However, seeing the clear, sincere look in Chen Jue’s eyes, Zhao Jianguo decided to explain what it meant.
"That warmth you mentioned is actually the blood flowing faster through your body."
"Have you ever seen a cat pounce on a mouse? Before it leaps, it lowers its tail and its fur stands on end. The instant it pounces, its physical strength and explosive power reach their absolute peak."
"If you can manage to strike an enemy before that warmth fades, you’ll be able to unleash your body’s maximum explosive power."
"In truth, whether it’s Tai Chi, other fist styles, Martial Arts, or any of that so-called National Martial Arts nonsense you see online, they were all originally created for killing enemies and combat."
"We live in peaceful times now, so the actual combat applications of these arts have mostly been lost, leaving only flashy, impractical forms. If you’re interested in learning how to fight, perhaps I could find an old master to teach you!" Zhao Jianguo explained, a newfound appreciation for the young man’s potential stirring within him.
"Fighting applications?"
"To learn for self-defense?"
A thought struck Chen Jue, and he remembered his [Hidden Weapon Throwing] Skill, already at the Master Level.
’Whether it’s within seven steps or beyond, no fist fighting or Martial Arts could possibly be faster than my darts.’
’Besides, public safety in Huaxia is exceptionally good. I have no need to learn these so-called fighting techniques for self-defense.’
’I shouldn’t bite off more than I can chew. I’ll focus on grinding out the Skills on my panel first!’
So, he replied tactfully, "Thank you, Teacher Zhao! I’ll think it over." With that, Chen Jue left the small grove where the Tai Chi Class was held.
As he passed the main entrance of the park, Wu Fang was nowhere to be seen.
Apparently, Teacher Wu had finished her morning exercises and left for the school where she taught. Only Elder Wu remained, clutching a thermos and cheerfully watching several old men play chess.
"Elder, I’d like to ask you something!" Chen Jue said, approaching him.
"What is it?"
Elder Wu glanced at Chen Jue. He realized he couldn’t quite see through this once-pudgy young man anymore.
Chen Jue’s demeanor, way of speaking, and even his physique had undergone a heaven-and-earth-shattering transformation compared to when they first met.
"Elder, you’re a university professor, aren’t you?"
"I was wondering, is there any way to go back to school after you’ve already graduated?" Chen Jue explained his idea.
After witnessing Fatty Bai’s sudden death, Chen Jue was struck more than ever by the fragility of life and the depths of his own ignorance.
He could find plenty of information online about the human body, health, and exercise, but that kind of haphazard searching couldn’t compare to systematic, structured learning.
’As for where to find the most knowledge in the world? The answer, of course, is a school!’
"Oh! You want to go back to school?"
"That’s wonderful news!" As soon as he heard this, Elder Wu put away his thermos.
As the old saying goes: live and learn.
As a retired professor who had dedicated his life to education, he had seen more than his share of flighty, impatient youths. It was rare to encounter someone like Chen Jue, who had already entered society but wanted to return to his studies.
So, Elder Wu enthusiastically began to offer Chen Jue guidance, and with a touch of personal curiosity, he also asked about Chen Jue’s educational and professional background.
When he heard Chen Jue only had an associate’s degree, Elder Wu was taken aback for a moment. That level of education was certainly a bit lacking, a complete mismatch for his own family’s star-student genes.
Moreover, Chen Jue was getting on in years; he would be thirty in just a few months.
At his age, retaking the college entrance exam was clearly out of the question. The only options were adult self-study exams, correspondence courses, or auditing classes at a university.
Chen Jue knew about adult self-study exams and correspondence courses, of course. They basically involved paying for classes and then taking standardized tests to get a diploma.
When he had been hitting a wall in his job search, Chen Jue had considered this path as a way to upgrade his associate’s degree, hoping it would serve as a foot in the door at a big corporation.
But now, his life’s pursuits had changed. He no longer cared about formalities like diplomas.
What he wanted was precious knowledge about the human body. So, Chen Jue asked about the requirements to become an auditing student.
"That’s simple. Just get a certificate of employment from your current workplace."
"Then I’ll write you a letter of recommendation and put in a good word with an old acquaintance of mine at Jiang University. That should be all you need!" Hearing that Chen Jue wasn’t just chasing a diploma, Elder Wu’s opinion of him instantly improved even more.
Before Chen Jue left, however, Elder Wu asked him what major he wanted to study.
Chen Jue wasn’t yet familiar with the majors at Jiang University, so he just gave a general field of interest, saying he was happy to audit anything related to the human body.
"Related to the human body?"
"That covers a lot of ground!"
"Biological Sciences, Basic Medical Sciences, Clinical Medicine, Pharmacology... well, since you’re just auditing, it won’t hurt to take a few extra subjects. You can even keep my grandson company..."
Elder Wu muttered to himself, watching Chen Jue’s back as he departed, calling out his thanks. "This kid... he’s pretty interesting!"
...
After leaving the park, Chen Jue grabbed breakfast nearby and then drove to Hengtong Mansion.
The news of Fatty Bai’s sudden death from the day before was still making the rounds. As soon as Chen Jue entered the building, he heard the receptionists, security guards, and even people from the company in the elevator discussing it in hushed tones.
He first went up to the 17th floor to the risk control department and found many of the workstations empty.
He asked around and learned that everyone was afraid of ending up like Shen Shikun—going to the restroom and never coming back—so they had all taken the day off to go to the hospital for physicals.
Faced with this delicate situation, Chen Jue sighed to himself. ’If I didn’t have this panel, I’d probably be just like them, swept along by the current.’
He walked over to his workstation and saw Li Mo tackling a pile of documents from the day before, huge dark circles under his eyes. Chen Jue approached him and asked about the arrangements for Shen Shikun.
He learned that the incident had reached upper management, who had sent people overnight to appease the family. The compensation, which included hush money, was negotiated to three million yuan.
While this amount was far beyond the standard compensation, the thought of a human life being equated with a cold, hard number still made Chen Jue’s chest tighten.
’Perhaps in the eyes of a massive financial corporation like Hengtong, a single human life is worth far less than the company’s reputation.’
The funeral and other arrangements would likely be in one or two weeks. Everyone from Team Five would attend the service to see Fatty Bai off on his final journey.
As the person who sat next to Fatty Bai, Chen Jue would definitely be there.
But Chen Jue hadn’t come to see Li Mo just to ask about the arrangements.
"Team Leader, I need a certificate of employment. And while we’re at it, can I apply for an unpaid leave of absence?" Chen Jue asked, sitting in the chair beside Li Mo’s desk.
"Unpaid leave?"
"You want to quit?"
Li Mo stared, his dark-circled eyes widening in surprise.
He knew Shen Shikun’s sudden death would have a huge impact on his team; several members had even used their annual leave to get check-ups at major out-of-town hospitals.
But everyone who worked here was smart. They knew how high the hiring bar was at Hengtong, and how good the pay was.
If a position opened up, people on the outside would be killing themselves to get in!
And now he had someone who actually wanted out. How bizarre was that?
"Team Leader, I’m almost thirty. I’m done with the rat race."
"I can’t keep up with the grind, so I want to get out for a bit, recharge my batteries, and learn some new things. Think of it as a long vacation," Chen Jue said, his face serene.
To use the slang of the younger generation, he’d been stuck on Langlang Mountain for too long and wanted to go out and explore the world.
As for his previous caution and talk of "risk control," that was just his old, conservative mindset causing trouble.
’The rat race literally killed the guy at the next desk. How could I possibly have the heart to keep working here now!’
’The right thing to do is to leave this nine-to-five grind as soon as possible, reclaim a life of freedom and ease, and free up my time and energy to pursue what I truly want.’