171: Chapter 171 Reunion with Hao Jinghan

In the afternoon, he first went back to that Meditation class that had been quite effective.

He could have originally paid a high price to hire this teacher, who clearly knew her stuff, to come to his home for more convenient, one-on-one guided sessions.

But he was hoping to run into the great beauty Zou Luyao again, so he still arrived at the usual class time, though he didn't encounter her again.

Through some casual chatter with the teacher, he learned that she hadn't been back since the last time.

Feeling somewhat disappointed, Zhao Xiaoshuai paid a little extra on the spot and had the teacher take him to a quiet room next door for an in-depth, one-on-one guided session.

In the public class, because the teacher had to cater to the majority of the students, the effectiveness of the guidance was bound to be somewhat compromised.

In this much smaller, more tranquil space, with guidance tailored specifically to his situation, the results were much stronger.

He had originally planned to meditate for an hour, attempting to push through to the next stage of the Advanced Meditation task, but to his surprise, he achieved the mission goal in about fifty minutes!

[Task: Advanced Meditation]

[Stage Four Task Goal: Achieve the effect of four hours of sleep through Meditation within one hour]

[Completed]

[Control + 2, multiplier card pack (10), health rating increased]

[multiplier card * 7]

[multiplier copper card * 3]

Opening his eyes, Zhao Xiaoshuai felt refreshed and energized, as if his whole being had been rebooted, completely erasing his fatigue.

Although the teacher didn't know why he ended the Meditation early, since he had paid the right amount, she only needed to do her job well. At this moment, she offered timely praise:

"Your self-control is extremely strong, far exceeding that of an average person. You claimed your Meditation results weren't good, but that's likely because you're setting your standards too high."

"In my opinion, the depth of Meditation you've reached is already not much different from my own."

Although he had achieved such results, Zhao Xiaoshuai was not satisfied.

It was only the fourth stage and it was already this difficult. There were still six full stages waiting for him to complete, and each subsequent stage would be several times harder than the last.

"Teacher, if I want to improve further, what should I do?"

"I can see you already have a rich understanding of the relevant knowledge; you just lack systematic training and haven't made it a habit yet. As long as you persist with Meditation training every day, given your aptitude, you should be able to make progress daily."

It seems that from now on, he would just have to rely on steady, persistent effort.

But that made sense; this task was clearly designed to be easy at first and harder later on.

He had only spent a few days pushing the progress to the fourth stage, which was already quite fast compared to his previous task progress.

It was just that his rapid progress in the early stages was somewhat relying on his previous gains; after all, he had increased his Control by a full 19 points through the previous task, which already put him far ahead of the average person in this regard.

Fortunately, completing each stage of the task also awarded Control, creating a positive feedback loop.

Leaving the Meditation class, his next destination was the martial arts interest class where he had received a beating yesterday. Thinking of Hao Jinghan's heroic bearing, he felt a surge of excitement.

"Today, I'll make you serve tea and pour water!"

Hao Martial Arts Interest Class.

Hao Jinghan had only been exhausted yesterday, after all, and after going back and eating a big meal, she had recovered almost completely.

She was dazing off at the interest class with nothing to do, because the students had all been scared off by her, leaving only a few teenagers practicing basic skills under the organization of a teaching assistant.

"Sigh, did I go too hard yesterday? It was so hard to find someone who could take a beating, and now I'll have to be bored for several more days."

This interest class was something her father had opened as a pastime.

She had recently suffered an emotional blow in the military, and this time, when she took leave to visit home, her father had asked her to come here to play with the kids and unwind.

Her pent-up emotions had indeed diminished somewhat, but that deepest gloom remained hidden deep within her heart.

Only during that hour or so yesterday when she had fought to her heart's content did she completely let go of everything, and she felt much more relaxed.

"I guess he'll be lying in bed groaning today. But his body felt very solid through my fists; he shouldn't have any internal injuries. He'll probably be fine after lying down for three to five days."

"I just don't know if he still has the guts to come back."

Hao Jinghan didn't notice it herself, but when she thought of that indomitable man who grew braver with every fight, the corners of her mouth were curled into a smile.

"Where is Coach Hao Jinghan? I've come for tea!"

Hearing this familiar voice, Hao Jinghan was first delighted, then her body stiffened.

She had only been looking forward to seeing this man again, but she hadn't expected to see him so soon. Since she had made a bet with full confidence yesterday, his arrival meant she had already lost.

Therefore, according to the bet, she would have to serve tea and pour water for this man.

Hao Jinghan quickly got up, intending to go hide in the restroom; it would be fine if she just pretended she wasn't there.

As it turned out, those little brats learning kung fu sold her out immediately!

"Uncle Zhao, you were beaten so badly yesterday, yet you're completely fine! That's so amazing!"

"Yeah, yeah! Sister Hao is right inside. Go find her quickly! Will you two PK again today?"

Zhao Xiaoshuai ruffled the hair of the child who had called him uncle. "Remember to call me Brother from now on."

"My mom says if you're thirty, I have to call you uncle."

Zhao Xiaoshuai took out a hundred yuan and handed it to the assistant instructor nearby. "Could you help me buy some snacks for the kids?"

"You got it, Brother Zhao!"

Fifty or sixty yuan was enough to buy a huge pile of snacks, so this errand was quite profitable.

Zhao Xiaoshuai turned his head. "Whoever calls me Brother in a moment gets snacks."

"Brother, I think even though you're thirty, you don't look old at all."

Zhao Xiaoshuai patted the brat on the shoulder with a look of "you are teachable," and walked inside.

Hao Jinghan's whereabouts had been exposed by those brats; she had no choice but to sit there pretending to be calm.

'I'll deal with you few later! Talking so much!'

She saw Zhao Xiaoshuai walk in as if nothing had happened, and she raised an eyebrow. He really didn't look like he was forcing himself to come.

But she was all too familiar with her own strength. Let alone an ordinary person who hadn't trained, even a soldier who had trained in endurance would definitely be covered in bruises and swelling after being beaten by her like that yesterday.

As long as it didn't damage the muscles or bones, a bit of fighting was actually beneficial for martial artists. So, she hadn't been reckless yesterday; she had genuinely developed a desire to nurture his talent.

"You must be swollen all over, acting like nothing happened. You've worked hard."

Seeing Hao Jinghan acting all composed and feigning calm, Zhao Xiaoshuai chuckled, sat down opposite her, and tapped the table:

"Cut the chatter. Serve the tea."

Hao Jinghan's expression froze. This guy was really not being polite.

But she wasn't someone who went back on her word, so she could only reluctantly pour a cup of tea, offer it with both hands, and say through gritted teeth:

"I misjudged you, and I apologize. Please drink this tea."

Zhao Xiaoshuai took a sip with a pretentious air; he didn't really like drinking tea.

"You promised an apology gift, so where is the gift?"

The "gift" in "apology gift" didn't mean an actual present at all; he was just deliberately teasing her.

Hao Jinghan took a deep breath. "Don't go too far!"