Celestial Human Diagram-Chapter 120 - 108: New Year’s Gift

On the first day of the Lunar New Year, firecrackers crackled again bright and early.

Chen Chuan awoke from his sleep. He placed his hands behind his head and lay there quietly. Although the dorms at the academy were nice, this place still gave him a unique sense of warmth and comfort.

After lying there for a while, he got up, dressed, pulled open the curtains, and opened the window. Sunlight streamed in from outside. It had snowed all night, but the Sun was out today. The snow on the eaves and the ground looked like a layer of cotton quilting.

He took a few deep breaths, then went outside to wash up. He wished a Happy New Year to Nian Fuli and Yu Wan, who were already up, and then made calls to several teachers, like Cheng Zitong and Bian Feng, to extend his holiday greetings.

After breakfast, Chen Chuan went outside, opened the mailbox, and brought back a stack of greeting cards. Most were from former and current classmates, but one was particularly exquisite. Inside, a six-word blessing was written in elegant script: "Wishing you a prosperous New Year."

He nodded. Miss Meng the Elder was always very thorough in this regard; she sent a card every year, regardless of how close they were. In fact, he had also sent her a New Year’s card, just as he did every year.

However, there was no direct mail service between Central City and Yangzhi, so he could only send it to her old residence. Whether she actually received it was out of his hands.

Just then, two small heads peeked in through the doorway. They were wearing little tiger hats and shouted in unison, "Happy New Year, Cousin~" then stared at him with wide, expectant eyes.

Chen Chuan laughed. He walked over to the drawer, took out two red envelopes, and gave one to each of them.

"Thank you, Cousin!" That was clearly the polite Nian Lu. As for his younger cousin, Nian Mo, he just grabbed the envelope and ran off with a WHOOP.

Chen Chuan then took out another red envelope, slipped it to Nian Lu, and gave her a wink. Nian Lu looked up at him, then tugged on the corner of his shirt. When Chen Chuan leaned down, she whispered in his ear, "Don’t worry, Cousin. I won’t tell Momo."

Chen Chuan smiled, said, "Good," and patted Nian Lu on the head before straightening up.

After the little one left, he returned to his desk and picked up the booklet He Xiaoxing had sent him, flipping through it. He didn’t plan on training today. It was rare to have a day off, so he would just do some simple breathing exercises.

Before long, he heard the cheerful Calls and shouts of children outside. Nian Lu and Nian Mo must have gone to have a snowball fight with a group of other kids.

’It’s a shame about this year,’ he thought. His aunt had told him that his older cousin, Nian Qian, was swamped with studies at the military academy. Apparently, he was at a critical juncture and couldn’t come home for the New Year.

After nine o’clock, people began to arrive in droves to pay their New Year’s respects. They were all Nian Fuli’s subordinates, but there were an unusual number of them this year. Even some people they didn’t usually interact with came to visit. The home phone was also ringing off the hook; as soon as they hung up, they had to greet someone else.

Yu Wan secretly told Chen Chuan that Nian Fuli was going to be promoted to battalion commander after the New Year. He couldn’t help but have a moment of realization. No wonder Nian Fuli had been looking so radiant these past few days.

’I can’t help but remember Wei Chang’an telling me that Wei Oldhu has been in a bad mood lately,’ he mused. ’Could this be the reason?’

Many of the calls were also for Chen Chuan. Feng Xiaochi was the first to call and wish him a Happy New Year, followed by Ding Jiao, Luo Kaiyuan, and Wei Chang’an, who all called one after another, thanking him for his New Year’s cards.

From the first to the fourth day of the New Year, Chen Chuan, just as in previous years, accompanied Nian Fuli and Yu Wan on visits to their neighbors and close relatives and friends.

He had originally planned to visit Yu Gang as well, but he learned from Nian Fuli that Yu Gang had joined the Iron Chain Gang and was no longer at his old place. Now, no one knew where he was, so the visit never happened.

On the fifth day of the New Year, Nian Fuli and Yu Wan went out early in the morning. He then received a phone call, and a lazy voice came through: "Cousin, are you there? I’m at the entrance to the alley. You guys even have guards posted during the New Year."

Chen Chuan smiled and said, "I’ll come out and get you."

His neighborhood was the residential area for the Patrol Bureau. On a normal day, entry and exit seemed unrestricted, with no one stopping people. In reality, however, an unfamiliar face wouldn’t be able to get in at all. Even for New Year’s visits, you had to be brought in by someone who knew you.

He walked out of the courtyard and went to the alley entrance, where he saw a tall, slender young man leaning against a silver-gray sedan. The young man wore gold-rimmed glasses, his hair was parted, and a lazy smile played on his face.

He was dressed in a thick, brown gentleman’s suit with a dark blue patterned tie. Although he was handsome, his slightly long, narrow eyes gave him the air of a sophisticated scoundrel.

Seeing him, the young man straightened up and waved. "Cousin."

Chen Chuan smiled and nodded back. "Gao Ming." He gestured. "Don’t just stand there. Come on in."

"Hey, I’ve got stuff in the car. Give me a hand."

Chen Chuan walked over and waited for Gao Ming to open the trunk. He then lifted the items and started walking toward the house. When Gao Ming saw him hoist everything with just one hand, looking completely at ease, he couldn’t help but feel a twinge of envy. He remarked, "Wuyi students really are something else."

Chen Chuan just smiled.

Once they were inside, Gao Ming looked around. "Are my aunt and uncle not home?"

"They’re both out."

Gao Ming said, "What a shame. I’ve been dragged all over the place by my dad and my uncle these past few days. I have a case on the 6th day of the first lunar month, so today was my only free day."

Chen Chuan asked, "Want to grab a meal together later?"

Hearing this, Gao Ming immediately clutched his stomach. "Ugh, spare me. In my line of work, you have to deal with too many people during the New Year. I’ve been eating eight meals a day; I feel like I’m going to puke."

Chen Chuan laughed. "Alright, I won’t force you." He and Gao Ming were not only relatives but had also been classmates. They had grown up together and were always very close, so they could speak freely with each other.

Gao Ming then asked curiously, "Cousin, how did you get into Wuda? I don’t remember you training much before."

Chen Chuan thought for a moment, then offered an explanation. "I guess I just have a knack for it. The teachers at the academy call it talent, something only a few people have."

Gao Ming thought that was actually quite possible. He remembered that when they were kids, Chen Chuan had always been the best fighter.

He said jokingly, "Cousin, you’re an A-class student. You’ve got a limitless future. Betting on you would be a great investment."

Chen Chuan asked, "Are you sure it’s a good investment?" He smiled, his voice full of meaning. "If you want to invest, you might have to put in a lot, and you might not see a single shred of return."

Gao Ming was taken aback. He pushed up his glasses and stared for a moment, his expression turning serious. He asked, a little uncertainly, "Cousin, are you thinking of... testing into Central City?"

Chen Chuan looked at him. His cousin had always been sharp. Just from that one sentence, and the few hints he’d dropped before, Gao Ming had already figured out his intentions.

He admitted frankly, "Yes, that’s the plan. But I can’t do it alone. I’ll need help from various fronts. That’s why I wanted to discuss the possibilities with you today, and see if you’re willing to take on this ’case’."

When Gao Ming heard his answer, a flicker of surprise crossed his face, but it was quickly replaced by excitement. He took off his glasses, rubbed his eyes, and said, "Cousin, this is a huge challenge."

When he put his glasses back on, his eyes were shining brightly. His voice was filled with keen interest as he said with utmost seriousness, "Cousin, I need to know about your current social connections at the academy. Who can help you? Who can you absolutely trust? And what’s your current strength? Only by knowing all this can I make even a basic assessment."

Chen Chuan nodded.

Gao Ming already knew about his family and former classmates, so there was no need to elaborate. He focused on his interpersonal relationships at Wuyi Academy, mainly with the academy administration and Cheng Zitong.

None of this was a secret; anyone determined enough to investigate could find it out. Finally, he recounted his major experiences at the academy, including the elimination of Fang Dawei’s gang and the clearing of strange phenomena.

"And what about your strength?" This was what Gao Ming was most focused on. After all, no matter the plans, for a student of Wuyi Academy, everything ultimately boiled down to what could be measured by martial prowess.

"Cousin, what level is your strength at now? How do you compare to the upperclassmen at Wuyi? How big is the gap?"

Chen Chuan mulled it over. "I don’t know exactly how strong the upper-year A-class students are, but let’s put it this way: if it’s an armed, one-on-one fight, even some of the ordinary instructors and teachers at the academy couldn’t beat me."

This wasn’t arrogance. Unaware of his Second Self, if he were to truly fight for his life, he could use a desperate, injury-for-injury technique with a weapon. Unless the teachers were significantly faster and had quicker reactions than him, it would all be over with a single strike.

Gao Ming’s eyes were now shining. He sighed in admiration. "Cousin, you’ve just given me a massive New Year’s gift." He took a deep breath. "Looks like I’ll have to stay a few extra days."

Chen Chuan smiled. "Don’t you have business to attend to in the next couple of days?"

Gao Ming reached up, loosened his tie, and tossed it onto the table. "Not anymore," he said decisively. "What could possibly be more important than this?"

Mi’s Law Firm had business dealings with Wuyi Academy, so after finding out Chen Chuan had been accepted into Wuyi, he had paid close attention to related matters.

Now, after hearing Chen Chuan’s account, and based on what he knew, Gao Ming believed Chen Chuan already met some of the basic requirements for getting into Central City. He was just missing a few things.

But that was fine. Those things could be arranged and compensated for.

If he could successfully push an ordinary person with no powerful background into Central City, it was imaginable that he would make a stunning debut in the world of Litigation Masters. And business aside, having a cousin who could enter Central City Wuyi Academy would be an immense boon to his own career.

He thought for a moment. "I’ll draw up a detailed plan for you, Cousin, and help you analyze the situations you’ll need to avoid or confront. But I’ll probably have to go back to the firm to look up some relevant files."

Chen Chuan said, "There’s no rush on that. But there is something more immediate I need your help with. I need to sign a temporary agreement with a commission company, and I need your assistance."

"A piece of cake." Gao Ming agreed readily. After asking about the commission company, an interested look appeared on his face. "Cousin, perhaps we should get to know this company a bit better."

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