Like the library, the training rooms were divided into tiers, just like sleeper berths on trains and cabins on airplanes, with first-class and second-class distinctions.
Since they were graded, the equipment inside naturally varied in quality, and the environment, facilities, and other details were different as well.
Chen Nan had permission to enter all first-class facilities, all thanks to the badge the dean had issued him. With that badge, he was guaranteed unimpeded access wherever he went.
At this moment, he was in the first-class training room.
The training room contained all kinds of equipment, including training posts and targets. It covered a vast area, its equipment was advanced and new, yet there were few people inside.
The place Chen Nan wanted to go was the target area.
It had been specially prepared for long-range attacks and was especially suitable for spellcasters practicing their spells.
The targets were extremely advanced. They could reveal flaws in an attack and display its power, among other things.
Using them for practice would provide a relatively objective assessment of one's strength.
Such high-end targets existed only here. The targets in other training rooms were already considered good if they could display attack power.
There was no one in the target area at the moment. Chen Nan was happy to enjoy the peace and immediately began.
He did not test whether incantations worked, because he always felt that shouting out a string of words before casting a spell was unbearably cringe.
It was like in those novels, where one had to shout the name of a move before launching an attack, as though that were the proper way for a move to be unleashed.
But Chen Nan found it far too embarrassing, a little like children playing house.
Skipping the incantation part, Chen Nan began organizing the mental fluctuations in his brain. Following the fluctuation patterns calculated by the Thunderclap Art, and with the AI System's assistance, Chen Nan began condensing electromagnetic brainwaves and exerting force.
Very quickly, Chen Nan felt streams of electricity flowing into both his arms. Then formed lightning, like electric hedgehogs, began jumping between his palms.
Dazzling electric light crackled and snapped there. As Chen Nan watched the lightning in his hands, his mind remained perfectly clear.
It seemed that as long as the AI System calculated a formula model for the spell and made a few adjustments, casting it would not be difficult at all.
He could cast even faster, but for now, he should first see how powerful it was.
With that thought, Chen Nan merged the two bolts of lightning together, then thrust both palms forward, as though he were using a Turtle School Wave.
The fused lightning transformed into several arcs of electricity and shot toward the target in one breath.
With a rumbling explosion, the target proved itself remarkably sturdy and suffered no damage at all. Meanwhile, numbers had already appeared on the panel.
Chen Nan walked closer and saw the display: Spell Completion—Perfect; Attack Accuracy—Perfect; Attack Power—97.
The attack power category contained only a number, with no unit. Chen Nan already understood that.
But this was, after all, something digital and rather abstract. He wanted to test what an attack power of "97" actually looked like.
Drawing the Meridian Mandarin Duck Axes, Chen Nan used every ounce of strength in his body and stabbed the center of the target once.
Skipping the rest, Chen Nan looked only at the attack power category and saw: Attack Power—12.
Seeing this result, Chen Nan could not help sticking out his tongue. A Transcendent's offensive power was truly badass. His Lightning Spell, cast at only zero-stage level three, was actually seven or eight times stronger than his ordinary attack.
If he had possessed this move back when he fought Li Huaming, why would he have needed to pull off a monkey steals the peaches?
Ah, the past was too unbearable to look back on.
After testing the Lightning Spell's power, Chen Nan continued practicing there for a while. At the very least, he needed to coordinate with his AI System and achieve good accuracy.
During this practice, Chen Nan discovered that the spells he cast did not have fixed attack power.
Sometimes they were stronger, sometimes weaker, and on rare occasions, critical hits even occurred.
Thus, Chen Nan understood that although the spell had undergone scientific verification, it still contained many uncertainties. Those uncertainties were very likely beyond the reach of scientific calculation.
It was somewhat similar to the uncertainty principle, but Chen Nan could not clearly explain whether that was really the case.
Once he finished practicing, it was time for dinner. Naturally, Chen Nan still went to the special cafeteria on the fifth floor.
When he came out after eating, his phone rang.
One look at the number showed that it was Jiang Lili. He immediately answered, and a voice came from the other end.
"Chen Nan, when are you getting a day off? Come back and see everyone, okay? We all miss you.
"Let me tell you, that Spicy Hot Pot business you came up with is doing incredibly well. Less than half a month after opening, the shop became wildly popular.
"Even at four yuan a bowl, the Spicy Hot Pot sells out every day. Our daily income is almost a thousand yuan!"
Chen Nan was delighted to hear this, but he still reminded her, "It's good that things are going well, but make sure the quality stays high. Don't smash our own signboard.
"Let's make it next weekend. I'll head back and see how your business is doing too."
Jiang Lili said with a laugh, "You can't go back on your word, or else, watch us come to your academy and make a scene."
Chen Nan agreed with a smile and hung up, only to hear footsteps behind him.
When he turned around, he found that it was the other three people from his dormitory.
As soon as they came over, Shen Congyun said, "Chen Nan, you're being way too unfair. Why have you become a lone wanderer?"
Shi Lei immediately said, "What do you know? Can Chen Nan be the same as us? Don't go bothering him for nothing."
Lu Butong said unhappily, "Even so, you don't have to ignore us this much, right? We live in the same dormitory, after all."
Chen Nan said with a smile, "Alright, alright, that's my fault. How about this? I'm going back to visit some friends next weekend. I'll take you all along to try the food there. What do you think?"
They were children at heart, after all. The moment they heard this, they all became happy and headed back to the dormitory with Chen Nan.
In the blink of an eye, the agreed day arrived. Jiang Lili and the others had already put up a notice saying the shop would be closed for the day, drawing a flood of complaints from customers who wanted Spicy Hot Pot.
But there was nothing to be done. This was the day Chen Nan was returning. No matter how much they wanted to make money, they could not neglect him. They could only leave those diners with cravings churning in their bellies disappointed.
Jiang Lili personally drove over to pick them up. Chen Nan had informed her beforehand that he would be bringing classmates, so no one else accompanied her in the car.
She drove the four boys all the way back to the shop.
"In the morning, I'll prepare four bowls of Spicy Hot Pot for you to whet your appetites. At noon, we'll have a real feast." As Jiang Lili spoke, the workers inside had already gotten busy.
Little Black Ox, Chen Xiao, and Feng Wu had all come out long ago. Everyone chatted and laughed, with no difference from one big family.
Chen Nan looked around the shop. It was about fifty or sixty square meters, simply and cleanly decorated with a fashionable air. The scent of Spicy Hot Pot in the room made saliva flood his mouth.
Lu Butong was the first to speak. "Wow, what smell is this? It smells so good. It must taste amazing, right?"
Jiang Lili said with a smile, "You'll find out in a moment."
Then she called toward the kitchen, "Sister Li, hurry up. These kids are starving."
"Alright, coming right away!" came the answer from the back kitchen. Before long, a woman in her thirties wearing a work uniform came out carrying four bowls of Spicy Hot Pot.
The four of them sat down, and she handed each of them bowls and chopsticks. When she reached Chen Nan, she looked at him a little longer and said, "So this is Chen Nan?"
Jiang Lili said, "Of course it's him. He was the one who came up with this Spicy Hot Pot idea. He may be young, but he has enough clever little schemes to fill a truck."
Sister Li looked at Chen Nan once more, then slowly withdrew.
Chen Nan secretly watched Sister Li as she looked back with every step. He always felt that there was something strange about this woman.
But the Spicy Hot Pot before him was even more enticing.
This was the taste of home!
"Wow, this is delicious!" Lu Butong shouted. "This was actually your idea, Chen Nan? That's unbelievable!"
The other two also praised it repeatedly, nearly swallowing their tongues along with the food.
After finishing the meal, Shen Congyun looked at Chen Nan, then turned to Jiang Lili and said, "Um, could I buy in and join this shop of yours?"
Shen Congyun's family were also small business owners. In Wu City, they ran a fairly well-known barbecue restaurant.
But barbecue restaurants were smoky and filthy, required staying up late, and attracted plenty of bastards who came to eat and drink. How could they compare to Spicy Hot Pot, which was clean and hassle-free?
Thus, he had begun entertaining thoughts in that direction.
Jiang Lili glanced at Chen Nan without saying anything.
Chen Nan said with a smile, "You can't buy in, but you can become a franchisee."
"A franchisee?" Shen Congyun asked. "What does that mean?"
Chen Nan said, "It means you pay a certain franchise fee, then open a chain store under our brand.
"When the time comes, we'll be responsible for selling you everything you need, such as authentic Spicy Hot Pot soup base and ingredients. Then you can open for business easily and conveniently."
Only then did Jiang Lili take over. "The franchise fee is five thousand yuan. We'll also train you in how to prepare this Spicy Hot Pot. If you're interested, feel free to contact me. Here's my business card."
A white business card was handed to Shen Congyun.
Lu Butong and Shi Lei each asked for one as well. Their families were not poor either, and they had some money.
As they examined the business cards, Jiang Lili called Chen Xiao over, took her phone, and played several videos. "Take a look. This is how packed it gets during business hours. Today, we closed to welcome Chen Nan, so you can't see the real situation."
Shen Congyun watched and saw that the diners could actually line up all the way outside the entrance. He exclaimed that this was truly an incredible business.
He looked at Chen Nan again and said, "Big brother, could you be some immortal descended from the heavens? You casually come up with Spicy Hot Pot, and it becomes this popular?"
Chen Nan thought, Isn't that a joke? Our nation of foodies has passed down Spicy Hot Pot as a delicacy for thousands of years. If it weren't a flavor loved by the masses, how could that be possible?
On the surface, however, he merely smiled faintly.
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