Chapter 752 103: Target

Processing Bureau. Interrogation Room.

Manager Han was suspended against a grayish-black wall. The soft wall, made of a special biological material, held him firmly in place and effectively prevented a Fighter from exerting any force.

His entire body was bound in custom-made shackles, and his organs had been injected with drugs to ensure that while he wouldn't die, his Mutated Organization would be unable to recover.

He was completely motionless, like a desiccated corpse.

Just then, he seemed to hear something. His eyes moved beneath his lids before fluttering open. The heavy door to the interrogation room was pushed aside, and the head of the interrogation team walked in, standing solemnly to one side.

The sound of steady, powerful footsteps followed as Chen Chuan walked in. He glanced at Manager Han, then went to the interrogation chair opposite and sat down. "You wanted to see me?" he said. "Say what you have to say."

Manager Han spoke in a hoarse, grating voice, "I want to talk to you alone."

Chen Chuan gestured with his hand. The head of the interrogation team saluted, then retreated and closed the door behind him.

"Speak."

Manager Han looked at him. "I'm a member of the Refinement Sect."

Chen Chuan's tone was flat. "And?"

Manager Han, as if thinking Chen Chuan hadn't understood, repeated himself, raising his voice slightly.

"I am a member of the Refinement Sect."

Chen Chuan's expression remained unchanged. He looked up at him. "What of it? Are you saying other members of the Refinement Sect are involved?" He nodded. "Give me their names. I'll take them down."

Manager Han seemed taken aback by this response. "Manager Chen, I know you're from the Pure Sect.

You've arrested me, and perhaps you believe you're simply following the regulations of the Processing Bureau and the laws of Central City. But given who we are, this is destined to be more than just an internal Bureau matter. Your actions could ignite a conflict between the factions."

Chen Chuan remained completely unmoved, his voice level. "Is that your trump card? I don't care who you are—Refinement Sect, Fusion Faction, it doesn't matter. If you're still delusional enough to think you can use that to escape justice, you're sorely mistaken.

Given the Refinement Sect's track record, you're of no value to them anymore. They're probably just figuring out how to cut all ties with you.

But if the School backing you really wants to use this to incite a conflict between the Schools, then I am more than ready to face them."

He knew very well that if the Refinement Sect were to clash with them, it would only be because their core interests were threatened. It certainly wouldn't be for Manager Han's sake.

He looked at Manager Han and said calmly, "Han Fu, if you're going to talk, then tell me everything. If not... well, you used to be the Investigation Chief. You know the Bureau has plenty of ways to make you talk."

With that, he lost all interest in continuing the conversation, stood up, and walked out.

After he left, the interrogation team resumed the interrogation.

However, Han Fu broke much sooner than expected. A mere three Hours after Chen Chuan left, the head of the interrogation team arrived at his office with a written confession, his voice tinged with excitement.

"Manager Chen, Han Fu has confessed."

Chen Chuan asked, "Did you have to use any special methods?"

The team leader replied, "Not at all. He cooperated willingly."

Chen Chuan didn't ask why Han Fu had a sudden change of heart. He just took the written confession and began to read.

According to Manager Han's confession, the incident was primarily orchestrated with the authorization and support of a certain Councilor Zeng from the City Council.

The primary goal was to smuggle unregistered personnel from the Lynx Federation and the Federation into the Merging Land.

Manager Han didn't state the specific reasons, but it wasn't hard for Chen Chuan to see that this was clearly a continuation of the struggle between the City Council and the Administrative Affairs Hall.

The City Council wanted to trade favors and bring in outside support to weaken and counter the growing influence the Administrative Affairs Hall had amassed since the demolition of the Ferris Wheel.

Manager Han had killed Manager Wen to remove an obstacle. With Manager Wen gone, Director Wu incapacitated, and Chen Chuan also eliminated, Manager Han would have become the sole authority in the Processing Bureau.

This would allow him to relax control over the entrance to the Merging Land for a short time. And looking further ahead, Manager Han would have been the most qualified candidate to take over command of the Processing Bureau.

In that scenario, the City Council's faction would have significant influence over the Processing Bureau, and he himself would reap even greater rewards. Beyond status and power, he could also secure a massive influx of resources.

As for the matter concerning Wuyi Academy, Han Fu claimed he wasn't fully aware of the details, as he hadn't been the direct contact. Instead, it was arranged through an intermediary organization, the Gray Shell Office.

After Chen Chuan finished reading, he looked up at the head of the interrogation team. "What's your take on this confession?"

The team leader replied, "Manager, I believe it's credible. I could see the intense will to survive in his eyes. If he hadn't wanted to talk, we have our ways, but there's no guarantee his mind would be intact afterward. But since he's cooperating, there's no need to take that extra step. If we follow normal procedure, and if enough people are implicated, the investigation will be drawn out. As a key witness, he'll be kept alive. And as long as he's alive, there's hope. He doesn't want to die just yet."

Chen Chuan nodded. He too had sensed Manager Han's intense will to live during their conversation. 'But it's about more than just survival,' he thought.

As a Fighter himself, he had a better grasp of his opponent's mindset. 'Manager Han doesn't want to accept defeat just like that.'

'He still wants to win.'

'He's making a bet—a bet that the City Council's faction will have the last laugh. If they do, he might not only survive but even make a comeback.'

'And to see that outcome, the first step is simply to stay alive.'

Chen Chuan considered this. Among the people named in the confession, Councilor Zeng was a clear target. However, given his status as a councilor, a confession alone wasn't enough to take him down; much more concrete evidence would be required.

Besides, even if they could act now, they would have to be prepared to face off against the entire Council. It was a move that would affect the entire political landscape, which was probably another reason Han Fu had been so quick to talk.

'He probably wants me to get into a direct conflict with the City Council.'

'As for the Gray Shell Office...'

He knew that organization was a proxy for the Refinement Sect; they were responsible for coordinating many of the Sect's affairs.

For instance, the three people who had tried to recruit him into the Refinement Sect were from that very office. If the Pure Sect hadn't sent two Fighting Masters as a show of force, the matter wouldn't have concluded so quickly.

'Could this incident be retaliation for what happened last time?'

'It was a definite possibility.'

'From the Refinement Sect's perspective, they definitely don't want the Pure Sect to re-establish a foothold in Central City. Plus, since I'm in a key position in this affair, getting rid of me along the way would be killing two birds with one stone.'

'And since they wouldn't be doing the dirty work themselves, they wouldn't have to worry about an investigation from the Pure Sect afterward.'

He mulled it over. 'What I'm facing now is a vast network of interests led by the City Council. Just eliminating one or two people is useless; it won't get to the root of the problem.'

'Take out one, and they'll just prop up another. The only way to solve this permanently is to uproot the entire network.'

'But that's not something I can do alone, nor is it something a single department like the Processing Bureau can achieve. Besides, now isn't the right time to move against them.'

'Right now, the most important thing is the situation in the Merging Land.'

'Whatever deal the Federation and the Lynx Federation struck with the City Council, it must be predicated on seizing the Lost Object. That is the absolute key to all of this.'

'So, regardless of their motives, I absolutely cannot let them succeed.'

He had just used his temporary highest-level clearance to review the logs. After entering the Merging Land, Captain Xu had sent back several dispatches. But the deeper he went, the more difficult signal transmission became. Since the day before yesterday, all contact had been lost.

'With Captain Xu's abilities and the strength of his squad, they should be fine as long as they don't get ambushed by a force several times their own size.'

'But if Captain Xu finds the Lost Object first, he'll become the primary target for the Federation, the Lynx Federation, and even the Old Imperial Family. That would be extremely dangerous.'

'From my end, there are only two things I can do: one, dispatch reinforcements in a timely manner, and two, strictly control and limit who can enter the Merging Land to prevent more hostile forces from joining the fray.'

After a moment of deep thought, he said to An Shield, "An Shield, contact Specialist Liang of the Defense Department for me."

"Right away. Please wait."

A moment later, the Domain screen in his office suddenly lit up, and the upper body of Specialist Liang materialized. "Manager Chen," he said, "what can I do for you?"

Chen Chuan gave a slight nod. "Specialist Liang. I assume you're aware of the incident at the Processing Bureau. I've just finished an expedited interrogation of Han Fu and have a clearer picture of the situation. I think you should see this."

He tapped his Realm Token, sending the revised confession over.

Specialist Liang received it instantly. He read it for some time, his expression growing very serious. "Manager Chen, you're in charge of the Processing Bureau now. I'd like to hear your thoughts."

Chen Chuan said, "We can set aside the matter of the City Council for now. First, we must contain the forces of the Federation and the Lynx Federation. I propose we immediately regulate all passages to the Merging Land and temporarily forbid any corporate personnel from entering."

Specialist Liang replied in a low voice, "I wish we could, but it's not possible. Allowing corporations to enter the Merging Land for joint defense is an agreement signed during the Great Alliance Period, one that is still internationally observed. Moreover, the existence of that passage is the main reason so many corporations have a presence in Central City, aside from their commercial interests.

They aren't just our competitors; they are also a major force we will need to confront that other world in the future. We can't afford to alienate them.

What's more, they have established settlements, branch offices, and even cities in the Merging Land. If we forcibly seal the passages, it would cause widespread discontent among all the corporations. With the City Council fanning the flames from behind the scenes, given the current climate, it's hard to imagine how badly the situation could escalate."

Chen Chuan nodded, as if he had already anticipated this. He looked up. "In that case, we'll have to go with the second option."

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