The Self-Cultivation of a Reborn Massage Therapist

Chapter 286, though difficult, is fairly standardized: The Transformation of a Senior Waiter

Zhao Xiaochui ignored their panic, simply waving his hand wearily to signal them to be quiet.

When only the sound of breathing remained in the room, he didn't look at them. His gaze seemed to be fixed on empty space, and his lips parted slightly, emitting a very faint yet clearly audible breath—

"Shh..."（Xū）

This syllable immediately pierced the tense atmosphere of the scene.

The six women looked at each other, their fear turning into bewilderment. They had anticipated various scenarios of criticism and pay cuts, but this was the last thing they had imagined.

What does this mean, young boss?
Sister Wang stood there, stunned, her mind blank. Her daily, diligent practice made her subconsciously open her mouth slightly and exhale the same breathy sound, albeit somewhat awkwardly.

A smile finally appeared on Zhao Xiaochui's aged face, instantly dispelling the tense atmosphere in the room.

He slowly raised his eyes, his gaze sweeping clearly over the six tense and confused faces for the first time.

"I'm not asking whether you guys audited the class or not."

His hoarse voice carried a barely perceptible hint of admiration and respect.

"My question is, have you learned the Six-Syllable Mantra?"

Sister Wang composed herself, looked at Zhao Xiaochui, and answered cautiously:

“Boss, we wouldn’t dare say we’ve ‘learned’ it, we’re far behind you. But when we talked to each other after work, we found that everyone’s health… has really improved a lot.”

She paused, her tone carrying a genuine joy:
"My old ailments, like irritability, insomnia, backache, and leg pain, have all become much better now..."

After listening to Sister Wang's words, Zhao Xiaochui nodded inwardly. This meant he had learned it. As for getting started—unless someone as gifted as Old Man Lou or Ji Wenfeng, Zhao Xiaochui couldn't imagine how an ordinary person could get started without their help!

In the quiet room, Zhao Xiaochui took out his tablet again and, while looking up client files, said, "Sister Wang, as a member of my support team, you participated in all three treatment sessions for Jiang Ying."

"This client has a very typical symptom—chronic pelvic inflammatory disease. Please tell me which acupoints I used during the massage."

Zhao Xiaochui put down the tablet, looked at Sister Wang, and added softly, "Don't be nervous, just tell me what you know."

Sister Wang looked at Zhao Xiaochui and answered without hesitation: "Abdominal tenderness points, Qihai, Guanyuan, Zhongji, Guilai, the seventeenth vertebra..."

"..." Zhao Xiaochui stared blankly at the middle-aged woman, and asked incredulously, "Which meridians do acupoints 234 belong to?"

Sister Wang answered without hesitation: "All three acupoints belong to the Ren meridian and are located on the midline of the abdomen, arranged in order from below the navel: Qihai, Guanyuan, and Zhongji."

"..." Zhao Xiaochui stared blankly at her, then looked at the other five women who looked confident, and threw the tablet aside.

He supported himself on his legs with both hands and stood up with great effort, his face solemn: "Turn around and face away from me, begin the Six Healing Sounds starting posture."

"........."

He slapped his hands six times with a stream of heat, and led the six people through the complete set of the "Six-Character Mantra." They all turned around, their eyes filled with indescribable shock and gratitude. They bowed deeply and quickly left.

With a slight shift in light and shadow, four tall, imposing men with a deep, iron-like aura reappeared before Zhao Xiaochui.

Seeing his aged appearance, the four men looked at him with pity: "Little Hammer, how about we reschedule?"

Zhao Xiaochui shook his head, removed his mask and goggles, revealing a face in his forties: "Is there any difference between this face and the face captured by American surveillance cameras a while ago?"

The four men scrutinized him carefully, and after a moment, the leader slowly shook his head with absolute certainty:

"There is no difference. Whether it is facial contours, expression, or habitual micro-expressions, there is not much difference."

Zhao Xiaochui nodded, slightly relieved. His original plan was to use this face to remove "Smith" from the household registration. Suddenly, a dormant heat surged within his dantian without warning.

At the same time, the bearded man leading the group suddenly pressed his earpiece, his bronze face instantly tensing up.

When "Little Hammer" spoke again, his voice contained a subtle tremor.

Zhao Xiaochui's pupils suddenly contracted: "What's wrong?"

The bearded man shook his head: "The mission is canceled. You should focus on completing the rest of your trip."

Zhao Xiaochui remained expressionless upon hearing this, staring intently at the bearded man: "Speak!"

The bearded man gave a wry smile: "The documents you brought back from the container yesterday have just been deciphered. The contents show—a major reshuffle is underway back home..."

"There are still some who slipped through the net!"

Zhao Xiaochui: "..."

The bearded man and his three colleagues also lowered their heads with expressions of shame.

Zhao Xiaochui opened his mouth and asked with difficulty, "To what extent has the information been leaked?"

The bearded man raised his head, looked at him seriously, and said slowly, "The time and place have all been leaked. According to our bureau's planning team's analysis, you are 'his' prime suspect?"

The air seemed to freeze instantly, and Zhao Xiaochui's knuckles cracked: "Who is 'he'?"

A bead of sweat trickled down his forehead, and he remained silent.

"Richard Keaton, CIA's Director of Regional Affairs for the Andes...???"

Zhao Xiaochui said, word by word, "Keaton... Keaton, what is his relationship with Commissioner Smith, whom I wiped out in America?"

The bearded man still didn't answer. He and his colleagues exchanged glances, then slowly stepped forward and reached out to comfort the young man.

"Little hammer..."

Before the words were even finished, a blurry afterimage suddenly exploded in the air. Zhao Xiaochui's right arm transformed into a blurry black arc in an instant. The bearded man only saw a blur before his eyes, and his outstretched palm was still suspended in mid-air when the air between his fingers was cleaved apart by a sharp gust of wind.

Traditional Chinese medicine internal massage.

Apply heavy pressure with your thumb.

The Gallbladder Meridian of Foot-Shaoyang.

Jianjing point!
The bearded man's body stiffened instantly, his pupils contracted sharply, and he was horrified to find his right arm hanging limply at his side, his body frozen in place.

"Excuse me."

When Zhao Xiaochui's voice rang in his ears, he had already turned back three times—his three colleagues had also entered the same state as him.

Seeing the three people's horrified expressions, Zhao Xiaochui, who looked middle-aged, smiled slightly:
"Don't overthink it. Traditional Chinese massage is based on the principles of meridian blockage and nerve reflex mechanisms. It can produce a similar effect of 'temporary immobilization' by stimulating specific acupoints. My ability is to make you freeze for thirty seconds, which is enough!"

Zhao Xiaochui slowly swayed behind the bearded man and gently raised his right hand:

"After passing on the legacy to you old man Lou, why didn't you try to calm me down like you do now? Why didn't you try to persuade yourselves instead?"

"Being ambitious and having unrealistic goals is unacceptable, comrades!"

(End of this chapter)