The Water Transport Gang

The Water Transport Gang... Hah.

I'd heard they did every kind of evil, kicked in widows' doors, and dug up the graves of families with no heirs...

"Good, thanks, Brother Du Feng. I understand."

Zhou Kai thanked him, then changed the subject and lowered his voice. "There's something else I can't figure out. I'll have to ask you, Senior Brother."

Du Feng's neck jerked back, and his eyes instinctively darted toward the doorway. "You... what is it?"

Zhou Kai stared into his eyes and asked slowly, word by word, "Do people in the Water Transport Gang have guns?"

Du Feng gave an awkward laugh. "Probably not... The Red Star Republic is very strict about banning guns, but... you can't rule it out completely."

"Anyway... anyway, they definitely wouldn't have many. I'd guess their bosses are the ones holding on to them."

Zhou Kai grinned. "Really? That's good, then."

Against the likes of the Water Transport Gang...

As long as they didn't all have an AK, Zhou Kai figured he could afford to play around with them.

Back in college, thanks to a tough roommate, he'd gotten familiar with firearms at an early age.

"Senior Brother, I'll get going. See you tonight."

Zhou Kai raised a hand and gave Du Feng a light pat on the shoulder.

But Du Feng grabbed him as if he'd been shocked.

"Are you crazy? I've told you all this, and you're still going to your death?"

Zhou Kai didn't even look at him. He calmly pried Du Feng's hand off.

"I picked up a side job, teaching a few apprentices to make some extra cash."

"It's time now."

In this era, as long as you were willing to spend the money, medical technology could work miracles.

After undergoing a series of expensive, specialized treatments, Wang Jinquan was discharged that very afternoon.

South Xishan City, Xiangping District.

Shangpinzhai Teahouse.

The air was filled with the delicate fragrance of premium Da Hong Pao, but the cheap smell of alcohol clinging to Wang Jinquan ruined it all.

"Uncle Yuanzheng, I swear, I just don't understand how the world can be so unfair!" He tipped back his head and drained his cup.

"Why? I've got money and talent, but that damn Falcon Wing Boxing Gym still treats me like a dog!"

"They teach you one thing and hide another. Everything takes months, even years... No wonder traditional martial arts are dying out. They deserve it!"

Wang Yuanzheng glanced at him indifferently.

He reached out with two fingers and pushed the cup his nephew had touched toward the edge of the table, his brow furrowing in disgust. "Jinquan, be patient a little longer. The Falcon Wing Martial Arts Hall teaches something different."

"What's different about it? It's still just punching, and you've got to take drugs, too!"

Wang Jinquan held his chin high, the flesh on his face twitching with anger and alcohol. He looked even older than his uncle.

"What's the difference between taking drugs and getting injections? If I'd known it would be this much trouble, I might as well have gone straight for the Lyle Federation's methods!"

Wang Yuanzheng's voice suddenly turned stern. "If you want to drink, go somewhere else. Don't come to my teahouse and dirty the place!"

"Wang Jinquan, I'm going to make this clear to you again."

"Throughout the entire Red Star Republic, there are only three traditional martial arts lineages with complete inheritances that are confirmed to lead reliably to the highest levels: Broken Wing Style, Blue Leopard Style, and Fish Dragon Style."

"Our Wang Family needs a true Wu Zhe!"

He lowered his voice and said coldly, "You should understand that Wu Zhe and those Enhanced Humans pumped up with injections are completely different things..."

Wang Jinquan fell silent. After a long while, he muttered resentfully, "But once you become a Wu Zhe, you still have to be turned into an Enhanced Human, don't you? What's the point of all that effort?"

Wang Yuanzheng shook his head, a trace of disdain flashing in his eyes.

"Enhancement drugs and all kinds of implants are vastly different in how well they suit each person. If you modify an ordinary person directly, they'll top out as a Level 2 Enhanced Human—nothing more than a slightly stronger expendable."

"But if you're a Wu Zhe who's reached the True Force Stage, after modification, you start at a stable Level 3."

"Level 3 is enough for the Wang Family to... keep going for a few more years here in Xishan."

Wang Jinquan irritably raked a hand through his hair.

In his generation, he was the Wang Family's only son.

He enjoyed everything the Wang Family had to offer, so naturally, he also had to bear the family's expectations.

He had to practice martial arts step by step and break through to True Force. Once he could make no further progress, he'd have to lie on the operating table and undergo further modification using the Lyle Federation's human enhancement technology.

Then, in this increasingly chaotic world, he'd buy the Wang Family's sinking ship a few more years.

He muttered under his breath.

"Level 3 Enhanced Humans... They're not even afraid of guns. Is it really that incredible?"

Wang Yuanzheng couldn't be bothered to answer such a stupid question.

He merely waved a cold hand, as if shooing away a fly.

"Get out. The stink of alcohol on you doesn't belong with my tea. If you want to come back next time, wash yourself first."

"And that kid who beat you—I've already sent someone to deal with him." Wang Yuanzheng spoke without the slightest change in tone.

"Practice hard. The Wang Family won't let anyone stand in your way."

"The only thing that can hinder your progress in martial arts is yourself!"

The drunken haze vanished from Wang Jinquan's face. He bared his teeth in a malicious grin that grew wider and wider.

He hadn't taken in a word of the encouragement, but he'd heard the part about teaching Zhou Kai a lesson loud and clear.

He'd only sent a few thugs to smash up Zhou Kai's home and teach him a warning.

His uncle had turned out to be far more ruthless than he was.

He could already picture that kid surnamed Zhou being dumped into the Xishan River to feed the fish.

When his uncle took action, he never left survivors—only corpses.

Xishan City Chaomu Camping Park.

Meat sizzled on the grill, fat dripping down and sparking tiny flames with a smoky fragrance.

Zhou Kai was almost laughing from sheer exasperation.

He'd just met up with Fischl and the others, only to discover that those young masters and mistresses had no intention of studying at all. They'd simply dragged him along on a camping trip.

Zhou Kai had no desire to fool around with them, so he listlessly turned the meat on the grill and chatted with Yang Hao, the bodyguard beside him.

They were still talking about Wu Zhe and Enhanced Humans.

There was no helping it. Information was tightly controlled these days. Online, there were only a few rumors and snippets about these core secrets, and no organized sources could be found.

Chen Ping had disappeared again today, so Zhou Kai had no choice but to ask Yang Hao, the man he'd gotten to know through a fight, if he wanted to clear up his doubts.

Yang Hao gave him a strange look from head to toe. "I heard Miss say you're from the Falcon Wing Boxing Gym. You're a Wu Zhe, but you don't know the secrets of Wu Zhe? Does that make sense?"

"I bet little kids like Xiao Ma and Xiao Yuan already know the basics."

Zhou Kai spread his hands, looking innocent. "Believe it or not, I've only been learning for a few days."

Yang Hao pretended to be annoyed. "Quit showing off, kid! With that build of yours and the brute strength you had the other day... you're not far from comprehending True Force, are you?"

"What level have you reached in the fundamental technique? Proficient? Or mastered?"

Zhou Kai was genuinely bewildered. "What's a fundamental technique?"

Yang Hao sucked in a breath and stared at him in amazement. "Since you joined Falcon Wing, you must be practicing the Falcon Strike Technique... All right, I get it. You really don't know anything, do you?"

"Who knows how your master has been teaching you."

But Zhou Kai hadn't even taken a master yet...

As the conversation wandered farther and farther off course, Zhou Kai smiled and waved for Yang Hao to get back to the point.

He wanted to hear about how Wu Zhe and Enhanced Humans actually worked.

But Yang Hao still felt pretty good about himself.

It was true that Zhou Kai could fight better than him, but when it came to knowledge, he was still a greenhorn.

He took a swig of cold beer and leaned back comfortably in his chair. Putting on the air of an experienced expert, he cleared his throat and began, doing his best to keep it brief.

"Traditional martial arts are mainly practiced by people in the Red Star Republic. A few nearby countries in the same cultural sphere have similar paths, like bushido and... Damo Gong."

"As far as I know, traditional martial arts have two realms. The First Realm is True Force; the Second Realm is Qi Induction."

"Generally, once a Wu Zhe reaches the True Force Stage, their physique completely outclasses an ordinary person's. Toss them into a crowd, and they're like a tiger among sheep—one punch for every kid."

"Keep in mind, when I say they can take on ten or fifty people, I mean people like me, who've trained. Ordinary people? A hundred of them would still be easy pickings."

When he got to the Second Realm, Yang Hao shook his head, his face taking on a more reverent expression.

"The Second Realm, Qi Induction... I've only heard the name. I've never seen a living person reach it."

"Anyway, it's definitely much stronger than the True Force Stage."

Zhou Kai's interest was piqued. He picked up a half-cooked steak, its juices sizzling, and stuffed it into his mouth. The savory flavor exploded across his palate.

As he chewed, he motioned for Yang Hao to continue.

"What about Enhanced Humans? How do they work?"