Chapter 32: First Encounter

17 years old: During a certain company research prosthetic experiment, you unexpectedly detected that your body actually has extremely strong rejection; every cell and every nerve of your body has strong rejection; simply put, your body cannot accommodate any prosthetic.

This news was unexpected, but you weren't too worried, because you never intended to install a prosthetic.

18 years old: You believed your knowledge of advanced prosthetics was sufficient, and moreover you had worked at the company for two and a half years, accumulating some funds and connections; you also had several channels for procuring prosthetics, enough to support you working as a prosthetic doctor.

Most importantly, your body has fully developed, and you can finally begin formal training of the first stage of martial arts, which makes you very excited.

The first stage of martial arts has three parts: external training, internal training, and hardening; techniques include fist, leg, and palm methods; as long as the basics are solid, passing the first stage is easy, after all, the process of building foundations is actually a kind of tempering of the body.

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step; you quit your job and focused on martial arts training, starting from the most basic external training and gradually delving into the world of martial arts.

19 years old: Your basics were excellent; you easily completed the first stage of martial arts in just one year; now your maximum punching force can barely reach 200 kilograms, already a level ordinary people cannot reach, but you are still far from being able to match prosthetics.

The second stage of martial arts is called Qi Absorption: drawing qi into the body, using intention to shape, using form to control qi; it will be a lengthy process, cannot be rushed, cannot be sped up.

And as a complete genius, you sensed qi in just one day, completed Qi Absorption in five days, learned to control qi with form in half a month; the aspects of the second stage that rely on talent have been fully completed, leaving only accumulation.

Moreover, news came from somewhere that Wei Er would retire after the final match of the year after next; this news was like a bolt from the blue, leaving you at a loss.

Originally you planned to, at age 26, that is, in the next tournament, rely on martial arts to defeat him head-on, defeat him, and kill him on the ring with martial arts to avenge your father.

But now, if you were to enter the competition at age 21, it would be impossible to defeat Wei Er; even the most advanced prosthetics in the world can already reach nearly two tons of punching force, and that prosthetic Stanweistin, which seems able to accelerate time, is unfathomable; how could you possibly deal with him?

To verify the truth of this news, you used your identity as a prosthetic doctor to enter an underground Heiquanquanchang; it is said that Wei Er occasionally comes here to box for fun, so the information here is usually the most accurate.

You obtained definite news; it is said that because Wei Er's neurons can no longer bear so many prosthetics, he has gone to another walled-off area for treatment; if the treatment fails, he will remove most of his prosthetics after the next match, meaning the next Golden Fist Tournament will be his final fight in his career.

Upon hearing this news, you didn't know whether to be happy or worried; you wanted to defeat him head-on while he still had real strength, rather than bully a retired wreck.

After careful consideration, you chose to stay in this underground Heiquanquanchang; on one hand you could gather firsthand information about Wei Er, and on the hand your martial arts training no longer requires much time, only needing a fixed four hours of breathing exercises each day.

20 years old: The prosthetic doctors' wages at the underground Heiquanquanchang are high, with a steady stream of injured sent for treatment each day; originally the three prosthetic doctors at this underground arena were overwhelmed.

Until your appearance, not only was your skill superb, but also your speed fast; a one-versus-three you gained considerable status in this underground Heiquan arena, with everyone who saw you calling you 'Jie Ge', of course limited to those underlings in the Hei Quan Guan.

Finally, you even directly became the hidden second-in-command of the arena; no one in the arena dares to provoke you, as they all know you are a fierce person who can beat combat prosthetics without using any prosthetics; of course this also only applies to the regulars in the Hei Quan Guan.

The night sky hung high; Doctor Zhang, after a busy day, pushed open the back door of his clinic and stepped out, behind him the arena faintly transmitted restless music.

Hiss... ha...

He exhaled a mouthful of white mist, enjoying a moment of present tranquility.

Now Zhang Jie keeps a beard, but it is not naturally grown.

To blend in with the surroundings, he deliberately disguised his appearance to look like someone in their thirties, mature and steady.

The only downside is that, worried sick about Wei Er, he has picked up a smoking habit; without a few cigarettes a day he feels uncomfortable all over, but fortunately it has little effect on his martial arts cultivation.

Smoking, Zhang Jie felt his inner agitation ease somewhat, while at this moment shouts and curses came from the neighboring alley.

Move it faster, you damn! Is it really that hard?

No... I can't, Cheng Ge, I don't have money to fix a prosthetic, I really can't move it...

Get out of the way, damn! I'll do it myself!

With the sound of steel scraping the ground growing closer, a figure laboriously dragged another figure out, heading toward the large trash bin in front of Zhang Jie; that scraping sound came from here.

Please... don't... don't throw me... in.

The dragged figure emitted a weak plea, occasional tiny electric sparks appearing on its body, most of its prosthetics already scrapped.

Zhang Jie glanced and roughly understood what had happened.

This is again a person who was beaten to scrap in the arena; that scraping sound from the steel on the ground is actually the exclusive noise made by low-quality prosthetics.

Nowadays, a normal prosthetic is made of titanium alloy, a lightweight high-strength alloy, so only such a crudely hand-forged prosthetic of steel produces this sound.

Please... I can still fight... I'll pay the medical fees myself... don't throw me in.

Zhang Jie took a deep drag of smoke; he has seen this scene too many times, too many.

Remember when he first came to this place, there were a few buddies who got along well with him; each time they came to him they were covered in injuries, and they kept delaying medical fees, saying they'd pay later.

In the end, they all became prosthetic wrecks after being beaten, discarded directly by their bosses, and thrown into this large trash bin in front of him.

He simply didn't have time to save them; each day a garbage crushing truck comes here, dumping the bin's contents wholesale into the truck to be crushed, whether broken prosthetics or anything else.

Anything alive that could move a bit has already crawled out.

You still dare to shout! If your boss couldn't even afford pants today, do you still want to live? I might not even survive going back myself!

That person strained while dragging, cursing loudly all the way.

You're still tough! You gave that low-quality prosthetic a high-end look! You (expletive) deserve to die!

I was wrong... I was wrong!

Don't throw me in! I don't want to die!

That figure wanted to struggle, but each movement of its prosthetics would burst out more sparks.

Sigh...

He tossed the cigarette butt under his foot, Zhang Jie stepped on it hard and twisted it, letting out a sigh.

No matter how much time passes, he still can't bear to watch this scene.

'If those few idiots could also meet a kind person like me, maybe they wouldn't have died...'

Zhang Jie shook his head, lifting his chin at the little thug who had come up to him.

Hey!