinquan added, “Manager Chen, I have something Manager Wen gave me before he left. He said if you contacted me, I was to give it to you.”

‘Interesting.’ Chen Chuan said, “Bring it here. Do you need me to send someone to pick you up?”

“Thank you, Manager Chen. I’m nearby, I’ll be right there.”

Shao Xinquan was already in the Wuding District, and just ten minutes later, he was back at the Bureau. Upon meeting Chen Chuan, he handed over the briefcase he was carrying.

Chen Chuan opened it and carefully examined all the documents and audio recordings inside. From them, he was able to piece together a general picture of the situation.

‘In truth, if I hadn’t made it out of Wuyi Academy today, none of this would have mattered,’ he thought. ‘This information would never have had a chance to surface.’

He dismissed Shao Xinquan to await orders, then tapped his Realm Token.

A moment later, a mature, steady voice came through. “This is Zou Jinxing.”

Chen Chuan said, “Captain Zou, this is Chen Chuan. I need you to assemble all your men immediately. Is that a problem?”

“Not a problem,” Zou Jinxing said without hesitation.

“Good.”

In a guard post in the Wuding District, Zou Jinxing spat out his cigarette. He tapped his Realm Token and sent a notice to the long list of contacts in his directory.

“Brothers, Manager Chen is summoning us! Before Captain Xu left, he said that while he’s gone, we listen to Manager Chen. This is a critical moment, so don’t you dare screw up! Anyone who causes trouble will have to answer to me!”

Chen Chuan then left his office. He walked down the corridor to the elevator and took it all the way to the top of the building.

After exiting the elevator, he walked toward Director Wu’s office. Director Wu was being questioned, so he wasn’t there. He went right up to the door, took out a key, and unlocked it.

An Shield’s voice chimed in. “Manager Chen, Director Wu granted you access to this office before he left. Please, come in.”

Chen Chuan pushed the door open and went inside. When he reached the desk, he saw a document and an envelope lying on it.

He picked up the document first. Seeing the list of signatures on the final page, he stared for a long moment before saying, “An Shield, scan this and file it in the archives.”

“Understood.”

Chen Chuan then picked up the envelope and pulled out its contents. Inside was a single slip of paper with a password written on it—a password that would grant him temporary supreme authority over An Shield.

He immediately recited the password to An Shield.

An Shield’s voice sounded. “Manager Chen, the password you provided is a match for the preset password. Identity confirmed. Voiceprint confirmed. Biological Domain confirmed. Your permission level has been upgraded to temporary supreme authority. Please wait here. You will receive a call shortly.”

A flicker of anticipation went through Chen Chuan. He stood perfectly still, waiting. Two minutes later, the secure-line telephone on Director Wu’s desk began to ring.

He reached out and picked up the receiver. A familiar voice came through the line. “Manager Chen.”

Chen Chuan recognized the voice. “Specialist Cao?”

Specialist Cao said in a low voice, “Manager Chen, I have some information to pass on to you. Some of it is on behalf of others, and some is from me personally. Here’s the situation…”

Chen Chuan listened intently. About six or seven minutes later, he responded, “Alright, I understand. Specialist Cao, I’ll need your department’s cooperation with what comes next.”

After ending the call, he hung up the phone. He thought for a moment, then picked up another phone on the desk and began contacting a series of relevant personnel.

When he was done, he returned to his own office. He took his service cap from the coat rack and put it on, draped his overcoat over his shoulders, and finally picked up the Snow Monarch Blade. He then walked out with a purposeful stride.

Meanwhile, in the White Bird District, the business negotiation was still underway. It wasn’t until a little after five o’clock, more than an hour later, that the meeting finally adjourned for a break.

After most of the dignitaries and negotiators had left, someone approached Manager Han and whispered a few words in his ear.

He gave an order to the person next to him, leaving them in charge of the remaining affairs. He then headed out. As he walked through a secure corridor, his image vanished from the Domain surveillance for half a minute before reappearing as he exited the other end.

He walked out the main entrance of the conference hall. His official car was already waiting, an orderly standing ramrod straight beside the open door. He stopped and looked out over the city.

The conference hall was situated on high ground, facing the whole of Central City. With the dawn light shining from behind him, the entire plaza below was bathed in a mixture of shadow and light.

He could see high-ranking dignitaries departing in armored cars, well-dressed delegates being escorted away in groups, and fully-armed security personnel saluting him.

It felt as if he were looking down on all of them. He tentatively reached out his hand, as if trying to grasp something, but he quickly stopped. Instead, he pulled his hand back, adjusted his service cap, and walked down the steps.

He got into his car. As he sat down, he frowned slightly and reached out to touch his right arm, but quickly released it.

“To the Processing Bureau.”

The convoy set off, pulling out of the plaza and heading back toward the Central City District.

More than half an hour later, the convoy was crossing Feihong Bridge. Throughout the journey, Manager Han had been staring ahead, his face devoid of expression.

He then touched his Realm Token. “An Shield, what’s the situation at the Processing Bureau?”

An Shield replied, “Manager Han, all is normal at the Processing Bureau.”

Manager Han paused, then asked, “Any sign of Manager Chen?”

An Shield said, “Manager Chen came to the Bureau yesterday afternoon to handle some business and left after 11:30 PM. He has not communicated with the Bureau since. Would you like me to contact him?”

Manager Han didn’t answer immediately, as if considering something. After a moment, he said, “No.”

At that moment, he saw that the convoy had crossed Feihong Bridge and was about to turn onto the road leading to the Wuding District. A sudden sense of unease washed over him. He ordered the driver, “Don’t take this road. Go a different way.”

He didn’t explain why, but the entire convoy turned onto another road—one that, if they kept going, would lead to the Weiguang District.

After driving for another half an hour, Manager Han asked again, “An Shield, any news from the Bureau?”

An Shield’s response was the same as before. “Everything at the Bureau has been normal for the past hour. There have been a few scattered public order reports. Would you like me to forward them to your Realm Token?”

“That won’t be necessary,” Manager Han said.

Just then, the driver spoke up. “Manager, Weiguang District is just ahead. Are we going to the Administrative Affairs Hall or the City Council?”

Manager Han glanced ahead and said quickly, “Turn around. Back to the Processing Bureau.”

The driver didn’t ask why. He immediately turned the steering wheel, and the entire convoy reversed course, heading back toward the Wuding District.