Chen Chuan left the arena and didn’t concern himself with the matter any further, heading straight back to his dorm.

However, as he was leaving, he learned from the Patrol Officer escorting him that tonight, not only had Fu Shouxin’s head been caved in, but right as Zhuo Bao was confronting him, the Iron Chain Gang had also launched a major offensive. They attacked an important Blood Mark Gang stronghold, causing immense damage.

And an hour before that, a legitimate front company owned by the Blood Mark Gang had also been attacked. The gang members guarding the premises were all killed in a very short time, with every fatal wound caused by a short blade. The company’s warehouse, along with important files and documents, was put to the torch, resulting in devastating losses.

The timing of these events was so coincidental that it almost seemed coordinated. No wonder Zhuo Bao was acting so unhinged, even shouting about framing him for the crimes. It seemed the pressure was getting to him.

Anyone could see that there had to be a mastermind behind this coordinated assault on the Blood Mark Gang.

’Who could it be?’

In Yangzhi City’s underworld, besides the Iron Chain Gang, there was practically no other force capable of challenging the Blood Mark Gang, because the Molan Company stood behind them.

Besides, this wasn’t the government’s style.

And then there was that method of caving people’s heads in. If it wasn’t a Weird Tale, then it had to be some kind of technology. Anyone who could master such a technique was definitely no minor player.

With both the technology and the power to leave the Blood Mark Gang in such a sorry state, he considered a possibility: this might be the work of another corporation.

Only a power of that magnitude could go head-to-head with the Molan Company.

If that was the case, then this was a conflict between corporations.

But these conflicts had nothing to do with him. He had originally hoped to find a Weird Tale like the Skull Splitting Demon, and use the stimulation from it to replace his reliance on drugs. Now, it seemed that was no longer possible.

He wiped down the Snow Monarch Blade, washed up, and prepared to go to bed. But before he could walk into his bedroom, a phone rang in the living room, and he involuntarily stopped in his tracks.

It was already close to eleven o’clock. A call at this hour had to be something urgent.

He walked over and picked it up. "Hello, this is Chen Chuan."

"Chen?"

Chen Chuan recognized the voice, surprised. "Director Lei?" He hadn’t expected a call from him. "Director Lei, is something wrong?"

Director Lei said in a low voice, "I received some news. Liu Zhan might be transferred to a new position soon."

Upon hearing this, Chen Chuan’s gaze flickered. He immediately understood the problem.

Liu Zhan had promised to help cover up his evaluation as long as he remained in his post. But if he was leaving, he would no longer be bound by that promise. He might even take the initiative to expose it.

Director Lei said, "Right now, it’s just a rumor. The handover won’t happen immediately, but it’ll be within the next month or two at most. You need to be careful.

And knowing Liu Zhan’s personality, he won’t wait that long. He’ll use everything advantageous to him as a stepping stone to climb higher. You need to think about what to do."

"Thank you, Director Lei."

Chen Chuan hung up the phone. He stood there thinking for a moment, glanced at the clock on the wall, then picked up the receiver again and dialed the number for Gao Ming’s residence.

The call connected quickly. He said, "Gao Ming, it’s me. Is it a good time to talk?"

"Cousin, I’m alone here."

Chen Chuan said, "Director Liu might be getting transferred. I think we need to prepare ourselves."

Gao Ming immediately understood his meaning. His voice grew serious. "I understand, Cousin. I’ll head back as soon as I can."

Chen Chuan grunted in acknowledgment and hung up.

’Looks like I have to move up my timeline for a lot of things.’

He had originally planned to train slowly for a while, waiting until the rapid growth phase of the Second Limit had completely passed. By then, he should have become much more formidable, and only then would he compete for a spot to go to Central City.

But now, it seemed he wouldn’t be given that time.

If the Mutual Aid Association and the powerful figures behind it were to learn about his evaluations from the Foreign Affairs Bureau, and even the Esoteric Review Bureau, they would undoubtedly do everything in their power to suppress him, leaving him no chance to rise.

He thought for a moment. He should inform Cheng Zitong about this immediately as well. Even though it was late and didn’t seem urgent enough to warrant a call at this very second, he’d rather be cautious than careless.

So, he called Cheng Zitong. After the call connected, he explained the situation regarding Liu Zhan’s impending transfer.

Cheng Zitong also immediately grasped the consequences. He said in a serious tone, "Xiaochuan, if that’s the case, then you need to start preparing early."

Chen Chuan said, "Yes, Teacher."

This time, he would definitely have to confront the Mutual Aid Association and the powers behind it. He couldn’t say for sure what the outcome would be. Although he had a degree of confidence, it was wise to plan for failure before considering victory. He needed to start arranging the escape routes Cheng Zitong had mentioned before. If anything went wrong, he could retreat. As long as he was alive, anything was possible.

Cheng Zitong thought for a moment, then added, "I originally thought there was still plenty of time for you to grow, but now... How about this: I’ll talk to Old He and see if I can arrange for you to go to his place for a period of intensive training. That might give you a better chance."

Chen Chuan’s spirits lifted. "Is that possible?" He Xiaoxing had only coached him for a single night, yet it had led to significant progress. If he could study under him for a period of time, the gains would surely be immense.

Cheng Zitong said solemnly, "Leave this to me, your teacher. Just focus on your own affairs and be careful."

Chen Chuan replied in the affirmative. After hanging up, he took a deep breath and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window. He gazed at the swaying leaves outside and the gloomy, overcast sky, slowly lifting his head. ’It seems I need to prepare for a storm.’

In Wubian City, Wei Jun sat on the hotel sofa with a dark expression, looking utterly furious and suppressed.

The examination for the Unlimited Defense Certificate had run into a problem. Many of the death row inmates designated as test targets had been killed ahead of time. This in itself wasn’t a huge deal; the examination committee could just make other arrangements.

But the most critical issue was an incident at one of the test sites where both a candidate and a target were attacked. One of the candidates was riddled with bullets and killed. Before he died, his limbs were broken and his head was crushed.

He even knew this candidate. It was the same one who had bragged about encasing a commoner candidate in concrete and sinking him in a lake. Thinking about the cause of his death, it was highly likely that someone had come for revenge.

He suspected that someone on the review committee might have deliberately leaked information about the exam. Although the examination committee itself was unlikely to do such a thing, you couldn’t rule out someone who knew the details.

The incident left him with a lingering fear, because his own hands weren’t clean. He had done similar things himself—for instance, he had been involved in that affair with Shen Zheng years ago. This time, someone else was the target, but what if someone decided to target him like this?

This wasn’t Yangzhi City. Aside from the security team he’d brought with him, he had no other protection here.

He clenched his fist and said to the butler standing nearby, "Call home. Have them send another security team. No, two more security teams."

The butler said, "Yes, Young Master."

Wei Jun saw him still standing there and turned his head, frowning. "Is there something else?"

The butler hesitated for a moment. "Someone from the examination committee came by earlier with a notice. Due to the unfortunate incident involving a candidate’s death, this examination may need to be postponed."

A bad feeling welled up in Wei Jun. "Postponed for how long?"

"Possibly two months," the butler said.

"Fuck!"

Wei Jun couldn’t help but seethe with anger. It was already late June. Two months from now would be the start of the next academic year.

The problem was, the review process for recommendations to Central City closed before September. If he didn’t have his Unlimited Defense Certificate by then, the higher-ups would definitely block his application.

Although he could still get to Central City through other channels, he would certainly lose the spot at the Central Hospital. And there were no make-ups for that; once you missed it, it was gone forever.

Even if the circumstances were extenuating and Wuyi Academy could spare another spot for him next semester, he would have to compete for it with the next batch of Recommended Students.

Each year’s spots were the result of negotiations, compromises, and even exchanges of benefits between the families and interest groups behind the Recommended Students. If he were to take another spot now, he would inevitably have to offer up even more in compensation.

And that wasn’t all. He was currently in a growth phase, and his combat skills were at a critical stage of improvement. Going to Central City six months or a year later would be a huge loss.

"Goddammit..."

The more he thought about it, the more furious he became. And he couldn’t exactly demand the review committee move up the date. It was composed of personnel drawn from various state departments; they wouldn’t pay any mind to a local magnate.

The butler waited until his temper had cooled slightly before cautiously asking, "Young Master, what should we do now?"

Wei Jun’s face was grim. "What else can we do? We wait here for now. I’ll go visit some people and see if there’s any way to turn this around."

Meanwhile, in a hostel far away, Tai Dong and Geng Zheng stared at each other in dismay after receiving the news of the exam’s postponement. They both involuntarily turned to look at Deng Fu, their expressions a little strange.

"What are you looking at me for?" 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

Deng Fu put down the magazine in his hands and looked at the two of them with a helpless expression.

Geng Zheng couldn’t help but ask, "You said before that if we just waited, we’d eventually see the result we wanted to see. You were right about the exam. Did you know this was going to happen?"

"Hey, hey, hey, watch what you’re saying! This has nothing to do with me," Deng Fu said, waving his hands in a panic. "If I were involved in this, would I have needed to bring it up in the first place?"

Geng Zheng thought about it and figured that made sense.

Tai Dong, however, just looked at Deng Fu. He didn’t say anything, but he felt as if he were seeing this classmate for the first time.

Seeing that they weren’t pressing the issue, Deng Fu reverted to his usual relaxed demeanor. He leaned back with his hands behind his head, swinging his feet. "The review committee screwed up this time, so someone will definitely have to take responsibility. We probably won’t run into this kind of thing again. Let’s not overthink it. It’s like I always say: just focus on honing your own skills and try to live a little longer."

Geng Zheng said seriously, "Yeah, Brother Deng is right."

Deng Fu was taken aback for a second, then he smiled, raised his magazine to cover his face, and slowly started flipping through it.

...

...