Back at the Judgement Court, after the representatives from the Molan Company had left, the members of the school council found themselves in an incredibly awkward position.

They had just unequivocally chosen a side, but Molan Company had pulled the ladder out from under them, leaving them stranded with no way down.

’Should we still insist on expelling Chen Chuan? But judging by the Molan Company’s reaction, they seem to be wary of some formidable background he might have. Even their people backed down, so why should we press on? There’s clearly no benefit, and we might just crash into a brick wall.’ They certainly weren’t about to do something so obviously disadvantageous.

But just then, the men from the Processing Bureau who had been seated rose to their feet. They walked over to the council members in full view of everyone and said grimly, "Gentlemen, we suspect you of conspiring with the Molan Company and certain families to harm a Wuyi Student. You are also implicated in a cold case from three years ago. We must ask you to come with us to cooperate with the investigation." As he spoke, one of them gestured to the side. "This way, please."

"Investigation?" The council member who had been the first to side with the company shot them a surprised look, then let out a humorless laugh. "What right do you have to take me away?"

Another council member spoke up. "We are school council members recognized by the Administrative Affairs Hall! Without an arrest warrant from the High Court, you have no authority to apprehend us!"

The standing members of the school council stared coldly at the agents from the Processing Bureau, showing no sign of cooperation. They weren’t afraid of the Bureau using force; after all, not only was nearly everyone present on their side, but as members of the school council, they were all qualified Fighters themselves.

"They may not. But what if I do?"

As a deep, slow, aged voice spoke, everyone turned to see an unassuming old man rising from his seat. He had been there the whole time, sitting among them, yet no one had noticed him until he spoke, as if their minds had simply skipped over his presence.

The representatives from Wuyi Academy stared in shock when they saw him. "Old Headmaster!?"

This unassuming old man was none other than Cheng Shang, the second headmaster of Wuyi Academy. He now held a key position in the Central City Processing Bureau and also served as a consultant to the Central City General Hospital.

The moment he stood up, the hearts of every council member who recognized him skipped a beat. An official from the Central City Processing Bureau had suddenly appeared here, and in such a fashion. They had a sinking feeling that things were about to go very wrong.

Cheng Shang spoke in a leisurely tone. "Just go with them. A nice long stay inside might not be such a bad thing for you."

The council members exchanged glances, then dejectedly gave up any thought of resistance. This was not only due to the authority Cheng Shang’s status commanded but also due to the sheer power he embodied. They knew full well that even if all of them fought together, they would be no match for the deceptively small old man.

The Processing Bureau agents stepped forward, bound them with restraints designed specifically for Fighters, and led them away.

Cheng Shang then turned to Chen Chuan. "Young man, you saw this coming?"

Chen Chuan knew what he was asking and nodded.

Cheng Shang raised a gray eyebrow. "How did you figure it out? Did someone tell you?"

Chen Chuan answered candidly, "No, and I wasn’t the only one who saw it. I believe many people figured it out. They simply made a different choice."

"Hm. The world is full of clever people, but some are too clever for their own good." Cheng Shang nodded in approval, then asked slowly, "Young man, will you come?"

Chen Chuan’s answer was firm. "Of course!"

Cheng Shang nodded. "Then I will be waiting for you at the academy." With that, he clasped his hands behind his back and walked out of the Judgement Court. As he left, several other previously unnoticed individuals rose from their seats and followed him out.

Their exchange left most people in the room confused, but a few seemed to grasp the implications. Their expressions shifted, and they quickly rose and headed for the exit.

Chen Chuan watched them scurry away, his gaze calm. When he and Gao Ming had been drawing up their contingency plans, they had identified one obstacle they couldn’t get around.

The Molan Company.

If the Mutual Aid Association made a move on him and he fought back, the conflict would inevitably draw in the Molan Company, as the forces backing the association were inextricably linked to the corporation.

However, as they dug deeper—using information Gao Ming gathered from various sources and observing recent developments—they gradually uncovered clues they had previously missed. When they pieced these clues together, they reached a rather unexpected conclusion.

Perhaps... just maybe... they didn’t need to worry about the Molan Company at all.

The Molan Company was currently under a concerted assault from other corporations and unknown forces. Its position was precarious; it already had its hands full just trying to stay afloat.

In truth, the tell-tale signs had been there for a while. The most obvious was the Blood Mark Gang, the Molan Company’s pet attack dogs. They had been suffering frequent attacks, their various branches had been bombed, and over a dozen of their leaders had been killed by what was suspected to be a biological combat weapon known as the Skull Splitting Demon. Their upper echelon was almost completely wiped out.

This was clearly a move to clip the company’s wings, a step-by-step probing of the Molan Company’s limits.

Prior to this, the Molan Company had been locked in a struggle with the National Enterprise, Canghong Celestial Canal, for control over the water supply. It had been using all sorts of illicit methods to shut down surrounding water plants and had already managed to infiltrate numerous positions within the water administration. Just as it seemed on the verge of success, Canghong Celestial Canal remained eerily silent—a reaction that was, in itself, highly abnormal.