Eastern Martial Arts Hall (2)

After a while, Lin Meijing looked up again and said, "Pei, could you run an errand for me today?"

Pei Shao walked over and saw that her foot was still badly swollen. Knowing she had sprained it badly yesterday, he quickly said, "Sure! Are you going to buy breakfast? Haven't you eaten yet?"

Lin Meijing shook her head. "I want you to make a trip to Eastern Martial Arts Hall for me. I already promised Yinyin that I'd do an interview with them today, but I can't move around easily now..."

"Eastern Martial Arts Hall? Yinyin? An interview?" Pei Shao's mind stalled for a moment. After taking quite a while to process it, he said, "You mean you want me to go out and conduct an interview today?"

Seeing Lin Meijing nod solemnly, Pei Shao said, "But it's only my second day at work. There are lots of things I still don't..."

"It's fine. I believe in your abilities! You need to believe in yourself too." Lin Meijing gave him an encouraging look. "You can do it! Besides, this interview assignment is very simple. You just need to take a few group photos, ask Yinyin a few questions, and write down some professional terminology!"

"Who's Yinyin?" Pei Shao scratched his head. "Sounds like a woman? There are women at martial arts halls too?" He was starting to feel a little curious.

"Who says women can't practice martial arts?" Lin Meijing spread her hands irritably. "Yinyin isn't just a woman—she's also a beauty no less lovely than I am! Don't you dare underestimate her."

"Uh... a beauty?" Pei Shao felt his fear of embarrassing himself wavering again.

Lin Meijing seemed to see what was on Pei Shao's mind and reassured him again. "Don't worry! Yinyin is my best friend. As long as you explain why you're there, she'll definitely cooperate with you!"

"But... I still have some reports that haven't been sorted out!" Although Pei Shao really, really wanted to meet this beautiful woman who knew martial arts, being asked to take charge on only his second day of work inevitably made him uneasy.

"I'll sort them out for you!" Lin Meijing immediately replied.

"The floor hasn't been cleaned either."

"Clean it when you get back."

"The printer still hasn't been fixed..."

"Replace it with a new one!"

"We're out of color ink."

"I'll call someone to deliver it!"

"Uh..." Pei Shao looked at Lin Meijing's unusually determined gaze and knew he was already riding a tiger. After forcing himself to brace up and comforting himself inwardly, he said, "All right, I'll go! But where exactly is this martial arts hall?"

Lin Meijing explained, "Eastern Martial Arts Hall is actually a martial arts hall that was established a long time ago. Around the Republican era, there was someone with the compound surname Dongfang..."

"Don't tell me it was Dongfang Bubai?" Pei Shao frowned.

"You're awful! Can't you listen to me first?" Lin Meijing slapped the desk, and Pei Shao felt as though every bone in his body had gone weak. "The current owner of Eastern Martial Arts Hall is naturally a descendant of that Dongfang family from the Republican era. Not only did he inherit his ancestors' martial arts, but he has surpassed them, incorporating many modern fighting techniques. His name is Dongfang Lie. He's not only the owner, but also the head instructor. Countless young people want to learn from him, but very few receive his personal guidance. Besides him, there's also a young, flower-like beauty at the hall who teaches women's self-defense—Dongfang Yinyin. She's Dongfang Lie's precious, beautiful daughter!"

Speaking of her close friend and confidante, Lin Meijing's face was filled with pride. "Our Yinyin is such an innocent and kind-hearted girl. Whoever marries her will truly be blessed!"

But Pei Shao didn't see it that way. "A women's self-defense instructor—that title sounds terrifyingly extreme. If someone marries her and displeases her even a little, won't she beat him black and blue every day?"

Still, the beautiful martial artist's appearance had genuinely piqued Pei Shao's curiosity. So he asked, "Do you have a photo of Miss Dongfang Yinyin? It'd be pretty awkward if I couldn't recognize her when I get there."

"I do! Wait a moment!" Lin Meijing turned on the computer, tapped the keyboard a few times, and entered a website address. Pei Shao leaned closer and saw that it was Eastern Martial Arts Hall's homepage. In the middle was a row of photos of the hall, while the side featured profiles and promotional pictures. Lin Meijing clicked the mouse a few more times, and one of the photos immediately enlarged several times over. Pointing at the screen, she said, "That's Dongfang Yinyin. What do you think?"

Pei Shao's eyes suddenly lit up. In the photo was a sunny girl in her early twenties, dressed in a complete white training uniform and smiling beautifully beneath the sun. Her figure was very well-proportioned. Her hair was cut very short, her eyes were large, her face round and soft, yet her chin was pointed. A few crystal-clear drops of sweat hung beneath her long lashes. Together with the faint flush on her cheeks, Pei Shao felt that she was an exceptionally healthy girl brimming with youthful energy.

"But does she really know martial arts?" Pei Shao was doubtful.

After looking at the photo, Pei Shao gathered some more information online. Lin Meijing then carefully went over the key points of the interview, related techniques, and the location of Eastern Martial Arts Hall. She handed him a digital camera, a miniature recorder, and a sheet containing the basic questions he would need to ask. She packed everything into a shoulder bag, had Pei Shao sling it over his shoulder, and said, "Yinyin rarely interacts with boys from outside the hall. I'll call her now. When you get there, just mention my name. If possible, I hope you can get a photo of yourself sparring with her. Of course, even if you're only posing, that's fine, because then I can put it on our magazine's cover."

Pei Shao nodded. "I'll do my best! Then I'm off!" As soon as he stepped out of the magazine office, he immediately asked the Castle in his pocket, "Is there any quick way to turn me into a fighting expert? Or at least make me stronger at fighting?" Pei Shao had thought ahead. What if Dongfang Yinyin really was an exceptionally skilled fighter? He was a reporter now, not a professional wrestler. He didn't want to sacrifice his body for work.

After quite a while, Castle finally answered, "There is no relevant information in the database!"

"Uh... then do you have any evasion techniques or something?"

"No! However, I can use infrared scanning to gradually analyze the opponent's movement trajectory!"

"That'll do! If it gets really dangerous, I'll rely on you for help." Pei Shao had great faith in Castle's abilities. Judging from the supersonic level it had displayed yesterday, it should be able to analyze Dongfang Yinyin's attack route before she even touched him. Then he'd practically be able to predict the future—what danger could there be? Haha!

But Castle gave him the answer, "Insufficient data. Unable to determine." Pei Shao rolled his eyes, clutched his shoulder bag tightly, and left the magazine office.