Book 3, Chapter 141: Going To The Meeting

Chen Chuan woke up at dawn from his long slumber.

𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

He was never the type to dream, but last night, he had seen many things in his sleep.

The person who appeared the most was a woman with light brown hair, though it didn’t look like it was dyed. Instead, the hair looked natural. In those scenes, Chen Chuan watched “himself” talk to the woman multiple times.

He could easily tell that Yu Zhen, his mother, was the one actually talking to this woman.

The two didn’t converse in a single place. Their location kept changing, just like how dreams changed sporadically. Sometimes, they talked in a cabin on a cruise ship. Sometimes, it was on a winding mountain path. Sometimes, it was in a brilliant, shining temple.

It seemed like the two were traveling to different places, because some of the sights Chen Chuan saw made it clear that they weren’t in the Great Shun Republic.

Chen Chuan also noticed that the woman looked similar to Yu Zhen, though she had a completely different demeanor. If he hadn’t been clued in from their conversation that they were close friends, he would have thought that this was another one of his mother’s sisters.

Most of the time, they talked about exploring and the famous ruins all around the world. Occasionally, they talked about clothing, accessories, and other such things.

It was clear that the old Chen Chuan hadn’t been born when Yu Zhen went exploring with her friend.

Chen Chuan had a feeling that Yu Zhen was trying to share her experiences through these memories. They were valuable, alright, but if that was all, she had no need to hide them under so many layers of security. Could it be that she couldn’t control what sort of memories she wanted to transfer, or did she decide to give him these memories as a bonus along with whatever crucial information she prepared?

The second option was more likely.

If his theory was correct, there was something more important hidden within his mother’s memories. He simply hadn’t seen it yet.

But even if she didn’t leave behind any important information, that would be okay too. Chen Chuan was already walking down his own path and getting closer to his goal. He just needed to keep at it. When he was further down the path, the answers he had been unable to find in the past would be answered.

Chen Chuan got up and went to the window to pull the curtains back. Sunlight immediately poured into the room.

It was the tenth of September, and a day off. It was also the day he had agreed to meet Meng Shu.

He wanted to see what his old friend had to say.

He stood in front of the window and stared at the scenery for a while before going into the bathroom to wash up. Then, he put on his Realm Pass, activated it, and received a notification.

It was a reminder for him to read the message he had ignored yesterday. Green Satchel Pharmacy had sent him a list of medicine he could buy for cheap.

Chen Chuan checked it and found that they were all common medicine for Third Limit martial artists. None of them were the special medicine Liang Guanghai mentioned.

But that was to be expected.

Even if he became Green Satchel Pharmacy’s drug tester again, they could only provide him these medicines for free. They were unlikely to give him the special medicine.

That was, unless he joined Green Satchel Pharmacy and became one of their employees.

Chen Chuan deleted the message and took some tubes of nutritional paste, along with some medicine. Then, he went to the training room and did his daily training.

When it was almost noon, he came out, took a shower, and went to the meeting.

Meng Shu had asked to see him on behalf of Border Fusion, not as an old friend, which meant that they were mainly going to talk about her company’s affairs. Because of this, Chen Chuan chose to wear the Resolution Department’s uniform.

After feeding Dawncall and refilling its water bowl, he went out with the Frost King Saber. Once he retrieved his car, he contacted Gao Ming and said, “I’m leaving now.”

“I’ve asked Border Fusion to reserve a room. If you have any questions, feel free to ask me,” Gao Ming replied.

“Okay.”

Chen Chuan drove to Across the World. This time, he didn’t take the mountain road, but instead went up via the panoramic elevator.

To have more privacy, Border Fusion had reserved an entire independent courtyard. When Chen Chuan walked in, he could smell the sweet scent of osmanthus flowers.

The place was decorated beautifully and elegantly with natural-looking rock formations. Under the stone bridge was a clear river with a gentle flow. Graceful bamboos stood at the entrance and near the water. When wind blew, they rustled along the wind. There were no chaotic light shows here, which made the place appear quiet and refined.

Chen Chuan went to a traditional, round stool and sat down on the cushion. Soon, he heard footsteps. When he looked over, he saw Meng Shu walking in.

She had a drooping bun, wore a plain, short, cross-collared jacket, and a long dress with blue floral patterns. Following behind her was a female assistant. Meng Shu dismissed her at the entrance, and she left with a bow.

Meng Shu then walked over the stone bridge and sat down on the stone bench across from Chen Chuan. “Before seeing the video, I never thought that you would reach the Third Limit. Even so, I always believed that you were outstanding. This shows that I never misjudged you.”

Chen Chuan noticed that even though it had been a long time since they last met, they didn’t feel like strangers. Perhaps it was due to the fact that they were childhood friends.

“It’s been two years since we last met, but you haven’t changed much. You’ve always been confident, even when we were children,” he observed.

“That’s because of my family and the wealth I own. I haven’t been able to do anything worthy of praise. Without any achievements, all the confidence you see is baseless.”

Meng Shu shook her head and added, “I’m grateful for being born into a powerful family, but I also need to work hard to ensure I can keep my wealth. There is nothing that lasts forever in the world.

“You, though, did what you wanted, and succeeded. I’m glad for you. Perhaps even a little bit jealous. I can’t achieve my dreams on my own, which is why I need your help now.”

“Are you asking as an old friend, or as someone from Border Fusion?” Chen Chuan asked.

“Border Fusion isn’t mine right now, which is why my goal is to make it mine. Whether it’s really what I want or not doesn’t matter. I cannot back down,” Meng Shu declared.

“Because you have the right to inherit the company?” Chen Chuan prodded.

“Yes,” Meng Shu answered without hesitation. “You know about it?”

“Yes.” Chen Chuan knew what she was talking about.

“I don’t know what the Resolution Department told you, but I’m sure that they didn’t tell you everything,” Meng Shu said.

“That’s what I think so, too,” Chen Chuan agreed.

“As of now, the government is on the same side as the companies, but our priorities are different. The government is focusing on defending the World Ring. The companies are doing the same, but their main goal is to look for certain artifacts,” Meng Shu said while watching him.

Chen Chuan had never heard about that before, so he asked, “What’s that?”

“The middle section where the World Ring is set up didn’t appear out of the blue. It formed over time. The two worlds had drawn close to each other multiple times during the previous eras of change. When this happens, many physical objects blend with illusions.

“They might be alive, but they are also unfathomable objects. We call them artifacts. In the past, the royal families of various countries were in possession of them.

“Now, aside from the technology they create on their own, most of the technology the companies own is created by researching these artifacts. That’s why the governments and the companies are always searching for more of them.

“But it’s practically impossible to find new artifacts at the borders of the World Ring anymore, which is why we’ve started searching near the World Ring itself. In time, we might even have to move past the World Ring. Martial artists are the only ones who can touch and capture the artifacts, but even they need to be geared for it.”

“You want me to look for these artifacts for you?” Chen Chuan asked.

Meng Shu shook her head. “It’s dangerous there. Also, even if you manage to bring some artifacts, it’ll simply get me some praise. It won’t bring me substantial benefits.

“My cousin is in charge of most of the businesses in the company. He’ll be able to use the artifacts you brought back to bring more people to his side, form a new research team, and set up new projects to make more people grateful toward him. That’s why it’d be meaningless for me to ask you to get those artifacts. If I fight through the company’s structure and system, the benefits my cousin gains will always outweigh mine.

“Even if I do something beneficial for the company and get my grandfather’s approval, I know that brute strength will determine everything in the end. Once my cousin feels threatened, he can just send a powerful martial artist to kill me. Then, he will be free to reap all that I have sown.

“As for my grandfather, he will abandon me, since I will no longer have any value to him. If I die, I will simply prove that I was incapable of even protecting myself.

“That’s why I need to ensure my own safety first.”

Meng Shu looked Chen Chuan in the eye and stated her terms. “Chen Chuan, if you’re willing to join my side, I’ll give you all the resources I can get in the name of searching for artifacts.”

“We’re old friends, so I’ll make this clear. If you’re willing to pour resources into a martial artist, I’m sure that you won’t have any difficulty recruiting anyone else,” Chen Chuan pointed out.

Meng Shu then said seriously, “But I don’t trust any of them. I can’t be sure that they won’t accept an offer from my cousin.

“I’ve watched your fight against Wei Wusheng and asked plenty of people. All of them acknowledged your talent. Your strength cannot be questioned, and I’m much more willing to trust you.

“I can also promise you that once I become Border Fusion’s successor, I’ll give you the maximum amount of support within my abilities. While Border Fusion isn’t one of the top companies in the world, we’re an important partner of the military. We also have good ties with the government. Our business is expanding to other countries too.

“Border Fusion is growing. Even if we can’t become a first-class company, I believe that no other company or government department would be willing to support a single person with all their resources.”