"He's principled, willing to use his head, and most importantly, he's loyal..."
Inside the private room, they watched Lu Chao leave as the door closed once more.
Zhou Qiang, who had been standing quietly to the side the whole time, couldn't help but speak up. "Brother Hao, seriously, if Ah Chao joined the Hongyi Society, he'd definitely make a real name for himself."
"Are you sure you won't reconsider?"
Lord Xu's visit that day had revealed the malice of some of the old guard. Brother Hao needed all the help he could get right now.
If they could get Ah Chao to join, he would undoubtedly be a great asset to Brother Hao.
The atmosphere grew heavy. The lavishly decorated office fell into a brief silence.
The light from the exquisite crystal chandelier was soft. Chen Junhao stubbed out his cigarette, dropping it into the ashtray on the solid wood desk.
"This path... it isn't for him."
His tall frame sank back into the soft sofa.
Chen Junhao raised his hand slightly, lightly touching the scar near his left eye.
Hearing this, Zhou Qiang opened his mouth, as if to argue.
In response,
"He wants to join the Patrol Department," Chen Junhao said again, his tone calm.
Zhou Qiang's expression froze. It was only then he remembered that Lu Chao still hadn't quit his job with the cleaning crew.
"No wonder. So he's planning to go for the internal assessment."
"But the Patrol Department's requirements are pretty high. Those guys won't let go of their spots easily, will they?"
At this, Zhou Qiang's expression became complicated, and he subconsciously shook his head.
The Patrol Department was a powerful law enforcement agency, and the pay was better than many corporations. Snagging one of those few, fiercely contested spots was incredibly difficult.
Sometimes, fists and strength were important, but without the right connections, it was probably...
"Hard to say."
Suddenly, Chen Junhao spoke.
Zhou Qiang was taken aback, then he saw the other man chuckle softly. "A new batch of vicious people has shown up in the city recently. The Patrol Department has lost quite a few hands."
"This year's rules... might be different."
He shook his head gently, and the brown leather chair beneath him swiveled.
Outside the office window, the city lights twinkled in the night. The room once again returned to its initial silence.
...
"'Ten thousand Alliance Coins...'"
Not long after leaving the private room, Lu Chao made an excuse to go to the restroom.
Once the hard stall door was closed, he took the small bundle of banknotes from his pocket.
The Alliance Coin bills were entirely blue, with the Arabic numeral for one hundred printed symmetrically on the left and right corners. In the center was the image of a planet, symbolizing the existence of Earth Star in the universe.
A quick count revealed about a hundred bills.
"'Brother Hao is really generous...'"
Lu Chao's eyes lit up; he was genuinely surprised.
Although Zhou Qiang had mentioned that night that Brother Hao would show his appreciation,
Lu Chao hadn't been injured, so he figured it was just a polite formality and didn't think much of it.
But now...
A full ten thousand.
It might not be much to Brother Hao, but for him, it solved his urgent financial problems.
"'Beast meat, supplements, protein energy bars...'"
Thinking of all the nutritious food he could buy, Lu Chao couldn't help but lick his lips, his face full of anticipation.
Mentally noting this act of kindness, he finally stuffed the banknotes into his pocket.
He would never forget anyone who helped him.
If he had the chance in the future,
he would do his best to repay them.
...
「More than ten days later.」
WHOOSH!!
A passing tram circled the city, its whistling sound vibrating through the air and echoing into the distance.
The sweltering summer sun was unbearable, scorching the earth and causing heat to rise in distorted waves from the concrete training ground.
Most of the regular students were panting and drenched in sweat, their stamina failing. One by one, they stopped their squat jumps and let go of the heavy tires they were pushing.
THUD!
With a muffled sound, a black tire hit the ground.
A gentle breeze rustled from the shade beneath the green trees, and all the regular students sought refuge there to cool off.
Many people witnessed this scene, but the official disciples inside the training hall were long used to it.
Even they were finding it hard to persevere as the weather grew hotter and hotter.
And yet...
THUMP, THUMP, THUMP!!
The sound echoed, continuous and unceasing.
All eyes followed the sound to a corner of the training area, to the section with the half-meter-tall metal posts.
An agile figure darted back and forth, moving like a blur.
Drenched in sweat, Lu Chao was moving across the posts, painstakingly practicing his forms in an attempt to temper his physique.
He didn't slack off for a single second.
His white and gray training uniform was already soaked through, clinging to his body so tightly that the outlines of his shoulder, back, and arm muscles were clearly visible.
This scene continued for an unknown length of time.
Until finally, as noon approached.
[Life Energy: 18→19!]
An unseen panel automatically appeared. Lu Chao's eyes focused, and he leaped from the posts, landing firmly on the ground.
HUUH!!
He exhaled a long breath as pea-sized beads of sweat rolled down his cheeks.
He slowly straightened up, forcing down all his fatigue.
"'I've finally improved again.'"
Up until now, thanks to the ten thousand Alliance Coins from Brother Hao,
he had temporarily escaped his predicament and was once again getting sufficient nutritional supplements.
His Life Energy had been steadily increasing. Fueled by his sweat-drenched efforts, it had broken through four points in a row, leaving him just one final step away from the Fighting Level.
His Potential Progress had also risen by a large chunk, quietly nourished by his efforts.
[Potential Progress: 91%]
"'Almost there.'"
Lu Chao retracted his gaze and nodded to himself.
He was getting closer and closer to the Fighting Level, and his Potential Progress was about to be fulfilled, which would trigger his second transformation.
CRUNCH! CRUNCH!
Soon, footsteps approached. Lu Chao tilted his head to look.
The new junior brother, Li Dong, walked up to his side, holding boxing gloves and pads, an eager smile on his face.
"Senior Brother Lu, after you're done resting, could you practice a few moves with me?"
He was drenched in sweat, and a trace of apprehension and anticipation flickered in his wide, dark-browed eyes.
Lu Chao fell silent for a moment, his peripheral vision scanning the other senior and junior brothers around them.
Many of them were new faces, practically strangers he had never spoken to.
Without realizing it, he had become one of the older disciples.
Counting the days, he had been here for over two months, with only ten days left.
Perhaps because he had yet to break through to the Fighting Level, Lu Chao could feel a subtle shift in the atmosphere of the training hall.
It wasn't that he was being deliberately targeted. It felt more like the silent, distant treatment one gives to someone who is about to leave the gym for good.
In the past few days, only Senior Brother Zheng Wu was still willing to spar with him and exchange a few words during breaks.
Other than him, there was only Li Dong, who stood before him now.
Despite having lower-grade aptitude, he was gritting his teeth and insisting on practicing martial arts. Perhaps due to his straightforward personality, he still hadn't noticed the subtle atmosphere in the gym and kept sticking close to Lu Chao.
"Alright."
Lu Chao nodded lightly, ultimately not refusing.
He could spare the time. Besides, suppressing his strength to practice with someone else would help him better control his own power, which was somewhat beneficial for developing his Life Energy.
"Thank you, Senior Brother Lu!"
His request was granted, and Lu Chao took the gloves from him.
A wide smile spread across Li Dong's face. He thanked him profusely before jogging quickly toward the sparring area.
As they watched Li Dong bustle about and saw Lu Chao's back as he walked slowly toward the sparring area, many of the disciples in the training hall glanced over and shook their heads privately.
'Why get too involved with someone who's about to leave anyway?'
"Senior Brother Zheng, I'm afraid you misjudged him."
Senior Sister Lin, her long hair tied up in a bun, stood near the back door and shook her head gently.
Her gaze on Lu Chao's figure was calm. Her words weren't a personal attack; she had simply grown accustomed to seeing people come and go like this.
It had been nearly three months.
He still hadn't broken through the barrier. Even if he spent a few more days on it, it wouldn't make much difference.
She had seen countless examples of this at the gym, and so far, no one had ever broken the pattern.
Hearing this, Zheng Wu, who was standing to the side, fell silent. He knew she was refuting what he had said before.
He didn't answer.
A complex look flashed in his eyes as he, too, watched that figure.
"'Could it be... I really did misjudge him?'"