"How... could this be possible!"
Li Yuan never thought he would lose, even if Qin Shi showed strong resilience, physical endurance, and an impressive ability to withstand blows.
But that was all because he possessed "extraordinary talent," mastered the Old Martial Arts Training Method, and received a significant enhancement.
In real combat, relying solely on brute strength and a tough body could not secure a steady chance of victory.
Awareness of offense and defense, the rhythm of the fight, and control over oneself are the true secrets to defeating an opponent!
Li Yuan was very certain that even if Qin Shi excelled slightly in the last aspect, he was still ahead.
But in the first two aspects, Qin Shi was definitely falling behind and had a noticeable gap compared to himself.
"Brother Yuan, what you said really works!"
Qin Shi took off his protective gear and gloves, pulling up Li Yuan who was lying on the mat, and said excitedly:
"Watch the opponent's shoulder, grasp his attack direction, and enhance reaction speed! It works so well!"
His genuine joy was not just a facade to alleviate Li Yuan's awkwardness.
After experiencing failure repeatedly by being thrown to the ground, winning suddenly by his own ability.
The rush, like passing a game level, indeed surged into his brain instantly, providing a dopamine-like satisfaction.
"You... learn very fast."
The pain in his chest from being punched was nothing compared to the disappointment of a crushing defeat. Li Yuan gritted his teeth and forced out this compliment.
Looking at Qin Shi, he couldn't help but show a bit of recognition and admiration.
No wonder Old Liang valued this kid so much, giving him special training sessions every day.
In just a few hours, he advanced from a zero foundation to getting the hang of the technique, understanding how to judge the opponent's moves and their trajectory.
Even his counterattacks were sharp and precise!
This is truly a top student with a gift for fighting!
"Damn!"
Outside the ring, Xie Yucheng, looking stunned as if his brain had crashed, could only blurt out this word.
"Oh my, you really have a talent! How did you memorize those basic moves?
This is eye-opening; is everyone at New No. 1 High School as talented as you?"
Qin Shi took a breath, calming his heartbeat.
The near-thirteen sets of exhausting training, combined with the body awakening brought by [Muscle Memory], greatly reduced his learning cost.
For the same course, relying on [Deep Sleep] for physical recovery and [Muscle Memory] for quick mastery.
He probably outpaced the trainees on the same starting line by four to five body lengths!
"Mainly because of Brother Yuan's precise guidance. I should thank you guys for willing to spar with me; without it, I wouldn't have progressed this fast!"
Those words were pleasing!
Originally feeling embarrassed, worrying about becoming a laughingstock, Li Yuan's face looked much better.
He waved his hand:
"What are you saying? Between classmates, we should help each other. In the end, it's still because Qin Shi, you're quick to grasp things and have a great physical foundation.
Are all the students in the Urban Circle as powerful as you?"
Qin Shi smiled:
"Whether it's top students or slackers, they're everywhere. The main thing is that the Urban Circle's educational resources are more concentrated, so it produces more top students comparatively.
Brother Yuan, Brother Cheng, I actually think our learning abilities aren't inferior to theirs, and we work even harder; it's just that growing up in Old Factory Street with a poor environment, we didn't have the conditions."
Subtly, he used a bit of linguistic art to easily align himself with Li Yuan and Xie Yucheng, thereby drawing closer to them.
"Qin Shi, you think so too! If Old Factory Street hadn't declined, we would definitely be stronger than the top students from the Tai'an Metropolitan Area!"
Sure enough, Li Yuan, who harbored hostility towards the Urban Circle, strongly agreed.
Especially the words "no conditions," hitting right at the heart.
Making him immediately see Qin Shi as kin, his attitude became friendlier.
"Well, Brother Yuan, who said life is fair! Nowadays, birth is what tests ability the most. I go to New No. 1 High School and often get looked down upon by the Elite Class."
Qin Shi shook his head and sighed, giving Li Yuan the emotional value he needed.
He could understand the complex feelings that most children born and raised in Old Town District had towards the Tai'an Metropolitan Area.
They carried hostility, dissatisfaction, and resentment, yet couldn't help but surge a bit of yearning, longing, and anticipation.
Although they disliked the citizens of the Urban Circle, they simultaneously hoped to become part of those with residency rights there.
"Elite? Bah! They just think of themselves as superior!"
Li Yuan found a comrade, patting Qin Shi on the shoulder:
"Once you master the techniques and training methods of Old Martial, your Life Force will increase by leaps and bounds, and you can fiercely slap those arrogant rich kids in the face!"
Xie Yucheng scratched his head, seemingly an outsider.
He didn't understand how Brother Yuan had become so approachable with Mr. Qin?
Could this be what the Old Era Martial Arts World meant by "no fight, no acquaintance"?
With the atmosphere reaching this point, Qin Shi spoke with boldness:
"Brother Yuan, Brother Cheng, I received two boxes of Nutritional Paste today. Let's share them together."
As a newcomer, the best way to turn an unfamiliar environment into a comfort zone is to integrate into a small group.
Despite the saying "only cattle and sheep flock together, beasts always go alone,"
not being deliberately ostracized, targeted, or bullied, mingling with classmates around wasn't a bad thing.
More friends, more opportunities, there'll come a day when that's useful.
That's the life experience Qin Shi summarized from his previous life as a delivery driver in Northern Myanmar.
"Thanks, Mr. Qin! I didn't do anything; I'm just riding Brother Yuan's coattails!"
"Ah Shi, no need for polite words, if you encounter any issues in the future, don't hesitate to find me!"
In student days, peer relationships are mostly about "liking" or "disliking."
Clearly, at this moment, Qin Shi had moved from the latter to the former in Li Yuan's eyes.
The setting sun gradually faded, leaving only a few dim rays of setting sun that had not yet dissipated.
They each put on their sweat-drenched T-shirts, cleaned the training room, locked the door, and left together.
Old Liang's teaching style had always been like that, telling you what you need to learn and then letting go completely.
How well you train depended entirely on your own efforts and persistence.
"At this moment, Old Liang is definitely drinking somewhere."
Looking at the empty, silent corridor, Li Yuan mumbled a few words and then called out to Qin Shi:
"Ah Shi, after taking your Nutritional Paste today, you'll have to eat an extra meal tonight, which isn't great for you.
How about this, we'll take you to a place! To meet someone more impressive!"
Xie Yucheng slung his army green bag casually and smiled:
"Brother Yuan, have you thought it through? Mr. Qin is a well-behaved student from New No. 1 High School. Don't lead him astray."
Li Yuan snorted:
"What are you talking about! I'm not going to take Ah Shi to a video hall to watch porn. We work hard to learn martial arts and techniques so that we become strong and don't get bullied!
Meeting Brother Ze from Beiguan Street, Ah Shi won't be afraid of having no one to help him when he encounters trouble in the future!"
Listening to their conversation, Qin Shi raised his eyebrows slightly:
"Brother Yuan, Brother Cheng, where is this Beiguan Street you are talking about?"
Li Yuan raised his chin:
"It's that night market on Xingshun Road. Many people set up stalls to sell clothes. Recently, they built a luxurious bathhouse there... which is now under Brother Ze's protection."
It sounded a bit like the "Causeway Bay Chen Haonan" story.
Qin Shi did not refuse. Li Yuan and Xie Yucheng did not seem like they were working lowly jobs in the outer mines after dropping out.
They often talked about "Brother Ze" and "boxers" in their conversations.
It was somewhat intriguing.
"Then I'll go with you and gain some knowledge."
Qin Shi smiled warmly.
"Let's go."
...
...
As the figures of the three teenagers disappeared at the stairway, Old Liang, with a limp, emerged from the side.
The afternoon's sparring training had all been witnessed by his eyes, moving his gaze down following Qin Shi's movements.
"If we say this kid's training method is outstanding. Then, his technique is simply at a genius level!"
Old Liang lightly licked his chapped lips, his fingers holding the cigarette trembling slightly, his face uncontrollably showing a trace of fanaticism.
If Qin Shi saw this scene, he might recall a certain type of person he used to frequently see while driving and running goods in Northern Myanmar in his past life — gamblers who bet everything they have on buying rough stones!
"My luck has come, my luck... has finally come! He is indeed a natural martial arts prodigy!"