A Luxury Meal

Qin Heng took a shower, then headed to the Martial Hall's cafeteria.

The Trial Martial Hall provided lunch every day.

Of course, it wasn't free.

The "three-year free period" only covered coaching fees. Venue and equipment rental fees could be waived, but meals were not included.

Lunch here came in three tiers: Regular Meal, Nutritious Meal, and Luxury Meal.

The Regular Meal had no meat, only staple foods like rice and noodles along with vegetables. There was pitifully little oil in it, and one meal cost 2.5 yuan. Its advantage was that rice was unlimited, enough to fill you up.

The Nutritious Meal cost 5 yuan. Its meat-and-vegetable balance was more reasonable and provided vital support for trainees undergoing high-intensity training.

The Luxury Meal was somewhat expensive. One meal cost 20 yuan and included lavish fish and meat dishes, delicate soups, and occasionally fresh fruit. Children from the Slum District simply could not afford it.

When Qin Heng arrived at the cafeteria, many trainees immediately cast envious looks his way.

"Senior Apprentice Qin Heng, you've got a feast today!" a wiry young trainee reminded him.

"What feast?" Qin Heng asked doubtfully.

To avoid waste, the cafeteria cooked according to the meal orders submitted each morning.

He had ordered a Nutritious Meal in advance, so the chef would prepare one for him instead of waiting for him to choose when he arrived.

But today seemed a little different.

Qin Heng glanced around and was stunned to see Su Kuang's tray piled with all kinds of meat dishes. Chen Yuan's table was the same!

Zhang Jun, who was eating nearby, explained, "Coach Yang is treating everyone today. Anyone who reached 500 kilograms in the test gets a Luxury Meal, and those above 400 kilograms also get one free Nutritious Meal."

As he spoke, he showed off the huge chunk of pork hock in his bowl.

"Th-This... Coach Yang is way too generous!" Qin Heng said in shock.

There were many trainees at the Martial Hall. Although few had reached 500 kilograms, there had to be nearly a hundred who had surpassed 400 kilograms!

This round of treating everyone would cost at least several hundred yuan. For an ordinary family, that was enough to cover a whole month's expenses!

Qin Heng remembered what Coach Yang had said: "The speed at which martial artists make money will absolutely surpass your imagination!"

To ordinary people, several hundred yuan was precious. In Coach Yang's eyes, it might have been nothing more than a trivial sum.

At that moment, his desire to become a martial artist grew even stronger.

Following the aroma of delicious food, Qin Heng walked to the serving window.

Uncle Wang, who was in charge of serving food, recognized him and said cheerfully, "Little Qin, Coach Yang is treating you all to a feast today. Here, this one's yours."

An enormous tray of food was brought out.

Qin Heng's eyes widened. "This is way too outrageous!"

On the tray were a piece of Braised Pork Hock, a Chicken Leg, a plate of Stir-fried Shredded Pork with Dried Tofu, a plate of Stir-fried Greens, and a bowl of fragrant Pork Rib and Corn Soup.

"Serve yourself rice. Take as much as you can eat. Waste a single grain of rice, and you'll be fined 1 yuan," Uncle Wang said.

"Got it..."

Qin Heng felt his mouth watering. He had never eaten such a luxurious lunch in his life.

"A Luxury Meal like this only costs 20 yuan... Once I'm making several thousand yuan a month, wouldn't I be able to eat this every day?"

He felt that from the moment he had tested his 544-kilogram punching strength yesterday until now, the world he had come into contact with had become completely different.

The days of feasting on fish and meat truly were not far away!

Carrying his tray, Qin Heng found an empty seat and sat down, then got back up to serve himself rice.

When he returned, he found many people staring at his tray. Their gazes seemed ready to snatch away the Braised Pork Hock and big Chicken Leg.

His old acquaintance Zhang Jun said gloomily, "Brother Heng, you can't digest so much meat in one meal. How about I help you share the burden?"

Qin Heng laughed. "Get out of here. Keep dreaming."

He picked up the Chicken Leg and slipped it directly into a clean plastic bag.

Then he used another bag to pack away the Braised Pork Hock as well.

"Huh? Are you saving those for dinner?" Zhang Jun asked when he saw this.

Qin Heng said, "It's still early. I'm taking them to my parents and my girlfriend, just in time for their lunch."

One meat dish and one meat soup were enough for him. With rice and meat gravy, he could eat to his heart's content.

It was a rare luxurious meal. He could not forget Fang Lingxue, to whom he owed such a tremendous debt of gratitude, nor the parents who had given him life.

Hearing Qin Heng say this, everyone could not help but feel moved.

Su Kuang muttered under his breath, "This pretty boy's got a conscience after all."

Chen Yuan's mouth twitched. "I've got a conscience too. I saved a Chicken Leg for my little sister. Unlike certain people, who cleaned their plates spotless."

Su Kuang: ...

While eating, Qin Heng asked, "Where's Wang Peng? Did he leave?"

Su Kuang said gloomily, "Of course. He's a rich young master now. Our cafeteria's Luxury Meal is beneath him. After taking the exam materials, he stepped on the gas and drove off."

Zhang Jun promptly leaned over with a snicker. "Brother Heng, I kept an eye on him for you. Wang Peng drove straight to the New City District. He didn't go to Frost Snow City to bother Sister-in-law."

As he spoke, he casually picked a strip of shredded meat from Qin Heng's tray.

"It's good that he didn't." Qin Heng nodded without saying more.

But everyone knew what Fang Lingxue meant to him.

This girl was more than just Qin Heng's girlfriend. She had also given him a second life.

Even someone with a foul temper like Su Kuang only dared to call Qin Heng a pretty boy; he did not dare make jokes about Fang Lingxue.

Otherwise, if he provoked Qin Heng, it would no longer be a matter of words. At the very least, someone would have to be beaten black and blue.

Ten minutes later, Qin Heng finished eating.

He had eaten with immense satisfaction. He poured the gravy from the Braised Pork Hock and Chicken Leg over his rice and cleaned it all up, nearly wanting to lick the plate clean.

Full and satisfied, and while the meat in the bags was still warm, he left the Martial Hall directly.

"Frost Snow City is closer. I'll go see Ling Xue first."

The Trial Martial Hall was only five minutes away from Frost Snow City. Before long, he saw the Frost Snow City shop sign.

At noon, the milk tea shop should have been fairly quiet.

But there was a car parked outside the shop...

"Could Wang Peng have come back?" Qin Heng frowned deeply.

But upon closer inspection, it was clearly not the same car Wang Peng had driven that morning.

Wang Peng drove a lightweight City Sports Car. It looked flashy in the city and was also expensive.

The one parked outside Frost Snow City, however, was an Off-road Vehicle.

Its license plate bore a prominent character: "Battle"!

"This is a Wilderness Battle Vehicle?" Qin Heng exclaimed in surprise.

A "Battle" mark on the license plate meant it was a combat vehicle permitted to enter the Wilderness Area. Its body had been reinforced; it was bulletproof and could withstand Monster charges. It was extraordinarily valuable!

Moreover, its owner had to be a powerful martial artist!

"A noble martial artist actually came to the Slum District for milk tea?" Qin Heng found it extremely strange.

Although the New City District was right across the street, the New City District was the New City District, and martial artists were martial artists.

Most martial artists lived in high-end residential communities near the city center, far from the Slum District. Logically, they should not have come here.

Qin Heng arrived at the little shop's entrance.

Just then, someone came out.

It was a young man wearing sunglasses, apparently under thirty. He walked with imposing majesty, radiating an overbearing aura of supreme arrogance.

Qin Heng met his gaze. Through the sunglasses, he saw two points of cold light that seized his soul. It felt as though a mountain had come crashing toward him, overwhelming him with pressure, and he unconsciously stepped aside to clear the way.

This man is definitely stronger than Coach Yang. He may be a Martial Master-level expert! Qin Heng thought.

The young martial artist glanced at him, said nothing, got into his car, and sped away with one press of the accelerator.