Chapter 124: Chapter 118: A Coincidental Meeting Part 1 Chapter 124: Chapter 118: A Coincidental Meeting Part 1 Clang!

The two longswords collided instantly.

Chen Wu took a step back, his longsword slashing toward Yuan Yonglong’s hand in a fluid motion. The high-speed friction of the two blade bodies was particularly ear-piercing.

Yuan Yonglong flipped his blade body, parrying Chen Wu’s attack, and hopped back a little.

“Not bad, Xiaowu, your speed has increased again.” His face showed satisfaction.

“It’s all thanks to Master’s good teaching,” Chen Wu replied steadily, his face expressionless.

The two were sparring in the First Sword Room, with only Xu Ruoruo present and no one else around. Such internal sparring between master and disciple was naturally confidential. Lin Yuanshan was outside, instructing newly added students.

“How is your sister doing now?” Yuan Yonglong gently sheathed his longsword, asking with concern.

“Not bad. Since that day, she and Wang Chunli have both been recovering well. However, no matter how much I ask, she won’t say why she ran out of the hospital that day,” Chen Wu said, worry flashing through his eyes. “Also that day, I unexpectedly fell asleep.”

Xu Ruoruo also frowned and said, “If it was deliberate, such ability is truly terrifying; even the strongest person is powerless when asleep.”

“Maybe you were just too tired, too worried about your sister,” Yuan Yonglong hesitated, then offered these words of comfort to Chen Wu.

“Perhaps,” said Chen Wu, regaining his usual calm.

In the spacious First Sword Room, the bright floor clearly reflected the figures’ shadows. The white floor added a chill to the already somewhat cold Sword Room.

A slight worry suddenly surged in Chen Wu’s heart.

Click.

The door of the Sword Room slowly opened from the outside.

A young man with slightly long hair, almost reaching his shoulders, entered with a smile. He wore a loose, all-black outfit for practicing swordsmanship, which somewhat resembled the ancient Hua Nation men’s clothing, but without the wide sleeves. It was unisex, belonging to the neutral-style clothes recently issued by the club. As the person in charge had stated, since Taekwondo had its specific outfits, they should also have their own distinctive clothing.

This resulting outfit designed by a specialist was aesthetically pleasing, comfortable, and suitable for athletics.

Chen Wu was also in this outfit, though only wearing the pants, with his upper body bare. He practiced swordplay for long periods, typically discarding his top to deal with sweat that would otherwise soak through his clothes.

Seeing this nominally eldest senior brother enter, Chen Wu slowly sheathed his sword. Although the other did not know much about swordsmanship, he knew that everything presently available to him, including his master, was provided by this person.

This eldest brother, Lin Fei, always appeared warm and gentle, rarely showing any other expressions. He seemed like a person with a good temperament, and indeed he was. Unlike the unruly young masters they had imagined, this senior treated everyone with warmth and courtesy, showing none of the haughtiness typical of wealthy families. Moreover, with sharp eyes and ample vitality, he was definitely not one of those debased characters who indulged in sensuality to the detriment of their health. Thus, Chen Wu had a very good impression of him.

As he entered, everyone immediately knew there might be an announcement.

Indeed, Lin Fei clapped his hands lightly.

“Excuse me, everyone, please pause for a moment. I have something to announce,” he said, glancing at Chen Wu, whose bare upper body showed tightly coiled muscles with not an ounce of excess fat. With a slight movement, one could see his extremely robust muscles flow like little mice.

“Recently, the club has hired a highly skilled nutritionist, specifically to tailor meals and drinks for replenishing strength and nutrients. Please note that if anyone undergoes intense training that significantly depletes their energy, they can directly consult the nutritionist at the logistics department to apply for special resource provisions.”

“A nutritionist?” Yuan Yonglong’s face turned red, “Are there really people dedicated to nutrition now?”

“Yes, they have certification in this field and are much more professional than us,” Xu Ruoruo, who seemed well-informed, quickly explained.

Lin Fei nodded with a smile. “Additionally, there will soon be Tester and various testing equipment arriving at the club. This is just our small branch. In the future, all our daily training and learning progress will be quantified and expressed through data. This is one of the plans I’ve devised.”

“All expressed through data?” Chen Wu immediately realized the huge advantages. “If that’s the case, seeing daily progress will definitely attract more and more people who love training.”

Lin Fei smiled, “Yes, nobody dislikes seeing themselves progressing a little every day.”

“Well then, let’s continue.” He closed the door again.

Suddenly, a staff member hurried down the corridor. He whispered in Lin Fei’s ear, “Instructor, your phone call. It’s from home.”

Lin Fei nodded and followed him to the communication room. This place was specifically set up for transferring calls, considering that it wasn’t possible to carry mobile phones at all times during swordsmanship training. Both this area and the equipment room were managed by the logistics section. As more people had recently joined, the club had also become more structured. The latest batch of full-body protective gear had arrived, along with wooden swords for practice. All of these were customized for the novice trainees.

The day before yesterday, among the visitors, six people had signed up for training on the spot, becoming official trainees of the club. Yesterday, more than ten people had also obtained their trainee status. A monthly fee of 500 wasn’t considered high, but it wasn’t low either. Such an effect was the result of good promotion and impressive decoration; anyone stepping in would immediately sense a solemn and formal atmosphere from the grand decor and name of the Swordsmanship Club, achieving the effect Lin Fei desired.

Inside the communication room, two other staff members were making calls in separate cubicles. Guided by someone, Lin Fei entered one of the partitions and picked up the phone receiver.

“Is this Instructor Lin? This is Bai Yang, I wonder if you remember me?” A gentle voice came from the other end, involuntarily bringing to mind that the speaker was definitely a man of great self-control.

In a flash, Lin Fei scanned his memory and immediately recognized who Bai Yang was.

He was the director of the Ping City National Security Office, who had actively helped during the Chen Chen incident and was owed a favor by Lin Fei.

“So, it’s Director Bai. May I know why Director Bai has contacted me?” He never spent energy networking with such individuals, for strength was his foundation. Others were willing to interact with him because he had investment and utilitarian value. If he spent energy networking instead of strengthening himself every day, the final outcome would surely be losing more than gaining.

“I heard you took in someone the day before yesterday? There are some matters you should be cautious about,” Bai Yang hinted in his words.

“Of course, I will keep a watch on the limits,” Lin Fei replied with a chill in his heart, but his voice remained naturally composed.

“That’s good. I just wanted to remind you. It’s been a long time since we’ve seen each other, Brother Lin. How about joining us for a meal? There are a few old friends who would like to meet you too, I hope you can grace us with your presence,” Bai Yang shifted the conversation to invite Lin Fei upon achieving his reminder’s purpose.

“No problem, Director Bai, please choose a location,” Lin Fei, needing to repay the favor he owed, naturally could not refuse.

“Then let’s meet at the White Sand Hotel. Tomorrow afternoon at five.”

“Alright.”

The phone clicked off, and Lin Fei gently placed the receiver back on its cradle. His expression cooled slightly. He pulled out his mobile phone directly from his pocket and dialed a number.

“Hello, check the recent movements and communication records of the club member who went out with me the day before yesterday.”

A deep male voice responded from the other end, “Understood, I will forward this to the intelligence department. You should have an answer in two hours.”

“Mhm.” Lin Fei hung up the phone and flicked it slightly, causing the phone to spin rapidly in the palm of his hand.

Snap!

He suddenly grasped the phone tightly and stood up, striding out of the communication room.

****************

Riverside Park

Due to the New Year, the normally populated park had become sparsely populated. At the very end of the river, neatly arranged willow trees lined the concrete platforms on the riverbanks, each tree having a specially reserved space for growth. Being winter, the originally lush willow trees had turned yellow. Occasionally, fallen willow leaves could be seen on the white concrete river platform.

The river surface was calm like a mirror, with only groups of two or three people near the riverbank.

At the furthest end of the river in the deepest part of the park, a young man in a black turtleneck coat quietly sat on a riverside bench. He leaned against the back of the bench, holding a somewhat worn book in his hands. The cover bore black printed letters: Schopenhauer’s Collection.

The young man crossed his legs calmly flipping through the book. He looked utterly ordinary, yet his eyes subtly emitted sharpness and scrutiny. Although he seemed to be engaged in reading, a closer look at his eyes revealed that he was actually distracted.