Chapter 21: A Difficult Sutra to Recite

A bedroom measuring only six square meters.

The decoration is simple, and the books are neatly arranged, making it look quite ordinary.

Only a single sheet of homework paper taped to the wall is exceptionally eye-catching.

On the paper, several lines of neat and handsome handwriting are written.

"Study," "Martial Arts," "Physical Training."

Under the "Physical Training" line, six specific training progress items are listed.

"Push-ups."

"Squats."

"Leg Raises."

"Pull-ups."

"Back Bridge."

"Handstand Push-ups."

The first three items are marked with red checkmarks at the end, along with notes regarding the dates and repetitions for unlocking and promotion.

Only the last three training items remain blank.

At this moment, the alarm clock on the desk shows the time is 7:18.

The faded floral curtains are already letting in the dim light of dawn.

Fang Cheng is still lying in bed with his eyes wide open.

However, he is not lingering in bed; he is performing specialized training.

His feet are pressed together and straight, maintaining a straight line with his upper body.

As he inhales, he tightens his waist and abdomen, using the strength of his abdominal muscles to lift his legs.

He lifts them until they are perpendicular to the ground, and then lowers them again.

"551."

"552."

"553."

"554..."

"Whew—"

Fang Cheng suddenly let out a long breath, stopped his abdominal exercise, and stared at the ceiling.

In his field of vision, a pale blue light screen was rapidly brightening and enlarging.

【Congratulations! Through unremitting effort, your skill has reached Expert level】

【Leg Raises lv1 (0/250)】

"Finally reached the goal. It wasn't easy!"

Looking at his training results, Fang Cheng sighed with emotion.

He then closed his eyes, slowly adjusting his rapid breathing and heartbeat.

Due to the weather, he couldn't go to the park to train, so the progress bar for his Leg Raises skill had been moving at a snail's pace.

His usual training consisted of doing 300 lying leg raises on his bed.

Every 30 reps counted as one set, which averaged an increase of about 1 experience point.

This amount of exercise was actually quite significant, but the efficiency was relatively low compared to push-ups and squats.

After his regular training today, Fang Cheng had specifically increased the intensity.

By doing 3 sets of 60 reps in short succession, he managed to trigger the activation condition for "Potential Stimulation."

Then, utilizing his physical strength as it returned to its peak state, he performed another 74 consecutive reps.

He finally forced a promotion to lv1 with an efficiency of 1 experience point per 32 reps.

As a result, he received 5 free attribute points as a reward.

After a short rest, Fang Cheng decisively allocated 3 points to Constitution.

He then allocated 1 point each to Strength and Agility.

【Strength: 11】

【Agility: 11】

【Constitution: 16】

【Spirit: 18】

During the leveling process, his muscles bulged slightly, and his blood flowed faster through his veins.

Fang Cheng opened his eyes.

Feeling the surging power within his body, he reached out to touch his abdominal muscles, which were gradually taking shape.

A narcissistic thought popped into his head.

If these body attributes were placed in an urban underworld game, they should count as a minor boss level, right?

"With my current self... I wonder if I can hold my own against Coach Xu or Ma Dong-heok?"

He climbed out of bed, pulled open the curtains, and glanced at the gray sky outside.

The dark clouds had not dispersed, and the sun was still nowhere to be seen, but at least the rain had finally begun to taper off.

Pushing the two window panes outward, Fang Cheng took a deep breath of fresh air.

In a good mood, it was time for his training plan to return to its regular schedule.

Suddenly, a burst of arguing came from next door, interrupting his thoughts.

He listened for a moment.

It turned out that Zhou Yongnian, the father of Zhou Xiumei, had returned from an overnight case, only to be met with a barrage of scolding from Auntie He the moment he stepped through the door.

Auntie He was complaining that her husband never came home at night, suspecting him of having a mistress or an affair outside.

Zhou Yongnian explained anxiously that there were too many cases at the station lately and he truly had no time to come home, suggesting she could call his colleagues if she didn't believe him.

Hearing this, Auntie He's emotions became even more intense, her voice becoming so shrill and piercing that likely everyone in the building could hear it.

She said that after more than ten years, he was still just a tiny inspector; he didn't know how to collect fees or how to curry favor with superiors, causing the whole family to be stuck living in such an old house...

Amidst the arguing, the crying of Zhou Xiumei's five-year-old brother, Zhou Peng, could also be heard.

For a moment, it felt as if the very pots and pans were vibrating.

Fang Cheng shook his head and closed the window again.

Every family has its own troubles...

He had no intention of gossiping; he was only thinking about his own affairs.

He turned back to look at the calendar on the wall.

December 2nd.

There were 28 days left until the postgraduate entrance exam at the end of the month.

There were 15 days left until Zheng Haokang came to the club for a guidance lesson.

Fang Cheng let out a soft breath, his gaze instantly becoming determined as he clenched his fists.

"Take it slow, no rush. As long as there is noticeable progress every day..."

"Keep working hard!"

………………………………

Jiangdong District, Global Elite Combat Club.

Time flew by, and it was soon after 9:00 PM.

It was a rare non-rainy day, so various departments had arranged night classes.

At this moment, in the training hall, all the students had finished their classes.

The logistics staff were busy, performing their routine cleaning and sanitation work.

Chen Xiaohai chatted and laughed with two close colleagues as he returned to the locker room.

He then turned his gaze toward Fang Cheng, who had finished his work long ago and was sitting quietly changing his shoes.

"Ah Cheng, did you talk to the HR department today?"

Hearing Chen Xiaohai's inquiry, Fang Cheng understood what he was referring to and looked up to reply

"HR said they would consider it, but they didn't give me an immediate answer."

Chen Xiaohai smiled

"Since they didn't reject it, then it's eighty percent certain. Next, you should be thinking about how to pass the physical assessment from the coaching department."

Fang Cheng nodded.

Several colleagues nearby heard their conversation and realized that Fang Cheng wanted to become a sparring partner.

They subsequently joined the discussion.

Some apologized to Fang Cheng, saying they had misunderstood him before.

Only now did they realize that his usual fitness and boxing training were actually to earn more money to raise funds for his grandfather's surgery.

Everyone couldn't help but praise Fang Cheng for his filial piety.

Some also reminded Fang Cheng to know how to protect himself.

Although the pay for sparring was high, it was easy to get injured, and they feared the club might evade responsibility when the time came.

Fang Cheng had studied law and saw through this clearly.

According to the Labor Law of the Great Xia Republic, as long as a substantive employment relationship is established, if an employee is injured during work due to work-related reasons, the employer is generally required to bear full responsibility.

Unless it can be proven that the employee acted with intent or violated company safety regulations.

And as a sparring partner, he would inevitably be training with fighters at the request of a coach, thereby fulfilling his job duties.

To be honest, Fang Cheng was actually more worried about another problem.

If he accidentally injured his employer, how exactly would he have to compensate them?

Off work, clock out.

Fang Cheng picked up his backpack and followed the crowd out through the staff exit.

Gazing at the brilliant lights of the urban nightscape, a thought lingered in his mind.

Since he was leaving early today, he planned to go to a music and video store to rent a few Karate competition discs.

He wanted to gain some preliminary knowledge to prepare for his upcoming match against that Japanese Karate master.

To know oneself and know the enemy is to be invincible in a hundred battles.

(End of Chapter)