The after-effects of the fight manifested the next day as soreness throughout his entire body.
Especially his right arm, which had thrown punches, and his legs, which had supported his body, felt as if they were filled with lead.
This was his body, too weak, protesting against him, reminding him of the current limits of this shell.
Sun Sheng lay on the bed, feeling this familiar fatigue, but the corners of his mouth curved slightly upward.
This feeling was very real.
It proved that everything last night wasn't an illusion; he was, step by step, forging this young body into the resilient weapon it had been in his previous life.
He didn't linger in bed, struggling to get up and beginning some light stretching exercises to alleviate muscle stiffness.
Pain, for a fighter, is part of training, a common occurrence.
How to coexist with pain and learn from it is a mandatory lesson for becoming strong.
On Monday morning, when he walked into the classroom, he distinctly felt that the atmosphere was a bit different.
Li Hao, the chubby classmate sitting next to him, leaned over, a mysterious smile on his face.
"Sheng Ge, you're awesome!"
"What?"
Sun Sheng casually asked while pulling out his textbook.
"Still pretending!" Li Hao lowered his voice, "My cousin went to watch some 'underground boxing match' yesterday, and he came back bragging to me, saying he saw a high school student, about your build, knock down a burly man named 'Bao Ge' with one punch! Was that you?"
Sun Sheng raised an eyebrow, not expecting the news to spread so quickly.
He neither admitted nor denied it, just smiled.
This ambiguous attitude, in Li Hao's eyes, was an admission.
"Holy cow! It really was you! Sheng Ge, when did you get so fierce? Teach me a few moves!"
Sun Sheng's exploits, like a stone thrown into a calm lake, created ripples among a small group of boys at school.
Although most people still regarded him as that ordinary classmate with average grades and a somewhat reserved personality.
But in certain circles of boys who loved sports and admired strength, the name "Sun Sheng" began to take on a legendary aura.
There were even a few students from other classes who would deliberately run to his classroom door during breaks, just to catch a glimpse of this ruthless person who "KO'd a strong man with one punch."
Sun Sheng didn't care about these changes.
His life trajectory remained the same, a two-point line between school and the Martial Arts Gym, as regular as a precise clock.
He used all two thousand yuan of the prize money to improve his nutrition.
He started going to the market himself to buy the freshest beef and chicken breasts, then cooked them himself at home.
He controlled the intake ratio of protein, carbohydrates, and fats more precisely than a nutritionist.
This made his mother, Zhou Hui, feel both relieved and puzzled.
Relieved that her son seemed to have grown up overnight, becoming independent and self-disciplined.
Puzzled by his almost obsessive dedication to the act of "eating."
And at Zhenwei Martial Arts Gym, Sun Sheng's status had undergone a dramatic change.
If before, everyone just thought he was a quick-reacting, talented newcomer.
Then, after witnessing firsthand or hearing about his feat of KO'ing Bao Ge, everyone's gaze towards him changed.
It was a look mixed with awe, curiosity, and respect.
No one ever again treated him as a "skinny high school student."
He used the most direct and violent method to win the recognition of these hormone-fueled men.
Even Coach Zhang Lei became more dedicated when coaching him.
He almost completely imparted everything he had kept hidden.
From Sanda's punch and kick combinations to Muay Thai's clinch fighting, and even some simple wrestling and ground defense techniques.
And Sun Sheng's learning ability once again refreshed Zhang Lei's understanding.
For any technical movement, Zhang Lei only needed to demonstrate it once, and Sun Sheng could imitate it with near perfection.
Actually, Sun Sheng already knew all of these, but he still wanted to relearn them, solidify his foundation, and fill in any gaps.
So no matter what Zhang Lei taught, Sun Sheng could immediately grasp it, and even extrapolate from it, offering his own insights.
Zhang Lei often had the illusion that he wasn't teaching a student, but rather exchanging experiences with an experienced colleague.
Time quietly slipped away in such day-after-day arduous training.
In the blink of an eye, a month had passed.
This day was Friday, and Sun Sheng's mood was a bit different.
Because today was the due date of the "bet" he had made with his father, Sun Jianjun.
After school in the afternoon, he didn't go to the Martial Arts Gym but went straight home.
Sun Jianjun, as if he had calculated the time, had closed the hardware store early and was already waiting at home.
He sat on the sofa, his expression serious, showing no joy or anger.
"You're back?"
"Yes."
The conversation between father and son was as concise as ever.
"The computer's on, go take a look yourself," Sun Jianjun pointed to the study.
Sun Sheng walked into the study, opened the familiar trading software, entered his account number and password, and logged in.
The moment the account information popped up, Sun Jianjun, who was following behind him, suddenly held his breath.
The 'Total Account Assets' column prominently displayed an astonishing string of numbers:
63,450.88 yuan!
Sun Jianjun's eyes instantly widened like brass bells; he almost pounced on the computer, vigorously rubbing his eyes, thinking he had misread it.
That's right!
Sixty-three thousand four hundred fifty yuan and eighty-eight cents!
A month ago, he had personally watched his son invest a principal of five thousand yuan!
In one month, it had increased more than twelvefold!
"This... how is this possible?"
Sun Jianjun's voice trembled; he pointed at the screen, then turned to look at his son, his eyes filled with incredulous shock.
Sun Sheng's expression, however, was very calm, as if he had long expected this outcome.
He, of course, knew why; just half a month ago, Tencent officially released a major updated version of WeChat, adding the "Moments" feature.
The launch of this feature directly ignited social networks, causing WeChat's user base to grow explosively.
The capital market immediately responded with the most enthusiastic response, and Tencent's stock price soared uncontrollably.
"Dad, I won," Sun Sheng said calmly.
Sun Jianjun stared blankly at the numbers on the screen, then looked at his overly calm son, opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a single word.
Shock, ecstasy, confusion, pride... complex emotions churned within him.
He worked hard running the hardware store for a year, and after all costs, the net profit wouldn't even reach this amount!
And his son, this teenager whom he had always thought still needed his protection, had, in just one month, by moving his fingers, created a miracle he dared not even dream of.
From this moment on, it seemed something in this family had been completely changed.
Sun Jianjun silently returned to the living room, lit a cigarette, took a deep drag, and amidst the swirling smoke, his weathered face was full of complexity.
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