Chapter 30: The Path to Becoming Stronger

"Beep—"

At the checkout counter, Fang Cheng took a credit card out of his bag.

After paying, he carried two large bags filled with items in both hands and walked out through the customer aisle, which was plastered with promotional posters.

Outside the supermarket was a parking lot, and just beyond that was a zebra crossing.

Fang Cheng stood at the intersection, watching the passing traffic and patiently waiting for the traffic light.

It was Friday, a little past two in the afternoon; the weekend holiday was just around the corner.

Beside him were other shoppers, carrying bags and looking much like himself.

This Runhua Supermarket was adjacent to the Jiangdong District; its goods were high quality and inexpensive, so business had always been good.

When he had time, Fang Cheng would go out of his way to come here specifically to purchase supplies.

At this moment, the bags in his hands were filled with food, fruits, vegetables, fresh fish and meat, as well as two large 900ml bottles of pure milk.

The red light countdown flickered and turned green.

Fang Cheng immediately followed the crowd, crossed the road, and arrived on the opposite side.

There was a bus stop nearby with a line that went directly to Old Factory Street.

It would only take four stops to get home.

He did not choose to take the bus, but instead slowed his pace to stroll down the street.

Both sides were lined with restaurants and clothing stores.

The rain had stopped for half a while, and the flow of people had noticeably increased.

Withered yellow leaves lay scattered across the damp, patterned floor tiles.

Fang Cheng's gaze pierced through the crowd and the long street, landing on a lush, strikingly green area not far away.

That was the Riverside Park located by the Tai River...

A thick haze hung over the sky, with sunlight only able to burst through the cracks in the clouds in scattered rays.

Fortunately, there was a wind that blew against his face, making it feel chilly.

It had been a long time since he had wandered so aimlessly; his heart seemed to settle along with it.

Fang Cheng set his shopping bags down and sat alone on a long bench by the river embankment.

Across the turbid river water was a lush green park, with dozens of high-rise buildings standing tall.

That was the well-known high-end residential area of Dongdu, Emerald Lake Prime.

The residents there were either wealthy or powerful; it was said that the price per square meter was over a hundred thousand, and even the property management and security fees were beyond the reach of ordinary people.

Under the flickering clouds, the greenery obscured half of the buildings, leaving only the shining tops visible.

It was like a sky island within the city, forming a sharp contrast with its surroundings.

Fang Cheng watched the scenery with a calm expression, but his gaze did not focus on the opposite side.

It was too far away from him.

What he needed most right now was to continuously increase his strength and firmly grasp his unpredictable destiny.

Lest that one day, when disaster strikes, he would be nothing more than a bystander or a victim.

The explosion that occurred in Xishan caused a slight ripple in Fang Cheng's emotions.

It was like a stone suddenly thrown into a long-still lake, causing waves to spread.

The phone call he had made to his mother this morning had gone unanswered.

It was the landline number for the nurse's station.

Fang Cheng knew the hospital was busy at this hour, so he did not continue to disturb her.

After he finished his shower and some time had passed, he tried calling again, but the line was still busy.

Fortunately, a moment later, a call came back.

It was a nurse named Miss Chen whom Fang Cheng knew; her speech was quite hurried.

Clearly, due to the Xishan explosion, many family members of medical staff were calling to inquire about the situation.

Nurse Chen first told Fang Cheng that Ren'an Hospital was not temporarily affected by the wildfires.

However, since the early hours of the morning, many injured people had been sent in one after another, leaving them so busy they couldn't even find time to grab a sip of water.

Hearing this, Fang Cheng offered a few words of comfort and asked her to pass a message to Li Biyun.

By noon.

His mother's call indeed came back, and the situation she described was roughly the same.

Fang Cheng finally let his hanging heart rest.

Then, he inquired about his grandfather's condition.

His mother said his grandfather looked to be in good condition and could drink some porridge now, but the key would depend on the follow-up treatment.

When Fang Cheng mentioned how much was still needed for the surgery fees.

She said with a slight smile that his uncle had been busy negotiating a business deal these past few days.

If it went through, let alone the surgery fees, his uncle had even promised to cover the cost of a house for Fang Cheng to start a family in the future.

Upon hearing this, Fang Cheng merely smiled.

He hoped his uncle wouldn't be bragging like before and could actually be reliable.

The two kept their conversation brief; Fang Cheng did not want to delay his mother's rest and took the initiative to hang up.

Since he knew everything was fine at the hospital, he had nothing left to worry about.

He couldn't visit his grandfather today.

After finishing his self-study, Fang Cheng simply added a few sets of squats and leg raises to his training.

The sun came out in the afternoon, so he washed and hung the clothes to dry and cleaned his room.

After finishing the housework, staying in the room felt a bit boring, yet he couldn't continue excessive exercise.

Thus, he decided to come out for some fresh air to relax his body and mind, which had been tense for several days.

Having just returned from the supermarket fully loaded, he planned to cook a feast tonight.

He would soon be able to work as a sparring partner, which could be considered entering the "high-income class" with a monthly salary of over ten thousand.

Treating himself in advance wouldn't be a waste.

Besides, he could practice his skills and gain experience at the same time.

Before his eyes, a blue light screen faintly emerged.

【Cooking lv0 (89/100)】

【Cleaning lv0 (91/100)】

Looking at the progress bars of the two skills nearing level-up, Fang Cheng couldn't help but let his imagination run wild.

Like "Cleaning," "Cooking" belonged to very ordinary life skills.

He wondered what kind of enhancement reward he would get after reaching lv1?

Perhaps, similar to boxing or squats, it could increase attribute points or strengthen a certain part of the body?

Thinking of this, Fang Cheng glanced at the somewhat gloomy sky.

He then rose from the chair, his gaze falling on a place where a faint clamor could be heard.

He intended to complete a "scouting task" before heading home.

Walking along the pebble path of the park.

He could see groups of elderly people practicing Tai Chi and health-preserving exercises.

There were also many trendy young people practicing street dance or skateboarding.

In the fitness equipment area ahead, a burst of noisy music and cheers could be heard from a distance.

A group of strong young men, having taken off their jackets and gone shirtless, were gathered in front of the pull-up bars.

There was a cassette player nearby playing high-tempo dance music.

They stepped forward one by one to perform fitness moves, showing off their muscles while competing with each other.

One-arm pull-ups, airplane presses on the bar, moonwalking, 360-degree spins.

Various high-difficulty moves provided great visual impact, earning waves of cheers from the onlookers.

Fang Cheng's eyes flickered as he joined the ranks of the observers.

In recent years, with economic development, fitness sports had gradually become popularized.

Street fitness, which emphasizes individual freedom and the pursuit of personal heroism, had flourished because of this.

From the bystanders, he learned that most of these fitness enthusiasts were student-athletes, and some were even amateur bodybuilding champions.

Watching their agile and stretching postures, Fang Cheng felt an urge to try.

He walked to another vacant pull-up bar, gripped the steel pipe with an overhand grip, and tested the feel.

Then, taking a deep breath, his arm muscles instantly tightened, his back straightened, and he pulled his body upward with force.

The movement was smooth and the posture was extended.

Although the muscle soreness from his recent excessive exercise had not subsided, it did not prevent him from completing the most basic movements.

However, as his chin cleared the bar, his facial expression couldn't help but tighten slightly.

This performance was unremarkable; even if someone glanced at him, they would immediately turn away.

They would simply take him for a casual hobbyist acting on a whim.

On the contrary, two girls who appeared to be student-athlete companions covered their mouths and giggled, pointing their fingers as if discussing Fang Cheng's clumsy imitation.

Indeed.

Comparing the two sides, the gap was far too obvious.

Especially since Fang Cheng had the look of a "pretty boy," and his physique in the jacket looked quite thin.

It was quite literally the difference between a "skinny dog" and a "wolf dog."

Pull-ups were inherently a challenging exercise, used by fitness enthusiasts as a symbol of displaying masculine strength.

Fang Cheng's gaze remained very calm, completely unaffected by others.

Although his form was slightly distorted, he tried his best to follow the standard and completed 10 pull-ups.

Feeling the existing numbness in his arms, shoulders, and back intensify slightly, he did not continue.

"It was just a test..."

Fang Cheng jumped down from the bar, shook his hands, and let out a light sigh.

Then, he silently turned and left.

He had to preserve his strength to continue according to his set training plan.

There are no shortcuts to physical fitness; it relies only on day-after-day, bit-by-bit accumulation.

Even the auxiliary role of the panel was more about real-time feedback and effect solidification.

Therefore, to become stronger, one still needed persistent personal effort.

This was the inevitable path.

However, Fang Cheng possessed immense confidence.

On this path to becoming stronger, every opponent he encountered would, sooner or later, be surpassed one by one!

Including, the somewhat strange Goro Majima, whom he was about to face...

"It's going to rain!"

Suddenly, a shout rang out.

A few raindrops drifted down sparsely.

Fang Cheng looked up and saw the dark clouds moving rapidly from west to east.

"I hope this rain doesn't last too long, so it won't affect tomorrow's training..."

Muttering to himself, he quickly grabbed his two large bags of ingredients and joined the crowd rushing home.

(End of Chapter)