The day ended with the Sandboxing class.
Chen Feng took a shower and went into the changing room to get dressed.
Lin Hao stood aside, still discussing the previous topic.
"Do you know the rules for the core student assessment this time?"
"What?" Chen Feng, now in a black loose-fitting short-sleeve shirt, wiped his head with a towel.
Lin Hao smiled and said, "Everyone fights at the same time; the last person standing gets the spot."
Chen Feng was surprised.
He had assumed it would be one-on-one, similar to boxing matches.
"Alright, I'm only telling you this because we're on good terms. Make sure you don't blab about it."
Waving his hand, Lin Hao noticed his curiosity but didn't explain.
With just a few steps, he turned away and left with his baseball bag slung over his shoulder.
Raising an eyebrow, Chen Feng had a hunch about Lin Hao's extraordinary nature.
He even felt that Lin Hao might have known about the free-for-all assessment rules for a long time but had kept silent.
Only now, sensing that his own strength was not weak, did Lin Hao honestly tell him.
"Free-for-all it is then."
"There are still five days left, I can get stronger."
Shaking his head, Chen Feng didn't dwell on it any further.
Having been through the incident at the supermarket and defeating Zheng Qiang, confidence had quietly taken root in his heart.
As long as it came to fighting, he was afraid of no one in the entire sandboxing class.
Then, after packing up his clothes into his carry bag, Chen Feng decided to leave early to take over the next shift at the supermarket.
Just as he was about to leave, Xu Dongtai walked in.
The broad figure brushed past him, while Zhou Xin nearby avoided eye contact.
Remembering how he tried to provoke Chen Feng with a stare that day, he felt somewhat intimidated.
With a calm face, Chen Feng was not familiar with the two and didn't plan to interact much.
Suddenly, just as they brushed past each other, Xu Dongtai stopped in his tracks and spoke voluntarily.
Chen Feng stopped and turned to look.
"I didn't expect you to hide your skills so deeply."
"If it weren't for today's sparring, you probably would have wanted to keep hiding until the assessment day, right?"
His tone was low and carried more weight than usual.
But from it, Chen Feng sensed a hint of malice.
It was predominantly cold, mixed with suspicion.
Clearly, Xu Dongtai believed he had been hiding his strength from the beginning, aiming to surprise everyone at the last minute and snatch the spot.
Shaking his head, Chen Feng didn't want to respond.
The other party already had his conclusion, and Chen Feng's explanation would be pointless.
Moreover... why should he even explain?
In an instant, Chen Feng moved on and quickly walked out of the changing room.
The sound of his footsteps getting fainter, Xu Dongtai stood there, his face as still as water, his annoyance quietly contained.
He hadn't expected the other person to dare ignore him.
For a moment, he had the urge to stop Chen Feng and teach him a good lesson right there in the changing room.
Witnessing this, Zhou Xin didn't dare to breathe heavily and carefully probed, "Chen Feng doesn't know what's good for him."
"Shall we call some guys and teach him a lesson some night..."
"Do you think Coach Lu is an idiot?"
Xu Dongtai glanced sideways at him, his irritated expression as if looking at a fool.
"The Yanwu Gym despises underhanded tactics and harming fellow disciples the most."
"If we do it, forget about ever progressing in the Martial Arts Hall's core."
With a morose tone, Zhou Xin choked up, not daring to make another sound.
"Weaklings hide, the strong have nothing to fear."
Irritated, Xu Dongtai averted his gaze and said in a low voice, "I've seen his strength today. Even though he's still hiding some tricks, at best, he's just at the Amateur Fourth Rank level."
"Five days, huh... when the evaluation comes, I'll personally crush him."
[The vehicle has reached the station, please disembark in an orderly fashion from the rear door.]
On the street, the bus gradually came to a halt at the station platform.
Carrying a bag of clothes, Chen Feng took out an energy bar and bit off a chunk, chewing and swallowing to replenish the physical strength spent on practicing boxing.
A sudden 'crack' sound quietly arose, prompting him to look around vigilantly.
It wasn't just because of the hooligans earlier, but also because of Xu Dongtai in the changing room.
Although he felt that the likelihood of being attacked was slim, he still took extra precautions than usual.
Just in case, he wanted to go even further in life.
With steady steps, he crossed the bustling pedestrian crossing under the red light and made it to the other side.
The Yonglefu supermarket sign came into view, and he clocked in for his shift on time.
"You're here, Xiao Feng!"
"Yes, Aunt He, Aunt Zhang."
"Such a sweet boy, really. I heard from Sister Zhang, you were amazing last night!"
Even though He Xiuping was over fifty, she looked well-kept and her eyes were bright,
speaking in a soft and gentle voice, her words of praise drawing an embarrassed smile from Chen Feng.
"Aunt He, I just did what I had to do."
"Well... that may be so, but not everyone can do what you did."
Aunt He smiled warmly and continued her praises.
If she wasn't in a hurry to pick up her grandson, she might have gone on talking for quite a while longer.
"Xiuping is like that, you'll have to excuse her," Aunt Zhang said with a smile, watching Aunt He drive away in her Flying Horse brand sedan.
Last night's encounter had shaken her for a long time, and even now, it still left her frightened.
Although the punk just wanted to rob them, what if?
What if they had inadvertently angered him or he noticed any distinguishing features? The danger was just as real.
Bearing this in mind, Aunt Zhang's attitude towards Chen Feng became even more gentle, expressing her gratitude earnestly: "Xiao Feng, thank you so much for yesterday."
While speaking, she had even specially purchased a box of Superman brand energy bars and placed it aside.
"I don't know much about fighting, but my son says that eating this is good for the body and helps with boxing and fitness."
"Please accept this little token of appreciation from me."
Seeing her sincere and earnest demeanor, Chen Feng had no choice but to nod and accept.
"Thank you, Aunt Zhang."
"Ah, I should be thanking you, why are you thanking me?"
The two engaged in casual chit-chat, and Chen Feng quickly donned the red employee vest and took his place at the checkout counter.
Finally, footsteps approached, and Li Hongxia, who was taking over the shift, finally arrived.
"Sorry, Sister Zhang, I'm late again."
Li Hongxia was still in her delivery driver's yellow outfit, with sweat trickling down her sallow face.
Beyond that, a little girl accompanied her.
She looked sixteen or seventeen, dressed in a light-colored long dress with an old pink backpack.
Her black hair was fixed behind her head with a white hair clip, her bangs covering her forehead, her skin fair, and her features delicate and seemingly well-behaved.
"No worries, Hongxia, it's just a few minutes, I'd just be idling around at home."
"Oh, Xiao Yao is here too?"
"Yes, Xiao Yao, say hello."
Li Hongxia quickly spoke to the girl beside her.
The girl called out, her voice rather soft.
"Ah, so well-mannered," Aunt Zhang nodded with a smile.
"This is Brother Chen Feng, Mommy's colleague."
"This is my daughter, Xu Yao, just call her Xiao Yao," Li Hongxia quickly pulled Xu Yao over and introduced her to Chen Feng with a smile.
She had also roughly heard about last night's incident, so her gaze toward Chen Feng held even more goodwill and respect than before.
"Hello, Brother Chen Feng."
Xu Yao hastily greeted, appearing somewhat shy.
"Hello, Xiao Yao," Chen Feng responded with a smile and a nod.
His towering, robust figure added to his stature, and as the light shone on him, faint shadows lurked behind him.
Seeing this, Xu Yao shyly nodded and subconsciously shrank back a little.