As Wei Hang’s voice rang out, everyone present seemed to awaken from a daze and turned to look at him.

Wei Hang slowly raised his cane, pointing it at Chen Chuan. "This man..." He jabbed his finger for emphasis, looking left and right. "This man may have an Unlimited Defense Certificate, which absolves him of the crime of murder.

But can you truly rest easy letting someone like him remain in Yangzhi City, letting him continue to study at Wuyi University Hall?"

He spoke in a stern, grave voice, "Look at what he has done! Today, he casually slaughtered thirty-seven of his classmates. Tomorrow, he could very well kill even more. All he needs is a mere excuse for self-defense."

He then fixed Chen Chuan with a sharp gaze. "Furthermore, I personally have grave doubts about his mental state.

How can he stand there, spouting such nonsense, after incurring such a massive blood debt? Does he not feel the slightest bit of pain or guilt?!"

He repeatedly struck the ground with his cane, his voice a hoarse cry, "That was thirty-seven innocent people! Thirty-seven vibrant lives!"

"I propose that all of us present sign a joint petition demanding that the Wuyi school board revoke this man’s status as a Wuyi Academy student! We must also implore the Administrative Affairs Hall to issue an ordinance forbidding him from continuing to reside within the city proper. We cannot allow this kind of person to threaten the safety of other Wuyi Students, and we cannot let him exercise his power so wantonly!"

Indeed, things had reached the worst-case scenario. They couldn’t deal with Chen Chuan openly through official channels, but the power at their disposal was far from limited to that.

For instance, they could now prey on the fear that the various families had for him, using his allegedly unstable mental state as a pretext to have him administratively exiled from Yangzhi City, and even expelled from the academy!

This plan actually had a high probability of success. Now that Chen Chuan was alive, the remaining issues were purely personal. The police, Esoteric Buddhism, and the Processing Bureau had no reason to get involved.

Even if there was some minor opposition, it would only come from organizations or individuals within those three departments who were friendly toward Chen Chuan, not from the three powerful departments acting in concert.

As for whether such an act would enrage Chen Chuan and provoke a violent backlash—perhaps leading him to do something irrational, or even retaliate with force—Wei Hang wasn’t worried.

In his heart, he was actually hoping Chen Chuan would do just that. Besides, it wasn’t as if they had no way to deal with him. Hadn’t He Xiaoxing been even more difficult to handle than Chen Chuan?

And the same methods they had used to deal with He Xiaoxing could now be brought to bear against Chen Chuan.

But his words alone were not enough. Many people here still feared the Unlimited Defense Certificate and worried for their own safety. Thus, a powerful backer was needed to provide assurances.

He looked to the young man beside him, who now rose to his feet. The man first adjusted his black, foreign-style suit, making sure everyone could clearly see the blooming black orchid on his cuff.

"Everyone, I wholeheartedly agree with what Mr. Wei just said. Allow me to introduce myself. I am from the Molan Company headquarters in Central City. I am Zhan Yi, the assistant and fully authorized representative of Manager Luo, the head of the External Operations Department."

At the announcement of his identity, the entire hall fell silent. All eyes involuntarily turned to him.

Zhan Yi was quite accustomed to this reaction. He turned to Chen Chuan and said with an air of regret, "It is a matter of deep regret that a student with such an unstable mental state cannot be convicted, all because he holds an Unlimited Defense Certificate.

However, that does not mean we can inwardly tolerate his conduct, nor can we allow such a tragedy to occur again. Therefore, I am here today, on behalf of Molan Company, to make a promise!"

As he spoke, he held up one finger. "If you all agree, then from this day forward, Molan Company’s security teams will take responsibility for the safety of everyone present and guarantee that you will no longer be subject to the influence of potential threats."

Upon hearing this, the faces of the powerful family members, social luminaries, and various councilors in attendance shifted, their expressions changing. Some sank into deep thought.

Zhan Yi had raised an issue they were now forced to consider: many of the security consultants and teams they employed were graduates of Wuyi.

But look at the Wuyi Academy students outside the Judgement Court—they were almost all standing with Chen Chuan, offering their silent support. Could security consultants who were also from Wuyi still be trusted to provide personal protection? Could the various companies and departments with countless ties to these people still trust them?

Several officials from the Processing Bureau suddenly turned, their gazes falling coldly upon Wei Hang and Zhan Yi. They realized what this was about. This was a move to squeeze Wuyi out of the security industry and pull the Upper Layer families into Molan Company’s security umbrella!

For the moment, however, they couldn’t think of a countermeasure. Chen Chuan’s actions had instilled a deep sense of unease in these people, and the behavior of the Wuyi Students outside was an undeniable fact.

On the surface, Molan Company was merely seizing upon the people’s fear to intervene swiftly and decisively. But this was likely no spur-of-the-moment decision; it was a premeditated plot.

"Furthermore, I have one more thing to announce."

Zhan Yi declared, "On behalf of Molan Company, I refuse to allow such a student into our ranks. Moreover, Molan Company will send advisory letters to other megacorporations and companies, stating that this student is henceforth not welcome to join them."

In their seats, Guan Yuming, Director Lei, and the instructors from Wuyi Academy all grew solemn. This was a declaration from a megacorporation, and it carried immense weight.

On the surface, this only blocked Chen Chuan’s path into the corporate world, which might seem to have little impact. But the influence of companies and megacorporations touches every aspect of society. Countless people cooperate with them and depend on them for their livelihood. Once this advisory was sent, those people would involuntarily distance themselves from and shun Chen Chuan in any future dealings.

Zhan Yi smiled faintly. ’That’s right. We can’t target the holder of an Unlimited Defense Certificate directly through legal and procedural means, but we can constrain him by controlling his environment.’

Even though some of the other megacorporations were Molan’s competitors, they would all share the same stance on this matter, as it touched upon the fundamental conflict between corporate power and state authority.

Although a holder of a Defense Certificate could certainly take a position in a state institution, this world was ruled jointly by the government and the megacorporations. Many things weren’t so cleanly delineated, and his freedom of action would be severely limited.

Of course, targeting this one student wasn’t the primary objective. The real goal was to use this incident to show everyone present that Molan Company was the only power they could truly rely on, the only one that could help them when it truly mattered.

Once all these people were tied to Molan Company’s war chariot, the company’s strategic positioning in Yangzhi City would be largely complete.

Wei Hang slowly sat back down. With the groundwork he had just laid, coupled with Molan Company’s official stance, expelling Chen Chuan from Wuyi Academy should not be difficult. And once Chen Chuan was no longer affiliated with Wuyi Academy, many actions would become far less costly to carry out.

He had already spoken with Zhan Yi. Regardless of today’s outcome, Molan Company was prepared to dispatch specialists to "clean up" Chen Chuan.

He gave Chen Chuan a cold look. ’If I can’t target you through procedure, then I’ll stop playing by procedural rules. First, I’ll leverage social forces to complete your annihilation step-by-step, and then I’ll put you in your grave.’

Just as these waves were roiling the court, an old-fashioned sedan slowly arrived outside the Judgement Court. The car door opened, and Elder Yi stepped out.

He gazed at the great doors of the Judgement Court, filled with emotion.

’It’s been almost a year.’ He recalled that it was around this time last year he had sent his Young Miss away from Yangzhi, promising her he would find a way to recruit this young man into her service.

’Now, it seems the time has come.’

He had been following Chen Chuan’s affairs closely. The moment the incident at the old factory occurred, he had immediately sensed an opportunity to intervene. In this affair, Chen Chuan had offended far too many powerful families. Even with support from several factions, it would be difficult for him to overcome them on his own.

He could step in now, use the Meng Family’s name to put pressure on all the powerful families of Yangzhi City, and save Chen Chuan. Or, he could take the young man directly to Central City. That way, Chen Chuan would feel his goodwill, and the powerful families of Yangzhi City would find the resolution acceptable. It would be the best of both worlds.

Once his security team had assembled behind him, he ascended the steps to the platform above. Just as he was about to enter the Judgement Court, he saw a man in a black, foreign-style suit standing before him, seemingly waiting. The man smiled and extended a hand. "Mr. Yan Yi, I presume?"

Elder Yi did not take his hand. Instead, he said slowly, "Young man, have we met?"

The young man withdrew his hand and said apologetically, "My apologies, I forgot to introduce myself. I am the assistant to Manager Luo of Molan Company. I was waiting here especially for you."

"Oh, from Molan Company," Elder Yi said, as if it had just dawned on him. "What business could you have with an old man like me? I’m too old to be buying cosmetics."

The young man maintained his smile and said earnestly, "Mr. Yan, Manager Luo is paying close attention to the matter concerning the student, Chen Chuan. He hopes you might do him a favor." He gestured with his hand. "You see, Manager Luo is in that car over there."

Elder Yi followed his gesture and saw an extended, armored limousine parked nearby. Its window slowly rolled down, revealing a man inside wearing gentlemanly spectacles. The man gave him a slight nod.

As the former steward of the Meng Family, he still kept up with current affairs even in retirement. He was familiar with the key figures in every major company and recognized this man as the head of Molan Company’s External Operations Department—a figure of true power, even within Molan’s headquarters.

He mulled it over. ’I’m not afraid of a man like that, but is it worth confronting him for Chen Chuan’s sake?’

If he had declared his intentions before Manager Luo made his appearance, he could have firmly pushed back against any demands the man made.

But since they had intercepted him here in advance, the matter had become rather tricky to handle.

If he were twenty years younger, he might have just smiled and walked right in. But he was old now. He no longer had the fighting spirit or the energy for such struggles.

He said slowly, "Since Manager Luo has spoken, then you may consider me as never having been here today."

The young man smiled. "Mr. Yan, Manager Luo will be grateful, and Molan Company will remember this kindness."

Elder Yi said languidly, "Young man, spare me the empty platitudes. You’ll earn the right to say that only if you manage to last in the company until you’re my age."

The young man was still smiling, but his smile was now a little strained.

Elder Yi turned, descended the steps, and returned to his car. He leaned back in his seat and looked toward the Judgement Court, thinking with some regret, ’That young man, Chen Chuan, is truly exceptional. Especially now that he possesses such martial might, his future is sure to be brilliant.

If a talent like him could be brought to the Young Miss’s side, he could help her defeat her rivals within the family and, in time, take control of the company.’

He sighed again. ’But now, you can only blame your own bad luck. If only you had agreed to the Young Miss’s offer sooner.’

"Elder Yi? Shall we go back?" the driver asked from the front seat.

Elder Yi thought for a moment, then said with a sigh, "Let’s wait. It seems I won’t be able to fulfill my promise to the Young Miss, but she will likely want to know the final outcome."

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