Meeting

That afternoon.

Chen Feng went to the Martial Arts Hall and finished his boxing practice.

Progress +1!

Sanshou: Proficient (41%)

The gains from practicing were slight, but better than nothing.

After taking a shower, he quickly changed clothes in the Locker Room.

"The assessment is the day after tomorrow. Are you confident?"

Lin Hao asked with a smile. As always, he was the quickest to finish and had already slung his baseball bag over his shoulder.

"More or less."

Chen Feng answered calmly, casually using a towel to dry his short buzz cut.

"Heh, looks like you really aren't afraid of Xu Dongtai anymore."

Lin Hao nodded with a smile, looking thoughtful.

He could roughly sense the other party's progress and transformation.

Then, watching Chen Feng pull on a loose black T-shirt, he thought for a moment before continuing.

"Just a reminder: Zheng Qiang and Yu Shan have both been getting very close to Zhou Xin in private these past couple of days."

"You decide what to do."

"Getting very close?" Chen Feng raised a brow, understanding what he meant.

The assessment rules involved a free-for-all, and he naturally had not forgotten that.

Then, seeing Lin Hao's smiling expression, he ultimately thanked him.

"Thanks."

"Tch, it's nothing. I'm off."

With a carefree wave, Lin Hao smiled, turned, and soon left the Martial Arts Hall.

"This guy."

Watching his retreating back, Chen Feng narrowed his eyes.

Though he did not know why Lin Hao was helping him, he would not reject another person's goodwill.

Even if that goodwill was no longer all that important to him.

Click!

He then closed the Metal Locker.

Straightening the hem of his turned-up shirt, he quickly picked up his bag of clothes and left.

The bus stop was not far outside the Martial Arts Hall. As he approached it, Chen Feng could Clearly See his rough reflection in the glass frame.

A casual black T-shirt and a pair of loose, straight-leg jeans.

On his feet were white sneakers, a birthday gift Chen Yun had bought him last year when the original owner had still been in school.

It looked like a simple outfit, but his sturdy physique and full muscles held it all up.

"Not bad."

Chen Feng nodded and withdrew his gaze.

Before long, the Route 17 Bus arrived. He scanned the code and boarded, found an empty spot, gripped the hand strap tightly, and stood near the rear door.

The scenery along the streets slowly receded, and the Martial Arts Hall's sign grew farther and farther away.

The place Chen Yun had chosen for dinner was near the research institute, on Jianshe Road in Qinghe District.

It was roughly ten kilometers away. Including the bus's frequent stops and the delays from passengers getting on and off, the trip would take around an hour.

So Chen Feng did not plan to go home first and instead headed straight for his destination.

Nothing happened along the way. It was only as five o'clock approached that more and more people boarded the bus.

The bus swayed as it turned, but Chen Feng kept his feet firmly planted and remained perfectly still.

He looked like a black boulder.

"Xiaofeng should be here soon, right?"

Jianshe Road, Yongxiang Street.

Outside a restaurant called the Spicy Hot Pot Restaurant, two figures stood together.

The speaker was a middle-aged man wearing square-framed glasses. He was tall and somewhat lean, with gray-black hair parted three-seven and combed to meticulous neatness.

He wore a dark short-sleeved dress shirt and casual trousers, giving off the air of an intellectual.

"Yes, Teacher Li."

"Xiaofeng said he was almost at the stop. He should be here in a few minutes."

Chen Yun nodded repeatedly, A Trace of nervousness on her face.

Looking closely, she was about 1.7 meters tall, slightly shorter than Teacher Li.

She was around twenty-seven or twenty-eight, with long black hair tied behind her back, wearing a white short-sleeved shirt and jeans.

Though she wore no makeup and had a few freckles, her features were lovely, giving her a clean, fresh appearance.

"Hey, look at how nervous you are."

"Don't worry. I just want to see whether he has truly figured out his future, rather than being tricked by someone."

Seeming to notice Chen Yun's tension, Teacher Li said gently, "Xiaofeng has always been rather reserved. It's easy for him to get taken advantage of in society."

"As long as he's on the right path, I'll support him too. I definitely won't say anything more."

Chen Yun nodded, understanding her mentor's concern.

Ever since their parents passed away, she and Chen Feng had received much care from Teacher Li. Their relationship had long become like that of close elders and younger relatives.

So she knew he was worried that Chen Feng had gone down the wrong path, been tricked into running with shady crowds, or fighting underground black-market matches.

"Thank you, Teacher Li. I'm sorry to make you worry."

Chen Yun said gratefully.

"Hey, Xiaofeng is my junior too, just like you. What's there to worry about?"

"If you really want to thank me, then when you get back, study that project more carefully. I've already vouched for you, so it's all up to you now."

Teacher Li said a few words with a smile, and Chen Yun nodded again and again.

Bzzzz!

Her phone vibrated, and she hurriedly looked at the message.

Xiaofeng: I'm at the stop.

"He's here, Teacher Li. Xiaofeng says he's at the stop." Chen Yun said, hurriedly looking toward the bus platform not far ahead, right beside the asphalt road.

"Oh? He's here?"

Teacher Li nodded and looked over with her.

The bus had arrived at the stop, and five figures could be seen getting off.

Four men and one woman.

Tall, short, fat...

But there was no sign of the thin, reserved Chen Feng.

"Where is he?"

Chen Yun was confused. Worried about making Teacher Li wait too long, she quickly sent another message. "Xiaofeng, Teacher Li and I don't see you. Did you miss the stop?"

Bzzzz!

Xiaofeng: I can see you two.

Her phone vibrated. After reading the message, Chen Yun was somewhat surprised.

Then, the world before her suddenly darkened, as if all the light had been completely blocked out.

Teacher Li's breathing beside her paused slightly. Chen Yun sensed that something was wrong and quickly looked up.

White sneakers, jeans, and a black T-shirt.

A familiar yet unfamiliar face, eighty or ninety percent similar to the one in her memories.

But his completely different, sturdy physique made her open her mouth and hesitate for a moment.

"X-Xiaofeng?"

"Sis."

Chen Feng nodded in response.

Immediately, Chen Yun and Teacher Li both visibly widened their eyes, their faces filled with surprise.

"Xiaofeng, you... it hasn't even been that long. How did you suddenly get so built?"

Chen Yun could not help voicing her shock and confusion.

After all, only a little over half a month ago, she had taken care of Chen Feng when he had a fever.

Back then, though he had been practicing boxing for quite some time, he had still been somewhat thin. The difference from now was immense.

"Maybe it's because of working out."

Chen Feng casually came up with an excuse.

After hearing that, though Chen Yun found it somewhat surreal, she still nodded instinctively.

"Looks like Xiaofeng's coach was right. Xiaofeng really is talented at boxing."

Teacher Li praised him, casually pushing up his square-framed glasses and taking several more looks at his solid muscles.

He had met many people in his life and had once heard certain secrets about fighters, so he accepted it more quickly than Chen Yun did.

As long as one made progress in martial arts training and kept up with nutrition, developing a sturdier physique was normal enough.

After hearing that, Chen Yun did not pursue the matter further.

Then she finally remembered that her mentor was still beside her.

At once, she hurriedly gave Chen Feng a meaningful look.