69novels Chapter 353 - 84: Service
Chapter 353 - 84: Service
After returning to his dorm, Chen Chuan placed the Snow Monarch Blade on its rack. He washed up, changed his clothes, and returned to the living room. He had been planning to watch the fringe channel for a while before resting when his gaze fell upon the box in the corner.
He’d been so focused on taking his medicine and training over the past few days that he’d almost forgotten about it.
He never really expected the Secret Snake Sect to give him anything good, so he hadn’t paid it much mind. Now that he had some free time, he figured he might as well see what was inside.
He walked over, placed the box on the table, undid the latches, and opened the lid to find a tightly wrapped package inside.
After peeling off the outer wrapping, he was surprised to find a layer of sealed earth packed inside. This piqued his curiosity.
After carefully peeling and cleaning away all the earth, he finally discovered what was inside... It was an egg.
The egg was covered in a protective, transparent biological membrane. It was a lustrous, pale red, the color deepening in a slow gradient from top to bottom. Its surface was so smooth it could have easily served as a decorative piece.
Since it was a gift from the Secret Snake Sect, his first thought was that it must be a snake egg.
He studied it for a moment, wondering, ’Is this for eating? Or does it have some other use?’ The complimentary gift had come with no explanation.
And there was nothing else besides the egg.
He didn’t dwell on it. He contacted Zou Handan directly to ask what the object was and what purpose it served.
Zou Handan seemed very surprised. After asking several times to confirm that Chen had indeed received an egg from the box, he asked him to wait a moment.
A short while later, Zou Handan contacted him again. "Mr. Chen, I’ve spoken with our internal staff and now understand the situation. The Secret Snake Sect, like other major corporations, operates a biological cultivation facility. The biological tools provided for your service, Mr. Chen, originate from there."
"Sometimes, the cultivation facility produces biological eggs that don’t meet our expectations. This doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with the organisms themselves, they just don’t align with our service requirements."
"Our usual practice with these eggs is to dispose of them on the spot or distribute them to researchers and sect members who are willing to take them."
"The one you received, Mr. Chen, was likely placed there by mistake by the sect member who was packaging your gift. We can, however, guarantee that it is not dangerous. If you find this unacceptable, Mr. Chen, we can arrange for an immediate exchange."
Chen Chuan thought about it and decided that since he already had it, there was no need to exchange it. So he asked what was inside and how to hatch it.
Zou Handan said, "Because the eggs have similar characteristics before hatching, even the staff in the incubation room can’t tell them apart unless they’re specially labeled. So, we have no way of knowing what’s inside that one right now."
"However, all the biological eggs from the past three years have hatched after being kept at a constant temperature of forty degrees for about thirty days. Considering you don’t have the proper incubation equipment, Mr. Chen, and also to compensate for this oversight, we will send an incubator to you."
Chen Chuan said, "Alright, then."
Zou Handan then said, "Since you’ve contacted us, Mr. Chen, there’s something I should mention. The service date has been set. Starting the day after tomorrow, you can come to us for your service at any time. What are your thoughts, Mr. Chen?"
Without hesitating, Chen Chuan said, "The day after tomorrow, then."
Zou Handan immediately sent him a location and the corresponding itinerary, adding that a dedicated liaison would be assigned to meet him upon his arrival.
After ending the call, Chen Chuan glanced at the egg. He decided not to remove the biological membrane and placed it back in its box for now, planning to deal with it once the incubator arrived.
He returned to the sofa and turned on the fringe channel. He found that the main topic of discussion was still the news story from before, with people debating whether or not Wei Wusheng was responsible.
The user "Dancing on the Bottle Cap" chimed in as usual, arguing that while the victims were cruise ship passengers and the MO was very similar to Wei Wusheng’s, he believed it probably wasn’t Wei Wusheng’s work.
Since the victims were attacked in public and a lot of footage had been leaked, he provided a detailed analysis of their injuries to support his reasoning.
Although his post drew many rebuttals, a good number of people found his argument convincing.
Chen Chuan noticed that someone had started a betting pool on who Wei Wusheng would kill next and when. A long list of names was displayed below, some with accompanying photos.
He glanced at the list. Many of them were Fighters who had been at the scene that day. He even saw himself listed, along with Tan Zhi, Pan Xiaode, and Qi Huixin. However, only their surnames were given, not their full names, followed by a brief background description and personal record.
The list had most likely been obtained from the Rhino Cruise Ship.
The names of those who were already dead had been crossed out with a black line. He realized that, without him noticing, more than twenty people had already died. Some were confirmed to be Wei Wusheng’s victims, while others were merely suspected cases.
’At this rate, given Wei Wusheng’s activities, it might not be long before it’s my turn.’
He glanced at the photo of Wei Wusheng posted in the top-left corner, contemplated for a moment, then turned off his Realm Token and went to rest.
The next morning, when he woke up, he could feel that the effects of the last Cyan Pill had almost completely worn off. Furthermore, the Cyan Bag Jade Workshop was still waiting for his reply, so he contacted them again. He informed them that after careful consideration, he was willing to continue taking the medicine.
Fanqingshan had been waiting for Chen Chuan’s message for the past two days. When his liaison reported that Chen Chuan had agreed, he was overjoyed. But he wanted more data, so he had the liaison tentatively ask if Chen Chuan would be willing to continue even further.
Chen Chuan’s answer was the same as before: he said he needed to think about it and didn’t give a definite reply.
From this, Fanqingshan deduced that since Chen Chuan hadn’t outright refused, he must believe he hadn’t yet reached his limit. ’It just means,’ he thought, ’that if we don’t offer sufficient compensation, it won’t be enough to persuade him to continue.’
After some thought, he said to the liaison, "I’ll speak with him personally."
Chen Chuan was just about to end the call when a mature, steady voice came through. "Hello, Chen. This is Fanqingshan, manager of the Cyan Bag Jade Workshop’s countermeasures department."
Chen Chuan paused for a second before offering a greeting. "Hello, Manager Fan."
Fanqingshan said, "Chen, due to the limitations of our company’s drug categories, we are unable to provide a higher-grade trial drug for a Fighter at your level."
"However, I can offer additional compensation. If you’re willing to cooperate with this next phase of the trial, we can provide you with a three-month supply of a Fighter’s standard daily medication."
After he finished speaking, he waited for a response. A good while later, a young, clear voice finally came through: "Alright."
Fanqingshan felt a wave of relief. ’These drugs are trivial to the Cyan Bag Jade Workshop, but the trial data we’ll obtain is priceless. It’s a win-win!’
He said, "It’s a pleasure working with you, Chen."
After ending the call, he immediately instructed the employee in charge of the matter, "Bring me Chen’s trial report the moment it comes in."
On the morning of the thirty-first, Chen Chuan left the Profound Palace Building, got on the elevated highway, and headed toward the Secret Snake Sect’s headquarters.
The Secret Snake Sect didn’t have its own corporate tower; its headquarters was located in Rift Wave Canyon in the Fengde District, on the southwestern edge of the city. Central City’s largest inland lake, Chaocai Lake, was also here, making it a popular vacation spot for the city’s middle and upper classes.
A little over an hour later, he exited the highway. It was late May, and the weather was mild. Luxury cars drove past one after another, making his Gard Car seem utterly inconspicuous.
’The roads here are wide with few turns, and the scenery is beautiful,’ he thought. ’I should drive the Silver Lightning if I come back.’
About ten minutes later, he arrived at Rift Wave Canyon. As he drove down a straight, carved-out road, he saw that both sides were lined with undulating buildings constructed along the cliffs, conforming to the mountain’s shape and divided into thirty-six vertical layers.
The layers were interconnected by spiral ramps, allowing vehicles to drive from outside the canyon to any point within, or directly to the observation deck at the very top.
After parking in the designated lot, he used his Realm Token to contact Zou Handan. Less than two minutes later, a young woman in her early twenties approached in a tour cart.
She wore a simple, elegant, white traditional-style robe that revealed her long, slender neck. Her hair was tied back, and a sash was fastened at her waist. The distinct lines of Implants were visible on her neck, the backs of her hands, and her calves.
Stepping out of the cart, she approached Chen Chuan and gave a slight curtsy. "Hello, Mr. Chen. I am Mr. Zou’s assistant, Lin Yingzi. I’ll be responsible for your itinerary and service arrangements today. Please, get in."
Chen Chuan nodded and followed her into the tour cart. They first drove out of the canyon passage, and the vast, sparkling expanse of Chaocai Lake was instantly revealed before them.
The weather was perfect—sunny and pleasantly warm. A cool breeze blew off the lake as the cart traveled along the ring road, entering a stretch shaded by a canopy of trees where the air immediately grew cooler.
Chen Chuan heard the sound of birdsong and looked over to see many magnificent, unfamiliar birds. Because he had logged into the Secret Snake Sect’s platform earlier, every time he spotted a new species, information about it—its classification, population, and required habitat—appeared on his Realm Token.
Lin Yingzi explained, "These are ornamental species cultivated by the Secret Snake Sect. Many of them are unique, both domestically and internationally. Every year, clients come and pay high prices to purchase them."
Chen Chuan wondered, ’Is the one they sent me one of these?’
A quarter of an hour later, the tour cart pulled up outside an egg-shaped glass structure on the edge of the lake. The cart stopped, and Lin Yingzi said, "We’ve arrived, Mr. Chen."
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