With Ameko's departure, Zhang Heng's exchange-student life also came to an end. He moved out of the International Exchange Hall dormitory and rented a small apartment elsewhere.
Takeda Tetsuya had taught him almost everything he could. From then on, improving further would depend on constant practice and personal talent. It was basically impossible for Zhang Heng's Automobile Driving Skills to rise from Level 2 to Level 3 in a short time, so he stopped putting much energy into it.
Afterward, he drove the L300 to several more underground modified-car races, earning substantial prize money and even winning a Mazda that was eighty percent new. Unfortunately, he gained no points.
That money was enough to support the rest of his life in Tokyo. Since he could not take any extra money with him, earning more had little meaning, so Zhang Heng stopped racing. The khaki-colored van that had suddenly appeared and mysteriously vanished eventually became an urban legend in Tokyo's underground racing scene...
That was a story for later.
Without classes or a job, Zhang Heng suddenly had much more free time. One day, while out sightseeing, he spotted a dojo and suddenly remembered that karate seemed to have originated in Japan. It had developed from traditional Japanese fighting techniques combined with Chinese hand techniques.
When he had fought the group led by Kobayashi Yu before, he had tested the results of his recent workouts. But those opponents had only been ordinary people. Zhang Heng could rely on his speed and strength to gain an advantage, yet at heart it had still been little more than unstructured brawling. He could take this opportunity to learn some karate techniques.
So, over the final two months, Zhang Heng acquired another Level 0 Karate skill.
On the 420th day, he stood atop the Skytree,