Sun Xiaoya Asks for Help

Tianli Fighting Gym, Qingshui City.

Huang Tianli put down his phone. Zhang Shuai's refusal left him somewhat disappointed. In his view, Zhang Shuai was the first person he had ever encountered who had achieved success in practicing Big Dipper Long Fist. He vaguely sensed that Zhang Shuai seemed to know secrets about the martial art that he himself did not, but unfortunately, Zhang Shuai was unwilling to share them.

Two months ago, a staff member dispatched by the government to the Tianli Fighting Gym reported for duty. This man was named Zheng Hua, twenty-eight years old. Although Huang Tianli had never sparred with him, he could sense that Zheng Hua's strength was formidable; even if it didn't quite match the Zhang Shuai he had met previously, it was not far off.

As soon as Zheng Hua arrived, he urged Huang Tianli to open a course teaching Big Dipper Long Fist at the gym. Moreover, the registration fee was set extremely low—only three hundred yuan. Zheng Hua served as the instructor, personally teaching the students the art.

Over these two months, Zheng Hua had recruited over one hundred and sixty students, all of whom were there to systematically learn Big Dipper Long Fist.

Just today, Zheng Hua informed him that the government intended to have his Tianli Fighting Gym take the lead in hosting the first Qingshui City Big Dipper Long Fist Exhibition Tournament. Although Huang Tianli was the owner of the gym, Zheng Hua was, after all, a representative dispatched by the government. Since Zheng Hua was conveying an order on behalf of the authorities, Huang Tianli could only express his support.

However, Huang Tianli still managed to pry some information out of Zheng Hua.

The reason the government placed such importance on promoting Big Dipper Long Fist was not only because of its significant effects on public fitness, but also because the higher echelons of the government had a major secret plan.

This plan concerned the national destiny. As for the specifics, even someone of Zheng Hua's status did not know; he only knew that the plan existed and that the country needed to find individuals with extraordinary talent in practicing Big Dipper Long Fist.

Huang Tianli had asked Zheng Hua on the side what exactly constituted "extraordinary talent." Zheng Hua explained that the state was looking for those rare individuals whose strength and speed surpassed human limits after practicing the art—people like the girl Feng Chunzi on the Douyin platform, whose strength and speed had already broken through the limits of humanity.

This immediately made Huang Tianli think of Zhang Shuai. Zhang Shuai was definitely the most extraordinary person Huang Tianli had ever met in his life. To be able to snap a wooden dummy with such ease—Huang Tianli couldn't even imagine what kind of strength that required.

Therefore, Zhang Shuai definitely qualified as one of the rare individuals the country needed. However, because Huang Tianli was worried that his involvement in underground fighting matches might be exposed, he did not dare to recommend Zhang Shuai to Zheng Hua.

That afternoon, Zhang Shuai arrived at the No. 9 multimedia classroom of Hanjiang University, preparing to attend the "General Theory of Golden Literature" course.

A few minutes before class, Sun Xiaoya suddenly sent Zhang Shuai a message, asking him to hurry to the fifth floor of the No. 3 Comprehensive Building, saying she was in trouble and needed his help.

Zhang Shuai dared not delay. He couldn't care about the lecture anymore, so he jogged directly to the No. 3 Comprehensive Building and sprinted up to the fifth floor.

The fifth floor of the No. 3 Comprehensive Building was originally the school's fitness center, equipped with many exercise machines. In recent months, however, it had been used by members of the school's Big Dipper Club as their own activity center.

Most students interested in Big Dipper Long Fist gathered on the fifth floor to practice.

As Zhang Shuai reached the fifth floor, a male student wearing a black short-sleeved shirt blocked him at the top of the stairs and asked if he was a member of the club.

Zhang Shuai said he was not.

"If you're not, you're not allowed in!"

Zhang Shuai was worried about Sun Xiaoya's safety, so he couldn't be bothered to waste words with this boy.

"Move aside, I have an emergency!"

Upon hearing Zhang Shuai's words, the boy grew angry and shouted toward the hallway: "Brothers, someone's causing trouble!"

Following the boy in black's shout, eight people—six boys and two girls—quickly rushed out from several rooms.

The eight of them stood at the top of the stairs, blocking the corridor. They were just about to ask the boy in black what was going on when Zhang Shuai, losing his patience, shoved the boy in black aside, sending him tumbling onto his backside.

The other eight were furious and scolded Zhang Shuai for his actions: "What do you think you're doing? Trying to start a fight?"

Zhang Shuai couldn't be bothered to argue with these brats and shoved his way forcefully through the crowd. A tall boy in white, annoyed by Zhang Shuai's behavior, reached out to grab his collar. Zhang Shuai grabbed the boy's hand, gave it a light tug, and the boy in white stumbled and fell to the ground.

Before the group could even react, Zhang Shuai had already bolted past them.

There were over a dozen rooms along the corridor. Zhang Shuai ran, eyes scanning and ears listening, anxiously searching for Sun Xiaoya's whereabouts.

Soon, he spotted Sun Xiaoya in a room at the end of the hallway.

At that moment, the door was blocked by two boys, and inside the room, Sun Xiaoya was arguing intensely with a tall boy.

Seeing Zhang Shuai arrive at the door and peer inside, the two boys blocking the entrance said to him with ill intent: "Hey buddy, it's a couple having an argument, what are you looking at?"

Zhang Shuai didn't say a word. He grabbed the two boys, one in each hand, and tossed them out into the hallway, ignoring their pained curses as they hit the floor.

By now, Zhang Shuai had already stormed into the room.

The boy who had been arguing with Sun Xiaoya looked at Zhang Shuai with hostility and roared, "Get out! Who told you to come in?"

Zhang Shuai ignored him and asked Sun Xiaoya with concern, "Xiaoya, what's going on? Is he bullying you?"

Seeing that Zhang Shuai had arrived, Sun Xiaoya let out a sigh of relief and said, "His name is Li Feng. He's from the student council and is a suitor of Lin Xiuwen. He hasn't been able to find her these past few days, so he's been cornering me, forcing me to tell him where she is."

A suitor of Lin Xiuwen? That meant this kid was his love rival?

Zhang Shuai stared coldly at Li Feng: "Kid, I'm warning you—don't pester Lin Xiuwen ever again!"

Li Feng said irritably, "Who the hell are you? Why do you care?"

Zhang Shuai replied, "I'm Lin Xiuwen's brother! So what? Can't I care?"

Li Feng froze for a moment. So he was the future brother-in-law; he couldn't afford to offend him. His tone softened slightly.

"Look... I really like Lin Xiuwen. I have the freedom to pursue her..."

Zhang Shuai waved his hand and said, "Xiuwen told me she doesn't like you. Please have some self-respect and show some dignity. Don't pester her again."

At that moment, the two boys who had been thrown out of the doorway earlier ran back in, furious and ready to attack Zhang Shuai.

Li Feng quickly shouted, "What are you doing? Get out! We're talking!"

It was clear that Li Feng held some authority among the students; after he spoke, the two angry boys retreated, albeit reluctantly.

After dismissing them, Li Feng said to Zhang Shuai quite sincerely, "Even if you are Lin Xiuwen's brother, you don't have the right to control who she dates, do you? She's not a child. As her brother, you can't expect her to never date or marry, right?"

Zhang Shuai sneered, "Even if she does date, it won't be with you. I just don't like you, so what?"