Celestial Human Diagram

Chapter 297 - 29: Assessment

The Processing Bureau moved quickly. A day later, Ni Qianqian brought people from the Processing Bureau to Chen Chuan’s dormitory, and after confirming the details, they signed the paper agreement.

Chen Chuan had no objections; he had already gone over all the terms with Gao Ming beforehand, and there were no issues.

’Studying at the Central Hospital without this kind of resource investment would be incredibly tough.’ Relying solely on himself, he would have to raise funds for courses while also finding ways to procure enhancers. Most of his time would be wasted on those things, making it difficult to focus on his training.

Meanwhile, other students could devote themselves completely to their training. The difference would be stark.

More importantly, without this resource investment, higher-level channels would remain closed to him. He would miss out on crucial information and lose opportunities he never even knew existed.

Once the agreement was signed, Ni Qianqian immediately transmitted the digital copy via her Realm Token and said, "Alright, let’s talk about what’s next."

"Chen, you’ve seen the materials. The Processing Bureau has an operation that requires your cooperation. Do you think you’re up for it? Mmm, you can refuse, but it’ll lower your evaluation, you know."

Chen Chuan understood. ’You have to give something to get something.’ But a mission right after signing the agreement? ’Are they testing me again?’

He didn’t hesitate. "I agree."

"Decisive." As Ni Qianqian spoke, she sent him a file through her Realm Token.

Chen Chuan took a look. It was a request to assist the Processing Bureau in capturing a Fighter criminal. For the sake of operational security, the initial file only contained a brief description of the target. Once he accepted, he could view the full details.

Ni Qianqian added, "One more reminder: once you commit, there can be no hesitation or attempts to back out. Otherwise, your evaluation will drop even lower."

Chen Chuan said, "Thank you for the reminder, Manager Ni."

He accepted on the interface, and detailed information immediately unfolded on the light screen before him.

The target for capture was a man named Xiong Jianyi. His father was from Yi Island and his mother was a Dashun person. He had spent his youth in Central City, where he studied Fighting Skills.

Five years ago, a group of students had stumbled upon him attempting to kidnap a young woman. When they discovered him, he killed the woman and all of the students.

When the city patrol located the apartment he was renting, they found that every resident in the entire building had been slaughtered. The doors had been punched open, and all the victims had died the same way: from a broken neck.

Recognizing it as a crime committed by a Fighter, the patrol quickly reported it to the Processing Bureau. A warrant was subsequently issued for his arrest, but Xiong Jianyi had already fled, reportedly hiding on an island in the Outer Ocean.

Now, five years later, the Processing Bureau has received intelligence that Xiong Jianyi has accepted an invitation from the Swordfish Gang, which operates out of the Yinglu District, to serve as the gang’s fighting instructor. There are also reports that the Swordfish Gang has hired a team of Litigation Masters from its backer, the Ferris Wheel Company, to get him cleared of the charges from all those years ago.

The light screen also displayed a photo. Chen Chuan glanced at it. His first impression was of an exceptionally brawny man. His thick pectoral muscles were stretched tight against a tank top, and the muscles of his hips and legs were even more taut and bulging, radiating explosive power.

His hair was shaved around the sides, but left long in the back. The man’s gaze was savage, and his knuckles were massive. He was clearly an expert in Capture Technique.

As he was studying the file, Ni Qianqian spoke up. "See him? He’s your target this time. We have reliable intel that he’ll be arriving at the port in Ji Yang District within three days."

"Your objective is to get to him before he can meet with the team of Litigation Masters from the Swordfish Gang and the Ferris Wheel Company."

"The Processing Bureau is a bit short-staffed, however. Central City is huge, and we can’t be everywhere at once. So, no one will be coming to help you on this assignment, but you can get support from the information services platform."

"We’ll also recommend a few Domain Technology experts. Of course, if you don’t think they’re a good fit, you can find someone yourself, and we’ll reimburse the cost. However, you’ll be responsible for any complications arising from technical issues on your end."

"So, any questions?"

Chen Chuan glanced at the Processing Bureau’s power-level assessment for the target. It placed him somewhere between the Second and Third Limit, but a note at the end stated that this required further confirmation.

He looked up. "No problem."

Ni Qianqian tapped her Realm Token. "Good. Here... access this."

Chen Chuan glanced at his Realm Token. There was a new communications platform. Upon entering, he discovered it was the Processing Bureau’s internal messaging system. A form was displayed the moment he logged in.

Ni Qianqian said, "This is the mission verification form, which you can access on the platform. Before every mission, a copy is sent via telegram to headquarters, where it’s kept on file."

"After you confirm, you’ll receive a confirmation receipt, also by telegram. Make sure you get it. This document is very important; it’s part of your official authorization to carry out the mission."

"Thank you for the reminder, Manager Ni," Chen Chuan said.

After explaining everything, Ni Qianqian’s demeanor became more relaxed. "Alright, that’s everything I need to cover. If you need anything, just contact me directly through the Realm Token. That’s all." With that, she stood up, gave Chen a nod, and left with her team.

After she left, Chen Chuan went back to studying Xiong Jianyi’s profile. He discovered that the man had originally learned his Fighting Skills from the Celestial Forgiveness Gang.

Central City was home to numerous criminal organizations and gangs founded by Fighters, the largest of which was the Celestial Forgiveness Gang. Its core members were all elite Fighters.

The gang also operated a large number of martial arts gyms that taught various Fighting Skills to the public. In addition, the gang would scout the Lower City District for talented individuals to cultivate.

Xiong Jianyi had been discovered in this exact manner. He had studied under one of the Celestial Forgiveness Gang’s elders—and had even been accepted as a formal disciple, which meant he must have been taught their authentic techniques.

The file also contained some footage of his previous fights, but it was sparse—just a few fleeting clips, as his battles usually ended in a matter of moments.

Besides, all of this footage was from five years ago. While it had some reference value, five years was a long time for a Fighter. Judging him based on this old data could lead to a wildly inaccurate assessment.

He considered the timeline. ’The ferry he’s on arrives the day after tomorrow. That means I only have one day to prepare.’

’It seems a bit tight, but crimes involving Fighters are often sudden. There’s usually not much time to prepare. If this is a test, then the time frame is reasonable.’

After reviewing all the information, he used the Processing Bureau’s internal platform to contact the Domain Technology experts Ni Qianqian had recommended.

However, after contacting them, he found the help they could offer was limited. They could only provide him with the target’s probable routes of travel, not real-time surveillance. It wasn’t that they were shirking their duties; they were simply tied up with bigger cases and couldn’t dedicate their resources to a single reserve member.

That being the case, he decided to contact Wubei directly. After all, the expenses would be reimbursed.

When Wubei heard the job was to assist in a law enforcement operation, he was ecstatic. Taking down criminals was his dream job; he would’ve done it even without pay.

He said excitedly, "Brother Chen, I promise I’ll get this done right for you. Just you wait and see."

Chen Chuan nodded. ’Whether Brother Wu’s skills were good or not, his passionate commitment was a rare quality.’

’Some people have great skills but just go through the motions, which is useless. When you’re trying to capture a wanted criminal like this, the slightest oversight can lead to huge problems.’

After leaving the Profound Palace Building, Ni Qianqian headed for a car in the plaza, contacting her superior at the Processing Bureau as she walked.

"Listen, isn’t our Second Limit estimate for Xiong Jianyi a little low? The guy has talent, or Old Yu from the Celestial Forgiveness Gang wouldn’t have taken him as a disciple. That was five years ago. He might have already reached the Third Limit by now. Can Brother Chen handle him?"

The voice on the other end replied, "His record clearly shows that Chen single-handedly faced and captured Tan Wang, a Third Limit Fighter. If that’s the case, he should be able to handle Xiong Jianyi."

"That’s different. He might have been using enhancers. I’ve seen the file, you know. Before that fight, most of Tan Wang’s Implants had already been destroyed. His main combat strength came from those Implants, so it’s highly questionable how much power he could actually use. If Chen used enhancers and got a little lucky, a win was possible."

"But a Third Limit fighter at full strength? That’s not someone a brand-new student at the Central Hospital can handle."

The voice replied, "We wouldn’t risk a promising student, nor are we putting this entire matter on his shoulders. If he can’t handle it, we have someone ready to clean up after him."

"Uh-huh. So it’s just a test, right?"

Ni Qianqian opened the door to a red sports car and slid inside. "But I have a feeling Brother Chen will handle this just fine. The reason? A gut feeling from a member of the Intuition School." The door slammed shut. With a roar of its engine, the car shot away.

Back in his dorm, Chen Chuan kept in contact with the Processing Bureau while making his own preparations.

Since this was an official capture mission, he couldn’t just do whatever he pleased. He had to follow the protocols provided by the Processing Bureau. His role was to step in during the final capture phase, which required constant communication and coordination beforehand.

The staff at the Processing Bureau knew he was a person of interest, and possibly a future colleague, so they treated him with patience and courtesy.

Xiong Jianyi knew that Dashun had a warrant for his arrest, so he would likely be prepared for a capture attempt upon his return. The logical move would be to have members of the Swordfish Gang and the Ferris Wheel Company meet him at the port.

Therefore, the Processing Bureau planned to post personnel at key intersections to conduct "routine inspections" of passing vehicles, thereby delaying his pickup. Chen would have to make the most of that window of time to make the capture.

The timing would be tight and the difficulty high, but the plan allowed for a temporary withdrawal if no opportunity presented itself. The capture could be attempted again later.

Chen Chuan knew that if he failed to seize this opportunity, his evaluation would suffer, even if he managed to capture the target later. ’It’s best to get it right the first time.’

’It’s not impossible.’ The plan was based entirely on his official evaluation, but his true strength was greater than that. If needed, he planned to attribute any exceptional performance to using enhancers. He was going to use them before the operation anyway, just to ensure there were no surprises.

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