Translator: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio
To the audience, what Lou Cheng said wasn’t very dream-like or inspiring. It was more of a wake-up call, as he revealed bare truths that many people weren’t willing to think about.
In most circumstances, the path of martial arts was cruel and hopeless.
Because of this illustration, the title of a real martial artist and warrior was even more alluring and impressive. Although not everyone could do it, one would still have high respect for those who achieved it.
Pa pa pa! The applause was initially weak and scattered but soon turned loud, raucous, and uniform.
“To the real warriors! To the real martial artists!”
The host heard the response and felt a little emotional, too. When the applause simmered down, she smiled, looked at Lou Cheng and said,
“An honest and sincere answer. I believe that was a genuine account of your experience. Thank you and thank you for your comments.”
Stopping here, she made efficient use of time as she looked towards Lin Que standing next to him and said,
“Lin Que, what about you? Do you have anything you would like to tell everyone?”
Lin Que’s expression didn’t change. His gaze was deep and nonchalant. After pausing for a few seconds, he said in a low voice,
“Work hard.”
And...? What else could he say to follow those two words? The host waited for some time before she realized he had nothing left to say. Surprised, she found it hilarious. After a short pause, she said,
“Thank you. Thank you Lin Que for your advice to everyone.’
What the hell is ‘work hard’?” He is indeed a conversation killer! Shu Rui, who had gotten a seat as a reporter, was hammering her thigh softly trying not to break into laughter.
She realized that when she wasn’t interviewing Lin Que herself, it was actually pretty funny.
The host steeled herself and turned to Cai Zongming,
“As the ex-club chairman, what would you like to say to the juniors?”
Cai Zongming took over the microphone, smiled, and said,
“Good afternoon everyone. I’m one of those professional ninth-pins with limited room for improvement and no future.”
Pfft... His humorous, self-deprecating comment drew laughter from the crowd as the atmosphere became lively.
Cai Zongming was quick-witted. Recalling what was said previously, he continued without hesitation,
“Luckily, I didn’t give up on lessons and additional training in the martial arts club. Although my results weren’t outstanding, I almost didn’t fail in any. Yeah...almost. To keep it simple, I got my graduation certificate. Naturally, what I’m doing now has no relation to what I studied.”
Talker, are you going to make this your own personal talk show? Lou Cheng, who found the sudden change in tone hilarious, cursed silently.
With a smile on his face, Cai Zongming continued,
“But that wasn’t what I really wanted to do. To be able to do what I wanted most in the last stage of my youth—to give it my all, endure the torture, and give up on leading a safe and peaceful life—was something that I will remember for life. Those are experiences that touched my heart, and I can truly say I do not regret them. While you are still young with dreams, free from the pressures of everyday life, why don’t you take a risk and give your dreams a try?”
“If you don’t try, how will you know you can’t do it?”
Finally, a normal speech... The host gave a sigh of relief, truly grateful for Cai Zongming. After which, she continued to interview Li Mao, Sun Jian, and the rest.
When this whole process ended, Lou Cheng and the group returned backstage amidst chants of “Songcheng University!” and “Champions!”
“Talker, I thought you would continue your talk show till the very end.” Lou Cheng teased Cai Zongming as he took out his phone.
Cai Zongming smirked and said, “Do I look like someone who can’t read the situation? Who can’t resist playing with words?”
“Yes!” He Zi, Wang Dali, and the rest answered in unison.
“I look down on your lying souls!” Cai Zongming made the hand sign of a gun and pretended to fire at each member.
Before waiting for others to reply, he changed the topic,
“Cheng, since when did you become so good with words? You could almost give a lecture now!”
“As the saying goes, ‘Preparation is the key to success’.” Lou Cheng answered with a faint smile. Lou Cheng took out a square-shaped paper from his pocket. “From the time I received a call from the organizing committee, I’ve been thinking of what to say and how to say it. I even made a draft and went through several edits.”
And practiced in front of my girl!
After speaking, he waited for Talker to show his amazement, but Cai Zongming just said with disdain,
“You prepared your own script? A real boss would leave it to his secretary or assistant. At the very most, the boss would just skim it beforehand. So tell me, should I despise you or despise you?”
“Scram!” Lou Cheng gave his simple, direct reply.
After the opening ceremony, the crowd dispersed in all directions, as all memorable moments must end.
...
On the third morning after returning to Huacheng, Lou Cheng saw Shu Rui and her team just as he was about to step into Longhu Club.
“We’ll be needing your help next week.” Shu Rui, who was no longer limited to formal dress, extended her hand.
Lou Cheng shook her hand, smiled and answered,
“Alright, let’s get it started then. Let’s go to where I usually go for my morning practice. As for the details, you can contact my personal assistant.”
“Alright. Just act like we aren’t around,” said Shu Rui as she revealed her one dimple.
She signalled for the cameraman to gradually shift the focus from the scene outside the club to Lou Cheng.
The recording of everyday life would start right here.
She used her documentary voice to say,
“The skies are still dark and the air is quiet. Lou Cheng has arrived at Longhu Club just like any other day.”
...
“This is where he does his morning practice each day. One can clearly see marks left from ice and fire. According to the employees of Longhu Club, unless there is serious damages, they normally do repairs once a week.”
“The details of morning practice can’t be shown in full, so we’ll just be taking a few shots.”
...
“This is what everyone, including me, is curious about. The Physical Invulnerability Canteen! My first impression of it is that it’s clean, tidy, and quiet. One can see that it serves delicacies from various regions. Here are steamed vermicelli rolls from Guangnan. Here are the dry noodles from Jiu Qu City. Here are the steamed dumplings from Huahai. This is the soy milk from the capital. Hmm...who likes to drink this?”
“Did you all see this? This is how much a Physical Invulnerability Expert eats. I really can’t understand how one stomach can fit so much food!”
“However, looking at what Lou Cheng eats really opens up my appetite. It looks like every single thing is delicious. I’m getting hungry just from watching.”
...
“This is the world-renowned Volcano Experiment Lab.”
“Alright, we can only film up to this point, as the remaining areas concern classified information. The room where Lou Cheng practices isn’t a place an ordinary person could survive. Even if I could, the camera wouldn’t be able to take it.”
...
“By 11am, Lou Cheng returns to his personal resting room. It’s pretty spacious. In fact, it’s more spacious than where I live!”
After filming the room, Shu Rui sat in the seat diagonal to Lou Cheng. Using a light-hearted tone, she asked,
“Why do you choose to rest in this place?”
Lou Cheng took a glance at her before answering plainly,
“Secret.”
Did Lin Que possess you... Shu Rui was almost speechless.
Lou Cheng smiled and answered honestly,
“I’m joking. This is actually the time I schedule to chat with my girlfriend.”
We were supposed to video chat, but Ke feels too embarrassed to flirt in front of the camera. So that part had to be changed.
Naturally, being a little shy, he had similar feelings.
“I can understand. She’s studying overseas right now,” Shu Rui recalled.
Lou Cheng didn’t even try to hide the fact he has a girlfriend, leaving no room for imagination for the audience.
After which, Shu Rui ceased her interview questions as she allowed Lou Cheng to continue with his usual routine. She had to prevent others from saying she was taking up the limelight.
Lou Cheng picked up his phone and said shyly,
“It’s so awkward!”
“No one asked you to agree to it, that was impulsive...” Yan Zheke added oil to the flames.
And with a beautiful reporter!
“I thought it would be like that martial arts show she hosted in the past.” Lou Cheng sighed. “After a few days, she’ll understand that I have nothing interesting for her to film. My everyday life is as simple as it gets.”
Yan Zheke replied, “That’s not entirely true. You can arrange for your other activities this week to make your life seem a little more fulfilling.”
“Isn’t my only other activity to look for delicacies and vacation destinations while waiting for you to come back and assess?” Lou Cheng had forgotten that he was being filmed and a smile appeared on his face as he spoke.
After a round of discussion, Yan Zheke replied decisively,
“Just do it then!”
...
Several days later, Shu Rui couldn’t help but feel giddy as she smelled the aroma of salted fried chicken. She said,
“Soon we are going to become a gourmet cooking show!”
“And it shall be called “A Recommendation a Day! Physical Invulnerability Expert, Lou Cheng, Shows You the Delicacies of Huacheng!”
Lou Cheng shrugged his shoulders casually and replied,
“This is my everyday life.”
“I pray that other Physical Invulnerability Experts are a little different from you...” Shu Rui seemed like she was lamenting to the gods.
“Definitely.” Lou Cheng smiled faintly before saying with a stern look, “But there are some who are even more boring than me.”
As he finished his sentence, he added silently in his mind.
For example, Dragon King...