Adaptation

Outside the courtyard, the sky was gradually darkening.

Inside the main hall, the crystal chandelier above cast a circle of soft, warm yellow light.

It made Hu Zhao's face across from him appear even more gentle.

Watching this scene, a flicker of infatuation flashed through Xue Wu's eyes.

He raised a hand to adjust his glasses and gently pushed a document toward her.

"The details of the contract are here. Take a look; I had a hard time negotiating these terms."

He paused, his gaze lingering on Hu Zhao's lowered eyelashes, his voice tinged with anticipation.

"Also... I heard a new Western restaurant opened in the East District with great reviews. Xiao Zhao, would you like to go try it tonight?"

Hu Zhao lifted her gaze from the papers and glanced at him.

Immediately, she shook her head, her expression devoid of any ripples.

"No need, I'm eating at home tonight."

Her voice was calm.

"Besides, the company is at a critical juncture right now. You and I should be focusing our minds entirely on business."

She closed the file and looked him straight in the eye.

"Don't forget what you promised my father. Only when you have truly achieved something will we have a future to speak of, and only then will you earn his approval and truly be my husband."

Xue Wu was slightly taken aback, a visible trace of helplessness and disappointment flashing across his face.

After a moment of silence, he said in a low voice, "Alright, let's talk about it another day then."

"I have some things to attend to, so I'll be leaving now. If anything comes up, remember to message me."

"Mm, drive carefully!"

Hu Zhao nodded and gave him a brief instruction.

Seeing that Hu Zhao made no move to keep him, Xue Wu sighed softly, turned, and left.

Watching his retreating figure, Hu Zhao frowned slightly.

She was not oblivious to Xue Wu's intentions.

However, influenced by her upbringing, she was unwilling to engage in excessive intimacy before marriage, even though he was her nominal boyfriend.

She was a person with a very traditional nature.

Intimate contact before marriage was, in her view, a sign of not respecting oneself.

Thinking of this, she shook her head and refocused her attention on the document in her hands.

Having left, Xue Wu took the elevator down to the garage, sat in his car, and closed the door.

At this moment, the underground garage was empty and silent; he was all alone.

Bang—!

He slammed his fist onto the steering wheel, his face instantly turning as dark as water, veins bulging on his forehead. This appearance was a complete transformation from the gentle man he had been just moments ago.

"This damn woman, acting all pure and chaste every single day... After all these years, I haven't even touched her hand more than a few times. If it weren't for your good father, do you really think I'd be groveling to you?"

He gritted his teeth, his voice low and hoarse.

"Once we're married, just wait and see how I deal with you... I'll make sure you know what I'm capable of."

Thinking of this, he took a few deep breaths.

Calming his emotions, he picked up his phone from the side, found the number labeled "Mother" in his contacts, and pressed the call button.

The dial tone rang a few times before the call was picked up.

However, there was only silence on the other end; no one spoke.

Xue Wu seemed accustomed to this, speaking directly: "Mom, it's me."

Upon hearing this, a hoarse woman's voice finally came from the other side: "Xiao Wu, why are you calling so late?"

"It's about what we discussed before."

Xue Wu gave a rough summary of the situation.

"...The curse has already taken effect, yet he is somehow still alive."

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the line.

"Logically speaking, once that curse takes hold, there is absolutely no possibility of him surviving."

His mother's voice was cold and sinister.

"His background is not simple; do not act rashly."

Xue Wu was equally baffled.

It was precisely because the other party's family background was complex, making it easy to leave traces if he acted directly, that he had paid such a high price to cast this curse. Who would have expected it to fail?

"Don't be too anxious,"

His mother spoke again.

"It might just be a final flash of vitality.

I have made some progress recently and am attempting to master that 'power'... If I succeed, I will deal with him for you myself."

"Mom, are you saying..."

The gloom in Xue Wu's eyes vanished, replaced by a hint of joy on his face.

He started to speak, but as if wary of something, he held back.

"Then please take care of yourself."

"Mm, wait for my news."

The call ended.

Xue Wu put away his phone, a cold glint flashing in his eyes as he glanced at the elevator door to the side and sneered.

He did not linger.

With a stomp on the gas pedal, the car sped away from the scene.

The morning light was just beginning to dawn.

Light slanted in through the high windows, illuminating the dancing dust motes within the training hall.

Inside a room at the Iron Fist Fighting Club, a fierce struggle was underway.

Two figures in red and black protective gear moved at high speed, their fists crossing amidst the whistling wind.

Suddenly, the youth in black gear narrowed his eyes, seized a momentary opening in his opponent's defense, and launched an attack.

A swift, low roundhouse kick whipped out, disrupting his opponent's rhythm. He followed up instantly, his right fist carving a sharp arc from bottom to top, landing solidly on the other man's jaw.

"Ugh..."

His opponent let out a muffled groan, stumbling back several steps before losing his balance and collapsing against the ropes.

"I yield!"

He waved his hand, his voice sounding muffled.

He looked at the youth in black gear—Hu Long—as if looking at a monster.

"I never believed in true geniuses before... but now I do. No, 'genius' isn't enough to describe you; you are a monster born for combat! To have improved to this extent in just a few days... it's simply..."

Hu Long removed his protective gear and said nothing, merely offering a faint smile.

"Not at all, you flatter me!"

--Splash!

Hu Long stood in the shower, letting the water wash over his body.

Compared to his previously frail physique, his body had become much fuller, and one could clearly see defined muscle lines on his hands, abdomen, and shoulders.

He closed his eyes, feeling the changes in his body.

During this time, Hu Long had also figured out the limitations of the Panel downloads.

Unlike physical talent, all skills could generally be divided into two types.

One type was like pure knowledge memory; once the knowledge was downloaded and briefly digested, one basically knew how to use it.

For example, the content regarding physiognomy within the Blue Bag Residual Scripture.

The other type involved skills tied to the physical body.

For example, this Master-level Unarmed Combat.

According to the information description, once trained to this level, one could easily take on five to eight people.

Of course, there was a prerequisite: the opponents had to be unarmed.

Even so, it was considered extremely formidable.

However, after actually downloading this skill, he could not master it immediately.

Because although his brain understood the techniques, his body struggled to execute some of the high-difficulty movements, which required a period of adaptation.