Lu Ren laughed and said, "I’ve just fallen in love with fitness over the years, working out my body. As for growing taller, you know, many exercises require stretching the muscles and bones, which might have stimulated a second growth spurt."
The cultivation of Martial Path lies in constantly exploring human potential. During body-strengthening exercises, to develop tougher muscles, stronger bones, and train the internal organs, a larger physique is usually needed for support.
Very few Martial Artists are seen with a slim build, under 1.8 meters tall. Even female Martial Artists, unless their boxing techniques were created specifically for women, tend to be built strong and muscular.
Even Zhang Li, once erupting in power, shows bulging muscles, veins popping out all over, with a boxing technique as fierce as can be, a true Kong Barbie.
He paused, then hastily said, "Let’s not stand talking, quickly sit down!"
When the two sat down, dishes were brought in one by one by waiters. As the table filled with dishes, Zhang Shengjie poured two glasses of wine, placing one in front of Lu Ren.
"I didn’t expect that after we parted, it would be five-six years before we met again. Let’s drink to that."
As he spoke, a glass of strong liquor went down Zhang Shengjie’s throat.
Lu Ren didn’t touch his glass, instead remained silent for a while, softly asking, "How have you been recently?"
Zhang Shengjie laughed bitterly, "Good? What’s good? After graduating, I intended to venture to the big cities, thinking I could easily get around with my talents. But little did I know, I was beaten by society as soon as I stepped out."
Zhang Shengjie let out a long sigh, saying, "After years of grueling struggle, I’ve only made it to a regional procurement manager of a supermarket chain."
Lu Ren laughed and said, "That’s already quite impressive, at least better than most of the brothers."
Just as he said that, two well-built waitresses pushed the door open and entered, carrying a fragrant pot, ready to place it in the reserved center of the table.
Zhang Shengjie showed a trace of nervousness, speaking with a laugh, "This is a specialty dish of the restaurant here, I’ve heard it’s delicious."
Lu Ren calmly said, "Thinking back to our days at school, we used to share a bowl of noodles together!"
Zhang Shengjie was also nostalgic, "Indeed, back then, when we ran out of living expenses, you, me, Chen Tao, and Zhang Jieren, the four of us tightened our belts to share a bowl of noodles!"
Lu Ren regretted, "What a pity."
Zhang Shengjie was startled, "Pity about what?"
Zhang Shengjie hadn’t finished speaking before hearing a sharp sound of air splitting, like a bird chirping.
The waitress beside Lu Ren only felt a chilling sensation at her neck.
The waitress’ pupils contracted rapidly, the hand holding the pot recoiling as if scalded, her body shrinking back, then rolling away like a lazy donkey to escape Lu Ren’s attack range.
Seeing this, Lu Ren did not pursue but rose slowly, watching the scene calmly.
The waitress, dressed in a qipao, had her dress torn with strips revealing fair skin, her neatly tied hair now disheveled.
The throat where she was attacked had the skin broken without being hit by the fist, with blood oozing out. If she were a split second slower, her throat might have been shattered by the punch.
This waitress, looking only twenty-three or four, was drenched in cold sweat from shock. She had been trained in assassination skills since fourteen, not inferior to ordinary martial arts masters, and even superior in aimed killing, yet she almost died from Lu Ren’s punch at just one glance.
His decisiveness and ferocity, along with his revealed high-level fist technique, exceeded the waitress’ expectations.
It’s a pity that the times have changed; it’s no longer the era where martial arts stand out.
The other short-haired waitress had already reached for her lower back at the moment of Lu Ren’s attack. In their customer service process, they had never allowed their backs to be exposed to Lu Ren’s view, maintaining excellent service etiquette, designed to conceal the weapon behind them.
A handgun appeared in Lu Ren’s view, held by the short-haired waitress, aiming its muzzle at him.
Lu raised a brow, his eyes cold with unchanged composure, instead lifting his knee to flip the round table in front of him.
Suddenly, dishes flew into the air, and the round table became a shield.
Lu Ren didn’t dodge at all, acting as if he didn’t notice the shots fired, instead crashing towards the short-haired assassin disguised as a waitress, truly like a raptor swooping down on prey, inciting fear.
Upon seeing Lu Ren charging, the short-haired assassin’s pretty face showed no panic. They were professionally trained and understood the terrifying lethality of pure Martial Artists in close combat. Even if her assassination skills were at their peak, the speed and explosive power unique to Martial Artists was a level unreachable by the two of them.
Especially considering female constitution.
To attempt escaping a Martial Artist nearing Great Mastery of Boxing within such close quarters was undoubtedly foolish.
She leaned back, chest caved in, left hand raised defensively while the right hand continued attempting to fire.
Prepared to take Lu Ren’s shoulder and elbow impact to delay his actions, even if heavily injured by the collision, her gun could still take his life.
Even if she failed, her partner could react in the brief moment and draw a gun for a fatal strike on Lu Ren.
Disregarding the severe injuries or risk of death at Lu Ren’s hands to complete the mission in this mortal combat, overcoming the instinctual fear of death, finding the swiftest way to kill Lu Ren in an instant.
This type of assassin is the most terrifying existence.
The two beautifully formed individuals before him were undoubtedly professional killers, perhaps even death-driven assassins.
In the rapid moment, Lu Ren had no time to ponder who they were or why they sought his life. He had only one goal: to kill these two under his fist.
From the moment the fight began, an irreconcilable conflict emerged.
Lu Ren had long understood that these two women aimed to kill him at the cost of their lives.
Even with his currently remarkable physique, he was walking on thin ice in the face of modern firearms, never daring to be careless.
He immediately identified the opponent’s handgun model, weapon proficiency was not merely for use but also for knowledge application.
A Tokarev pistol from Country E, 7.62mm rounds, eight-round capacity, currently the most powerful of all widely recognized same-caliber handguns.
If critical hits were made, even with Lu Ren’s astonishing physique, instant death would follow.
The times have changed; a decade of martial training cannot compare to the sound of a gunshot.
Lu Ren felt no grief for a Martial Artist’s plight. Had he possessed a gun, he would undoubtedly use it over his fist.
Strictly speaking, he was not purely a Martial Artist.
This moment passed in a flash!