I Think I've Already Left Ordinary People Behind...

Lu Ren asked in surprise, "Aren't you afraid I'll run off?"

"If you don't make your repayments, you'll be listed as a defaulter. And since the police have classified you as a key suspect, if you can't pay on time, I think they'll be more than happy to get involved."

The young nurse collecting the fee smiled sweetly, as though she had long grown used to such scenes.

"...All right, thank you. I'll definitely repay it on time!"

The nurse asked curiously, "Did you really not harm those three people?"

Lu Ren looked helplessly at the young nurse who often changed his IV drip.

"I've emphasized this countless times. I'm the victim."

There was no doubt about him being the victim. Those three had turned into monsters and come after him!

The young nurse was even more astonished. "Those three harmed you, and you still managed to escape?"

"...Maybe people's constitutions just can't be compared..."

After leaving the hospital, Lu Ren squinted up at the sun, took a bus to the police station, and calmly signed in again under Song Jingxian's long-awaited glare and Chen Wen's cold stare.

After returning home, Lu Ren dropped onto the sofa and finally relaxed completely.

He lived in an old, run-down residential complex that had been built over twenty years ago. Still, its location was quite good. It was the only property his parents had left him, ensuring that Lu Ren would not end up homeless.

After resting briefly, Lu Ren got up, went to his computer, and opened a job-hunting website.

He had no choice. He had been absent from his previous job for so long that he had long been considered to have quit without notice. With a case hanging over him, finding a normal job was exceedingly difficult. He had not been convicted, so it did not count as a criminal record, but good companies were much stricter with personnel screening. Once they discovered any record at the police station, he would be screwed.

Even a hero could be brought down by a penny!

Lu Ren sighed deeply. He had downloaded several job-hunting apps on his somewhat outdated phone. After polishing his résumé, he submitted it whenever he saw a suitable opening.

It was not as though he lacked professional skills. At twenty-five or twenty-six, he had two or three years of work experience. As long as he screened opportunities patiently and applied seriously, there should be no problem at all.

The overall economy might not have been doing well lately, but it was not so bad that people could not survive. As long as one lived earnestly, one could get by. The only difference was whether life was less exhausting or relatively more exhausting.

After job hunting like this for a week, Lu Ren scratched his head. His résumé had been optimized fairly well. Out of the thirty or forty companies he had applied to, more than ten had sent interview invitations. That response rate was already quite decent.

Yet at this moment, Lu Ren had little enthusiasm for those interviews. Or rather, as his physical constitution continually improved, his mind had already drifted away from ordinary work.

He had to find a career path that could make use of this advantage, didn't he?

Once he made up his mind, Lu Ren's previously restless, anxious heart instead calmed down. He picked up his phone and looked at a message he had not replied to in a long time. After hesitating for a moment, his finger lightly tapped the keypad.

"I'm doing well. Thanks for your concern. Don't worry about me."

System: "Ding, you are severing a thread of affection."

Lu Ren: "乀(ˉεˉ乀) Get lost!"

Having said that, Lu Ren did not bother checking how the other person was doing. He suppressed the emotion in his heart, quickly finished lunch, and headed out.

Two hours later, Lu Ren stood outside a place called Li Ran Fighting Club.

"Excuse me, are you hiring sparring partners here?"

Lu Ren asked the receptionist at the fighting club very politely.

Because his character attributes had been digitized, unless he found some special avenue, not entering this line of work would be a terrible waste of his talent.

Being a sparring partner meant taking hits, but he had tested it before. Taking hits could also earn proficiency, and the progress was quite fast.

He had truly longed for the Iron Body Technique from martial arts novels for ages.

The young receptionist looked up at Lu Ren. Her eyes lit up when she saw his face, then she sized up his build. A smile appeared on her face as she said warmly, "Yes. Please fill out this form over here. Once you're done, I'll take you to the interview."

"Thank you!"

After filling out his personal information, the young receptionist excitedly led Lu Ren to the side of the ring, leaving him slightly puzzled before he quickly calmed down.

They were going to test him personally.

The young receptionist walked over to a burly man nearby and said a few words to him.

The burly man wore a black skintight training shirt and was moving around with dumbbells in hand. His sharply defined muscles repeatedly bulged and contracted with his movements.

Holding Lu Ren's information form, the burly man walked over, extended a hand, and smiled.

"Hello, my name is Zhang Kui!"

"Hello, I'm Lu Ren."

Lu Ren shook his hand, then quietly pulled his hand back. That bastard Zhang Kui had deliberately squeezed his hand hard.

System: "This muscular man is extremely curious about you and has taken notice of you."

That was a little perverted!

Seeming to notice Lu Ren's reaction, Zhang Kui could not help but say awkwardly, "Don't misunderstand. It's just a habit of mine to test people and see what kind of build they have. You're applying to be a sparring partner, after all. I'm sure I don't need to spell out what that actually entails, right? Otherwise, the hourly pay wouldn't be so high."

"I understand."

"Good. Go put on the Protective Gear over there, then get in the ring with me. Xiao Li, come give us a hand!"

Zhang Kui did not waste words. After calling out to a staff member nearby, he put on his fighting gloves and began warming up.

Lu Ren did not dawdle either. With Xiao Li's help, he put on the Protective Gear and stepped into the ring.

"Do you need to warm up?" Zhang Kui asked.

"I do."

Lu Ren did not try to show off. He began stretching seriously. His injuries had only recently healed, and if he did not warm up beforehand, he could easily strain something.

Zhang Kui showed approval. Young men like Lu Ren, who did not put on airs, were rare these days. As for those who did, most of them left after only a few rounds leaning against the wall.

Five minutes later, Lu Ren and Zhang Kui stood facing each other after loosening up.

"Remember, sparring partners here aren't forbidden from fighting back. But your counterattacks are heavily restricted. Most of the people who come here for the experience will let you strike back as well, to make it more exciting. Understand?"

Zhang Kui immediately and seriously made it clear that this was not a place recruiting punching bags who could only take a beating. Sparring partners could defend themselves, but they were expected to avoid dodging as much as possible.

"Understood."

"But since this is a test, we'll follow the normal process."

Lu Ren raised his brows. "Sounds good to me."

The so-called normal process meant fighting according to standard combat rules, with no additional restrictions.

Zhang Kui saw Lu Ren's unorthodox raised-fist stance, but he was not particularly surprised. He nodded slightly. "Ready?"

"Ready!"

As soon as the words fell, Zhang Kui dipped low and rushed forward. He was truly fast, like an incredibly agile cheetah. Closing in, he threw a simple rear straight punch at Lu Ren.

Already prepared, Lu Ren immediately took a step back and calmly dodged Zhang Kui's punch.

Zhang Kui was somewhat surprised. He could tell that Lu Ren had never systematically learned any fighting techniques, but his reactions were fast.