"Beep. Identification valid. Elementary VIP—Harry. Please enter."
"What? Brother Fatty is only an Elementary VIP? What kind of joke is this? I'm sending Uncle Wu a Sky Communicator message!" With one foot already raised, the fat man became inexplicably furious at the electronic announcement. What kind of joke was this? Brother Fatty was a man of status, okay? As a Silver 1 Star expert in the Fantasy Domain of the PO Battle Network, and the self-proclaimed fashion pioneer of his noble academy class, how could his first visit to a martial arts gym earn him this kind of treatment?
"Sorry, sir. Since you did not mention your status when making the reservation, nor did you present a membership card for our gym, we could only reserve an Elementary VIP Training Room for you at most. We deeply apologize for the inconvenience and ask for your understanding." The female attendant who had just swiped the identity card at the Alloy Door hurriedly bowed in apology.
Seeing the pleasant-looking attendant's friendly attitude, the pacifist fat man's kindness flared up again. It seemed wrong to yell at a beautiful woman. "Forget it. I'll upgrade to an Advanced VIP later. Have your people contact my butler if you need anything."
I'm just too kind. Thinking this, the fat man stepped into the training room.
In VIP Training Room No. 9 on the second floor, two people were currently locked in a wide-eyed stare.
Mu Fan had just come out of the Strength Training Room. The loose hair on his forehead was plastered tightly to his skin by sweat. Though he stood still, his eyes watched the fat man before him like a Leopard.
The fat man remained expressionless, not even blinking. One hand was still held in the position of having just set his Sky Communicator on a wooden rack beside him. What a joke—he had barely entered and looked up when he saw this kid standing there like a ghost, staring at him. People could scare others to death, you know.
"Who are you?" Unable to bear the atmosphere any longer, the fat man spoke first. As he opened his mouth, the room's sword-drawn tension instantly eased.
"Mu Fan. Sparring partner." Mu Fan looked at the fat man, using as few words as possible.
"Whew, you scared Brother Fatty half to death. I thought some guy I'd offended had sent someone to mess with me. Hang on, I'll change first." The fat man's little heart finally settled down. He let out a long breath, hung up his coat, grabbed a set of high-end green training clothes, and headed toward the changing room.
"So how does this sparring work? You're way smaller than Brother Fatty. Don't let me hit too hard for you." The fat man now stood before Mu Fan. Though he was shorter, the way he lifted his chin and his body, three times wider than Mu Fan's, gave him quite an imposing presence.
"You attack. I defend." Mu Fan was still concise. The wariness in his eyes showed that he was deeply on guard against the fat man. That big guy had said during dinner that anyone with a big appetite had to be awesome. One look at this man's build showed that he definitely ate a lot, so Mu Fan could not help taking him seriously.
The fat man's eyes instantly lit up! This little brother understood him. The deep caution in Mu Fan's gaze was exactly how he looked at those class bullies during combat class! Had he seen that Brother Fatty was actually an expert too?
"Ahem, ahem." The fat man made an effort to cough, lowered his chin, and put on a dignified expression. "You can tell this young master is actually a hidden expert, right? Come, let's exchange a few moves." The fat man, who had originally planned to warm up first, now walked toward the Combat Stage with his hands behind his back. He increasingly felt that he had the bearing of an expert. That skinny kid looks so weak. I'd better go easy on him later.
"Did you know that, despite my young age, I'm already an expert with a Level 8 Physical Standard? Don't worry, I'll go easy on you later." For Harry's father, who had always feared his son would grow up too thin, it was only natural to use high-tech genetic cultivation methods and expensive nutrient pods to forcibly raise the fat man from a Level 5 to a Level 8 Physical Standard.
Mu Fan nodded, took a quick step into the ring, picked up a punching target from the side and strapped it to his arm, then bent into position.
The fat man nodded in satisfaction as well. This attitude of facing a great enemy was what suited this young master's appearance! Just for that attitude, he deserved a reward! He would give him a 500 tip later! That was only the cost of one night's repairs for Brother Fatty's Lemon Balloon.
The fat man stepped into the ring too. The airflow stirred when his two-hundred-plus pounds of flesh hit the ground was completely different from the airflow Mu Fan's build produced.
"Hey! Ha!" The fat man swung his arms and legs. Sitting in a Hover Car for too long was tiring too. Now he was ready to teach this little brother an unforgettable lesson. "Don't worry, I won't hit too hard!"
"Yah-ha!" The fat man swung his arm, twisted halfway around, then threw a punch. The fat all over his body trembled before stretching in the opposite direction.
After a short thud, a pig-slaughtering howl rang out. "That hurts like hell!" Mu Fan looked speechlessly at the fat man, who had forgotten to put on gloves. He had not felt any impact at all from that punch.
"Didn't you eat?" Mu Fan thought the fat man lacked strength because he had not eaten enough, so he asked kindly.
The fat man, who was hopping around while clutching his fist, instantly turned red. He felt that his dignity had been gravely insulted. A mere sparring partner had actually mocked him. Gritting his teeth, he grabbed a pair of gloves from the side and put them on, then lowered his head and swung another punch.
"Ah-heh!" Unsurprisingly, Mu Fan, whom even Jerff and Man Kun had failed to knock down, could not possibly be knocked down by one of the fat man's punches. The fat man, who thought he had used ten percent of his strength, looked up to find the punching target standing perfectly still before him. There was no longer wariness in Mu Fan's eyes—only curiosity.
The fat man's face turned scarlet again. He threw a barrage of punches, then braced his hands on his legs and panted heavily. When he raised his head, Mu Fan was still standing quietly there, completely unmoved. Only his gaze had changed from curiosity to certainty.
He definitely hasn't eaten enough! Mu Fan firmly concluded.
"Kid, why are you working as a sparring partner!?" The fat man had no strength left to keep fighting. He felt that the kid had definitely done it on purpose earlier, setting him up.
"I need money to buy a computer." Mu Fan answered without the slightest hesitation.
"What?" At this age, with strength enough that even he could not do anything to him, he should not have been just a sparring partner.
"I'll give you a 500 tip. Want it?" The fat man suddenly straightened up and asked seriously.
"Yes!" Mu Fan likewise did not hesitate or show any embarrassment.
"Stand still. Let me knock you down with one punch." Seeing Mu Fan suddenly space out, the fat man threw a punch.
Thinking that the fat man was a good person, Mu Fan cooperated fully and fell at once. He even pushed off with his feet, striking a pose as if he had been sent flying through the air before crashing heavily onto the ground.
"Pro...fessional!" The fat man stared in amazement. "I'll settle up with you when we leave."
"Thank you!" Mu Fan immediately thanked him as he got up. That sincere expression was absolutely genuine.
The fat man rubbed his chin, where no beard had yet grown, then suddenly asked a question.
"What's your PO Battle Network ID?"
Before you continue