Club Manager Appears

Lin Wan smiled faintly. "Lu Zheng, stop teasing Lingling."

She then looked at Jiang Lingling. "Lu Zheng doesn't work out for fitness."

"Does he practice combat sports too?" Jiang Lingling blinked her big eyes and reached out to touch Lu Zheng's arm. "It feels so soft."

Lu Zheng shrank back involuntarily and gave an awkward laugh.

Jiang Lingling was quite pretty too, but she always felt somewhat familiar. Hmm, her face seemed like it had been pieced together from several big celebrities.

The corners of Lin Wan's lips curled up. Jiang Lingling was the girl who had spoken last in the group chat just now. She had come over to ask questions she already knew the answer to, clearly here to flirt with Lu Zheng.

But Lin Wan did not care. Competing with Jiang Lingling, she had absolute confidence.

"Jiang Lingling!" Jiang Lingling held out her hand.

"Lu Zheng." Lu Zheng shook Jiang Lingling's hand lightly, then immediately let go.

"Wanwan Jie, is Lu Zheng very good?"

Lin Wan nodded. "He's better than me. That's why I asked him to teach me."

Jiang Lingling immediately followed the snake up the pole. "Then could you teach me too?"

"Hehe!" Lu Zheng gave an awkward laugh. "You don't have any foundation. You wouldn't be able to learn it."

Jiang Lingling was about to say more when Lin Wan immediately cut her off. "Enough. Let's go to the combat area, warm up first, then get on the ring and let you see my level."

Lin Wan led Lu Zheng toward the combat area, while Jiang Lingling eagerly followed behind. The three of them drew stares laden with all kinds of emotions along the way, and Lu Zheng felt a deep resentment.

It was the resentment of hating Heaven's unfairness, so Lu Zheng enjoyed it immensely.

"Wanwan, who's this?"

The speaker was a middle-aged man who looked to be in his thirties.

"Lu Zheng, my friend."

"Here to play combat sports?"

"Mm, to teach me."

"Oh, ah? What?" The middle-aged man was startled.

After all, Lin Wan was a regular in the combat area. In terms of ability, she was among the first tier beneath the Club Manager, trading pointers with several other formidable people. This was the first time she had ever said someone was going to teach her.

Was that for real?

Was this a joke? After passing the middle-aged man, the two arrived beside the boxing ring.

"Want to give it a try?"

The area around the ring was fairly spacious. Five or six heavy bags hung nearby, along with standing punching bags. Lu Zheng even spotted two wooden dummies.

"No need." Lu Zheng shook his head.

"Then I'll warm up first."

Lin Wan smiled, then assumed a stance. Her body rose and fell slowly as she rolled her neck, circled her arms, twisted her waist, and pressed down her hips.

Lu Zheng, meanwhile, looked around at the surrounding environment.

But the people nearby were observing him.

"Brother, do you practice combat sports too?" The middle-aged man from before came over.

"Uh, I suppose so?"

Could he possibly say that what he cultivated was a martial arts method from another ancient world?

"What do you mean, 'I suppose so'?" The middle-aged man looked Lu Zheng up and down, a glint flashing through his eyes as he asked doubtfully, "Brother, don't tell me you practice taekwondo?"

Taekwondo had blossomed everywhere across Hua Country. It even claimed to possess astonishing real-combat power, and because it was from Korea, it was greatly looked down upon by some domestic combat-sports enthusiasts.

So, seeing Lu Zheng's fair, delicate appearance and calm expression, the middle-aged man strongly suspected that Lu Zheng was a "master" produced by taekwondo.

"No." Lu Zheng grinned.

Although Lu Zheng did not think highly of taekwondo's so-called real-combat ability either, since it had become so popular, it at least had merits worth noting. He could not simply despise it blindly.

For instance, its clear ranking system, its rapid results, its stylishness, and so on.

"Lao Du!" A rough, booming voice sounded behind Lu Zheng. "Is this the little brother Lin Wan brought over?"

Lu Zheng turned at the sound and saw a black tower striding toward him.

He stood over 1.9 meters tall, broad-shouldered and thick-armed, looking like a humanoid ferocious beast. If modern construction materials had not been so sturdy, then in an ancient multi-story building, he would probably make the wooden floorboards creak with every step.

As Lu Zheng raised his gaze, this black tower's features entered his sight as well.

Thick brows, large eyes, a square nose, a wide mouth, broad cheeks, and a square face. His stubble nearly covered his entire face.

Lu Zheng's first impression could be summed up in a few words: big! Dark! Thick!

Pah! "Club Manager!"

"Manager Lu!"

The newcomer was none other than the owner of this combat fitness club, Lu Tieling.

Because the place had originally been a martial arts club, he was used to people calling him Club Manager.

"Manager Lu."

Lin Wan had finished warming up by then and came over to greet him as well.

"Lin Wan, your friend? Does he practice combat sports too?" Lu Tieling asked.

"Mm." Lin Wan nodded, then introduced the two of them to each other.

"Lu Tieling, the Club Manager of this club. He's a good person."

"Lu Zheng, my friend. He used to train by himself."

"Nice to meet you!" Lu Tieling held out his hand.

Lu Zheng did the same, and the two shook hands.

There was no legendary hand-squeezing test. It was merely an ordinary handshake.

"I wonder what brother Lu practices. Boxing? Wrestling? Sanda? Mixed martial arts? Or traditional martial arts?"

"Traditional martial arts, I suppose."

"Mountain Carrying Eighteen Forms" was martial arts from the Great Jing Dynasty, but it still counted as traditional martial arts. As for the basic saber techniques he practiced, they were undeniably traditional Chinese martial arts.

"It really is traditional martial arts? Forms, or something combined with sanda?"

"Something combined with sanda, I suppose."

"If it is, it is. Why is every sentence you say 'I suppose'?" the middle-aged Lao Du could not help complaining.

Lin Wan smiled from the side. Even based on Lu Zheng's description yesterday, all she could say was "I suppose," because Lu Zheng truly had been training blindly on his own.

"Enough, I'm warmed up. Lu Zheng, let's get on the ring first," Lin Wan said.

"Alright!"

Lin Wan and Lu Zheng got into the boxing ring. Lu Tieling and Lao Du could only end their conversation, but neither left. They both stood below the ring, preparing to watch.

Several women led by Jiang Lingling, whether they were working out or had come to learn a little combat for self-defense, also gathered around.

Some of the men exercising nearby came over to watch the excitement as well.

"Club Manager, what do you think of this guy? He doesn't seem to have much muscle."

"Not exactly. His muscles are all streamlined. They weren't built through fitness training."

"Oh?"

"But his build is right there for all to see. His strength definitely isn't great. He should be an agility-type fighter."

"Oh!"

"Really? Then compared to you, Club Manager, how is he?" A young married woman pressed close and asked sweetly.

"Hehe." Lu Tieling planted his hands on his hips. "No matter how agile he is, he can only fight within the same weight class. Have you ever seen a heavyweight boxer compete in the same ring as a lightweight?"

His thick upper arms and bulging pectorals radiated strength, making the young married woman swallow.

On the boxing ring, Lu Zheng and Lin Wan both put on open-finger gloves and headgear.

Though they did not actually need protective gear, it was a mandatory safety regulation, and neither of them would ignore it.

"I'm ready." Lu Zheng nodded.

"Hah!"

With a light shout, Lin Wan swung her lower leg and whipped a roundhouse kick toward the side of Lu Zheng's knee.