Dual-wielding! 100x proficiency, I'll grind my way to godhood!

On the last afternoon, the old signboard of Wang Pangzi's General Store in the south of the city had already been replaced.

A new wooden plaque hung above the door, its paint still dazzlingly shiny, with five large characters on it.

A tough guy's dream.

Red couplets were pasted on both sides.

First line: Take the strongest medicine, ride the wildest horse.

The second line reads: Drink the best wine and tell the most legendary stories.

Horizontal scroll: The tough guy makes his appearance.

The store wasn't even open, but it was already packed with people outside.

Half-grown boys were climbing the trees, idlers were squatting at the base of the walls, and girls were crowding the windows on the second floor of the Rouge Pavilion, their heads packed together.

The noise was like a boiling pot.

An old man with a white beard stroked his beard as he read.

"Take the strongest medicine... ride the wildest horse..."

A young rascal next to him approached.

"Sir, what's the significance of 'riding the wildest horse'?"

The old man glared at him and poked his forehead.

"Fool! The beautiful girl at Zuiyue Tower is a wild horse!"

The crowd paused for a second, then burst into laughter, almost blowing the roof off.

The gambling den's henchmen weaved through the crowd, holding up wooden signs and shouting at the top of their lungs:

"Place your bets! Place your bets! Bet Fatty Wang won't last half a cup of tea, payout is 1 to 1! If he lasts half a cup of tea, payout is 1 to 5! If he lasts a full cup of tea, payout is 1 to 10!"

The bamboo baskets used for transporting the goods were overflowing, with copper coins and silver fragments piled up like small mountains.

In the basket where the winnings were placed, only three or five copper coins lay forlornly.

A window on the second floor of Rouge Pavilion was suddenly pushed open with a "bang," and several girls in pink dresses stood with their hands on their hips and shouted.

"Listen up, ladies of Drunken Moon Pavilion! If Fatty Wang pulls through, every time he comes to our Rouge Pavilion, tea will be free!"

The madam at the entrance of Zuiyue Tower sneered.

"What if they can't hold out?"

"I can't hold on..."

The girl paused.

"No need for tea either! Let's wash away his bad luck!"

The girls on both sides burst into laughter, and sunflower seed shells fell down with a crackling sound.

The grocery store door was tightly shut, but the mocking laughter outside seeped in, making people feel suffocated.

The shop was clean and tidy, with a long table placed against the wall.

Chen Mo sat behind the table, slowly sipping his tea.

Manager Zhao peeked through the crack in the window, then pulled back and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

Wang Fucheng sat in the corner, his back ramrod straight, his eyes closed as he rested.

Fatty Wang sat in the chair with his legs pressed tightly together, his knees shaking so hard that the chair legs clattered.

He pressed his hands on his knees, but couldn't stop them from shaking; the more he pressed, the more violently they trembled.

He looked up at the empty shop, then at Chen Mo.

"Young master, I'm a little nervous, could I not go?"

Chen Mo put down his teacup and looked up at him.

"Do you want all the men in Lin'an to laugh at you?"

Fatty Wang suddenly looked up, his eyes were red, and the veins on his hands, which were gripping his knees, were bulging.

Chen Mo didn't stop; he leaned forward and pointed to the door.

"From today onwards, all these people will remember your name. Who knows, it might even be recorded in the county annals. In the future, when the young people of Lin'an turn to this page, they will all have to stand up and bow to you. Manager Wang, single-handedly, your spirit is awe-inspiring."

Fatty Wang opened his mouth, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down several times, but he couldn't utter a word for a long time.

Chen Mo patted him on the shoulder.

"Everything is ready, relax."

Fatty Wang hurriedly pulled a small notebook from his pocket, his hands still trembling.

"Young master, I have practiced exactly as you instructed for the past five days. I ran around the streets early in the morning, did push-ups and horse stances at night, and I haven't even touched my wife for five days."

"Didn't your wife object to you taking on the role of Ru Hua?"

Fatty Wang lowered his voice, his tone slightly tearful.

"My wife said last night that if I fail the challenge, she'll divorce me. If I succeed, she'll take good care of me from now on, since she'll be enjoying herself too."

Chen Mo patted him on the shoulder.

"Your wife sees things clearly. Be more confident in yourself, and more confident in my secret medicine. Just imagine, once you succeed, you'll be a prominent figure in Lin'an City. Not just your wife, but all the girls in the city will look up to you."

Fatty Wang chuckled twice, his legs stopped shaking, but his fingers continued to tap on his knees.

Chen Mo suddenly stood up and took out a sandalwood box from his sleeve.

A stack of silver notes was neatly arranged in the box. He took out 100,000 taels and placed them in Manager Zhao's hand.

"Place your bet. Bet on Manager Wang, and hope he survives until the end of the day. 100,000 taels."

Manager Zhao held the silver notes, his hands trembling like a leaf.

He looked down at the silver note, then looked up at Chen Mo. His lips moved, but he didn't utter a single word.

The shouts from the gambling den outside the window were still drifting in.

"Only half an incense stick's worth of time left, those who want to place their bets should hurry..."

Manager Zhao suddenly turned around, walked out of the back door of the courtyard, and shouted at the top of his lungs.

"Add another 100,000 taels! Manager Wang can hold out for as long as it takes to drink a cup of tea!"

The sounds outside seemed to be abruptly cut off by a knife.

One breath, two breaths, three breaths.

Then, the whole street exploded.

"One hundred thousand taels?! Are you crazy?! Betting Fatty Wang? That Wang Shixia?!"

"Did I hear that right? Ten thousand taels of silver to bet him until he can last a cup of tea?"

The noise was so loud it made the roof shake.

Chen Mo glanced at the sky outside the window.

The setting sun hung on the eaves of Zuiyue Tower, turning the entire street golden and red.

"Time is up."

He walked over, unlatched the door, and pushed the door open.

The light of the setting sun rushed in, and the noise of the street rushed in with it.

The children at the front all took a step back and tilted their heads back to read the inscription.

"A real man's dream... a real man's dream..."

Fatty Wang followed them out.

I took just one step, and my legs went weak, and I almost knelt on the ground.

He grabbed the door frame, and cold sweat instantly broke out on his forehead.

Looking back at Chen Mo, his lips were pale.

"Young master, my... my legs won't obey me..."

The crowd outside burst into laughter.

"Manager Wang! Your legs are already weak before you even enter the Drunken Moon Pavilion?"

"Last time you failed after ten tries, can you even last three this time?"

"I bet he won't last three moves and will definitely lose."

"I bet he won't even dare to go inside!"

Chen Mo didn't help him up, but took half a step forward, his voice extremely low, like ice shards brushing against his ear:

"If you back down now, these people will laugh at you for the rest of your life. Your wife will divorce you. From now on, when Lingling and Xiaohong entertain customers, they'll have to say, 'Wang Pangzi? That good-for-nothing who loses in ten rounds?'"

He paused, then raised his hand and pointed to Zuiyue Tower.

"But if you keep walking, when you come out of that door, all the men in the city will call you a macho man."

Fatty Wang took a deep breath, straightened up abruptly, clenched his fists, and took a step forward.

The crowd automatically moved aside, making way for a path leading directly from the grocery store entrance to the main gate of Zuiyue Tower.

The bluestone slabs gleamed in the setting sun, as if they were covered with a layer of gold.

At the end of the road, the red lanterns of Zuiyue Tower were already lit.

"Manager Wang! Hurry up! Miss Ruhua is getting impatient!"

A boy, barely out of school, was shouting at the top of his lungs.

An old man next to him chimed in.

"Kid, what's the rush? He'll be out in three seconds."

The crowd laughed so hard they almost fell to the ground.

On the third floor of Zuiyue Tower, a window was opened a crack.

Ru Hua leaned against the window, looking at the short, stout figure downstairs. She picked up her teacup, took a sip, and spoke in a tone as indifferent as water.

"That fat Wang has some nerve, spreading this story all over the city. I'm going to use my real skills to make him lose in three moves."

The maid behind him covered her mouth and laughed.

"That's right. Sister Ruhua's kung fu is the best in our Lin'an City. No stinky man has ever been able to last even half a cup of tea."

Ru Hua raised her hand and slammed the window shut.

The laughter downstairs was still deafening.

Fatty Wang clenched his fists and walked step by step toward Zuiyue Tower, a small bottle clutched in his palm.

P.S.: Happy Dragon Boat Festival to all the bosses, including Yifei and Daniel Wu!

There's one more chapter coming up later. I caught a cold and had a fever, and the baby also had recurring high fevers.

Everyone should pay attention to their health and take protective measures when going out.