574: Chapter 574 Cheng-ge, you're different, you're a genius!

As the night grew deeper, Jiuchang Street welcomed the liveliest moment of the day.

As the early summer evening breeze brought a hint of warmth, the roadside barbecue stands also became booming with business.

Simple folding tables were lined up along the sidewalk, and they were almost fully occupied.

The pungent aroma of cumin and chili powder, mixed with the smoky scent of charcoal fire, drifted wantonly through the air.

In the iron wok of the nearby food stall, boiling oil was quick-frying clams, and the instantly rising aroma of the wok made people's index fingers twitch with appetite.

The shouts of drinking games, the crisp clinking of wine bottles, mixed with accents from all over the country, were endless to the ear.

At a table in the very corner of the barbecue stand, the scene appeared slightly different.

Sizzling mutton skewers, roasted chicken wings that were crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, savory and flavorful salt-and-pepper mantis prawns, various foods piled up like small mountains.

Dozens of iced beers crowded to the side, almost taking up the entire table.

Ma Donghe was shirtless, revealing the ferocious cross-shoulder Dragon tattoo on his body.

He grabbed a handful of mutton skewers, stripped three pieces off with his left hand and stuffed them into his mouth, while his right hand had already brought another skewer to his mouth.

His cheeks bulged like a hamster, and his chewing action was powerful and mighty, as if he were not eating meat, but tearing apart prey.

Meanwhile, Fang Cheng, sitting opposite him, did not look rude while eating, but his movements had a strange precision and efficiency.

From picking up a skewer to putting it into his mouth, and then pulling out the stick cleanly and neatly, the whole process was smooth and flowing, taking almost no more than half a second.

On the desktop, the number of bamboo sticks piled up on his side was unexpectedly more than twice that of Ma Donghe.

One had a figure as robust as a bear, and his eating manner was already extremely fierce.

Yet the handsome and gentle young man opposite him swept away the food at a speed even more exaggerated than this bear.

Their oblivious posture quickly drew sideways glances from other diners.

At a neighboring table, several young men were giggling, pointing and gesturing at Fang Cheng's table, while saying improper gossip in their mouths.

But they were startled into a shiver by a fierce glance inadvertently cast over by Ma Donghe.

Coupled with the ferocious Dragon head tattoo on his chest, he looked entirely like an underworld boss.

This made those few young men not dare to look another glance, and they could only lower their heads with a guilty conscience, concentrating on dealing with the skewers in front of them.

When the last skewer of roasted chicken wings in the plate was finished and the table was already piled with food waste, Ma Donghe finally stopped his movements.

He grabbed the iced mug of draft beer, tilted his head back, and gulped down more than half a cup. The ice-cold liquid slid down his throat into his stomach, making him burp comfortably.

"Ha—refreshing!"

Ma Donghe put down his wine glass and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

Then he looked at Fang Cheng opposite him, who was still struggling with a plate of roasted oysters, and suddenly asked:

"A-Cheng, aren't you curious why I suddenly ran over to Master Lin and shamelessly insisted on learning medical skills?"

Fang Cheng was just about to send a plump roasted oyster into his mouth, and upon hearing these words, his movement paused slightly.

He stuffed the oyster into his mouth, savored the mixed taste of minced garlic and fresh sweetness, and after swallowing it slowly, he raised his head.

Only then did he remember.

That guy Ma Donghe had just said that his old man had important business to discuss and specially dragged him out to eat this late-night Gourmet.

As a result, he was so busy burying his head in enjoying the food that he almost forgot about the real business.

"Oh?"

Fang Cheng casually picked up a skewer of wings, took a bite, and replied vaguely:

"Didn't you say it was for extra points in the Special Investigation Team exam?"

"That's right."

Ma Donghe nodded, threw the stick onto the table, and gulped down another large mouthful of beer:

"Extra points are one aspect, mainly, I was also driven to a desperate situation!"

After finishing the wine, he moved his stool closer and began to pour out his bitter grievances:

"A-Cheng, to tell you the truth, the re-examination for the Special Investigation Team's spring recruitment is on June 5th next month. It is divided into three things: interview, written test, and physical fitness test."

"As for the physical fitness part, I definitely have no problem."

Ma Donghe patted his increasingly solid pectoral muscles, his words full of confidence:

"With my excellent preliminary test scores, this re-examination can be directly skipped for exceptional admission."

Fang Cheng glanced at him.

Indeed, although this guy still looked like a bear, his entire spirit and Aura were completely different from the past.

His muscles were also much sturdier than before, with his biceps bulging high and hard like a lump of iron.

The fierce Aura on his body was even stronger; just sitting quietly there made the surrounding punks not dare to speak loudly.

Obviously, he had put in enough hard work to hone himself on ordinary days, bringing about such a change in temperament.

"As for the interview, it's just going through the motions and seeing if one has a good face."

Ma Donghe chuckled, raised his hand and touched his face:

"Although my face is a bit rough, its advantage is being majestic enough to hold down the scene. I am naturally cut out to be an official."

After boasting a little, his words suddenly changed, and a worried expression appeared on his face:

"The difficult part is the final written test—law, national language, foreign language, psychology... My head gets huge just hearing about them."

"Therefore, my old man was afraid I would stumble on this, so he gave me an idea to learn a medical skill and create an extra-point item."

As he spoke, he grabbed a skewer of roasted kidneys, took a fierce bite, and mumbled while chewing:

"Originally, the old man wanted me to learn the Ma Family's ancestral Qigong massage from him, but I wouldn't do it. That amateur kung fu of his can't compare to Master Lin's miraculous medical skills."

"Tuina Massage, Bone-setting, Acupoint Striking to stop bleeding—these are all real skills, the wisdom passed down by our ancestors for thousands of years. They can treat trauma and regulate meridians and Qi and blood."

Ma Donghe's chatterbox was completely opened, and taking advantage of the alcohol, he spoke endlessly:

"Right, in modern fashionable terms, this is called... what sports rehabilitation science? It's much more practical than those fancy Western medicine methods."

"Just think, the brothers of the Action Department fight to the death every day; bumps, bruises, and tendon or bone injuries are everyday occurrences. If I know an authentic Bone-setting Tuina Massage, and can help them handle emergencies and ease injuries on the spot, how sought-after would I be?"

"By then, those captains and officers wouldn't they treat me like a treasure and enshrine me?"

The more Ma Donghe talked, the more energetic he became, as if he had already seen the bright future of himself becoming a popular figure within the team:

"A-Cheng, let me tell you, since the end of last month, I've been studying with Master Lin, and Huiyi also taught me quite a few real things."

"I feel that my Bone-setting technique is already taking shape now. In Master Lin's words, it's called getting a glimpse of the threshold. If I practice for another ten or half a month, I won't dare compare with you, but graduating from apprenticeship is definitely not a problem."

Listening to Ma Donghe's self-boasting, Fang Cheng smiled slightly.

Then he picked up his wine glass and clinked it with Ma Donghe's:

"Then I congratulate you in advance, Officer Ma."

"Haha, I'll borrow your auspicious words."

Ma Donghe laughed heartily and drank the wine in his cup in one gulp.

He smacked his lips, seeming to savor the crispness of the beer, but the excitement on his face suddenly dissipated, turning into a sigh.

"Sigh, seriously, A-Cheng."

Ma Donghe put down his wine glass, his eyes carrying a hint of envy:

"Today, watching your technique of Bone-setting those punks, I finally know what professionalism is, and what it means that there are heavens beyond the heavens and people beyond people."

"My hard studying for a month probably can't compare to a casual pinch from you. If I had your talent, what the hell would I have to worry about for this exam!"

"Even if I hand in a blank sheet for the written test, relying solely on this skill, the examiners would have to cry and shout to let me pass. Getting first place would be as easy as taking candy from a baby!"

After finishing his sigh, as if he realized that his words had given away the secret, he hurriedly waved his hand to explain:

"I didn't mean that, I just... just think that with your skills, not going out to shine and glow is truly letting your talent go to waste!"

Fang Cheng's chewing action slowed down, and he raised his eyes to look at him.

His gaze was as calm as a bottomless pool, as if he could see right through the thoughts at the bottom of a person's heart.

"Hehe."

Ma Donghe felt a bit guilty under this gaze, and couldn't help smiling awkwardly.

Finally, he raised both hands to give up resistance and stopped beating around the bush:

"Fine, I'm laying my cards on the table."

"Actually, it's my old man's idea; he wants you to also take part in this Special Investigation Team exam."

Fang Cheng didn't speak, just silently picked up another skewer of roasted chicken gizzards, eating leisurely, as if waiting for him to continue.

Ma Donghe's spirits lifted, and he quickly straightened his back, gazing at Fang Cheng with an expression that became unprecedentedly serious:

"A-Cheng, I know what you're worried about: being given the cold shoulder or undermined inside, being dragged into those messy factional struggles, and even more, exposing your true skills and being studied like a monster."

"However, my old man said you don't have to apply for the Action Department, nor do you need to go to the Intelligence Department. You can completely rely on your consummate medical skills to directly take the exam for the Medical Team."

"What kind of place is the Medical Team? It belongs to the Logistics Department, a heavenly unit that ordinary people dream of!"

Ma Donghe leaned forward, lowering his voice even more, for fear that others would overhear:

"Usually you stay in the rear, treating the injured brothers. At most, after the battle ends, you go to the scene to clean up and bandage those who aren't quite dead yet."

"You don't need to charge into battle at all. The danger coefficient is countless times lower than us front-line fighters who fight to the death."

"Besides, Elder Shi is the Minister of the Logistics Department. With a big boss like him covering you, who would dare look for trouble with you?"

"Going in means you're acting like a lord, punching the clock for work every day, drinking tea and reading the newspaper, treating it as experiencing life."

"As for those benefits, Cultivate resources, internal intelligence, family protection, not a single one will be missing for you. Isn't this much better than fighting alone outside?"

Ma Donghe finished speaking in one breath, staring fixedly at Fang Cheng, waiting for his response.

To be honest, he was also a bit apprehensive in his heart.

These earnest words of advice were pondered over for several days at home by his father, Ma Jianguo, who taught them to him word for word.

The old man truly thought highly of Fang Cheng, feeling that it was a pity for such a martial arts Genius to be buried in the marketplace.

He was also afraid that Fang Cheng had an aloof personality, completely lacking a social circle, and that one day he would suffer Qi Deviation, go astray, and commit a monstrous crime.

That would truly be too late for regrets.

Therefore, the old man got together with Shi Chengyi, and the two of them planned it out.

In the end, they came up with this excellent method of saving the nation through a detour, allowing him to safely enter the system as a technical talent, which achieved the best of both worlds.

"Medical Team?"

Fang Cheng put down the skewers in his hand, wiped his hands with a paper napkin, and seemed to be seriously thinking:

"It sounds not bad, so why don't you go take the exam directly?"

"Me?"

Hearing this, Ma Donghe's old face turned red, he scratched his head, and said somewhat awkwardly:

"I'd like to too, but that place requires real skills."

"What they recruit are proper top students from medical colleges. With my amateur level, even if I managed to sneak in, I'd just be making up the numbers and eating government rice for free."

"But you're different, A-Cheng!"

Ma Donghe urged eagerly once more:

"Your Bone-setting and Tuina Massage techniques—I dare say, not a single student in the entire Dongdu Medical College can be found to match you."

"If you go take the exam, wouldn't it be as easy as taking candy from a baby?"

Looking at his eager appearance, Fang Cheng smiled noncommittally.

Then, he picked up his wine glass, drank the remaining beer in one gulp, and then slowly said:

"This matter is not urgent; I'll consider it some more."

Seeing that Fang Cheng did not refuse on the spot, Ma Donghe's heart instantly relaxed slightly.

He knew there was a chance!

As long as A-Cheng is willing to consider it, judging by the old man's assessment, this matter has an eight or nine out of ten chance of success.

If the two brothers enter the Special Investigation Team together in the future, not only will they look out for each other, but perhaps he can also bask in some reflected glory later.

Besides, having such a fierce person as Fang Cheng as a colleague means at least feeling secure when going on missions in the future!

"Great! Great! Then take your time to consider, but it's best to make a decision before next Monday, otherwise you'll miss the final registration deadline."

Ma Donghe was overjoyed, and quickly grabbed another plate of skewers, handing them over eagerly:

"Come, come, come, Brother Cheng, don't just drink wine, eat skewers, eat skewers! Today is my treat, all you can eat!"

Fang Cheng smiled indifferently and took the plate.

The two of them continued to clink glasses, eat skewers, and drink alcohol.

At the barbecue stand, the voices were still clamoring, and the charcoal fire was burning vigorously.

The dim lighting reflected the night of Jiuchang Street, full of lively and fragrant worldly flavor.

...

"Click."

With a soft sound, the old security door was pushed open and casually closed again.

The room was dark and silent.

Fang Cheng did not turn on the lights.

For someone who had long been accustomed to the dark, light was not a necessity.

He changed into slippers at the entryway and walked silently toward the living room.

When passing the center, his footsteps paused slightly.

Moonlight poured in from the uncurtained window, casting a patch of cold silver radiance on the floor.

And within that patch of silver radiance, a spiderweb-like crack was clearly visible.

That was the hole crushed open by a stomp when fighting with A-Le earlier, which hadn't been repaired yet.

Fang Cheng's gaze lingered on the crack for less than a second, then immediately looked away.

As if that were just a regular pattern on the floor.

He walked into the washroom and turned on the faucet.

The ice-cold tap water flowed out with a rustling sound.

He cupped a handful with both hands and carefully rinsed his cheeks, washing away the attached oily smoke and alcohol smell.

Water droplets slid down his sharply defined jawline, tracing crystalline trajectories in the dimness.

After cleaning up a bit, Fang Cheng looked at himself in the mirror, and then walked into the bedroom.

His sight fell upon the cross-body bag at the head of the bed, his pupils tightening slightly.

Thinking for a moment, he reached out to unzip the bag, took out two things, and gently placed them on the desk illuminated by the moonlight.

They were a pair of completely different masks, one on the left and one on the right.

One was an evil ghost mask that was pale all over, with ferocious facial features, exuding a manic and evil Aura between its brows.

The other was a comical clown mask, painted with an exaggerated black smile on a bright red background, with a teardrop hanging at the corner of its eye.

Fang Cheng pulled out a chair and sat down, crossing his hands, just quietly looking at the two masks on the desk.

Moonlight passed through the window, spilling onto the cold surfaces of the masks, reflecting an eerie glow.

His eyes were as calm as a deep pool, without ripples, as if he were simply appreciating two ordinary pieces of art.

(End of chapter)