338: Chen Changqing

Just as this heavy contemplation on fundamental contradictions reached a stalemate, Wei Ziqing's voice came from the other end of the corridor:

"No matter how much you think about problems like this, you won't find an answer." He walked over, his expression calm, his gaze sweeping over the three of them. "We are not great men who can see through centuries or millennia; we lack that 'long-term vision.'

“But we can at least see what's under our feet—as long as the road hasn't broken, we must continue forward. When we truly reach a fork, or if the road ends, it won't be too late to stop and think.

Right now, we only have one path: forward."

Lu Jianchuan looked at him with slight surprise, his tense expression softening a little, even carrying a hint of mockery: "Heh, rare indeed, Wei Ziqing. You actually emerged from the training ground? And you said something quite sensible."

Wei Ziqing approached, glancing at the chameleon behind the one-way glass. "I heard you caught a member of the New Federation. I came to check on the situation." He paused. "But you're right, Brother Lu. I won't think about this problem anymore; thinking is useless. We have to keep moving."

Shen Mingyuan also sighed in relief and stretched his shoulders. "Yeah, I'm about the same. These philosophical questions fry my brain. I'm going to rest for a bit and recharge my Detective energy." He waved, turned, and left. "See you later."

"Mm, get some good rest." Lu Jianchuan replied, then looked at Wei Ziqing. "Coincidentally, I'm also preparing for an operation. Chen Changqing escaped last time, and I can't just let it go. Although we don't have his exact whereabouts, we recently received some good intelligence pointing to a hideout possibly connected to him—in another city. I plan to go investigate."

Wei Ziqing barely hesitated: "Leaving the city? I'll go with you. He slipped away right in front of me; I have a responsibility to bring him back."

Lu Jianchuan nodded. "Alright, we can watch each other's backs if we go together."

The two walked out, exchanging low-voiced words. Wei Ziqing asked, "What exactly is the intelligence? About Chen Changqing?"

Lu Jianchuan organized his thoughts and replied:

"To be precise, it's about a gathering operating under the guise of 'Special Research,' which was already on our takedown list. When cross-referencing intelligence, we found some subtle clues pointing to Chen Changqing or the network behind him, especially concerning topics like 'Longevity' and 'Life Extension.'

"It's said that quite a few people have gathered there, acting very secretive. They certainly aren't up to any good. What's more troubling is," his tone deepened,

"The intelligence mentioned that under the guise of recruitment and training, they might actually be involved in abducting and controlling a large number of children. Whether or not this is directly related to Chen Changqing, we can't ignore it. Furthermore, there are suspected signs of Evolver activity there. Therefore, this trip is essential."

Wei Ziqing's eyes narrowed, and he nodded. "Understood. When do we leave?"

"The sooner the better; we'll discuss the details on the way." Lu Jianchuan glanced at the time. "Go prepare. See you in the garage in one hour."

"Okay."

One hour later, an unremarkable black van, specially reinforced and soundproofed internally, drove away from GUPA Base and merged into the traffic on the intercity highway.

Inside the vehicle, apart from the driver—an outwardly calm GUPA field agent—the rear compartment held only Lu Jianchuan and Wei Ziqing.

There was a simple console in the space, and a technician in charge of communications maintained contact with them via an encrypted line while sliding several document bags over.

"Mr. Lu, Mr. Wei, these are the 'new identities' prepared for you." The technician's voice came through the loudspeaker, clear and steady.

"Based on cross-verification of intelligence from multiple sources, the target organization—which calls itself the 'Life Potential Research Association' externally—is currently recruiting a large number of personnel with combat experience through various gray channels, offering extremely high salaries.

Mercenaries, retired fighters, inheritors of traditional martial arts, even black market boxers... they turn no one away. The prices they offer are very attractive, and many skilled individuals have been recruited."

He brought up some surveillance screenshots and files:

"In the Early Stage, these recruits did act normally, collecting advance payments, contacting family, and even showing off their spending. But soon after, usually upon entering the so-called 'Closed Research' phase, everyone enters a silent state and completely loses contact.

Family members' inquiries are blocked by excuses like 'confidentiality agreements' and 'special training requiring isolation.' But after analyzing communication patterns and fund flows, we believe this 'loss of contact' is far from normal."

Lu Jianchuan picked up his document bag, which contained a brand-new ID card, discharge papers, skill certificates, and even detailed 'life records.' His cover identity was set as a former Scout who retired due to injury and was seeking high-paying work.

"Wei Ziqing's identity is relatively simple; he remains a Martial Artist, but his background has been blurred and modified to conceal any association with GUPA," the technician added.

Wei Ziqing flipped through his file and nodded. The Martial Artist identity was more natural for him and allowed him to better utilize his strengths.

"Your mission is to use these identities to pass their 'selection process' and infiltrate the organization."

The technician's tone was serious. "Direct assault is not the primary option. We worry that if we alert the enemy, they will immediately destroy core files, transfer, or harm the controlled personnel.

We need concrete criminal evidence. We need to figure out their internal structure, their true objectives, and especially locate the missing people and potential victims.

Under the framework of the rule of law, irrefutable evidence is the key to catching them all."

He paused, lowering his voice slightly: "Furthermore, there is unconfirmed intelligence suggesting that this organization's research direction may be related to 'Extreme Life Extension,' which overlaps with the area of interest of the fugitive Chen Changqing. While we cannot confirm if he is personally present, you must remain highly vigilant."

Lu Jianchuan put away the documents, his eyes sharp. "Understood. Infiltrate, figure out the details, collect evidence, find the people, and then... close the net."

Wei Ziqing checked the simple gear he was carrying, disguised as ordinary personal items, and replied briefly, "Mm."

The vehicle stopped smoothly in a quiet, deserted corner of a suburban Logistics Park. The field agent in the driver's seat handed several paper documents to Lu Jianchuan and Wei Ziqing in the back.

"These last ones," he said in a very low voice, "are the files for our informants planted inside the 'Research Association,' or rather, those who successfully infiltrated it. There are three in total. If you encounter difficulties inside that you cannot solve alone, or need to transmit urgent intelligence, you can try to contact them. Contact methods, features, and recognition codes are all listed here."

Lu Jianchuan and Wei Ziqing took the thin sheets of paper and quickly and carefully scanned them under the interior light. Photos, aliases, superficial positions within the organization, simple physical descriptions... the information was concise but crucial. Both were highly trained individuals with exceptional memory, and in just a few dozen seconds, they had firmly imprinted the information of the three people in their minds.

"Memorized," Lu Jianchuan said, handing the papers back.

"OK," Wei Ziqing confirmed with a nod.

The field agent took the papers, pulled out a Portable Incinerator, and carefully placed the sheets inside. A faint blue flame ignited silently, quickly consuming the paper into a small pile of ash. As he operated it, he explained, "These are copied files. The originals and complete backups are absolutely secure at headquarters. We only brought these out for you to see. They are now destroyed to eliminate any possibility of accidental leakage during travel."

After disposing of the ash, he pointed out the window. "We have entered the neighboring city via a special route. We can only take you this far. The detailed coordinates of the target location and surrounding map have been sent to your Encrypted Terminals. I wish you both a smooth mission and a safe return."

"Thank you for your hard work," Lu Jianchuan said.

The two of them neatly picked up their simple backpacks, pushed open the car door, and stepped into the slightly cool air of the unfamiliar city. Behind them, the black van silently slid into the night, quickly disappearing.

The streets were empty, and the distant neon lights of the city faintly illuminated the low-hanging clouds. Lu Jianchuan took out his disguised mobile phone and brought up the newly received coordinates. Wei Ziqing stood beside him, his gaze vigilantly sweeping over the sparse buildings nearby and the brightly lit urban area farther away.

"It's not far," Lu Jianchuan said, looking at the navigation point on the screen. "The recruitment point for the 'Life Potential Research Association'..."