At the base of West Mountain.
Trees on both sides reflected on the water surface, fog diffusing, dim and hazy.
Under normal circumstances, a trip here could bring a sense of tranquility and otherworldly detachment.
Unfortunately, the current situation is hardly ideal.
A sudden rainfall has turned the dirt road into a muddy mess.
A black sedan slowly approaches from a distance, rolling over the muddy water and stopping by the roadside as its engine dies.
A figure in a military green raincoat quickly descends from the car.
Opening the trunk, he pulls out a heavy-looking black woven bag that seems to contain stones.
He then cradles the bag in his arms and walks through the large swaying weeds towards the nearby riverbank.
This place is upstream of Black Water River, a branch of Taijiang.
The river flows gently, appearing unusually quiet and profound.
At a glance, it looks as if a mass of black ink is pressing down in the middle of the river.
The woven bag is tossed high from the shore.
Several hundred pounds crash onto the water, causing a large splash.
It quickly sinks down until it completely disappears from view.
Fang Cheng stands by the shore, silently watching the river surface.
From beneath the raincoat hood, his eyes seem slightly spellbound.
Drops of rain lightly tap the water surface, causing small ripples.
Then, they merge into bigger, more turbulent waves.
Fang Cheng breathes out relaxedly, his eyes regaining their brightness.
Two hours ago, an unexpected encounter erupted at the villa of Shijima Gorou.
After a life-and-death struggle and neutralizing the enemy, he cleaned up the scene.
Fang Cheng then laboriously drove to this remote location to take care of the loose ends.
Now, he can finally relax.
An unknown bird’s call emanates from the mountains, echoing in the quiet river valley.
Fang Cheng looks upward.
Rain cloaks West Mountain as if with a thin veil, revealing a mysterious and profound appearance.
Suddenly, he remembers the news report about a blockade not far from here.
With that in mind, he delays no longer, quickly leaving the area to avoid encountering anyone else.
Back in the car, he turns the key to start the engine.
Looking at the information appearing on the dashboard.
[Driving lv0 (9/100)]
Fang Cheng mutters to himself:
"Time to leave this place, hopefully, I won’t have to come back here again..."
The engine hums, the black sedan rolls over the muddy track, heading towards the distant village along the mountain road.
Fang Cheng possesses some knowledge of driving from his past life memories.
Among the set of keys found on the body, there was the car key for Shijima Gorou’s home.
He tried the car in the garage and managed to drive it out without trouble.
He boldly hit the road with a learn-as-you-go approach.
Gradually becoming more skilled, he unlocked this skill midway.
Practically speaking, the experience seems to be calculated based on the mileage and specific road conditions.
From this rough mountain path, he gained experience quite swiftly.
As for how to dispose of this car?
Fang Cheng grips the steering wheel tightly, eyes fixed on the gradually approaching village.
Driving it back where people abound clearly isn’t suitable.
He remembers from a school trip to this area that there was an abandoned bamboo factory.
Perhaps he could hide the car there temporarily until more information on Shijima Gorou’s whereabouts surfaced, then notify him.
It’s over an hour’s drive from West Mountain to the city center.
It seems he will need to find a passing vehicle to hitch a ride back.
Fang Cheng thought to himself as he slowly drove through the small village containing only a few dozen households.
Even though his mood had calmed down by now, there were still many doubts lingering in his mind.
Who exactly were the people dressed in black?
What did he mean by "organization" and "Hunter"?
Is there a direct connection between them and Shijima Gorou’s disappearance?
Thought after thought flashed through his mind.
Fang Cheng shook his head, temporarily dismissing these distracting thoughts.
Since he had already unintentionally killed this so-called "Hunter."
Now, the wisest strategy was to act as if nothing had ever happened.
"Wait until I become stronger!"
"Someday, you will all stand before me one by one..."
Looking at the bamboo factory hidden in the misty valley ahead, Fang Cheng silently recited in his heart.
The most important thing right now was to hurry back to the city.
Otherwise, he might miss the precious opportunity to face Zheng Haokang.
Wantong Mall, Gate 3.
Brilliant lights shone on the glass exterior, where a huge poster stuck on it was particularly eye-catching.
The life-sized image of a fighting star on the poster continuously drew the attention of the bustling area’s passersby carrying umbrellas.
Inside the Global Elite Fighting Club, today was particularly lively.
Click, click, click, click, click, click—
With cameras and flashes standing arrayed, the strobe lights flickered like machine guns, emitting sounds.
The entire training hall was nearly packed to the rafters.
Everyone’s attention was focused on two figures in fighting shorts, practicing attacks and defenses on the ring.
One of them, a robust man, moved his feet rapidly, his shoulders slightly shaking, looking quite relaxed and leisurely.
He first waited for the person opposite him to throw a punch.
Then, seizing the moment, his body suddenly leaped forward like a cheetah pouncing.
A flurry of combination punches, followed by a Whip Kick.
His lightning-fast onslaught forced his training partner to raise his arms to protect his head.
Still, he ended up getting knocked down by the Whip Kick.
The man walked over, reached out to pull up his training partner.
Then facing the audience, he spoke loudly:
"A boxer must learn to establish his own rhythm to execute diverse combination skills, making the opponent tired of defending and unable to counter effectively."
"My favorite move is the Back Flash, retreating from the attacking range, which not only weakens the opponent’s punching power but also turns defense into offense, providing double insurance and perfectly controlling the situation..."
He was none other than the rising world-class Boxing King and fighting star, Zheng Haokang.
Today, he was invited to the Global Elite Fighting Club for a media-directed training session.
"You have to keep pushing yourself."
Zheng Haokang smiled amiably, patting the trainee he had chosen to demonstrate on the stage.
The semi-professional candidate walked down from the stage with a somewhat wobbly stance, visibly excited yet clearly showing the pain from the recent blows despite wearing full protective gear.
Zheng Haokang continued to teach:
"In real combat, every punch and kick doesn’t need to excessively pursue strength because the human body is actually quite fragile, with many vulnerable points. What you need to do is to hit the target faster and more accurately than your opponent..."
A student suddenly had a wild thought and raised his hand to ask:
"What if the opponent isn’t a normal person, like those monsters in movies?"
Zheng Haokang was momentarily stunned by the question and couldn’t help but laugh:
"If you really encounter the kind of monster you’re talking about, the best strategy is to run away."
Laughter erupted from the crowd around them.
Zheng Haokang then adjusted his expression and continued:
"Of course, as a fighter, as a Martial Artist, even if you’re not as strong as your opponent, you can make up for it with the body skills honed diligently every day..."
His voice echoed around the venue, with the strobe lights continuously flashing.
All the students below, regardless of gender, looked up at this widely known Boxing King as if he were an idol.
Zheng Haokang stood upright, his eyes confident, calmly enjoying the intense focus of the glaring eyes directed at him.