The Enemy Is Within, the Obstacle Is in the Heart

The Enemy Is Within, the Obstacle Is in the Heart

Chen Chuan put everything back, closed the case, then went into the living room. He found a rotary phone, picked up the receiver, and said, "This is the Nian Residence..."

A familiar voice came from the other end. "Hello, Chen Chuan, what are you doing? Don't stay cooped up at home. Come out and have a look around?"

He recalled that it was Ding Jiao, his middle-school deskmate. The noise on the other end was deafening; he was probably calling from a roadside phone booth. Chen Chuan asked, "Where are you?"

"Where else? The Old Place, Zizai Snack Street. Da Li and Mian Gua are both here. What have you been up to lately? We never see you around."

Chen Chuan said, "You guys have fun. I've got some things going on lately, so I won't be coming."

"Hey, looking for somewhere to go? Listen, if something's bothering you, don't bottle it up. Brothers help when they can. Nothing else to say—my family's factory could get you a position easily enough."

Chen Chuan smiled. "If I need your help, I won't stand on ceremony."

He did not mention that he had been admitted to Wuyi Academy. Ding Jiao was loyal to his friends, but he also had a big mouth. If Chen Chuan told him now, every classmate would know by tomorrow. Plenty of people would surely come to congratulate him or cultivate ties with him, and he still had to prepare for the entrance retest. He truly had no time to deal with them.

"Fine. Oh, right, did you know..." Ding Jiao's voice suddenly rose. "Han Lao San got into Mo Lan! The news has spread everywhere! Damn it, what kind of dog-shit luck did that kid stumble into? His grades weren't even as good as yours!"

Chen Chuan was slightly surprised. "Mo Lan Company?"

"What other company could it be? That kid couldn't be more smug!" As Ding Jiao spoke, his envy and jealousy seemed ready to spill out through the phone.

Chen Chuan gave a quiet sound of acknowledgment.

Mo Lan Company, formally known as Mo Lan Gaoling Company, was said to have its headquarters in Central City. Its branch in Yangzhi City was a relatively important one. On the surface, its primary business was cosmetics, but in truth, the company had long since seeped into every aspect of Yangzhi City and the surrounding counties and towns. Most of the people's food, clothing, housing, and transportation had something to do with Mo Lan or one of its subsidiaries.

According to what Nian Fuli had said in private, half the members of the City Council Bureau took Mo Lan's money, while the other half helped Mo Lan count it. Several Civil Affairs Directors had needed to watch Mo Lan Company's face before getting anything done.

The company also had its own independent security teams, as well as places where it trained company employees. That was probably where his classmate had gone. It really was no simple matter. Perhaps the Han Family had pulled some strings? Chen Chuan vaguely remembered that the Han Family seemed to be in charge of water services. After Ding Jiao rambled on for a while, he seemed to remember something else and raised his voice. "Oh, right, don't forget next month's graduation dinner."

Chen Chuan said, "I remember. I won't forget."

"Heh, then I'm hanging up. Da Li and the others are hounding me."

Chen Chuan hung up and returned to his room. Next, he needed to prepare for the entrance retest. Counting from June, there seemed to be three months left, but there were only three months left. It was far from time to relax.

Moreover, why exactly had the former owner of this body been murdered? The reasons behind it were difficult to fathom. Although it had happened in the outskirts, far from the city, Chen Chuan decided that unless necessary, he would go out wandering as little as possible.

He took out a map of Yangzhi City and spread it across the desk. Then he retrieved a small booklet marked "Martial Affairs Record." His gaze roamed over it as if searching for something, and he used a pencil to heavily circle several locations.

In the blink of an eye, it was time for dinner. Nian Fuli's family returned one after another, and the house became lively. Once everyone had sat down at the table, Nian Fuli said, "Kid, you went looking for somewhere to go today?"

Chen Chuan said, "Yes, Uncle."

Nian Fuli gave a grunt. "How was it?" He was only asking casually. Since it was only the first day, he assumed there had probably been no result.

Chen Chuan said, "I went to Wu Yi University today."

"Wu University?" Nian Fuli suddenly looked at him, thoroughly astonished. "What did you go there for?"

Chen Chuan smiled. "I was just about to tell Aunt and Uncle. I passed Wu Yi University's entrance exam today. Once school starts, I'll move into the school dorms."

"You got into Wu University? You?"

Nian Fuli was stunned. His eyes widened as he looked Chen Chuan up and down, as if he were meeting this nephew for the first time.

What kind of place was Wu University? Every year, countless people tried to squeeze their way in. Wei Laohu, who never got along with him, had bragged for an entire year after his son got into Wu University!

He could not help asking suspiciously, "You didn't cheat, did you?"

Yu Wan was immediately displeased and shoved him. "Why can't Chan'er pass?"

Chen Chuan smiled and said, "Uncle, how could I cheat? I know no one, and I have no money. Why would Wuyi Academy's teachers help me?"

"That's true enough."

Nian Fuli looked at him a few more times, his gaze carrying an indescribably complicated meaning. Chen Chuan also noticed that there was now a trace of melancholy in Aunt's expression, though there was even more relief and gratification.

After a while, Nian Fuli picked up his chopsticks and tapped the tabletop. "Wu University is a path forward. Once you get in, it's like stuffing gold bricks into your pocket ahead of time. But you still have to pass the retest, right?"

"Yes." Chen Chuan nodded. "There's an entrance retest."

"That's exactly it." Nian Fuli tapped the table again. "Kid, let me tell you, there's a trick to this. Even if you enroll, passing the retest and failing the retest are worlds apart. I don't know how Wu University let you through, but even if you can get in, that doesn't mean you'll necessarily pass the retest."

Yu Wan immediately became anxious. "Then what should we do, dear?"

Nian Fuli waved her off, then looked at Chen Chuan. "Xiao Chuan, what had you originally planned to do?"

Chen Chuan thought for a moment. "I had planned to find a boxing club and learn a little, but I don't know which places are reliable. I was just about to ask Uncle for advice."

Nian Fuli leaned back and thought for a while. "Don't go to a boxing club. Those places are a mix of dragons and snakes, and the waters run too deep. You spend a lot of money but may not learn anything real, and it's easy to come away covered in mud."

Chen Chuan nodded and asked sincerely, "Then Uncle, what should I do?"

Nian Fuli rubbed the bristly stubble on his scalp. "There are two months until enrollment, right?"

Chen Chuan said, "Yes, Uncle." There were actually three months until the official start of school, but newly admitted students had to report a month early, so two months was not wrong.

Nian Fuli said, "Xiao Chuan, I'll find someone for you. Go learn from him for a while and try to pass this test. This person is no ordinary man. If you can learn a move or two from him, it'll serve you for the rest of your life."

Yu Wan asked with concern, "Will there be tuition fees?"

Nian Fuli said, "You don't need to worry about that." Then he said to Chen Chuan, "Xiao Chuan, come with me after dinner."

Chen Chuan said, "All right."

After dinner, the two of them pushed their bicycles out the door. After about five minutes of riding, they arrived at the Baofeng District Patrol Bureau, where Nian Fuli worked.

This place had originally been a fortress built during the war years, then later converted into a Patrol Bureau. It was built entirely of reinforced concrete, making it look especially thick and imposing from the outside. The sky had not yet fully darkened, but the road leading through the gates was already blocked by barricades.

When they saw Nian Fuli and Chen Chuan, a patrol officer wearing an armband sauntered over from behind the barricade. "Yo, why's Captain Nian back? You're not on duty tonight, are you?"

Nian Fuli flicked a cigarette over, then jerked his chin toward Chen Chuan. "My nephew. Brought him over to broaden his horizons."

The patrol officer held the cigarette beneath his nose and sniffed it. He gave Chen Chuan a seemingly casual glance or two, asked no more questions, and waved his hand. Two patrol officers came up and moved the barricade aside.

Nian Fuli thanked him, motioned for Chen Chuan to follow, and pushed his bicycle inside.

After the two entered, the armband-wearing patrol officer swept his gaze over the street outside a few more times before slowly turning back.

It was Chen Chuan's first time visiting the Patrol Bureau. At first, he was somewhat curious, but most of the buildings had only a few narrow openings on their exteriors. They looked sturdy, gloomy, and oppressive. There was truly nothing to see, and his interest soon faded.

The two wound through turn after turn as if circling a great loop, finally arriving at a place that looked like a warehouse. The lights here were bright. Soft mats covered the terrazzo floor, and all around were exercise equipment and stacks of wooden crates.

More than a dozen patrol officers had removed their outer shirts, wearing only undershirts that exposed their muscular arms. Some squatted, some stood, forming a circle around a refined, gentle middle-aged man in a traditional jacket. He seemed to be explaining something.

"Everyone may first try standing on one leg and holding the posture without moving."

The patrol officers immediately stood on one leg. Some began swaying from the start, while others held steady for quite some time. But even those who swayed managed to stand firm after a few attempts.

One patrol officer said, "Mr. Wen, what's so difficult about this?"

Mr. Wen smiled. "Then please close your eyes."

The patrol officers did as instructed. This time, most of them began swaying violently the moment they closed their eyes, cursing up a storm, though one young patrol officer still stood as steady as a rock.

"Rooster Comb is impressive!"

"Look at that stance—not moving an inch. Who would've thought?"

"Golden rooster stands on one leg—perfectly fitting!"

The patrol officers chimed in one after another. The young patrol officer kept his eyes shut and said proudly, "I played this all the time when I was little. There was also ramming sheep and butting bulls. I could stand still like this for a quarter of an hour. Mr. Wen, what else have you got? Let me try it!"

Mr. Wen smiled. "Patrolman Ji is quite good. This time, you may stand on top of a crate and try again."

"That's easy. Watch me!"

The young patrol officer eagerly climbed onto a crate, and then...

"Damn!"

He had only been standing there a short while when he began trembling violently and had no choice but to jump down.

He turned and looked at the crate, finding it unbelievable. He had merely gone from level ground to a crate. The space beneath his feet was not any smaller, and the crate was not particularly high, yet as soon as he closed his eyes, a sense of panic rose in him. No matter what, he could not remain standing.

"Wait, I wasn't steady just now."

Still unconvinced, the young patrol officer climbed up to try again. This time was even worse than before. The instant he closed his eyes, he began to wobble. He jumped down and asked in confusion, "That's strange, Mr. Wen. What's going on?"

Mr. Wen smiled. "Because your brain is telling you that you are currently in an unstable environment, making you reject this action."

He pointed at his head. "Your brain is wrestling with you. For instance, when some people stand in high places, they may feel an urge to jump. It is based on the same principle. At its core, your brain wants to keep you away from danger. But through certain training, we can better coordinate our bodies.

"When martial artists of the Old Era trained, they would choose to practice beside cliffs in order to subdue the obstacles in their hearts. Nowadays, we need not go to such extremes. We can train at the edge of high platforms and slowly adapt.

"In fact, there are all kinds of things we need to overcome in daily life. For example, when you see a fist coming at you, you instinctively close your eyes. A fist is one thing, but if it is a weapon, that blink may cost you your life. As patrol officers, you must keep your eyes on the target at every moment, unless you have better senses to replace them."

Someone asked instinctively, "Better senses?"

Mr. Wen smiled without saying more.

But Chen Chuan's heart stirred at those words. If he used his Second Self to see in his place, would that count as better senses?

The Second Self basically existed within several meters around him and was one with him. If it could replace his ordinary vision, then he could not only see behind himself—perhaps he could see from above as well, observing an opponent from every angle...

As he was thinking, Nian Fuli had already stepped forward to greet Mr. Wen. "Mr. Wen." He then motioned Chen Chuan over, patted him on the shoulder, and raised his voice. "My nephew just got into Wu University."

"Wu University? Wuyi Academy?"

"Yo, that's incredible! Captain Nian, your nephew has done you proud!"

"Captain Nian has to treat us!"

The dozen or so patrol officers immediately joined in the commotion. These days, if one wanted to rise above the rest, one either got into an institution of higher learning or entered Wu University. To say nothing else, many Wu University graduates worked as Security Consultants beside Department of Civil Affairs officials. If they were lucky enough to go to Central City, they would soar to the heavens in a single step.

Nian Fuli felt honored as well. He continued, "Mr. Wen, my nephew has never trained in boxing or martial arts before. He's only been figuring things out on his own. I don't know how he managed to pass the entrance exam, but I figure he can't be allowed to muddle through the retest as he pleases. I'd like to ask Mr. Wen to give him some guidance. What do you think?"

Mr. Wen looked at Chen Chuan and pondered briefly. "How about this, Captain Nian? Let's speak over there." The patrol officers were tactful. The moment they heard this, they all dispersed.

Chen Chuan and Nian Fuli followed Mr. Wen to a spacious corner. Mr. Wen spoke earnestly. "Captain Nian, forgive my bluntness, but I do not wish to delay your nephew."

Nian Fuli froze. "What do you mean?"