After Chen Jue unleashed that explosive punch, an eerie silence fell over the entire venue.
That brief silence lasted barely two or three seconds before one hotheaded soldier could no longer hold back and blurted out, "Holy... shit!"
Then cries of amazement erupted throughout the venue. Among the thousand-plus soldiers seated around the stage, some applauded wildly, some shouted themselves hoarse, and others sucked in sharp breaths.
They had already watched plenty of martial arts, sanda, combat, and grappling routines, as well as airborne taekwondo kicks. Those moves had been entertaining, even a pleasure to watch, but their visual impact fell far short of this last performer's simple, brutal punch.
Of all the soldiers, the three who had helped Chen Jue catch the thief on the bus clapped the hardest.
Their faces flushed red and their hands nearly numb from clapping, the three kept grabbing the comrades beside them and boasting, "I told you this guy had real skills! Believe me now?"
The television crew filming from a distance stared wide-eyed, as though they had seen a ghost in broad daylight.
They had expected an ordinary martial arts exchange. Who could have imagined an explosive action scene worthy of a Hollywood blockbuster?
There were no special effects whatsoever. That was what a real punch had done!
The television camera operators were so startled that their hands shook, and they nearly lost their grip on their cameras!
The seven invited martial arts experts sitting in the front row were also gaping in shock. Unable to utter a single word, they could only swallow hard and privately compare their own abilities with those of the young expert onstage.
That Arrow-Step Straight Punch looked simple and straightforward, yet it had burst a freestanding punching bag with one blow and sent the bag, weighing over two hundred jin, flying an incredible distance.
If such a terrifying punch landed on a person, wouldn't it shatter bones, tear tendons, and end their life on the spot?
At the thought of sparring with an expert like him that afternoon, the invited martial artists couldn't help shuddering, a chill running through them.
Commissar Yao, who had invited Chen Jue, was thrilled. He grabbed the regimental commander and deputy commander beside him and praised the man onstage. "Well? I've got a good eye, haven't I?"
"His martial arts are out of this world! He's like a little Superman! This has really opened our eyes. With skills like that, I bet he could easily bring home a gold medal from the all-army competition." Both the commander and his deputy nodded excitedly. Discovering such an expert among civilians made them feel that all the effort spent organizing this exchange had been worthwhile.
Onstage, after giving them a small demonstration, Chen Jue relaxed his pores, released his strength, and settled out of his stance. Sweat vapor rose from his body as he cupped his fist toward the many eyes fixed on him and said modestly, "Please excuse my humble display!"
Thunderous applause filled his ears, with calls of "One more!" rising from every direction.
Chen Jue smiled faintly, feeling that he was rather popular. Despite everyone's pleas for him to stay, he hurried off the stage and returned to his front-row seat.
With that, all the demonstrations were over. Commissar Yao took the stage again and first asked into the microphone, "Was that exciting?"
"Exciting!" Cheers thundered through the venue, the atmosphere electric.
Commissar Yao asked again, "Want to see more?"
"Yes!"
The thousand-plus soldiers all joined in, genuinely stunned by Chen Jue's punch.
"If you want more, assemble again this afternoon! You're dismissed for now. Go eat your fill, and once you've got your strength back, you'd better watch closely and learn this afternoon!" Commissar Yao officially announced the end of the morning's activities, and another wave of thunderous applause followed.
As planned, the sparring bouts were scheduled for after two that afternoon, in the same ring on the covered sports ground.
The soldiers began forming ranks and headed to the mess hall in disciplined order.
Meanwhile, surrounded by Commissar Yao, the two commanders, three combat instructors, and several martial arts experts, Chen Jue got into a vehicle bound for the base's mess hall.
He felt like a celebrity in the spotlight. Everywhere he went, people greeted him and wanted to come over for a few words.
As the soldiers filed past him, they all joined in the cheering, calling him "badass" and "amazing." A few even wanted to become his disciples on the spot, only to be laughingly scolded by their superiors and shooed back into line.
Amid this lively atmosphere, Chen Jue got out of the vehicle and entered the base's mess hall.
The mess hall was spacious and bright, not much different from a university cafeteria. It was very clean, and there was a wide variety of dishes, with both meat and vegetables.
The sight of such good food whetted Chen Jue's appetite. Taking two trays, he helped himself to seven or eight dishes, added a bowl of rice, and carried everything over to the seats reserved for the event.
These tables had been set aside specifically for the guests, and the television crew were eating there as well.
The seven martial arts experts brought their disciples to sit at Chen Jue's table, all hoping to get closer to him over the meal.
Chen Jue welcomed them all, chatting calmly with them while polishing off every bit of food he had taken.
After lunch, the guests were first invited to view the unit's displays showcasing its achievements, looking over exemplary deeds and bulletins covering the walls. They were then shown to a lounge prepared in advance to wait for the afternoon activities to begin at two.
In the lounge, Master Li from the sports bureau made a point of approaching Chen Jue for a chat. "Master Chen, that opening stance you took before throwing your punch looked like 'Zhongli Sits on the Drum' from the Eight Immortals Stance. Could it be that you practice Boat Boxing too?"
"Master Li, you recognized it? I have indeed learned a few Boat Boxing moves, along with a little Shaolin kung fu." Chen Jue paused, somewhat surprised, and answered honestly.
He had intended to seek out this Boat Boxing veteran for a discussion, only for the man to approach him first.
"So I've really met someone from the same school! I never imagined there was a Boat Boxing expert like you keeping such a low profile here in Wenzhou, Master Chen. May I ask which branch of Boat Boxing you learned?" Master Li asked curiously.
Which branch? Didn't I figure it out from your instructional videos? Chen Jue found the situation absurdly funny, but he was too embarrassed to say so. Instead, he quickly changed tack and named Old Mr. Huang of Huang Family Village as his teacher.
Master Li had evidently heard that someone in Huang Family Village knew Boat Boxing. He smiled slightly, looking enlightened. "So you're from the Huang Lineage! My father mentioned it before. There is indeed a Boat Boxing lineage in Panlong Town, but that elder of the Huang family passed away early. I thought he hadn't left any accomplished successors behind. Who would have thought I'd meet you today, Master Chen, a successor from a generation further down!"
"This has truly been an eye-opener!"
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