What a Coincidence

A chill ran down Zhang Fusheng's spine.

He gave a wry smile.

"Senior Sister, that's not what I meant when I chose her."

Chen Yuque scoffed.

"Trying to cover up your tracks."

"I really didn't mean that!" Zhang Fusheng shook his head helplessly. "I actually wanted to ask, what does 'prodigy who took shortcuts' mean?"

He looked somewhat confused.

"I heard Chen Nuanyu is a super prodigy who has mastered both Breathing Techniques and meditation techniques."

"Heh."

Senior Sister Chen let out a cold laugh.

"Setting aside whether it's true or not, even if it is, can she compare to your level of perversion?"

She sat down cross-legged, shaking her wine-red long hair. Her crossed thighs had no trace of fat, smooth as silk, and blindingly white.

"Normally, achieving mastery of a meditation technique requires over ten years of mental accumulation. Chen Nuanyu took a crooked path, using 'Mental Potions' to forcibly achieve a pseudo-mastery."

"This pseudo-mastery only has mental strength, but lacks the profundity that a mastered meditation technique should possess."

Zhang Fusheng asked curiously.

"What are Mental Potions?"

"As the name suggests, they are high-energy potions that boost mental strength."

The Senior Sister smiled.

"Chen Nuanyu, this girl, has used most of the money she borrowed on Mental Potions, forcibly pushing herself to the level of pseudo-mastery. I don't know what she's after."

As she spoke, she casually sent Chen Nuanyu's detailed profile to Zhang Fusheng.

"Thank you, Senior Sister."

"No big deal." Chen Yuque waved her hand dismissively. "Oh, right. Master wants you to prepare. Starting in a couple of days, you'll be teaching the visualization class."

"Also tomorrow, Master will announce your official entry. Are you still attending the combat techniques class at 3 PM? It probably won't be of much use to you."

Zhang Fusheng pondered for a moment.

"It seems there's no need for me to attend. Is the junior sister teaching the combat techniques class?"

"Yes."

"Then I definitely can't go." Thinking of the little brat teaching, Zhang Fusheng shook his head like a rattle drum.

The combat techniques taught to ordinary students didn't involve anything too profound. After achieving perfection in Tiger Roar Fist, he had already mastered many striking techniques and power application methods.

After seeing his Senior Sister off.

Zhang Fusheng opened Chen Nuanyu's detailed profile on his phone and browsed it with great interest, occasionally making 'tsk tsk' sounds.

His phone vibrated slightly.

Zhu Xiaoming: You there?

Zhang Fusheng raised an eyebrow.

Zhang Fusheng: Not online.

Zhu Xiaoming: Get lost.

Zhu Xiaoming: I have something tomorrow, can we have dinner tonight instead?

Zhang Fusheng: Sure, where should we eat?

Zhu Xiaoming: Just a random restaurant next to Jiang University. I plan to visit Jiang University this afternoon, want to go together?

Zhang Fusheng pondered for a moment and gave an affirmative reply. He didn't continue chatting with Zhu Xiaoming and, after confirming Chen Nuanyu's profile once more, let out a slight sigh.

"So, she's a... loan shark prodigy?"

He couldn't help but laugh and cry. Chen Nuanyu's talent was indeed very high, but not that high.

At least her comprehension shouldn't be that high.

As for her foundation, there was nothing to criticize. Even though she had bought many tonics with loans, and during her three years of high school, her actual cultivation time was less than two years, she could still reach the Third Refinement level.

As his second senior sister said, she was a little genius.

"The repayment deadline is approaching, no wonder she went to steal the Fushou powder."

Zhang Fusheng's gaze deepened slightly.

"But what are the consequences of defaulting that would make her take such a huge risk?"

He thought of his second senior sister's bright and lazy demeanor and suddenly shivered.

Not a good person!

1 PM.

"Why are you only arriving now?" A Bao, covered in tattoos, frowned. "I've been waiting for you for ages."

"Where's Zhou Quan?"

Zhang Fusheng calmly closed the clinic door behind him.

"I just got back from the Martial Arts Academy."

"Today is the Fire Department's incense offering day. Young Master went to offer incense," A Bao replied casually, placing two bags, one large and one small, on the table.

Zhang Fusheng understood. No wonder he couldn't find Zhou Quan at the Martial Arts Academy. No wonder A Bao didn't know about the change in his 'identity.'

"One bag is your shipping fee, three hundred thousand. The other is ten pounds of Fushou powder. We'll start with this much on the first day."

A Bao explained in detail:

"Once you enter District Three, head straight for the villa complex on the east side. Villa 19 is a bar. Go there and find Mr. Black Eyes. He'll tell you how to deliver the goods and who to deliver them to. Got it?"

Zhang Fusheng didn't answer. He opened the two bags and took out a large packet of powder. Under A Bao's confused gaze, he walked to the sink.

Tear.

Pour.

"Are you fucking crazy?!" A Bao was stunned at first, then suddenly reacted. He pulled out a gun and pointed it at Zhang Fusheng.

After a moment's hesitation, he adjusted the muzzle towards the teenager's leg. Just as he was about to pull the trigger, he saw the teenager turn around at some point, silently gazing at him.

In a daze, he saw his reflection in the boy's deep eyes—a skeletal frame.

A Bao shivered violently and suddenly came to his senses. Before he could react.

His vision blurred.

The pistol shattered into pieces. The lunatic was already in front of him. A hand, not fair-skinned, gripped A Bao's throat and effortlessly lifted him up.

A Bao exerted all his strength, but he couldn't break free.

"Martial..." he choked out, "...Martial Artist."

Zhang Fusheng released his grip. A Bao fell to the ground, coughing violently.

"Zhou Quan isn't enough."

He crouched down, staring at A Bao, and smeared the thick layer of Fushou powder on his hands onto A Bao's face:

"The head of the Fire Department is named... Zhou Xianmin?"

A Bao didn't dare to breathe heavily. It wasn't out of fear, but fear of inhaling the Fushou powder into his nostrils—that would be unpleasant.

He stared intently at Zhang Fusheng:

"Who are you?"

A Bao had seen Zhang Fusheng's profile and had investigated him thoroughly. An ordinary student from Linshu Middle School who was lucky enough to get into Jiang University's Computer Science Department.

Nothing special beyond that.

How could he be a Martial Artist?

Zhang Fusheng clapped his hands, shaking off the residual Fushou powder.

"Go back and make arrangements. I want to see Zhou Xianmin in a couple of days. As for who I am... Zhang Fusheng. I am Zhang Fusheng."

"My Master is Hong Tianbao."

A Bao's expression changed drastically.

He watched as this completely transformed teenager lightly patted his cheek, rubbing the last bit of residual Fushou powder on his clothes.

"Oh, and tell Director Zhou that I might have some information about the forty pounds of goods the Fire Department lost a while ago. Are you planning to stay for lunch?"

A Bao was stunned. He struggled to get up, not daring to say a word, and fled the clinic in a sorry state.

Zhang Fusheng stood up and let out a breath.

Forty pounds of Fushou powder was not a small amount for Chaimen, but it wouldn't cripple them.

What mattered was their reputation.

Chaimen had been searching the Lower-Level District recently. Losing money and goods was one thing, but losing face and authority would make some jackals get greedy. Chaimen's troubles would truly begin then.

Therefore, they would definitely want to catch that robber.

Zhang Fusheng turned on the faucet and washed his hands, then made a call.

"Master, I plan to meet with Zhou Xianmin, the head of the Fire Department. With your influence, he should agree to see me."

"Mm."

From the other end of the line, Hong Tianbao's gentle voice replied:

"You don't need to report everything. Chaimen is a resource for you, and also a trial. When the net is about to close, I will deal with the Chaimen leader for you. But before that..."

He paused, then the old man continued:

"Before that, you need to walk these steps yourself. You can borrow the name and influence of Hong's freely. If you encounter someone you can't handle, you can pay your Senior Brother to take action. His business is taking money to get things done. But beyond that, I won't help you."

"It all depends on how far you can advance, how much you contribute, and how much of a stir you cause."

"This also relates to how many resources you'll enjoy after we take over Chaimen."

Zhang Fusheng nodded silently.

"I understand, Master."

He hung up the phone.

The Senior Disciple's job is to take money and do things. Assassins? Hitmen?

He must be in charge of a group of 'assassins'.

Thinking of Niu Dali's honest and simple appearance, Zhang Fusheng let out a wry smile.

You can't judge a book by its cover.

He shook his head and walked back to the basement, turning on the gas stove in the corner.

His dad usually cooked his own meals at the clinic during lunch, so there were all sorts of pots, pans, and seasonings readily available.

He took out a slice of Star Beast Meat he had pre-paid for at the Martial Arts Academy cafeteria, unwrapped it, and carefully placed it in the pan to cook.

"20 grams of Level 1 Star Beast Meat, that's 200,000."

Zhang Fusheng clicked his tongue. His mindset hadn't fully adjusted yet. 200,000 was still an astronomical sum in his eyes.

A moment later, the cooked meat slices were out of the pan. Zhang Fusheng didn't rush to eat them. Instead, he used a knife to divide them evenly into 20 portions, then weighed them with an electronic scale.

He swallowed a small slice weighing 'a heavy' 1 gram.

His pores relaxed, and his body felt invigorated. A massive amount of Mysterious Factor erupted in his abdomen, but it didn't benefit him at all. He had hit a bottleneck.

He couldn't send the Mysterious Factor to the deepest layer of his skin membrane to complete the final stage of the Third Refinement.

Zhang Fusheng didn't feel too bad about wasting the Mysterious Factor. His thoughts focused on the Pact.

As the 1 gram of Star Beast Meat dissolved in his stomach, some unknown substance seemed to flow into the Pact, and the dim Pact regained some of its luster.

"The original charging time of sixty-two days has been shortened to 60 days."

"1 gram of Star Beast Meat can save two days?"

Zhang Fusheng continued to eat the Star Beast Meat, slice by slice, gram by gram, while precisely measuring the reduction in charging time.

By the time all the Star Beast Meat was gone, there were 23 days left until the Pact could be used again.

"Based on the rate of two days per gram, there should only be 22 days left. The effect of the last few slices of Star Beast Meat has weakened slightly."

Zhang Fusheng's expression was grim. He muttered to himself, "What is the specific reason? Some kind of 'drug resistance,' or something else?"

He picked up the packaging bag and glanced at it.

[Level 1 Star Beast Copper Horned Rhinoceros, tenderloin cut, net weight 20 grams]

Zhang Fusheng pondered silently. He had a vague guess that the reason Star Beast Meat could charge the Pact was most likely due to some unknown substance contained within the meat.

If his guess was correct, would the unknown substances contained in Star Beast Meat of different levels and varieties also be different?

And was the weakening of the effect because the Pact had 'eaten' enough of the mysterious substance from this type of Star Beast Meat?

"The specific reason will need to be verified slowly in the future."

He let out a breath, his wooden chopsticks tapping rhythmically on the bowl, lost in thought.

After a long while.

Ding ling ling

His phone vibrated.

He answered the call, and Zhu Xiaoming's hoarse voice came through.

"Hey, Old Zhang, I'm downstairs. Why are all your windows broken? What happened?"

"No, it was the thunder the day before yesterday. It shattered them. I forgot to fix them. I'm not home right now and rushing back. About ten minutes."

Zhang Fusheng breathed a sigh of relief. He had almost forgotten to get someone to fix the window. Otherwise, it would be hard to explain to his parents when they returned in a few days.

"The thunder broke them?"

Zhu Xiaoming sounded a bit confused on the phone, but he didn't think much of it.

"Hurry up, you. It still takes some time to get to Jiang University. Lu Yao has been previewing in the Jiang University library recently. You'll have to be my wingman for a while later, and I'll treat you to a good meal tonight."

As he spoke, he seemed to remember something and added, "Oh, right. Lu Yao mentioned that Chen Nuanyu has also been at the Jiang University library recently. We might run into that favored daughter of heaven this afternoon."

Zhang Fusheng froze for a moment, a strange smile appearing on his face.

"Oh really? What a coincidence."