In the rainy weather, the whole city quietens down.
There are very few pedestrians on the streets.
Only the sound of rain gently echoes, muffling the honks of passing vehicles.
Fang Cheng, with a backpack slung over his shoulder and carrying a bag,
Zhou Xiumei raises both hands, holding an umbrella both for herself and for him.
The two walk side by side, very close to one another, yet with different expressions on their faces.
"Has the murder case Uncle Zhou is investigating still not been cracked?"
Fang Cheng makes small talk, asking casually.
Zhou Xiumei nods slightly and explains softly:
"The murderer seems to be a serial killer. The chief is pressing hard, so my dad is in a bad mood and rarely talks about it at home..."
She stops there, not continuing her words.
A moment of silence lasts for a while.
Suddenly, Zhou Xiumei lifts her eyes and seriously looks at Fang Cheng.
"Brother Cheng, you often work late. You must pay attention to your safety and never interact with strangers on the street."
"I heard from Aunt Zhang downstairs, there are many gangs now, specifically targeting young men with the scam of the chop shop..."
Upon hearing the nickname rarely used, and seeing her start talking freely, Fang Cheng can't help but smile wryly.
Then he jokes like they did when they were kids:
"You should be careful yourself. A girl as pretty as you, selling at a night stall alone, that's something many people would covet."
As their gazes meet, Zhou Xiumei can't help but lower her head again, deflating from her earnest demeanor in an instant.
Fang Cheng looks up into the distance.
The bus station in the rain seems enshrouded in grey fog, slightly gloomy and unclear.
So he switches to a more solemn tone and continues:
"Xiu Mei, if you ever need help with anything, just come to me. We've been friends since childhood after all."
Upon hearing this, Zhou Xiumei's cheeks instantly flush with redness, and she becomes inexplicably nervous.
She lowers her eyelids, not daring to look at the man beside her, who's too familiar.
Rain threads fall like satin ribbons, wetting her sleeves and shoulders.
Suddenly there's a feeling that this road might be too long, yet also too short.
Global Elite Fighting Club.
Lunch break, changing room.
Chilly rain pours outside, while inside the air conditioning is turned up to the max.
The air is mixed with the smell of cigarettes, sour sweat, boxed lunches, and the raucous noise of card games.
In this noisy environment, only one gaunt figure stands out of place.
He stands alone in the corner, back against the wall, doing Deep Squat exercises.
Tight abdomen, straight back, head slightly lifted.
With each squat and stand, it's as if more strength and confidence are being infused, appearing exceptionally stable and rhythmic.
To the left of the changing room, a group of people are gathered, playing cards with frequent shouts and hollers.
"Come on, are you cheating? How many games have you won in a row now?"
"Haha, just lucky, pay up, pay up!"
Chen Xiaohai, who just completed a 'win against all', smiles with a mouth so wide it seemingly can't close.
As he counts his money, he glances over and sees the one practicing Deep Squats, the misfit figure.
The smile on his face subsides a bit, then he comments:
"Look, Fang Cheng works out so hard every day, trying to catch a rich widow and settle for life, that's the pursuit of a real life winner!"
The others hear and burst into laughter, instantly jesting along.
"Young people are smart indeed!"
"Practicing Deep Squats is great, when women do them men can't handle it, when men do them women can't handle it!"
"No wonder the ace from the law department didn't become a lawyer and came to our place to work; seems like there was a plan since long ago..."
These jokes, perhaps offhand comments to the speakers, but the listeners take them to heart.
You should know, it's clearly stated in the club.
Staff is not allowed to have private contact with students, and especially forbidden to harass female students.
Fang Cheng doesn't respond, nor does he show any intention to justify himself.
His gaze is serene, and his head is held high.
Still going my own way, repeating the knee bends and standing straight up.
Seeing no reaction from him, Chen Xiaohai let out a few bored chuckles.
Though his expression seemed casual, his mind was churning so much that he got distracted during cards, playing the wrong one, and lost a hand.
The logistics department's Supervisor Qiu was already in his fifties, nearing retirement age.
The manager planned to promote someone to be his deputy to eventually take over the department's management.
Chen Xiaohai considered himself a tenured employee with good performance and pleasant relationships up and down the hierarchy.
He was dead set on getting a promotion and raise and felt no one could compete with him.
But a few days ago, hearing Fang Cheng's conversation with Old Qiu by chance, he suddenly became wary.
Fang Cheng had applied to the supervisor for a position change, saying he wanted to learn more under other coaches to enhance his work experience.
This clearly showed a certain ambition!
Although Fang Cheng was currently an intern.
But with jobs hard to come by for college graduates, who knows, he might choose to stay.
With his education, plus his recent excellent performance, frequently being praised by the manager.
This inevitably gave Chen Xiaohai a sense of crisis which led to intentionally plotting against his competitor.
As for what colleagues might think.
In the past, Fang Cheng might have taken workplace gossip and fame to heart, but now he had become more open-minded and tolerant.
The wins and losses of life aren't about inconsequential matters along the way but are about focusing on the distant scenery.
At this moment, he just maintained his concentration, immersing himself in the satisfaction brought by exercise.
[You completed 10 standard Deep Squats, Skill Experience +1]
[You completed 10 standard Deep Squats, Skill Experience +1]
[You completed 11 standard Deep Squats, Skill Experience +1]
Three prompts appeared before his eyes one after the other.
Fang Cheng's eyes showed a flicker of thoughtfulness.
It seemed the Deep Squat skill was gradually hitting a plateau; it was time to increase the difficulty.
Having this thought, he chose to put his feet together and slowly performed the knee bending motion.
At the same time, his arms extended forward to maintain balance.
Until the thighs met the calves, the muscles tensed, and he couldn't squat any lower.
This movement is called the Close-Stance Deep Squat, an advanced version of the standard squat.
Compared to the standard position, it puts more pressure on the knee joint and requires greater body balance.
But it also more effectively targets the front thigh quadriceps and activates the glute core muscle group, maintaining knee stability.
If continuing to increase the difficulty, there would be moves like the Single-leg Half Squat, Single-leg Squat, Frog Jump Squat, and Tornado Squat, etc.
And even gradually adding barbells or other weights.
Fang Cheng rose slowly, deliberately slowing down the pace of the exercise.
While adjusting and correcting his posture, he counted silently, striving for standard performance.
When he counted to "9", a new prompt finally appeared.
[You completed 7 Close-Stance Deep Squats, Skill Experience +1]
"The effect is quite good!"
Fang Cheng showed a trace of satisfaction.
Just then, the changing room door was suddenly pushed open, and the sounds of card playing and conversation inside came to a stop.
A balding middle-aged man stood outside the door, waving and calling out:
"Ah Cheng, come with me, the manager is looking for you!"
It was the logistics department's Supervisor Qiu.
Hearing the call, Fang Cheng's eyes flashed sharply, instantly snapping out of his concentrated state.
He glanced at the progress of his Skill Experience.
[Concentration lv1 (81/250)]
[Deep Squat lv0 (65/100)]
Then he stood up unhurriedly, wiped the sweat off his forehead, and strode outside.
Watching the two figures recede, the others in the changing room couldn't help but grow curious and started discussing.
"What does the manager want with Fang Cheng?"
"A raise, I guess. Haven't you seen how the Boxing Department has the most students and its performance rises rapidly? Even Brother Cheng's Karate Department can't compare!"
"Perhaps, Manager Li hopes Fang Cheng will stay as a regular employee, offering conditions to win him over..."
The words of the crowd revealed envy and jealousy.
Only Chen Xiaohai's face was filled with tension, almost to the point of shouting, "I do not agree!"