Lin Chen remained inside the apartment for the next two full days following his return from the hospital. He established a strict daily schedule designed to promote gradual recovery while minimizing unnecessary strain on the fractured clavicle and cracked ribs. The schedule began at 6:30 a.m. each day. He rose from the bed, moved to the small sink, and drank 300 milliliters of water from a chipped glass. He then swallowed one of the prescribed painkillers with an additional 100 milliliters of water. The medication took effect within twenty-five to thirty minutes, reducing the baseline discomfort from sharp localized pain to a manageable, diffuse ache.
Once the painkiller had begun to work, he sat cross-legged on the bed and performed a controlled breathing exercise derived from the copied tai chi push hands form. He inhaled through the nose for four seconds, held the breath for two seconds, and exhaled through the mouth for six seconds. He repeated this cycle twenty times. The breathing pattern promoted slight expansion of the rib cage without forcing movement, which helped maintain lung capacity and prevented stiffness. During the exercise, he kept his left arm supported on a folded towel placed across his lap to avoid any unintended rotation at the shoulder joint.
At 7:00 a.m. he prepared breakfast. The meal consisted of plain rice porridge made from 100 grams of short-grain rice boiled in 600 milliliters of water with a quarter teaspoon of salt. He cooked the porridge on the single-burner gas stove, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon to prevent sticking. The cooking time averaged eighteen minutes. He transferred the finished porridge to a ceramic bowl and ate it slowly at the small table, using a metal spoon. The meal provided approximately 350 calories and sufficient carbohydrates to sustain energy through the morning without overloading the digestive system.
While eating, he reviewed the list of acquired techniques in mental order:
1. Basic Intravenous Adjustment Technique (Medical Proficiency Level 1)
2. Basic Shadowboxing Straight Punch Form (Combat Proficiency Level 1)
3. Basic Side Kick Sequence (Combat Proficiency Level 2)
4. Tai Chi Push Hands Form – First Section (Internal Proficiency Level 1)
5. Basic Handstand Entry and Hold Technique (Gymnastic Proficiency Level 1)
He visualized each technique in sequence, focusing on one body segment at a time: foot placement, knee alignment, hip rotation, core engagement, shoulder positioning, arm extension, wrist alignment, and breathing coordination. The mental rehearsal lasted twelve minutes and served as a low-impact way to reinforce the copied muscle memory without physical execution.
At 8:00 a.m. he cleaned the apartment. The process took twenty-three minutes. He wiped the table surface with a damp cloth, swept the floor using a short-handled broom, washed the bowl and spoon under running water, dried them with a towel, and folded the clothes that had dried overnight on the ceiling line. All movements remained within a limited range of motion: he avoided reaching overhead, bending deeply at the waist, or twisting the torso more than ten degrees. The cleaning routine also served as a functional mobility check; any increase in pain during a specific action provided immediate feedback on recovery progress.
From 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. he sat at the table and reviewed financial and practical matters on his phone. He opened the delivery platform application first. The account status continued to read "Suspended – Medical Recovery Required." No updates or messages had arrived from support. He refreshed the page three times each morning. Next, he checked the banking application. The balance stood at 1,187 yuan on the first day after the overdraft fee of 50 yuan posted automatically. On the second day, it remained unchanged at 1,187 yuan because no additional transactions occurred. He calculated remaining funds against known expenses: rent due in two days (1,800 yuan), utilities (estimated 250 yuan), food (minimum 400 yuan per week), and pain medication refill (approximately 120 yuan). The current balance covered food and medication for one more week at most, assuming no unexpected costs.
At noon he prepared the midday meal. The dish consisted of instant noodles boiled in 500 milliliters of water, with one chicken egg cracked into the pan and cooked sunny-side up before being added to the bowl. He applied the copied stir-fry timing from Old Wang's noodle technique: heat the pan for thirty seconds, add a teaspoon of oil, crack the egg, wait forty-five seconds for the white to set partially, flip once, and cook for another twenty seconds before sliding it onto the noodles. The seasoning packet was dissolved in the boiling water prior to adding the noodles. The total preparation time was eight minutes. He ate standing at the counter to avoid prolonged sitting after the meal.
The afternoon followed a similar pattern. From 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. he rested on the bed, lying flat with a small pillow under his head and the injured arm supported by another folded towel. During this rest period, he kept his eyes open and focused on the ceiling cracks, using the time to mentally rehearse the side kick sequence: hip chamber, leg extension angle (approximately 45 degrees from vertical), retraction speed, and landing balance. The visualization helped maintain neural pathways without physical stress.
At 3:00 p.m. he stood in the center of the room and performed the copied straight punch form ten times at half speed. Each punch began with feet shoulder-width apart, weight shifting forward 60 percent onto the lead leg, shoulder rotating inward, elbow extending in line with the fist, and wrist snapping straight at full extension. He exhaled sharply on each punch and inhaled during the retraction. The repetitions took four minutes total. He noted a slight improvement in smoothness compared to the previous day, though power output remained limited by the rib injury.
At 4:00 p.m. he left the apartment to purchase supplies. The walk to the nearby convenience store required ten minutes each direction. He purchased one 1.5-liter bottle of purified water (6 yuan), one 5-kilogram bag of rice (38 yuan), and one additional roll of elastic bandage (12 yuan). The total expenditure was 56 yuan, paid in cash from the small stack of notes in his wallet. He carried the items in a plastic bag held in his right hand and returned without stopping elsewhere.
Evening followed the same structure as the afternoon. He prepared the same noodle-and-egg meal at 6:30 p.m., ate it standing, cleaned the utensils immediately afterward, and spent the remaining hours until 9:00 p.m. reviewing the acquired techniques once more. He did not attempt any new copies during these two days. The system panel had not reappeared since the street observations, and he chose not to force interaction by seeking out new targets unnecessarily.
On the morning of the third day, the rib pain had reduced to a level that permitted deeper inhalation without immediate discomfort. The clavicle tenderness persisted when direct pressure was applied, but no visible swelling increase occurred. He tested gentle arm circles without the sling for five minutes while seated. The range of motion had increased by roughly twenty degrees compared to the day of discharge. He replaced the old bandage with the new roll, wrapping it with even tension around the torso.
He dressed in the gray sweatpants and black hoodie. Before exiting the apartment at 8:45 a.m., he stood before the mirror and executed the copied side kick sequence once at quarter speed. The hip rotation initiated correctly, the knee chambered to waist height, and the leg extended in a straight line before retracting. Full power execution remained impossible due to insufficient leg conditioning and ongoing recovery, but the form felt accurate.
He locked the door, descended the stairs with fewer pauses than before, and stepped onto the street. He turned in the direction of the central commercial district once again.
The end of Chapter 4.