Celestial Human Diagram

Chen Chuan had no objection to this. To be honest, if Lu Tong Logistics didn’t have a suitable power backing it, the company would sooner or later be forced to spit out everything it had gained after he left.

Perhaps the other parties, out of respect for his intimidating presence, wouldn’t go to extremes, but that would be the extent of it.

They were likely aware of this themselves.

Under such circumstances, it was no surprise at all that they would hit it off immediately after running into Fusion Boundary, especially since the latter had shown a willingness to offer support.

Compared to other corporations, Fusion Boundary was, at most, in an experimental, trailblazing phase, so its methods wouldn’t be quite so ugly yet.

Of course, he knew perfectly well that expanding into the market was only part of it. The Upper Layer of the company was likely trying to use market rollouts to gather feedback and accelerate the development of Combat Implants in preparation for the coming new era.

This was, in fact, what every company was doing. Those that couldn’t keep up would eventually be weeded out, like Molan Company.

He said, "If this is what both of you want, I have no reason to object. But as the company’s current Chief Advisor for security, I must remind you that once you step onto the chessboard that is the Lower City District, you won’t just be facing business competition. You may also have to face armed conflict."

Tang Zhang’s expression grew serious. "We are aware," he said, "and we have made preparations."

Chen Chuan said, "In that case, handle it as you see fit."

He would report this matter truthfully to the Processing Bureau. He believed the reason they had told him was not only out of consideration for his relationship with the people here but also as an indirect way of informing the Processing Bureau of the situation.

Tang Zhang said, "Thank you for your understanding, Advisor Chen. I need to report this to the company as soon as possible, so please excuse me."

After speaking with him, Chen Chuan started walking back. The location of the camp had been chosen with great care. The corrosive influence on his Second Self was very faint here, but it still existed. It seemed to be a special kind of contamination.

He didn’t know if this was related to the government’s decision to abandon this area in the past, but for people living here long-term, the demand for Implants would be very high if they weren’t Fighters.

As he returned to the temporary RV Lu Tong Logistics had prepared for him, he saw Lan Xinnan walking over. He could tell she was in a very good mood. When she drew near, she said, "I’ve spoken with my master. The surgery is scheduled for the day after tomorrow. Brother Chen, thank you."

Chen Chuan replied, "No need to thank me, Captain Lan. I also hope to see Teacher Yu regain his mobility."

Lan Xinnan said, "I was the one who pushed for the team to cooperate with Fusion Boundary Company. I hope it hasn’t caused you any trouble, Brother Chen."

"Not at all," Chen Chuan said. "You really should find a major power to rely on. As the team’s leader, it’s a rational choice, and I can’t fault you for it.

"However, Captain Lan, no matter where you are or who you partner with, strength is everything. I heard from Teacher Yu that you’re a very talented person. If you can live up to that talent, I believe you can lead your team to a better future."

Lan Xinnan clearly took his words to heart. A determined and hopeful smile spread across her spirited face. "Brother Chen, thank you for the reminder," she said. "I will."

This time, Poison Ant Express retreated quickly. Within a single day, they had completely withdrawn from the territory they had seized from Lu Tong Logistics. Furthermore, some former members of Lu Tong Logistics heard the news and returned to the team.

There were certainly spies from outside forces and Poison Ant Express among them, but the team was currently too short-staffed to be picky. They couldn’t refuse everyone for fear of letting in a few bad apples, so they decided to accept them for now and keep them under observation.

After confirming their partnership with Lu Tong Logistics, Fusion Boundary immediately dispatched a security squad to the Lower City District. This included a team of Resonators, who worked with the Lu Tong Logistics crew to establish a strong signal link to the surface.

Back at the camp, with the help of the company’s medical team, they spent two days preparing for surgery. On the third day, Yu Gang’s Implant operation officially began.

The surgery lasted for an entire day. The following day, the door to the medical pod hissed open, and a tall figure emerged.

Lu Ke had been waiting anxiously outside. When he saw Yu Gang walk out, whole and unassisted, he was overcome with excitement. He rushed forward and looked him up and down. "Master, you’re healed?"

He reached out to touch Yu Gang’s new arm. Feeling its solid, powerful form, his eyes began to well up.

Yu Gang said, "Yes, I’m healed."

He flexed his arm. It wasn’t his original, but it moved without the slightest bit of resistance. In fact, it seemed to possess a strength he’d never felt before. The sensation was novel.

The doctor in charge of Implant maintenance approached him and explained, "Mr. Yu, your new limb can already handle normal activity. However, the muscles and the replicated Mutated Organization will require some adaptive training to achieve full integration.

"We will conduct a comprehensive diagnostic at that point.

"In the meantime, you’ll need regular nutrient injections to help restore and maintain your joints and nerves. Initially, you’ll also have to take a prescribed dose of Anti-Differentiation Medicine daily. You should be fully adapted in about three to five weeks.

"Our Implants also have other functions. If your heart and lungs were to be modified as well, they could work in concert to unleash even greater strength. And even if a limb is damaged, it can be rapidly repaired in a regeneration pod."

Seeing that a crowd had gathered to listen, the doctor looked quite pleased and continued, "Of course, the most important feature is the replicated Mutated Organization. With the replication, you don’t have to worry about excessive growth or atrophy. When needed, it can even undergo controlled proliferation with the right equipment to adapt to your growing power."

Yu Gang flexed his arm again. The muscles bulged naturally. From the outside, apart from a slight difference in skin tone, it looked completely normal. The finger joints moved fluidly. He asked, "When can I begin rehabilitation exercises?"

The maintenance doctor replied, "Mr. Yu, your constitution is very strong, and your body’s compatibility with the Implant is quite high. The surgery was a great success. You can start training tomorrow. We recommend you begin with low-intensity combat exercises and gradually increase the difficulty each day.

"We will monitor the changes in your body throughout the process, but we also request your permission to collect some data to aid our future research."

Yu Gang said, "Agreed."

Lan Xinnan then walked up and said apologetically, "Master, I’m sorry."

This time, she had arranged for him to receive all the Implants at once, even replacing the leg that could barely support him. But to ensure he would agree to it, she hadn’t told him the full extent of the procedure beforehand. Yu Gang had thought he was only getting one new Implant.

Yu Gang sighed. "It seems my stubbornness has caused you a lot of trouble."

"Master..."

"Xinnan, listen to me," Yu Gang said. He placed a hand on Lan Xinnan’s shoulder and patted it gently. "I don’t blame you. I just didn’t want to see you get bogged down by this. That was never my intention. Starting tomorrow, you can join me for my rehabilitation training. We’ll see if your Fighting Skills have gotten rusty."

Feeling the wide, strong hand on her shoulder, Lan Xinnan let out a deep, affirmative "Mm."

Yu Gang then looked outside. "Chen Chuan helped with all this, didn’t he?"

Lan Xinnan replied, "Brother Chen arranged for the connections and the Implants."

"Where is he?"

"Brother Chen was here a moment ago," Lan Xinnan said. "But he had business back in the Upper City District. When he heard the surgery was a success, he had to leave. He asked me to say goodbye to you for him, Master."

Chen Chuan was currently heading back in Tang Zhang’s private car. "Advisor Chen," Tang Zhang said, "I spoke with the medical team. He hadn’t been injured for too long, and his physical foundation is excellent. After a period of recovery, he should be able to regain sixty to seventy percent of his former strength. We will, of course, continue to improve the technology..."

Just as the car was approaching the tunnel entrance, he glanced in the rearview mirror and involuntarily said, "Advisor Chen, look..."

Chen Chuan looked back. In the direction of the camp, all the gathered vehicles suddenly flashed their lights. The combined glare was exceptionally brilliant in the underground district, radiating a potent sense of vitality that was hard to find anywhere else.

Tang Zhang said, "They’re seeing you off."

Chen Chuan nodded and looked away. The vehicle soon entered a long, deep tunnel. However, it didn’t head straight back but turned in another direction. About ten minutes later, Tang Zhang stopped the car. "He’s here."

Chen Chuan opened the door, stepped out of the car, and walked over by himself. Not far ahead, Old Bian was sitting alone on a toppled concrete block. He slowly rose to his feet upon seeing Chen Chuan.

Chen Chuan said, "Elder Bian?"

Old Bian stared at him, his entire body tense. Even though he had witnessed Chen Chuan in action through the Realm Token, seeing him in person now—watching him walk closer—made him involuntarily tense up.

He kept his expression calm. "It’s me, young man. So, what did you call an old fellow like me out here for?"

When Chen Chuan had requested this meeting, he hadn’t wanted to come. ’I don’t know what he’s planning. What if he’s afraid I’ll cause trouble behind his back and wants to get rid of me?’

’But circumstances are stronger than men. If I’d really refused, not only would I have lost my last shred of prestige, but if he was determined to come after me, he’d probably find me eventually. And there would be plenty of people eager to kick me while I’m down.’

Chen Chuan saw his tension and smiled. "It’s nothing serious. I just came to discuss something with you, Senior. I can’t stay in the Lower City District for long, but Lu Tong Logistics needs a capable person to watch over it. I recall that Elder Bian used to have a good relationship with Lu Tong Logistics, which makes you the perfect candidate. So, I’d like to ask you to look after things in my stead."

Old Bian was furious. ’This bastard,’ he thought. ’He kicks me out, and now he wants me to go back and work for free? Is he threatening me? Does he think I’ll fall for that?’

Out loud, however, he said solemnly, "I consider the people at Lu Tong Logistics to be my juniors. If they were in trouble, I would certainly not stand by and do nothing."

Chen Chuan nodded. "I believe you, Elder Bian." He gestured into the distance, and a company security guard immediately brought over a case and set it down in front of Old Bian.

Old Bian stared at it. "This is..."

"Third Limit Cultivation Drugs."

Chen Chuan smiled. It wasn’t the special-grade medicine, but it was clear Old Bian didn’t need that anyway. "Then it’s settled. Elder Bian, goodbye." With that, he gave a wave and turned to leave.

After Chen Chuan was gone, Old Bian listened to the sound of the car receding into the distance. He stared silently at the case on the ground, sighed, then stepped forward, bent down, and picked it up. He patted it, feeling its substantial weight, and couldn’t help but curse, "Damn it. He really has me pegged."

He started walking toward the other end of the tunnel, muttering to himself, "Looks like this old man will have to stay busy for a few more years."

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