338: Chapter 338 Improving Day by Day, Forged Like Steel

Splash, splash—

The bathroom was filled with steam, and the sound of water washing over the tiles could be heard continuously.

His sweaty clothes and pants were crumpled into a ball and thrown into the laundry basket.

The kitchen gas stove flickered with blue flames, and the pressure cooker's valve hissed and bubbled.

Sending the rich, mellow aroma of yam and pork rib porridge into every corner of the living room.

Sunlight poured in through the floor-to-ceiling windows, spreading freely across the clean sports flooring and illuminating a large, bright area.

The leaves of several newly added potted green plants in the corner grew even brighter and greener under the gentle caress of the sun and the playfulness of the breeze.

Even the fuzz between the leaf veins shimmered with a subtle light, looking as if they were coated in a layer of water droplets, bursting with vitality.

Click.

As the frosted glass door was pushed open, Fang Cheng walked out, shuffling in his slippers.

He was bare-chested, with a white bath towel casually draped over his broad shoulders.

A few remaining water droplets slowly slid down his chiseled abdominal muscles.

As he walked, his solid, well-proportioned muscle groups slowly rippled beneath his skin like living things.

Every line was filled with a restrained yet explosive aesthetic, gleaming with a healthy luster under the sunlight as if forged from steel.

Fang Cheng walked to the bright area in front of the window, bathing in the warm spring sun.

Then he casually twisted his neck and stretched his limbs.

A series of crisp "pop-pop" sounds came from his joints, like roasting beans, completely dispersing the last trace of fatigue left over from his morning workout.

"Phew—"

After taking a deep breath, Fang Cheng squinted slightly, looking out at the unobstructed view outside the window.

He felt completely refreshed.

Having an exclusive bathroom where he could take a hot shower in time after every high-intensity workout was indeed incredibly comfortable.

This feeling was indeed extremely comfortable.

While doing relaxation and stretching movements, Fang Cheng's gaze casually swept over his surroundings.

The newly renovated house was now filled with many daily necessities.

Aside from those few pots of ivy and spider plants used to purify the air and absorb formaldehyde.

There was an unpacked washing machine in the corner of the living room, and a simple folding dining table and two chairs were set up against the wall.

On the balcony, a few pieces of clothing washed just yesterday were gently swaying in the wind, emitting a clean, fresh scent of sunlight mixed with laundry detergent.

Fang Cheng couldn't help but recall when his mom came over yesterday.

Seeing how bare and simple the place was, with almost nothing but cold fitness equipment.

She thought her son had suffered some kind of shock and was going to escape into a monastery to become an ascetic monk.

That pained look in her eyes had made it hard for Fang Cheng to handle.

So, she bustled around all day, finally making the place look like a normal person's home.

Before leaving, his mom enthusiastically said she would get him a few sofas and a big color TV in a few days, insisting on making this place absolutely comfortable.

Fang Cheng could only let her have her way. He couldn't tell her that this was actually just his secret hideout and training ground to avoid prying eyes.

Anyway, the tens of thousands of yuan he had transferred to her bank card before was more than enough for her to spend.

After finishing his last set of stretches, Fang Cheng stood with his hands on his hips, gazing at the bright spring scenery outside the window.

The residential area was covered in lush green grass and blooming flowers.

The newly planted ginkgo saplings were already eagerly sprouting fresh green buds.

On the distant beach, figures could be seen moving about, filled with the leisure of a holiday.

The deep blue sea shimmered under the sunlight as if sprinkled with a layer of dazzling diamonds.

"The weather is so nice."

Fang Cheng murmured to himself, a faint smile playing on the corners of his lips:

"Too bad, it's not a good time for killing yet..."

The thought flashed by.

He naturally thought of Chen Chen's seemingly sincere "cooperation" proposal.

Two days had passed since the night he had spoken with the leader of the Red Tiger Gang through Xiao Sa.

Fang Cheng was in no hurry to respond or immediately ask the other party for detailed intelligence on the next assassination target.

Leaving that old fox hanging for a bit to make him realize who held the upper hand would yield better results.

In cooperation, the most important thing is to gain a psychological advantage.

When the time was ripe, he would have Xiao Sa go over and convey that they "could consider" it.

As for when and how exactly to act, that would depend on his mood and his assessment of the situation.

In any case, for Fang Cheng, the most important thing at this stage was to persist in training and grind experience to level up his skills.

As long as his strength improved day by day and his body was tempered like steel.

No matter what conspiracies his opponents devised or how vast their influence was, they would be nothing more than passing clouds briefly obscuring his vision.

With this thought, Fang Cheng's eyes flickered slightly, and he looked at the pale blue screen floating before him.

[Boxing Lv3 (47/1000)] (Iron Fist, Infinite Combo)

[Sanda Lv3 (21/1000)] (Dance of Lightning)

[Jiu-Jitsu Lv2 (310/500)] (Elasticity)

[Muay Thai Lv2 (226/500)] (Steel Bones, Super Armor)

[Tai Chi Lv1 (173/250)] (Force Dispersion)

[Push-up Lv3 (215/1000)] (Master of Strong Wrists, Qilin Arm)

[Squat Lv3 (182/1000)] (The Aloof)

[Leg Raise Lv2 (423/500)] (Ape Waist)

[Pull-up Lv3 (0/1000)] (Absolute Control)

[Back Bridge Lv2 (340/500)] (Iron Bridge)

[Handstand Push-up Lv2 (401/500)] (Air Walk)

[Running Lv1 (16/250)] (Strong Wind Blowing)

[Qigong Lv2 (93/500)] (Poison Resistance, Evergreen Unfalling)

Fang Cheng's gaze swept across the prompt messages and skill bar one by one, and he nodded in satisfaction.

The effect of his first official morning workout in the new house was remarkably impressive.

Especially for the fitness skills, the experience points for each had increased significantly.

Among them, the two Grandmaster-level skills, "Push-up" and "Squat", had increased by 7 and 8 experience points respectively.

The other Great Master-level skills grew even more, basically by over 15 points.

Of course, the sweat and effort required during the training process far exceeded his previous levels.

It could be said that any world-class athlete who saw a single scene of his training would be dumbfounded and awestruck.

A monster-like physical fitness naturally required matching abnormal training programs and a terrifying intensity unimaginable to ordinary people.

Fang Cheng's current physical training plan was as follows:

Weighted with 500 catties of barbell plates, complete 500 one-armed Pull-ups and 500 one-armed Hanging Leg Raises.

Weighted with 200 catties of tight straps, complete 600 Two-Finger Zen Push-ups and 250 one-armed Handstand Push-ups.

Shouldering a 500-catty barbell, complete 800 single-leg Squats.

Weighted with 500 catties of barbell plates, complete 800 Back Bridge extensions.

Finally, a full hour of heavy bag hitting and Shadow Boxing practice.

If the situation was right, another half hour of long-distance Running training.

So many training programs and such great intensity were already beyond the imagination of ordinary people.

Let alone top athletes being terrified.

Even a physically enhanced "biochemical freak" like Xu Hao would likely suffer from rhabdomyolysis due to overtraining if he rashly attempted it.

In the past, although Fang Cheng could complete one workout with all his might, he certainly couldn't have made it a daily routine and persisted with it long-term.

But now, as his Physique attribute exceeded 50 points, this terrifying training plan was just right for him.

It could fully exert most of his strength, give his muscle fibers enough stimulation, and improve the training effect.

Yet it wouldn't cause excessive fatigue due to overloading, which would drag down his training progress.

Every training session, for him, was just scratching the surface of his own potential.

At the same time, it also ensured that he could perfectly recover his state before the next day's training.

Under this highly efficient positive cycle, the rapid improvement of his strength was naturally a matter of course.

"Almost there..."

Fang Cheng murmured in a low voice, his eyes staring at the pale blue screen in the air that only he could see.

Among the many skills listed on it, the experience bars for the two fitness skills, "Leg Raise" and "Handstand Push-up", were already close to saturation.

It wouldn't take much time before they welcomed their next Breakthrough and promotion.

By then, his physical fitness would surely climb to a whole new level.

Ding-dong— Ding-dong—

The crisp and abrupt sound of the doorbell suddenly shattered the peace in the room.

Fang Cheng's eyes instantly turned alert. He quickly and silently walked behind the door and looked out through the peephole.

Standing outside the door was a delivery rider in a blue jacket, looking down at the order information in his hand.

After confirming there was nothing unusual, Fang Cheng reached out and opened the door.

"Hello, your delivery is here. Please sign for it."

The delivery rider handed over two large bags of food from the ground. The heavy weight of the bags as he picked them up made him subconsciously grimace.

"Thank you, thanks for your hard work."

Fang Cheng smiled and took them with one hand, greeting him briefly.

The weight, which would make an ordinary person stagger, seemed as light as a feather in his hand.

After paying, the door was shut decisively.

In the middle of the living room, the simple folding dining table was quickly unfolded, becoming a dining counter.

The two huge bags were casually placed on the table.

One of the plastic bags was packed with cooked food divided into transparent containers.

Braised beef with a rich sauce aroma, shiny roasted chicken legs, and golden, crispy deep-fried pork chops.

The other brown paper bag emitted a pure aroma of wheat and meat.

Inside were twenty-five steaming hot beef buns.

Fang Cheng's eyes shone, his Adam's apple bobbed, and he couldn't help but swallow his saliva.

Without any delay, he pulled over a chair and sat down.

He didn't even bother to get chopsticks, directly grabbing a thick pork chop with his hand and stuffing it into his mouth.

What followed was a gluttonous feast with absolutely no regard for table manners.

Large chunks of pork chops were torn and swallowed in two or three bites, and the hot meat buns were swallowed directly, making even fine chewing seem redundant.

The high-intensity workout had nearly drained every ounce of energy from his body, which was now clamoring for nutritional replenishment.

As his Physique attribute continued to rise, Fang Cheng's metabolic rate had long since exceeded the range of normal humans.

His digestive capacity, further enhanced by the "Gourmet" special effect, was as powerful as a bottomless furnace.

From his appearance, Fang Cheng showed no abnormalities, but his demand for food had already reached a monster-like level.

With no outsiders present, he could let loose without any scruples, devouring these high-calorie foods to his heart's content.

Converting them into his body's purest energy at the fastest speed.

Just as the last bite of the pork chop was swallowed, the pressure cooker in the kitchen, which had been boiling the yam and pork rib porridge, also happened to stop its hissing exhaust sound.

Fang Cheng quickly got up, walked over, and uncovered the pot.

A rich aroma of rice and meat wafted over.

Without even waiting to ladle it out, Fang Cheng directly picked up the scalding hot pot and gulped it down from the rim.

Ten-odd minutes later.

The two large bags of food were completely swept clean.

That entire full pot of pork rib porridge was also drunk clean by him.

The bottom of the pot was as clean as if it had been carefully wiped.

"*Burp...*"

Fang Cheng let out a satisfied burp and patted his slightly bulging belly.

Although he felt very stuffed at this moment.

But Fang Cheng had no doubt that if the digestive engine inside his body sped up a bit more, he could still finish another meal just like this.

He neatly cleaned up the food scraps and packaging bags on the dining table.

He washed the pressure cooker and also wiped down the stove and kitchen utensils.

[Cleaning Skill Exp +1]

[Cleaning Lv1 (216/250)]

Having done all this, Fang Cheng glanced at the experience display on the panel and let out a satisfied sigh.

Then, he turned his gaze to the brand-new, large-sized freezer sitting against the wall.

Walking over and lifting the lid, cold air drifted up, but the inside appeared somewhat empty.

There were only a few lonely pork ribs, a small bundle of celery, and two cabbages lying in the corner.

These were the groceries his mom had bought on her way over yesterday.

At that time, she was still grumbling, saying her son must have been scammed by the merchant, and that buying such a huge freezer for living alone was a pure waste of electricity.

But his mother didn't know.

This amount of food, which seemed enough to last an ordinary family for two or three days, was not even enough for a single regular meal for a "big eater" like him.

Fang Cheng smacked his lips and made a decision.

He wouldn't go to work at the club today; he had to first conduct a thorough bulk purchase of supplies.

To solve the most crucial problem of eating.

The three secrets of fitness—exercise, rest, and diet—were all indispensable.

To become stronger, one had to eat more and eat better.

This kind of top priority absolutely could not be delayed.

...

In the afternoon, at the entrance of Haitian Garden.

A red taxi slowly came to a halt.

Fang Cheng paid and got out of the car, walking straight to the back.

The driver helped open the trunk, which was filled with four bulging, large-sized shopping bags, all stuffed to the brim.

There was a large warehouse supermarket near the residential area, with complete merchandise, cheap prices, and good quality.

It saved Fang Cheng a lot of trouble.

He this time purchased ingredients that were mainly meat, eggs, and milk, high in protein and high in calories.

Although it was near the sea and seafood was very abundant, it was relatively expensive and didn't fill him up.

Fang Cheng only bought some as appropriate to improve the flavor of his meals.

After more than two hours of hard work, Running back and forth three times, he finally filled most of the large freezer.

This was already the fourth and final trip.

"If I had my own car, it would be much easier..."

Fang Cheng thought to himself.

Yesterday morning, Xu Sanduo had called.

The shipwreck antiques handed over to him for disposal had successfully found a suitable buyer.

Once that money arrived in his account, the plan to buy a car could be officially put on the agenda.

Right now, he frequently traveled back and forth among Jiuchang Street, Haitian Garden, Wanghu Town, and the club.

Whether for work or personal matters, having a car to get around would always be more convenient.

With these thoughts in mind, Fang Cheng easily picked up the four large bags with a total weight of over fifty kilograms with both hands and walked into Building 7, where he lived.

Arriving at the elevator lobby, he saw a yellow warning sign standing at the elevator door.

It read "Under Maintenance, Out of Service" in exceptionally eye-catching handwriting.

It was probably the property management performing routine maintenance.

Fang Cheng didn't bother to wait, turning around and walking toward the adjacent safety passage, planning to walk up.

Carrying dozens of kilograms of heavy goods up to the nineteenth floor would be a nightmare challenge for an ordinary person.

But for Fang Cheng, this was not much different from a post-meal stroll.

With light steps, he soon reached more than ten floors high.

As Fang Cheng walked up the stairs from the 14th to the 15th floor, he suddenly noticed a man standing on the landing of the stairwell.

The man stood quietly in front of the window with his hands in his pockets, seemingly gazing at the scenery outside.

Hearing the footsteps behind him, he turned his head, revealing a young and handsome face, his eyes falling on Fang Cheng.

The young man nodded slightly, showing a gentle smile, and said softly:

"Hello there."