IOU

For these youths, who had begun training at five or six years old, running was not particularly difficult. But long-distance running was still an immense test.

Su Hao estimated that one lap around the Martial Arts Field was fifteen hundred meters. Twenty laps meant thirty kilometers—no ordinary person could complete such a task.

When Su Hao reached the fifth lap, some students slowed down and were eliminated.

When Su Hao reached the eighth lap, some students collapsed from exhaustion and were eliminated.

When Su Hao reached the tenth lap, some students began giving up, cursing as they fell to the ground, and were eliminated.

When Su Hao reached the twelfth lap, around eighty people had already been eliminated, including his new roommate, Hua Wanli.

As time passed, the number of eliminated students continued to rise.

At this point, Su Hao noticed that Little Fatty and He Qingqing were already struggling badly.

By the fifteenth lap, the line had stretched out endlessly. Everyone was panting like oxen, nearly at their limits. One hundred people had already been eliminated.

Jin Dayan galloped ahead alone at the very front.

His face was red and he panted like an ox, but appearances were deceiving. He still had plenty of strength left. From his observation, aside from a small number whose depth he could not gauge, most people were already nearing their limits. In other words, taking first place this time was as certain as ten out of ten.

"Hm?" Jin Dayan suddenly spotted a familiar figure. Wasn't that the brat he had run into at the restaurant that day? Why did he look so relaxed, barely even panting? Could he be putting on an act? Jin Dayan frowned and watched for a while, but could not make out anything. After calculating the distance, he thought, He's more than half a lap behind me. There are only five laps left. No matter what, he can't catch me!

Jin Dayan's heart settled, and he stopped caring about anything else, merely lowering his head and running.

After the fifteenth lap, Su Hao noticed something: once someone had passed fifteen laps, even if they collapsed from exhaustion at their limit, they would not be eliminated. Those eliminated were instead the ones who gave up before reaching their limits.

Once he understood this, Su Hao first moved closer to He Qingqing and said, "Qing Qing, as long as you have even a thread of strength left, keep running. Trust me."

Then he slowed down and came to Little Fatty's side, repeating what he had told He Qingqing.

By now, Little Fatty no longer had the strength to respond to Su Hao. He merely ran forward like a walking corpse. He did not know who he was, where he was, or what he was doing. He only knew that he had to keep running, or he would never be able to hold his head high again and would become a coward for life.

Seeing this, Su Hao relaxed slightly. What he feared most was Little Fatty suddenly giving up from exhaustion. If that happened, all their previous efforts would go down the drain.

He carefully observed everyone's condition on the field and could not help nodding to himself.

As expected of Martial Artists who had trained since childhood. There were strong people everywhere. Being eliminated only meant one was too weak.

At least a hundred people on the field were still running in relatively steady condition. The few at the front were even more outrageous—their faces were only slightly red, they panted heavily, and barely any sweat could be seen.

By the time Su Hao reached the eighteenth lap, one hundred and eighteen people had been eliminated, yet Jin Datong still had not called a stop.

Suddenly, Little Fatty stumbled and fell forward. Before he even hit the ground, he had already lost consciousness.

Su Hao reacted with lightning speed, reaching out to catch Little Fatty securely before gently laying him on the ground. Without delaying for even an instant, he continued running forward.

That move immediately caught Jin Datong's attention.

Jin Datong's gaze followed Su Hao, and he frowned as he secretly pondered, Where did this freak come from? Out of more than five hundred people here, who isn't panting like an ox and sweating like rain? Yet this brat—not only isn't he sweating, he isn't even breathing hard. Is he fake-running?

After thinking for a moment, Jin Datong decided to test Su Hao's mettle. He raised his voice and announced, "Now let's play a game. Whoever runs into first place will receive a reward of ten Gold Yuan from me!"

Jin Datong looked at Jin Dayan, who was running at the front, calculated the distance, and secretly smirked. These ten Gold Yuan were tempting enough for everyone, but there were less than two laps left before the end. No matter who it was, they could not possibly overtake his foolish little brother, Jin Dayan. Then, once that foolish brother took first place, he could renege on the ten Gold Yuan with perfect justification. Hahahaha! Everyone heard his words.

The eight teachers behind him looked at Jin Datong in surprise, wondering when this Jin Datong had become so generous. In previous years, the reward had only been one Gold Yuan.

The students below immediately had their eyes light up upon hearing the offer, as though endless strength had surged forth from their bodies again.

Those with strength remaining began accelerating, while those with nothing left could only regretfully miss their chance.

The moment his words fell, He Qingqing toppled forward. Su Hao caught her and laid her on the ground. She was still conscious, merely panting hazily and unable to speak.

Ten Gold Yuan, by Su Hao's calculation, had purchasing power close to one hundred thousand. It was a huge sum.

And he needed money!

So Su Hao moved.

"Those ten Gold Yuan are mine. No one can dream of competing with me for them!"

Su Hao mobilized every ounce of strength in his body and suddenly erupted. His running speed surged, faster and faster, as he overtook one student after another at almost his peak speed.

The students he passed were instantly dumbfounded. Many even forgot to run, gave up running, and gradually stopped where they were, staring foolishly at Su Hao as he ran faster and faster.

"Who is that?"

That was the question rising in everyone's heart.

Jin Dayan, running at the very front, was also gritting his teeth and accelerating continuously. He had heard what his elder brother Jin Datong said as well. Ten Gold Yuan was no small sum to him either—enough for him to trade for a more flamboyant set of armor.

He still had plenty of strength left. He was determined to seize first place.

Just as he was brimming with confidence, a figure shot past him with a whoosh. He froze for a moment.

"What was that?"

Taking a closer look, he saw only the back of someone running. That person looked younger than him, yet the man's speed left him choking on dust.

His heart suffered a violent Impact, and for a moment, he could scarcely believe it. "How is that possible?!"

His defenses crumbled. His face filled with unwillingness, and his speed gradually slowed until he stopped at the side, watching Su Hao disappear into the distance.

Because there was no point in continuing to run.

Thus, a miraculous scene appeared on the Martial Arts Field. All the students stopped where they were and watched Su Hao run farther and farther away.

While running the final lap, Su Hao discovered that everyone had stopped running. Moreover, wherever he passed, the students moved aside to make way for him. It looked exactly like a school sports meet.

"What's going on?" Su Hao was somewhat bewildered as well, but he could not care about that now. It was the final lap. Those ten Gold Yuan were as good as his.

He was not interested in money—that had been true in his previous life, when he had possessed nearly inexhaustible wealth.

But now he was poor. He had no right to be uninterested in money. Before earning enough of it, he would maintain an enthusiastic attitude toward making money.

Su Hao maintained his high speed and quickly reached the starting point, completing the twenty-lap task.

Then, without a flushed face or labored breath, he leaped onto the platform, walked up to Jin Datong, and held out his hand. "Teacher Jin, I came first. Ten Gold Yuan, thank you."

Jin Datong's mouth twitched. He had not brought any money at all, so he turned to seek help from the eight teachers behind him. The eight teachers slightly turned their heads away, pretending not to see.

Jin Datong coughed awkwardly. "Well, very good. What is your name?"

"My name is Wu Xiangwu."

Jin Datong quickly adjusted himself and said with a stern, imposing expression, "Very good, Wu Xiangwu. I'll remember you. You did very well."

Su Hao held out his hand again. "Teacher Jin, where are my ten Gold Yuan?"

Jin Datong's expression nearly collapsed. The veins on his forehead throbbed wildly. This brat actually had the nerve to ask twice. His skin was even thicker than Jin Datong's own.

He had only raised the reward on a whim because he had already made his calculations.

In his view, the one who would ultimately take first place had to be his younger brother Jin Dayan. Then he could simply renege on the money.

Who could have imagined that a freak would spring out halfway through and leave everyone present staring like fools? It seemed these ten Gold Yuan were a cut of flesh he had no choice but to give up.

Jin Dayan really was a foolish little brother! After steadying himself, Jin Datong said, "Wu Xiangwu, rest assured, you will not be shorted a single Gold Yuan. Tomorrow, right here again, I will hand these ten Gold Yuan to you before everyone. My word is my bond!"

Su Hao frowned. When it came to money, once payment was delayed, all kinds of uncertain factors could arise, and the chances of it going down the drain became very high. If Jin Datong hid tomorrow, where would he find him?

So, under everyone's watchful eyes, Su Hao pulled a sheet of paper and a pen from his pocket, lay prone on the ground, and began scribbling away.

Jin Datong asked curiously, "Wu Xiangwu, what are you writing?"

"An IOU!"

Jin Datong's face instantly turned green. As Young Master Jin, when had he ever suffered such treatment? The eight teachers behind him could no longer hold it in and burst into loud laughter.

Thanks to Spring Surge for the reward and monthly ticket, and to M Mozi's Peach Blossom for the reward.