The Path to Becoming Stronger

"Beep—"

At the checkout counter, Fang Cheng took a credit card from his bag.

After paying the bill, he carried two large bags filled with goods in both hands and walked out through the customer passage plastered with promotional posters.

Outside the supermarket was a parking lot, followed by a crosswalk.

Fang Cheng stood at the intersection, watching the vehicles shuttling back and forth as he patiently waited for the light to change.

It was Friday, a little past two in the afternoon. The weekend was just around the corner.

Around him were shoppers much like himself, all carrying bags.

This Runhua Supermarket was close to Jiangdong District. Its goods were affordable and high-quality, so business had always been good.

Whenever he had the time, Fang Cheng would travel a little farther out of his way to come here and stock up on supplies.

The bags in his hands were filled with food: fruits and vegetables, fresh fish and meat, as well as two large 900ml bottles of Pure Milk.

The red countdown flickered and turned green.

Fang Cheng followed the crowd across the street to the other side.

There was a bus stop nearby, with a route that went directly to Old Factory Street.

It only took four stops to get home.

He did not take the bus. Instead, he slowed down and wandered along the street.

Restaurants and clothing stores lined both sides.

The rain had stopped half a day ago, and the number of pedestrians had noticeably increased.

Withered yellow leaves carpeted the wet patterned floor tiles.

Fang Cheng's gaze passed through the crowd and down the long street, settling on a lush patch of greenery that stood out in the distance.

That was Jiangbin Park, located beside the Tai River...

Thick smog hung heavily in the sky, and the sun could only shoot shafts of light through gaps in the clouds.

Fortunately, there was still wind, leaving his face chilled.

It had been a long time since he had strolled around so casually. His heart seemed to quiet along with it.

Fang Cheng set down his shopping bags and sat alone on a bench by the riverbank.

Across the murky river lay a verdant landscaped greenbelt, where dozens of high-rise buildings stood tall.

That was Cuihu First Estate, a well-known upscale residential complex in Eastern Capital.

Its residents were either wealthy or powerful. It was said that each square meter cost over a hundred thousand, and even the property management and security fees were beyond the reach of ordinary people.

Beneath the shifting clouds, the shade of the trees obscured half the buildings, leaving only their gleaming upper sections exposed.

It was like an island in the sky within the city, standing in stark contrast to its surroundings.

Fang Cheng looked calmly at the scenery, but his gaze was not focused on the other side.

That place was far too distant from him.

What he needed most now was to continuously increase his strength and firmly seize hold of his ever-changing fate.

So that when disaster struck one day, he would not be reduced to a bystander or a victim.

The West Mountain Explosion Incident had stirred Fang Cheng's emotions slightly.

It was like a stone suddenly dropped into a lake that had long been still, sending ripples spreading outward.

The call he had made to his mother that morning had gone unanswered.

That was the landline number for the nurses' station.

Fang Cheng knew the hospital was busy at this hour, so he did not continue disturbing them.

After showering and waiting for a while, he tried calling again, only to find the line was still busy.

Fortunately, a call came back not long afterward.

It was from a nurse Fang Cheng knew, and she spoke in a hurried tone.

Apparently, because of the West Mountain Explosion Incident, many family members of medical staff had called to ask about the situation.

She first told Fang Cheng that Ren'an Hospital had not been affected by the mountain fire for the time being.

However, many injured people had been sent in since dawn, one after another, leaving them so busy that they could barely squeeze out time for a sip of water.

Hearing this, Fang Cheng offered a few words of comfort and asked her to pass a message along to Li Biyun.

Around noon.

His mother did indeed call back, and what she said was roughly the same.

Fang Cheng finally let out the breath he had been holding.

Then he asked about his maternal grandfather's condition.

His mother said that his maternal grandfather looked to be in decent condition and could drink some porridge now. The key would be the treatment that followed.

When Fang Cheng brought up how much of the surgical fee was still short.

With a faint smile, she said Uncle had been busy these past few days negotiating a business deal.

If it went through, let alone maternal grandfather's surgical fee, Uncle had even thumped his chest and promised to cover Fang Cheng's future wedding home when he got married and started a family.

Fang Cheng merely smiled when he heard that.

Hopefully Uncle would not brag like he used to and could actually be more dependable.

They kept the conversation brief. Not wanting to delay his mother's rest, Fang Cheng took the initiative to end the call.

Now that he knew everything was fine at the hospital, there was nothing much for him to worry about.

He could not visit maternal grandfather today.

After finishing his self-study, Fang Cheng simply did a few extra sets of squats and leg raises.

The sun came out in the afternoon. He then washed and hung up his clothes before cleaning the room.

Once he had finished the chores, staying indoors felt rather boring, yet he could not continue overtraining.

So he decided to go out for a walk and relax his body and mind, which had been tense for days.

Having just returned from the supermarket with a full load, he planned to make himself a lavish dinner tonight.

He would soon become a sparring partner, which counted as stepping into the "high-salary class" of earning over ten thousand a month.

Treating himself in advance would not cost much.

Besides, he could also practice his skills and gain experience along the way.

Before his eyes, a blue light screen slowly emerged.

Cooking Lv0 (89/100)

Cleaning Lv0 (91/100)

Looking at the progress bars for the two skills that were about to level up, Fang Cheng could not help but let his imagination run wild.

Like "Cleaning," "Cooking" was also a very ordinary life skill.

What kind of enhancement reward would it give after reaching Level 1?

Perhaps, like Boxing and Squats, it could increase attribute points or strengthen a certain part of his body?

With that thought, Fang Cheng glanced at the sky, which had grown somewhat gloomy.

He then rose from his chair, his gaze falling toward a place where faint clamor could be heard.

Before heading home, he intended to complete a scouting task.

He walked along the pebble path in the park.

Around him, groups of elderly people could be seen practicing Tai Chi and health cultivation exercises.

There were also quite a few fashionable young people practicing street dance or skateboarding.

From the fitness equipment area ahead came loud music and cheers.

A group of sturdy young men who had taken off their jackets and gone bare-chested had gathered in front of the horizontal bars.

A cassette recorder stood nearby, playing a high-energy dance track.

They took turns performing fitness moves, showing off their muscles while competing against one another.

One-Handed Pull-Ups, Bar Airplane Supports, Space Walks, 360-Degree Loops.

All sorts of highly difficult moves, immensely visually striking, drew wave after wave of cheers from the onlookers.

Fang Cheng's eyes flashed slightly as he joined the crowd of spectators.

As the economy had developed in recent years, fitness had gradually become more accessible to ordinary people.

Street workouts, which emphasized individual freedom and pursued personal heroism, had consequently flourished as well.

From the spectators, he learned that most of those fitness enthusiasts were sports students, though some had also won amateur bodybuilding championships.

Fang Cheng watched their nimble, extended movements without blinking, and a desire to try it himself rose within him.

He walked over to another vacant horizontal bar, gripped the steel bar overhand, and tested the feel of it.

Then, taking a deep breath, his arm muscles immediately tensed. He straightened his waist and back and pulled his body upward with force.

His movement was smooth, his posture stretched and graceful.

Although the soreness in his muscles had not faded, it did not affect his ability to perform the most basic movement.

Only when he raised his chin above the bar did his expression tighten slightly.

This performance was utterly unremarkable. Even if someone glanced at him, they quickly turned away again.

They merely took him for someone fooling around on a whim.

Two girls who appeared to be sports students and companions, however, covered their mouths and laughed, raising their hands to point at him as though discussing Fang Cheng's clumsy imitation.

Indeed.

Compared side by side, the gap was simply far too obvious.

Fang Cheng, especially, had the look of a pretty boy. Even in a Jacket, his figure looked rather slim.

It was practically the difference between a scrawny mutt and a wolfhound.

Pull-Ups were already a highly challenging exercise, regarded by fitness enthusiasts as a symbol of masculine strength.

Fang Cheng's gaze remained calm, completely unaffected by the others.

Though his form was slightly distorted, he still followed the standard as closely as possible and completed ten pull-ups.

Feeling the soreness and numbness in his arms, shoulders, and back intensify, he decided not to continue.

"Just a trial run..."

Fang Cheng jumped down from the Horizontal Bar, shook out his hands, and let out a soft breath.

Then he silently Turned and Left.

There was no Shortcut to getting fit; it only came through gradual accumulation.

Even the Panel's assistance was more about real-time feedback and Solidification of results.

Therefore, if he wanted to become stronger, he still needed persistent effort.

This was a road he had to take.

But Fang Cheng possessed incomparably strong confidence.

On this path to becoming stronger, every opponent he encountered would sooner or later be surpassed, one by one!

Including the somewhat strange Majima Goro, whom he would soon face...

"It's going to rain!"

A shout suddenly rang out.

A few raindrops drifted down sparsely.

Fang Cheng raised his head and Looked, only to see dark clouds rapidly moving from west to east.

I hope this rain doesn't last too long. Don't let it affect tomorrow's training...

Muttering In his heart, he quickly picked up two large Bags of ingredients and joined the crowd hurrying home.