Danger

"I'm heading off, Zhou En, Wang Rui," Su Lin waved to the two of them.

"Bye-bye." After bidding Su Lin farewell, Zhou En looked at the chubby kid beside him.

"Are we going straight to the cafeteria to eat, or back to the dorm to order takeout?"

The chubby kid said listlessly, "Let's go back to the dorm and order takeout."

"Okay," Zhou En agreed, pointing to the small grove of trees beside them.

"Let's take the shortcut, it's faster."

As Zhou En's words fell, the two walked towards the grove.

Zhou En and the chubby kid usually liked to cut through the grove when they had nothing else to do.

It wasn't because the scenery in the grove was particularly beautiful, but rather because every time they passed through, they would always see couples doing unspeakable things there.

This allowed Zhou En and the chubby kid, as excellent loners, to feast their eyes.

Today, it was clear that taking the shortcut was just an excuse; going through the grove was definitely for observing couples kissing.

However, their luck seemed to be bad today. Zhou En and the chubby kid scanned the surroundings like four searchlights.

They couldn't find any couples showing affection, which made Zhou En and the chubby kid very disappointed.

It even ruined their good mood from joining the club.

"Today is really unlucky," the chubby kid couldn't help but complain.

"Heh, you're right." Hearing this, the chubby kid couldn't help but freeze.

This voice didn't sound like Zhou En's.

He turned his head to look at Zhou En beside him, who was currently looking at him with a surprised expression.

What the heck was going on?

The two of them turned their heads back simultaneously. They didn't know what they would see until they looked, and when they did, they were shocked.

Dozens of people were densely packed behind them, blocking the road completely.

"What the hell is going on? Did I time travel to Hong Kong?" Zhou En's mouth twitched.

"Run. They look like trouble," the chubby kid tugged on Zhou En's sleeve and said in a low voice.

Zhou En clasped his fists and said, "Good sirs, we are just passing through. We didn't hear anything, and we didn't see anything."

Meanwhile, the chubby kid beside Zhou En had already started to quietly retreat, showing no loyalty.

"You're Zhou En, right?" one of the people at the front of the crowd said.

"That's me," Zhou En quickly clasped his fists in greeting. It was a joke; if he angered the big brother in front of him, he'd be heading to the hospital in a stretcher.

"Heh, I can let you pass, but only if you hand over all your money."

The leader, with his arms crossed, said mockingly.

Upon hearing this, Zhou En couldn't help but show a hint of hesitation.

He was carrying the one thousand yuan he had won in a bet that morning. That was the fruit of his hard labor.

If he were robbed, wouldn't he regret it so much his intestines would turn green?

Seeing the hesitation in Zhou En's eyes, the leader grinned, "What, you're not willing to hand it over?"

Zhou En looked at the dozens of people in front of him, gritted his teeth, and decided that his life was more important than his money.

"I'll give it," Zhou En tremblingly took out twenty yuan from his pocket.

This was the change left from treating the chubby kid to lunch today.

"Kid, you think twenty yuan can fool me? Do you take me for an idiot?" The leader slapped the twenty yuan out of Zhou En's hand, saying with dissatisfaction.

Seeing his two ten-yuan bills knocked to the ground, a hint of anger appeared on Zhou En's face.

As the saying goes, children from poor families grow up fast. In PZH, a fourth-tier city, twenty yuan could buy three meals in the school cafeteria.

Zhou En said sternly, "Classmate, as the saying goes, 'take someone's money and avert disaster.' It's better to have one more friend than one more enemy."

The leader glanced at Zhou En disdainfully and said mockingly, "Zhou En, I know you played the fool to trick everyone and won a thousand yuan this morning."

"Hand it over now, and I might spare your life."

This sentence hit Zhou En's heart like a heavy hammer. As a stingy person, Zhou En valued this thousand yuan more than his own life.

Just as Zhou En was about to retort, the chubby kid beside him tugged on his sleeve and whispered.

"Zhou En, forget it. You can't beat them."

The chubby kid's words were like a basin of cold water splashed on Zhou En's face.

For someone receiving formal combat training for the first time, the first session was always the most exhausting.

The tearing pain in Zhou En's chest and triceps told him that he didn't have much fighting strength left.

"Run." The chubby kid and Zhou En exchanged a look, nodded in unison, and quickly ran backward.

Zhou En and the chubby kid believed that as long as they ran to a place with many people, they would be safe.

No, as long as we run in front of the school's surveillance cameras.

As long as there's evidence, Zhou En and Chubby believe the people behind them absolutely wouldn't dare to make a move.

But it's a shame there are no cameras in this grove of trees, otherwise, it wouldn't be a place for couples to meet.

However, the thugs behind them showed no signs of chasing, all with their arms crossed, coldly watching Zhou En and Chubby's retreating figures.

It was like a cheetah staring at a rabbit it was about to catch.

"Zhou En, they're not chasing us," Chubby said to Zhou En, glancing back at their pursuers and seeing no one.

Zhou En also looked back, curious.

When he saw no one was chasing them, he stopped.

To be honest, he was utterly exhausted today. He felt like he was about to collapse.

He immediately stopped, hands on his knees, panting heavily.

Chubby was even worse off. Regardless of whether the ground was dirty, he plopped down right on it, gasping for air.

Anyone who didn't know better would think the fatty was doing some kind of cardio workout.

"Why aren't they chasing us?" Chubby asked intermittently. After I get back, I'm definitely weighing myself. I must have lost forty pounds today.

"I don't know," Zhou En replied, still catching his breath.

"They have... &... ah, you scared me." Chubby couldn't help but curse under his breath.

"No, they wouldn't just let us go that easily," Chubby's words suddenly enlightened Zhou En.

"We're both exhausted after training. At our current speed, anyone could easily catch up."

"But they didn't chase us, so what does that mean?" Zhou En looked at Chubby in alarm.

"Clap, clap, clap."

Just as Zhou En finished speaking, a clear sound of applause echoed from in front of them.

"Blocking us here, there must be nearly twenty people in total, front and back. They're really taking us seriously."

Zhou En chuckled self-deprecatingly, but the smile vanished instantly.

It was like a rooster whose neck had been squeezed.

The reason for Zhou En's reaction was that he saw someone at the very front, someone he never expected to see.

"Yue Hua," Zhou En gritted out.

At the front was Yue Hua, who had lost to him in their match this morning.

Zhou En never imagined that Yue Hua would be so petty, resorting to finding people after losing a match.

As if sensing Zhou En's thoughts, Yue Hua kindly explained.

"I didn't send people to target you. You've offended someone you shouldn't have."

"Who?" Zhou En asked.

"Our boss, Li Hui," Yue Hua said, word by word, with unconcealed pride in his eyes.

Upon hearing this, Zhou En's body trembled.

Zhou En remembered the cold gaze he received when leaving the club and Su Lin's words.

"Zhou En, whatever you do, don't mess with Li Hui."

Zhou En asked with some bitterness, "I don't remember offending your boss, so why is he targeting me?"

"Ha," Yue Hua scoffed and shook his head.

"You've already qualified to compete for an official trainee position. The boss won't allow that possibility."

Yue Hua shrugged indifferently. "So, we just have to eliminate you."

These words broke through Zhou En's mental defenses. To be honest, it would be a lie to say he wasn't scared facing twenty people staring him down.

"However, if you hand over the one thousand yuan you won, I might just let you go," Yue Hua suddenly changed his tune.

Zhou En gritted his teeth. For a poor college student, one thousand yuan was very important.

But compared to his life, this thousand yuan seemed less significant.

Zhou En took out all the money from his pocket and placed it on the ground in front of him, saying with visible pain, "You'll let us go now, right?"

Yue Hua slowly walked up to Zhou En, picked up the bills from the ground, and counted them.

"Why is one missing? Do you think I can't count?" Yue Hua said, displeased.

"I had a big meal at noon today and spent a hundred yuan. This is all I have left now," Zhou En said with apparent helplessness, shrugging.

"I didn't realize you were such a gourmet, kid," Yue Hua said sarcastically.

"Seeing as you're being so sensible, I'll let you off this time," Yue Hua said with a cold snort.

The words landed in Zhou En's ears like divine rain from the heavens. His eyes lit up.

Suppressing the urge to look at the Mao Zedong bills in Yue Hua's hand, Zhou En grabbed the joyfully beaming Chubby and prepared to weave through Yue Hua's group.

"Hold on." A tall man from the crowd reached out and blocked their path.

Zhou En's heart sank slightly.

He turned to Yue Hua. "What, are you going back on your word?"

"Heh, when have I ever gone back on my word?" Yue Hua asked, feigning surprise.

"Didn't you say we could leave after paying?" Zhou En asked, forcing down his anger.

"Yeah, and I didn't stop you when you were leaving," Yue Hua replied, looking genuinely confused.

This caused the men behind Yue Hua to burst into mocking laughter, staring at Zhou En and Chubby like they were clowns.

Zhou En's heart sank to the bottom. He finally understood that Yue Hua and his group had been playing them for fools.

"Zhou En, let's split up and run," Chubby said seriously, losing his usual flippant demeanor.

Zhou En glanced back and saw more than a dozen people slowly approaching from behind.

Suddenly, they were surrounded, caught between two groups like the filling of a sandwich.

"Run in both directions. You go left, I'll go right."

This was the only strategy Zhou En and Chubby could come up with.

"Go!" Zhou En shouted, and they both fled in opposite directions along the forest path.

Seeing them split up, Yue Hua was momentarily stunned, then sneered.

"These two only trained for an afternoon. They must be exhausted and won't be able to run far."

Under Yue Hua's direction, the more than twenty men quickly split into two groups, one chasing Chubby and the other chasing Zhou En.

Zhou En ran with all his might, but the meager glycogen in his blood instantly made him feel deeply fatigued.

His quadriceps and hamstrings screamed at him to stop this foolish endeavor.

"Hang in there," Zhou En gritted his teeth, encouraging himself.

"How is this kid so fast? He shouldn't have much strength left after training. Where is this burst of speed coming from?" Yue Hua wondered in surprise, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"I absolutely cannot let this kid become an official trainee."

"As long as I keep chasing him, I don't believe his burst of speed can last much longer."

A dozen seconds later, Zhou En clearly felt his speed dropping significantly, his breathing becoming rapid.

Sensing his physical condition, Zhou En couldn't help but lament inwardly.

He clearly couldn't hold on any longer.

He tried to speed up, but his legs felt as heavy as lead.

Seeing the sunlight not far ahead, Zhou En's spirits lifted.

He was almost out of the small forest.

"Hey, kid, you're running pretty fast."

Just as Zhou En was about to rejoice at escaping the clutches of danger, a large hand landed on his shoulder.

Zhou En's heart instantly plummeted.

Before Zhou En could react, the man who had spoken kicked the back of Zhou En's right knee.

Zhou En lost his balance completely and slammed hard onto the unforgiving ground.

Dirt and a few foxtails went into his mouth.

"Ptooey." Zhou En quickly spat out the foxtails.

He looked at his arm, and blood was flowing from the torn skin.

The rage in his heart instantly suppressed the remaining reason in his mind.

"You dare to hit me?" Zhou En immediately jumped up and threw a straight right punch at the leader of the group.

"What are you doing?"

"You want to hit my brother?"

"Are you tired of living?"

Just as Zhou En's punch was about to connect with the leader, the thugs behind them started shouting.

They all yelled and kicked at Zhou En.

A surge of adrenaline made Zhou En temporarily forget the pain, but the powerful blows forced him to retreat repeatedly.

When Zhou En finally took in the situation, his mood grew even heavier.

In that brief moment, all the thugs who had been behind him had caught up, surrounding him completely.

This situation could only be escaped by growing wings.

"Don't force my hand."

Zhou En made a final, futile threat.

"Li Hui, hurry up and come for training." Liu Yu had just returned to the club and saw Li Hui standing still, letting out a sharp reprimand.

"Mhm, okay." Li Hui agreed, watching her slender retreating figure and unconsciously swallowing hard.

Li Hui hadn't joined this club to become some combat champion; his goal was to get his hands on this alluring young woman.

Thinking of her fiery figure, Li Hui couldn't help but swallow again.

"Achoo."

"What's wrong, Zhou En?" In a luxurious suite, Chubby looked at Zhou En with a confused expression.

Of course, the so-called luxury was merely their perception.

Zhou En popped the last bit of tomato beef from his plate into his mouth, saying with a pained expression, "This meal alone cost me over a hundred yuan."

Chubby shook his somewhat large head and said, "Alright, I'll go with you to register at the club later."

Zhou En had planned to register at the club right after eating. As for calling the number on that pink business card, he felt a bit embarrassed, as he had never had experience hitting on girls before.

"Let's go." After paying the bill, Zhou En and Chubby walked towards the club.

It was already past three in the afternoon when they arrived at the club. Seeing the classroom with "World Combat Club" emblazoned on it, Zhou En couldn't help but feel a bit emotional. He remembered being mocked as a martial arts newbie the first time he came. But this time, he saw himself as a potential contender to defeat Yue Hua. Although he was still a martial arts newbie, he was at least a newbie wearing a tiger's skin. Thinking this, he knocked on the classroom door.

Knock, knock, knock.

"Who is it? Don't you have a key, for crying out loud?" The voice from inside the door expressed impatience.

As the door was opened, a university student wearing black sweatpants and a khaki hoodie walked out.

"Excuse me, is this the World Combat Club? I'm a student here to register," Zhou En said politely.

The university student was taken aback, then grinned and burst out laughing. "Come on, buddy, did you take the wrong medicine? Registration closed yesterday."

"I was invited by your coach, Liu Yu, to join the club," Zhou En explained kindly.

When Zhou En competed against Yue Hua, this poor guy was still training hard at the club. So, he didn't know about Zhou En defeating Yue Hua.

"Hahahaha." The university student was initially stunned, then burst into unrestrained laughter. Liu Yu wasn't just some pretty face; she was a beautiful coach who had been a national team coach. To date, the only person she had invited was the club's captain. And this kid...

"Brother, having dreams is good, but it's wrong not to distinguish between dreams and reality." The university student's grin stretched almost to his eyes.

"Qiyu, what's going on?" At this moment, some club members who enjoyed a bit of gossip saw what was happening and came over to ask.

Qiyu smiled and explained the situation to everyone, which only led to more laughter.

"Kid, this isn't a place for you. Go back where you came from." Qiyu had spoken relatively politely, but this person was much harsher.

"Yeah, classmate, stop daydreaming."

"You? Trying to get invited by Coach Liu Yu? That's a pipe dream."

This was followed by a chorus of mockery.

"Hey, hey, did you even ask Coach Liu Yu before spouting nonsense?" Chubby, standing beside Zhou En, couldn't stand it. It was like they weren't even considering Zhou En's connection. If Zhou En knew Chubby's thoughts, he might have choked him to death.

"Hahahaha." Chubby's words once again drew a wave of laughter from the crowd. In their eyes, Chubby's situation was impossible.

"Huh, I know you. You're the guy who signed up yesterday and lost to Yue Hua," a little loli behind them suddenly said. Clearly, that was the little loli who had been in charge of registration yesterday.

The little loli remembered Zhou En not because he was particularly handsome, but because his "Moonlit Peach Snatch" move yesterday was too despicable.

The little loli's words, though seemingly innocuous, immediately ignited the crowd.

"Damn it, so he was rejected from signing up and came here to cause trouble."

"Brothers, go get him! Let's teach this arrogant kid a lesson he won't forget."

The little loli's statement instantly set the entire place ablaze. No wonder he dared to tease the instructor; he was here to challenge them!

Seeing a large group of men charging at them aggressively, Zhou En and Chubby's expressions changed slightly.

"Whoa, help!"

Chubby turned and bolted, completely abandoning any thought of brotherhood.

Hadn't he heard the saying, "Brothers are like limbs, women are like clothes"?

Both limbs and clothes were external possessions; in times of crisis, you shed what you needed to shed and cut off what you needed to cut off.

Just as Zhou En and Chubby were about to flee, a clear, cold voice echoed in everyone's ears.

"What are you all doing?" The voice wasn't loud, but it carried an air of authority.

Everyone turned towards the sound and saw the beautiful coach approaching with a displeased expression.

Her tight-fitting sports tank top accentuated her magnificent chest, and her short shorts below stirred the primal desires of many male creatures.

All eyes turned to the beautiful coach, and everyone involuntarily swallowed hard.

"Hello, Instructor," the men greeted the beautiful coach.

Liu Yu responded with a faint "Mm," then turned her gaze to the little loli.

"What's going on here?"

The beautiful coach was extremely unhappy about the commotion outside the club.

After all, a good mood played a significant role in training.

This group of people making such a loud ruckus outside was clearly disrupting the athletes' training.

"Sister Liu Yu, this guy came to our club to challenge us," the little loli said, pointing a small hand at Zhou En with a wronged expression.