Meeting

That afternoon.

Chen Feng went to the martial arts hall and finished his practice.

[Progress +1!]

[Sanshou: Proficient (41%)]

The gains from practice were meager, but better than nothing.

Then, 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 the fastest to finish, already slinging his baseball bag over his shoulder.

"So-so."

Chen Feng said calmly, casually wiping his short, crew-cut hair dry with a towel.

"Heh, looks like you're really not afraid of Xu Dongtai anymore."

Lin Hao nodded with a smile, thoughtful.

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

Then, watching Chen Feng pull on a loose black short-sleeved shirt, he thought for a moment and continued:

"Let me remind you of something. Zheng Qiang and Yu Shan have been getting pretty close to Zhou Xin privately these past couple of days."

"Handle it yourself."

"Getting close?" Chen Feng raised an eyebrow, understanding the implication.

The assessment rules were a free-for-all; he hadn't forgotten.

Then, looking at Lin Hao's smiling face, he finally offered a word of thanks.

"Thanks."

"Tch, no big deal. I'm off."

Waving his hand casually, Lin Hao smiled, then quickly turned and strode out of the martial arts hall.

"This guy..."

Chen Feng squinted at his retreating figure.

Though he didn't know why Lin Hao was helping him, he wouldn't refuse someone else's goodwill.

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

Click!

Then, closing the metal locker in the changing room.

He smoothed down the turned-up hem of his shirt, quickly grabbed his clothes bag, and left.

The bus stop was just outside the martial arts hall, not far away. Walking up to it, Chen Feng could clearly see his own reflection in the glass enclosure.

A casual black T-shirt and straight-leg, loose-fitting denim jeans.

White sneakers on his feet, a birthday gift from Chen Yun last year when his former self was still in school.

It looked simple, but his sturdy build and full muscles held everything together.

"Not bad."

Nodding, Chen Feng withdrew his gaze.

Soon, the Route 17 bus arrived. He scanned his code to board, found an empty spot, gripped the handrail tightly, and stood near the rear door.

The street scenes slowly receded, the martial arts hall's sign growing farther and farther away.

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

About ten-plus kilometers away, plus the bus's frequent stops and the delays from people getting on and off, the trip would take roughly an hour.

So Chen Feng didn't plan to go home first; he headed straight for the destination.

The ride was uneventful, but as it neared five o'clock, more and more people got on the bus.

The bus swayed and turned at corners, but Chen Feng stood firm, his feet planted solidly, unmoving.

It looked just like a black boulder.

"Xiao Feng should be here soon."

On Jianshe Road, Yongxiang Street.

Outside a shop called Spicy Hot Pot Restaurant, two figures stood to the side.

The speaker was a middle-aged man with square-rimmed glasses, somewhat thin and tall, his salt-and-pepper hair combed in a neat side part.

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

"Right, Teacher Li."

"Xiao Feng said he's almost at the stop. Should be just a few minutes."

Chen Yun nodded repeatedly at this, a hint of tension on her face.

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

Roughly twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, her black hair tied back, wearing a white short-sleeved shirt and jeans.

Though bare-faced with a few freckles, her features were pleasant, giving off a clean impression.

"Ah, look at you, all nervous."

"Don't worry, I just want to see if he's truly thought out his future, not been tricked by someone."

Seeming to notice Chen Yun's anxiety, Teacher Li spoke in a gentle tone: "Xiao Feng has always been reserved by nature; he's prone to getting taken advantage of in society."

"As long as he's on the right path, I'll support him, and won't say a word more."

Chen Yun nodded, understanding her mentor's concern.

Ever since their parents passed away, she and Chen Feng had received a lot of care from Teacher Li, their relationship long since resembling that of close elders and younger kin.

So she knew he was worried about Chen Feng going astray, being lured into gang life or underground boxing.

"Thank you, Teacher Li. I appreciate your trouble."

Chen Yun said gratefully.

"Ah, Xiao Feng is just like you—both are my juniors. What trouble is there to speak of?"

"If you really want to thank me, go back and dig deeper into that project. I've vouched for it, so it's up to you now."

Teacher Li chuckled a couple of remarks, and Chen Yun nodded repeatedly.

Buzz buzz!

Then, her phone vibrated, and she quickly looked at the message.

[Xiao Feng: I've arrived at the station.]

"He's here, Teacher Li. Xiao Feng says he's at the station." Chen Yun said, while hurriedly glancing toward the bus stop not far ahead, right by the Asphalt Road.

"Oh? He's here, then."

Teacher Li nodded, following her gaze.

Just then, a bus pulled in, and five figures stepped out.

Four men and one woman.

Tall, short, stout—

But yet, the lean, reserved Chen Feng was nowhere to be seen.

"No one's there?"

Chen Yun was puzzled. Worried about keeping Teacher Li waiting, she quickly sent another message: "Xiao Feng, Teacher Li and I don't see you. Did you miss your stop?"

Buzz buzz!

[Xiao Feng: I see you both.]

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

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

Beside her, Teacher Li's breath hitched slightly. Sensing something off, Chen Yun quickly looked up.

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

A face both familiar and unfamiliar, eight or nine parts similar to memory.

But this entirely different, robust physique made her open her mouth, hesitating briefly.

"Xiao... Xiao Feng?"

"Sis."

With a nod, Chen Feng gave his reply.

Instantly, it was plain to see that both Chen Yun and Teacher Li had their eyes wide open, faces full of surprise.

"Xiao Feng, you... it's only been a short while, how did you suddenly get so buff?"

Chen Yun couldn't help voicing her shock and confusion.

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

Back then, though he'd been practicing boxing for a while, his build was still lean—a far cry from now.

"Probably from working out."

Chen Feng casually offered an excuse.

Hearing this, Chen Yun found it a bit surreal but still nodded instinctively.

"It seems Xiao Feng's coach was right—he really does have talent in boxing."

Teacher Li praised him, pushing up his square-framed glasses as he took another look at the other's solid muscles.

In his life, he had met many people and once heard some secrets about fighters, so he accepted it more readily than Chen Yun.

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

With that said, Chen Yun didn't press further.

Then, she suddenly remembered her mentor was still beside her.

So, she quickly gave Chen Feng a meaningful look.