With no other choice, Zhang Shuai made up an excuse that Huang Tianli's snoring kept him awake for several nights, demanding that Huang Tianli book a separate room to ensure his own rest and performance in the upcoming matches.
Huang Tianli dared not jeopardize Zhang Shuai's matches, as their livelihood depended on him, so he immediately went to book another room to sleep.
Zhang Shuai dismantled a wall outlet in his hotel room and began charging himself directly.
He charged for a full ten hours, not finishing until the break of dawn.
According to Zhang Shuai's estimation, a full charge should now last him about a month.
Over the next four days, Zhang Shuai fought eight more matches, averaging two per day, without a single loss.
Counting these, Zhang Shuai had fought eleven matches in Las Vegas, winning all eleven, and had built quite a reputation in the underground fighting circuit; many now knew of the formidable kung fu kid from the Dragon Kingdom.
Zhang Shuai had also earned 1.1 million dollars in prize money, which converted to seven million RMB. Having earned seven million in less than a week, Zhang Shuai was already very satisfied.
Seeing that Lin Xiuwen's school start date was approaching and that the day to pick up the car he had ordered at the 4S dealership had arrived, Zhang Shuai lost interest in staying in the Beautiful Country any longer. He informed Situ Changtian that he intended to return home and that there was no need to arrange any more matches.
Although Situ Changtian tried repeatedly to persuade him to stay for a few more fights, Zhang Shuai was no longer interested; with these seven million, he had more than enough to spend.
However, when Situ Changtian transferred the money to his bank account, it only amounted to a little over 5.6 million. This made Zhang Shuai very unhappy. Even though Situ Changtian explained repeatedly that this was the mandatory personal income tax required by official channels, Zhang Shuai remained annoyed.
Since it was a matter of paying personal income tax, there was nothing more Zhang Shuai could say, only blaming Situ Changtian for not making it clear before the matches.
After receiving the money, Zhang Shuai bought a plane ticket and flew back to the Dragon Kingdom with Huang Tianli.
Back in the Dragon Kingdom, after parting ways with Huang Tianli at the airport, Zhang Shuai immediately sent a message to Lin Xiuwen, telling her he missed her and asking if she had any free time.
Unfortunately, Lin Xiuwen replied that her aunt, cousin, and niece were visiting today, and she had to keep them company, so she might not be able to meet him.
Zhang Shuai felt a bit disappointed. He hadn't seen Lin Xiuwen for several days and missed her. Mostly, after seeing the performances of the foreign women in the underground fighting circuit during his trip to the Beautiful Country, certain desires within him were stirring and particularly intense; he just wanted to hold Lin Xiuwen and give her a good hug and kiss.
The next day, Zhang Shuai went to the 4S dealership, paid the remaining balance, and picked up his reserved Biguan Di electric car. Although it wasn't a luxury vehicle, Zhang Shuai could now consider himself a car owner.
He drove his new car for a joyride around the city's third ring road. Even though he had just received his driver's license, his driving skills were better than many veteran drivers, and he didn't feel the trepidation that many novices experienced when first hitting the road.
On a whim, Zhang Shuai tried to see if he could charge the car himself. If he could reverse-charge the vehicle, he wouldn't have to worry about the car running out of power in the future.
However, when Zhang Shuai opened the car's charging port and pressed his palm against it, he found he couldn't release the electrical energy within his body at all. Although he was charged, he couldn't output the power.
Zhang Shuai felt he just hadn't found the trick to discharging yet. Perhaps after practicing the Small Heavenly Cycle Art, he would have the ability to release the stored electrical energy at will, and by then, he should be able to charge the car whenever he wanted.
After driving around the city, Zhang Shuai remembered he hadn't seen Wang Qiang in a long time. Now that he had bought a car, he had to tell Wang Qiang.
Furthermore, he was preparing to follow Lin Xiuwen to university to audit courses on paleography, which might keep him away from Qingshui City for a few months, so he had to visit Wang Qiang before leaving.
He called Wang Qiang and said he would come over for lunch.
Afterward, Zhang Shuai drove to a shopping mall and bought some fruit, snacks, and milk for Wang Qiang's child, Lele. Now that he had money, there was no reason to show up empty-handed, especially for a family with a child; this was a custom from his hometown in the countryside.
Zhang Shuai drove to the residential complex where Wang Qiang lived, found a spot to park, and then carried the fruit and snacks into the elevator.
He went up to the twenty-eighth floor, arrived at Wang Qiang's door, and rang the bell.
The door opened quickly. Wang Qiang looked at the fruit and snacks in Zhang Shuai's hands and couldn't help but complain, "Zhang Shuai, you could have just come over. Why buy things? Why are you being so formal and distant with me?"
Zhang Shuai laughed, "I didn't buy these for you; I bought them for Lele."
Once inside, Zhang Shuai placed the items on the coffee table and sat on the sofa. He saw Jing Fengqin busy in the kitchen wearing an apron, while two-year-old Lele was running around the room barefoot, holding a toy water gun.
Zhang Shuai took an orange from the fruit he had brought, peeled it, and walked over to Lele.
"Here, Lele, have some orange..."
Lele wasn't shy at all. Seeing the orange Zhang Shuai held to his mouth, he opened his little mouth and took a bite, sending juice splattering everywhere. Lele giggled, dropped the water gun on the floor, and reached his little hands out to grab the orange from Zhang Shuai's palm.
Lele grabbed one slice in each hand, then trotted off into the room on his short legs.
Zhang Shuai smiled and said to Wang Qiang, "Brother Qiang, Lele is so cute, and he's very smart and handsome too. You have to raise him well."
"Nonsense, can my, Wang Qiang's, son be anything but smart and handsome?"
"Pfft, you're not smart at all, and you're not handsome either. Everyone in your complex calls you 'Pockmarked Wang.' Can someone with a face full of pockmarks be handsome? It's a good thing Lele doesn't look like you."
"That's true. Lele takes after his mom—fair skin and big eyes. He's inherited the best of both of us; he'll definitely be a handsome guy when he grows up."
"We agreed before that I'd be Lele's godfather. You haven't forgotten that, have you?"
"I haven't forgotten. When Lele gets a bit older and can talk, I'll have him call you godfather."
"Then I'd better earn more money. I can't let my godson down."
"Heh, actually, you could find a wife sooner. Then we can arrange a marriage between our children."
"You're dreaming. Even if I find a wife, I'm having a son. Why would I have a daughter just to let your kid get a bargain?"
As they talked, Lele trotted back into the living room. He still had a slice of orange in his hand and held it up to stuff it into Wang Qiang's mouth.
Wang Qiang laughed heartily, "Lele is such a good boy, knowing to save some for Daddy."
Zhang Shuai also laughed and picked Lele up to play "lift-high." Lele giggled with excitement; it seemed he really loved being lifted. After playing for a while, when Zhang Shuai put him down, Lele was unsatisfied and started wailing, walking over to Zhang Shuai, tugging at his pant leg, and reaching out his arms to be held.
Zhang Shuai had no choice but to continue playing "lift-high" with Lele.
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