Although the force testing instrument at the boxing gym had been broken by Xiao Yunlong's punch a few days prior, the club's efficiency was remarkable, or perhaps they possessed substantial financial resources, as they quickly acquired a new one.
It was still morning, yet the boxing gym was already crowded with guests, most of whom had come specifically for the force testing device.
The manager soon arrived, and with his appearance, Xiao Yunlong and his companions were naturally spared the need to queue.
"Mr. Xiao, please proceed with the test?" the manager asked, gesturing with an outstretched hand, his attitude exceedingly respectful.
"I'm not testing, they are!" Xiao Yunlong shook his head and said.
The instrument was the same model as before, with its upper limit still at fifty thousand numerical units. In other words, this level of force testing equipment could not withstand his full power strike, rendering any such test meaningless.
"I'll go first," Liu Ruyan said, slowly stepping forward, then lowering her stance to gather her strength.
The surrounding patrons all turned their heads, and the manager also watched from the side. While the club did have many female members, a woman as tall, with a devilish figure and a stunning face like Liu Ruyan was a rarity since the club's inception, naturally drawing everyone's attention.
This time, Liu Ruyan did not prepare for long. Her breath deepened, and she suddenly exerted her force, sending a punch towards the testing instrument.
After all, she had been practicing diligently for a week straight. Both with the Bagua Youlong Palm and the application of internal energy, Liu Ruyan had become quite proficient. Consequently, the speed of her punch was naturally much faster than before, which in fact demonstrated a significant improvement in her combat power.
With a sudden, booming sound, the hydraulic pressure of the testing device rapidly increased under the impact of the immense force, quickly surpassing Liu Ruyan's previous output of over eighteen hundred units.
In the blink of an eye, the numerical value reached three thousand, finally settling at three thousand two hundred.
A gasp of astonishment erupted from the crowd.
"Good heavens, three thousand two hundred of force, that's terrifying! I can't believe she produced that number!"
"Indeed, she looks so delicate, yet her strength is so powerful and domineering. With a punch like that, even an elephant would fall. Too strong!"
Xiao Yunlong, however, was not surprised, as he had witnessed Liu Ruyan's strenuous and fervent training these past few days.
Liu Ruyan walked over, pouting, "Only three thousand two hundred of force? I thought I could reach around four thousand. It seems I'm still falling short of expectations."
Jun Bufan couldn't help but say with a hint of frustration, "Please, how long have you been practicing, and you've already reached three thousand two hundred of force? If this continues, you'll likely surpass me before long. I've been practicing martial arts since I was twelve!"
Xiao Yunlong also smiled and said, "It's indeed very good. Three thousand two hundred of force roughly equates to the cultivation of a minor Grandmaster of Inner Strength at the fourth stage."
"Really?" Liu Ruyan asked. Perhaps she had always set Xiao Yunlong as her benchmark and initially set her sights too high, which was why she felt it was far from enough.
"Of course, it's true. With your current martial arts cultivation, you are considered a master in the entire Suzhou City. However, what you lack now is practical combat experience," Xiao Yunlong stated truthfully.
Liu Ruyan nodded, "Practical combat experience, that might be difficult to acquire. After all, we can't just go around picking fights with people, can we?"
Xiao Yunlong smiled slightly, "No matter. You continue to hone your skills. When the time is right, I will arrange opportunities for you to gain combat experience!"
"Okay, thank you, Yunlong!" Liu Ruyan nodded, a charming smile on her face.
At this moment, Jun Bufan had already walked up to the force testing instrument. After gathering his strength, he let out a sharp cry and then threw a punch.
Following a thunderous roar, the testing instrument even trembled.
The hydraulic numerical value surged, immediately reaching five thousand, then eight thousand...
In the blink of an eye, it broke through ten thousand, finally settling at eleven thousand and eighty.
The crowd erupted in exclamations once again.
"My goodness, am I seeing things? Over eleven thousand! What kind of prodigy is this? It seems we've encountered a true master today!"
"It appears so. These two must be the legendary ancient martial artists. Today has truly been an eye-opener!"
Even Liu Ruyan was quite surprised and remarked, "It's over ten thousand? Does this mean Jun Bufan has broken through to become a true Grandmaster of Hua Jin?"
Xiao Yunlong's expression remained as usual. He nodded and said, "Yes, he broke through three days ago. This kid's talent seems quite good, improving so much in such a short time. I can arrange some tasks for him in the future!"
Upon hearing this, Jun Bufan was overjoyed, as it meant that from this moment on, Mr. Xiao truly recognized him.
"Thank you, Mr. Xiao. My current achievements are all thanks to your guidance and cultivation. From now on, whatever tasks you have, just command me!" Jun Bufan cupped his fists in greeting.
"No need to be so formal. I'm older than you, so you can call me 'Big Brother' from now on!" Xiao Yunlong said.
"Yes, Big Brother!" Jun Bufan cupped his fists again.
Seven days ago, Xiao Yunlong had intervened to save the Jun family. Now, the Jun family's animosity towards Xiao Yunlong had vanished, and consequently, their attitude towards Jun Bufan had also changed dramatically. This made Jun Bufan feel an unprecedented sense of ease. He secretly resolved to wholeheartedly follow Mr. Xiao from now on.
"Let's go!" Xiao Yunlong said, turning to leave.
"Big Brother, aren't you going to test again?" Jun Bufan asked.
"No, I'm afraid I might break it again, and then the owner would truly have to ask me for compensation," Xiao Yunlong joked.
Jun Bufan, however, couldn't bring himself to laugh. Although it was just a jest, he could tell that his Big Brother's strength had already surpassed the testing instrument's upper limit, meaning it was far beyond fifty thousand units of force.
What kind of concept was that? Jun Bufan dared not even imagine it!
Seeing Xiao Yunlong and his group about to leave, the manager quickly stepped forward, cupping his hands, "Mr. Xiao, please wait. Our owner particularly admires you and wishes to invite you inside as a guest. Would that be possible?"
Xiao Yunlong's brow furrowed slightly.
The manager quickly added, "I know this might be somewhat presumptuous, but we have no ill intentions. It's purely admiration, and we'd also like to seek your guidance on some martial arts knowledge."
"If that is the case, then please lead the way!" Xiao Yunlong waved his hand.
"That's wonderful! Mr. Xiao's willingness to grace us with his presence truly brings honor to our club!" the manager exclaimed with great joy, also feeling relieved that the task assigned by the owner had not been botched.
Soon, led by the manager, Xiao Yunlong and his companions arrived at the VIP reception room at the back.
The reception room was extremely luxurious. As it wasn't yet mealtime, they chose a tea room.
As soon as Xiao Yunlong and his group were seated, the owner, Quan Mingxu, entered, accompanied by three to five middle-aged men.
"I am Quan Mingxu. Greetings, Mr. Xiao. It's been a few days, and you seem even more radiant. I presume your martial arts have progressed further!"
Quan Mingxu cupped his hands, his face beaming with a smile.
"Owner Quan flatters me. Your special arrangement today, I suspect the intention is not merely to drink tea, is it?" Xiao Yunlong asked calmly.
Quan Mingxu was taken aback, "Mr. Xiao indeed has keen insight, to have seen through it at a glance. You are correct. Besides admiring your demeanor, I also wish to introduce some friends to you today!"
Saying this, Quan Mingxu pointed to a burly man with a thick beard beside him and said, "This is Mr. Wu Gaozhuo, the Commandant of the Suzhou City Defense Department. To his left is Mr. Ma Minfei, the Deputy Instructor of the Defense Department."
Quan Mingxu did not introduce the remaining three, seemingly subordinates or attendants of Commandant Wu Gaozhuo, who were not important enough to be introduced in such a setting.
Xiao Yunlong merely glanced at the two men indifferently, without speaking, and certainly without any intention of standing up.
Commandant Wu Gaozhuo of the City Defense Department saw this and was immediately angered. He snorted, "Quan Mingxu, is this the expert named Xiao you mentioned? His demeanor is far too arrogant!"
Deputy Instructor Ma Minfei also let out a cold laugh, "This kid, barely out of his teens, can be an expert?"
Quan Mingxu's face immediately turned awkward. He could only offer a conciliatory smile, "Mr. Xiao's skills are indeed extraordinary, but perhaps precisely because of his youth, he is unaware of these worldly courtesies. Gentlemen, for my sake, please do not dwell on it."
"If it weren't for your sake, I wouldn't even bother speaking to such an arrogant brat who doesn't know his place!"
Wu Gaozhuo snorted heavily, then strode over, pulled out a chair, and plopped himself down in front of Xiao Yunlong.
Deputy Instructor Ma Minfei also followed and sat down, while the remaining three stood behind Wu Gaozhuo.
The atmosphere suddenly became quiet and awkward.
Quan Mingxu, as the host, could only break the silence and the awkwardness by speaking, "It's like this, Mr. Xiao. After witnessing your skills and strength last time, I was deeply impressed. Wu Gaozhuo is my close friend. I happened to hear that the City Defense Department is currently in need of a martial arts instructor, or a martial arts guidance coach. Commandant Wu is in charge of such matters, so I took the liberty of inviting him here. I hope you won't mind!"
Quan Mingxu then smiled and continued, "Mr. Xiao, at such a young age, to possess such skills, you should have a great future. Therefore, I thought, perhaps you could join the City Defense Department as this martial arts instructor. Of course, this is just a stepping stone. With your abilities, your future achievements are bound to be limitless."
It must be said that this fellow, having navigated the world of business, was impeccable in his words and actions. Even Xiao Yunlong could find no fault with him.
Xiao Yunlong smiled faintly, "Thank you for your kind offer, but it's not necessary!"
Quan Mingxu was stunned, at a loss for words for a moment.
"If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave!" Xiao Yunlong said, standing up as if to depart.
Wu Gaozhuo's thick, bearded face darkened completely. He roared like thunder, "Kid, what do you mean by 'not necessary'? Do you look down on the martial arts instructor position at our Suzhou City Defense Department?"
Xiao Yunlong shrugged and said indifferently, "It's not that I look down on it. How should I put it? It's just that this so-called martial arts instructor has never entered my sight!"
As the King of Zhenbei of the Dragon Country, asking him to be a mere martial arts instructor for the Suzhou City Defense Department was preposterous.
Of course, if Wu Gaozhuo's attitude and words hadn't been so aggressive from the start, Xiao Yunlong wouldn't have been so dismissive. As the saying goes, one doesn't strike a smiling face. For example, Xiao Yunlong had always been polite to the club owner, Quan Mingxu.
But if someone dared to flaunt their authority in front of him, the King of Zhenbei, then Xiao Yunlong would naturally not be polite. In terms of authority, let alone the Dragon Country, who in the entire world could compare to him, the King of Zhenbei?
Suddenly, Wu Gaozhuo slammed heavily on the table, almost shattering the fine rosewood tea table.
"You brat, you're outrageously arrogant! You even dare to disregard the Commandant of our Suzhou City Defense Department. If I don't teach you a lesson today, you probably won't even know how to spell 'low-key'!" Wu Gaozhuo said sternly and coldly.