novelraw Chapter 281 - 13: Paying a Visit
Chapter 281 - 13: Paying a Visit
Old Qi shuddered when he heard what Chen Chuan said. He was suddenly reminded of Chen Chuan’s Unlimited Defense Certificate and realized a bloodbath was likely to follow.
But then, another thought occurred to him.
"Wait!"
He ran after him and caught up to his side.
"Brother Chen, if you just show up on their doorstep like this, even if you can take care of that Golden Shrimp crew, they have a Resonator. They could tamper with the record of what happens and produce evidence that works against you.
The Golden Shrimp crew probably has connections in high places and the backing of a major syndicate. I know you’re not afraid of that, Brother Chen, but it’s never good to get bogged down by trouble, is it?"
Chen Chuan wasn’t actually afraid of any of that. If he wanted to sever his connection to other biological fields, it would be simple. He would just need his Second Self to transfer the intrusion. His opponent would get nothing; they wouldn’t even be able to prove it was him.
But if there was another way to avoid the hassle, he was open to it.
He said, "Old Qi, what do you suggest?"
Old Qi suggested, "Let’s find Brother Wu and ask him for tech support. He can block anything that could be used against you, Brother Chen. Plus, he can help you quickly find the people you’re looking for."
Chen Chuan said, "Brother Wu probably isn’t short on money, and this has nothing to do with him. There’s no reason for him to get involved."
Old Qi glanced upstairs and explained, "Actually, Brother Wu has a very strong sense of justice. As you can probably tell, Brother Chen, he comes from a wealthy family. He left home and got into this line of work specifically to pursue his ideals of justice.
He never causes trouble for anyone, and sometimes he even turns down jobs from the boss that involve stealing information. But his technical skills are just that good, so the boss can’t do anything about it. He’s usually more than willing to help us out.
Besides, he already knows what happened. My guess is that even if we don’t say a word to him, he’ll start helping us behind the scenes anyway."
Chen Chuan looked at him and thought for a moment. "Old Qi, if you’re certain..."
"I’m certain!"
Old Qi said, "Brother Chen, wait here. I’ll go up and talk to Brother Wu." With that, he immediately hurried back upstairs. It wasn’t long before a request to add a new contact appeared on Chen Chuan’s Realm Token.
The contact’s avatar was a swordsman wearing an eye patch against the backdrop of a crescent moon. The swordsman sat sideways on a cliff, cradling a sword, his gaze profoundly desolate. A cape billowed in the wind behind him, and on his shoulder stood a small monkey that was jumping up and down, making funny faces.
The displayed name was Wubei.
Chen Chuan accepted the request, and the connection was instantly established. Wubei’s excited voice came through. "Brother Chen, thanks for letting me join! I’ll definitely do everything I can to help."
Chen Chuan gave him a serious reminder, "Brother Wu, you need to be careful yourself."
"You got it!"
After ending the call, his Realm Token chimed. He glanced down to see that Wubei had sent him a map showing the Golden Shrimp Team’s main area of operations and the location of their headquarters.
Just then, Old Qi hurried back down. He saw the map on the screen and said, "See, Brother Chen? Told you so. With Brother Wu helping, we can save ourselves a lot of trouble."
Chen Chuan nodded, glanced at the map, and said, "We can’t afford to wait. I’m heading over now."
Old Qi agreed, and they left the apartment building together. Once in the car, Old Qi started driving toward the Golden Shrimp Headquarters, using the address Wubei had provided. He glanced over at Chen Chuan. "Brother Chen, don’t you need to get anything ready?"
"No need."
When Chen Chuan had left, he’d brought his Snow Monarch Blade and Martial Halberd, and he was already wearing his Protective Clothing. That was more than enough.
He was now reviewing the detailed information Wubei had sent him about the Golden Shrimp Team.
This contractor team was established five years ago and maintained a squad in each of Central City’s main districts. The man who killed Xiaoman and Chong Dage was Bo Chen, a member of the Weiguang District squad. His captain, Lang Teng, was outside the shantytown at the time, and it was highly probable that he was the one who gave the direct order.
Although the team specialized in anomaly-related jobs, that wasn’t their only line of business. They took on other jobs as well but were just especially active when it came to anomalies.
They treated their clients differently, however. For clients with status or power, they would dispatch a more reliable and professional squad, using the opportunity to solve problems as a way to expand their network.
But when dealing with the lower class, they typically used the simplest, most brutal methods. They couldn’t care less if more anomalies appeared afterward, since those incidents usually occurred in remote areas that didn’t affect the Upper City District. Besides, once the people involved were dead, some anomalies would disappear on their own.
As they drove, another message came in from Wubei. "Brother Chen, I ran a check. Half an hour ago, that guy Lang Teng and his team returned to their headquarters on Shuinan Road in the Hongsheng District."
Chen Chuan replied, "Thanks, Brother Wu."
He turned to Old Qi. "Old Qi, just drop me off when we get to the Hongsheng District. I’ll go the rest of the way myself. That should keep people from tracing this back to you."
Old Qi nodded grimly and agreed.
After driving for over an hour, the car stopped at an intersection. "Brother Chen, be careful," Old Qi said. "Just give me a call, and I’ll come pick you up."
Chen Chuan nodded, got out of the car, and walked toward a nearby tram station.
Back in the apartment, Wubei used the Domain’s Boundary Points, scattered throughout the city, as relays to maintain a constant link with Chen Chuan’s Realm Token. It was as if he were watching right beside Chen Chuan, ready to provide tech support at a moment’s notice.
In stark contrast to Chen Chuan’s composure, Wubei couldn’t help but feel a surge of anxiety as Chen Chuan boarded the tram and drew closer to the Golden Shrimp Headquarters. He grabbed a large bag of snacks and started stuffing them into his mouth. CRUNCH. CRUNCH. Whenever he got nervous, he couldn’t stop himself from eating; it was the only way to clear his head.
With a ding, the tram arrived at the station. Chen Chuan disembarked along with a handful of other passengers.
The Hongsheng District, located in the northwest of Central City, was one of the oldest parts of the metropolis. A single glance revealed that the public facilities hadn’t been maintained in a very long time, and skyscrapers were few and far between.
The people around him wore old, outdated models of Realm Tokens, and their clothes were drab. An atmosphere of decay and desolation hung over the streets.
He followed the directions on his Realm Token for about a kilometer until he arrived at the Golden Shrimp Headquarters.
It was a five-story office building. Looking through his Realm Token, he could see a massive, golden shrimp hovering above the roof. Its two pairs of pincers hung down, forming two closing semicircles, as if about to clamp down on something.
Numerous security guards patrolled the perimeter. In front of the building was a fairly large parking lot with more than a dozen cars. He glanced at them, and his Realm Token flickered, highlighting one of the vehicles. It was the same one from outside the shantytown. The car was here, which meant its owner must be as well.
After a brief look, Chen Chuan started walking toward the building. The security guards at the entrance immediately turned to look at him. His Realm Token alerted him that his identity was being scanned. Wubei’s voice came through his earpiece, "Brother Chen, I’ve swapped out your identity info. They won’t stop you."
The guards watched him for a moment and, just as Wubei predicted, didn’t try to stop him.
Wubei spoke again. "This building might have its own local Domain interference, but they should have a private frequency. Hang on a sec, Brother Chen, let me find it..."
Chen Chuan slowed his pace slightly.
Wubei was fast. In just over twenty seconds, he said, "Found it! Ha, it’s just a Fifth Level frequency. Their Resonator must be lazy. But they have two of them—they might switch in half an hour. If they do, they might spot my intrusion."
"Thanks, Brother Wu," Chen Chuan said. He looked up at the building. "I won’t need half an hour." He pushed open the glass door and walked inside.
A holographic image of a golden shrimp rotated in the lobby. A voice from the front desk greeted him, "Welcome to the Golden Shrimp Team. Do you have a job you’d like to entrust to us, sir?"
Not all jobs came through the official platform; there were plenty of private, off-the-books contracts. It wasn’t unusual for clients to show up in person, so the receptionist wasn’t surprised.
"I’m looking for Lang Teng," Chen Chuan said.
"Are you requesting a specific contractor for a job? Do you have an appointment?"
Chen Chuan didn’t answer. A three-dimensional schematic of the building appeared on his Realm Token, populated by countless human figures. Wubei was using the Domain’s information network to pinpoint the location of everyone using the same frequency.
Wubei’s voice came through. "Brother Chen, your target is in the lounge on the fourth floor. I just found out he’s cousins with the Golden Shrimp Team’s overall commander. There’s also a Resonator on the fifth floor. I haven’t tried to ping him, so he’s not marked on your display."
Chen Chuan glanced at the schematic, located a stairwell to the side, and headed straight for it.
"Sir?"
When Chen Chuan ignored her, the receptionist immediately used her Realm Token to contact Lang Teng on the fourth floor. He was using the company’s public Boundary Point to watch a movie and answered the call impatiently. "What is it?"
"Captain Lang, someone’s here, looks like he wants to hire you for a job. He doesn’t seem to have an appointment, and now he’s heading upstairs on his own."
"Let him come. Could be a big score. Tell him I’m on the fourth floor," Lang Teng said, unconcerned.
Walk-ins were usually lucrative private gigs. Besides, this was the Golden Shrimp Headquarters. He didn’t give it a second thought.
"Understood, Captain Lang."
Halfway up the stairs, a public announcement informed him that Lang Teng was waiting in the fourth-floor lounge. Chen Chuan’s pace didn’t falter. He continued up to the fourth floor, took a moment to get his bearings in the wide hallway, and then walked toward the lounge.
The door to the lounge was already open. Lang Teng was sitting on a sofa inside, watching Chen Chuan walk in. "You the one looking for me?" he asked. "Spit it out. What do you want?"
Chen Chuan asked, "Lang Teng? You’re the captain in charge of handling anomaly jobs in the Weiguang District?"
"An anomaly job?"
Lang Teng lost all interest. He had been about to get up for a handshake but leaned back against the sofa instead.
’These jobs always cause problems for anyone who deals with them for too long. That’s why I usually have my subordinates handle them. The only exceptions are for powerful clients, but those jobs go to the elite squads, not me. Still, since the business walked right in, there’s no reason to turn it away.’
"Yeah, that’s me. So, what’s your problem?"
"Then I’m in the right place."
The moment the words left Chen Chuan’s mouth, he thrust the Snow Monarch Blade forward. THWACK! The scabbard plunged straight through Lang Teng’s face, the tip bursting out the back of his skull and pinning his head to the back of the sofa.
Lang Teng’s body jerked back. Though his brain was destroyed instantly, his Implant’s emergency protocols sent his limbs into a series of spasms. His arms and legs twitched and flailed, making him look like a flopping shrimp.
Wubei had been about to interfere with Lang Teng’s Implant to make it easier for Chen Chuan to finish him off, but he was stunned to see his target pinned dead in an instant.
The instant Lang Teng died, a red alert flashed across the Realm Token of every person in the building.
"Oh no, they know!" Wubei cried out, annoyed with himself for not having had time to handle the severed Domain link.
"Then let them come."
Chen Chuan gripped the hilt of the Snow Monarch Blade and slowly drew the blade from its scabbard. For a moment, a cold light glinted in the room.
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