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Chapter 4: The Enemy Within, The Mind as the Barrier
Chapter 4: The Enemy Within, The Mind as the Barrier
Chen Chuan put the items back and closed the box before heading to the living room. He found a rotary phone and picked up the receiver, saying, "This is the Nian residence..."
A familiar voice came from the other end, "Hey, Chen Chuan, what are you up to? Don't stay cooped up at home, come out for a stroll."
Chen Chuan recognized the voice of his middle school desk mate, Ding Jiao. The background noise was loud, indicating that Ding Jiao was using a public phone booth. Chen Chuan asked, "Where are you?"
"Where else? The usual spot, at the Self-Reliant Snack Street. Da Li and Mian Gua are there too. What have you been up to lately? We haven't seen you around."
Chen Chuan replied, "You guys have fun. I've got something going on, so I won't be joining you."
"Hey, are you looking for a job? Listen, if you have any issues, don't keep it to yourself. As your buddy, I'm here to help. Not to brag, but my family's factory can easily find you a position."
Chen Chuan chuckled and said, "I won't hold back if I need your help."
He didn't mention his admission to Wu Yi Academy, as Ding Jiao was known for his loyalty but also had a big mouth. If he told him now, it would likely spread to all their classmates by tomorrow. Besides, Chen Chuan still had to prepare for the entrance re-examination, and he didn't have the time to deal with all the attention.
"By the way, did you know...?" Ding Jiao's voice suddenly rose with excitement. "Han Laosan went to Ink Orchid Group! It's all over the news! What luck that kid has! His grades weren't even as good as yours!"
Chen Chuan was slightly surprised, "Ink Orchid Group?"
"Where else? That kid is so full of himself now!" Ding Jiao's tone was filled with envy and admiration, as if it was seeping through the phone.
Chen Chuan acknowledged with a hum.
Ink Orchid Group, officially known as Ink Orchid Gaoling Group, was said to have its headquarters in Central City. The branch in Yangzhi City was a significant one, primarily dealing with cosmetics on the surface. In reality, the company had already infiltrated various aspects of life in Yangzhi City and the surrounding towns. The majority of the citizens' daily needs, from clothing to food and housing, were all connected to Ink Orchid and its subsidiaries.
According to Nian Fuli, half of the Municipal Consultative Council members were on Ink Orchid's payroll, while the other half were busy counting the money for the company. Several Civil Affairs Bureau directors had to follow Ink Orchid's lead in their decision-making.
This company even had its own independent security and a place to train its employees. Chen Chuan's classmate must have gone there. That was indeed impressive. Perhaps his family had pulled some strings, and Chen Chuan vaguely remembered that the Han family was involved in water management.
After chatting for a while, Ding Jiao suddenly remembered something and raised his voice, "By the way, don't forget the graduation dinner at the end of next month."
"I won't forget," Chen Chuan assured him.
"Hey, I've got to go. Da Li and the others are waiting for me." Ding Jiao hung up.
Chen Chuan put down the phone and returned to his room. From now on, he had to prepare for the entrance re-examination. Counting from June, he had three months, but that was all the time he had. It was still too early to relax.
Furthermore, he couldn't quite understand why his previous self was killed in the outskirts, far from the city. Nonetheless, he decided to minimize his time wandering around unless necessary.
He took out a map of Yangzhi City and spread it on the table. Then, he retrieved a small notebook labeled "Martial Arts Records" and began searching for something, making pencil marks and circles on several locations.
Time flew by, and soon it was dinner time. Nian Fuli and his family returned home one after another, and the house became lively. When everyone was seated at the dinner table, Nian Fuli asked, "Son, did you find a job today?"
"Yes, Uncle," Chen Chuan replied.
Nian Fuli hummed in acknowledgment and asked, "How did it go?" He was just making casual conversation, assuming that today was the first day of Chen Chuan's job search, and it was unlikely to yield any results.
"I went to Wu Yi Academy today," Chen Chuan answered.
"Wu Yi University?" Nian Fuli looked at him in surprise. "What were you doing there?"
Chen Chuan smiled and said, "I was about to tell you, Aunt and Uncle. I passed the entrance examination for Wu Yi Academy, and I'll be moving to the campus when school starts."
"You got into Wu Yi University? You?" Nian Fuli was shocked. He stared at Chen Chuan, as if seeing his nephew for the first time.
Wu Yi University was a highly sought-after place, with countless people vying for admission each year. Nian Fuli's son had been boasting about getting into Wu Yi for an entire year!
He couldn't help but doubt, "You didn't cheat, did you?"
Yu Wan immediately became displeased and nudged him, "Why can't Chuan pass the exam?"
Chen Chuan laughed, "Uncle, what can I possibly cheat on? I didn't even know about the exam beforehand."
"That's true," Nian Fuli agreed.
He glanced at Chen Chuan a few more times, his eyes conveying an indescribable meaning. Chen Chuan also noticed a hint of melancholy in his aunt's expression, mixed with more prominent relief.
After a while, Nian Fuli picked up his chopsticks and tapped on the table, saying, "Wu Yi is a path to success. Getting in is like having a gold brick in your pocket. But you still have the re-examination, right?"
"Yes," Chen Chuan nodded, "There's an entrance re-examination."
"That's it," Nian Fuli tapped again, "Son, let me tell you, there's a trick here. Even if you pass the entrance exam, those who pass the re-examination and those who don't are worlds apart. I don't know how Wu Yi will handle your case, but even if you get in, it doesn't mean you'll pass the re-examination."
Yu Wan became anxious, "What should we do then?"
Nian Fuli waved his hand at her and turned to Chen Chuan, "Chuan, what were your original plans?"
Chen Chuan thought for a moment, "I was planning to find a martial arts school to learn from, but I'm not sure which one is reliable. I wanted to ask Uncle for some advice."
Nian Fuli leaned back and thought for a moment, "Martial arts schools are a mixed bag, with intricate secrets and high costs. You might not learn genuine skills, and it's easy to get entangled in trouble."
Chen Chuan nodded, sincerely asking, "Then what should I do, Uncle?"
Nian Fuli rubbed the stubble on his scalp and said, "You have two months until the start of school, right?"
"Yes, Uncle," Chen Chuan replied, although technically, there were three months until the official start of school, but new students had to report a month in advance, so two months was accurate.
Nian Fuli said, "Chuan, I'll find you a person to follow and learn from for a while, aiming to pass this re-examination. This person is no ordinary, and if you can learn a few moves from him, it'll be immensely beneficial."
Yu Wan asked with concern, "Will it cost money?"
Nian Fuli said, "Don't worry about that."
"And you, Chen Chuan, come with me after dinner."
"Okay," Chen Chuan replied.
After finishing their evening meal, the two men pushed their bicycles out of the house. After about five minutes of cycling, they arrived at the Baofeng District Police Station, where Nian Fuli worked.
This place was originally a fortress built during wartime and later transformed into a police station. It was constructed entirely of reinforced concrete, making it appear especially sturdy from the outside. Although the sky had not completely darkened, the entrance was already blocked by barriers.
Upon seeing Nian Fuli and Chen Chuan, a patrol officer wearing an armband slowly approached from behind the barrier, saying, "Hey, Nian Tou, you're back? It's not your shift tonight."
Nian Fuli tossed a cigarette over, gestured to Chen Chuan, and said, "This is my nephew. I brought him here to see the world."
The patrol officer placed the cigarette under his nose, sniffed it, and casually glanced at Chen Chuan without asking further questions. With a wave of his hand, two other patrol officers came forward to remove the barrier.
Nian Fuli thanked them and gestured for Chen Chuan to follow him as they pushed their bicycles inside.
After they entered, the armband-wearing patrol officer turned and scanned the street outside a few times before slowly turning back.
This was Chen Chuan's first time at the Police Station, and initially, he was curious. However, most of the buildings here had only a few holes on the outside, appearing solid and dull, which was quite oppressive and uninteresting. He quickly lost interest.
The two men wandered around, seemingly making a big circle, and finally arrived at a place that resembled a warehouse. The lighting here was bright, and the water-polished stone floor was covered with soft mats. Numerous exercise equipment and stacked wooden crates surrounded the area.
Over a dozen patrol officers had removed their shirts, wearing only undershirts, revealing their muscular arms. They squatted or stood in a circle, and in the middle was a middle-aged man in a mandarin jacket, looking scholarly and gentle. He appeared to be explaining something.
"Everyone, try standing on one leg and maintain the position without moving."
The patrol officers immediately attempted to stand on one leg. Some wobbled from the start, while others managed to stand for a considerable time. Even those who wobbled initially managed to stabilize themselves after a few tries.
One officer said, "Mr. Wen, is this supposed to be difficult?"
Mr. Wen smiled and said, "Then, everyone, please close your eyes."
The patrol officers followed his instructions and closed their eyes. This time, most of them began to sway violently, and profanities filled the air. However, one young officer remained steady.
"Impressive, Golden Rooster!"
"He's standing still, unmoving. You can't tell just by looking!"
"The Golden Rooster stands alone, what a sight!"
As the officers commented, the young officer, with his eyes closed, proudly said, "I often played this when I was little. I also did sheep fighting and bull butting. I can stand like this for a long time. Mr. Wen, is there anything else? I'm ready to try anything!"
Mr. Wen smiled and said, "Officer Ji, you're doing great. Now, try standing on the box like that."
"This should be easy. Watch me!"
The young officer eagerly climbed onto the box and then...
"Oh my!"
He had barely stood for a moment when he began to sway violently and had to jump down.
He turned to look at the box, feeling incredulous. It was just a simple transition from the ground to the box, and the standing area didn't seem small, nor was the box particularly high. But as soon as he closed his eyes, he felt a sense of panic, and he couldn't keep his balance.
"Wait, I didn't stand steady just now."
The young officer was still unconvinced and tried again, but this time he fared worse than before. As soon as he closed his eyes, he started swaying. He jumped down, puzzled, and said, "This is strange, Mr. Wen. How come?"
Mr. Wen smiled and explained, "Your brain is telling you that you're in an unstable environment, and it's trying to stop you from doing this."
He pointed to his head, "Your brain is challenging you. For example, some people get the urge to jump when they're standing at a height. It's based on the same principle. Essentially, your brain is trying to keep you away from danger. But we can overcome this through specific training."
"In ancient times, martial artists would choose to practice on cliffs to conquer their mental barriers. Nowadays, we don't need to go to such extremes. We can choose to train on the edge of a high platform and gradually adapt."
"In our daily lives, there are various challenges we need to overcome. For instance, when you see a fist coming towards you, you instinctively close your eyes. A fist is one thing, but if it's a weapon, you might lose your life in a blink. As patrol officers, you must ensure your vision can observe the target at all times, unless you have better senses to rely on."
Someone unconsciously asked, "Better senses?"
Mr. Wen smiled but didn't elaborate.
Chen Chuan's heart stirred at these words. He wondered if using his "Parallel Self" to observe on his behalf could be considered a better sense.
The "Parallel Self" exists within a few meters of his body and is essentially an extension of himself. If it could replace his normal vision, he could observe from behind or even from above, gaining a bird's-eye view and observing his opponents from various angles...
As Chen Chuan was thinking, Nian Fuli proactively approached Mr. Wen and said, "Mr. Wen." He then gestured to Chen Chuan to come forward, patted his shoulder, and said in a raised voice, "My nephew here just got into Wu Yi University."
"Wu Yi University? The Wu Yi Academy?"
"Wow, amazing! Your nephew is quite something, Nian Tou!"
"Nian Tou, you should treat us!"
Over a dozen patrol officers gathered around, excitedly discussing the news. In these times, to make a name for oneself, one had to either get into a prestigious university or enter Wu Yi University. Many graduates from Wu Yi University became security advisors for officials in the Civil Affairs Bureau, and if one was lucky enough to go to Central City, it was like ascending to heaven.
Nian Fuli felt proud and said, "Mr. Wen, my nephew hasn't practiced martial arts before. He just fiddled around on his own, and somehow passed the entrance exam. I'm worried he'll be too carefree during the subsequent interviews, so I'd like to ask for your guidance, Mr. Wen. What do you think?"
Mr. Wen looked at Chen Chuan, paused briefly, and said, "Captain Nian, let's talk over there." The patrol officers were very perceptive, and upon hearing this, they all dispersed.
Chen Chuan and Nian Fuli followed Mr. Wen to a spacious corner. Mr. Wen spoke sincerely, "Captain Nian, please excuse my frankness, but I don't want to hinder your nephew's progress."
Nian Fuli was taken aback, "What do you mean?"
...
...
(End of Chapter)
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