That day, at one in the afternoon.
After lunch, Chen Feng rested briefly to aid digestion, then left the house carrying his training clothes.
Mastery of sanshou, proficient in judo.
Punching power exceeding 130 kilograms.
Without realizing it, he had already reached the level of an amateur eighth dan.
He was gradually gaining some confidence as well.
"The assessment is tomorrow."
"If I go to the martial arts hall today, I can observe the others' standards."
The thought flashed through his mind. Although Chen Feng was confident that he could take first place now, he still wanted to be more cautious.
Tap tap!
His footsteps steady, he emerged from the residential complex via the pedestrian stairs.
Rows of wholesale fruit shops came into view—watermelons, bananas, grapes, white pears.
Large delivery trucks filled both sides of the road, parked haphazardly and clogging the street completely. Horns sounded from time to time.
"Hey, move your car up there! You're blocking the way!"
"Got it, got it! Right away."
"Old Zhang, come move the car!"
The shouts were chaotic, and there was no telling how often scenes like this occurred.
Chen Feng was used to it and was about to keep going.
Tap!
He took a step.
But then his gaze suddenly flickered.
"Again?"
Something was wrong with his perception. Chen Feng once again sensed a trace of faint malice.
Cold and indifferent.
He paused, turned toward the nearest wholesale fruit shop, and pretended to pick out fruit as he casually glanced to the side.
Two figures stood beneath a utility pole across the street.
One was tall, the other fat. They wore different clothes—one in a dark short-sleeved shirt, the other in a black button-up. Both had cigarettes in their mouths and were watching where he stood.
With just one glance, Chen Feng was certain they were the two men who had driven off in a black car outside the Hotpot Restaurant last night.
"They're following me?"
A trace of doubt and vigilance flashed through his eyes. Chen Feng grabbed a plastic bag and casually selected five or six white pears larger than his fist.
"How much, boss?"
"Twenty-three yuan and seventy cents. Just give me twenty-four."
Chen Feng raised an eyebrow and looked at him.
"Move your car, move it! Don't park outside my shop! I've got people coming to load goods soon!"
An urging shout came from across the street. Chen Feng's eyes shifted, and from the corner of his eye, he saw the two stalkers toss away their cigarette butts.
The fatter young man even shot the fruit shop owner an impatient glare, as though he wanted to make a move.
"The target's right across the street. Don't let him notice."
The taller man grabbed his companion and spoke softly, gesturing with his eyes at their surroundings.
The other man gave up. The two got into the black car one after the other, quickly leaving the area and disappearing at the end of the street.
Seeing this, Chen Feng withdrew his gaze.
After confirming the license plate, he found that it was exactly the same black car from last night.
"Young man, that's how we do business. We round it off."
"If it were less than fifty cents, I'd definitely waive it for you."
The fruit shop owner explained with a cheerful smile. Chen Feng secretly shook his head.
He hated this kind of reverse rounding.
"Twenty-three yuan. If that works, I'll pay."
"That's too low, too low. I won't make any profit at that price."
Chen Feng turned to leave.
"Hey, hey, fine. Twenty-three."
After speaking, Chen Feng did not waste words with him.
He scanned the code and paid, then carried the plastic bag of white pears away.
"Who could it be?"
On the way, he took a bus and arrived near the martial arts hall.
Chen Feng got off through the rear door and no longer sensed the earlier malice.
Yet the more that was the case, the more vigilant his gaze became.
Once might have been a coincidence.
But twice in a row—and they had even appeared downstairs from his home.
He had no choice but to suspect that someone was directing them from behind the scenes, or that he had offended someone else.
Tap tap!
Then, just as the thought crossed his mind, footsteps slowly approached.
"What's with you? It's rare to see you looking so lost in thought."
Lin Hao walked over in his usual loose black casual T-shirt, white sneakers, and baseball bag slung over his shoulder.
His outfit looked ordinary, yet it carried a distinct kind of presence.
"Oh, you even brought fruit to the martial arts hall."
"What, are you planning to bribe Coach Lu?"
Lin Hao said with a smile, his tone full of teasing.
Seeing this, Chen Feng thought for a moment and decided not to stand on ceremony with him.
"I ran into a little trouble, and I'd like to ask you for a favor." He got straight to the point.
"Oh?"
Lin Hao raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"
"I want you to help me look up a license plate."
Remembering the other man's previously demonstrated skill at gathering information, Chen Feng spoke seriously.
This was the best method he could think of for now—to investigate those two men's background and make it easier to deal with them and plan his next steps.
"Hah, I was wondering what it was."
Lin Hao's expression relaxed, and he was clearly much more at ease.
"Sure. Leave it to me. Send me the plate number on WeiChat later."
Chen Feng nodded. He had considered asking through his phone, but he felt it was more reliable to say it face-to-face.
"So these pears are for me, right?"
Lin Hao asked with a beaming smile. Quick-witted as he was, he had already made a confident guess.
"A small token of appreciation."
Chen Feng nodded and silently remembered the favor.
Lin Hao smiled and, without saying anything more, casually took the bag of fruit.
"Alright, I'll take them."
The atmosphere eased, and the two walked into the martial arts hall side by side.
Their footsteps echoed, but soon after they emerged from the locker room, they sensed an unusual atmosphere.
"Experts have come to the martial arts hall."
"I heard they're from the Assessment Panel. Coach Lu is receiving them in the meditation room."
"Weren't they supposed to come tomorrow?"
"How would I know?"
The trainees on the Practice Field were no longer practicing as usual.
Chen Feng could even sense that most of them were distracted and quietly discussing the matter.
Xu Dongtai, Zheng Qiang, and the others in the distance also wore varying expressions as they stood silently in place.
"So the news is true."
Suddenly, Lin Hao seemed to murmur something under his breath. Chen Feng turned to look at him.
"I forgot to tell you earlier—the Core Disciple assessment seems to have been moved up."
Words fell, and Chen Feng was startled.
Moved up?
In other words, the assessment was starting today?
Tap tap tap!
Then, just as he was wondering about it, footsteps sounded continuously.
Four figures approached at an unhurried pace, their eyes sharp and their heights varied.
Coach Lu, whose bearing was usually fierce, now seemed to have become a mere supporting figure. He walked at the outer edge, leading the way while seemingly speaking to them.
In an instant, with just one look.
Chen Feng could clearly tell that the other three were absolutely experts.
At least Professional Grade!
Besides that—
"Hm?"
His gaze sharpened. Chen Wei had unexpectedly spotted a somewhat familiar figure among those three.
His build was broad and solid, and he stood nearly one meter ninety tall.
His face was square, his nose high, and his hair cut in a crew cut.
His lips were thick, and his eyes shone brightly.
He was none other than the blogger Chen Feng had watched in a judo instructional video on his phone a few days ago.
Yan Wu Academy Core Disciple, Cao Tong!
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