Portraits of All Beings

On the afternoon of the second day, Chen Chong was hard at work in his private training room.

The private training room was heated, but Chen Chong opened the window, allowing the freezing wind carrying snowflakes from the Wasteland to pour in without ceremony.

Chen Chong practiced his Combat Drill while simultaneously cycling his Breathing Method.

Under the enhancement of the Breathing Method, his punches moved with such speed they left afterimages, the sharp whistling of his fists cutting through the air even drowning out the wind outside.

Chen Chong's entire body radiated intense heat, and two long, snake-like trails of white steam vented from his nostrils, swirling around him.

The method Yu Feng taught was incredibly useful; it allowed him to intuitively gauge the progress of his Breathing Method.

Just as Chen Chong was pondering how far he was from the next realm, or rather, how far he was from those Official Fighter candidates who were only a step away from breaking through, he heard a knock at the door.

He ceased his practice, walked over, and pulled the door open, revealing a look of surprise.

"Yang Yupeng?"

The young man knocking looked uneasy, hesitating for a moment as he looked at Chen Chong:

"Chen... Chong? You've gotten so much bigger!"

He said in astonishment.

Yang Yupeng was also a former trainee of Dragon Tiger Leopard, part of the same batch deceived into coming to Thunder Dragon Park.

However, he hadn't been assigned to the gym side, but instead worked full-time in telecommunications fraud.

Since arriving, Chen Chong had focused entirely on training, and the park's management was strict, so this was the first time he had seen any of his fellow trainees from that batch.

Seeing Yang Yupeng appear here, he was confused, but he stepped aside to let him in:

"Come on in."

Yang Yupeng walked inside, quietly surveying his surroundings:

"Chen Chong, is this training room just for you?"

"Yeah."

"Wow, that's impressive. You really became an Official Fighter!"

Yang Yupeng glanced at Chen Chong's physique, a look of envy appearing on his face.

In truth, Chen Chong hadn't become a massive brute; even though his strength had grown significantly, it was primarily due to his realm advancing, his bones thickening and generating power.

It was just that compared to his previous scrawny state, his build had become symmetrical and sturdy, and he had grown several centimeters taller, making him look a whole size larger to these acquaintances he hadn't seen in a while.

Chen Chong shook his head:

"Just lucky. What made you come over?"

Yang Yupeng's expression immediately turned somber:

"I came to ask... is it true that Li Xiaoguang is gone?"

Chen Chong suddenly remembered that Yang Yupeng and Li Xiaoguang seemed to be schoolmates, and the two had been on good terms at the gym.

Chen Chong fell silent for a moment and nodded.

The light faded from Yang Yupeng's eyes; he stood stunned for a while before whispering:

"This hellhole... out of the dozen or so of us, we've already lost two in less than a month."

"Hm? Who else?"

Chen Chong asked, surprised.

"It's He Lijun. Didn't his leg get broken on the first day? The medical staff just treated it carelessly, and it got infected quickly. The weather has been freezing these past few days, and our dorm doesn't have heat, so he couldn't pull through... they've already hauled him away."

Chen Chong recalled that somewhat boisterous young man and didn't know what to say for a moment.

"I also heard that everyone who dies here is taken to the medical center in town to be 'processed'..."

"'Processed'?"

Chen Chong frowned.

Yang Yupeng said:

"They aren't buried; everything is useful. Rumor has it that helicopters from Central City come directly here, and everyone in this place is just a spare parts bank for the patients in the city... Chen Chong, do you think that's going to be our fate too? Oh, you probably don't have to worry, you're already an Official Fighter so soon, you'll definitely live longer."

Yang Yupeng's emotions seemed somewhat agitated as he rambled on, but Chen Chong no longer had the heart to listen carefully to what he was saying.

So, the people in the park weren't just valuable while alive; they were even more valuable when dead.

Chen Chong had vaguely heard this claim before, but he had been so focused on improving his strength that he hadn't thought much of it.

It wasn't until two people around him were gone that he realized how real everything here truly was.

He had originally thought about paying his respects to Li Xiaoguang once he had more freedom, but he had forgotten—where would a settlement like this have a cemetery?

He listened to the rest of Yang Yupeng's words with a distracted mind, only noticing that the other man's attitude was gradually becoming polite and expectant:

"...Chen Chong, if you need any errands run or help with anything, just come find me anytime!"

"You're so tough, who knows? Maybe you'll be the next Coach Yu! We came here together, we have to look out for each other!"

Chen Chong didn't feel particularly comfortable with Yang Yupeng's sycophancy, but he still nodded:

"Do your best. You all should look out for yourselves, too."

Even upon hearing such a polite, perfunctory remark, Yang Yupeng wore an expression of excitement:

"Brother Chong, you're still the most righteous one! It's no wonder you became an Official Fighter so quickly. Sigh, you don't know—ever since we got inside, everyone has changed. It's all about reality and power...

"Huang Zhongping seems to have found some kind of path; his performance numbers are skyrocketing, but he never tells us how, no matter how much we ask...

"Peng Jiao started with zero performance and cried every day, terrified of the family law, so we came up with a plan for her. Later, she slept with the team leader twice and suddenly became the deputy team leader. Now she spends her days fawning over that greasy man, yet she bosses us around instead..."

Chen Chong listened to Yang Yupeng recount the lives of their batch, feeling that it was both absurd and realistic.

At the same time, he noticed that they seemed to have "accepted" this place quite well.

Most of them had been law-abiding citizens in the Satellite City, yet when they spoke of scams, lies, and manipulation tactics, their tones remained completely calm.

Human adaptability is truly formidable.

After listening for a while, Chen Chong grew weary and interrupted:

"Speaking of which, how do you know about things over here?"

"I heard it from Liu Hetao... He's been hanging around here these past two days, saying you've already established a firm foothold."

Chen Chong wore a thoughtful expression.

Yang Yupeng keenly sensed his attitude and quickly stood up:

"My free time is up, and I have to go back to work. Brother Chong, I won't bother you anymore. Call me anytime if you need anything!"

After Yang Yupeng left with a bow and a scrape, Chen Chong closed the door and remained silent for a moment.

He walked over to the Iron Man Dummy, raised his hand, and threw a punch heavier than the ones before.

Bang!

The car door closed, and the business van slowly pulled away.

Wang Li watched Chen Chong's calm expression and leaned in cautiously:

"Chen Chong, I found out who your opponent is tonight. It's Li Jun!

"This guy used to be the leader of a small gang; he fled to the Wasteland after being hunted down, and somehow became Thunder Dragon's fighter.

"He fights with extreme cruelty—I mean, extreme! Every time he wins, he kills his opponent! The key is that his win rate is very high and his strength is exceptional. He's also expected to reach the next level and become a signed fighter soon.

"Some even say he's been ready for a long time, and the only reason he hasn't leveled up is that he's afraid a signed fighter will target him once he does. That's because among the people he killed before, there were lackeys of signed fighters.

"His specialty is..."

Chen Chong listened the entire way, and by the time they arrived, Wang Li had already provided a clear picture of the opponent.

As the van screeched to a halt in the alley, Chen Chong patted Wang Li on the shoulder:

"Thanks, Brother Li. You're fighting tonight too, so be careful."

Wang Li's expression shifted for a moment, then he nodded:

"Don't worry. My survival skills are top-notch, unlike those other idiots..."

His voice gradually trailed off.

Chen Chong entered the passageway for the second time.

However, this time he didn't have to wait in the Warm-up Fighter holding room. At the fork in the path, he parted ways with Wang Li and Liu Hetao, following a staff member to a bright room beneath the spectator stands on the other side.

This holding room was similar in structure to the previous one, but the hygiene was significantly better, and the lighting and equipment were newer. Aside from a restroom, it even featured a private shower.

He changed into athletic shorts and wore a sports jacket over a black tight-fitting T-shirt, beginning to warm up with the equipment.

Through the air vent, Chen Chong saw the host whip up the crowd, and soon the Warm-up Fighters were sent onto the stage.

Wang Li was the first to go up. Chen Chong's movements slowed as he watched Wang Li walk onto the stage. With his keen eyesight, he could see Wang Li's legs trembling slightly.

His opponent was a newly promoted Official Fighter—though "newly promoted" was a relative term, as he had more seniority than Chen Chong.

However, he still primarily dealt with Warm-up Fighters, and upon seeing Wang Li, he couldn't help but show a relaxed expression.

The two exchanged a few words of trash talk, and the match began. Chen Chong stopped moving entirely, watching the ring intently.

He had been giving pointers to Wang Li and Liu Hetao whenever he had the chance over the past few days, and both had improved significantly.

But facing an Official Fighter, Wang Li was clearly out of his depth and his stance was broken almost immediately.

Watching Wang Li get knocked down by a single punch as his opponent approached with a cruel grin, unpleasant memories surfaced in Chen Chong's mind.

But the next moment, the seemingly unconscious Wang Li suddenly rolled over and tumbled right off the ring.

He wobbled to his feet, raised his hand to concede, and scurried back into the passageway.

The referee, the fighter, and even Chen Chong were stunned for a moment, and the audience expressed some dissatisfaction.

But Wang Li hadn't broken any rules; he had indeed been "knocked" off the ring...

Soon, Liu Hetao went up, and the opponent hadn't even changed.

He was defeated even faster than Wang Li, but his fall was far less smooth than Wang Li's; clearly, he lacked the extensive experience in faking death that Brother Li possessed.

Therefore, when Liu Hetao tried to imitate Wang Li and roll off the ring, his opponent, who had been prepared, stepped on him and unleashed a barrage of heavy punches.

It was not until Liu Hetao coughed up blood repeatedly that the referee finally called for a stop, leaving the audience satisfied and erupting into loud cheers.

Chen Chong slowly exhaled.

At least they had both kept their lives.

Bang, bang—

A soft knocking sound echoed, and the door to the waiting room was twisted open.

A staff member poked his head in and said quite politely:

"Chen Chong, it's almost your turn to go on stage. Are you ready?"

Chen Chong cracked his neck and stood up:

"I've been ready for a long time."