Imaginary Training

The three returned to the Redemption Squad's base for Team 09, in Building Three.

The buildings looked like dormitories. There were ten in all, with three teams stationed in each.

Building Three was therefore the base for Teams 07, 08, and 09.

Each team also had its own training floor, specifically for recreation and exercise.

"Bang, bang, bang!"

Several burly men were sparring in the hall, while some shorter, thinner men were using crude weighted equipment to train.

Liu Xu was no exception. Though she was delicate, she was running back and forth with weights, working up a heavy sweat.

Although they had food and drink here and their accommodations were decent—far better than a laborer's treatment—they were expected to risk their lives.

With the threat of death hanging over their heads, even the Glass Persons wanted to grow as strong as possible.

At the very least, they could run faster when they fled.

"Brother Qiao!" As the three entered, someone greeted them.

Many people stopped what they were doing and looked respectfully at Qiao Long.

Then they smiled and sized up the two newcomers. "So these are Gaoxin and Sule?"

"Wasn't there supposed to be a fierce guy who killed Daishan Beida?"

"Why do they both look so scrawny?"

"Which one is Gaoxin? Come out and spar."

Several obviously powerful team members joked and chattered among themselves.

Qiao Long's expression turned stern. "Sun Chuan, Li Shande, show some respect."

"Gaoxin will be the captain of Team 09 from now on."

The entire hall erupted. Even Liu Xu was stunned.

The shifty-eyed Sun Chuan stared in disbelief. "Brother Qiao! Have you lost your mind? You're handing the captaincy to a newcomer?"

Li Shande objected, "Even if he killed Daishan Beida, what does that have to do with us?"

Qiao Long said solemnly, "Gaoxin saved Liu Xu and the others' lives in the game..."

"So what? Even you, Brother Qiao..." Li Shande tried to interrupt.

Qiao Long glared fiercely at him, immediately making him shut up. "Can you kill an SR-Class?"

Everyone was shocked. Although Liu Xu had already given him a preliminary account, she had told only Qiao Long the final details.

No one had expected that Gaoxin not only had a record of killing Daishan Beida, but had also killed an SR-Class in the game on his first day on the island—a terrifying achievement.

Gaoxin smiled. "The eight of us worked together to take it down, and it was already seriously wounded. You can't call that my achievement."

Although he was being modest, Sun Chuan, Li Shande, and the others were not idiots. They knew Gaoxin must have played a decisive role.

They knew exactly what kind of useless people had participated in that game. At most, they had provided a little help.

Qiao Long continued, "Gaoxin isn't just powerful. On his first day on the island, he dared to form an organization and lead us out of here..."

"I don't care about being the captain of a slave team. You all know what I think. I'd be more than happy if someone could take over this position."

"Every month, I have to drag this team along, fighting for our lives. Do you think it's easy for me?"

Gaoxin gave Qiao Long a meaningful look.

He had actually mentioned escaping directly. It seemed that the thirty-odd people present were all trustworthy.

Someone had already run to the entrance, locked the door, and taken up watch.

"I've made up my mind. From today onward, you will call him Boss Gao."

Qiao Long clearly commanded great respect. After he said this, even the few troublemakers stopped objecting and called out, "Boss Gao."

"Say a few words, Captain." Qiao Long smiled.

Gaoxin asked curiously, "All I did was survive the first game, save a few people, and kill an injured, careless SR-Class. Why are you so confident in me?"

Qiao Long smiled faintly. "Liu Xu might not know, but I do. You received a reward in your first game, didn't you? May I ask how much?"

Gaoxin understood. Qiao Long had received rewards before as well, so from Liu Xu's description of his strange behavior at the end, he could guess that Gaoxin had gone to the bonus room.

"The reward was 2,000." Gaoxin answered frankly.

Qiao Long nodded silently. The others were stunned.

"What? You got more than 3,000 Redemption Vouchers in your very first game?" Sun Chuan stared fixedly at Gaoxin.

From Liu Xu, they knew that a few rats had given Gaoxin 686. Combined with their guesses, they could tell that Gaoxin had obtained at least 1,286 points. With the reward added in, it was nearly 3,300.

If he could do that in all three games, wouldn't he alone be able to cover the Redemption Squad's quota of 10,000 points? That was the quota for nearly a hundred people.

No wonder Qiao Long valued him so highly. They had gained a top seller!

Qiao Long had become captain after being the top seller back then. Now another top seller had arrived, and their team's days would be much easier.

"Boss Gao, please sit..." Sun Chuan immediately changed his attitude and hurriedly brought Gaoxin a chair.

Gaoxin smiled and sat down, thinking, These people are so realistic.

However, he was still very concerned about what Qiao Long had said earlier. He asked, "You openly mentioned escaping. Does that mean everyone here is trustworthy?"

"Of course," Qiao Long said firmly. "If there's anyone here I can't read, it's actually you."

"But judging from the choice you made at the end of the game, I'm certain you genuinely want to organize people and escape. Otherwise, you could have killed people for points."

Gaoxin nodded slightly. "Since you put it that way, you've been organizing everyone and building an escape group for a long time."

"That's right." Qiao Long pointed at the crowd. "My team has eighty people in all. Thirty-five are here. They're all determined to escape with me. The others can be won over as well."

Gaoxin smiled. "Then you must have a plan. You must have been preparing for a long time. Can I ask how far you've gotten?"

Qiao Long raised his brows, then shook his head. "Sorry. If it were really just my plan, I'd tell you right now. But there's someone above me. Until he gives his approval, I'm afraid I can't tell you."

Gaoxin narrowed his eyes. It seemed that someone had already been secretly weaving a net among the Yakuza's slave population.

They had established an escape group, and Qiao Long was merely one of its organizers on the lower levels.

At that thought, inspiration suddenly struck him. "Could his surname be Lin?"

Gaoxin stared at Qiao Long. Relying on his powerful ability to read people, he noticed a violent change in Qiao Long's pupils, and even his breathing rhythm became disordered.

But Qiao Long quickly adjusted himself. Without changing expression, he asked in return, "What do you mean, surname Lin? There's no one with the surname Lin on our team."

Gaoxin did not press him. He already had his answer.

"Nothing. I want to train for a while. Is that all right?"

"Of course. You're the captain!" Qiao Long led him to a series of devices.

It was obvious that they had been made from various scraps. Qiao Long seemed exceptionally skilled with his hands. The electric shock device used by the bald man earlier had probably been made by him as well.

Sun Chuan, Li Shande, and the others gathered around too, wanting to see Gaoxin's actual strength.

Although he had killed Daishan Beida, everyone knew luck had played a part in that.

"Phew..."

Gaoxin stood before the equipment, also wanting to know exactly how strong his body was.

He first measured his basic statistics: 180 centimeters tall and 72 kilograms.

"Haah!"

Gaoxin then abruptly pushed up a 200-kilogram barbell. He still felt he had strength to spare, so he lowered it and shouted, "Not enough! Add more!"

Qiao Long personally came over to adjust the weight. Soon, the barbell became much heavier.

The final measurement showed that Gaoxin could lift a maximum of 210 kilograms.

"2.91 times! Boss Gao, you're incredible." Sun Chuan fawned over him.

Although there were people present who were stronger than Gaoxin, strength had to be measured against body weight. Judging only by the ratio, Gaoxin crushed everyone present.

Gaoxin neither confirmed nor denied it. They did not know that this was not even his normal weight, since he had eaten two kilograms of meat at Luo Yan's place.

His normal weight should have been exactly 70 kilograms.

That meant he actually possessed three times his body weight in strength—the pure limit of the human body.

"Keep going!"

Gaoxin tested his nerve reactions, as well as his cardiopulmonary and organ functions. They were all at the human limit.

In other words, Luo Yan's Blood had not merely enhanced his strength. It had developed him in every way, releasing all the potential of the Glass Person's physical functions.

"Damn, can 3,000 points enhance this many attributes?" Sun Chuan exclaimed. He did not know that Gaoxin had never enhanced his body.

Gaoxin neither confirmed nor denied it. "You all train however you like. I want to train by myself. Is there a separate training room?"

"Yes!" Qiao Long quickly arranged a private training room for him. It even had a toilet and a bathroom.

Gaoxin looked over the small equipment, which had everything he needed, and nodded. "All right. I'll conduct special training by myself from here on."

Li Shande was confused. "Special training? What kind of martial art are you practicing? Wing Chun or Baji?"

Gaoxin glanced at him and smiled. "Rather than seek outwardly, it's better to cultivate inwardly..."

Li Shande's eyes lit up. "Oh? Xingyi or Tai Chi?"

Gaoxin did not elaborate. He merely said, "Sule, stand guard at the door."

"All right."

Everyone left, and Sule closed the door, still baffled.

Sun Chuan was very curious. Why wasn't Gaoxin training with them? Wasn't it more motivating for everyone to watch and encourage one another?

He edged over to the door to eavesdrop. Sule tried to chase him away, but he gave a shifty-eyed grin. "Don't worry, I'm not going in. I just want to listen."

Sule was curious too. While standing guard, he pressed his ear against the door as well.

Before long, they heard dreamlike roars and the sounds of fighting from inside.

"Phew... Yiyaa! Ha!"

"Hehehe... Kekeke!"

Various strange laughs were mixed in, and they could even faintly hear someone muttering to himself, as if Gaoxin were talking to someone inside. But the voice was too soft to make out clearly. They only vaguely heard something about "Silver Hand."

Sule's eyes widened. He was also deeply unsettled by that name. Could Gaoxin be shouting Silver Hand's name to motivate himself while he trains?

Sun Chuan, Li Shande, and the others exchanged glances. None of them could figure out what kind of martial art Gaoxin was practicing.

After listening for quite a while, they each left to train as well.

About an hour later, Gaoxin opened the door from inside.

Everyone looked over. Gaoxin was bare-chested, his entire body drenched in sweat. His muscles formed smooth, natural lines, every one of them seeming carved from marble, radiating a combination of strength and beauty.

There were also wounds all over his body, as if someone had beaten him up.

Breathing heavily, he slowly walked out, then staggered and leaned against the door, seemingly exhausted.

"Brother Xin Ku!" Sule hurried over to support him.

Gaoxin said calmly, "I'm fine."

Qiao Long and the others came over. Judging by Gaoxin's condition, he had clearly undergone extremely intense training that left him drenched in sweat.

He had even been injured. Could he have been conducting some kind of self-abusive special training?

"How about I train with you? These homemade devices aren't very safe. Some can be dangerous without anyone assisting you, and you've already been injured." Qiao Long offered.

Gaoxin shook his head. "No need. I can manage on my own. Right now, I just want to take a shower and rest."

Everyone looked into the room and saw that all the equipment and furnishings were still in place, as if they had never been moved. Clearly, Gaoxin had put everything back after using it.

He had trained until he was completely exhausted, yet he still remembered to tidy up the equipment. His self-discipline was obvious!

"There's a bathroom inside. You can shower right away," Qiao Long said, puzzled.

Gaoxin said, "Sule, help me get some salt. And... some flowers."

"Flowers? What kind of flowers?" Sule was bewildered.

Gaoxin smiled. "Any flowers you like. Mix them yourself, put some thought into it, and get plenty."

Sule said, "Oh," then called Liu Xu over and left with her.

Before long, they brought everything back. Gaoxin had them run the water, then pour the salt and flower petals into the bathtub.

Only then did everyone realize that he intended to take a bath—and not just any bath, but a flower-petal bath.

"A medicinal bath? What kind of martial art are you practicing? Why be so particular?" Li Shande knew martial arts, but he still could not understand this approach.

Gaoxin said, "Just needless fussiness."

He lay down directly and submerged his entire body in the water.

Sule noticed the burns on Gaoxin's arm and asked, "What happened? You didn't have those when you got up this morning."

Gaoxin replied, "I got them at Luo Yan's place. You should all go out. I'm exhausted."

Not wanting to disturb his bath, everyone left.

About half an hour later, Gaoxin jumped out of the bathtub, full of energy.

He looked in the mirror and saw that the burns on his arm had nearly healed. His stamina had also completely recovered.

After using the toilet, he strode out and weighed himself. 71.5 kilograms!

This time, it was not false weight gain. Gaoxin immediately tested his strength again, and sure enough, it had risen to 214.5 kilograms!

In an hour and a half, he had gained 1.5 kilograms—and it was not fat, but solid muscle.

That efficiency was terrifying.

Most importantly, he did not need training equipment at all. Earlier, his mind had entered Emotional Mode, allowing him to conduct Imaginary Training directly.

He fought fiercely in hallucinations and honed himself in the Dreamscape, imagining all kinds of astonishing machines and equipment, as well as opponents.

In his imagination, Gaoxin had once again fought Silver Hand—and not just once, but over and over.

They traded blows and fought to the death!

Although in these direct clashes he was defeated every time, suffering a one-sided beating, his body was constantly subjected to a kind of depletion and tempering. It refined itself spontaneously. Once he was utterly exhausted, it had also completely digested and refined the beef he had eaten that morning.

Even more absurdly, he could rely on "Sule's self-created secret flower-petal medicinal bath" to heal himself and replenish his stamina. In just half an hour, he had returned to normal...

Gaoxin smiled and walked out of the training room.

"Brother Qiao... is there any food? I'm hungry!"

P.S.: Sorry.