316: Chapter 316 Warm-up Exercises, Enemies in the Dark

Fang Cheng was shirtless, wearing only a pair of loose gray sweatpants.

His bronze skin shimmered with a healthy glow under the mottled light and shadows of the forest.

He grabbed a horizontally growing branch as thick as a bowl with one hand, his inverted body like a javelin, poking straight and tall into the sky.

As his right arm bent and straightened, his body steadily lowered, and then pushed up with astonishing control.

The muscle groups of his arms and back, through extreme contraction and relaxation, bulged and twisted like granite injected with life.

Every single line was filled with a condensed sense of power, smooth and athletic, as if meticulously carved by the most skilled craftsman.

[Writing this, I hope readers remember our domain name: Reading good books from Taiwan is super worry-free]

Possessing such a strong physique, even when performing such high-difficulty workout methods,

Fang Cheng's breathing remained steady and long, with not a trace of sweat on his forehead.

After completing 100 single-arm Handstand Push-ups in one go, he did not flip over immediately.

Instead, he still maintained the posture of being upside down with one hand, calmly adjusting his inner breath.

Through the gaps in the dense leaves and branches, the scene at the foot of the mountain came into view in an inverted manner.

The buildings of the town were scattered like stars, resembling blocks scattered across a green chessboard.

The Chenxi Home orphanage, that familiar white small building, was also clearly discernible at the edge of his vision.

Deep within Fang Cheng's pupils, an imperceptible red light quietly flashed.

"Eagle Eye" vision was quietly activated, and the scenery in front of him was instantly pulled closer and magnified.

It was like looking through a high-performance telescope, capturing every single movement of the people in the distant environment in meticulous detail.

Fang Cheng clearly saw that in the courtyard with high walls of the orphanage, a group of children were chasing and playing on the lawn.

The sounds of laughter seemed to pierce through the distance, faintly audible.

Cheng Jiashu had also joined them, wearing a gentle smile on his face, accompanying a little girl with braided buns to play a catch game.

Everything looked so peaceful and harmonious.

Fang Cheng's emotions stirred slightly.

At noon today, he had already quietly arrived at this hilltop with an excellent view.

He witnessed with his own eyes that a disguised Cheng Jiashu drove to Chenxi Home, unloaded bags of gifts from the trunk, and distributed them to the cheering children.

He also keenly discovered abnormal movements in several hidden spots around the orphanage suspected to be surveillance posts.

Cheng Jiashu's performance appeared very natural, patiently accompanying those children to play.

His smile was sincere and warm, and in his every gesture, he didn't look like a dazzling big star at all.

Furthermore, he was worlds apart from the cold and bloodthirsty Smiling Demon in the rumors.

He seemed completely unaware that right outside the orphanage, an inescapable net had already been quietly cast.

Countless pairs of eyes were staring covetously, preparing to hunt down this murderous maniac that was him.

At this moment, surrounding Cheng Jiashu and the children were quite a few other philanthropists and volunteers who came to visit the orphans.

They also brought all kinds of gifts and toys, creating a lively scene in the courtyard.

It was just that the distance was too far to distinguish whether suspicious personnel disguised as visitors were mixed among them.

Fang Cheng's gaze roamed among the crowd, landing on a somewhat familiar figure.

It was a young girl sitting in a wheelchair, with a pure face, painted-like eyebrows, and skin that looked somewhat pale due to long lack of sunlight.

Compared to when they met in the residential complex last time, the melancholic look in her eyes had faded a lot.

At this moment, with a few splashes of brilliant smiles infected by the children on her face, she was looking intently at the interaction between Cheng Jiashu and the children not far away.

Fang Cheng's gaze paused slightly on her.

After confirming that she was the girl he bumped into last time, he continued to observe the movements inside and outside the orphanage.

The scheduled action time of the Noah Organization was still early, and everything at present appeared calm and uneventful.

It seemed like just another ordinary weekend afternoon.

The sunlight was warm, the breeze was gentle, and the years were quiet and good.

After the initial period of observation, a rather bored Fang Cheng, seeing no temporary changes,

simply began physical exercises among the hidden tree canopy.

Rather than wasting his willpower in meaningless waiting, it was better to invest every minute and second into his own tempering.

The sense of fulfillment brought by this visible and tangible progress far surpassed any illusory scheming.

After all, only the continuous refinement of one's own power was the most reliable reliance to deal with all enemies.

At this moment, Fang Cheng had completed three rounds of training.

After observing for a while longer in the tree, confirming that the foot of the mountain was still safe and sound,

he then had a thought, and a translucent panel that only he could see emerged before his eyes.

[Leg Raise Experience + 3]

[Leg Raise Lv2 (376/500)]

[Pull-up Experience + 3]

[Pull-up Lv2 (409/500)]

[Back Bridge Experience + 3]

[Back Bridge Lv2 (308/500)]

[Handstand Push-up Experience + 4]

[Handstand Push-up Lv2 (352/500)]

Looking at the data summary of the skill promotion information, Fang Cheng's gaze flickered slightly.

The two skills of Push-up and Squat had long reached the Grandmaster level, and the experience growth brought by ordinary practice had become extremely slow, requiring accumulation over time to slowly improve.

However, the effects of these four un-broken-through skills were still relatively significant under targeted exercises squeezed into his free time.

Right now, their experience progress bars had all exceeded 300 points, and it wasn't far from leveling up again.

Especially Pull-up, according to the current progress, a Breakthrough could be achieved within half a month at the latest, reaching the Grandmaster standard.

If all six fitness skills were successfully upgraded to the Grandmaster level, to what astonishing extent would his physique reach?

Fang Cheng couldn't help but let his imagination run wild.

Distance from that Realm of Awakening mythical talent that he looked forward to incomparably, it now seemed not out of reach either.

Gently exhaling a breath of foul air, Fang Cheng pacified the slight restlessness accumulated in his chest.

Then his body flipped dexterously, like a weightless feather, quietly landing on the thick horizontal tree trunk.

Shaking his continuously exerting arms, a pleasant soreness came from deep within the muscles.

Fang Cheng did not continue high-intensity exercise.

Ending the warm-up, conserving physical strength, and greeting the upcoming battle in the best state was the wise choice.

As soon as the thought fell, Fang Cheng's mind suddenly sensed something.

A trace of a faint spiritual connection fluctuation, like a small pebble thrown into a calm lake, rippled slightly.

It seemed that Xu Hao over there had already collected some valuable information.

It's just that that fellow seemed to be hesitating about something, and had not yet actively transmitted specific messages to him.

The corners of Fang Cheng's mouth curved into an arc, and he did not actively urge him.

At ease, he sat cross-legged on this thick tree trunk with a broad view.

Like an old monk in meditation, his gaze looked down calmly at everything at the foot of the mountain.

Time, in the silent waiting, passed quietly minute by minute.

The dark clouds in the sky gathered thicker and thicker, like overturned ink, slowly spreading out.

Light and shadow moved and changed rapidly on the ground.

The outlines of distant buildings began to appear blurred under the dim light.

At a certain moment, the sky suddenly darkened completely, as if stepping into dusk a step ahead.

Fang Cheng raised his head and looked at the leaden, gloomy sky.

He thought to himself: "It's going to rain."

...

The night was already deep.

The darkness of the suburbs was purer and heavier than that of the city center.

Bean-sized raindrops, accompanied by violent winds, smashed down fiercely in a pouring posture.

The wind whistled like ghosts howling, echoing in the empty streets.

The light of the street lamps became blurry and dim in the rain curtain, barely outlining the turbulent currents on the road surface.

Such weather almost cut off all unnecessary travel.

In the precarious wind and rain, Chenxi Home's solitary white small building lit up several warm lights, like a flat boat struggling in a furious sea.

After the rain suddenly picked up, most of the volunteers and philanthropists who had taken advantage of the weekend holiday to visit the children had hurriedly bid farewell while the rain was still light.

After all, no one wanted to be trapped in this remote suburb.

Cheng Jiashu and a few other visitors who were embarrassed to leave immediately had a simple light meal in the cafeteria with the orphanage director and staff.

After dinner, not only did the rain show no signs of stopping, but it rained harder and harder.

Everyone could only stay stranded in the lobby, watching the weather outside the window while boredly waiting for the rain to lessen.

The newly appointed Director Li was a woman in her early fifties, with a kind face, a hint of long-term exhaustion between her brows, but very warm eyes.

She was talking with a middle-aged man who looked quite distinguished, thanking him for his generous donation to the orphanage.

"Director Li, you are too polite."

The man smiled and praised:

"Ever since you took over Chenxi Home, the mental outlook of the children here has taken on a completely new look, and the environment of the yard has also improved a lot. We charity workers are happy to see this."

"This is all thanks to the strong support of kind-hearted people from all walks of life. I only did my meager bit,"

Director Li waved her hand modestly and replied:

"The healthy growth of the children cannot be separated from everyone's care. What I can do is to use every penny of the donation where it counts, letting the children feel the warmth of society..."

Cheng Jiashu sat on a slightly farther sofa, quietly listening to their conversation, but his gaze occasionally looked out the window.

The rainwater washed twisted light marks on the glass, blurring everything outside.

He had something on his mind, and for the occasional chat-ups thrown by a few visitors beside him, he just absently responded a few words casually.

However, his gaze would always unconsciously drift toward the girl sitting quietly in a wheelchair in the corner.

The rain seemed to have no end.

Amidst lightning and thunder, it was as if a huge hole had broken open in the firmament.

After a while, seeing that the rain was really too heavy, the remaining few visitors had no choice but to bite the bullet, companion each other, and leave in the rain.

Cheng Jiashu seemed to casually flip through a pictorial, but in reality, he focused his spirit and perked up his ears.

Putting his perception ability to the maximum extent, like ripples, it continuously spread outward.

Inside and outside the orphanage, it was peaceful, with no other abnormal movements except the sound of wind and rain.

Those children had already turned off the lights and fallen asleep in the dormitories.

His brows slightly furrowed, but the unease in his heart did not diminish; instead, because of this abnormal peace, it added a few points of solemnity.

The wall clock ticked, and the hour hand ticked step by step toward the 10 o'clock position.

At this moment, in the spacious lobby,

besides Cheng Jiashu, there were only Director Li, a young assistant, and the wheelchair girl who had been quietly staying in the corner.

Director Li covered her mouth and yawned, revealing obvious fatigue at the corners of her eyes and brows.

"Mr. Su, the rain is so heavy, it looks like it won't stop for a while. Why don't you stay over with us tonight?"

She looked at Cheng Jiashu with a hint of inquiring tone.

The pseudonym Cheng Jiashu registered here was Su Jiachen.

"Director Li, you guys go rest first."

Cheng Jiashu replied casually as if nothing was wrong:

"I made an appointment with a friend to pick me up, and they should arrive soon. I'll just drive away myself later."

"Alright then."

Director Li nodded, then turned to the wheelchair girl in the corner and said softly:

"Yong'er, it's not very convenient for you to move around. Stay here tonight. I'll have Assistant Wang tidy up for you. It'll be the same room as before."

The girl called Yong'er raised her eyes and gently responded:

"Okay, thank you Director Li and Assistant Wang."

Her voice was very pleasant, clean and crystal-clear like spring water.

Her words and actions were also extremely polite, possessing the gentle propriety of a young lady from a prestigious family.

It was just that her complexion was a bit excessively pale, making those eyes appear even more black and white, exuding a calmness inconsistent with her age.

She seemed very familiar with Director Li, and obviously used to staying overnight at the orphanage often in the past.

With the help of Director Li and the assistant, Yong'er pushed her wheelchair, preparing to leave the lobby.

Before leaving, her clear eyes, with a hint of scrutiny, fell on Cheng Jiashu again.

She always felt that this man was very mystery, and the look in his eyes towards her was a bit strange.

Not like other people, either direct and frivolous, or curious and peeping.

But with a habitual caution, as if observing everything in the dark.

They could be considered nodding acquaintances. For more than half a year of knowing each other, the words they had spoken were very few.

But Yong'er was naturally sensitive, and intuition told her that on this Mr. Su, there seemed to be some dangerous secret hidden, making her instinctively want to keep her distance.

After Director Li and Yong'er left, the lobby became completely quiet.

Cheng Jiashu put down the pictorial in his hand, and his gaze cast towards the window again, looking at the world swallowed by darkness and the violent storm.

He had waited all night, but had never waited for the assassins dispatched by the Noah Organization as expected.

Cheng Jiashu's heart was filled with doubts.

That anonymous note clearly reminded him that the people of the Noah Organization would take retaliatory action against Chenxi Home tonight.

But why hasn't there been any movement until now?

Could the intelligence be wrong?

Or did the other party change their plan?

Or perhaps, this was a trap targeting himself, and the real target was not the orphanage.

But rather to lure himself out and test his bottom line?

Cheng Jiashu looked at the window blurred by rainwater, his brain spinning rapidly, analyzing various possibilities.

A night-shift security guard happened to patrol past the lobby, and seeing Cheng Jiashu still staying here alone, a flash of surprise crossed his eyes.

But he didn't ask more, just nodded, and continued with his work.

Cheng Jiashu took a deep breath, forcing himself to be calmer.

Anyway, he had to keep waiting.

Not to mention anything else, patience was one of his few virtues.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have sent postcards to Fang Cheng three times in a row back then, stubbornly waiting for the other party to give an echo.

Rumble——

Suddenly, a sudden thunder tore open the thick, rolling-ink-like clouds.

The pitch-black world outside the window was illuminated in an instant as if it were daytime.

Cheng Jiashu's gaze also flickered slightly, as if capturing some ignored detail.

A thought, like lightning cutting through the dark night, suddenly illuminated his mind.