That day, at one o’clock in the afternoon.
After lunch, Chen Feng took a brief rest to aid his digestion before grabbing his boxing practice clothes and leaving the house.
Proficient in Sanda, master of Judo.
Punching power exceeding 130kg.
Unconsciously, he had already attained the strength of an Amateur Eighth Rank.
Gradually, he was feeling more confident.
"The assessment is tomorrow."
"Going to the Martial Arts Hall today would be a good chance to gauge the others’ levels."
With this thought, Chen Feng was confident in his ability to claim the top spot, but he still wanted to be cautious.
With steady steps, he exited the residential complex via the pedestrian stairway.
Rows of wholesale fruit stalls appeared before him, watermelons, bananas, grapes, white pears...
Both sides of the road were filled with large trucks loading goods, parked haphazardly, clogging the street so that not even water could pass through, horns honking intermittently.
"Move your car up ahead, you’re blocking the way."
"Got it, got it, in a minute."
"Old Zhang, come move the car!"
The shouting was chaotic, this scene was not an uncommon one.
Chen Feng was used to it and was about to continue on his way.
However, his gaze suddenly sharpened.
His sense of perception encountered an anomaly; Chen Feng once again felt a faint malice.
Indifferent, detached.
He paused in his tracks, turned, and walked into the nearest fruit wholesale store pretending to pick fruit while surreptitiously glancing sideways.
Two figures stood across the street, beneath an electric pole.
One tall and one large, they wore different outfits, one in dark shorts and the other in a black shirt, both smoking, staring at his location.
With just a glance, Chen Feng confirmed they were the same two people who had left in a black car outside the hotpot restaurant the night before.
"Are they following me?"
A fleeting look of confusion and vigilance crossed his eyes; Chen Feng nonchalantly grabbed a plastic bag and casually filled it with five or six white pears, each larger than a fist.
"Twenty-three yuan and seventy cents, just make it twenty-four."
Chen Feng raised his eyebrows, looking at the other party.
"Move the car, move the car! Don’t park outside my shop, I need space for loading goods soon!"
A pressing voice came from across the street; Chen Feng’s eyes shifted slightly as he caught sight of the two stalkers tossing away their cigarette butts.
The heavier young man was visibly impatient, glaring at the fruit shop owner as if he wanted to start a fight.
"The guy is right across, don’t let him notice."
The tall one held back his companion, speaking in a low voice and subtly signaling the surroundings with his eyes.
The other calmed down and the two of them got into the black car one after the other, quickly leaving the area, disappearing at the end of the street.
Seeing this, Chen Feng retracted his gaze.
He noted the license plate; it was identical to the black car from the previous night.
"Young man, all of us in business do this, rounding up..."
"If it were less than fifty cents, I would’ve rounded down for you."
The fruit shop owner explained with a smile while Chen Feng shook his head inwardly.
He disliked this kind of reverse rounding.
"Twenty-three yuan will do; I’ll pay the exact amount."
"That’s too little, no profit for me at all."
Chen Feng turned and walked away.
"Hey hey, alright, twenty-three."
With that, Chen Feng didn’t waste words with the man.
He made the payment by scanning a QR code and then carried the plastic bag filled with white pears, striding away.
On the road, he took a bus, hurrying to the vicinity of the Martial Arts Hall.
Chen Feng alighted from the rear exit of the bus and no longer sensed the malice he felt earlier.
But the less he felt it, the more vigilant his gaze became.
Once could have been a coincidence.
But this was the second incident in a row, and now it was right outside his home.
This couldn’t help but make him wonder who was behind it, or whom he might have offended this time.
Then, just as the thought flashed through his mind, the sound of footsteps drew near.
"What’s the matter with you, looking so out of this world?"
Lin Hao came walking over, wearing a loose-fitting black short-sleeved shirt with white sneakers, and, as always, slung a baseball bag over his shoulder.
His outfit appeared casual, yet carried a distinctive temperament.
"Oh, you even brought fruits to the Martial Arts Hall."
"What’s the matter, planning on bribing Coach Lu with a gift?"
Lin Hao said with a chuckle, his tone full of teasing.
Seeing this, Chen Feng thought it over and decided there was no need for pleasantries.
"I’ve run into a bit of trouble and was hoping to ask for your help," he said, getting straight to the point.
Lin Hao raised his eyebrows: "What’s up?"
"I need your help to check a car license plate number."
Chen Feng thought of the other’s previously demonstrated intelligence capabilities and spoke seriously.
This was the best solution he could think of at the moment, to probe the background of those two people, to better prepare for subsequent reactions and planning.
"Hah, I thought it was something serious."
Lin Hao’s expression relaxed significantly, making it clear he was much less concerned.
"Alright, that’s easy. Just send me the plate number on WeChat later."
Chen Feng nodded. He had thought about asking via mobile phone, but decided that it was more reliable to ask in person.
"So, these pears are for me, right?"
Lin Hao said with a beaming smile, his thoughts nimble and with a definite conjecture.
"Just a small token of appreciation."
Chen Feng nodded and earnestly noted down this favor.
Lin Hao smiled, didn’t waste any words, and naturally accepted the bag of fruits.
"Alright, I’ll take it."
The atmosphere relaxed, and the two walked into the Martial Arts Hall side by side.
Tap tap, their footsteps echoed, but soon, as they emerged from the locker room, they noticed an unusual atmosphere.
"There are experts in the Martial Arts Hall."
"I heard about it too. It seems like it’s the evaluators, and Coach Lu is receiving them in the Quiet Room."
"Weren’t they supposed to come tomorrow?"
Instead of practicing boxing as usual, the students in the practice area seemed distracted and were whispering to each other.
Even people like Xu Dongtai and Zheng Qiang stood in the distance with different expressions, quietly staying in place.
"As expected, the news is true."
Suddenly, Lin Hao murmured softly, and Chen Feng turned to look at him.
"I forgot to tell you... the examination for the Core Students seems to have been brought forward."
As his words fell, Chen Feng was surprised.
So, does that mean the assessment is starting today?
While he was still puzzled, the sound of footsteps followed in quick succession.
Four figures walked steadily towards them, each with a commanding presence, of varied height.
Coach Lu, who usually had a fierce demeanor, now seemed to be playing a supporting role, standing to the side, leading the way, and apparently talking to them.
In an instant, just a single glance.
Chen Feng clearly perceived that the other three were definitely experts.
At least of a Professional Level!
His gaze sharpened, and to his surprise, Chen Feng recognized a familiar figure among those three.
The man was tall and burly, nearly 1.9 meters tall.
With square features, a prominent nose, and hair cropped to a flat top.
Thick lips and bright, expressive eyes.
It was none other than the blogger he had seen a few days ago in a Judo teaching video on his phone.
A core member of Yanwu Gym, Cao Tong!