With that, he turned to look at Chen Chuan, his expression complex. "I'm really envious of you. You get to study in the city, you don't have to carry these burdens, and you can get into Wuda. When I see you, I can't help but wonder why I can't have a life like this. Why couldn't it be me who got into Wuda…?"
"Chen Chuan!"
His voice suddenly rose. He wiped his face hard and raised his bottle high, his eyes a little red. "Here's to you. I hope you make your mark at Wuda. You damn well better not end up worse off than me!"
Chen Chuan silently picked up his bottle, clinked it firmly against Lu Ke's, and took a drink.
Lu Ke downed the entire bottle of soda in one go. He then raised his hand, as if wanting to smash the bottle, fueled by the emotion surging within him. But then he remembered it could be recycled for a bit of cash, so he lowered his arm and carefully set it on the table.
After that outburst, he seemed to recover a little. A moment later, he said, "You've improved so quickly since you started practicing the Breathing Technique. It looks like it really works. I have to master it too, but I don't dare to push myself as hard as you do. I can only take it slow."
Chen Chuan said, "Taking it slow is fine, too. After all, you've already achieved 'Half-Step Breathing.'"
"Ahem." Lu Ke coughed twice, then broke into a laugh. He got up from the floor. "Come on, let me teach you something."
Seeing him walk over to the rooftop railing, Chen Chuan got up and followed. Lu Ke pointed. "See that over there?"
Chen Chuan followed his gaze and saw two sparrows perched on a utility pole. He estimated the distance to be about fourteen or fifteen meters. Just then, Lu Ke flicked his wrist. One of the birds suddenly dropped, while the other took flight in a panic.
Chen Chuan was taken aback. "What was that…?"
Lu Ke opened his palm, revealing two small, fingertip-sized pebbles, polished until they were perfectly smooth.
Seeing them, Chen Chuan's heart skipped a beat.
"The Throwing Technique."
Lu Ke made a throwing motion. "From ten or twenty meters away, you can kill or injure an opponent with just a simply polished pebble. My master told me that Wuda doesn't teach this skill due to certain restrictions, but it's incredibly useful. If you get good at it, you can incapacitate someone much stronger than you from a distance."
Chen Chuan couldn't help but nod. He knew this all too well. His predecessor had been killed by a single pebble. The distance was hard to judge, but it felt like it had been a hundred meters, maybe even more.
Lu Ke tossed a pebble in his hand. "I can teach you. The main thing is the trick to generating force. Since you've learned the Breathing Technique, it should be easy for you to pick up."
Chen Chuan asked, "Mr. Yu taught you this, right? Are you allowed to teach it to others?"
Lu Ke said nonchalantly, "This is just the most basic Throwing Technique. I haven't mastered the more advanced versions, so I couldn't teach them even if I wanted to."
Chen Chuan looked at him and asked, "Do a lot of people know this Throwing Technique?"
Lu Ke thought for a moment. "My master never said. But it's not that hard for an ordinary person to grasp, as long as they put in the effort and practice hard. Reaching an advanced level, though, that's not simple. Come on, I'll show you how to throw."
Seeing how enthusiastic he was, Chen Chuan didn't stand on ceremony and began to learn. It was always good to have another skill, and besides, he had his own reasons for wanting to understand it.
The Throwing Technique was indeed not too difficult. Because it was mainly about the throwing posture and the trick to generating force, it was very easy to get the hang of. But achieving precision and speed would require constant practice and refinement.
Another key factor was the pebbles themselves. They had to be polished and have the right weight—not too light, not too heavy. According to Lu Ke, Zhang Mountain had plenty of this type of rock, as it was a place known for its quality stone.
Hearing this, a thought struck Chen Chuan. He suspected the pebble that killed his predecessor was from Zhang Mountain. If that was the case, he had to find some time to go check it out. It might even lead him to a clue about the hidden culprit responsible for his predecessor's death.
He practiced with Lu Ke for a while longer. Since tomorrow was enrollment day and also the registration for the second-round exam, he said his goodbyes and left. Before he went, he asked for two pebbles and tucked them in his pocket.
He stuck to his usual routine and ran home.
Meanwhile, in a temporarily rented third-floor room overlooking the long alley that he passed through every day, Brother Qi and the man in the floral shirt were waiting.
Brother Qi asked, "Is everyone in position?"
"All set, Brother Qi."
Brother Qi glanced into the distance. A man with an unfamiliar face was leaning against a wall on the street corner, dressed in a tank top and work pants. "Who's that?" he asked.
The man in the floral shirt said, "Brother Qi, he's a skilled fighter from out of town with a clean record that we hired. I figured since the kid got into Wuda, he must have some skills. Having this guy around makes things a bit more secure."
"Bullshit."
Brother Qi said contemptuously, "He's not one of those rich brats from the upper city. What kind of skills could he have before he's even enrolled? But since he's here, whatever. We'll see if he's worth the money."
He pulled out a cigarette. The man in the floral shirt, quick on the uptake, immediately whipped out a lighter and lit it for him. Brother Qi took a drag, blew out a ring of smoke, and said, "When this is over, get the lookouts, and we'll all go for a feast at Spring Fortune Tower."
The man in the floral shirt said, "Great, great! I'll thank you on behalf of the boys, Brother Qi." He checked his watch, then peered into the distance again, saying excitedly, "Brother Qi, he's here! A little early today."
Chen Chuan ran into the long alley, following his usual route. This section was relatively flat, so he usually picked up his pace slightly.
This time, however, just as he reached the middle of the alley, he suddenly felt something was wrong. Up ahead, five or six men holding lead pipes were walking toward him, cruel, mocking sneers on their faces.
He stopped immediately. A sixth sense made him glance back, only to find that his path was blocked there too by several more figures.
The men on both sides advanced on him slowly, scraping their pipes along the walls, creating a jarring, ear-grating sound to intimidate him.
Meanwhile, on a nearby rooftop, a young man was doing handstand push-ups. He saw the scene unfold below. "Huh? Looks like this guy has gotten on someone's bad side."
With a cigarette dangling from his lips, Brother Qi looked down contemptuously. From his vantage point, he could clearly see his men closing in from both sides.
Chen Chuan glanced up. The long alley was flanked by dilapidated walls topped with shards of broken glass. Climbing them would be difficult, and breaking into a private residence would only bring trouble to the occupants.
'If I can't escape, then I won't run.'
He unbuttoned his jacket, revealing the white shirt underneath. After shrugging it off, he tossed the jacket far to the side.
While the jacket was still in mid-air, he stomped his foot. His Second Self instantly merged with him. A cloud of dust billowed up from the ground as he shot forward!
...
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