Each Side Tries to Win Him Over

"Reporting!" The officer who had brought Yang Wu here reported from outside the door. "I've brought Yang Wu, who was taking the assessment!"

The door to the room was open, and Yang Wu glanced inside. He didn't recognize a single person there.

"Yang Wu, right?" When Zhuge Tao saw him, he hurried over with a smile. "Allow me to introduce myself. I'm the manager of the Extreme Martial Arts Hall, Zhuge Tao!"

"Zhuge Tao, the 'angel investor'!" Having read the original story, Yang Wu knew exactly who he was.

He was the one who had invested in Luo Feng when Luo Feng had just become a martial artist.

Then the people in this room must be the leaders of the other major forces! Yang Wu thought to himself.

"Manager, sir!" Yang Wu greeted him with a slight bow.

"No need for formalities!" Zhuge Tao smiled warmly and asked, "Yang Wu, has your physical fitness reached the Primary War General Level?"

"Yes," Yang Wu replied calmly. He'd planned to make a spectacular impression this time, so of course he wouldn't hide his strength.

"Have you ever taken treasures like Dragon Blood or Jade Marrow to improve your physical fitness, or used a Gene Agent?" Zhuge Tao asked expectantly.

The three men inside the room, Liu Dong among them, looked at Yang Wu just as eagerly.

"No," Yang Wu replied without hesitation.

They were asking about treasures, so the help he'd received from the Time Simulator obviously didn't count.

"Yang Wu, come with me!" Hearing his definite answer, Zhuge Tao promptly took him by the arm and headed for the door.

"Zhuge!"

"Zhuge Tao!"

The three men behind them shouted, then hurried after them.

Realizing he wouldn't be able to leave, Zhuge Tao turned around and chuckled. "Gentlemen, I was only joking."

"Hmph, that joke wasn't funny at all!" Wang Heng snorted. He walked over to Yang Wu too and said with a smile, "Yang Wu, you're a genius. How about joining the Thunder Dojo? We offer our martial artists much better benefits than the Extreme Martial Arts Hall!"

Zhuge Tao snorted at Wang Heng's words but didn't argue. It was true that the Thunder Dojo's benefits for its martial artists were a little better than the Extreme Martial Arts Hall's.

But Zhuge Tao didn't sit idle. He immediately took out his Communication Watch and began contacting someone.

"Yang Wu, I'm Liu Dong, director of the Jiangnan Base City Security Bureau. You should know that our Security Bureau handles all matters concerning martial artists in the Base City. In our—"

"Wait!"

Liu Dong hadn't finished speaking when Zhuge Tao suddenly interrupted him, glaring at him in displeasure.

Ignoring Liu Dong, Zhuge Tao hurriedly asked Yang Wu, "Yang Wu, you're already twenty-four years old?"

"Yes," Yang Wu answered.

"What?"

"Twenty-four?"

"What a shame!"

Wang Heng and the other two sighed in regret, their eagerness to recruit Yang Wu noticeably diminished.

Everyone knew that martial artists made the fastest progress between the ages of sixteen and thirty. After that, their strength improved extremely slowly.

And Yang Wu was already twenty-four.

If he were five or six years younger—even four—Zhuge Tao and the others could have helped him apply for a place at the Elite Training Camp.

The four men had assumed Yang Wu could enter the Elite Training Camp because they'd thought he couldn't possibly be over twenty.

But they'd never imagined that Yang Wu, who had gained nearly eight thousand kilograms of strength the first time he cultivated Genetic Origin Energy, would only meet the Quasi-Martial Artist assessment standard at twenty-four. It made no sense!

There were plenty of twenty-four-year-old Primary War Generals in the world. Even if one had reached Specialist Level with a spear, the most one could hope for was a place at the Basic Training Camp—not admission to the Elite Training Camp.

Besides, at twenty-four, most trainees at the Basic Training Camp were close to graduating. Yang Wu wouldn't benefit all that much from going there.

Most important of all, becoming a War God was difficult!

There were countless martial artists around the world stuck at the peak of the Advanced War General level, but there were only a little over three thousand War Gods worldwide.

In theory, these Advanced War Generals had physical abilities close to a War God's. They only needed a small breakthrough to cross the threshold.

Yet that single step held so many people back, and age played a part.

Given two people of equal strength, one over thirty and the other under thirty, it was obvious the younger one would have an easier time breaking through.

Of course, the world had some precious treasures. Anyone wealthy enough to buy them could easily break through a bottleneck, even at seventy or eighty.

The higher the hopes, the greater the disappointment.

That didn't mean Zhuge Tao and the others no longer wanted to recruit Yang Wu. Even as a twenty-four-year-old Primary War General, he was still a fine talent in their eyes—especially since he'd also reached Specialist Level with his spear.

After a brief silence, Wang Heng of the Thunder Dojo was the first to make an offer. "Yang Wu, you may be a little older than we'd hoped, but I still think highly of you. I'm formally inviting you to join the Thunder Dojo."

"Our terms for talented martial artists are much better than the Extreme Martial Arts Hall's!

"First: You can choose a detached villa to live in anywhere in the main city or satellite cities of Jiangnan Base City. Of course, you'll have the right to live there, but not to buy or sell it.

"Second: You'll receive 25 million in startup funds, as well as various manuals worth up to 50 million.

"Third: If you're interested, I can apply for our Thunder Dojo's Special Training Contract for you. You may be a little older, but it could still help you!"

The Extreme Martial Arts Hall offered talented martial artists only 20 million in startup funds, while the Thunder Dojo offered 25 million. The difference was substantial.

After hearing Wang Heng's offer, Hou Zhen and Liu Dong felt reassured.

Those were the two dojos' standard recruitment terms for talented martial artists. They were decent enough, but not especially attractive to a War General-level martial artist. Only the Special Training Contract at the end held much appeal.

"Yang Wu!" Hou Zhen also tried to recruit him. "The military offers talented martial artists only ten million in startup funds, and the price limit for manuals is also 50 million.

"But if you join the military, your family can move into a Martial Artist Residential District built especially for martial artists. The military's residential districts are the safest in Huaxia Country. No one, not even a Beyond War God-level powerhouse, could harm your family there!

"Of course, if you want to attend the Basic Training Camp, I can submit an application for you!"

Hearing Hou Zhen's offer, Yang Wu was tempted.

In the original story, after Luo Feng was presumed dead, Li Yao and his wife used civilian means to target Luo Feng's family. If Luo Feng had lived in a military Martial Artist Residential District, that probably would never have happened.

Still, after joining Huaxia Country, he might have to carry out assignments from his superiors, just as he had in the second simulation. He wouldn't have the same freedom he did now, whether in cultivation or anything else.

"Yang Wu, the Security Bureau's terms are similar to the military's. But our influence in the Base City is the greatest!" Liu Dong said with a smile. "Join us, and you'll have more time to spend with your family!"

After making their offers, Wang Heng and the other two turned to Zhuge Tao. After all, Yang Wu was closer to the Extreme Martial Arts Hall.