"Welcome, right this way."
At the bar's entrance.
Multicolored neon lights scattered the darkness of the night, revealing a straight path to the bustling hall.
The fake smile had been plastered on his face for so long it felt like a mask, and Xiaoyang could feel his cheeks growing stiff.
But no one paid him any mind.
Guests chatted and laughed as they brushed past, not giving him a second glance despite his polite and respectful demeanor.
PHEW!
'This job is such a pain... When on earth will Brother Hao finally give me the nod to join the Hongyi Society so I can stop doing these odd jobs?'
Feeling frustrated, Xiaoyang hesitated, wondering if he should go find Brother Hao again.
"Hey, you. Come over here and park my car."
A streamlined blue [Sheng Yan] roared to a stop not far from the entrance. A young man wearing a luxury watch got out with his arm around his female companion and beckoned to him.
"Sorry, I... I don't know how to park cars..."
"Then what the fuck are you standing here for?"
The young man cursed in displeasure, causing another attendant to hurry over, offer some placating words, and take the keys to park the car, thus averting a scene.
Witnessing all this, and then watching the young man walk into the bar with his arm around his companion, Xiaoyang felt his frustration deepen. He gritted his teeth, a growing sense of irritation bubbling up inside him.
'Should I be like Li Heng and get a driver's license too?'
'But the training is too expensive, at least seven or eight thousand yuan. Where would I save up that kind of money?'
As he agonized over it, the light before him dimmed slightly.
A somewhat stocky figure approached. Xiaoyang subconsciously put on his professional fake smile and suppressed his emotions. "Welcome... huh?"
Stunned for a moment, he got a clear look at the person's face and quickly came to his senses.
"Ah Chao, it's you."
As if letting out a sigh of relief, Xiaoyang's expression relaxed considerably. With a familiar smile, he instinctively went to pat Lu Chao's shoulder.
But he found that the other man seemed to be standing a little taller, so he had to settle for patting his elbow instead.
"How come you're so late today? Brother Qiang was looking for you earlier."
"Hurry up and get changed..."
He seemed to be back in his element, urging him on deliberately, like a veteran guiding a rookie, full of confidence.
"Okay, I got it. Thanks, Xiaoyang."
Lu Chao smiled, nodded, and responded calmly.
Without offering any further explanation, he parted ways with the other man and walked straight into the bar.
Watching his retreating figure, Xiaoyang's smile faded, and he found it strange.
He clearly looked the same.
'But why did Ah Chao seem a little different today?'
...
「A few minutes later.」
After explaining his intentions to Zhou Qiang, Lu Chao walked into the office on the second floor of the bar and, just as he'd hoped, met with Brother Hao.
"Fighting Level?"
Not just Zhou Qiang, but also Chen Junhao, who was sitting behind the mahogany desk, was slightly surprised. The fingers holding his cigarette paused for a moment.
Then, he tossed the cigarette into the ashtray on the desk.
He stood up, walked around the mahogany desk, and stopped in front of Lu Chao.
His sharp, brilliant eyes scanned Lu Chao from top to bottom.
"Vigorous qi and blood, power flowing through your body... You really did it, kid."
The surprised expression was quickly replaced by sincere gratification. Chen Junhao clapped Lu Chao heavily on the shoulder and broke into a smile.
He couldn't remember the last time someone from the orphanage had broken through to the Fighting Level.
"Good. Very good."
"It might have taken you three months, but don't you listen to any of that bullshit about having insufficient potential."
His expression turning serious, Chen Junhao thought about how long Lu Chao had been training and made a point of advising him, "For people with our background, we have to fight for everything with our own two fists."
"Breaking through is a good thing, period! There's no such thing as better or worse!"
His powerful voice rang out. Lu Chao was taken aback for a moment, then he too broke into a smile.
He had indeed heard people at the boxing gym subtly mention something about this earlier today.
The implication was that taking three months to break through only proved he had low talent and limited potential, and his hopes of breaking through the Professional Level barrier were slim.
However.
[Potential Progress: 99%]
Thinking of his Potential Progress, which had risen again and was now just one step away from completion, Lu Chao wasn't worried in the slightest.
His talent didn't lie in his innate aptitude. [Glutton] would allow him to transform and be reborn, one step at a time.
"I understand, Brother Hao."
Lu Chao nodded heavily, committing the man's words to memory.
As the two chatted, Chen Junhao lit another cigarette and invited him to sit on the sofa to the side.
"Now that you've reached the Fighting Level, this security job really is beneath you."
"But have you thought about your future?"
There was a fruit platter on the marble table, the light from the crystal chandelier reflecting off its surface.
Lu Chao didn't hide anything. Just as he had told Zheng Wu, he explained his future plans.
"The Patrol Department, huh..."
Chen Junhao's eyes flickered. He exhaled a cloud of smoke. 'As I expected,' he thought.
"The Patrol Department isn't bad. Even as a third-class patrol officer, you get free access to the inner city circle."
"The benefits are no worse than some small to medium-sized companies, and they have internal channels for resources. Exchanging for potions and other things is quite cost-effective..."
Chen Junhao nodded lightly, approving of his choice.
"However."
His tone shifted as he exhaled a puff of smoke, a half-smile on his face. "Are you really content to watch others advance faster than you?"
He was hinting at something, but Lu Chao looked confused, not quite understanding his meaning.
"The resources required for the Fighting Level are a much greater expense than before. You should have heard about this at the gym."
Chen Junhao pointed to an apple in the platter on the table. "The Patrol Department's compensation is certainly good."
"But if you rely solely on the resources from that one job, breaking through to the Professional Level will take forever."
Lu Chao understood this, but he didn't have any ideas at the moment.
Most security companies didn't accept part-time workers. Once he joined the Patrol Department, it would be difficult to hold a position at another company.
As for sponsorship, he had heard from other senior brothers at the gym that not everyone could get it. You usually needed a certain level of talent and potential to even have a chance.
Take Shen Tianchen, for example. Rumor had it that he was scouted by [Hengjia Security] and given a lot of resources and sponsorship, which was why his progress had been so rapid even after reaching the Fighting Level.
'And me... I took almost three months to break through...'
"Heh."
As if seeing his predicament, Chen Junhao chuckled, then pointed to a golden orange in the fruit platter, picked it up, and tossed it to him.
"I have a boxing club under my name. It's completely clean, with no connection to the Hongyi Society whatsoever."
With a smile, Chen Junhao said in a serious tone, "I can sponsor you in the club's name. A monthly portion of a basic Life Potion, plus a forty-kilogram share of Exotic Beast Meat. You won't have to do anything normally, just show up and keep things in order during critical moments."
"If you break through to the Professional Level in the future, the resources will double. In any case, it's thirty percent higher than what other fighters on the market get."
This...
Lu Chao's expression froze, a flash of surprise in his eyes.
He never imagined Brother Hao would be willing to sponsor him, especially since he already owed him so many favors.
"Ah Chao, the deal Brother Hao is giving you is nothing to sneeze at. It's even better than what some veteran Fighting Level masters get."
Zhou Qiang, who had been standing in the room the whole time, spoke up at the right moment to persuade him. "As for the Patrol Department, don't worry. They know the score. It's something they'll turn a blind eye to. How many people in there have dirty hands anyway?"
"Plenty of them are in bed with the megacorporations. It's been an unspoken rule for a long time. Besides, the club is completely independent of the society. Even if they investigated, they wouldn't find anything to pin on you."
Chen Junhao didn't interrupt, just sat quietly on the sofa opposite him, smoking and exhaling.
Some things just had to be made clear from the beginning. He didn't want to fall out with a junior he admired over something trivial.
Suddenly, the atmosphere fell silent, leaving only the breathing of the three men in the room.
Lu Chao glanced at the golden orange in his hand. It felt slightly cool to the touch.
He wasn't sure if Brother Hao had other motives. After all, this sponsorship came at the perfect time and was extremely beneficial to him.
But.
He thought of all the kindness he'd been shown lately—from the help with his rent when he first left the orphanage, to the security job later on, and the "consolation money" he was deliberately given before.
A warm current stirred and settled deep in his heart.
Lu Chao thought it over and finally made his decision.
"Thank you, Brother Hao!"