Translator: CinderTL

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It was 1 PM that day.

After having lunch, Chen Feng took a short break and then left the house with his boxing gear.

He was skilled in both Sanda and Judo.

His punching power exceeded 130kg.

Unconsciously, he had already reached the level of an amateur 8th dan.

This gave him some confidence.

"Tomorrow’s the assessment."

"Today, I’ll go to the dojo and observe the others' skills."

The thought crossed his mind. Although he was confident in his abilities and felt he could easily secure the first place, he decided to play it safe.

Step! Step!

He walked down the stairs of his apartment building at a steady pace.

Rows of wholesale fruit stores appeared in front of him—watermelons, bananas, grapes, and white pears...

Large trucks were parked on both sides of the road, blocking the street, and the sound of car horns could be heard frequently.

"Hey, move the car! It’s blocking the way!"

"Alright, alright, I’m on it."

"Old Zhang, hurry up and move your car!"

The shouting was loud, and there were countless similar situations.

Chen Feng was used to it and was about to continue on his way when—

Step!

His foot landed, but suddenly, his gaze flickered.

"Are they back again?"

A subtle sense of unease crept over him. Chen Feng felt a faint malice again.

Wearing a cold face he stopped and turned toward a nearby fruit shop, pretending to pick fruit. He casually looked over in the direction.

Two figures were standing on the opposite side of the street, under an electric pole.

One was tall, and the other was chubby. They wore different clothes—one in a dark short-sleeve shirt, the other in a black dress shirt. Both were smoking cigarettes and staring at his location.

With a single glance, Chen Feng immediately recognized them as the two people who had driven away in a black car outside the hotpot restaurant last night.

"Are they following me?"

A flash of doubt and vigilance crossed his eyes as he casually grabbed a plastic bag and picked five or six large white pears that were bigger than his fists.

"How much, boss?"

"23.7 yuan, 24 is fine."

Chen Feng raised an eyebrow and looked at the shopkeeper.

"Move your car! Don’t park in front of my shop. I’ve got cargo coming in soon!"

The shouting continued from the street, and Chen Feng’s eyes shifted, catching sight of the two followers tossing their cigarette butts.

The chubby one shot a frustrated glare at the fruit shop owner, seemingly ready to act.

"The guy’s right across, don’t let him notice."

The tall one said softly, signaling to his companion, and they both entered the black car before quickly leaving, disappearing at the end of the street.

Seeing this, Chen Feng withdrew his gaze.

He checked the license plate—exactly the same as the black car from last night.

"Young man, we do business like this. Round up..."

"If it's less than fifty cents, I'll just let it go."

The fruit shop owner explained with a grin, but Chen Feng shook his head in annoyance.

He hated this reverse rounding off.

"23 yuan, that’s what I’m paying."

"That’s too low, there’s no profit left for me."

Chen Feng turned and left.

"Alright, alright, 23."

Without another word, Chen Feng paid via QR code and picked up the bag of pears before heading out.

....

"Who could it be?"

On the bus, heading toward the dojo, Chen Feng got off at the back door, but didn’t sense the malice anymore.

However, the more he couldn’t feel it, the more vigilant he became.

Once could be a coincidence, but twice—especially once outside his building—he couldn’t help but suspect that someone was behind this, or maybe he had offended someone.

Step! Step!

As the thought crossed his mind, footsteps approached.

"What's up with you, looking like you’re in another world?"

Lin Hao, wearing loose black casual shorts and white sneakers, approached, carrying a baseball bag as always. Though dressed casually, there was a distinct aura around him.

"Hey, you brought fruit to the dojo?"

"What's going on, you bringing a gift for the coach?"

Lin Hao laughed, his tone teasing.

Chen Feng thought for a moment but didn’t bother with pleasantries.

"I’ve run into some trouble, and I need a favor." He got straight to the point.

"Oh?" Lin Hao raised an eyebrow. "What’s the matter?"

"I need you to help me check a license plate."

Chen Feng, with a serious look, explained. He remembered how effective Lin Hao’s information-gathering had been before and figured this was the best course of action for finding out more about the two men and planning his next move.

"Oh, so that’s it," Lin Hao’s face relaxed, clearly relieved.

"Alright, I’ll handle it. Send me the license plate via WeChat later."

Chen Feng nodded. He had considered asking over the phone, but decided it was safer to do it in person.

"So, this pear is for me, right?"

Lin Hao laughed, quickly guessing.

"Just a little token of appreciation."

Chen Feng nodded, mentally noting down this favor.

Lin Hao chuckled, took the bag of fruit, and said no more.

"Alright, I’ll take it."

The atmosphere relaxed, and the two of them walked into the dojo side by side.

Step! Step! The sound of their footsteps echoed, but as they exited the locker room, they noticed something was off.

"There are experts at the dojo."

"I heard, seems like it’s the assessment group. Coach Lu is meeting them in the quiet room."

"Aren’t they coming tomorrow?"

"How would I know!"

The students in the practice area weren’t training as usual.

Even Chen Feng could sense that most of them were distracted, quietly chatting.

Including Xu Dongtai and Zheng Qiang, who were standing still, their expressions all different.

"Looks like the rumors are true."

Suddenly, Lin Hao murmured, and Chen Feng turned to him.

"I forgot to tell you... It seems like the core student assessment has been moved up."

Chen Feng was surprised.

Moved up?

Does that mean the assessment starts today?

Step! Step! Step!

Just as he was puzzled, footsteps approached.

Four figures slowly walked towards them, their eyes sharp, their heights varying.

Coach Lu, usually imposing, was now at the edge of the group, almost like an assistant, talking to them.

In an instant, with a single glance, Chen Feng realized that the other three were definitely experts.

At least professional-level!

And among them...

"Huh?"

He focused, and from the three, he recognized a familiar face.

A strong, tall figure, nearly 1.9 meters in height.

His square face, high nose bridge, and crew cut.

Thick lips and sharp, piercing eyes.

It was none other than the judo instructor he had watched teaching online a few days ago.

One of the core members of the Flame Tiger Martial Arts School—Cao Tong!

(End of the Chapter)

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