Being Gifted Is So Infuriating

At Linjiang Pavilion, in the "Phoenix Has Arrived" private room.

Outside the window lay the river's nightscape, ablaze with lights and teeming with visitors.

"Team Leader Li, you're really bleeding money today, renting a private room at Linjiang Pavilion."

"Thanks to Mister Lu, we might even earn a collective third-class merit. What's one meal?" Li Jinglin rose to shake Lu Zheng's hand.

Come to think of it, this was Lu Zheng's first time meeting Li Jinglin. The two had never crossed paths before.

"You're too kind. I just happened to be in the right place at the right time. It was all a coincidence."

Li Jinglin's eyes were bright. One look was enough to tell that he was a ruthless figure.

"Sit."

Li Jinglin invited Lu Zheng to take a seat. "Civil servants can't drink Moutai at either public or private banquets, so let's have Wuliangye instead."

"Either works for me!"

The waitress filled their glasses, and everyone raised a toast together.

They ate while chatting.

Li Jinglin clinked glasses with Lu Zheng and asked with a smile, "To be honest, what I'm most curious about is your martial skill, Mister Lu. It's incredible. How did you train it?"

Lin Wan's beautiful eyes turned toward him as well.

Lu Zheng smiled too. He had run through his explanation dozens of times in his head already. It was not entirely without holes, but there was no way to refute it either—because there was no evidence...

Once every impossibility had been ruled out, all they could do was accept that Lu Zheng was telling the truth.

"I loved reading wuxia novels and watching wuxia dramas when I was little. I dreamed of becoming a great hero."

Li Jinglin nodded. "Who didn't? Every man has a wuxia dream."

"Back then, I never thought about learning martial arts. I just messed around on my own and fantasized about all sorts of things." Lu Zheng explained with a smile, "I imagined opponents attacking from every conceivable angle, then imagined myself striking back in all kinds of ways."

"Oh?"

"Later, as I grew up, I watched all kinds of fighting forms and taught myself saber techniques online. But I never lost that habit. Gradually, I just learned all the tricks of exerting force."

Lu Zheng took a bite of food. "Luckily, my reactions seem to be fairly quick too. Add youth and strength, plus knowing how to exert force, and my punches might be a little heavy.

I guess it's just practice making perfect. If someone else kept up this kind of training for more than ten years, they could probably be this good too."

The three of them: _? That was it?

He imagined things, trained blindly, practiced until perfect, and then became invincible?

Li Jinglin gave a hollow laugh. "I've trained for more than ten years too, but I'm nowhere near as good as you."

Lu Zheng smiled shyly. How should he put it? He had mentioned his naturally fast reflexes. That was talent—there was simply no logic to it.

Li Jinglin had watched the surveillance footage of Lu Zheng subduing Li Yanjie in one move at the intersection and knocking an internationally wanted criminal flat with one punch in the hotel lobby.

Those movements had been fast and ruthless, clean and sharp. Even the finest special forces soldiers would be no better. How could an ordinary college graduate possibly possess such skill? The instincts of an old detective had prompted him to investigate Lu Zheng, but looking through his life, there had never been any period in which he had vanished for a long time.

And now that he saw him in person, Lu Zheng had fair skin and delicate fingers. He truly did not look like someone who had undergone systematic training. So Li Jinglin could only helplessly admit that perhaps there really were geniuses in this world.

"You shouldn't have studied computer science. With your skills, you should have joined the army. With your talent and military training, you would definitely become a first-rate special forces soldier."

"I wouldn't dare. I know my own limits. How could I possibly have that kind of ability?"

"I came out of the military myself. You think I wouldn't know?" Li Jinglin glared.

Lu Zheng was helpless. Being praised like this really felt strange.

On the other side, Huang Xiumin snickered. Lin Wan could not help asking, "Lu Zheng, do you usually train by yourself?"

Lu Zheng nodded. "I always train alone. Honestly, if this hadn't happened, I wouldn't have known I was this good either. After all, imagining myself fighting martial arts masters all day doesn't seem like something an adult should do. It even feels a little embarrassing."

Li Jinglin took a deep breath and covered his chest, feeling as though he had been stabbed in the heart.

Lin Wan and Huang Xiumin were criminal investigators. They trained their bodies and practiced sanda too, so after hearing Lu Zheng's Versailles-style remarks, they also felt like coughing up blood.

"Now that you know you're this good, what are your plans for the future?"

"Uh, no plans." Lu Zheng blinked, unsure what Lin Wan meant. "In modern society, fighting and brawling are against the law."

"Pfft, hahaha!"

"Lu Zheng, you're too funny!"

Lin Wan laughed as well. "Actually, you're still young, and you're so talented. You could make it a career—for example, as a combat coach."

Lu Zheng shook his head. "Not interested."

Huang Xiumin added the finishing blow. "But aren't you unemployed right now?"

Lu Zheng rolled his eyes. "Go hang around a combat gym and mooch off rich older ladies?"

"That would be a fitness center. There are no rich older ladies at combat gyms." Huang Xiumin smiled. "But there are lots of pretty young women."

Lin Wan changed the subject. "You've trained on your own for more than ten years. Do you have any experience, insights, or secret fighting forms?"

"I do have some, but I've never specifically organized them. After all, I just trained blindly by myself."

Lin Wan immediately said, "Then how about this? Teach me first."

"Uh, sure."

"Tomorrow, I'll take you to a combat gym I often visit. It has fitness, sparring, and training all in one. You can see what I can do, then teach me how to box."

"Uh, sure."

Li Jinglin blinked, glanced at Lin Wan, then at Lu Zheng, and then saw Huang Xiumin shoot him a meaningful look.

He suddenly understood!

Well then, it looked like the young men in their unit would be heartbroken for a while.

"Alright, it's settled. You teach me boxing, and I'll get you a membership card!"

"Huh? No, no." Lu Zheng hurriedly waved his hands. "I have money."

"Then should I pay you tuition?" Lin Wan swept aside her long hair with one hand, a smile lingering at the corners of her eyes.

"Then forget it. You'd better get me the membership card. Let's count it as friends exchanging pointers. I'm afraid I'd lead you astray if I became your teacher."

Huang Xiumin gave a light cough. "Actually, the teacher-student thing has quite a nice feeling to it..."

Lin Wan's gaze turned cold as it swept over her. Huang Xiumin gave an awkward smile and fell silent.

After that, the atmosphere gradually warmed. Their conversation became increasingly casual, and Li Jinglin, who had come from the military, even took advantage of the alcohol in his system to exchange a few moves with Lu Zheng.

Neither of them stood. They only used their hands.

Yet both times, Lu Zheng grabbed his wrist in a single motion, leaving him unable to move.

"Impressive. It's a pity you're not in the system. Otherwise, I'd definitely transfer you over."

Lu Zheng smiled. "What era is this? There's high technology and veteran detectives for solving cases, and for fighting there are guns and plenty of people. Why would anyone need a combat expert?"

Li Jinglin shook his head. "That's because you don't know the inside information. Accidents can happen anywhere. The more means of self-defense you have, the greater your chances of staying alive."

At that, Lin Wan and Huang Xiumin fell silent too.

Seeing Lu Zheng's confusion, Lin Wan mentioned, "Last year, an older brother in our unit was accidentally separated from the team during an arrest operation and was killed by the suspect."

"Uh, I'm sorry..."

Lin Wan gave a soft laugh. "What does it have to do with you? Why are you apologizing?"

"Didn't I bring up the topic?"

"Team Leader Li was obviously the one who brought it up, wasn't he?"

"So..."

Having drunk a little, Lin Wan's skin was tinged with a faint flush. Her eyes were like water, and her breath carried a sweet fragrance.

"Since we're friends, if you don't want anything to happen to me, will you teach me properly?"

"Alright!"