Starting to Gain Experience from Push-Ups
Chapter 480 - 288: Fate, Playing Dirty (2/2, Bonus - for Monthly Votes)

Chapter 480: Chapter 288: Fate, Playing Dirty (2/2, Bonus Chapter for Monthly Votes)

Fang Cheng reviewed the battle process from last night.

The reason why he didn’t choose to fight to the death with the members of the Special Search Team.

On one hand, he didn’t think it was necessary, and on the other, he was indeed apprehensive.

The power of that Chief Gao after transforming was enough to pose a deadly threat to him.

As the Special Search Team is an official agency, since they dispatched such a Senior Investigator, it is logical to deduce that there must be other team members nearby, or even follow-up support units.

If a few more experts of such caliber appeared, or if the opponent used even more powerful weapons.

In such an uncertain situation at the time, dragging it out could lead to unpredictable outcomes.

Though Fang Cheng is confident, he is never arrogant; instead, he has always been cautious in his actions.

What’s more, there have been so many incidents recently, and they are too sensitive.

The treasure-snatching turmoil at Mist Mountain, although it has come to an end, the subsequent influence is clearly still fermenting.

Coupled with the several conflicts with the Noah Organization before the end of the year, and that Ghoul King "Jiang Chen" who seemed to disappear from the world, they are hidden dangers that cannot be ignored.

More importantly, it is now clear that someone is secretly investigating him.

Fang Cheng is not sure who this hidden figure is, or which power they belong to.

But from Chief Gao’s attitude and words, he can make some basic judgments.

The other party mistook him for "White Owl" and said he was tracking Xu Hao as if working for the Noah Organization.

In this way, the changes occurring with Xu Hao are undoubtedly related to the Noah Organization.

By further reasoning, the Special Search Team’s overnight kidnapping of Xu Hao and secretly taking him away must also be linked to this mysterious organization.

The question is, who is secretly investigating him?

Is it the Noah Organization as previously guessed?

Or the Special Search Team he encountered last night?

Or is there another hidden force that has yet to surface?

All sorts of possibilities intertwine in Fang Cheng’s mind, leaving him feeling shrouded in fog, unable to see clearly.

As he contemplated, a sudden whoosh of wind approached from behind!

Almost out of combat instinct, Fang Cheng turned slightly without looking back, reflexively reaching with his right hand like lightning.

Slap!

Precisely and steadily, he caught the incoming object—

However, the feel in his hand was soft and elastic.

Fang Cheng looked closely and realized it was a blue and white striped soccer ball.

He then turned around and saw a few seven or eight-year-old boys running over from not far away.

When those kids saw the ball being caught so easily, they clearly paused, hesitating.

They seemed startled by the sudden swift reaction of this big brother.

Fang Cheng tossed the beach ball in his hand into the air, gently tapping it with the tip of his right foot at the moment it fell.

The ball drew a perfect arc, landing precisely back on the sand in front of the kids several meters away.

"Wow—"

"Big brother is amazing!"

"I know, he must be a soccer star from TV!"

The kids were first stunned, then erupted into excited cheers and praises, talking animatedly.

They laughed and ran off after retrieving the ball.

Fang Cheng watched their carefree backs, a faint smile curving his lips.

This small episode momentarily interrupted his thoughts, but also dispelled part of the gloom in his heart.

Under the gazes from around, Fang Cheng turned calmly, continuing his walk.

His gaze unintentionally caught sight of a scene not far away.

On a flat sandy area near the shore, a girl in a white dress with waist-length hair was struggling to stand up from a wheelchair.

She looked about seventeen or eighteen years old, tall and well-proportioned, with a pure and delicate profile, though her complexion was somewhat pale.

Supporting herself on the wheelchair’s armrest, her legs trembled.

Once she managed to stand steadily, she cautiously took a step, but before the second step landed, she lost balance and tilted to one side.

At that moment, a tall young man nearby swiftly rushed over and supported her steadily.

"Take it slow, don’t rush."

The man’s voice was gentle, filled with concern.

After being helped, the girl seemed a bit unwilling, stubbornly pursing her lips, shaking off the man’s hand.

She then took a deep breath, trying to walk independently again.

Her bright eyes bore a resilience that didn’t match her fragile appearance.

It seemed that this girl had encountered some misfortune, her legs injured, and was now undergoing difficult rehabilitation training.

Fang Cheng watched silently for a while, then withdrew his gaze, his thoughts returning to calm.

Life is always so unpredictable, no one can fully control their own destiny.

However, no matter who is secretly watching him, no matter how the future situation changes, one thing is certain—

Before the situation becomes completely clear, remaining low-key, quietly amassing strength and enhancing himself, is the most prudent choice.

Thinking about strength, Fang Cheng naturally recalled the newly acquired Skill Effect.

The potential for the "Infinite Continuous Punching" move, its actual combat effect and extreme power, await verification.

But such a powerful move is not suitable for testing in a room or a crowded beach park.

He must find a place that is secluded enough and safe enough to properly experiment, understanding its usage tips.

Only then can it truly play a role at critical moments, becoming a reliable advantage in his hand.

As his thoughts surged, he recalled Chief Gao’s promise.

If the Special Search Team’s purpose for kidnapping Xu Hao was indeed to handle some "internal affairs."

Then once things are done, Xu Hao should have been released by now, right?

No matter what the Special Search Team is up to, I need to get the exact information about "who is investigating me" from Xu Hao as soon as possible.

That was the original reason I approached Xu Hao, and it is the most urgent issue that needs to be resolved now.

Thinking of this, Fang Cheng’s eyes sharpened, and he made a decision in his heart.

It’s time to contact Xu Hao once again.

However, before that, I need to deal with a very important image issue.

My current bald look, although I can cover it with a hat, is still too conspicuous when moving around the city, likely to attract unnecessary attention.

Especially after having a conflict with the official Special Search Team, they might have noted down my physical characteristics and are searching everywhere.

It seems I need to get a proper wig and do some other disguises first.

Having made up his mind, Fang Cheng didn’t stay on the beach, and turned to walk towards the city center.

The sea breeze still blew, the waves still surged.

Fang Cheng walked steadily and soon blended into the gradually bustling city crowd.

..................

In the daylight of East City, the sunlight struggled to penetrate the clouds, but the towering skyscrapers fragmented the light and shadows.

The "Midnight Forest" bar located in Wenchuan District.

At this moment the door is tightly closed, with a wooden sign that reads "Closed for Rest" hanging on it, appearing particularly quiet.

As if nothing happened here last night.

However, inside a rest room on the second floor of the bar, the atmosphere is not relaxed.

The air is filled with the pungent smell of disinfectant.

Xu Hao is shirtless, lying on the sofa, with bruises all over, and his arms and head wrapped in fresh bandages.

Xiao Qing is carefully attending to a wound on his back with a cotton swab.

Her movements are gentle, but her eyes are slightly red, with what seemed like tears swirling in them.

Last night, she watched Xu Hao being attacked by those two fierce men in jackets, while she was knocked unconscious.

After waking up, she was anxious and has been staying here, sleepless through the night.

The cotton swab soaked with alcohol touched the open wound, bringing a strong sting.

Xu Hao didn’t even furrow his brow, just grinned and said in a nonchalant tone:

"Alright, alright, don’t fuss over it, it’s just a small wound, hurry up, I still have things to do!"

His voice was still rough, but there was no blame intended for Xiao Qing, instead, he seemed to emphasize that his injuries were no big deal, not worth making a fuss over.

Xiao Qing felt even more heartbroken by his words, her voice trembled:

"Brother Hao, you bled a lot..."

"Hey, a guy without a few scars can’t even greet people when going out!"

Xu Hao casually waved his hand, and a faint soft look flashed in his eyes when he glanced over Xiao Qing’s worried face.

But he quickly returned to his fearless demeanor and urged:

"Come on, hurry up, don’t delay."

So, Xiao Qing bit her lip and concentrated more on disinfecting and applying medicine for him.

For a moment, only the subtle sound of the cotton swab rubbing against the skin was heard in the room.

The lighting was dim, and they were very close.

The faint fragrance from Xiao Qing mixed with the smell of the medicine lingered at Xu Hao’s nose, making him feel a little itchy as if he wanted to sneeze.

At that moment, a somewhat rough voice broke the brief silence.

"Brother Hao, you’re finally back! What happened last night? You got all the brothers worried!"

The speaker was Xu Hao’s trusted underling, a burly man with a buzz cut and a scorpion tattoo on his neck.

With his words, Xu Hao seemed to just notice them, looking up towards the rest room’s door.

Seven or eight robust men, with tattoos, stood outside, each looking over with a heavy expression.

Being stared at by so many eyes, Xiao Qing’s face suddenly turned rosy, and she quickly lowered her head, speeding up her actions.

Xu Hao raised an eyebrow, his face immediately returned to a defiant look, deliberately coughed, and said loudly:

"Damn it! Don’t mention it, it was those damn bastards from the East City Association, playing dirty!"

"Those bastards have no sense of decency, launching a sneak attack when I wasn’t looking! Do they think they’re tough just because of their numbers? Bullshit!"

He naturally wouldn’t be foolish enough to talk about the Special Search Team.

Such an official violent organization is not something their gang can provoke.

Blaming it on the nemesis, East City Association, not only explains his injuries and disappearance but also unites the gang with a common enemy, boosting morale.

Sure enough, when they heard it was done by the East City Association, the underlings exploded.

"Damn! Those bastards from East City Association, they’re gutsy!"

"Dare to mess with our Red Tiger Gang? I think they’ve got a death wish!"

"Brother Hao, just give the order! We’ll take the brothers and go over and thrash them now."

"Yeah! Flatten the East City Association!"

The atmosphere was instantly charged, with shouts and clamor rising one after another.

The boss being humiliated is an insult to the entire branch, and no one could swallow this.

Xu Hao looked at the roaring subordinates, but he felt rather awkward inside.

If they really go to fight, wouldn’t his lie be exposed?

He quickly pretended to be generous and waved his hand:

"Alright, alright, everyone quiet the hell down! Retaliation isn’t urgent, let’s put this matter on hold, and discuss it later, all of you, discuss it later!"

However, his trusted underling didn’t shut up immediately, he stepped closer and whispered:

"Brother Hao, since there was no news from you last night, I was worried something big might have happened to you, so I sent brothers to search for your whereabouts and also reported this matter to the Gang Leader..."

He said this with a flattering tone, words carrying a hint of commendation.

Hearing this, Xu Hao felt his heart skip a beat.

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