Start with push-ups to gain experience

Chapter 361 Who would you choose? What kind of guy is this?

The night is getting darker.

Starlight and neon lights intertwine, adorning the bustling city nightscape.

A black SUV smoothly drove into the upscale residential community called "Cuihu Yipin".

This area comprises dozens of brightly lit high-rise apartment buildings, interspersed with lush greenery, resembling an exquisite garden.

Fang Cheng gripped the steering wheel with both hands and slowed down the car.

In the passenger seat, Lin Chuqiao's fair cheeks were flushed with a captivating blush, as if painted with rouge.

That was the look of someone slightly tipsy after drinking some fruit wine.

Her already alluring and passionate eyes were now even more shimmering with moisture, as if they held a pool of spring water.

She seemed still immersed in the magnificent yet poignant musical she had just witnessed, and murmured softly:

"The Phantom, lurking beneath the theater, is like a lonely and powerful monster; his love is fiery, obsessive, and intolerable to the world..."

"Unfortunately, Christine ultimately chose Raoul in the sunlight and gave up the monster who wore a mask and hid in the darkness."

Lin Chuqiao sighed softly, gazing at the night view outside the window, and murmured:
"Is it true that all love is no match for the companionship of childhood sweethearts and the stability of worldly life?"

As she spoke, she suddenly turned her head and looked at the handsome profile of the man beside her.

"Fang Cheng, what do you think of the plot of The Phantom of the Opera? If you were the female lead, who would you choose?"

Her eyes were bright, and her voice carried a hint of probing, as if she were subtly implying something.

"What do you think?"

Fang Cheng was lost in thought when he heard this. He glanced at her slightly tipsy appearance and smiled.
"Tonight was my first time watching a musical, and I found it quite interesting. The stage effects were amazing, much more enjoyable than watching a movie."

"is it?"

The light in Lin Chuqiao's eyes seemed to dim for a moment, but then she smiled again:

"Next time you have time, I'll invite you to watch a new drama; maybe you'll like it even more."

"it is good."

Fang Cheng smiled and nodded.

After the interview, Lin Chuqiao treated me to a meal at an elegant restaurant.

After lunch, the two found a quiet café and sat chatting for the entire afternoon.

We talked about law and psychology, from campus anecdotes to social observations, and time flew by without us even noticing.

It was nearly evening when I got up to leave.

Lin Chuqiao then said that she suddenly really wanted to see a musical.

It just so happens that there's a tour performance by an internationally renowned theater company at the Dongdu Grand Theater tonight, and I've already bought two tickets.

Unable to refuse such a kind offer, Fang Cheng found it difficult to turn down the invitation.

The two then had dinner and went together into the magnificent theater.

The event didn't end until nine o'clock.

Although he was accompanying this beautiful teacher on a date, Fang Cheng did not come away empty-handed.

During the afternoon's conversation, he subtly learned more about the "professor".

The professor was originally from Jiangbei Province of the Xia Kingdom. He was exceptionally talented but also arrogant.

More than a decade ago, he was involved in a far-reaching case and was forced to leave for a foreign country, almost disappearing from public view.

It wasn't until last year that he quietly returned to China from Southeast Asia.

The professor and Lin Chuqiao's father were old acquaintances.

After their chance reunion, the professor provided Lin Chuqiao with much guidance on spiritual practice, from which she benefited greatly.

Therefore, Lin Chuqiao respected him greatly and regarded him as her teacher.

As for what the professor intended to do upon returning to China, Lin Chuqiao remained vague.

Simply say that the other person has a very lofty ideal, and everything they are doing now is to realize that ideal.

Lin Chuqiao said, half-jokingly.

If Fang Cheng wants to learn more, he can apply to join the team, and perhaps the professor will tell him in person.

Fang Cheng smiled and didn't press the matter further.

squeak--

A slight braking sound rang out, and the black SUV came to a steady stop in front of Lin Chuqiao's apartment building.

"arrive."

Fang Cheng gently reminded him.

"Um……"

Lin Chuqiao responded, but made no move.

She remained seated quietly, as if wanting to prolong the tranquil moment of solitude in the car for a few more seconds.

Finally, as if she had made up her mind, she picked up the handbag from the passenger seat and unbuckled her seatbelt.

The car door opened, and a cool night breeze rushed in.

She extended one of her long, slender legs, encased in flesh-colored stockings, and gracefully placed it on the ground before lightly slipping out of the car.

The beige suit looked exceptionally soft in the night, perfectly accentuating her shapely figure.

Standing outside the car door, Lin Chuqiao bent down and waved to Fang Cheng through the car window.

"Bye-Bye."

The blush on her cheeks looked even more radiant under the streetlights.

"Bye-Bye."

Fang Cheng responded with a smile, without saying anything more.

The engine was then started and the car slowly drove away.

Her slender figure can be seen in the rearview mirror.

Lin Chuqiao remained standing there, the streetlights casting long shadows of her until she disappeared completely around the corner.

Fang Cheng withdrew his gaze, a faint ripple stirring in his heart.

The black SUV drove out of Cuihu Yipin and merged into the city's main thoroughfare.

The night view outside the car window rushed past, neon lights flashing, a bizarre and dazzling spectacle.

Fang Cheng casually turned on the car stereo, and a soothing blues tune flowed out.

The languid sound of the saxophone seems to be telling the stories of city dwellers returning home late at night.

Fang Cheng hummed an unknown tune, letting the neon lights outside the car window flicker on his face.

The postgraduate entrance exam is finally over.

I believe the acceptance letter will arrive at my home in a few days.

My mother will be very happy then.

With one worry gone, Fang Cheng felt much lighter.

The enrollment period is in September, which is still a long way off.

In the time that follows, I can focus entirely on practicing my skills.

As I pondered this, a pale blue, semi-transparent screen appeared before my eyes.

[Speed ​​Reading lv2 (109/500)] (Rapid Eye Movement, Memory Palace)
[Focus lv2 (340/500)] (Heart of Steel)
【Cooking Skill lv1 (136/250)】 (Knife skills)
【Cleanliness Lv1 (217/250)】(Scavenger's Eye)
[Driving level 0 (20/100)]

【Orthopedics lv1 (40/250)】(Temporary solidification)

[Acupressure Lv0 (26/100)]

【Massage lv0 (31/100)】

[Boxing Lv3 (87/1000)] (Iron Fist, Infinite Combo)
【Striker Lv3 (42/1000)】(Dance of Lightning)

【Jiu-Jitsu Lv2 (321/500)】 (Elasticity)

[Muay Thai Lv2 (247/500)] (Steel Bones, Super Armor)
【Tai Chi Level 1 (183/250)】 (Power Dissipation)

[Push-up Lv3 (245/1000)] (Master of Strong Arms, Unicorn Arm)

[Squat lv3 (218/1000)] (The Solitary One)

[Leg Raise Lv3 (36/1000)] (Ape Waist)

[Pull-up Lv3 (52/1000)] (Absolute Mastery)

【Back Bridge Lv2 (409/500)】 (Iron Bridge)
【Handstand Support Lv2 (470/500)】(Air Walk)

[Running lv1 (42/250)] (Strong wind blowing)

[Qi Gong lv2 (130/500)] (Poison resistance, Everlasting strength)
[Meditation lv2 (251/500)] (Spiritual Fire)
[Gun Skills Lv2 (168/500)] (Ghost Shooting, Eagle Vision)
【Swordsmanship Lv2 (279/500)】(Shadow of the Blade, Blade Storm)

Looking at the progress bars of each skill on the panel, Fang Cheng silently made a leveling plan in his mind.

In terms of life skills, the [Cleaning] skill should be able to be upgraded in less than a month if you do more housework regularly.

Among the combat skills, apart from the lower-level [Tai Chi], upgrading the other skills requires a considerable amount of time and effort.

There's no rushing it.

I practice shadowboxing for an hour every day, and occasionally take on freelance work at a club with a sparring partner. I can steadily improve my experience. Plus, I have more free time now.

I might consider learning a few new fighting styles to see if I can unlock new skills.

As for the fitness skills "Handstand Push-up" and "Back Bridge", these two skills are not far from being upgraded.

This can be our primary goal; we should continue to work harder and strive to achieve breakthroughs this week.

There's also the [Running] skill; running a lap every morning during your exercise routine can yield considerable benefits.

Fang Cheng pondered for a moment, then his gaze fell on medical skills.

[Bone setting], [Acupressure], [Massage]...

Since the Lunar New Year, progress in these three skills has stagnated for quite some time.

It seems I'll have to make time to help Master Lin at the clinic more often and show off my "miraculous healing hands".

After all, this relates to the speed at which the exclusive skill [Qi Gong] levels up.

The higher one's Qigong level, the more defensive, offensive, and health-preserving techniques one possesses.

When facing sudden dangers and enemies, they can also have more powerful trump cards.

Thinking of the danger, Fang Cheng's eyes narrowed slightly as he recalled the little incident that happened at Wangjiang Tower last night.

He subdued the two assassins he encountered in the elevator and handed them over to Ma Donghe.

In the middle of the night, Ma Donghe called.

They said the two guys were tight-lipped, only admitting that they had received a mission to assassinate a congressman surnamed Zhao.

As for who the employer was and the reason for the assassination, nothing is known.

Fang Cheng did not pursue the matter further.

This matter clearly involves a power struggle at the top; that Councilor Zhao must have offended someone.

Since it was none of his business, he simply instructed Ma Donghe to deal with the two assassins cleanly and leave no loose ends.

Fang Cheng glanced at the time displayed on the car's central control screen.

9: 26.

Fang Cheng had originally planned to visit Xu Hao on the way.

He kept his promise and taught him the second level of the "Great Sun Burning Body Technique".

Of course, the real intention was to use him as an experiment to conduct in-depth research on methods to enhance spiritual resonance.

That guy said he was attending an important gathering of the Red Tiger Gang tonight, and he didn't know if it was over yet.

....................................

Inside a heavily guarded private clubhouse in the western part of Dongdu City.

In the spacious incense hall, red candles burned brightly, and incense smoke curled upwards.

A huge red cloth was hung on the wall in the very center, and a long offering table was placed in front of the cloth.

On the table was a majestic statue of Guan Yu.

The smoke from the three sticks of incense lingered in front of the statue.

On either side of the incense hall, there is a row of huanghuali round chairs.

The chairs were full of people, most of whom were dressed in elegant traditional Chinese jackets, with solemn expressions and were quite old.

It's obvious at a glance that they are all big shots with names and reputations in the martial arts world.

Among them were hall masters and elders within the Red Tiger Gang, as well as leaders of other gangs that were on good terms with or affiliated with the Red Tiger Gang.

Tonight, they were all specially invited to witness a special family reunion ceremony.

Exquisite tea sets were laid out on the tea table in front of everyone, but no one was in the mood to drink tea at the moment; they were all talking in hushed tones.

"Hey, just who's the guy Brother Chen is going to adopt as his godson today?"

An old man with a goatee asked in a low voice.

"What's his background? I heard he was a small-time hoodlum promoted from a lower-level gang, and he used to be a pimp."

A fat man with a face full of scars next to him sneered.

"A coachman? No way? How could Brother Chen take a liking to someone like that? And even want to adopt him as his godson?"

"I suspect that this kid is probably Brother Chen's illegitimate son, and he's just looking for an excuse to bring him back."

"An illegitimate child? That can't be right! Brother Chen is not even forty years old, and that kid looks like he's almost thirty. No matter how you look at it, it doesn't make sense!"

Sitting in the corner, Xu Hao ate sunflower seeds while listening to the old guys' discussion, and couldn't help but chime in a few words:
"Our boss never does things the conventional way; he always does things in a unique and unconventional way."

“It’s normal that you old-fashioned people can’t keep up with the times and don’t understand.”

"you!"

An old man with a fiery temper immediately glared at him.

The person sitting next to him quickly tugged at his sleeve and whispered a word of advice:
"Don't mess with him. This kid is 'Mad Dog Xu,' the newly appointed leader of the Red Tiger Gang. Be careful he doesn't bite you."

The old man's heart skipped a beat upon hearing this, as he seemed to have heard of this name before, and he could only swallow his anger in resentment.

Just then, a soft cough was heard.

The people who had been whispering immediately fell silent and all turned to look towards the inner room.

Then, footsteps were heard, and several figures came out from the inner room.

Leading the group was Chen Chen, the leader of the Red Tiger Gang.

He was wearing a well-tailored black suit today.

Secretary Liu, wearing gold-rimmed glasses, accompanied him.

A tall, slender, and somewhat handsome young man followed at the back, looking a little nervous, but he was quite dashing.

Chen Chen walked to the center of the incense hall, looked around, and laughed loudly:

"Brothers and friends, thank you all for coming today."

"The Red Tiger Gang's development today is entirely due to the strong support of all the brothers in the gang and the respect of our friends outside the gang."

"I, Chen Chen, have always been fair in rewarding and punishing, and I value talent. As long as you sincerely follow me, you'll have plenty of money and beautiful women. But if anyone dares to harbor disloyalty, then don't blame me for being ruthless and merciless..."

His voice suddenly turned cold, and his gaze swept over everyone present like a knife:

"I've heard that some of my friends have been getting quite close to the East City Club lately..."

As soon as he finished speaking, the atmosphere in the entire incense hall instantly plummeted to freezing point.

Several bigwigs broke out in a cold sweat, instinctively picking up their teacups but not daring to drink.

Seeing everyone's reaction, Chen Chen suddenly burst into laughter, breaking the suffocating silence:
"Just kidding, everyone don't be nervous."

"The reason I've gathered everyone here is nothing major. It's mainly because I've discovered a rare talent within the gang. I greatly admire both his abilities and his character."

"Therefore, I have decided to recognize this person as my godson. I have invited you all here today to bear witness to this."

As he spoke, he turned to the side and waved to the dashing figure behind him:
"Jianren, come here and introduce yourself to all the seniors and uncles."

Xiao Sa took a deep breath, suppressing his nervousness, stepped forward, and bowed to the crowd:

"Dear seniors and uncles, I am Xiao Jianren. I hope you will take good care of me in the future."

Standing in front of these big shots whom he could only admire from afar on ordinary days, Xiao Sa felt his heart pounding wildly.

He never imagined that he, a petty hoodlum who had been struggling at the bottom of society for more than a decade, would one day stand here and become the focus of everyone's attention.

He knew in his heart that all of this was actually a gift from the president.

It was the chairman who completely changed his fate.

From this day forward, he must repay this kindness with his abilities and value.

"The auspicious time has arrived, the ceremony shall begin!"

Secretary Liu loudly proclaimed "Yes, sir!"

He straightened his clothes and knelt down in front of the statue of Guan Yu.

Secretary Liu held a scroll and read the blessing aloud.

Then, with a flourish, he picked up a cup of fragrant tea that had been prepared beforehand, raised it above his head with both hands, and respectfully handed it to Chen Chen.

"Godfather, please have some tea!"

"Hey, good, good!"

Chen Chen took the teacup, drank it all in one gulp, and then reached out to help Xiao Sa up: "Good boy, godson."

"Clap clap clap!"

A burst of enthusiastic applause immediately erupted inside the incense hall.

The bigwigs all stood up, stepped forward to offer their congratulations, presented the generous gifts they had prepared, and said all sorts of flattering words.

They all knew in their hearts that from this day forward, the young man named Xiao Jianren had a limitless future.

Perhaps, in the future, the entire Red Tiger Gang will belong to him.

Only Xu Hao remained seated confidently in his chair.

Looking at Xiaosao surrounded by the crowd, he muttered to himself with a hint of jealousy:

"What kind of tricks does this kid have? Damn, he's risen to power faster than me!"

(End of this chapter)