31 Punching bag
Turning towards Gao Xiong, he asked: "You want a fight?"
Unable to back down now, Gao Xiong could only reply, "Yes! You said we would spar in 6 months to settle the issue before, don't you?"
"Can I use one of your private sparring room?" Feng asked the representative of Black Eagle Training Centre
"Sure thing", The representative replied as the issue among them is not something he would meddle in.
"Follow me," Feng said as he led Gao Xiong to level 3. Curious, Xin Ru and most of the other guys followed, leaving the representative to attend to the guy sprawled on the floor.
However, Reaching the room, unlike the spar with Hu Wei in an open area, Feng went to a room and locked the door after Gao Xiong entered with the rest standing outside.
Unable to see within, they could only wait outside, curious about the ongoing inside.
Minutes pass as the murmurs outside grew louder.
"Why did he close the door? Just because he is scared of losing badly in front of a girl?" One said
"Coward!" Another chime in
"Useless guy such as him who rely on women should….." Before the other could finish his word, he felt the icy stare of Xin Ru.
Just as she stepped forward to confront those who spoke badly about Feng, the door unlocked as Feng walked out refreshed and smiling.
The morning had been tense for him for some unknown reason. Everyone suffers such a day once in a while. Beating up, Gao Xiong sure had released the tension in him. Walking towards Xin Ru, he held her hands as he led her away.
The guys who had come up with them looked into the room only to see Gao Xiong on the floor, face blank and exhausted with injuries all over his body. Compared to Feng's appearance, it is evident that he had barely made a scratch on Feng.
Following Feng out, Xin Ru looked at the broad back of the guy in front of her as she realised that the young boy in front of her felt like someone she could lean on anytime she needed. Someone who could be there for her in her darkest time.
"Be assured that Gao Xiong won't talk about us in school," Feng said as they waited for the lift.
"Mhm," Xin Ru nodded her head like a little girl.
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Meeting back at the cafe, the scene of yesterday repeated itself. Feng is sitting opposite Fatty, who is almost half dead lying on the table. Hu Wei sitting there, as usual, his stoic self barring the shade of red on his cheeks as opposite him sat 2 beauties. Xin Ru and Yu Han, who had joined them for training after she had finished her work in the morning.
"Ru Ru, let's go fast! I only have 3 hours to workout before heading back to the office," Yu Han urges Xin Ru.
Hearing her words, Fatty forces himself alive as he takes a final glance at the 2 beauties as they left the table after finishing a light lunch.
"Feng," Fatty mumbles in a daze. "Are we in heaven?"
Ignoring the half-dreaming Fatty, Feng checks the news on his Qwatch. With the press conference yesterday, things should start heating up. Checking the share price, sure enough, they had risen to 60+ credit per share.
Satisfied, he turns off the news as his finger drums on the table in thoughts. The crazy night with the ladies might have helped his body and sense refinement, but his body foundation has not made a vast improvement lately.
He needed something different to stimulate his body's growth, and he is unwilling to swallow his pride, for now, to ask Hu Wei since he is technically the mentor in their relationship.
"Alright, I am going to the gravity room for training. I think it is better if Fatty remains in the gym as he is not ready for that yet." Hu Wei spoke as he stood up.
'Darn! Thank You!' Feng rejoiced in his heart. The words of Hu Wei showed him what exactly he should do. After having the upgrade in his membership, he had yet to try out the 4th-floor rooms as he spends his time on the 5th floor.
Leaving Fatty to recover alone, Hu Wei and Feng approached the 4th floor. Like the 5th floor, the 4th floor is a floor filled with many rooms. The furnishing, though, is not that luxurious. Instead, it was pretty simple. A cement screed floor greets them instead of carpets.
Walking out, Hu Wei registered at the touch screen booth near the lift as it assigned him a room to go to.
"I will go first. See you later." Hu Wei said as he walked off.
Feng followed Hu Wei steps earlier as he navigated the touch screen. Booking a room, he entered the assigned room. It was an empty room with metal flooring, there was no robotic voice to guide him, but instead, a mechanical panel on the wall is all he has.
An analogue knob pointing to zero on the left can be seen, and the highest level of adjustment to the extreme right shows a figure of 10.
Turning the knob to 1, being someone who had trained in body refinement, he could immediately feel a slight difference in the room as the effort he needed to maintain the lift in his hand is much higher than before.
Moving it towards 3, Feng felt that there is where his limits are; as he struggles to push himself forward, he mused in his mind as he wonders if there is anyone that gets stuck in the middle of the room, unable to walk back the knob to lower the level.
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Dec 31stth 2109.
Just a couple of hours before the launch of Gods Art.
As the gentle snow falls outside of Xin Ru home, the 5 of them gathered in her home for their New Year gathering. After the holidays, Xin Ru and Fatty joined them for training at Black Eagle Training Centre after school, while Yu Han tries her best to squeeze time in to join them.
While not exactly the best of friends with each other, the frequent contact made them comfortable enough to spend New Year together.
Furthermore, Hu Wei had won his first professional fight and Feng, who had bet half of his cashflow on the fight insisted on this gathering to celebrate the win as well.
In his previous life, nights like this would probably be spent drinking in some night clubs while Mei Hua waits for him at home. This time, he wanted to do what he felt was right for the people around him.
The only thing that has not changed is Fatty. Somehow, the training has bulked him up more.
"Fatty...Your fats can't be burned?" Feng asked as he observes this friend of his. "Does your muscle build on below the layer of fats?"
"I am pretty sure of his strength growth", Hu Wei chimes in ", but even for me, this is a first where the fats remain" as if to emphasise his point, Hu Wei fingers poked into the soft belly of Fatty.
"Hey, Hey! I am allergic to guys," Fatty exclaims as he tries to shift his body out of the way in a badly failed attempt.
Looking at the boys, Xin Ru and Liu Yu Han giggles, causing the 2 of them to stop their actions, Hu Wei's cheek red again while Fatty could only stare and admire their beauty.
"Hey!" Liu Yu Han moved her head to block off the entire view of Fatty as she jealousy guard her precious friend.
Tsk… Fatty, irritated from the block view, mumbles, "argh, why block the view of Mount Everest with you an airport."
"What did you say?!" Liu Yu Han fumes as she subconsciously crosses her hands in front of her chest to show her displeasure and shield her boobs, slightly affected by Fatty words.
"Ahem…..flat chest….are...beautiful", A red-faced Hu Wei mumbled softly.
Looking at the "family-like" atmosphere in the room, Feng chuckled.
The last 1 year had been fruitful for him in his preparation. The stocks of Abstergo reality have more than tripled to 150 plus credit. He had wanted to sell off some stocks to repay the loan Fatty had kindly given him almost a year ago, but Fatty insist it was not needed since he is joining Feng full time in the game instead of going to university.
On the contrary, instead of the credits, he was more curious about Xin Ru and Feng's relationship. As Feng told him the whole truth bar the details, envy could be seen on Fatty face.
Fatty then tried to pry out details of Xin Ru naked body from Feng, which he did not reveal, but the consequences that Fatty kept bugging him continuously even till today..
He did get an earful from his parents, but Feng pulled in Xin Ru, who is Fatty's homeroom teacher, and Fatty dad changed his stance despite having barely listening to much from Xin Ru. Haiz… Some things just run in the family.
After the last one year, the cultivation of the group is as follows:
Name: Body Foundation / Body Refinement / Sense Refinement
Feng: Halfway of the middle-stages/ beginning of middle-stage/ beginning of middle stage
Xin Ru: halfway of Early-stage / Nil / Nil
Yu Han: Halfway of Early-stage / nil / nil
Fatty: Beginning of Early-stage / nil/ nil
Hu Wei: Beginning of Peak-stage / beginning of Early-stage / nil
