Fanatic!

Chapter 5 Self-Examination
When Chen Wujun returned to the dental clinic at noon that day, he was covered in bruises from the fall.

When Chen Hanliang saw his appearance, he was immediately startled: "You got into a fight?"

"No, I fell while practicing stance training," Chen Wujun said in a muffled voice.

Although Senior Brother Li praised him a few times today, he kept falling down and getting back up while practicing the Golden Rooster Stance.

This left him feeling resentful.

Even Lin Zetao and the other trainees were astonished.

When Senior Brother Li taught them, he wasn't this strict.

It's like Senior Brother Li and Chen Wujun have a grudge.

However, they also knew that this was because Senior Brother Li was looking at Chen Wujun differently, and they felt both envious and jealous.

Although Chen Wujun harbored some resentment, he was not an ungrateful person.

In the afternoon, Chen Wujun tried using the breathing method that his senior brother Li had just taught him to stand in the charging stance, controlling his breathing to keep himself in a state close to "being on the verge of a great enemy," but not quite in that state.

Occasionally, the hairs on my body would stand on end, but then I would return to normal. My body would only sweat slightly, unlike before when I would lose control of my body and suddenly pounce out, drenched in sweat and almost exhausted.

Moreover, in this state, attention and spirit are far more focused than usual, everything around is very clear, and even the slightest breeze can be felt. However, one is slightly weaker when facing a formidable enemy.

Chen Wujun pondered to himself that this state seemed suitable for everyday use.

Whether walking or resting, if you maintain this state, you won't be afraid of being ambushed.

Chen Wujun was practicing standing meditation, while his father, Chen Hanliang, was tossing and turning on a recliner to the side.

Just as I was about to take a nap, I felt a chill, like needles pricking my body, and I was jolted awake.

When he opened his eyes, Chen Wujun had returned to normal.

After an hour of fussing, Chen Hanliang, the father, got up and told them to go home: "If you have nothing to do, go home and practice. Don't bother the guests!"

Who can stand this kind of sudden shock?

Chen Wujun thought to himself, "Where are the customers? There hasn't been a single person all afternoon. My father is just waiting for an old customer to come and pick up his custom-made dentures."

"Then I'm going home!" Chen Wujun didn't want to stay in the dentistry anyway, so he decided to go home and practice.

While walking, I was still thinking about how to maintain the posture I had when standing in meditation.

With each step, my toes gripped the ground tightly, trying to hold on through the soles of my shoes.

"You shouldn't wear sneakers. The soles of sneakers are too thick, your toes can't grip the ground, and the shoes are too soft and unstable."

"I need to wear thin-soled shoes, and they have to be flat," Chen Wujun suddenly thought.

He noticed that Senior Brother Li was wearing a pair of thin-soled black cloth shoes, something he hadn't noticed before, but now it suddenly dawned on him.

Although he takes off his shoes when practicing Zhan Zhuang (standing meditation), sneakers are not very convenient when walking.

He immediately turned a corner and headed along the main road of Lung Chin Road to buy shoes.

Although it is the main road, it is only slightly wider and more bustling than other roads, and there is still not much light to be seen.

It was afternoon, but it felt like nighttime here, with the shops on both sides lit up.

Looking up, all you see above you is a dense tangle of wires and pipes, and a thick pipe dripping water continuously.

This pipe is the water supply pipe for the entire village.

Passing by a convenience store, Chen Wujun touched his pockets, wanting to go in and buy some snacks.

He has 172 yuan in his pocket. 10 yuan was pocket money his father, Chen Hanliang, gave him a few days ago, and 162 yuan was money his mother gave to the gambling addict, which he swallowed directly.

The kid whose lollipop he snatched last time was biting his nails in front of the convenience store. When he saw Chen Wujun, his eyes widened and he burst into tears.

Chen Wujun's brow twitched, and his steps, which were originally heading towards the store, suddenly changed direction, and he disappeared into the crowd.

At the same time, I felt a little regretful that the child had remembered me.

It seems that from now on, I must cover my face when doing things so that I won't be recognized.

If you can't hide your identity, then you have to make sure the other party can't reveal it.

Otherwise, you might cause trouble at any time or disrupt your plans.

Like this time, I wanted to go to the convenience store to buy some things, but I was recognized and had to leave.

The book says, "Examine yourself three times a day," and Chen Wujun felt that this was true, and he understood some things more clearly.

I bought a pair of cloth shoes for 20 yuan.

I then took a detour to avoid the convenience store before going home.

Chen Wujun walked slowly, gripping his feet firmly with each step. These thin-soled shoes were indeed as he had expected, making it easier to exert force.

Although walking like this is tiring, Chen Wujun feels the subtle changes in his body with every step, so he doesn't feel tired or bored.

Back home, Chen Wujun resumed practicing the Golden Rooster Stance.

The Golden Rooster Stake requires standing on one leg and gripping the ground, while the other leg acts as a shield, a hammer, or a weapon to kill. It is much more difficult than the Charge Stake.

Chen Wujun could not stand for long before his body swayed, and he could not stand firmly on the ground.

……

That evening, the family was having dinner when suddenly someone started banging on the door from the outside.

The family looked at each other in bewilderment. Chen Hanliang got up, walked through the narrow living room, and opened the wooden door. There he saw several hooligans wearing floral shirts and looking like thugs, blocked outside by the iron gate.

The walled city was sweltering, and most of the houses had windows that faced inwards rather than outwards. Keeping the doors closed would make it unbearably hot, but opening them posed security risks.

Therefore, most households have two doors: an outer iron gate resembling a sliding iron fence, and an inner wooden door.

When it's hot, open the wooden door to let in fresh air.

"Collect the debt! Where's the gambling addict Hong? Make him come out!" The man outside banged on the iron gate with an unfriendly expression.

Upon hearing this, Chen Hanliang's face turned pale, and his mother, Huang Meizhen, put down her chopsticks and stood up with a worried expression.

The worst fears have come. Ever since their eldest son developed a gambling addiction, his parents, Chen Hanliang and Huang Meizhen, have been worried that loan sharks would come knocking on their door.

What was bound to happen has finally happened.

“I don’t know where he’s gone. I haven’t seen him for days! If you’re looking for him, look elsewhere!” Chen Hanliang said with a grim face.

"Where is the gambling addict Hong if he's not here?" One of the leaders stopped the others from speaking, looked at Chen Hanliang with a nonchalant air, and then sneered, "It doesn't matter if he's not here, he's your son. If he can't pay, you'll pay!"

Chen Wujun stood up and walked behind Chen Hanliang, giving the group outside a disapproving look before speaking:

"You've come to the wrong place to collect your debt!"

There were four people in total. Two of them were wearing floral shirts and were thin, looking like they had been ravaged by alcohol and women. Each of them was carrying a stick.

The one leading the group was burly and looked like he had some training.

"Hey kid, what's wrong with your eyes?" One of the men in the floral shirt noticed Chen Wujun's gaze and pointed at him, scolding him.

"What are you trying to do? It's that bastard's money that's owed us, don't mess with us." Chen Hanliang immediately interrupted him.

The leader sneered, "Even banks have to consider inheritance when collecting debts, let alone us loan sharks! One person's debt affects the whole family. The gambling addict Hong has disappeared, so you'll have to pay!"

After saying that, he took out an IOU and waved it in front of Chen Hanliang.

"Let me tell you, that gambling addict Hong owes us 28,961 yuan! If he doesn't pay it back within ten days, I'll burn this house down!"

Upon hearing this, Huang Meizhen and Chen Hanliang both turned pale.

"How can there be so much? How could he owe so much money?" Huang Meizhen exclaimed.

Hearing this number, she felt like the sky had fallen.

"It clearly says 6000 yuan is borrowed!" Chen Hanliang said angrily, pointing at the IOU in the man's hand.

"He borrowed 6000 yuan, but he hasn't paid it back. With the interest compounding, that's how much it's come about!" the leader sneered.

"Don't say I didn't give you a chance! I'll give you ten days to raise the money and pay it back. Oh, I forgot to mention, you need to pay back 37,650 in ten days... Once you have the money ready, I'll come to collect it from you."

Upon hearing this, Chen Hanliang and Huang Meizhen turned even paler.

"Why don't you just rob us? We have no money to spare." Chen Hanliang felt his blood rush to his head.

The man peeked inside and saw the small Chen Wuqi standing at the back. He immediately smiled maliciously and said, "The child is very cute!"

"What do you want to do?" Chen Hanliang immediately stood in front of Chen Wuqi.

"I'm not doing anything! I'm just praising how cute your son is!" the man said maliciously. "Anyway, you'll pay me back in ten days, and everything will be fine."

"If you can't pay it back... then don't blame me if something happens."

"Also, don't you have a dental clinic? We know where your clinic is!"

"Otherwise, why do you think I would dare to lend him money?"

After making the threats, the man stood at the door, sneered a few times, and then left with his men.

As he left, he kicked over a pile of cardboard boxes next to him.

Chen Hanliang closed the wooden door, clutched his chest and gasped for breath, unable to even eat.

Huang Meizhen kept shedding tears.

"This is how to do?"

"That spendthrift son!" Chen Hanliang roared. "I knew he'd cause this sooner or later. Ever since he got into gambling, I've been living in constant fear that loan sharks will come knocking on my door!"

It costs more than 30,000 yuan, and it would take a dentist more than half a year to earn that amount.

The whole family still needs to eat.

Where can I borrow it? How do I return it?
The hardest thing in the walled city is borrowing money!

And now that this debt has been repaid, who knows if there will be another one?
But if they don't pay back, those loan sharks are inhuman and capable of anything.

Having lived in the walled city for so many years, they naturally knew what kind of people those were.

The small living room felt so oppressive that it was hard to breathe.

Chen Wuqi was unaware of the situation at home, but he was too oppressed by the atmosphere to speak.

Only Chen Wujun ate in silence. He needed to eat his fill so he would have the energy to practice martial arts.

After finishing his meal, he returned to his room.

He wasn't in the mood to look at Vivian Zhou's posters, nor was he interested in practicing the standing meditation; he simply lay down on the bed and began to ponder.

My family can't afford this money. Even if we borrow it, we'll have to tighten our belts for the next year or two to pay it back.

How can he go to the martial arts school?
He had a bold idea in his mind.

It's only right to pay back debts, but if the creditor dies, does that mean you don't have to pay back the money?

If they die, the problem is solved!
Then they should die.

Chen Wujun felt that as long as others died, the problem could be solved, which was fair.

But what if there are other people behind them?
After thinking it over, Chen Wujun felt he needed to inquire further.

Anyway, there are still ten days left...

Find out the details before deciding what to do.

Before that, I still need to practice martial arts diligently.

Thinking of this, Chen Wujun jumped down from the upper bunk and stood barefoot on the Golden Rooster Stake.

At the same time, he imagined an enemy standing in front of him, as if he could raise his knee at any moment and crush the enemy's internal organs.

The enemy he imagined was the leader of the group that had just come to collect the loan sharks.

(End of this chapter)