Chapter 60: A Dazzling Display of Skill

Lei Lei was deeply intrigued by Zhang Wenhao. Based on the rumors she had heard from others about his exploits—such as single-handedly fighting off ruthless criminals—she found it difficult to reconcile that image with the suave, refined young man in a suit before her. In her mind, Zhang Wenhao should have been a burly, rugged fellow, and she had even wagered with herself that his appearance would be decidedly unattractive, perhaps even fierce and intimidating.

Yet, upon seeing Zhang Wenhao in person, she had to admit that her intuition had failed spectacularly. The Zhang Wenhao before her was tall and slender; his features, though not exceptionally handsome, could certainly be described as refined. His hair was dark and a little long, seeming soft to the touch, and he carried himself with a harmony that made a strong impression. Whenever he spoke, a faint smile lingered on his face, giving him a healthy, sunny aura.

Lei Lei’s personality was shaped largely by her father, whom she regarded as her greatest idol. Because of him, a strong streak of heroism colored her heart, unusual for a girl of her age. Among her peers, she was something of an oddity. Unlike most girls, she cared little for flashy clothes or the latest trends; she had no interest in the popular pretty boys, nor did she swoon over celebrities. She shared little common ground with her classmates—while they screamed excitedly over stars they’d never met, she found it the most boring thing in the world. When they discussed which boys at school were the coolest or most handsome, she felt an aversion to those superficial standards.

What she valued most in a person was their bearing, and her prime criterion for assessing one’s bearing was whether they looked tough enough. Unfortunately, Zhang Wenhao did not appear tough at all. Yet, paradoxically, this seemingly frail young man possessed a hardness of spirit that even her father admired, and the feats he had accomplished—things one would expect only in the movies—made her all the more curious about him.

Zhang Xingping spoke up, “Wenhao, Lei Lei is just like you—she’ll soon be taking the college entrance exams. You two should have plenty to talk about.” Turning to Song Huafang, he added, “Huafang, you’re meeting Xiao Xue for the first time—have a good chat. We’re all rough types; the topics we discuss might not interest you.”

At that moment, Lei Zhanjun happened to walk over, smiling as he addressed Lei Lei, “Lei Lei, you’ve been wanting to meet Zhang Wenhao all day—now you finally have. How does it feel?”

Lei Lei smiled slightly at her father. “Dad, I can hardly believe he managed to take on eight men by himself, especially since they were vicious criminals.”

Lei Zhanjun patted Zhang Wenhao on the shoulder, laughing. “Appearances can be deceiving. Wenhao might look thin, but he’s secretly practiced real combat for years—even your Uncle Zhang didn’t know.”

Lei Lei asked, intrigued, “Real combat? Is that more powerful than Taekwondo or Jeet Kune Do?”

Lei Zhanjun laughed heartily. “One’s for looking good in a fight; the other is for taking your opponent out. Which do you think is stronger?”

Just then, a middle-aged man known as ‘Little Rascal’ sidled up, grinning. “Wenhao, dare to spar with your uncle? I’ve kept up with my combat and Sanda all these years.”

“Nonsense,” Lei Zhanjun said with a hint of reproach. “Wenhao’s still injured.”

“Oh,” the man replied, a bit disappointed. “I came all the way from Inner Mongolia—I was hoping to see Wenhao show his skills.”

Zhang Xingping chuckled. “Don’t feel bad; even I, his own father, haven’t seen him in action. Why should you?”

Someone in the crowd teased, “Wenhao, you’re not being fair. We can accept you keeping your skills from us, but you shouldn’t hide them from your father.”

Lei Zhanjun laughed, asking Zhang Wenhao, “Wenhao, what kind of real combat have you practiced? Is it that military style you see circulating online?”

Zhang Wenhao shook his head. “No, I found a lot of material online and trained myself. In the end, I think I turned it into something unrecognizable.”

The real combat techniques from the Super Learning System differed greatly from those currently popular, for the system came from the future, and many things were not the same.

The man called Little Rascal looked eager. “Wenhao, how about showing us a few moves? We’re all curious, and there’s plenty of room here.”

Zhang Xingping, too, was piqued by the others’ interest and smiled. “You rascal, you’ve hidden this from your father for years. Shouldn’t you let your old man see what you’ve learned? Consider it a test to see how your training’s paid off.”

Zhang Wenhao hesitated briefly, then said, “Alright. Uncle, would you mind sparring with me?”

He glanced at the man known as Little Rascal.

Zhang Xingping nodded, smiling. “Good, just try a few moves. You have an injured left arm, so don’t go all out—just demonstrate a bit. Everyone here is an expert; they’ll spot the level from a single move.”

Zhang Wenhao raised his arms and stretched, smiling, “Look, my wound is fine now; it doesn’t hurt. Since we’re doing this, let’s do it properly.”

Little Rascal laughed, “Alright, I’ll only use one hand and stop before it gets serious. Don’t worry.”

Zhang Wenhao nodded slightly—what was the point of one hand? He’d rather let him use his full strength.

Everyone present had a military background, passionate about combat. When they saw Zhang Wenhao agree to spar with Little Rascal, a wave of cheers erupted. The crowd gathered around the open space in the private room, watching as Zhang Wenhao and Little Rascal stepped into the center.

Zhang Wenhao removed his suit and tie, unbuttoned the top two buttons of his shirt, undid the cuffs, and rolled his sleeves below the elbow. He said to Little Rascal, “Uncle, let’s begin.”

Little Rascal laughed, “My surname is Wang—Wang Sen. Just call me Uncle Wang.”

Zhang Wenhao nodded. Wang Sen took off his jacket. “I won’t attack your left side, and you should try not to move your left arm. If you can’t block my attacks, don’t worry—even if I’m fast, I’ll stop before making contact.”

Zhang Wenhao smiled faintly. “Uncle Wang, please use your full strength.”

“Good lad, that’s the spirit!” Wang Sen laughed. “Here I come!”

With that, Wang Sen launched an attack, leading with his less-practiced left fist toward Zhang Wenhao’s right side. The punch was fast and seemed strong, but Zhang Wenhao could tell he was holding back on the power.

Zhang Wenhao thought to himself, “Even injured, I don’t need this special treatment.” Suddenly, he made his move!

Rather than counterattacking, he tracked the path of Wang Sen’s fist. His right hand became a palm, bursting forth with incredible speed. The crowd expected Zhang Wenhao would struggle to defend against Wang Sen’s punch, but in the blink of an eye, the situation stunned them all.

Wang Sen’s fierce attack came to an abrupt halt—for Zhang Wenhao had seized his fist with his right hand, holding it fast so it could not advance a single inch!

Even Wang Sen was dumbfounded. He hadn’t expected Zhang Wenhao, who seemed unresponsive a moment ago, to suddenly neutralize his attack in the next, using the most direct method—grabbing his fist outright!

What surprised him even more was Zhang Wenhao’s grip; try as he might, Wang Sen could not free his left arm. How could this lanky kid have such strength?

The others saw what was happening. Wang Sen tried several times to pull his arm back, his body twitching, but his fist remained firmly in Zhang Wenhao’s grasp.

Then, Zhang Wenhao suddenly released him. “Uncle Wang, there’s no need to hold back your strength. That one doesn’t count—let’s try again!”

Wang Sen, though surprised, was now thoroughly intrigued by Zhang Wenhao’s skill. He nodded, “Alright, let’s go at it seriously this time!”

Wang Sen took a step back, then charged forward again, this time intending to use the most common three-punch combination in hand-to-hand combat.

The so-called three-punch combination is a brief sequence: first, a right hook; then, a left hook angled upward at forty-five degrees; finally, a right uppercut almost at ninety degrees from below. The first two punches are meant to confuse the opponent, drawing their focus with quick strikes from both sides. The last, a direct uppercut, is the real killer move, made deadly by the speed and seamless flow of all three.

As Wang Sen’s right fist came in, Zhang Wenhao fixed his gaze on it, then moved—not to block, but to step forward!

The onlookers were astonished. Why wasn’t Zhang Wenhao defending or dodging, but stepping forward instead? Then, as he took that step, he spun around, his back to Wang Sen—wasn’t that just inviting an attack?

But Zhang Wenhao’s next move left everyone dumbstruck.

In a fraction of a second, he stepped forward and, as he turned, suddenly raised his right hand, catching Wang Sen’s right wrist!

Impossible!

No one could believe their eyes. Zhang Wenhao had only stepped forward and turned—when had he seized Wang Sen’s wrist? His speed was so extraordinary that no one had even seen how it happened!

Yet, it had happened. Not only had Zhang Wenhao caught Wang Sen’s swift and forceful right wrist as he spun, he had lifted it to the level of his own right side and head! The force behind Wang Sen’s punch hadn’t been merely deflected—it had been completely severed!

Now, Zhang Wenhao’s physical strength had reached 10 points.

As Wang Sen’s right hand was lifted in front of him, Zhang Wenhao suddenly pulled forward. Wang Sen felt himself spinning, and before he could react, his back slammed hard into the ground!

Zhang Wenhao had thrown him over his shoulder.

From stepping forward and turning, to seizing the wrist, to the shoulder throw, the entire process was completed in the blink of an eye. The speed left everyone present utterly shocked; for a long moment, no one could recover from what they had just witnessed.

This was the very definition of being dumbfounded and lost for words.

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With this chapter, the novel has reached 160,000 words—how time flies...

A new week begins. I hope those who enjoy the book will add it to their favorites and recommend it. The story will only get more exciting, and this is just the beginning!