The indicator numbers on the elevator flickered, and when it returned to the first floor, the doors slid open slowly. Chen Chuan stepped out. As he walked down the corridor, he turned his head to look outside.

Through his own reflection in the glass, he saw the tall buildings and the somewhat narrow patch of sky outside. The azure sky was still bright, but now, a few thick clouds were pressing down on it.

One layer of fog had been lifted, only for an even greater gloom to shroud everything overhead.

Specialist Liang had just told him a lot, but Chen Chuan figured that when it came to a world-level crisis, the man couldn’t possibly have told him everything. At most, he had been selective in what he shared.

Moreover, the Specialist had only mentioned the government’s stance. However, this world was actually ruled by both the government and corporations. Neither side could afford to ignore the other. ’So, what are the corporations thinking?’

He needed to give some serious thought to this matter and how he should proceed from here.

He walked all the way down the long corridor, the light and scenery outside the window slowly receding behind him. Just as he was about to leave, a message suddenly appeared on his Realm Token:

"Mr. Chen, an item has been placed in your personal storage locker. Please be advised to retrieve it."

Chen Chuan glanced at the directions provided on his Realm Token and headed that way. Two minutes later, he arrived at a lounge, where he received a set of keys from the attendant.

After signing for them, he walked to a door in the back. What was called a storage locker was actually a storage room of about six square meters, with the number 6002 on it.

He pushed the door open and went inside. There was a metal table, and against the wall was a corner cabinet taller than a person. He went up to it, inserted the key, and opened it. The interior was divided by shelves, and on the middle one sat a long wooden box with a carrying strap.

He took the box out and placed it on the table behind him. He broke the seal. After opening it, he saw a short blade resting on a soft cushion.

The blade was identical in style to the one he had previously custom-ordered, about sixty centimeters long from tip to pommel. He lifted it out of the box, gripped the hilt, and slowly drew it. The smooth, bright surface of the blade immediately reflected his face.

With a SHING, he pulled the entire blade free. He gave it a few trial swings. It felt perfectly balanced in his hand, exactly matching the requirements he had specified.

He could also sense that this blade was a Mutated Weapon, one that could grow stronger with use. Now, he had a suitable weapon for both long and short ranges.

But most importantly, he now had a backup weapon.

Previously, when he fought Wei Wusheng, his opponent had used his own body to trap his weapon, so in the end, he could only fight him bare-handed.

’If I’d had a short weapon like this back then, I would have had another option.’

He slid the blade back into its Sword Scabbard, placed it back in the wooden box, turned around to lock the cabinet door, and left the Processing Bureau with it.

He went to the parking lot, got his car, started it, and drove away. As he drove, he couldn’t help but think. ’According to Specialist Liang, advancing to the Third Limit requires special drugs. But they aren’t provided just for accepting the conscription; you have to earn them through contributions and achievements.’

’And that’s just for a normal person. The dose I need will definitely be several times that—more, never less. That puts me at a huge disadvantage.’

’But my information is very limited right now. Maybe I can ask for advice from other sources, like Cao Guiqi, and see if he has any suggestions.’

Just then, a call came in from Gao Ming.

Chen Chuan answered. "Gao Ming, what’s up?"

Gao Ming said, "Cousin, someone from Fusion Boundary Company found me yesterday. They said they want to meet with you."

"Fusion Boundary Company?"

Chen Chuan did a search on his Realm Token. It was a company dedicated to producing high-strength biomaterials and biocomponents. They seemed to have partnerships with City Patrol, city security firms, and the Processing Bureau. Many of the security-grade Protective Clothing and Biological Armor on the market were manufactured by them.

The company occupied a mid-tier position in Central City. Although it couldn’t compare to top-tier companies and mega-corporations, in terms of size, it was equivalent to Molan’s company before its decline, and it was currently on an upward trend.

Gao Ming said with a smile, "The person looking for you this time is an acquaintance of ours—an old classmate."

Chen Chuan’s eyes flickered. ’If we have an old classmate in Central City, then it can only be one person.’ He said, "Meng Shu?"

Gao Ming said, "That’s her."

Chen Chuan already knew that Meng Shu was from Central City, but she had never spoken about her specific background. He could only tell that her family was quite well-off. ’So her family is the Fusion Boundary Company.’

He asked, "Why does she want to see me?"

Gao Ming said, "It probably has to do with you becoming a Third Limit Fighter, Cousin. I looked into it. Fusion Boundary, like other companies, has a long history of investing in Fighters. But it seems the upper management at Fusion Boundary isn’t satisfied with the person in charge of that division; they’ve replaced the head five times in recent years.

There’s also an unconfirmed report that Meng Lai, the founder of Fusion Boundary, is ready to let a successor take over due to his advanced age. Currently, his grandson, Meng Huang, is in charge of the company’s main operations.

However, Meng Huang hasn’t been officially announced as the heir, and our old classmate is supposedly also held in high regard by her grandfather. Meng Lai seems to have tacitly approved of a competition between the two of them.

This Meng Huang has been living in Central City the whole time. He’s over thirty and has been involved in managing the company’s business for a long time, so his influence in Fusion Boundary is deeply rooted. If our old classmate wants to compete with him for the position, the outlook isn’t optimistic."

Chen Chuan nodded. He didn’t continue that topic, instead saying, "Gao Ming, I went to the Processing Bureau today and learned some important information. I was just about to look for you. It’s not something to discuss over the Realm Token. We need to talk in person."

Gao Ming heard the gravity in his voice and replied decisively, "Okay, Cousin. You’re my number one client. I’m on my way."

Chen Chuan said, "I’ll send you an address. We’ll talk there." After sending the address and ending the call, he drove directly to the area where Teacher Wu lived.

Before long, a silver-gray sedan pulled up and stopped at the bottom of the hill. The door opened, and Gao Ming got out. He walked up to where Chen Chuan was standing, tugging at his collar. "Cousin, it’s really windy up here."

Chen Chuan gazed into the distance and said, "That just means there’s less in the way, so we can see farther."

Gao Ming came to his side.

Chen Chuan passed him a prepared agreement. "Sign this. I need to file it with my superiors when I get back. If you leak anything, we’ll both be held responsible."

Gao Ming signed it without hesitation. Only then did he look at the specific contents. Finally, he asked, "What is it?"

Chen Chuan told him the news he had received today.

He was allowed to inform two relatives about the matter. He felt his aunt and her family didn’t need to know, as it would only add to their worries. Gao Ming, however, as his personal Litigation Master, needed to know.

After hearing it, not only did Gao Ming show no fear or apprehension, but the eyes behind his glasses grew bright. He said, "Cousin, I’ve always felt the higher-ups were hiding something, but I never expected this." He chuckled. "To be honest, I’m looking forward to this kind of change.

In this world, most paths for advancement are blocked. No matter who you are, you can only climb a fixed staircase, one level at a time, and it’s nearly impossible to skip a step. And once you reach a certain level, it becomes impossible to advance even a single step further.

But a crisis like this makes the impossible possible. Under immense pressure, the structures that were once tightly knotted and tangled will start to loosen, fall apart, and reveal gaps..."

He stood shoulder to shoulder with Chen Chuan, looking into the distance. "Cousin, you’re right. It’s windy up here, but that’s because there’s less in the way, allowing us to see so much farther."

Chen Chuan said slowly, "The changes in the world will likely intensify over the next few years."

Gao Ming pushed up his gold-rimmed glasses. "Yes. A new era is dawning. We’re lucky to know ahead of time, which means we can prepare. It’s not too late."

He turned his head and said seriously, "Cousin, you have to seize this opportunity. Judging by the government’s attitude, they’re excluding Fighters who weren’t trained through official channels. Those people won’t gain anything from this, now or in the future.

The closer you are to the center of the crisis, the greater the potential rewards. The farther away you stay, the less you’ll get—you’ll just be tossed about by the world’s changing tides. Rather than passively accepting it, it’s better to actively participate."

Chen Chuan nodded slightly.

He then said, "What’s your opinion on Meng Shu looking for me?"

Gao Ming said, "Cousin, I’m inclined to say you should meet her. After all, you were classmates. She’s now one of the heirs to a major corporation, and you’re a Fighter; there’s no conflict of status. Even if you don’t end up cooperating, you can still maintain a normal relationship.

But now there’s an even better reason. Cousin, you can use this chance to probe her and see how much she knows about this situation.

If she says she doesn’t know anything about it, that means her family doesn’t value her at all. In that case, you can just maintain a friendly, classmate-level relationship and not get too close.

If she does know, then we might be able to get some information out of her. The same issue, when viewed from a corporation’s perspective, is completely different from the government’s version.

And if she really wants to recruit you, Cousin, she might offer up some information you wouldn’t hear otherwise. At the very least, we’ll have one more channel to learn from."

Chen Chuan considered this for a moment, then nodded. "Alright, help me set up the meeting."

Gao Ming said, "Alright, Cousin. I’ll arrange it."

...

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