Celestial Human Diagram-Chapter 144 - 129: Gathering

Director Lei was a man of action. By noon the very next day, he called Chen Chuan to tell him that things with the Foreign Affairs Bureau had been settled and Director Liu had agreed.

The commission to retrieve the Oak Leaf would be issued soon and specifically assigned to him. The justification was solid: he had been the first to pursue the fugitives and had single-handedly killed Duma on the road, all while risking gunfire.

Given the commission’s difficulty, and with Director Lei’s advocacy, the Foreign Affairs Bureau had been forced to put up a hefty sum. The reward would be substantial.

During the commission, the Foreign Affairs Bureau would also provide all necessary intelligence support, but the specifics of the operation would be up to them.

Finally, Director Lei told him that the Esoteric Review Bureau would use the Flying Head Sect case as a pretext to speak with the delegation, delaying their itinerary as much as possible to buy him more time to prepare.

Hearing all this, Chen Chuan had a much clearer picture of the situation. He asked a few more specific questions before hanging up.

Next, it was time to assemble a team. Even with the Esoteric Review Bureau’s delaying tactics, the delegation wouldn’t stay for long. Especially after getting their hands on the item, they would undoubtedly try every means possible to send it back. Time was not on their side.

He thought for a moment, then took the opportunity during lunch to tell Luo Kaiyuan, Feng Xiaochi, and Weidong that he had something to discuss with them.

The three of them knew it must be important, so they came to his dorm room after lunch.

Once the three were seated, Chen Chuan told them about the commission to retrieve the Oak Leaf and invited them to join.

Feng Xiaochi was extremely enthusiastic. He had never been on a commission before. He knew Chen Chuan was always taking on assigned missions and was quite envious.

Most students, due to their lack of experience and Fighting Skills, wouldn’t get such an opportunity until their second or even third year. Now, with a major commission right in front of him—one he could actually join—he was naturally eager to accept.

He said, "Chen, Luo, you two went to the exchange conference last time, but I couldn’t make it. This time, you have to bring me along!"

Luo Kaiyuan said seriously, "We should get it back. Since you trust me, Chen, I’m willing to join. I’ll give you my full cooperation."

Weidong’s eyes lit up. "We’re going to fight someone, right? Great, count me in!"

Seeing that they all agreed, the foundation of the team was set. Chen Chuan said, "Alright. We’ll meet again once I have more details. Since we might be going up against the Maka delegation, our current strength isn’t enough. I’ll be recruiting others to join us, so I wanted to give you a heads-up."

None of the three had any objections. They were all inexperienced, and Chen Chuan was the leader. The fact that he was willing to bring them along on a commission—and a major one at that—meant they would naturally follow his lead and arrangements.

After they left, he called Wei Chang’an. Once the call connected, they exchanged a few pleasantries before Chen Chuan brought up the commission.

"Wow, junior, you’re way more capable than me, Brother Wei. To land a commission like this..."

Wei Chang’an was stunned. As a contractor himself, he knew just how difficult it was to get a commission from a government department. It required deep connections and inroads. Usually, various contracting companies that caught wind of it would snatch them up long before they ever reached an individual.

If he could get in on a commission like this, he’d have a shot at becoming an Advanced Client. He would do it even without pay. ’This isn’t Chen Chuan asking for help,’ he thought. ’This is him giving me a huge boost.’

He said with emotion, "Junior, you’re looking out for Brother Wei again. I won’t waste your time with empty words. I’m dropping all my current commissions right now. I’ll be waiting for your call. Just say the word, and I’ll be there!"

Chen Chuan smiled. "Alright, Brother Wei. It’s a deal, then."

In the afternoon, Cheng Zitong called. He said he had spoken with Ren Xiaotian, who would find time to come to the school and meet him in the next couple of days.

Chen Chuan was relieved to hear this. Ren Xiaotian was experienced and reliable. With this senior brother helping to advise and plan, their chances of success would be much higher.

That just left Wu Han. He figured Wu Han would be at the training hall at this time. So, he left the dormitory, went to the training hall, and easily found him. Instead of getting straight to business, they sparred for over an hour. Afterward, they each grabbed a bottle of water, sat down to the side, and amidst their casual chat, Chen Chuan extended the invitation.

After hearing the gist of it, Wu Han grew excited. "Junior, I have to be a part of this! What’s the plan? Same as always: you call the shots!"

Last time, it was by listening to Chen Chuan that he’d been able to participate in eliminating Fang Dawei’s group and obtain a Weapon Permit. Because of that, he trusted Chen Chuan completely.

Chen Chuan nodded. Wu Han had a Weapon Permit, which meant he could openly carry firearms. Having someone like that on the team would make things much easier.

They didn’t have specific details or a set timeline yet, so he told Wu Han not to accept any other commissions for the next few days and to wait for his call. Wu Han readily agreed, patting his chest in assurance.

Back in his dorm, Chen Chuan had to consider other logistical issues. With so many people involved, and the possibility of leaving Yangzhi City, they would need to prepare vehicles and other essential supplies. These things wouldn’t be hard to solve if he talked to his company.

However, this was his private commission, unrelated to the company. So, he planned to borrow what he needed from them and pay it back later, or have the cost deducted from his future rewards.

Vehicles and supplies were easy enough to deal with, but firearms were more troublesome. Cheng Zitong might have a way, but if not, Chen Chuan could try to get authorization from the Foreign Affairs Bureau and then take it to the Patrol Bureau for approval.

The Foreign Affairs Bureau didn’t have that kind of pull with the Patrol Bureau. However, as long as they provided an official endorsement for the operation, the Patrol Bureau could openly issue him weapons. After all, he had connections as a "child of the Patrol Bureau," and more importantly, he had a Weapon Permit. It wouldn’t be too difficult to arrange.

He spent the next two days busy with these arrangements. On the third day, Director Lei called him again to tell him the delegation would be departing in five days at the latest.

The Review Bureau had planned to delay them further, but the delegation was being very firm this time. Staying an extra day or two shouldn’t have been an issue, so their behavior strongly suggested they were operating on a pre-set deadline and couldn’t wait any longer.

After filling him in, Director Lei also gave him a suggestion: keep a close watch on the area around the checkpoint on the way to the port. He should be able to find something.

Chen Chuan thanked him and made a mental note. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Director Lei said finally, "Liu Zhan asked me to pass on a message, and I think it’s necessary. They are a diplomatic delegation, after all, and our two countries haven’t had a complete falling out. Try not to make things too ugly.

However, if the situation becomes critical, or if your personal safety is threatened, don’t hold back. It wouldn’t be difficult to link the delegation to the Flying Head Sect."

Chen Chuan said, "Don’t worry, Director Lei. I’ll be mindful of my methods."

Director Lei said, "Just do what you need to do. If you need any help, call me. I’ll figure something out for you."

Chen Chuan thanked him again and hung up the phone.

Around noon that day, he received a thick package. Inside was all the intel the Foreign Affairs Bureau had on the Maka delegation, along with their itinerary. There was also a phone number he could use to contact the Foreign Affairs Bureau at any time to confirm their specific travel plans.

After carefully reviewing the materials, he stood up, picked up the phone, and began calling everyone one by one, telling all participants in the commission to gather in his dorm room that evening.

At 6:10 PM, everyone had arrived except for Ren Xiaotian: Luo Kaiyuan, Feng Xiaochi, Weidong, Wu Han, and Wei Chang’an.

Chen Chuan already knew from his call that Ren Xiaotian wouldn’t be able to make it for a while. He didn’t wait, but instead spread a map out in front of everyone and began to explain the situation.

"To go home, the Maka People’s delegation needs to take a ship from Yuanwang Port after leaving Yangzhi City. Because of the Xieshan mudslides, the railway line has been out of service since last year. So, heading east from Yangzhi City, there’s only one road left." He pointed to a long line on the map. "The National Path."

He said, "I’ve considered this. After the delegation gets the item, they have two likely plans. First, they could use certain connections to send the item directly to the port. The port is relatively independent, and once outside Yangzhi City, the inspections won’t be as strict.

However, this is unlikely. First, the National Path has checkpoints, and inspections have been intensified in the last couple of days. They’d never get through. Second, the road is flanked by vast, uninhabited wilderness. The conditions out there are complex, and there are numerous smuggling groups and drifters.

As foreigners, they likely wouldn’t take such a risk of losing the item. Besides, even if they got to the port early, without proper identification, a long stay would expose them, no matter how lax the inspections. After all, the Maka People’s ocean liner can’t even sail back right now.

So, the most likely scenario is that these people are currently hiding somewhere outside Yangzhi City, waiting to rendezvous with the delegation after they leave, and then they’ll all head to the port together."

Luo Kaiyuan looked up and asked, "Is it possible the item is already in the delegation’s hands?"

Chen Chuan replied, "I considered that, but based on the information from the Foreign Affairs Bureau, it’s highly unlikely.

The Administrative Affairs Hall is suspicious of them right now, and using the pretext that the delegation might be attacked again, they’ve dispatched a security team to ’protect’ them.

The entire delegation is being watched 24/7, and their movements are restricted. Even their personal belongings are subject to inspection. They wouldn’t dare bring the item over directly—at least not before leaving Yangzhi. The critical window is after they depart, on the road to the port."

Wei Chang’an studied the map and mused, "The best way is to find those Maka Students who are in hiding."

Chen Chuan said, "Yes. The Maka People’s delegation has a total of forty-eight members, with twenty of them responsible for security. Not only are they all skilled fighters, but they also have firearms and armored vehicles. Once they’re on the move, it would be almost impossible to stop them without heavy weaponry.

Even if we had that capability, for everyone’s safety and to manage the political fallout, we must avoid a direct confrontation. That limits our options. Intercepting the party carrying the Oak Leaf before they rendezvous might be our only way."

Feng Xiaochi thought for a moment, then a sudden idea struck him. He looked up and said, "Everyone, I have an idea."

Chen Chuan gestured for him to speak. "Go ahead, Feng."

Feng Xiaochi clenched his fist. "What if we announce publicly that the Oak Leaf has already been recovered and make sure the Maka delegation hears about it? If they have a way to contact those Maka Students, they might try to confirm the news. All we’d have to do is watch them. They might lead us right to the people we’re looking for!"

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