That was nearly a month's salary for Nian Fuli, enough for a regular family to live comfortably for two months.
After he paid the fee, the female student asked him, "Have you had any martial arts training before?"
Chen Chuan shook his head.
"I figured as much," the female student said. "You can tell the difference between someone who's trained and someone who hasn't with just a glance. Their muscle distribution and the rhythm of their movements are different from an ordinary person's. A trained eye can easily spot it."
She gave him a serious warning. "Chen, I don't know what makes you so confident about applying, but you need to be careful. In a little while, they'll have senior students spar with you for an assessment. The instructors will be watching from the sidelines. During the entrance exam, they mainly care about your ability to react under pressure, not whether you win or lose. Don't let it get to you. Just do your best."
Chen Chuan smiled. "Thank you."
The young female student thought his smile was bright and full of life, and she smiled back at him.
On the other side of the old building, a few young men were walking over. One of them, a tall guy, saw the female student smiling at Chen Chuan and was suddenly annoyed. He turned to an older student and said, "Old Liu, you're the one arranging the opponents for the entrance exam sparring, right?" He jutted his chin toward Chen Chuan. "I'll take on that kid."
Liu Cai said warily, "What are you trying to do?"
The tall young man said without a shred of concealment, "Damn it, that chick is always so prim and proper. She's never smiled at me, but she smiles at this kid? I don't like the look of him. I'm going to teach him a lesson!"
Liu Cai warned, "Shan Xiong, don't do anything stupid."
Shan Xiong looked menacing. He glared at him and said, "Just tell me, yes or no?"
Liu Cai hesitated. Shan Xiong had a lot of connections, and he had shady dealings with some off-campus gangs. The students applying now were all from ordinary backgrounds. He didn't want to make an enemy of this guy over something so trivial, so he gave him a nod.
Shan Xiong clapped him on the shoulder. "I owe you one, man."
Liu Cai warned him again, "Just watch yourself. Don't cause any trouble that'll make my life difficult."
Shan Xiong didn't look at him, his eyes fixed on Chen Chuan. "I know what I'm doing," he said dismissively.
After registering, the students in front of the old building were led inside in groups by several senior students. They stopped before the entrance to an area that had clearly been converted from a Training Ground. The seniors then began distributing numbers and told them to wait outside.
They didn't have to wait long. The doors to the Training Ground were pushed open, and someone began calling out numbers. The students whose numbers were called were mentally prepared, but still extremely nervous as they cautiously entered the examination area.
Just before the doors closed, Chen Chuan glanced inside. The space was huge, with a polished wooden floor. The side facing the corridor was hidden by a heavy curtain, and he could vaguely see students moving about behind it, seemingly taking notes.
Not long after a few students had gone in, the doors were flung open again. One of the students who had just entered was being carried out on a stretcher, his face a bloody mess.
A chorus of gasps rippled through the crowd of waiting applicants.
"What's all the noise for?" a senior student barked. "What kind of place do you think Wuyi is? Screaming over a few minor injuries? If you can't take it, go home now!"
The applicants fell silent.
One after another, students were called in. When they came out, even if they weren't in as bad shape as the first one, most were still bruised and swollen, or injured in some way. Some of the more serious cases even had broken bones.
The applicants all looked uneasy. And they didn't even know if getting so badly injured meant they had passed or failed.
But not a single person left. A life-changing opportunity like this might only come once. They had made it this far; they had to give it their all, no matter what.
The wait was agonizing. Chen Chuan saw many people fidgeting restlessly. Some were so nervous they went to the bathroom several times.
About half an Hour later, a student called out again, "Numbers twenty, twenty-one, and twenty-two, enter the testing area…"
Chen Chuan took a deep breath. Twenty-one was his number. It was finally his turn.
He adjusted the brim of his cap and walked into the testing area alongside a tall boy and a petite girl, all under the watchful eyes of the other applicants. As they walked together, he could hear the other two's short, hurried breaths.
Inside the testing area, three long tables draped in dark blue cloths were set up at the far end. A few people who looked like instructors sat behind them. Masked medical personnel and a dozen or so senior students stood scattered to the sides. The air smelled of disinfectant, and the floor, which must have just been mopped, was slightly slippery underfoot.
Once inside, the three of them split up, each heading toward a different table according to their number. Chen Chuan walked toward the center table. Crossing the open space under so many sharp gazes, his heart began to beat a little faster.
When he reached a line marked on the floor in front of the table, a student gestured for him to stop. He halted, bowed toward the table, and said, "Hello, instructors."
The moment he took his place, several of the assistant instructors shook their heads. It was obvious from Chen Chuan's posture that he'd never trained. Students like him were just here to try their luck; there was nothing to see.
One of the instructors pointed to a table at the side with his pen. "Put your personal belongings over there. During the exam, you may use long and short-range forms, as well as Wrestling Takedown and Twisting Skill techniques. However, the use of additional weapons or tools is forbidden. Any violation will result in disqualification. Understood?"
Chen Chuan nodded. "I understand."
"Fine. Let's get this over with."
Chen Chuan walked to the side, took off his cap, and slung off his shoulder bag, taking a moment to even out his breathing.
Liu Cai was standing nearby. He glanced over, thinking nothing of it at first. But when his eyes fell on Chen Chuan's shoulder bag, he froze. He looked again, more carefully this time, and his mood instantly soured.
Before, when he'd seen Chen Chuan, the boy had been sitting down, so the table had blocked his view of the bag. But now, seeing it clearly, he could confirm it was a standard-issue bag from the Patrol Bureau. It even had a serial number. This meant not only did Chen have family in the Patrol Bureau, but they weren't just some ordinary Patrol Officer.
In Yangzhi City, aside from the Molan Company's security force, the Patrol Bureau was the largest armed institution. They were also notoriously tight-knit. If something happened to this applicant, someone would definitely come looking for him.
He cursed under his breath, hurried over to Shan Xiong, who was leaning against the wall, and whispered, "Hey, let's just drop it. Do me a favor, man."
Shan Xiong whipped his head around, his eyes turning dangerous. "Are you messing with me?"
Liu Cai involuntarily leaned back. "No, just listen to me…"
Just then, a shout came from the front. "Where's the sparring opponent for the assessment? Hurry up! What's the hold up?"
It was too late to switch opponents now. Liu Cai had no choice but to fall silent. Shan Xiong pointed a warning finger at him, then rolled his shoulders and neck as he sauntered forward.
Liu Cai sighed in resignation. He could only hope that Shan Xiong would go easy on him.
Shan Xiong went to the side to put on a pair of gloves. He knocked his fists together, walked to the center of the area, and gave Chen Chuan, who was already waiting opposite him, a malicious grin.
He had originally planned to just teach Chen Chuan a lesson and blow off some steam. But after Liu Cai's attempt to talk him down, his temper flared. Now he was determined to really mess the kid up.
Chen Chuan watched Shan Xiong approach. He saw the undisguised malice in the other man's eyes and involuntarily tensed up. Imitating a stance he had seen in books, he raised his fists.
Shan Xiong grinned. He didn't even bother with his fists. Lifting his knee and twisting his hip, he lashed out with a high roundhouse kick!
When Liu Cai saw that kick, his heart sank.
'Oh, crap!'
...
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