Chapter 750: Judgment

After Manager Han’s motorcade entered the Wuding District, a notification chimed on their Realm Tokens. At a signal from the lead car, a scout vehicle sped ahead to the very front of the convoy to relay real-time road conditions and information.

Over twenty minutes later, the motorcade gradually neared the Processing Bureau Headquarter. However, they failed to notice that as they drove on, the number of vehicles and pedestrians on the road behind them was steadily decreasing.

If one were to look down from the sky, they would see vehicles and people constantly flowing out of the area the motorcade passed through, but none were entering.

Inside Manager Han’s personal car, the driver was constantly monitoring the traffic situation through his Realm Token. It displayed information on the flow of various vehicles, and nothing seemed different from usual.

Everything was perfectly normal.

Another ten minutes later, after the convoy turned another street corner, they finally realized something was wrong.

The entire street ahead was deserted, and the scout car that had gone on ahead had vanished. The crucial part was that it had been sending back normal updates just half a minute earlier.

“Manager?”

The driver, sensing something was wrong, immediately glanced back and asked.

Manager Han stared ahead, seeming to fall silent. After a moment, he said, “Keep moving forward.”

‘Based on his experience, he knew without even looking that the intersection behind them was surely blocked. For them to be so blatant about it meant they were fully prepared. Turning around now would be useless; the only path left was forward.’

As they drove down the street, they could see that the high ground and concealed positions were all covered by machine guns and the dark muzzles of rifles. An armored vehicle was parked at intervals along the roadside. They were completely surrounded.

At that moment, a shadow fell from the sky. An armed Airship flew overhead, its rotating machine gun turret aimed directly at the entire motorcade. Cold sweat broke out on many of their backs.

With such a massive show of force, this was clearly no small matter. They involuntarily slowed down, and for a time, the only sound on the street was that of their vehicles.

After one more turn, the motorcade entered an even wider street. The view stretched for several kilometers in both directions. At each end, an Airship hovered in the sky, blockading the street.

And in the middle of the grand avenue, Chen Chuan stood alone. The Snow Monarch Blade was thrust into the ground beside him. He wore a wide-brimmed cap, his duster coat fluttering in the wind. A long, flame-red scarf danced around him, making for an incredibly striking sight.

A shadow cast from the towering skyscrapers on one side fell precisely where the Snow Monarch Blade was planted, neatly dividing the area into light and dark.

Manager Han stared at Chen Chuan’s figure for a good while before finally saying, “Stop.”

The car jerked to a halt, and everyone inside lurched forward involuntarily. The sharp, piercing screech of brakes came from the vehicles behind as they stopped, one after another.

But faced with the gun muzzles aimed at them from both sides, not a single person dared to move without Manager Han’s order.

After a moment, the door to his private car opened, and Manager Han stepped out alone. As if the glaring sun was a bit too much for him, he pulled the brim of his hat down slightly. Then, resting a hand on the hilt of his sword, he walked toward Chen Chuan by himself.

Under the watchful eyes of his men behind him and the surrounding personnel on both sides, he walked right up to Chen Chuan. He glanced to either side, then asked in a stiff voice, “Manager Chen, what is the meaning of this?”

Chen Chuan’s gaze fell on his face. He said, “Don’t you know, Manager Han? What happened just last night. Have you forgotten so quickly?”

Manager Han said with a blank expression, “Manager Chen, after five o’clock yesterday afternoon, I was accompanying dignitaries from the Administrative Affairs Hall to a business negotiation, where I was in charge of on-site security. I only left the venue a short while ago. I don’t understand what you’re talking about. And besides…”

He looked at Chen Chuan. “Even if this involves some special situation that hasn’t been clarified, we are both Managers. You don’t have the authority to question or interrogate me here.”

Chen Chuan said in a calm voice, “Actually, I do have that authority.”

The instant he finished speaking, a message appeared on everyone’s Realm Token, including Manager Han’s.

It was a letter of authorization from the upper echelons of the Processing Bureau and the Administrative Affairs Hall, granting Chen Chuan temporary, supreme authority. Under emergency circumstances, he was empowered to pass summary judgment on any Processing Bureau member at or below the rank of Manager.

At the bottom of the authorization letter were the signatures of not only Director Wu, but also Liang Guanghai, the commissioner of the Jibei Dao Defense Department, and Qi Weizhao, the Civil Affairs Chief of Jibei Dao Central City.

In effect, this letter of authorization was endorsed by the most powerful figures in the Administrative Affairs Hall.

After seeing this, Manager Han’s expression changed drastically.

But it wasn’t over. Immediately after, lines of new information began streaming rapidly onto everyone’s Realm Token.

This included audio recordings, conversations, and video files provided by Manager Wen. Most importantly, there was a detailed report from the General Affairs Bureau that essentially laid out the truth of the matter, including the fact that Manager Wen had been killed in an ambush by Manager Han.

Some of the Processing Bureau members present, who had been unaware of the situation, were first shocked, then filled with righteous indignation upon seeing the evidence.

This was especially true for Manager Wen’s old subordinates. Although they had mentally prepared themselves before coming, seeing the definitive news caused them to stare daggers at Manager Han, their eyes practically spitting fire with hatred and resentment.

Chen Chuan looked at Manager Han and said, “I should also mention, the body double you left at the scene has already been taken into custody by the General Affairs Bureau. We now have ample evidence to prove everything you’ve done.

“Betraying the department, murdering a colleague, secretly colluding with the Federation and even the Lynx Federation—every single act is utterly vile. Han Fu, everything you’ve done is enough to constitute treason.”

He watched Manager Han remain silent, then raised a hand, took off his glove, and tossed it to the ground. He clenched his fist, and it produced a sharp CRACK. He said, “If you can’t remember, I can help you recall.”

Manager Han’s hand went to the hilt of his sword. He then drew it violently, stepping forward. With paving stones flying, he crossed several dozen meters in an instant and thrust his sword at Chen Chuan!

Chen Chuan’s eyes were fixed on his figure. Just as the tip of the sword reached his face, he suddenly raised a hand and caught the blade.

BOOM! Manager Han’s body came to an abrupt halt, his feet stamping a crater into the ground. He gripped the hilt with both hands, his entire body leaning into the thrust, but no matter how much force he used, he couldn’t push the sword forward even a fraction of an inch.

A CREAKING sound came from the body of the sword. Manager Han’s pupils dilated in shock, for he saw that this Mutated Weapon, capable of resisting Power, was gradually twisting and deforming in Chen Chuan’s five-fingered grip.

He suddenly let go of the hilt, dropped into a low stance, and shot toward Chen Chuan. At the same time, he straightened his fingers into a knife-hand and jabbed at the latter’s abdomen.

But he was only halfway through the motion when his vision blurred. He felt a jolt to his chin and a roar in his head, and his body was sent flying backward. He landed heavily on the ground, creating a dull thud on the empty street.

Chen Chuan tossed aside the deformed Long Sword and walked forward.

Manager Han had briefly lost consciousness. He now shook his head and pushed himself slowly to his feet.

But just as he assumed a defensive stance, Chen Chuan’s figure vanished from in front of him. By the time he saw him again, he was already right upon him. He hurriedly threw up his arms to block, instantly mobilizing all the Mutated Organization in his body.

BANG! A blast of Power exploded through the air. He was thrown back by the force, stumbling several dozen meters backward, his arms trembling uncontrollably.

Chen Chuan continued to walk forward, step by step. No expression could be seen on his face beneath the wide-brimmed cap, only the slash of his red scarf dancing unpredictably behind him.

Manager Han crouched low, concentrating with all his might as he watched Chen Chuan. This time, he wanted to strike first, but in the next instant, before he could even see Chen Chuan move, he was sent flying again with another BANG.

This time, not only did he fail to steady himself, but he also bounced several times on the street surface before finally rolling to a stop.

On both sides of the road, the members of the Processing Bureau watched this scene in silence.

Manager Han seemed to be seriously injured this time and couldn’t get up immediately. He heard footsteps approaching from behind, getting closer and closer. Just as they were right behind him, he suddenly spun around and threw an upward punch from below.

BOOM! The punch landed squarely on Chen Chuan’s body.

However, to his disbelief, the very same Heart Force that Manager Wen had been unable to withstand didn’t even make Chen Chuan’s body sway. Only his outer duster coat billowed up.

Chen Chuan’s gaze fell upon him. “Your power is too weak. How did you even become an Investigation Chief?”

Manager Han’s face twisted into a ferocious snarl. He tried to follow up with a punch from his other hand, but before he could move, he felt a jolt to his abdomen and was kicked into the air by an upward strike.

Chen Chuan watched his body rise, reached out, and grabbed one of his legs. Then, with a surge of strength, he slammed him down. With a dull THUD, the ground cracked like a spiderweb, and a large crater was smashed into its center.

Manager Han lay in the crater, the whites of his eyes showing for a moment. After a while, he seemed to regain consciousness and tried to push himself up from the ground. But before he could fully rise, a fist descended from above and smashed into his face. A mouthful of shattered teeth sprayed out, and he fell back down again.

But in the next moment, he pushed himself up again, refusing to give up. A low roar escaped his lips as Power surged around his fist, making the very air crackle.

Chen Chuan reached out one hand and casually slapped away the Power coalescing around Han’s fist. Then, another punch from below slammed into his stomach. His body was briefly lifted off the ground, and a moment later, with a BOOM, he was sent flying into the distance as if hit by a cannonball.

This time, Manager Han flew over a hundred meters before his momentum finally stopped. The road was now covered in pits and shallow craters from the impacts and scrapes.

Everyone on both sides watched the scene unfold, watching him being brutally beaten by Chen Chuan at will. Both men held the position of Investigation Chief, yet in front of Chen Chuan, Han was as helpless as a child before an adult.

The men Manager Han had brought with him were even worse off. Each one was pale-faced, sitting motionless in their seats as if their bodies were completely frozen.