The phone connected.
"Hello, who is this?"
"Coach Zhang, it's me, Sun Sheng."
"Oh! Sun Sheng!"
Zhang Lei's voice immediately became much warmer, "Kid, you did well yesterday! I thought you'd come to the Gym today. What, did you mess up the monthly exam and are afraid to go out?"
"No, Coach. I wanted to talk to you about something."
Sun Sheng went straight to the point, "I want to get an annual membership with you. Starting tomorrow, I'll come for System training every day after school."
This made Zhang Lei genuinely stunned.
A high school student wanting an annual membership for System training? This wasn't a whim.
"Are you serious?"
"Very serious." Sun Sheng's tone was undeniable, "I need strength training, physical conditioning, and actual combat. I hope you can arrange a few sparring partners for me."
Zhang Lei was silent on the other end of the phone, remembering Sun Sheng's performance in the ring yesterday.
That ghostly reaction speed, that textbook-like offensive and defensive awareness... If combined with System strength and physical conditioning, this kid... his future is limitless!
A thrill of being a discoverer surged in him.
"Good kid, you've got ambition!"
Zhang Lei burst out laughing, "Alright! The training plan is on me! You can use all the equipment in the Gym as you like, and I'll personally train you!"
He paused, then lowered his voice, with a hint of mystery and excitement.
"By the way, kid, want to try something even more thrilling?"
"What?"
"Next weekend, there's an underground fighting competition in the city, held in an abandoned factory in the southern suburbs. It's not official, but the prize money is good. You can get two thousand yuan for winning a match.
The opponents are all gym coaches, bodyguards, retired soldiers, and the like. With your skills from yesterday, going to play around will definitely be no problem. Do you dare to come?"
Sun Sheng's eyes instantly lit up.
Actual combat!
This was exactly what he needed most right now!
And there was prize money!
"I dare!" He answered without hesitation, "Send me the time and location!"
"Good! You've got guts!" Zhang Lei was even happier, "Then it's settled! Next week, let me see your true abilities!"
Hanging up the phone, Sun Sheng clenched his fists.
He walked to the window, looking at the myriad lights outside, the flame in his heart burning brighter and brighter.
The seed of his first pot of gold had been planted.
His first real battle was also about to arrive.
The Dao to the peak of the world was right beneath his feet!
...A new week began.
For the other third-year high school students at No. 3 High School, this meant a new round of review, test papers, and endless ranking pressure.
But for Sun Sheng, this was the official start of his brand-new life.
His life was precisely divided into three parts: school, martial arts gym, stock market.
During the day at school, he acted no different from an ordinary student.
Attending classes, taking notes, occasionally even zoning out in class.
But no one knew that when his eyes were blankly staring at the blackboard, his mind was replaying classic matches from his previous life over and over, analyzing various technical details.
As soon as the dismissal bell rang, he would be the first to rush out of the school gate.
After a fifteen-minute bike ride, he would arrive punctually at the Zhenwei Martial Arts Gym.
Waiting for him was the "devil training" tailor-made for him by Zhang Lei.
Zhang Lei found that he had still greatly underestimated Sun Sheng.
He had thought Sun Sheng was just quick to react and talented, but ultimately, he was a high school student who hadn't undergone System training.
But when the training truly began, Zhang Lei realized what kind of "monster" he had encountered.
"Your core strength is too weak!"
"Insufficient thigh explosiveness!"
"Upper body strength is barely passable, but your endurance is a mess!"
On the first day, Zhang Lei conducted a comprehensive assessment of Sun Sheng's physical fitness, and the results were appalling.
Aside from excellent flexibility and coordination, all other strength indicators were merely at the level of an ordinary, slightly thin high school student.
"Kid, your body is like a paper car with a top-tier engine. No matter how fast your reactions are, you'll crumble with one hit, unable to fight tough battles." Zhang Lei concluded.
"I understand, Coach." Sun Sheng calmly accepted the evaluation, "Therefore, I need your help."
Based on his physical condition, he modified the training plan Zhang Lei had set for him, making it more precise and efficient.
Monday, heavy strength training day: squats, bench presses, deadlifts, cycling repeatedly, draining every last bit of his strength.
Tuesday, explosiveness and speed training day: medicine balls, battle ropes, box jumps, making him feel his heart about to burst from his chest.
Wednesday, core and endurance training day: planks, crunches, long-distance running, challenging the limits of his willpower.
Thursday and Friday were for technique and reaction training: target practice, movement, light sparring.
The weekend was for rest and the upcoming actual combat.
Sun Sheng had no complaints, throwing himself into it with an almost masochistic fervor.
His self-discipline made everyone in the entire Martial Arts Gym take notice.
Other trainees would gather to brag and drink water after training.
He, however, would be alone, practicing the most monotonous jab against the sandbag, practicing hundreds, even thousands of times.
Other trainees complained that strength training was too tiring.
He, however, would silently add two more sets after completing the prescribed number of sets by Zhang Lei.
What made Zhang Lei even more incredible was Sun Sheng's understanding of training.
He would actively discuss the techniques of a certain movement with Zhang Lei, and could even point out irregularities in the movements of some older trainees.
He would set a detailed nutritional supplement plan for himself, clearly outlining what protein powder to drink after training, and how much carbohydrates and protein to eat normally.
He explained that these were all "self-taught online."
But Zhang Lei always felt that this kid wasn't just self-taught; he was practically like an experienced, top-tier coach who had taught for many years!
In just one week, Sun Sheng's body was changing at a visible rate.
His weight hadn't increased much, but his muscle lines became clearer and firmer.
His once slightly thin shoulders and back began to show the rudimentary shape of an inverted triangle.
Most importantly, his strength and endurance had significantly improved.
The sound of his punches hitting the sandbag, which started as muffled "thump-thumps," gradually turned into heavy and penetrating "thwacks! thwacks!"
Saturday night, southern suburbs, the abandoned Third Cement Factory.
This was the venue for the underground fighting competition Zhang Lei had mentioned.
The interior of the huge factory building had been cleared, and a makeshift square ring was enclosed in the center with thick ropes.
Smoke billowed around, and voices clamored.
The air was filled with the pungent smell of alcohol, sweat, and cheap cigarettes mixed together.
Hundreds of men with various expressions surrounded the ring, shouting loudly, placing bets, the atmosphere frenzied and savage.
Sun Sheng followed Zhang Lei, walking in through an inconspicuous small door backstage.
He had changed into a pair of black athletic shorts, his upper body bare.
His lean but well-defined physique looked particularly slender among a group of burly men.
His appearance immediately drew a round of whistles and laughter.
"Damn, Zhang Lei, where did you find this high school student?"
"With these thin arms and legs, is he here to deliver money?"
"Hey, kid, hurry home and do your homework; this isn't the place for you!"
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