CHAPTER 88: CHAPTER 88: OVERTHINKING WITHOUT EXPLANATION

There was silence along the way, as Chen Lan led Lu Ren to an inner martial arts platform, where a woman in a black sports vest and gray tight-fitting pants stood with her five major muscle groups covered in electrode pads. Her every move executed with chilling precision, turning her punches and kicks into powerful gusts of wind.

Strong! Even stronger than a macho man!

What a man!

Chen Lan shouted from below the platform, "Sister Li, he’s here!"

Zhang Li stepped down, causing the platform to gently sink before gradually returning to level.

A hydraulic shock absorber?

Lu Ren raised an eyebrow, observing that the martial arts platform was made entirely of alloy, with an intricate hydraulic shock absorber designed below, allowing Zhang Li’s heavy steps to cause no damage.

Zhang Li nodded slightly at Lu Ren, then turned to Chen Lan and said, "Xiao Lan, you can go now. I’ll call you over later to help him with the registration."

"Okay, Sister Li. I’ll be going ahead, you two carry on!"

Lu Ren watched Chen Lan bounce away into the distance.

"Captain Zhang, this place is truly surprising."

"You don’t seem surprised at all."

Lu Ren turned his head and said, "Is there anything you need me to do?"

Zhang Li removed the electrode pads from her body and flexed her leg, saying, "Come up here, let me see how much your skills have improved."

Lu Ren shrugged, "Captain Zhang, I’m actually injured right now."

"You’re kidding." Zhang Li’s eyes were sharp, "You’ve perhaps understood a bit of the True Intent of Phoenix Falcon Fist."

Seeing Lu Ren’s silence, she continued with a trace of surprise in her eyes, "I didn’t expect Li Ziqing to not grasp the True Intent of the Fist Technique, yet you’ve somehow inherited it. In today’s age, there isn’t much Phoenix Falcon to observe and comprehend.

As your spirit becomes enriched through practice, once you grasp the True Intent of the Fist Technique, you’ll naturally be imbued with its deepest meaning, subtly influencing your body."

Lu Ren was speechless; what could he say? He truly didn’t know how to explain it. Was he supposed to tell her that he was not innately talented but simply learned through practice with no real epiphany?

Or perhaps, with increased Skill Level, the essentials of each stage of Phoenix Falcon Fist became naturally ingrained in his heart, seeming utterly natural, as if instinctively it should be that way.

Furthermore, many fist forms within Phoenix Falcon Fist, when elevated to Refined, seemed ambiguous, better suited to his body and physique, enhancing power and achieving perfect subtle adjustments, developing a more effective physique.

Seeing Lu Ren’s silence, Zhang Li, thinking she figured it out, smiled slightly and said, "Your martial arts talent is truly remarkable. Learning the Fist Technique for nearly a year to achieve such accomplishments already surpasses many people. You match the Phoenix Falcon Fist well, and most importantly, your innate constitution and talent are excellent, plus you had a good foundation before.

Otherwise, you wouldn’t have reached this point today."

"Ding! Zhang Li increasingly has the idea to dissect you thoroughly for research..."

Lu Ren: "..."

What rubbish talent and innate constitution, but under her spontaneous assumptions, it did save him the effort of explaining.

Lu Ren spoke, "Captain Zhang..."

"I am older than you by a few years, just call me Sister Li."

Lu Ren, compliant, changed his address, "Sister Li, what will my responsibilities be now that I’m here?"

Zhang Li said, "You usually won’t have much to do, but when certain situations arise, you’ll need to help resolve them. Points will be awarded according to the difficulty of the tasks, and of course, you can refuse. You just won’t earn points, but you’ll still receive the benefits you’re entitled to."

"Points, besides exchanging for Secret Medicine, what else can they be used for?"

"Martial Arts secrets, Treasure Medicine for the body, Divine Weapons, protective armor, and more." Zhang Li’s expression turned somewhat peculiar, "If you wish to go to space or participate in a lunar mission or something like that, it’s not impossible.

Additionally, besides task participation, you can exchange Treasure Medicine scrolls or rare metals for contributions."

Good heavens, it’s quite cunning indeed, but this mechanism could significantly stimulate the enthusiasm of the Martial Arts Family, keeping the Security Bureau from stagnating.

As for whether there’s anything bad about not participating, Zhang Li explained there wouldn’t be any, everything is voluntary without any coercion, they just hope that if there are extremely dangerous situations in the country, you can lend a hand.

A very relaxed mechanism also taps into the Martial Artist’s inner points; even without exertion, the country is still willing to support these people. In today’s era of ample resources, solving major societal instability requires only minimal material cost—why not do it?

"Do you agree?" Zhang Li inquired.

Lu Ren nodded slightly, "I agree, why wouldn’t I?"

Who would’ve thought a renegade from a quality education like me could one day become a national civil servant...

Lu Ren felt exhilarated inside but maintained a calm appearance, trying hard to keep a composed demeanor.

Seeing Lu Ren’s nonchalance, Zhang Li couldn’t help but purse her lips.

Posturing!

"Alright, you’re now a member of my team. After you finish the registration procedures, I’ll take you to meet your teammates from our group."

Lu Ren had no objection to this arrangement, agreeing wholeheartedly.

After completing the procedures and registration, it was already noon. Following Zhang Li to the canteen, in sight were mostly high-protein meat dishes. Tens of pigs, cattle, and sheep were roasted and sliced, available for self-service, along with staple dishes like sausages and rice.

Although he didn’t understand why they ate so much with Highly Concentrated Nutrient Pills available, Lu Ren wasn’t particularly bothered and actually felt quite good about it. After all, satisfying the appetite substantially alleviates stress from Fist Technique training and helps recovery from mental fatigue.

Moreover, the physiques of the Martial Arts Family were strong. If it weren’t for their excellent digestion, they’d be like fecal-producing machines...

Many people dined, mostly using basin-sized plates to hold their food, and even Zhang Li next to him was no exception.

"Although the Highly Concentrated Nutrient Pills are nice, their taste is bland. Generally, good food can relieve stress unless during missions or high-intensity special training; otherwise, many people prefer meals."

While explaining, Zhang Li piled various meat dishes onto her plate and scooped up a big bowl of rice.

Almost everyone had piles of food resembling small mountains on their plates.

He pondered, seemingly these folks hadn’t reached the point where they needed Highly Concentrated Nutrient Pills to maintain daily energy expenditure.

As Lu Ren assembled his food, he casually asked, "If you don’t have Highly Concentrated Nutrient Pills, how many times a day do you use the bathroom?"

In ancient times, it was said that grandmasters of martial arts could eat like an elephant, with a major release every two hours.

This isn’t mere exaggeration; similar situations indeed exist. The higher the martial artist’s power level and stronger the physique, the greater the energy consumption required to maintain bodily functions.