Heavenly Human Atlas Chapter 4: The Enemy Within, The Obstacle in the Mind - Novel Cool

Chapter 4: The Enemy Within, The Obstacle in the Mind

Chapter 4: The Enemy Within, The Obstacle in the Mind

Chen Chuan put the items back, closed the box, and walked into the living room. He found a dial phone, picked up the receiver, and said, "This is the Nian residence..."

A familiar voice came from the other end of the line: "Hey, Chen Chuan, what are you up to? Don't stay cooped up at home, come out for a walk?"

He recalled that this was the voice of his middle school classmate Ding Jiao. The noise on the other end of the line suggested that he was calling from a public phone booth on the street. Chen Chuan asked, "Where are you?"

"Where else? The usual spot, on the snack street. Dali and Mian Gua are here. 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 place to go? Listen, if you have any issues, don't keep it to yourself. If I can help, I will. Not to mention, my family's factory can easily find you a position."

Chen Chuan chuckled and said, "I won't hesitate to ask for your help if I need it."

He didn't mention his admission to Wu Yi University. Ding Jiao was a man of integrity, but he also had a big mouth. If he told him now, he was sure that all his classmates would know by tomorrow. Many would come to congratulate him or try to befriend him, but he still had to prepare for the second round of exams and didn't have the time to deal with all that.

"Okay, by the way, did you know..." Ding Jiao's voice suddenly rose, "Han Laosan went to Mo Lan! It's all over the place! Damn, what kind of luck did that kid have? His grades weren't even as good as yours!"

Chen Chuan was slightly surprised: "Mo Lan Corporation?"

"Where else? Don't even mention that kid. He's so full of himself now!" As Ding Jiao spoke, his tone of envy and jealousy seemed to spill out of the phone.

Chen Chuan responded with a hum.

Mo Lan Corporation, officially known as Mo Lan Gaoling Corporation, was rumored to have its headquarters in Central City. The branch in Yangzhi City was a relatively important one, primarily dealing in cosmetics on the surface. In reality, the company had already infiltrated every aspect of Yangzhi City and the surrounding towns and villages. Most of the people's daily lives—clothing, food, housing, and transportation—were connected to Mo Lan and its subsidiaries.

According to Mr. Nian LiFu, half of the city council members were on Mo Lan's payroll, and the other half were helping Mo Lan count their money. Several mayors had to follow Mo Lan's lead in their decision-making.

This company also had its own independent security team and a place for training its employees. His classmate, Han Laosan, was probably going there. That was no small feat; perhaps his family had some connections. Chen Chuan vaguely remembered that the Han family was involved in water management.

After Ding Jiao finished speaking, he remembered something and raised his voice: "By the way, don't forget about the graduation dinner at the end of next month!"

Chen Chuan said, "I remember, I won't forget."

"Hey, then I'll hang up. Dali and the others are waiting for me."

Chen Chuan hung up the phone and returned to his room. From now on, he had to prepare for the second round of exams. Counting from June, there were still three months left, but it was also the only time he had. It was too early to relax.

Moreover, he still couldn't figure out why his previous self was killed in the suburbs, far from the city. Nevertheless, he decided to minimize his wandering around.

He took out a map of Yangzhi City and spread it on the table. Then he picked up a small notebook labeled "Martial Arts Records" and scanned through it, as if searching for something. He even used a pencil to circle a few places.

Time flew by, and soon it was time for dinner. Mr. Nian LiFu and his family gradually returned home, and the house became lively. When everyone sat down at the dinner table, Mr. Nian LiFu asked, "Son, did you go out today?"

Chen Chuan replied, "Yes, Uncle."

Mr. Nian LiFu asked, "How was it?" He was just casually asking, assuming that it was the first day and there probably wouldn't be any results.

Chen Chuan said, "I went to Wu Yi University today."

"Wu Yi University?" Mr. Nian LiFu was surprised and stared at him in disbelief. "What were you doing there?"

Chen Chuan smiled and said, "I was just about to tell Auntie and Uncle. I passed the entrance exam for Wu Yi University today, and I'll be moving to the school when it starts."

"You got into Wu Yi University? You?"

Mr. Nian LiFu was shocked. He widened his eyes and looked Chen Chuan up and down, as if seeing his nephew for the first time.

What kind of place was Wu Yi University? Every year, countless people tried to get in, and Wei Laohu, who was no match for Chen Chuan, had boasted about his son getting into Wu Yi for an entire year!

Mr. Nian LiFu couldn't help but ask, "Did you cheat?"

Aunt Yu Wan immediately became unhappy and nudged him: "Why can't our Chen'er pass the exam?"

Chen Chuan smiled and said, "Uncle, what could I have cheated on? I don't know anyone, and I don't have any money. Why would Wu Yi help me?"

"That's true."

Mr. Nian LiFu looked at him a few more times, his eyes filled with a complex expression. Chen Chuan also noticed that Auntie's expression had a hint of melancholy, but mostly it was relief.

After a while, Mr. Nian LiFu picked up his chopsticks and tapped the table. "Wu Yi is a way out. Getting in is like having a gold brick in your pocket, but you still have the second round of exams to pass."

"Yes," Chen Chuan nodded. "There's the second round of exams."

"That's it," Mr. Nian LiFu tapped again. "Son, let me tell you, there's a trick here. Even if you pass the entrance exam, it's very different from passing or failing the second round. I don't know how Wu Yi let you pass, but even if you get in, it doesn't mean you'll pass the second round."

Aunt Yu Wan became anxious and said, "What should we do then?"

Mr. Nian LiFu waved his hand at her and said, "Chen Chuan, what were your original plans?"

Chen Chuan thought for a moment and said, "I was planning to find a Fist Society to learn from, but I'm not sure which one is reliable. I wanted to ask Uncle for advice."

Mr. Nian LiFu leaned back and thought for a moment. "Don't go to the Fist Society. That place is a mix of good and bad, and the tricks are too deep. You'll spend a lot of money, but you might not learn anything real, and you'll easily get dragged into trouble."

Chen Chuan nodded and sincerely asked, "Then what should I do, Uncle?"

Mr. Nian LiFu rubbed the stubble on his scalp and said, "It's about two months until enrollment, right?"

Chen Chuan replied, "Yes, Uncle." In fact, there were three months until the official start of school, but new students needed to report to school a month in advance, so two months was also correct.

Mr. Nian LiFu said, "Chen Chuan, I'll find someone for you. Follow him for a while, and try to pass the exam this time. This person is no ordinary, and if you can learn a few moves from him, it'll be very beneficial."

Aunt Yu Wan asked with concern, "Will there be tuition fees?"

Mr. Nian LiFu said, "Don't worry about that.

"And to Chen Chuan: 'Little Chuan, come with me after dinner.'"

Chen Chuan replied, "Okay."

After finishing their dinner, the two pushed their bicycles out and, after about five minutes, arrived at the Baofeng District Patrol Bureau, where Mr. Nian LiFu worked.

Originally built as a fortress during wartime, it was later converted into a patrol bureau, constructed entirely of reinforced concrete, making it appear especially sturdy from the outside. The sky had not yet fully darkened, but the entrance was already blocked by roadblocks.

Upon seeing Mr. Nian LiFu and Chen Chuan, a patrol officer with an armband slowly strolled over and said, "Hey, Nian Tou, why are you here? It's not your shift tonight."

Mr. Nian LiFu flicked a cigarette over, and motioned to Chen Chuan with his lips, saying, "This is my nephew. I brought him here to see the world."

The patrol officer placed the cigarette under his nose and took a sniff. He seemed to glance at Chen Chuan casually, but he didn't ask further questions. With a wave of his hand, two patrol officers came forward to remove the roadblock.

Mr. Nian LiFu thanked them and gestured for Chen Chuan to follow him as they pushed their bicycles inside.

After the two entered, the armband patrol officer scanned the street outside a few times before slowly turning back.

This was Chen Chuan's first time at the Patrol Bureau, and he was initially curious. However, the building's exterior had only a few holes, appearing solid and dull, which was quite oppressive and not very interesting.

The two men turned and twisted, as if circling a large area, and finally arrived at a place that resembled a warehouse. The lighting was bright, and the water-polished stone floor was covered with soft mats. Around them were various training equipment and stacked wooden crates.

More than ten patrol officers had removed their outer shirts, wearing only undershirts that revealed their sturdy arms. Some squatted while others stood, forming a circle. In the middle was a middle-aged man in a double-breasted suit, looking gentle and refined. He seemed to be explaining something.

"Everyone, try standing on one leg and maintain your posture 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 amount of time. Even those who wobbled initially managed to stabilize themselves after a few tries.

One of the patrol officers asked, "Mr. Wen, is this difficult?"

Mr. Wen smiled and said, "Then please close your eyes, everyone."

The patrol officers closed their eyes as instructed. This time, most of them began to shake violently, and they started cursing. However, one young patrol officer remained steady.

"Impressive, Ji Guan!"

"This stance, not moving at all, is impressive!"

"The Golden Rooster Stands Alone, what a pose!"

The patrol officers commented, and the young officer, with his eyes closed, proudly said, "I used to play this game when I was little. I also played head-butting and bull-fighting. I can stand like this for a long time. Mr. Wen, is there anything else? I'm ready for more challenges!"

Mr. Wen smiled and said, "Ji Guan, you're doing great. This time, you can stand on the box and try again."

"This should be easy. Watch me!"

The young patrol officer excitedly climbed onto the box, and then...

"Whoa!"

He had only stood for a short while before he began to shake violently and had to jump down.

He turned back to look at the box, feeling incredulous. He had just moved from the ground to the box, and the standing area didn't seem smaller. The box wasn't particularly high, but as soon as he closed his eyes, he felt a sense of panic and couldn't stand still.

"Wait, I didn't stabilize just now."

The young patrol officer was still unconvinced and tried again, but this time, he fared worse than before. As soon as he closed his eyes, he started shaking. He jumped down, puzzled, and said, "This is strange, Mr. Wen. What's going on?"

Mr. Wen smiled and explained, "Because your brain is telling you that you're currently in an unstable environment, and it wants to reject this action."

He pointed to his head, "Your brain is competing with you. For example, some people feel the urge to jump down when standing at a height. It's based on the same principle—fundamentally, your brain wants to keep you away from danger. However, we can train ourselves to coordinate our bodies through specific exercises.

Martial artists of the past would choose to practice at the edge of cliffs to overcome their mental barriers. Nowadays, we don't need to go to such extremes; we can choose to train at the edge of a high platform and gradually adapt.

In our daily lives, there are various challenges to overcome. For instance, when you see a fist coming towards you, you instinctively close your eyes. It's manageable with a fist, but if it's a weapon, you might lose your life in the blink of an eye. As patrol officers, you must ensure that your line of sight can observe the target at all times, unless you have better senses to replace it."

Someone asked subconsciously, "Better senses?"

Mr. Wen smiled but didn't elaborate.

Chen Chuan's heart stirred upon hearing this. He wondered if his 'Second Self' could replace him and observe, would that count as a better sense?

The 'Second Self' existed within a few meters of his body and was essentially one with him. If it could replace his normal line of sight, he could not only see from behind but also potentially from above, observing opponents from various angles...

As Chen Chuan was thinking, Mr. Nian LiFu took the initiative to walk forward and greet Mr. Wen. He then gestured for Chen Chuan to come forward, patted his shoulder, and said in a raised voice, "My nephew, he just got into Wu Yi University."

"Wu Yi University? Wu Yi Academy?"

"Wow, incredible! Nian Tou, your nephew is outstanding!"

"Nian Tou, you should treat us!"

The patrol officers gathered around, excited. In this day and age, to make a name for oneself, one had to either get into a prestigious university or Wu Yi University. Many who graduated from Wu Yi University became security consultants for officials in the Civil Affairs Department. If they were lucky enough to go to Central City, it would be a huge leap.

Mr. Nian LiFu also felt proud and added, "Mr. Wen, my nephew hasn't practiced martial arts before. He figured it out on his own, and somehow passed the entrance exam. I'm worried that he might fail the final round if he follows his usual impulsive nature, so I'd like to seek your guidance, Mr. Wen. What do you think?"

Mr. Wen looked at Chen Chuan and, after a moment's thought, said, "Captain Nian, let's talk over there." The patrol officers were all sensible and dispersed upon hearing this.

Chen Chuan and Mr. Nian LiFu followed Mr. Wen to a spacious corner. Mr. Wen spoke sincerely, "Captain Nian, please forgive my frankness. I don't want to waste your nephew's time."

Mr. Nian LiFu was taken aback. "What do you mean?"

...

...

(End of Chapter)

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