On his run back, Chen Chuan tried clenching his fist. Although he couldn't use his alarm clock to test it at that moment, he was sure of one thing: after the fight with Ding Shuo, the duration of his Second Self's overlap had definitely increased.
He also had a feeling that this increase was significant, likely even greater than the one he'd gained from defeating Shan Xiong.
However, the reason wasn't as simple as just beating Ding Shuo.
Rather, it was the feeling he got when, merged with his Second Self, he unleashed his full power against Ding Shuo, leaving his opponent with no choice but to parry. That exhilarating sensation of unleashing his strength to his heart's content, of attacking without inhibition—that was what truly ignited his emotions and pushed his Second Self to merge even further.
But he also had to consider a problem. He didn't know Ding Shuo's background, but the man had mastered a Power more profound than the Breathing Technique and possessed an extremely high Resistance to Impact. 'If I run into someone like that during the entrance re-examination, how am I supposed to win?'
'Fighting Power with Power should be the best method, but from what Yu Gang revealed, Power is on a much higher level than the Breathing Technique. It's probably not something I can master at my current stage.'
'So what's the plan?'
He thought for a moment and decided to ask Yu Gang for advice tomorrow. There had to be a solution.
"Forty-one, forty-two, forty-three…"
In a nearby residential building, a young man named Weidong was doing handstand push-ups on his balcony railing. Counting under his breath, he saw Chen Chuan run past below and muttered, "Back early today?"
He had been exercising on his balcony every morning and evening for days, so he was used to seeing Chen Chuan pass through the long alley below. As Chen Chuan's figure disappeared from view, Weidong snapped back to the present. 'Right, what number was I on…'
"…"
'Forget it, I'll just start over…'
Chen Chuan ran all the way home without stopping. Since it was still early, he took a quick shower and changed into a clean set of clothes—the same formal student attire he had worn to the entrance exam.
His predecessor had spent all his pocket money on books and movies. The clothes he wore most often were sturdy and durable but very outdated. Only this outfit was decent enough, and it fit his current status as a student.
He left a note for Yu Wan, then wheeled his bicycle out the door.
Once on the main road, he pedaled through the gentle evening breeze. Telephone poles on either side of the road slid backward as he moved. Against a deep blue, gradient sky, wispy, golden-red clouds from the sunset drifted along the horizon, a magnificent and dazzling sight.
This year's graduation party was being held at the Du Yi Hotel. Located near the city's central plaza, the twenty-seven-story building was also the second-tallest in Yangzhi City.
Although it wasn't dinnertime yet, the hotel parking lot was already filled with cars when he arrived.
He turned his handlebars, rounded a corner, and parked his bicycle in the bike shed at the central plaza across from the hotel before walking across the street.
Reaching the hotel entrance, he glanced up. The graduation party was on the rooftop terrace. Booking such a venue wasn't just expensive; it also required connections.
However, the students at City First Middle School weren't all from ordinary families. A few came from exceptional backgrounds, their families possessing considerable Energy. It was these students who were in charge of organizing the party.
He passed through the revolving doors and crossed the lobby under the smiling guidance of a beautiful hostess. He then entered a lattice-gated elevator with several other people.
Business at the hotel was clearly booming. The elevator stopped and started frequently over the first dozen floors as sharply dressed men and women got on and off. Most of them couldn't help but give him a second glance as they entered.
Even though he was only in student attire, he was tall. Over a month of continuous, high-intensity training had left him looking sharp and full of vigor. Combined with his well-defined features, clear eyes, and a well-proportioned physique, he was quite easy on the eyes.
After the twentieth floor, the elevator gradually emptied. It continued its ascent, and he watched the numbers on the floor indicator tick upward. The car finally shuddered to a stop at the twenty-seventh floor, and the lattice gates slowly clattered open to the sides.
He stepped out of the elevator into a spacious landing lined with several other elevator doors. Two hostesses waited in front of the main doors directly opposite. Seeing him approach, they smiled, handed him a guest book to sign, and then pushed the doors open for him.
Chen Chuan stepped over a high concrete threshold and out onto the rooftop terrace. An evening breeze immediately swept over him, ruffling his hair.
The area spanned several thousand square meters, dotted with rows of open-sided awnings under which tables and chairs were neatly arranged. The party was buffet-style, and waitstaff with serving carts were busy setting out cutlery and preparing drinks and food.
He had arrived relatively early, but many students from City First Middle School were already there, gathered in scattered groups and chatting amongst themselves.
It wasn't just his class; the other five classes were also having their parties here. He cross-referenced his predecessor's memories. Some faces were familiar, but he couldn't put names to them.
He walked a few steps to the railing at the edge of the terrace and looked out. The view from the rooftop was undeniably expansive, offering a panorama of more than half the city.
Not far to the north stood Yangzhi City's tallest skyscraper: the Molan Company's Gao Ling Building. With its deep blue glass curtain wall and its towering, streamlined frame, it stood alone, looking completely out of place among the surrounding architecture.
Behind the skyscraper and slightly to the north, he could see the distant Zhang Mountain, while the silhouette of Jiaoshan Mountain was clearly visible to the east.
At that moment, the magnificent light of the sunset poured down from between fragmented clouds, painting the buildings below in rich, shifting colors. Down on the streets, the traffic and pedestrians were bathed in a twilight that blended light and shadow.
Just then, he heard a series of gasps, followed by applause and cheers. He looked toward the source of the sound and saw a crowd of his classmates. In the center of the circle, someone was practicing punches and kicks, their movements punctuated by leaps and bounds.
His interest piqued, he walked over. A slender boy in a training uniform was demonstrating a form. His movements were dominated by kicks, interspersed with spinning leaps and sweeping motions. He punctuated his attacks with sharp Calls, looking quite impressive.
A nearby classmate explained in a show-offy tone, "Shenghai is a member of the Xiujiang Boxing Club now. He started training in his first year of middle school, so he's been at it for four years."
In preparation for his exam, Chen Chuan had looked into the local Boxing Clubs and training gyms in Yangzhi City. Xiujiang Boxing was originally a style imported from abroad. Later, skilled domestic fighters added new moves and applications to refine it, and it was now considered a fairly popular School.
The Boxing Club was excellent at marketing, with branches now all over the country and a well-known reputation. Because the moves of Xiujiang Boxing looked sharp and stylish, it was very popular among students.
He had seen classmates practice this style at school before. Back then, he was just watching for the spectacle and thought the moves looked cool. But now, he saw it differently.
Most of the fluid movements were purely for visual impact. You could never pull them off in a real fight unless there was a huge disparity in skill between the opponents.
He understood a fundamental truth: the foundation of any fighting style is the body; techniques are merely applications of that foundation. Therefore, it's the person who is strong, not the techniques or the School they belong to.
He watched for a little while longer. The student, Shenghai, had decent strength, good coordination, and his movements had a good rhythm. Regardless of his actual combat ability, he had clearly put in a lot of practice.
Shenghai practiced for a while longer before stopping. Despite moving for some time, he wasn't out of breath and had barely broken a sweat.
He smiled and said, "Every year, scouts from the city and the province come to our Xiujiang Boxing Club to select fighters for sparring competitions and tournaments. Film companies also come by to scout for action actors. You guys know Xi Mubing, right? The big action star? He came out of our Xiujiang Boxing Club. If you join us, there are tons of opportunities."
"That's right," added a student who was clearly with Shenghai. "If you get good enough, you can even open your own Boxing Club. The owner of our club started out as a student, signed up, and eventually became the owner himself."
As he spoke, he took a stack of flyers from his shoulder bag and started handing them out. "Take a look, everyone. If you're interested, you can find us, or just head straight to the Boxing Club for a trial. The first week of training is free."
Just then, a student suddenly asked, "How does the Xiujiang Boxing Club compare to Wuda?"
The student just gave a dry laugh.
Another student scoffed, "Can you even compare them? My dad says the security consultants at his bureau are all from Wuda. The city even buys all its security equipment from Wuda every year. What's a Boxing Club next to that?"
A female student chimed in, "My mom says a lot of punks and gang members hang out at Boxing Clubs. It's better to stay away from places like that. If you want to learn to fight, you're better off going to a proper training gym and hiring a Trainer for private lessons. A full course only costs a few hundred."
After hearing this, the other students felt too awkward to take any flyers. Some who felt bad refusing to their faces took one anyway, only to secretly throw it out later.
Once the crowd of students dispersed, Shenghai and the other boy had only taken a few steps when a gust of wind sent one of their flyers fluttering away, where it was promptly trodden underfoot.
The boy said angrily, "How could they do that?"
Shenghai, who had likely seen this before, wasn't very angry. He patted the boy's shoulder and said, "Forget it. Let's go."
"Oh." The boy thought for a moment, then walked over and bent down to pick up the flyer. Just then, a shadow fell over him. He looked up and was taken aback to see a tall, composed young man standing before him.
Chen Chuan held out his hand. "Excuse me, could I have one of those flyers?"
"Huh? Oh, sure!" The boy was delighted. He handed Chen Chuan a flyer and said enthusiastically, "My name is Liang Tong. If you want to check out the club, feel free to ask me anything."
Chen Chuan took the flyer and glanced at it. "I heard the first week is free. What do you teach?"
Liang Tong said, "Mainly some of the basic techniques."
Chen Chuan asked, "What if someone already has some basic training?"
Liang Tong replied without hesitation, "That's fine too. A lot of students who join already have some training, some from other clubs. We arrange for them to spar with our members so they can get a direct feel for Xiujiang Boxing." He thought for a moment, then added, "Of course, if you're just looking for a sparring partner, that's also an option."
Chen Chuan asked, "As long as the price is right, I assume?"
Liang Tong gave a knowing chuckle.
Chen Chuan smiled back. "Thanks, Liang."
"No problem." Liang Tong suddenly remembered something. "The address is on the flyer. Each district has a different club. If you come to ours, you can get a discount if you bring the flyer."
Chen Chuan said he would, then waved goodbye and parted ways with the two of them.
Shenghai, who had been quiet until now, asked, "Is that guy also from our school?"
Liang Tong replied, "I think so. I've seen him around before. I think he's from Class Four, but I can't remember his name."
Shenghai watched Chen Chuan's retreating figure and said with conviction, "That classmate of yours… he's definitely a practitioner."
"Really? I guess so. It's pretty normal for someone to have trained, isn't it?" Liang Tong didn't find it particularly strange. In the Dashun Republic, Boxing Clubs and training gyms were everywhere; it was hardly rare for a student to know some martial arts. Weren't he and Shenghai the same?
'But the "training" I'm talking about isn't that simple,' Shenghai thought. When Chen Chuan stood before them, he gave off an indescribable feeling, an aura he had only ever sensed from the veteran fighters and a few of the coaches at his club.
...
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