Teacher Liu was awash with thoughts, pondering how to make Zhang Beixing give up.
At that moment, Zhang Beixing was also thinking about how to persuade Teacher Liu to agree to teach him.
Giving up is out of the question.
The suggestion of earning 0.5 Ability Points for each completed task isn't as common as cabbages on the street, readily available whenever one wishes.
I have to seize this opportunity!
Thus, an old and a young man, one fat and one thin, each with their own agenda, started a brainstorming session.
The room fell into an eerie silence.
Half a minute later, Zhang Beixing finally looked at Teacher Liu and said, "Teacher, it's true that I have neither authority nor money, but that's not important! I'm not learning martial arts to fight and kill; it's to cultivate my sentiments, refine my character, and strengthen my body!"
"Do you think I believe that?" Teacher Liu spoke languidly.
Previously, when I was at the 'Yanjing Yue Family Boxing' gym, nearly every person who came to register had the same spiel. Some even had excuses that sounded better and more elaborate.
But what was the outcome?
They were all still led astray by Power, taking the path to crime!
If it weren't for their cooperative attitude when required, their willingness to make amends, and some connections within the military, the gym would probably have been shut down long ago!
"Ah, this..."
Seeing his words mercilessly refuted by Teacher Liu, Zhang Beixing couldn't help but feel a bit embarrassed. He scratched his head and said, "Okay, fine. Honestly, I don't even believe in cultivating sentiments and refining character. But, Teacher Liu, I really do want to use it to strengthen my body, and that's absolutely true. Believe me!"
"I do believe you, and that's exactly why you cannot learn it!"
"Ah? Why??"
"Because Yue Family Boxing isn't at all intended for strengthening the body. It was created solely for killing, for war. Many of its moves, if you practice them, will not only fail to make your body stronger or better but will also harm it, much like how long-term running damages the knees. Practicing this martial art will only wear out your body, offering not a single benefit.
So, stop thinking about it. Martial arts are a relic of a bygone era. You can't be superstitious about how magical these things are—that's all nonsense. Nowadays, if you want to exercise, scientific fitness is the way to go. Got it?"
Zhang Beixing fell silent.
At that moment, he really wanted to say he didn't understand. But seeing Teacher Liu's evidently impatient demeanor, and recalling how well-versed he was in Yue Family Boxing—capable of twisting his head off—he ultimately said nothing.
He just muttered an apology for the intrusion and left the office.
After he had left, Teacher Liu dropped his impatient facade. He stared blankly at the ceiling, lost in thought.
After a long while, he heaved a sigh and began his office work.
「Thirty minutes later.」
In room 203 of the male dormitory, Zhang Beixing walked in, carrying three portions of food and wearing a sullen expression. After dropping the three meals in front of Zheng Jituo and the others, he said nothing and headed straight to the bathroom to take a cold shower.
Zhang Beixing needed to cool down. He had experienced a significant loss today! First, he wasted fifty minutes and all his energy practicing Yue Family Boxing, which he couldn't learn at all. Then, he sought help from Teacher Liu, who stubbornly refused to teach him. The 0.5 Ability Points were within sight but out of reach. This feeling was worse than death!
Meanwhile, in room 203 of the dormitory, Zheng Jituo noticed something was off with Zhang Beixing. He tapped Dong Guoning and Jin Linyu to discuss the matter. After a unanimous discussion, the three of them concluded that Zhang Beixing must have failed in his confession again, which was why he was so dejected. So they decided to comfort him once he emerged.
And as it happened, at that very moment, Zhang Beixing, his face stony, walked out of the bathroom in his changed clothes.
Zheng Jituo casually asked, "Lao Zhang, did you hear? A university student committed suicide by jumping off a building because his confession of love failed!"
Zhang Beixing stared, bewildered.
Upon hearing this, not only was Zhang Beixing taken aback, but Dong Guoning and Jin Linyu were also stunned. Then, the faces of these two darkened, and they looked rather displeased.
Indeed, after an intense discussion moments before, they had selected Zheng Jituo to fabricate a story to persuade Zhang Beixing. But damn it, if you're going to make up a story, make up a story! Why go so far as to give him ideas? Are you afraid he wouldn't think of that himself?!
Worried that Zhang Beixing would do something foolish, Jin Linyu and Dong Guoning exchanged glances and started inching towards the window.
Zhang Beixing, completely oblivious to their concern, simply looked at Zheng Jituo and asked, "So what?"
"So, ah... don't you think it's such a waste? A fine young man, in the prime of his life, unable to move on from a girl, choosing such extreme measures!"
"The world is full of beautiful women; why fixate on just one? There are so many beauties online, why obsess over this particular one?"
After speaking, Zheng Jituo quietly observed Zhang Beixing, watching for any changes in his expression. He noticed that after hearing his words, Zhang Beixing just froze, showing no extreme reaction.
Believing Zhang Beixing had taken his words to heart, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.
In fact, Zhang Beixing had indeed taken it in.
Although there had been some amusing misunderstandings between him and his roommates... But that wasn't important! What was important was that he, Zhang Beixing, now realized what he had to do! He indeed couldn't think of how to persuade Teacher Liu to teach him. But just because he couldn't, didn't mean others couldn't! Don't forget, in China, there was such a huge group! This group was very special; its members came from all over the country, and some might not even be in China. As long as money wasn't the topic... anything from mixing No. 42 concrete with spaghetti, the situation in Iraq, to the feasibility of perpetual motion machines... they could analyze it all with you, and make perfect sense! And the name of this group was none other than the Silly Netizens!
Realizing he had such a powerful group of strategists at his disposal, Zhang Beixing didn't hesitate. He immediately took out his phone and started posting on Tieba.
My fam who... Nope! Wrong platform, this is Xiaohongshu.
"Guys, I'm just a mess right now. Here's the deal: because I'm on good terms with my teacher, they gave me a martial arts Secret Manual. But I'm struggling to master it. When I went to the teacher for guidance, they refused to teach me, which has left me in great distress. It seems like my chance to defy fate and transform my destiny is slipping away, and maybe I'm doomed to live in the sewers forever."
To get a quick response, Zhang Beixing chose Sun Bar, known for its high combativeness and popularity. He posted this non-standard 'mouse persona' message, and even attached a screenshot of *Yue Family Boxing*.
Sure enough, being a highly contentious forum, even if his post was extremely obscure, someone there would always drop by to curse him out. Not to mention, Zhang Beixing's post combined elements of martial heroes, the 'mouse' persona, adolescent fantasies, and a 'giving up' theme. It was the kind that made people want to click on it at first glance.
It's just a shame that it's 2018, a whole year before Genshin Impact is officially released. Otherwise, I could complete the persona by adding a love for Genshin Impact, playing King of Glory, and watching Jia Ran's streams. Then the Trinity Force would be complete!