25: Chapter 25 The Power of Dreams

Chapter 25: The Power of Dreams (Asking for follow-up reads)

"Creak," "creak."

The winter night street was sparsely lit.

A tricycle covered in the traces of time and showing its primer was driving slowly.

The cargo bed shook slightly, and the wheel hubs turned dryly.

The wind wrapped in chill whistled past, making the atmosphere appear even more desolate.

Fang Cheng held the handlebars with his hands and stepped on the pedals, trying to ride as steadily as possible.

So as to reduce the bumping sensation of this overburdened second-hand vehicle while driving.

"Xiumei, how much money did you make tonight?"

Seeing that his childhood friend had very few words along the way, Fang Cheng took on the role of livening up the atmosphere.

"I'm not sure, I need to calculate it first."

Hearing this inquiry, a rustling sound of searching immediately came from behind where Zhou Xiumei was sitting.

Afterwards, there was also the rustling sound of pages turning.

As if taking an interest, she took out a notebook and simply sat in the cargo bed to calculate the accounts.

"First entry, sold a bear doll, income 35 yuan."

"Second entry, sold a persimmon-good-fortune ornament, income 19 yuan, adding up to..."

Every single account, she carefully recorded in the notebook, thereby calculating the cost and profit.

Suddenly, Zhou Xiumei said with a slightly surprised tone:

"Brother Cheng, my total income tonight actually exceeded 200 yuan for the first time!"

She couldn't wait to share her joy.

However, she didn't stay happy for long before letting out a long sigh.

It was like a desolate wind gently brushing past her ears.

Fang Cheng turned his head to glance at Zhou Xiumei, who was wrapped in a scarf and frowning deeply.

"How about putting today's lost bills on my head? After all, those guys were all thrown flying by me."

"How can that be!"

Zhou Xiumei instantly became somewhat anxious, her soft, weak voice raising by a few notches:

"Don't overthink it. I'm just sighing that I'm so unlucky, never having done anything completely pleasing since I was little..."

Fang Cheng was silent for a moment, then suddenly asked:

"Xiumei, have you ever thought about what you want to do in the future, or what your dream is?"

"A dream?"

Hearing this, Zhou Xiumei was stunned for a moment, her eyes revealing a hint of confusion.

"For example, opening a handicraft shop in the future, doing business, and becoming a boss."

Fang Cheng tried to guide her.

"No."

Zhou Xiumei immediately shook her head like a rattle-drum:

"Opening a shop is too risky. If I set up a stall and can make over 100 yuan every day, I will be very content."

Fang Cheng continued in a serious tone:

"Xiumei, the reason you always feel that things are not going your way is simply because you lack a dream."

"Once a person has a dream, they will add a kind of power called belief."

"This power can make you look past temporary gains and losses, give you the courage to challenge difficulties, and also help you find the meaning of life again."

"Therefore, I think you can try to find your own dream."

Listening to Fang Cheng's words, which sounded like those of someone who had been through it all, Zhou Xiumei's eyes grew hazy, feeling somewhat enlightened yet somewhat puzzled.

Having said so much, she also gradually opened up, and thus cautiously asked:

"Brother Cheng, you've always been practicing martial arts. Could your dream be to fight in professional matches?"

This time it was Fang Cheng's turn to shake his head:

"Some things are still too early to say right now."

"However, there should be an answer soon. When that time comes, just like when we were kids, I'll secretly tell you alone."

As he spoke, he smiled at her with feigned mystery.

Zhou Xiumei's lips curved up slightly, but immediately she pressed her lips tight and reined in her smile.

She raised her eyes and exhaled a small puff of warm air.

Looking at the back close at hand, her heart suddenly beat faster a few times.

As if similar to before, some secret was quietly blossoming between the two of them.

The sound of their words blew past like a brisk breeze.

Unconsciously, the Tubular Building with its dimming lights had already appeared under the night veil.

No matter how dark and cold the night was.

A brand new and bright day would always arrive...

December 3rd.

Thursday, 12:30 p.m.

Global Elite Combat Club.

Coach Hu held a thermos cup in his hands and leisurely stepped into Training Hall No. 2.

Actually, he rarely came to this place normally.

Looking around, they were all trainees wearing white uniforms and preparing for class, practicing some flashy gadgets.

Things like Karate, kendo, taekwondo.

Yet these events had good commercial promotion and were most sought after by trendy young people.

Therefore, they were valued by the club's upper management and specially arranged in Hall No. 2, which had brand-new decorations and better facilities.

While Boxing, Sanda, Muay Thai, and Jiu-Jitsu, which had stronger combat effectiveness, could only be squeezed aggrievedly into Hall No. 1.

The Boxing department managed by Coach Hu had outperformed Karate in performance a while ago, which allowed him to brag about it for a long time.

But now he suddenly lost his confidence.

The change during this period was entirely due to the appearance and departure of that young man.

Thinking of this, Coach Hu cast his gaze forward.

Looking over them one by one!

I saw a bunch of people gathered together, appearing exceptionally lively.

Most of them were trainees wearing training uniforms, and there were also a few coaches and employees from other departments.

In the middle of this crowd stood a young man with a fair complexion and a gentle demeanor.

"Master Xu, you've arrived so early!"

Coach Hu stepped forward and shouted into the crowd with a loud voice.

Xu Maocai cast a cold glance at him, then immediately turned his head away, obviously not wanting to bother with him.

Coach Hu smiled secretly.

He was deliberately greeting a guy with a similar experience to take revenge for having his talents poached.

"Everyone is here, let's begin."

The head coach of the Karate department suddenly stepped out and spoke.

Since the main purpose of recruiting sparring partners this time was to make up for the department's shortage of hands.

Therefore, the on-site assessment should also be his responsibility.

As long as he signed his consent, the new sparring partner would be considered to have passed the test, and could then go to the Personnel Department to get the employment contract.

As for the coaches from other departments gathering at the scene, they at most played a supervisory role to eliminate cheating issues.

Of course, this did not mean that choosing a certain department meant one could only be a sparring partner in that department.

In principle, sparring partners belonged to a flexibly adjustable technical job category.

If another coach took a fancy to someone and their own department happened to lack manpower.

Then, going to the Personnel Department afterward to sign a signature would also give them the right to hire the other party.

Coach Hu and Xu Maocai had zero interest in the specific matters of recruiting sparring partners.

Both of their gazes consistently fell on the young figure in the center of the crowd, each harboring their own thoughts.

Fang Cheng, who was being watched by the crowd, had a calm expression and a relaxed posture.

He first did a few single-leg Squats, then stretched his arms, cracking his joints until they snapped.

Only then did he nod in response:

"I can begin."

The content of the first test was consecutive Push-ups.

It mainly tested a person's physical endurance and cardiopulmonary function, as well as the upper limb strength most important for a sparring partner.

At this moment, on the ground in front of Fang Cheng, there was a counter with a red button.

When the forehead tapped the button, the electronic display screen would beep and count once.

This ensured that while the posture was standard, there would be no phenomena of missed or erroneous counting.

Fang Cheng let out a light breath, then supported the ground with both hands, straightened his waist and back, and lay down prone.

The first standard double-arm Push-up was completed extremely fluidly, steady and powerful.

If scoring actions were performed in an arena, it would definitely fall under the situation of everyone holding up full-score cards.

Coach Hu and the other coaches couldn't help nodding.

Just like fitness and martial arts, the moment one makes a move, you know whether they have the chops.

Don't look at this young man's scholarly appearance and somewhat slender image.

From just these two moves alone, it was clear that he definitely maintained the habit of exercising normally.

Fang Cheng continuously performed the actions, the frequency quite rhythmic, neither fast nor slow, crisp and neat.

The posture was also impeccably standard, clearly coming prepared.

Coach Hu's lips curled slightly, murmuring inwardly:

"I couldn't tell this kid was hiding a trick up his sleeve, pretty interesting..."

And Xu Maocai standing beside him had an even more complex look in his eyes.