Inside the King of Strength Gym, the place was packed with people, thick with the smell of sweat and testosterone. The grand-opening challenge had drawn a crowd of fitness enthusiasts, including plenty of hulking men with bulging muscles. They clustered around the main strength-training areas, their shouts and cheers mingling with the metallic clang of weight plates.
When Gong Gong, nearly two meters tall and built like an iron tower, stepped through the gym's doors, the din seemed to hit a mute button. The noise dropped several decibels in an instant.
Everyone's eyes were drawn to the enormous figure who had suddenly appeared.
He was impossible to miss!
The explosive muscles beneath his simple, tight-fitting clothes; the wild aura he radiated as he strode forward, like some ferocious beast from the primordial wilderness; the impatience and eagerness on his rugged face... Every bit of him assaulted the senses of everyone in the gym.
"Holy crap! Where'd this guy come from? Those muscles... Was he raised on protein powder?"
"That presence... He looks like he just ran out of some primeval forest..."
"Is he here for the challenge? This should be good!"
Whispers rippled through the crowd, tinged with surprise, curiosity, and even a hint of awe.
Walking behind Gong Gong, Lin Fan felt the eyes from every direction on him. His palms were starting to sweat. All he wanted was to quietly earn a bit of prize money, but with Gong Gong making an entrance like this, there was no chance of keeping a low profile!
Gong Gong paid no attention to the whispers or the stares—or perhaps he was long used to being the center of attention. Back in the Primordial Era, all living things gave way when the Ancestral Witches traveled. His bloodshot eyes, red from hunger and irritation, swept over the gym like searchlights. It didn't take long for them to settle on the deadlift area, where the crowd was thickest and the weight plates were stacked highest.
"Over there!" Gong Gong rumbled. He strode toward the deadlift area, and the crowd instinctively parted to make way.
The deadlift record holder was a giant of a man, 1.9 meters tall and weighing over 120 kilograms. Nicknamed "Tank," he had just deadlifted 280 kilograms and was basking in the crowd's cheers as a staff member presented him with a commemorative "King of Strength" medal.
Gong Gong walked up to the equipment without even glancing at Tank or the record board. He addressed the staff member keeping score. "How does this work? Just lift it?"
His voice was like distant thunder, naturally carrying an air of superiority.
The staff member, a young man, was cowed by Gong Gong's imposing presence. He stammered out an explanation. "Y-yes, sir. A standard deadlift. You lift the barbell from the floor until you're standing fully upright, without bending... Our record is 280 kilograms. If you want to challenge it, you can start with a lighter weight..."
"280 kilograms?" Gong Gong curled his lip, undisguised contempt on his face. "Too light! Boring! Put on the heaviest weight!"
The heaviest? The staff member froze for a moment, then pointed to a stack of the largest plates nearby. "The biggest plates we have are 100 kilograms each. With the barbell... In theory, we can load it to about 300 kilograms, but that's only in theory. No one's ever..."
"Enough talking!" Gong Gong cut him off impatiently and walked straight to the barbell. It was still loaded with 280 kilograms.
As everyone watched in shock, Gong Gong didn't warm up or even adjust his breathing. He simply bent down casually and gripped the bar with both hands.
To anyone with experience, his form was terrible—careless, even.
"Is he crazy? With that much weight, he could get hurt if he doesn't warm up!"
"Look at his form... He's such an amateur!"
"Just wait. He's going to make a fool of himself!"
Before the jeers and doubts had even died down, Gong Gong lowered his hips slightly. His arms weren't even fully extended. He seemed to pick the bar up without a second thought—
The 280-kilogram barbell, which Tank had needed to strain until his face and neck were red to lift, rose as if it were a weightless plastic toy. Gong Gong lifted it with one hand! Casually! Right off the floor! Then he easily raised it over his head!
That's right—not a proper deadlift to hip level. He lifted it overhead with one hand! The movement was as smooth as picking up a glass of water!
The entire gym fell deathly silent!
Everyone stared wide-eyed, mouths hanging open, as though they had just witnessed the most unbelievable thing in the world!
One hand! 280 kilograms! Overhead?! Was this guy even human?! Even the world's strongest powerlifters couldn't do that so effortlessly, or defy the laws of physics like that!
Tank's smug grin froze on his face. It was as if someone had grabbed him by the throat. His face went from red to white, then from white to blue.
The staff member's record book slipped from his hand and hit the floor with a slap. He didn't even notice.
Lin Fan had been prepared for something like this, but seeing it with his own eyes still made his heart skip a beat. Ancestor, could you please... try to keep a low profile? Maybe follow some semblance of normal procedure!
Holding the 280-kilogram barbell as if it were a fire poker, Gong Gong waved it around casually and frowned. "Too light! It's like lifting a wet noodle! Got anything heavier?"
He tossed the barbell to the floor.
"BOOM!!!"
A thunderous crash rang out! The floor beneath the entire gym seemed to tremble! The specially reinforced rubber matting, designed to withstand enormous impacts, had a conspicuous dent in it. Even the barbell was slightly bent!
The terrifying sight made everyone suck in another breath!
That strength... That destructive power... He was a monster!
"H-heavier..." The staff member was so frightened that his face turned pale. He could barely get the words out. "N-no. We don't have anything heavier... Those are the heaviest plates..."
"Useless!" Gong Gong muttered in dissatisfaction. His eyes shifted to the bench press and squat racks nearby, but judging by their design and the weight they could hold, they didn't look interesting enough to bother with.
Just then, the gym manager hurried over. He was a shrewd-looking, middle-aged man. When he saw the damaged mat and bent barbell, the corner of his eye twitched. But the look he gave Gong Gong was full of shock... and a trace of delight!
What a talent! No, a gold mine! If only he could keep him at the gym...
The manager immediately put on a beaming smile and approached him. "Sir... What incredible strength! Truly astonishing! I'm the manager here. My surname is Wang. May I ask how I should address you?"
"Gong Gong," Gong Gong rumbled, giving his alias. But he wasn't paying attention to the manager. Instead, he stared at a freestanding punch-strength tester a short distance away. Its lights were flashing, and it looked rather interesting. "What's that for?"
Manager Wang hurried to explain. "That's a punch-strength tester. You hit it, and it displays the force of your punch. Our record is over 800 pounds, held by a retired professional boxer..."
"You hit it, and it shows how strong you are?" Gong Gong's eyes lit up. This sounded a lot more interesting than lifting lumps of iron! He stopped paying attention to Manager Wang and strode over to the tester.
The machine was about two meters tall. In the middle was a padded target covered in thick leather, with an electronic display attached above it.
The crowd gathered around again, eager to see how much power this monstrous man could put into a punch.
"Mr. Gong, you'll need to put on a boxing glove..." a staff member offered helpfully.
"Too much trouble!" Gong Gong waved him off and clenched a fist as big as a wok. Veins writhed beneath his bronze skin like coiling dragons, packed with explosive power.
He didn't wind up, twist his waist, or roll his shoulder like the others. He simply stood in front of the tester, then casually swung a fist at the target, as if swatting a fly!
The moment his fist struck the center of the target—
"BANG!!!!!!!!!"
A terrifying explosion of sound burst out—not the sound of a punch, but more like a heavy truck smashing into a wall!
The machine let out an ear-splitting metallic groan! The thick leather target burst apart. Its stuffing and sensor components flew in every direction! The sturdy metal frame warped visibly around the point of impact! The electronic screen attached to it first flashed a jumble of garbled characters, then its numbers went wild before it finally snapped black with a pop, sending up a wisp of smoke!
One punch!
Just one casual punch!
The expensive imported professional tester had been smashed to pieces! It was completely wrecked!
Silence!
Deathly silence!
This time, no one even cried out. Everyone stood frozen as if under a spell, their minds unable to process the surreal scene before them.
He'd smashed the strength tester?! That was the sort of thing you only saw in over-the-top comics, and yet it had just happened right in front of them?!
This wasn't the "King of Strength." The guy was a freaking "Human Tyrannosaurus"!
The smile on Manager Wang's face had completely stiffened. He stared at the smoking wreckage, his heart aching, but his soul was even more deeply shaken... and afraid! This strength was already far beyond human limits!
Lin Fan covered his forehead in pain. It was over. They hadn't even gotten the prize money yet, and they'd already destroyed a machine... He knew this would happen!
Gong Gong looked at the smoking "scrap metal," lowered his fist, and frowned in annoyance. "What a piece of junk! It broke after one punch? It didn't even measure how much strength I used!"
His voice wasn't loud, but in the absolute silence, everyone heard him clearly.
He hadn't even used much strength?! Everyone felt as if a heavy hammer had struck their hearts!
Manager Wang took a deep breath, forcing down the tumult in his chest. When he looked at Gong Gong again, his expression had changed completely. It was full of reverence, even a hint of obsequiousness. "M-Mr. Gong! You're... a god among men! If the machine's broken, it's broken! No big deal! About the challenge prize money—ten thousand yuan. I'll get it for you right away!"
He hurriedly had the finance department bring over a stack of crisp new bills and respectfully handed them to Gong Gong.
When Gong Gong saw the money, he remembered Lin Fan had said it could be exchanged for food. His expression finally softened. He snatched the cash, didn't even look at it, and passed it to Lin Fan behind him. "Take it. Buy meat!"
Lin Fan held the stack of bills, still smelling of fresh ink, and felt as if they were burning his hands.
Manager Wang rubbed his hands together, a smile plastered across his face. He asked cautiously, "Mr. Gong, would you be interested in working at our gym? We're in desperate need of top talent like you! I guarantee you'll be satisfied with the pay! A base salary plus commission. Per month... at least this much!" He held up three fingers, hinting at thirty thousand yuan or more.
He was serious about recruiting Gong Gong. Even if Gong Gong couldn't teach a thing, just having him show up at the gym each day and display his inhuman strength would be the best possible advertisement! It would be enough to draw fitness enthusiasts from across the city, even the entire province!
Lin Fan's heart stirred. This could be an opportunity! He looked at Gong Gong.
Gong Gong didn't have much of a concept of money, but he understood the logic that work meant meat. He rumbled, "Will there be enough food?"
Manager Wang froze, then erupted with joy and nodded again and again. "Absolutely! We'll make sure you're well fed! Our gym has special nutrition meals, with all-you-can-eat beef and chicken breast!"
"Good! Then I'll stay!" Gong Gong agreed without hesitation. He could fight—at least, that was how he understood teaching—and there'd be meat. This was a good place!
Manager Wang was overjoyed and immediately moved to take Gong Gong to his office to discuss the contract.
Just then, a calm voice with a sharp edge came from beyond the crowd:
"Wait."
The crowd parted, and a middle-aged man walked through. He wore simple sportswear, had a lean, powerful build, and sharp eyes like an eagle's. He looked to be in his forties. His temples bulged slightly, his steps were steady, and his breathing was deep and even. He clearly wasn't an ordinary fitness enthusiast.
Lin Fan noticed that the figure behind the one-way glass on the second floor had somehow come downstairs.
When Manager Wang saw the man, his expression immediately grew serious. He greeted him with a hint of deference. "Coach Qin, what brings you here?"
Coach Qin ignored Manager Wang. His gaze fixed on Gong Gong like a physical force, his eyes full of scrutiny, shock, and a burning desire to fight.
"Mr. Gong, is it?" Coach Qin began. His voice wasn't loud, but carried an unquestionable authority. "I'm Qin Tian, the head coach specially hired by this gym. What you just did was... astonishing. Would you be interested in sparring with me?"
Sparring? A friendly match?
Everyone's eyes lit up! Qin Tian, the gym's mysterious head coach, who was said to have powerful connections, was going to test this newcomer himself?!
This was a rare spectacle!
Gong Gong looked at Qin Tian and sensed the man's unusual, formidable presence and faint hint of menace. The threat was minimal, but it was enough to make Gong Gong's fighting blood surge. After spending so long in this stifling world, had he finally found someone halfway decent?
He grinned, baring his white teeth with a wild, feral charm.
"Sure! I could use a chance to stretch my muscles!"
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