Camphor Tea Duck was an extremely famous dish from Hu Qi's previous life.
The preparation for this dish was quite complex, requiring the duck to first go through many processes, including marinating, smoking, steaming, and frying.
Multiple spices were used during marination. After being smoked with camphor wood and tea leaves, the duck meat was imbued with a unique smoky aroma.
The final product would have a bright, reddish sheen, crispy skin, and tender meat. Its flavor was mellow and rich, exuding a potent aroma of camphor wood and tea leaves.
Hu Qi was extremely fond of it.
Giving the duck this name was a sign of his great expectations for it.
…
"…According to data from current Federation experiments, a force of one thousand *jin* is the limit of the human body. Of course, this is just a theoretical maximum. It's practically impossible for anyone to actually reach it. Ordinary people can only get their bodies closer to this value through various forms of training. In reality, the physical limit for most people is between 200 and 300 kilograms, which is around five hundred *jin*. Only those who are truly gifted might be able to exceed 400 kilograms, getting exceptionally close to that thousand-*jin* value. People like that are already considered once-in-a-lifetime prodigies."
Two figures stood facing each other in the hallway outside the training room.
Chen Wu looked at Hu Qi and began to explain with a smile.
Since their last spar, Chen Wu's attitude had become increasingly friendly.
'He was certain that with Hu Qi's strength, joining the core class would be no problem at all.'
'Naturally, he needed to get on good terms with someone like that ahead of time.'
During his free time, he would seek out Hu Qi for a chat, attempting to foster a friendship between them.
One might think that as a coach at the Red Scale Club and a Silver Fist Level fighter with an easy job and great benefits, he had it made.
But only he knew that when faced with a student who could actually join the core class, he was nothing.
'People like him are just failures.'
'They're nothing compared to the prodigies in the core class.'
As for Chen Wu's friendly overtures, having struggled through society for over thirty years in his past life, Hu Qi could hardly fail to understand the man's intentions.
This was precisely why he had revealed some of his strength earlier, so of course, he wouldn't turn him down.
Before long, the two were acting like old friends.
Right now, Chen Wu was answering a question Hu Qi had just posed.
'A thousand *jin*!'
Hu Qi's expression flickered as he recalled what Song Jian had told him.
He looked at Chen Wu.
"Then does the core class have a way to break that limit?"
At his words, Chen Wu didn't answer immediately.
He glanced around, and only after seeing that no other students were paying them any mind did he lower his voice.
"Looks like you already know a few things, Brother Hu.
In that case, I won't hide it from you."
At this, he met Hu Qi's inquisitive gaze with a smile.
"That's right. The core class possesses a Limit-Breaking Technique. A person who masters this kind of technique can be called a Martial Artist. Now *those* are the truly strong."
"How strong is a Martial Artist?"
Hu Qi's interest was piqued. 'He had a feeling he was about to glimpse a hidden facet of this world.'
"I'm not too clear on the specifics. My Talent was too poor; I didn't make it into the core class back then.
Once you get in, you'll find out for yourself. The only thing I can say for sure is that they are incredibly powerful. Some of them can even take gunfire without a scratch."
Chen Wu shook his head.
'Taking bullets with their physical bodies?'
Hu Qi's eyelid twitched.
'That's just inhuman.'
He then pressed for more specific details.
Unfortunately, Chen Wu claimed he didn't know.
It was all secondhand information he'd heard from a student who had made it into the core class.
"I'm not too clear on anything else, but there's a theory: the stronger your body is and the closer you are to the human limit *before* you start practicing the Limit-Breaking Technique, the greater the benefits you'll reap," Chen Wu said gravely.
'Is that so?'
A glint appeared in Hu Qi's eyes.
The only good news was that this confirmed his earlier suspicions.
'This world really isn't as simple as it seems; it holds mysterious powers that far surpass those of ordinary people.'
Just then, someone downstairs shouted Chen Wu's name.
Chen Wu answered the call, turned, and left.
As he watched Chen Wu's retreating back, a peculiar glint appeared in his eyes.
He found himself looking forward to the core class assessment, now just over half a month away, with even greater anticipation.
…
「Hanlin Garden District.」
Hu Qi parked his electric scooter, grabbed the groceries he'd bought, and headed upstairs.
Just as he stepped out of the elevator and reached for his keys, the red-lacquered door at the far end of the right-hand hallway swung open.
A man in a white t-shirt emerged. His face was somewhat pale.
The man was wearing sunglasses, and he nodded at Hu Qi upon seeing him.
Hu Qi nodded back.
A young couple lived there.
Hu Qi had run into them a few times over the past month.
Though the man was wearing sunglasses, Hu Qi was sure from his build and height that it was definitely the man from the couple.
They passed each other, and the man stepped into the elevator.
As he watched the elevator doors slide shut, Hu Qi wrinkled his nose. He had caught a strong whiff of perfume from the man—it was so strong it was almost acrid.
Hu Qi glanced at the closed apartment door, a sliver of doubt rising in his mind.
Details from some old criminal cases he'd read about flashed through his mind.
'Come to think of it, I don't think I've seen the woman in a few days. Could it be…'
Just as this thought arose in Hu Qi's mind.
CLICK!
Just then, the door opened again. A woman in her twenties with a graceful figure peered out. Her hair was tied up, and she was wearing a nightgown.
"Honey, you forgot your keys…"
She stopped mid-sentence, not seeing anyone there.
When she saw Hu Qi looking at her, she gave a slightly embarrassed smile.
"That man, always forgetting something or other…"
Muttering to herself, the woman shut the door with a SLAM.
Hu Qi stood where he was, momentarily speechless.
'Looks like I was overthinking it. The world isn't that full of coincidences.'
He shook his head, opened his door, and went inside.
However, Hu Qi didn't notice.
Behind that same closed door, an eye watched through the peephole, following him until he was inside his own apartment.
…
"QUACK QUACK!"
Hu Qi had just set the groceries down inside and hadn't even had time to take off his shoes when Camphor Tea Duck's calls echoed through the apartment.
He looked toward the sound.
There, near the base of the wall, sat an iron cage.
The bottom of the cage was lined with soft straw, where a purple-feathered duck was nesting.
A small wooden trough with grain and water sat in one corner of the cage.
"Good afternoon, Camphor Tea Duck!"
Hu Qi approached, opened the cage, and reached for the duck's backside.
At this, Camphor Tea Duck ruffled its feathers and reluctantly shifted its rear, revealing two fist-sized duck eggs beneath it.
The eggs had faint purple stripes on their shells and were warm to the touch.
"Nice work, Camphor. Two eggs this time! You're getting an extra treat tonight."
Hu Qi grinned at the sight.
He reached out and stroked its soft, purple feathers.
Feeling Hu Qi's large hand, Camphor Tea Duck's neck went rigid. It froze on the spot, its crimson eyes locked on Hu Qi, seemingly terrified of him.