Arms Certificate

Arms Certificate

Wei Changan drove Chen Chuan all the way back to the Patrol Bureau Family residential area. As Chen Chuan prepared to get out, he said, "Right, I forgot to ask earlier. Junior, who is your instructor?"

"Cheng Zitong."

"Cheng Zitong? Him?"

Wei Changan's expression turned a little strange.

"What, Brother Wei? You think he's unsuitable?"

Wei Changan hurriedly shook his head and said seriously, "The school assigned him as your instructor, so he must be suitable. I just didn't expect it to be him. I always thought he was only the deputy supervisor of the Logistics Department.

But this is good too. At least you won't be lacking training resources in the future. He's practically the school's second butler. Maybe one day Brother Wei will have to ask you for help. All right, I'm off!"

He waved to Chen Chuan, started the car, and slowly drove toward the other end of the road.

Chen Chuan headed into a nearby alley and was soon home. Since he had called ahead, Yu Wan had been waiting for him. She was delighted to see him back so early and immediately fussed over him with concern. Not wanting her to worry, Chen Chuan only told her the good parts of what had happened at school.

Since something was still stewing over the stove, Yu Wan went back to work after asking him a few questions. Nian Fuli had business at the bureau, and his Rest Days were irregular, so he would not be back until evening. Chen Chuan went to the living room first, called Ding Jiao, chatted for a while, then spent quite some time playing with his younger male cousin and younger female cousin. At noon, they ate together.

That afternoon, he decided to visit Fist Home and bring the medicine to Lu Ke while he was at it. After letting Yu Wan know, he left the house.

On the way, he detoured to Wei Dong's home. Finding no one there, he asked a neighbor who was home, since it was a Rest Day. He learned that Wei Dong had recently been moving things in and out. Chen Chuan smiled, did not linger, and headed straight for Fist Home.

When he emerged from a small alley, he saw a group of children practicing boxing on the field. Lu Ke was patiently instructing them from the side, occasionally stepping in to correct their stances. Though young, the children threw their punches with proper form.

Chen Chuan smiled and called out, "Little Brother Lu."

Lu Ke turned around and his face lit up with surprise when he saw him. "Little Brother Chen?" He soothed the child beside him, then immediately ran over and gave Chen Chuan a high-five. Curious and excited, he asked, "Little Brother Chen, what brings you here?"

Chen Chuan smiled. "It's a Rest Day, so I came to see you and Mr. Yu."

Lu Ke scratched his head. "Bad timing. Master went out. He's had something to deal with these past couple of days, and I don't know when he'll be back." Then he asked curiously, "You've been at Wuyi Academy for several days now. What's it like there? How does it feel?"

Chen Chuan said, "How should I put it? Some parts are like I imagined, while others aren't. But there's always something to learn. We can find time to talk about it properly later."

Lu Ke looked envious. "I really envy you. You get to study there."

Chen Chuan gestured ahead and asked, "Where did these children come from?"

Lu Ke explained, "They're the children of Iron Chain Gang members. Mr. Qi had them sent here to learn fighting. That fellow who sparred with you last time even asked about you, but I didn't tell him anything."

Chen Chuan took off his shoulder bag and pulled out the Kai Lian Powder. "Little Brother Lu, I bought this Kai Lian Powder for you at Wuyi Academy."

Lu Ke said awkwardly, "You still remembered."

Chen Chuan smiled. "Of course I had to repay you for using yours. Right, this powder is quite potent. They say it's enough for two people, so don't use too much at a time."

Lu Ke said, "All right, Little Brother Chen. Thank you."

Just then, Chen Chuan sensed something and saw two burly men coming out of the building. They gave him a few wary looks, but when they saw him chatting and laughing with Lu Ke, they went back inside.

Lu Ke said, "They're from the Iron Chain Gang. They're responsible for taking these kids to and from here. Right, let me finish this lesson first. Wait a moment." He apologized, went back to teach for another ten minutes or so, then let the children play freely. After that, he returned and said, "Come on, Little Brother Chen. Let's go upstairs and talk."

The two went up to the top floor. Lu Ke opened a bottle of soda and poured each of them a glass, then eagerly began asking about Wuyi Academy.

Chen Chuan gave him a general overview. He did not say much about training, focusing mainly on the campus environment instead. Lu Ke listened with great longing, seeming to want every detail explained clearly. He especially kept asking about Spring Autumn Lake.

Longingly, he said, "Jiao Mountain only has groundwater. There aren't any lakes, not even a stream. And the water there tastes awful—bitter, astringent, with a strange flavor you can't describe." But he did not seem to want to talk much about that place, stopping after a few sentences before asking, "By the way, are you still practicing the throwing techniques I taught you last time?"

Chen Chuan said, "I practice them whenever I have spare time, though they aren't very convenient to practice at school. But they're useful, so I won't put them aside."

When he had gone to Guo Fatty's place last time, he would not have been able to take down Zhai Wu so quickly without those Throwing Techniques, nor would it have been so easy to catch Chou Huzi. Besides, his previous self had died beneath a rain of stones, so he wanted to learn more about this aspect as well.

He stayed there until after four, then bade Lu Ke farewell and headed home. When he passed through Long Alley Residential Area, he glanced up toward the balcony and saw that there still seemed to be no one there. After thinking it over, he figured they would meet at school eventually, so he jogged all the way home.

That evening, Nian Fuli returned from work, and the whole family was finally together. During dinner, Chen Chuan told him about the situation at school and mentioned Wei Changan as well.

Nian Fuli snorted. "That Wei Laohu really does have a good son."

Chen Chuan thought about it but ultimately did not ask about the mop. That was between Nian Fuli and Wei Laohu, and there was no need for him to interfere.

After staying home for the night, he returned to school early the next morning after washing up. It was only a little past seven when he checked the time, and Cheng Zitong had yet to arrive, so Chen Chuan began training alone in the individual Training Room.

After mastering the Breath Regulation Method, he could feel that every punch he threw was stronger and more forceful than before, while his control over his techniques had become far more effortless.

There was no doubt that the Mutated Fascia had helped him tremendously. But that also meant the Mutated Tissue was growing faster and faster. If he did not find a way to restrain it, it would likely reach a dangerous point very soon. He quietly resolved that he had to master force as soon as possible.

At around eight, someone knocked on the door outside. He went over and opened it. Sure enough, Cheng Zitong had arrived. Chen Chuan greeted him and ushered him inside.

Once inside, Cheng Zitong sat down on the sofa and said, "First, let me tell you something."

He took a document from his bag. "Registration for this year's Arms Certificate Selection Exam is about to begin. But because the number of slots is limited, there are strict requirements.

First, you must have participated in at least three major assignments that received an evaluation of Excellent or above. Second, applicants must at minimum have mastered force, whether Large Force or Small Force. Finally..."

His expression grew more serious. "This certification exam is tied to the midterm and final exams. If you pass, you will be exempt from this academic year's midterm and final exams. But if you fail, you will be downgraded to a Class B Student. There are some other requirements too. They're written there. Whether you take it is up to you."

Chen Chuan picked up the document, flipped through it a few times, then looked up and asked, "What is your opinion, Teacher?"

Cheng Zitong said, "I won't make the decision for you. I'm only explaining the situation. Personally, I think this certificate is extremely important. Extremely important. Extremely important! If it were me, I would do everything possible to get it!"

Chen Chuan wholeheartedly agreed. Since Teacher Cheng had said it three times, it had to be extremely important.

Cheng Zitong continued, "Because the Selection Exam is only held once every two years, this means you'll only get this one chance while you're at school. If you don't take it this time, then you can only slowly accumulate evaluations through external assignments.

Assuming you can keep getting assigned tasks and complete them smoothly, you might be able to qualify in a little over two years. But if you can get the Arms Certificate first, wouldn't it be better to use the evaluations from those extra assignments to earn an Armored Certificate?"

Chen Chuan agreed with that. The document's explanation was roughly the same as what Wei Changan had told him. Once he obtained this certificate, he could carry weapons with him, and it would be recognized worldwide.

At the same time, he could see that when taking on assignments, the difference between carrying a weapon and not carrying one was immense. If clients saw that you had an Arms Certificate, they would definitely choose you first. And the more assignments you completed, the higher your success rate, the more they would choose you.

It could be said that students who obtained an Arms Certificate would definitely leave their peers, and even some upperclassmen, far behind. This opportunity absolutely could not be missed! He looked up, his gaze serious. "Teacher Cheng, I'll find a way to obtain this certificate."