Long Zhibin

Chen Chong had been pondering why Long Zhibin wanted to see him all the way until he reached the magnificent, hundred-square-meter General Manager office on the third floor of the main building.

The only intersection between the two since he joined Thunder Dragon was that time at the Hunting Grounds; it was likely about that.

So, was he suspicious of his statement that day, or was it just a routine inquiry?

And why did it take several days for him to think of him again?

Chen Chong felt uneasy.

But when he actually stood before Long Zhibin's desk, he became calm.

Soldiers come, generals block; water comes, earth covers.

Long Zhibin kept reviewing documents, and only after a long while did he look up and say to Chen Chong:

"Sit down and wait a moment."

After saying that, he went back to writing and marking.

Chen Chong sat in the chair in front of the desk and waited for about ten minutes before Long Zhibin let out a long sigh, closed the file, set it aside, and smiled:

"The company is getting bigger, and there are more and more trivial matters. You've been waiting a long time."

"Not at all."

Chen Chong sat upright, neither servile nor overbearing.

Long Zhibin adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses and looked him up and down.

Chen Chong suddenly felt a sensation like an electric shock pass through his body, and his heart couldn't help but tighten.

Yu Feng said he could take on both him and Zhou Hu with one hand... perhaps that was really true.

Fortunately, the feeling disappeared quickly, and Long Zhibin smiled:

"I heard from A-Bao that when you first joined the company, your punching power was only 40kg, meaning you had no foundation. Yet, by a few days ago, you had already entered the realm? You really are a good talent."

He even looked into my situation, despite being so busy... Chen Chong became three parts more cautious and nodded:

"It is all thanks to Coach Yu's teaching and the company's promotion."

"Heh heh, the company's promotion? You surely don't think that in your heart."

Long Zhibin chuckled:

"But Coach Yu's level is indeed high; he is a gold-medal coach I personally poached. Have you been practicing with him these past few days?"

Chen Chong nodded:

"When Coach Yu is free, he teaches me some things about life after entering the realm."

"He must have taught you a new breathing method, right? Show me."

Long Zhibin clasped his hands together and leaned back into his boss chair with great interest.

Chen Chong's heart skipped a beat.

What does this mean?

Could it be that he found out about Yu Feng giving him private lessons?

But even if he knew, it shouldn't be a big deal, right? Not enough to summon him specifically.

Chen Chong wasn't sure, but he nodded immediately:

"I will make a fool of myself, General Manager."

"Don't be modest."

A moment later, Chen Chong stumbled through a demonstration of the Second-Stage Breathing Method, naturally stopping before the first difficult transition.

"I have only mastered this much."

Chen Chong shook his head.

Long Zhibin was silent for a moment, then pulled over a whiteboard and sketched a simple anatomical diagram of a human upper body with a few strokes.

The diagram was very clear, which surprised Chen Chong; it seemed this General Manager possessed a wealth of artistic foundation and medical knowledge.

"Coach Yu's Second-Stage Breathing Method is a bit difficult; the key lies in the rhythm..."

Long Zhibin marked a series of arrows on the diagram, and Chen Chong could see it was the circulation path for the Second-Stage Breathing Method.

It was just slightly different from the version he learned; it seemed to be a simplified version.

Then, Long Zhibin began to explain it while pointing at the diagram.

Chen Chong felt extremely strange.

Did he bring him here just to give him a lesson?

He felt baffled, but as he listened, he quickly entered the zone.

Without a doubt, Long Zhibin's teaching style was completely different from Yu Feng's.

This method was also quite clever, though not as intuitive as Yu Feng's hands-on instruction, and he had left out many details.

Compared to not wanting to explain things in such detail, Chen Chong's intuition was that he simply lacked teaching experience.

However, Long Zhibin had a profound understanding of training methods like breathing techniques, and his grasp of the various realms was even deeper.

His lack of detail was not much of a problem for a fighter like Chen Chong, who had already mastered the basics of the Second-Stage Breathing Method.

On the contrary, his unconventional way of explaining things gave Chen Chong truly unique insights.

"...Don't think of the breathing method as some kind of training regimen; it's just a way of breathing. Once you adopt this mindset, it becomes much easier to master. No, this isn't self-deception. It's called a breathing method, isn't it? It's just a way to breathe. It's no big deal."

So, this is how breathing techniques look in the eyes of a higher-level fighter.

Chen Chong had partially glimpsed the scenery of a high-level fighter. Benefiting from Long Zhibin's guidance, he quickly gained a top-down, bird's-eye perspective on the Second-Stage Breathing Method.

Combined with the understanding of the Second-Stage Breathing Method's flow he had already gained through hearing and touch from Yu Feng, he now fully grasped it visually while looking at the anatomical diagram.

He instantly felt that he could perhaps try practicing in a different way.

Combining and comparing different methods through repeated practice would definitely be a great help in entering the second level of the breathing technique.

Long Zhibin spoke for over ten minutes, then took his mug and drank a large gulp of coffee before asking:

"Forgot to ask, what would you like to drink?"

"I'm not thirsty, thank you, General Manager."

"Alright, don't be a stranger. There's a water dispenser over there, help yourself. How much did you understand? I haven't lectured in a long time, though I did have apprentices in the past."

Long Zhibin smiled with a sense of nostalgia.

"I feel like I've gained a lot of insight."

Long Zhibin sized him up and pushed up his glasses:

"Then let me ask you..."

He asked a few questions, and when Chen Chong explained his understanding to about thirty percent, Long Zhibin smiled.

"Your comprehension is quite good, though your body might have found it hard to accept at first. It's fine, keep practicing hard. Find time to corner Head Coach Yu and ask for advice; I believe you can learn it."

"Understood, thank you, General Manager."

Chen Chong actually didn't know what to say for a moment.

What was this? Was he really here for a lesson?

After finishing the lecture, Long Zhibin showed concern about whether he was adjusting to his living situation, how the food was, and whether Zhou Hu had signed a contract with him—he was meticulous to the point of being overbearing.

Long Zhibin even indicated that for a talent like him, even if Zhou Hu didn't offer a contract, the Security Department would be more than happy to take him in, urging him to work hard.

"You might have some preconceived notions about the company, but you have now entered the realm, and here, the path for advancement is completely open. You are still young and might not fully grasp this, but in the city, this is almost impossible. If you can contribute more and reach higher realms, I can even give you the position of a department leader or even a partner. The company has always wanted a fourth boss; why shouldn't it be you?"

Long Zhibin walked Chen Chong to the door and said with a smile.

If Chen Chong hadn't lived two lifetimes, he might have truly been stirred to excitement.

But he had eaten enough of the same flavor of "pie" in his past life, and he could never forget the image of Long Zhibin smiling on the first day while talking about the history and future of the Thunder Dragon amidst the wails of He Lijun.

This wasn't a legitimate company; this was a place that devoured people.

"By the way, regarding what happened at the Hunting Grounds earlier, is there anything else you need to report?"

Long Zhibin suddenly asked casually.

Chen Chong's heart tightened. He had almost forgotten that this was what he thought was the main topic of the day; he hadn't expected it to be brought up so suddenly now.

It was easy to be caught off guard, but Chen Chong's tone remained completely steady:

"Nothing else, General Manager. I told you everything I saw that day. Is there a problem with that woman?"

He knew he couldn't just let himself be interrogated, so he countered with a question.

Long Zhibin looked at Chen Chong, his gaze behind the gold-rimmed glasses appearing calm.

Yet, Chen Chong felt that electric sensation again.

But Chen Chong was no longer the naive person he had been over a month ago, and having prepared himself before coming, he didn't show any signs of distress on his face.

A moment later, Long Zhibin said softly:

"Don't mention that woman to anyone ever again. Just act as if nothing happened. Do you understand?"

Goosebumps instantly broke out on Chen Chong's back, and he replied instinctively:

"I understand."

Long Zhibin's expression shifted back to his signature smile:

"You've worked hard today, go on."

It wasn't until Chen Chong walked out of the office building that the tension in his body slowly dissipated. He realized his undershirt was already completely soaked.

That pressure just now...

Chen Chong felt a mix of suspicion and fear.

Was that the third realm? Or the fourth?

It felt completely different from the pressure he had received from Yu Feng and Zhou Hu.

He now completely believed Yu Feng's account.

"Chen Chong? Why are you here?"

Suddenly, a familiar voice he hadn't heard in a long time came from in front of him.

Chen Chong looked up and found Brother Leopard eyeing him not far away.

"Brother Leopard. The General Manager just called for me."

Brother Leopard wore an expression of sudden realization and nodded repeatedly:

"I see, heh heh, I told you that you were an excellent talent!"

Brother Leopard praised him a few more times, then dismissed him and headed up to the third floor himself.

"Big Brother."

"Sit."

Long Zhibin, who was reviewing documents, said casually.

"I just saw that kid Chen Chong. You interviewed him, right? How is he?"

Brother Leopard asked with interest.

Long Zhibin nodded:

"He's decent in all aspects. His comprehension is quite outstanding, but his aptitude is a bit lacking. The Security Department is short on people right now, so he can be considered... qualified."

He tapped his fountain pen:

"The Security Department needs new talent too, otherwise all the good young men will end up with the second boss. Put him on the observation list for now and keep a close eye on him."

"His body is in great shape, but his comprehension is a bit lacking; otherwise, he wouldn't have been training before and only just broken through now. Give him a Level 2 Contract and let him fight on his own."

In a bar private room, Zhou Hu said casually.

Yu Feng picked up the document bag:

"Fine, I'll take it to him."

Zhou Hu eyed him:

"Coach Yu is very concerned about this kid."

Yu Feng tossed the document bag back:

"Then you go give it to him."

"Hey, don't, don't, I'm just joking! I don't want to go back and face Long Zhibin's attitude."

Zhou Hu grinned, then slightly reined in his smile:

"I know you're doing me a favor, Old Yu. I appreciate it."

"I'm only responsible for training people; I don't care about anything else."

After Yu Feng left, Zhou Hu held a cigar in his hand and fell into deep thought.

He inadvertently turned his boss chair half a circle, facing the wall of the inner room.

"I didn't expect the Hunting Grounds to turn out like that. I'm afraid Long Zhibin has discovered something. Since he's already started making moves against the Skull Gang, if we drag our feet any longer, it might be too late."

Zhou Hu frowned deeply:

"Body in great shape... can he really pull it off? But there are no other candidates."

He maintained his posture, motionless like a sculpture, while the smoke from the cigar between his fingers drifted through the dim private room.

Chen Chong returned to his dormitory and reviewed the events for a long time, feeling that Long Zhibin must have been showing goodwill toward someone who had just entered this realm; after all, Thunder Dragon was in need of people lately.

To be honest, this fraud ringleader was indeed very strong in both his methods and capabilities, and from a certain perspective, he even had a lot of personal charisma. If Chen Chong didn't have the experience and intelligence he possessed, he might have really changed his opinion of him today.

It was no wonder he could build such a large force, and from scratch at that.

As for what was going on with Xie Wushuang, Chen Chong estimated it wasn't a big deal; otherwise, Long Zhibin would likely have just silenced him.

On the contrary, it was possible that Long Zhibin had been thwarted after the two encountered each other... in which case, she was at least in the fourth realm.

Chen Chong nodded slowly.

In any case, as his strength increased, he was entering the sights of the big shots like those in Thunder Dragon.

Thinking of the terrifying aura Long Zhibin had displayed at the end, Chen Chong pressed his lips together tightly.

It gave him a feeling of being unable to resist, and he really disliked that feeling.

After sitting in the dark facing the night outside the window for a long time, Chen Chong finally took a small syringe out from the deepest part of his clothes.

"No more waiting."