Chapter 5: Elite Center

In the winter city, the sky was not blue; it was even a bit gray and hazy.

The No. 13 bus was an old model from the eighties, lacking an air conditioning system.

However, it was equipped with an onboard television, cycling through various entertainment and news programs.

“...A headless Buddha statue has been unearthed at the Xishan ruins. According to expert estimates, the full body buried underground measures over thirty meters in length, possibly destroyed during the ‘Buddha-extinguishing and Sacrifice-banning’ movement of the Yu Dynasty two thousand years ago...”

“Media outlets have captured footage of well-known girl group member Xu Meiyan returning to a hotel late at night with a mysterious man. She emerged the next day looking exhausted. Xu Meiyan has denied this, claiming the two were merely...”

Glancing at the TV screen, Fang Cheng opened the bus window, letting the wind blow through the stray hair on his forehead.

Bare paulownia branches, jagged billboards, and high-rise buildings flew past his eyes one after another.

“Infertility, painless abortion, Bird of Sending Children Gynecology Hospital reminds you...”

“Next stop, Maocheng Intersection, West of Wantong Shopping Center.”

Following the voice prompt, Fang Cheng rose from his back-row seat and moved to the waiting area ahead of time.

As the bus came to a screeching halt and the doors opened, he grabbed his messenger bag and quickly hopped off.

Today was Sunday, and without the influx of office workers, the city center seemed somewhat empty.

He walked left along the sidewalk.

A hundred meters away, he could see a shopping plaza displaying wall-mounted advertisements.

Next to Gate 3 of the plaza hung a conspicuous sign: “Global Elite Fighting Club.”

Fang Cheng entered through Gate 3, familiar with the route, and took the elevator to the second floor.

The club’s venue was right across from the elevator lobby, behind a transparent floor-to-ceiling glass wall.

At this moment, many colleagues were rushing in, grabbing their bags and swiping them at the attendance machine.

The beeping sounds were continuous.

Fang Cheng finished clocking in and glanced at the time: exactly 9:29.

Neither early nor late.

Walking into the locker room, the sound of laughter and chatter instantly filled his ears.

Colleagues were eating steamed buns and breakfast snacks they had bought on the way, chatting about this and that.

Some were discussing the melodramatic plot of last night’s eight o’clock drama, while others were talking about ball games and calculating odds.

Fang Cheng had nothing in common with them. After changing into his work uniform, he went to the No. 1 training hall alone.

Sunlight shone in through the floor-to-ceiling windows, making the light blue plastic floor bright and dazzling.

Dozens of upright punching posts, hanging sandbags, and a boxing ring in the center were scattered throughout the space.

The *thud-thud* sound of gloves hitting sandbags, accompanied by shouts of varying pitches, rose and fell in succession.

The first class of the day started at 10 o’clock.

Students had already begun to arrive one after another, spontaneously starting their practice.

Fang Cheng sniffed the lingering scent of disinfectant from last night’s cleaning and walked toward Coach Hu, who was waving him over.

Another busy day of work was about to begin.

The teaching staff at this fighting club was of unknown quality, but the hardware was quite good.

The venue was spacious, and the training facilities were complete.

The courses offered included boxing, Sanda, jiu-jitsu, Muay Thai, kendo, karate, taekwondo, and more.

Fang Cheng’s position was in the logistics department.

In high-end terms, he was responsible for the club’s daily operations and maintenance, acting as a classroom assistant to the coaches.

In reality, it was just setting up the venue, serving students, and doing cleaning and odd jobs.

Normal working hours were from 9:30 AM to 6:30 PM, with a one-hour break at noon.

Saturdays and Sundays were the busiest times.

Many students who had to work from Monday to Friday chose to come during these hours.

The courses arranged by the club were scheduled from morning to night, with almost no gaps.

However, there was one benefit.

Since they didn't need to open night classes to accommodate students, the staff could get off work and go home on time.

Fang Cheng was currently mainly responsible for the maintenance of the boxing area.

Following the coach’s lesson plan requirements, he first moved soft mats and dumbbells from the equipment room.

Then, he stood to the side, silently watching the students’ class so he could provide service at any time.

For example, bringing drinks, towels, or medicine to the students, or running errands for the coach.

Today’s first boxing class was a basic training course for new students.

“In your impression, boxing should be two burly men standing in the ring, beating each other with sandbag-sized fists, nosebleeds flying, just pure brute force...”

Coach Hu’s words, delivered with a slight provincial accent, made the students laugh.

“Quite the opposite.”

“Boxing can be said to be a combat art that emphasizes defensive strategy the most. In daily training, the requirements for movement flexibility are extremely high.”

“As the saying goes, ‘Teach boxing but not footwork, and you’ll never beat your master.’”

“In the previous two classes, I taught you the stance and basic punches. Now, based on those, we will practice footwork coordination...”

Coach Hu, who looked rugged, had a very delicate teaching style.

He went from simple to complex, demonstrating movements while explaining various basic footwork and the technique of shifting one’s center of gravity while moving quickly, all very thoroughly.

It perfectly met the cognitive needs of the novices.

Fang Cheng was already very familiar with this content.

And through repeated private practice, it was firmly engraved in his muscle memory.

Just like mastering the technique of shifting the center of gravity.

Besides allowing him to exert more force in his punches, it also enabled his body to maintain balance as much as possible while dodging, allowing for effective counterattacks.

But technique is just technique.

To use it perfectly in actual combat, what one relies on most is a sufficiently strong core.

“One, two!”

“One, two...”

Coach Hu led a dozen students in forward and backward jumping punch practice.

The slogans rang out rhythmically, and the atmosphere on the floor was exceptionally lively.

“Pay attention to keeping your toes hooked, keep your body relaxed, be fluid, feel like you’re a spring...”

“Hey, you, yes you, don’t turn your head to look at others. Why are you wiggling your butt so exaggeratedly? This isn't hip-hop dancing...”

After just a few sets of simple warm-up exercises, the uneven physical fitness of the students became apparent.

Some were still giggling, while others were already breathing heavily.

Among them, a few of the more obese female students were clearly two beats slower than the others.

Spending over 2,000 yuan a month to learn boxing was perhaps more about providing these white-collar elites with a way to lose weight and release stress.

Fang Cheng wore his vest, hands behind his back, standing on the sidelines with the posture of a staff member.

However, his gaze wandered from time to time, casting toward the combat courses being held in other areas.

He had been on the job for nearly a month.

Fang Cheng self-assessed that he had mastered the various boxing basics well enough.

All that remained was continuous practice to gain experience and level up.

If he continued to stay in the boxing department, he probably wouldn't gain much more.

Thinking of this, a thought sprouted in Fang Cheng’s mind.

“Perhaps I should apply to the supervisor for a transfer to an operations position...”

Time passed quickly. In the blink of an eye, it was 12 o’clock, and the first morning class ended.

Fang Cheng picked up a broom and mop and quickly cleaned the venue.

After tidying up, he walked to the front desk to collect the takeout lunch boxes ordered by the club for the staff.

During the short lunch break.

After finishing his meal, he sat for only a moment before starting to do push-ups in the noisy locker room.

This maverick behavior, as expected, drew ridicule and teasing from his colleagues.

Fang Cheng turned a deaf ear, focusing on feeling the soreness coming from his arms.

He had his own set plan and his own goals to pursue.

The comments of others were like a breeze brushing against his face; they couldn't affect a heart that wanted to become stronger.

Suddenly, a flash of light appeared before his eyes.

Fang Cheng held his position on the floor, pausing.

A smile that no one else could fathom appeared at the corner of his mouth.

On the pale blue panel, a notification message suddenly emerged.

【Congratulations, through unremitting efforts, your physique has been improved.】