Punching the Strength Tester to Pieces

The "Li Wang" fitness club was bustling, filled with the scent of sweat and hormones. The opening promotional challenge competition had attracted a large number of fitness enthusiasts, including many powerfully built men with bulging muscles. They were gathered around the main strength equipment areas, their shouts, cheers, and the clanging of weight plates creating a cacophony.

When Gong Gong, who was nearly two meters tall and built like an iron tower, stepped through the club's entrance, the previously boisterous noise seemed to be muted, its volume instantly dropping several decibels.

All eyes were involuntarily drawn to the colossal figure that had suddenly appeared.

He was just too conspicuous!

The explosive muscles that his simple, tight-fitting clothes couldn't conceal, the wild aura emanating from his every stride, like a ferocious beast from the Primordial Era, and the hint of impatience and eagerness on his rugged face... all of it assaulted the vision and senses of everyone in the gym.

"Holy crap! Where did this guy come from? Look at those muscles... did he grow up on protein powder?"

"That aura... feels like he just ran out of a primeval forest..."

"Is he here for the challenge? This is gonna be good!"

Whispers spread through the crowd, filled with surprise, curiosity, and even a touch of awe.

Lin Fan followed behind Gong Gong, feeling the gazes from all directions, his palms sweating. He just wanted to earn some prize money quietly, but with Gong Gong's entrance, being low-key was impossible!

Gong Gong paid no attention to the surrounding chatter and stares, or rather, he was long accustomed to being the center of attention (back in the Primordial Era, when an Ancestral Witch traveled, all beings would yield). His bloodshot eyes (due to hunger and irritation) scanned the entire venue like searchlights, quickly locking onto the deadlift area, which was the most crowded and had the highest stack of weight plates.

"Over there!" Gong Gong rumbled, taking a large stride towards the deadlift area, and the crowd instinctively parted to make way.

The record holder for the deadlift was a giant man, nearly 1.9 meters tall and weighing over 120 kilograms, nicknamed "Tank." He had just successfully lifted 280 kilograms and was receiving cheers from the crowd and a "Li Wang" commemorative medal from the club staff, looking immensely pleased with himself.

Gong Gong walked up to the equipment, didn't even glance at the so-called "Tank" or the record plaque, and directly asked the staff member in charge of recording, "This, how do you play? Just lift it?"

His voice was like muffled thunder, carrying a natural air of condescension.

The staff member, a young man, was intimidated by Gong Gong's presence and stammered, "Y-yes, sir. Standard deadlift form, lift the barbell from the ground until you're fully standing, no 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, a look of undisguised disdain appearing on his face. "Too light! No fun! Just put on the heaviest!"

The heaviest? The staff member was taken aback and pointed to a pile of the largest weight plates nearby. "Here... the heaviest plates are 100 kilograms each. Plus the barbell... theoretically, we can go up to... around 300 kilograms, but that's just theoretical, no one has ever..."

"Stop rambling!" Gong Gong impatiently interrupted him and walked directly to the barbell. It was still loaded with 280 kilograms.

To everyone's astonishment, Gong Gong didn't even do any warm-up exercises or adjust his breathing. He simply bent down casually, his hands gripping the barbell.

To the eyes of professionals, his movement was extremely improper, even sloppy.

"Is he crazy? That's so heavy, he could easily get injured without warming up!"

"That form... it's so amateur!"

"Let's just wait and see him embarrass himself!"

Before the mockery and doubt could even fully register, Gong Gong's waist dipped slightly, his arms not even fully extended. It was as if he had casually lifted it—

The heavy barbell, which "Tank" had struggled with, turning red in the face, was lifted off the ground with one hand! Casually! As if it were a weightless plastic toy! And he easily lifted it overhead!

Yes, not a standard deadlift to the hips, but directly lifted overhead with one hand! The movement was as smooth as picking up a cup of water!

The entire club fell into deathly silence!

Everyone's eyes were wide open, their mouths agape, as if they had witnessed the most incredible thing in the world!

One hand! 280 kilograms! Lifted overhead?! Was this even human?! Even the world's top powerlifters couldn't achieve such ease, such a blatant disregard for the laws of physics!

The smug smile on the face of the giant nicknamed "Tank" froze completely, as if his throat had been choked. His face turned from red to white, then from white to green.

The staff member responsible for recording dropped his record book to the floor with a "thud," completely oblivious.

Although Lin Fan had been mentally prepared, seeing it with his own eyes still made his heart skip a beat. Ancestor, couldn't you be a little... more low-key? Play by the rules!

Gong Gong held the 280-kilogram barbell, swinging it casually like a poker, and frowned. "Too light! Feels flimsy! Anything heavier?"

He casually tossed the barbell to the ground.

"BOOM!!!"

A deafening sound! The entire club floor seemed to shake! The specially made rubber mat, designed to withstand immense impact, was actually dented! The barbell itself was even slightly bent!

This terrifying sight made everyone gasp again!

This strength... this destructive power... he was a monster!

"H-heavier..." The staff member's face turned pale, and he could barely speak coherently. "Th-there's no more... these are the heaviest plates..."

"Useless!" Gong Gong grumbled in dissatisfaction, his gaze sweeping over the nearby bench press and squat racks. However, judging by the structure and weight of the equipment, it didn't seem to pique his interest much.

Just then, the club manager, an astute middle-aged man, rushed over. Upon seeing the damaged mat and bent barbell, his eyes twitched, but his gaze towards Gong Gong was filled with shock and... a hint of ecstasy!

This was talent! No! This was a cash cow! If he could keep this guy at the club...

The manager immediately put on a warm, enthusiastic smile and stepped forward. "Sir! Your strength is truly astonishing! Breathtaking! I am the manager of this establishment, my surname is Wang. May I ask for your name, sir?"

"Gong Gong," Gong Gong rumbled, giving his alias. His attention, however, was not on the manager but on a standing punch strength tester (boxing power meter) not far away. Its lights were flashing, and it seemed somewhat interesting. "That, what's it for?"

Manager Wang quickly explained, "Oh, that's a punch strength tester. You hit it once, and it displays the punching power value. Our club record is over eight hundred pounds, held by a retired professional boxer..."

"Punch it? Shows strength?" Gong Gong's eyes lit up. This sounded much more interesting than lifting iron blocks! He stopped paying attention to Manager Wang and strode towards the tester.

The tester was about two meters tall, with a thick leather-padded striking target in the middle connected to an electronic screen.

The crowd gathered around again, eager to see what terrifying punch strength this monstrously built man could achieve.

"Mr. Gong, you'll need to wear gloves..." a staff member nearby kindly reminded him.

"Trouble!" Gong Gong waved his hand, directly clenching his fist, which was the size of a sand pot. Beneath his bronze skin, veins writhed like coiled dragons, containing explosive power.

He didn't wind up, twist his waist, or send his shoulder like others, performing a standard punch. He simply stood casually in front of the power testing machine and, as if swatting a fly, casually threw a punch at the target pad!

The moment his fist contacted the center of the pad--

"BANG!!!!!!!!! "

A terrifying roar, utterly unlike a boxing punch, more like a heavy truck crashing into a wall, exploded!

The entire power testing machine let out a grating metallic groan! The thick leather target pad instantly burst! Its filling and sensor components scattered everywhere! The sturdy metal support structure, centered on the point of impact, visibly twisted and deformed! The connected electronic screen first flickered wildly with garbled code, numbers jumping frantically, before finally going black with a "snap," a wisp of smoke rising!

One punch!

Just the most casual punch!

This expensive imported professional power testing machine was directly blown up! Completely scrapped!

Silence!

Deathly silence!

This time, there wasn't even a gasp. Everyone was frozen in place as if under a spell, their minds completely unable to process the surreal scene before them.

Blowing up a power testing machine?! This was a plot point only seen in exaggerated comics, and it was happening right before their eyes?!

This wasn't "Li Wang" anymore, this was a "humanoid Tyrannosaurus Rex," wasn't it?!

Manager Wang's smile froze completely. Looking at the smoking wreckage of the power testing machine, his heart bled with pain, but more than that, he felt a soul-deep shock and... fear! This power had completely surpassed the human realm!

Lin Fan clutched his forehead in agony. It was over. He hadn't even gotten the prize money yet, and he'd already have to pay for a machine... He knew this would happen!

Gong Gong looked at the smoking "scrap metal" in front of him, retracted his fist, and frowned in dissatisfaction: "What kind of trash is this? Broken after one punch? It didn't even measure how much strength I used!"

His voice wasn't loud, but in the extreme silence, it clearly reached everyone's ears.

"Didn't even use much strength?!" Everyone's heart felt like it had been struck by a heavy hammer!

Manager Wang took a deep breath, forcefully suppressing the storm in his heart. When he looked at Gong Gong again, his eyes were completely different, filled with reverence, and even a hint of fawning: "Mr. Gong! You... you truly are... a divine being! This machine... it's broken, so be it! It's not worth mentioning! That... the challenge prize money, ten thousand yuan, I'll get it for you right away!"

He quickly had the finance department bring a stack of crisp banknotes and respectfully handed them to Gong Gong.

Seeing the money, Gong Gong remembered Lin Fan saying it could be exchanged for food, and his expression softened slightly. He grabbed the money and, without even looking, stuffed it into Lin Fan behind him: "Take it, buy meat!"

Lin Fan held the stack of banknotes, still smelling of ink, feeling incredibly hot in his hands.

Manager Wang rubbed his hands, his face beaming with a smile, and asked cautiously: "Mr. Gong, I wonder... are you interested in working at our club? We are in great need of... top talent like you! As for compensation, we will absolutely satisfy you! Base salary plus commission, at least... this much a month!" He held up three fingers, implying over thirty thousand.

He was genuinely considering it. Even if Gong Gong didn't teach anything, just having him show up at the club every day and display his inhuman strength would be the best advertisement! Enough to attract fitness enthusiasts from the entire city, or even the entire province!

Lin Fan's heart stirred. This was an opportunity! He looked at Gong Gong.

Gong Gong didn't have much concept of "money," but he clearly understood the logic of "work equals food." He asked in a deep voice, "Will there be enough to eat?"

Manager Wang was stunned, then overjoyed. He nodded repeatedly: "Enough to eat! Absolutely enough to eat! Our club has special nutritional meals, beef, chicken breast, all you can eat!"

"Good! Then I'll stay!" Gong Gong agreed readily. There was fighting to be done (he understood it as teaching people to fight), and there was meat to eat. This place was good!

Manager Wang was overjoyed and immediately wanted to pull Gong Gong to the office to discuss contract details.

Just then, a steady voice with a hint of sharpness came from outside the crowd:

"Wait."

The crowd parted, and a middle-aged man in simple sportswear, with a lean build and eyes as sharp as an eagle's, walked over. He looked to be in his forties, his temples slightly bulging, his steps steady, and his breathing long and deep, clearly not an ordinary fitness enthusiast.

Lin Fan noticed that the figure behind the one-way glass on the second floor had, at some point, come down.

Manager Wang's expression immediately became serious upon seeing this person. He said with a degree of respect: "Coach Qin, why are you here?"

Coach Qin ignored Manager Wang. His gaze was like a physical entity, fixed on Gong Gong, his eyes filled with scrutiny, shock, and a hint of fiery fighting spirit.

"Mr. Gong Gong, is it?" Coach Qin spoke, his voice not loud, but carrying an undeniable aura, "I am Qin Tian, the specially appointed head coach of this club. Your performance just now... was astonishing. I wonder, are you interested in sparring with me?"

Sparring? A friendly match?

Everyone's eyes lit up! The club's mysterious head coach, Qin Tian, rumored to have a strong background, was actually going to personally test this new monster?!

This was a rare spectacle!

Gong Gong looked at Qin Tian, feeling the lean aura and the faintly emanating threat (though extremely weak) that was different from ordinary people. His battle-hungry blood began to boil. After so long in this stifling world, he had finally found someone who was at least somewhat decent?

He grinned, revealing his white teeth, full of wild charm:

"Alright! Just to stretch my muscles!"