"Chen Chong, stop eating. You're scaring me, brother."
After making a second trip downstairs to Shuxiang Garden and hauling up several big bags of boxed meals, Brother Leopard wiped the sweat from his forehead.
Looking at the stacks of white plastic meal boxes covering the table, his glasses had slipped down to his cheeks. His tiny eyes, squeezed between folds of flesh, were wide with disbelief.
It wasn't just him. The other students, including the usually unsmiling Yu Feng, had left the table and gathered around, staring at Chen Chong as he ate, as if they were looking at some kind of monster.
"Damn, that kid's not big, but he eats like a beast."
"Has a glutton turned into a spirit? Or has Taotie taken human form?"
As the students whispered among themselves, Chen Chong finally felt he'd had enough and put down his chopsticks.
22%...23%.
When he lifted his eyelids, the number jumped again.
Over the next few hours, it should keep climbing.
Chen Chong smiled from the bottom of his heart.
"Thanks for the meal. Sorry for the trouble—I eat slowly."
Slow?
The others looked at the mountain of empty meal boxes, their expressions inscrutable.
The flesh on Brother Leopard's face twitched.
"Chen Chong, you didn't hurt your stomach, did you? Don't you get enough to eat at home?"
"I'm fine, Brother Leopard. I just worked out today, so I'm especially hungry. I don't usually exercise."
"Well, that... makes sense."
Brother Leopard answered awkwardly.
After everyone had cleared the table together, Chen Chong prepared to leave. He'd said when he registered that he wouldn't be staying overnight, and the address he'd written down wasn't far.
"You'll come back tomorrow, right?"
Brother Leopard's expression was a little complicated.
Chen Chong said, "Don't worry, Brother Leopard. I'm not here to mooch one meal and run."
Brother Leopard's expression had just relaxed when he heard the rest.
"As long as you keep serving food, I'll come."
Brother Leopard's face became a sight to behold.
He forced a laugh. "Don't worry, Xiao Chen. We run a boxing gym, and we keep our word. The boss has big plans. He can afford to feed you."
On the way home, Chen Chong no longer felt as if his stomach were stretched tight.
"26%. My appetite, digestion, and ability to convert food are all beyond normal? I feel stronger, too. I'll see how much my punching power has improved tomorrow."
Filled with anticipation for the next day, Chen Chong crossed the dimly lit streets.
Apart from the wealthy neighborhoods, Satellite City's streets belonged to gang members at night.
There were fewer pedestrians now, and he quickened his pace.
When he got home, Chen Liping immediately rose from the dining room.
"Chong'er, you're back! Have you eaten?"
"I ate at the boxing gym, Auntie."
"The boxing gym?"
Chen Liping looked surprised. "You really went to that gym?"
"Yeah. They provide meals."
Seeing the worry that instantly appeared on Chen Liping's face, Chen Chong quickly added, "Don't worry, Auntie. So far, the place seems legitimate. If there are any shady characters there, I'll just come home. I haven't paid anything, anyway."
"Wow, Cousin, you really went to learn boxing? Can you box now?"
In the living room, Shen Dong had lost the battle for the remote to his older sister and was sulking as he watched a romance drama with Shen Ying. When he heard Chen Chong come home, he hurried over, excited.
Chen Chong shook his head. "Not yet. I'll teach you once I learn."
"Awesome!"
Shen Dong jumped for joy and rushed back to the living room. He raised his fists and feinted at his sister's face, only for Shen Ying to pin him down with a backhand slap.
Chen Chong smiled and said slowly, "If you're learning boxing to bully your sister, I won't teach you. A real man learns to box to protect his family."
"Does that she-devil need protecting? Ow!"
Shen Ying pinned Shen Dong to the sofa without changing expression. He flailed around but couldn't get up, so he could only mutter under his breath.
"I'm going to shower."
Chen Chong called out as he went into the bathroom. Chen Liping and Shen Ying watched him go, each wearing a different expression.
Before going into his bedroom, Chen Chong noticed Shen Jianping still hadn't come home. He was probably working the night shift at the factory.
After wishing his aunt and cousins good night, he closed the door and shut his eyes for a moment. Then he opened them again.
Without turning on the light, he stood by the grid-patterned window and recalled Coach Yu's advice on how to generate power. Facing his reflection in the glass, he slowly punched, corrected his form, and punched again...
The next morning.
Chen Chong came out of the bathroom, a little surprised.
Had he really lost even more weight than before?
After a moment's thought, Chen Chong nodded. It made sense that his ability to convert food had improved.
Looking at the 38% before him, Chen Chong opened the door and jogged through the long street to the Dragon Tiger Leopard Boxing Gym.
"Xiao Chen, you're here early."
Brother Leopard greeted Chen Chong with an easy expression.
Chen Chong nodded. "Morning, Brother Leopard. Is there breakfast?"
Brother Leopard's mouth twitched. He pointed at the Training Room.
"It's just been set out."
Three stacks of large steamers sat on the table against the wall. Chen Chong went over and opened them. They were full of palm-sized meat buns. Beside them were a bucket of congee, a pot of soy milk, a basket of eggs, and two plates of pickled vegetables.
As the others watched in amazement, Chen Chong ate twenty meat buns and ten eggs, then stopped when he was about seventy percent full.
Overeating was bad for the body.
Besides, since the gym was being generous, he could at least show some restraint.
After breakfast, while no one was paying attention, Chen Chong walked over to the punching machine in the corner.
40%... Chen Chong narrowed his eyes and raised his fist. His form was slightly different from yesterday's.
Thud!
Thud, thud!
55 kg.
54 kg.
58 kg!
Chen Chong watched the punching machine sway and couldn't help licking his lips.
His strength had improved a lot—far more than he'd expected!
Based on the increase in his percentage after digesting food, his punching power should have been close to 50 kg.
But on top of that, he'd learned the principles of punching yesterday and practiced them that night. He'd figured out quite a bit. He was a fairly quick learner.
His technique had become much more efficient, greatly increasing his punching power. He'd gained more than ten kilograms overnight, an increase of over forty percent.
Chen Chong pressed his lips together.
Yesterday's results could still have been due to differences between punching machines.
But such a huge improvement overnight on the same machine was proof enough.
This was his ability. His talent.
Chen Chong clenched and unclenched his fists again and again, feeling a thirst rise from deep within him.
Thud!
He threw one last punch, resetting the punching machine's display. Then Chen Chong spun around and went to the wall to practice his horse stance.
As soon as he left, someone craned their neck to check the machine. But when they saw the number "44 kg," they looked disappointed.
In the middle of the gym, Yu Feng turned his gaze away and lowered his eyes slightly.
Judging by the kid's movements, he'd listened yesterday—and understood.
A little while later.
From the corner of his eye, Yu Feng saw Chen Chong sit on the floor and glanced at his watch without thinking.
"Five minutes... After what happened yesterday, can he still stand today?"
He couldn't help turning to look at Chen Chong a few times. After resting briefly, Chen Chong spread his legs, lowered his hips, drew in his fists, and settled into a horse stance.
Yu Feng's brow twitched. He said nothing and turned back to instruct the student in front of him.
Without realizing it, he was already paying more attention to Chen Chong than to anyone else.
Chen Chong had thought he might not be able to hold a horse stance today.
But after a night's rest, his legs weren't sore at all. Once he'd eaten and digested his food, his body had gotten rid of the soreness on its own. There had been no buildup of lactic acid.
That made his training more efficient all morning, with no need to worry about overdoing it. He quickly worked his horse stance up to more than ten minutes.
"Come on, everyone! Time to eat!"
At noon, Brother Leopard came in right on time with even more boxed meals than yesterday and called out to them.
Chen Chong glanced at the wall clock and realized that it was already midday.
He released his horse stance and straightened up. As he walked over to help set out the food, the bald, hulking man who resembled an iron tower called to him.
"Chen Chong, don't practice your horse stance this afternoon. Come learn to box."
Chen Chong froze.
Hadn't he said that beginners should spend the first few days practicing their stance?
Then he understood and quickly smiled. "All right, Coach Yu."
At lunch, Chen Chong naturally drew everyone's attention again.
But he didn't eat his fill, stopping at about seventy percent. It wasn't as startling as the night before, and everyone gradually got used to it.
Yu Feng didn't pay much attention to Chen Chong's astonishing appetite. He only frowned slightly at the greasy dishes covering the table.
Once Chen Chong put down his chopsticks, the students began clearing the table.
Yu Feng and Brother Leopard walked to a corner and spoke quietly.
"Didn't you say we'd use Nutrient Paste for today's meals?"
"It's about time, and Chen Chong's the only new arrival these past two days."
Brother Leopard looked at the registration book in his hand and pushed up his glasses.
"We've got plenty, too. If we drive away a promising student over the cost of a meal or two, we'll be penny-wise and pound-foolish."
Yu Feng raised an eyebrow. "You mean..."
Brother Leopard nodded. "Think he has potential?"
Yu Feng glanced toward the wall and fell silent for a moment before saying, "He's the one. He's pretty good."
Surprised by Yu Feng's assessment, Brother Leopard looked at him, then followed his gaze toward the wall and frowned.
"That kid?"
He muttered a couple of things, but Yu Feng didn't catch them.
By the wall.
Chen Chong used his horse stance in place of a lunch break.
He'd just eaten, so this was when he had the most energy stored up. He'd found that working out moderately was better than letting his body digest on its own.
As he tightened his core and counted silently, something stirred in his heart. He instinctively looked up.
Behind the beaded curtain at the boxing gym entrance, Brother Leopard's head turned, as if he'd just looked away.
Watching the two men standing in the dim light, Chen Chong suddenly wondered why he'd never seen the boss Brother Leopard had mentioned—or any of the gym's instructors besides those two.
That afternoon.
Chen Chong stood with several other students in front of Coach Yu, ready to begin learning boxing in earnest.
But unexpectedly, Yu Feng only gave them a brief lesson on basic theory, which was much the same as what he'd covered the day before, then told them to practice on their own.
The other students had wanted to ask questions, but his unusually cold expression put them off.
Everyone could tell that the usually taciturn coach seemed to be in a bad mood. They exchanged looks, and no one wanted to invite trouble by asking him anything.
Chen Chong included.
The atmosphere in the gym was oddly oppressive until Brother Leopard came over and told a few jokes, easing the tension a little.
Compared with the taciturn, intimidating coach, Brother Leopard was more popular with the students despite not teaching them. Everyone liked the boxing gym's good-natured manager, who served them meals and had no airs.
Chen Chong didn't join in the jokes. He just listened quietly.
Several students who hadn't been there the day before had arrived. Chen Chong counted them and realized there were more than ten in all.
It looked like the newly opened little gym had taken on more students than it could handle, hoping to establish itself in the market.
Among them were workers interested in fighting and students who wanted to learn boxing so they could apply to Wu Yuan—
Lichuan had two colleges, one academic and one martial. They were Lichuan Vocational School of Science and Technology and Lichuan Martial Arts and Combat Academy, though locals usually shortened them to Ke Zhuan and Wu Yuan.
There were also freelancers like Chen Chong, who were just looking to make a living.
Chen Chong found it a little strange. Free enrollment should have had some ability requirements, yet the boxing gym accepted anyone who came.
People like him, who had no foundation, made up most of the students. They didn't look like the sort who could help the gym make a name for itself.
Competitions? Exchanges? With students like them, they could only have the opposite effect.
It seemed more like they were rounding up people to claim government subsidies. But did the government even offer subsidies like that?
Chen Chong wasn't sure.
Still, when he thought of the business license stamped with a red seal, he set his doubts aside for the time being.
Dinner was as sumptuous as ever.
"Guys, free enrollment at our Dragon Tiger Leopard Boxing Gym has officially ended. You're our first batch of students."
Brother Leopard held up a bottle of Silver Peak, a gray-colored beer, and laughed heartily.
"I'd like to say: welcome, welcome! A very warm welcome!"
The crowd cheered, and everyone raised their drinks, except Chen Chong, who held a glass of orange juice.
Because of things that had happened in his previous life, he never drank alcohol. Brother Leopard tried to persuade him for a long while, but Chen Chong politely and firmly refused. In the end, Brother Leopard had no choice but to get him a soft drink.
After a few rounds, Brother Leopard waggled a finger.
"You've only seen Old Yu and me around here for ages. You must be wondering where everyone else is—and who the Big Boss and head instructor of our gym are, to offer free enrollment. Hey, I won't keep it from you: Master Yu is impressive, but the boss is even better. Otherwise, where would all these big plans and ambition come from? Who'd think of opening a gym in the city and recruiting people? I used to be just like you: a clueless young hothead. It was only after I started following him that I earned the little bit of status I have today.
"And you aren't the only ones who want to meet him. He wants to meet you, too. So today is our last day at this gym. Tomorrow, you'll all get to meet the boss."
One of the students, already drunk, asked, "Brother Leopard, why are we moving somewhere else?"
A subtle smile crossed Brother Leopard's plump face. He only nodded, saying nothing.
Everyone looked a little confused. They were still laughing and saying, "Brother Leopard just loves to keep us in suspense," when Chen Chong suddenly felt something was wrong.
58%, 59%... The numbers before his eyes kept changing, flickering like the old television at home whenever it was about to break down.
What was going on? This had never happened to him before.
A thought inexplicably surfaced in his mind: There's something wrong with this dinner.
His earlier doubts came back to him, and Chen Chong tensed. He sprang to his feet, but halfway up, his legs went limp. He dropped straight back into his chair.
His expression turned instantly grim.
Even when his legs had been exhausted from holding a horse stance, he'd never been unable to stand.
"Chen Chong, why're you ju-ju-jumping? Hey, why's there one Chen Chong, two Chen Chongs, three Chen Chongs..."
A student beside him stared at Chen Chong, eyes unfocused. His tongue thick with drink, he hadn't even finished counting before he slid under the table, as if those two bottles of low-alcohol beer had left the gym student, who trained diligently, dead drunk.
Chen Chong looked around and saw that nearly all the students had already collapsed. Only Brother Leopard remained, sitting opposite him with both elbows on the table, watching him with interest.
He lifted his chin slightly, and the fluorescent lights flashed white across his glasses.
"You're a bit sharper than the rest of them."
As Chen Chong's vision slowly spun, he was about to demand an explanation when a thought suddenly occurred to him.
Where's Yu Feng?
The instant the thought crossed his mind, a shadow fell over him from behind.
Thud.
Yu Feng withdrew his hand chop. Along with a group of fierce-looking men pouring in from outside, he began carrying the students downstairs. Smiling, Brother Leopard picked up a half-finished bottle of beer from the student beside him and took a hearty swig.
He crossed one leg over the other and let out a satisfied sigh.
"Beer in the city sure tastes good."
Before you continue