July 1st. The first day of break for Wuyi University Hall.

Chen Chuan woke up early, went out to stretch his legs, and then began packing for his trip. He had taken a long trip not long ago, so he just needed to do some simple organizing based on that.

He had returned to his aunt’s home yesterday and told her that his teacher was taking him out to gain some experience during the break. Of course, Yu Wan was very encouraging. The fact that his mentor was taking Chen Chuan on a trip meant the two had a good relationship, which she was delighted to see.

At noon, while the family was eating lunch together, Nian Fuli said, "You students from Wuda have to do an internship in your second year, right? What do you think? Have you considered where you’d like to go?"

The elite students of Wuyi reached the First Limit after their first year, which already made them quite skilled. This was especially true for the A-class students. There were only so many of them each year. The better ones went directly to the Processing Bureau. After graduation, they would first become Wuyi teachers before being promoted to important positions.

Those who couldn’t stand being tied down went to consulting firms, so not many actually ended up in the Administrative Affairs Hall. Basically, they were talents that every department scrambled to recruit.

Not to mention Yangzhi City itself, but the surrounding six counties also offered excellent packages. After all, for a Civil Servant, personal safety was their top priority. The existence of resistance organizations only further highlighted the importance of security.

Beyond that, there was also law enforcement assistance. Thugs who were also Fighters could only be dealt with by other Fighters. If left unchecked, they could cause immense destruction.

Chen Chuan smiled and said, "Uncle, are you saying you could arrange a position for me at the Patrol Bureau?"

Nian Fuli said with certainty, "I can’t say for others, but for you, Xiaochuan, it’s definitely not a problem. We’ve watched you grow up since you were little. You’re one of the Patrol Bureau’s own."

Chen Chuan knew that very few Wuyi Students interned at the Patrol Bureau each year. On the surface, it was because the Patrol Bureau was itself a coercive institution and thus didn’t have an urgent need for these students. In reality, however, it seemed the Upper Layer didn’t want to see Wuyi and the Patrol Bureau getting too close.

He had a few guesses as to why that was.

He said, "Uncle, I think I’ll wait and see. My teacher might have other arrangements for me."

Nian Fuli said, "That’s good too. You’re an elite student on scholarship; you’ll be in high demand wherever you go. Your teacher has a deep background and extensive connections. I’m sure he can recommend a good place for you."

’With Liu Zhan’s transfer,’ Chen Chuan thought to himself, ’I’m going to have to face the Mutual Aid Association next. If I can withstand this wave of pressure from them, I’ll be able to apply for a recommendation to Central City. At that point, an internship won’t really matter much to me.’

If he really had to do one, he’d prefer to go to the Esoteric Review Bureau. That way, he could learn more about Esoteric Buddhism. He was very interested in such mystical things.

His aunt was wiping Nian Lu’s mouth when she suddenly remembered something. "Did Gao Ming say he’s coming back in the next couple of days?"

Chen Chuan said, "He might arrive tonight."

Yu Wan said, "His mother is so headstrong, and his father is never home. Poor Ming was never really looked after as a child. Every time I visited, he was all by himself. It was quite pitiful."

Chen Chuan said, "Gao Ming is smart. Among our classmates from the same graduating year, aside from those with exceptional family backgrounds, very few could compare to him."

Nian Fuli added, "That kid Gao Ming is really promising. He’s clever, but he never uses his wits for crooked means. His father taught him well."

Nian Mo lifted his head at this and said, "Dad, I’m smart too."

Yu Wan said irritably, "You call that smart? You snatch up all the good things for yourself and push the bad stuff onto your sister. That’s a bad habit. When you grow up, I don’t expect you to have your brothers’ abilities. Just try not to give me a headache every day."

After lunch, Chen Chuan returned to the study to read. Gao Ming finally arrived in the evening. After getting the call, Chen Chuan left the house and got into Gao Ming’s car.

Gao Ming got straight to the point. "Cousin, I’m actually not surprised about Director Liu. Based on what you told me before, I did a simple personality analysis of all the key figures who could affect your move to Central City. Director Liu was always the link most likely to cause problems.

As long as he’s a Dashun bureaucrat who still has career ambitions, it was inevitable that he would actively seek a transfer out of the Foreign Affairs Bureau after the incident with the Maka People. The only question was whether he could pull it off.

The early leak of your recommendation assessment only changes one thing: your martial prowess might not meet expectations. If you feel your skills aren’t enough to handle what’s coming, the best solution would be to arrange to become an exchange student or to take an early internship out of town. Drag it out for a while and come back when you’re confident. That would minimize the impact of this whole affair."

At this point, he pushed up his glasses. "But if you think the impact on your martial ability is manageable, then we just need to move up the timetable for our previously prepared plan.

In short, when it comes to dealing with the Mutual Aid Association, you haven’t lost any of your non-martial assets. The situation is bad, but it might not be as terrible as it seems. What are your plans moving forward, Cousin? I’ll adjust my arrangements accordingly."

Chen Chuan said slowly, "Teacher Cheng wants me to go out of town for some intensive training with Teacher He."

Gao Ming’s eyes lit up. "Is that the same Teacher He you mentioned before, He Xiaoxing?"

Chen Chuan nodded. "After seeing you today, I’m taking a train tomorrow to meet him at his training grounds. This teacher is incredibly skilled at teaching students. I learned from him for just one evening before and benefited immensely. If I can study with him for a while longer, I should be able to make up for the gap in my martial ability."

Hearing this, Gao Ming smiled. "In that case, this business with Liu Zhan might not be entirely a bad thing. If this hadn’t happened, Teacher Cheng probably wouldn’t have gone out of his way to recommend you for this training, and Teacher He might not have made time to teach you right now, Cousin."

Chen Chuan agreed with this assessment. Indeed, if this incident hadn’t occurred, he would have likely spent the better part of the next semester training on his own. Cheng Zitong would not have had a reason to bring it up, and the possibility of studying under He Xiaoxing would have been very low. Sometimes, danger and opportunity truly go hand in hand.

"Alright, then let’s discuss the details when you get back, Cousin."

Gao Ming rummaged through his briefcase for a moment, pulled out a file, and handed it to him. "This is another plan I’ve prepared by compiling information from various sources. It should be fairly complete. Take it back and read it, Cousin. Try to finish it within three days. The text is written with a special chemical and will disappear in three days."

Chen Chuan took it. He recalled something. "Right, there’s something else I needed to tell you."

Before the break started, he received a call from the Patrol Bureau. They said that because Zhuo Bao had incurred significant medical expenses after being injured by him, he was preparing to sue for compensation.

A gangster who failed in his attack turning around to sue his victim might seem ridiculous on the surface, but the implications behind it were chilling.

The Patrol Bureau had told him not to worry about it if it went to the Judgement Court. Aside from being an annoyance, the case had little chance of harming him. However, he would need a Litigation Master to handle it.

Every man to his own trade. Since Gao Ming was here, he planned to hand it over to him.

Gao Ming chuckled after hearing this. "That’s easy. I’ll take care of it. If you decide to see it through to the end, Cousin, we might even be able to make him pay you instead."

Chen Chuan shook his head. "That won’t be necessary. I don’t have time to waste on this."

Gao Ming nodded. "It’s your call, Cousin."

After their discussion, Chen Chuan parted ways with Gao Ming. His next step was to head to He Xiaoxing’s place. He called Cheng Zitong to let him know and received his train ticket that same day.

Since it was the holiday break, it was impossible to take the exam for the Unlimited Defense Certificate during this time. Therefore, staying away from Yangzhi City for a while wouldn’t arouse suspicion.

This also meant Cheng Zitong didn’t have to hide out of town.

Because Yangzhi City only had one railway line leading out, and it had been under repair since last year, Cheng Zitong once again drove him to the Shangbu City train station, where he would transfer to his final destination.

After they arrived at the station, Cheng Zitong said to him, "I’ll keep an eye on the situation with Liu Zhan. Don’t worry about it. Just focus on learning from Old He. This is a rare opportunity, so don’t waste it."

Chen Chuan said, "I understand, Teacher."

After bidding farewell to Cheng Zitong and getting out of the car, he boarded the train alone.

He had initially thought He Xiaoxing’s training location would be in some remote, uninhabited wilderness. It was only after getting the ticket that he learned the place was actually near a famous tourist attraction.

The place was called Luoya Ancient City. Its palaces and buildings were shaped like a series of anthills, with a labyrinth of tunnels running through and beneath them. It was said that not all the underground passages had been fully explored even to this day, so access was limited. Even so, a number of people still went missing there every year.

The journey from Yangzhi City was a two-day train ride. Fortunately, he was in a sleeper car. After traveling for two straight days, he arrived at the station around noon.

A telegram had been sent in advance, so someone was there to pick him up as soon as he left the station. He was taken directly to an old inn, where the driver told him that He Xiaoxing had left instructions for him to wait, and that he would come to find him in the afternoon.

Chen Chuan put his luggage away in his room and went to the window to look outside.

It wasn’t peak tourist season, but there were still many travelers, and the streets were lively. After all, legend had it that great treasures were buried in Luoya Ancient City. This wasn’t just a gimmick to attract tourists; the place was famous precisely because news of unearthed treasures continued to surface, even in recent years.

On his way in, he had seen many people claiming they could guide tourists through uncharted secret underground passages, offering their services specifically to thrill-seekers.

He wasn’t interested in treasure, but according to the brochure, Luoya Ancient City also had a mystical history dating back to the old era. This piqued his curiosity. If he had time, he might try to learn more about it.

As evening approached, a knock came from outside the room. His expression flickered slightly, because he hadn’t sensed anyone approaching the door at all.

He stood up, walked to the door, and placed his hand on the doorknob. Just as he was about to open it, he suddenly stopped. He turned around to find that, at some unknown point, a person had appeared, sitting there on the bed.

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