Chapter 33: Chapter 33: Director Liang’s Reputation, Chen Beiwang’s Contempt
Yang Shen felt it was less a "training camp" and more an "isolation."
Although there was no definitive conclusion on "Martial Arts Psychosis," two cases had occurred in a short time. Both involved people from Nanliang High School, and both had worn the helmet...
No matter how much you denied it, it was hard to call it a coincidence.
The impact on the school was significant.
Nanliang High School wasn’t afraid of being harassed by parents, but it still wanted to maintain order. Ultimately, they had to do something.
So... compared to investigating all two thousand students, it was obviously more convenient and cost-effective to start with the few who had participated in the "product experience."
For instance: temporarily removing them from campus for a period of observation.
Of course, Director Liang always did things by the book. This training camp wasn’t merely an exile; it genuinely included an element of "tutoring for top students."
The participants that day were all high-achieving second-year students. Xu Bamboo was even number one in the entire school. Yang Shen was a tag-along, but they could be considered Nanliang High School’s most outstanding handful of students—key prospects for the college entrance exams in the next two years.
The school was still willing to spend some money on them.
According to the documents, the training camp was tentatively scheduled for 10 days, and they would be brought back before the next monthly exam. During this time, three gym teachers would live and eat with them, providing targeted coaching. Furthermore, each student would be given no less than 20,000 yuan worth of Supplements.
Students wouldn’t have to pay a single cent. Room and board were covered.
It had to be said, even knowing the truth, Yang Shen found it hard to be displeased with such conditions.
This arrangement was simply brilliant!
Of course, whether he was displeased or not was one thing; whether he would accept was another.
’They were all "test subjects." If the Martial Arts Psychosis was really related to the Buddha Sound Body Refining Technique, isn’t this like a game of Werewolf?!’
Yang Shen put the documents back. "Director Liang, I’m afraid I’ll need to discuss this with my family."
Director Liang smiled. "Of course. You’re all minors, so naturally, you need to consult them."
Xu Bamboo’s cool, delicate face was unreadable. She simply asked, "And if we refuse?"
The director crossed his hands and said calmly, "The school won’t force you to participate. However, given the recent public safety risks, we might suggest you study at home for the time being and return to school once the situation is clearer."
Translation: No problem if you don’t agree. You’ll just be temporarily suspended so that if something happens, it won’t be on campus.
Comparing the two options, the training camp was actually the more cost-effective choice. It came with three teachers for close personal tutoring—a standard "small class" format—plus 20,000 yuan worth of free Supplements.
Xu Bamboo frowned slightly. Unlike Yang Shen, it wasn’t her decision to make.
"I need to call my mom."
"Please, go ahead."
Xu Bamboo took her phone and temporarily left the office.
After the door closed, Director Liang paused briefly, then took a brick-thick envelope from his drawer and placed it in front of Yang Shen.
"The Vajra Sect selflessly donated two million yuan worth of Body Forging equipment to the school the other day. As a result, the school’s limited budget has become a little more flexible, allowing us to provide some financial aid to our students."
"Yang, considering your recent significant academic improvement and your family’s financial difficulties, the school is hereby awarding you a twenty-thousand-yuan ’Academic Excellence Scholarship’."
Yang Shen instinctively glanced at the conspicuous "massage chair" in the corner.
’This Body Forging equipment looks pretty high-end. Good on the Vajra Sect for sponsoring it!’
Director Liang was perfectly frank. "You can sign here to receive it. Of course, you can also choose to convert it into an interest-free loan. That would turn it into a one-year, 100,000-yuan interest-free loan, with a legitimate lending institution as the creditor. It’s up to you which you choose."
Yang Shen gave an awkward smile. "A loan... I’d better not. I think twenty thousand is great."
’But the director actually remembered what we talked about that day. This wasn’t even something I had requested; it was just a silent understanding.’
’He said he’d share the profits, and he did!’
’That’s how you build a reputation.’
Xu Bamboo returned quickly. Yang Shen had originally thought that given her family background, she would never agree and would rather study at home for ten days.
But the result was unexpected. Xu Bamboo’s family had actually agreed!
Now, only Yang Shen’s decision remained.
"Director, what’s the latest I can give you my answer?"
"The training camp starts tomorrow morning. We’ll be taking you to the location. Any time before then is fine, or you can just go directly to the meeting point."
Yang Shen nodded. "I understand."
——————
After school, Yang Shen hailed a cab and headed for a villa district on the outskirts of Jinshui District.
Though danger lurked all around him, money still had to be earned. Chen Beiwang had scheduled a tutoring session.
Compared to the last time, when he’d discovered this... non-combustible waste in the great river of Martial Arts, the second tutoring session went much more smoothly.
Chen Beiwang wasn’t hungover, and he was familiar with the routine. The only thing was, he still liked to whine when they sparred.
"HISS... Your punches are a lot stronger than last week! You’ve improved again?"
Yang Shen felt his own Power. "Yeah, I learned something new."
’The Buddha Sound Body Refining Technique really is amazing for a top-tier Horizontal Cultivation Method!’
Chen Beiwang rubbed his chest. "I’m so jealous of you guys. Studying full-time, your progress is plain to see. It was the same for me back when I was in school, taking it one step at a time."
Yang Shen thought for a moment. "Downhill paths have footprints too. Maybe you should buy a ’Di Di Boy’ and watch your Qi and Blood Value go down."
Chen Beiwang grinned. "The Di Di Boy is long obsolete. Only schools still use them. I have dynamic monitoring for my Qi and Blood Value, so I know exactly where I stand."
Yang Shen asked curiously, "How much?"
"1430."
Yang Shen stroked his chin. "Unbelievable... That’s actually ten times my value?"
The Qi and Blood Value for the Bone Training stage is generally 100-300, while Marrow Refining is 300-1000.
The baseline for the Innate realm is 1000. Yang Shen had originally thought Chen Beiwang would be 1001 at most...
’He really is a tractor with all horsepower and no speed. A true paradox in the world of Martial Arts.’
But he had to admit, the man was also very durable. Despite whining at the slightest pain, Yang Shen had never actually managed to injure him.
His physical constitution was carrying him.
Chen Beiwang laughed. "Those words can’t provoke me. My focus hasn’t been on actual combat for a long time. It’s not even on Martial Arts anymore."
"Then what is your focus on? You don’t seem very busy with work."
Chen Beiwang put his hands on his hips and said proudly, "The more awesome you are, the more tiring it is. I expend a lot of energy."
Dinner was once again catered by Jianghuai Restaurant, which brought ingredients and a chef to the house. The portions were even larger than last time.
Yang Shen thought about all the recent turmoil. He felt that of all the adults he knew, Chen Beiwang was the most worldly and also willing to chat, so he wanted to hear his opinion.
Chen Beiwang was cutting his steak. Hearing Yang Shen’s story, he politely paused the scraping sound of his knife and fork, waiting until he had heard everything before speaking:
"I’ve heard of the ’Buddha Sound Body Refining Technique.’ It’s indeed a novel breakthrough in the industry recently. The ’Biological Domain’ wants the whole pie, and the Vajra Sect wants a piece of the action, so it’s normal for them to be in a hurry to collect data."
"In my opinion, this technique has nothing to do with ’religion’ at all. It’s just branding requested by the client. If they partnered with a different company, it could just as well have been the ’Dao Sound Body Refining Technique’ or the ’Gospel Body Refining Technique’..."
’He really is worldly-wise,’ Yang Shen thought. ’Chen Beiwang calls himself a "Martial Arts researcher" and has his own company. Regardless of his actual ability, he’s at least an industry insider.’
"But if you’re trying to say the ’Buddha Sound Body Refining Technique’ is related to Martial Arts Psychosis, I think that’s impossible."
Yang Shen: "Why?"
"Why? Just call it my intuition. While the Vajra Sect’s overall strength isn’t top-tier, they’re an old, established brand. Even if their subordinates went crazy, those filthy rich old monks would never allow it."
"These abbots, priors, and head monks have spent their whole lives pretending to be kind and benevolent. Everyone knows what they’re like behind the scenes, but in public, they cherish their reputations above all else. They wouldn’t have the guts to touch something like this."
"Even if it were an accident, those old monks would cut their losses at the first opportunity. They wouldn’t hesitate even if it meant a huge financial hit. After all, if they lose money, they can just get more from their followers. But if they lose their reputation, they’re as good as dead."
Chen Beiwang mentioned the Vajra Temple with a hint of contempt in his voice:
"Your school’s handling of the situation is very clever. If there were one more case, they might have to suspend the entire school, and the impact of that would be huge. This way, they’re showing a ’responsible’ attitude, so the Education Bureau won’t come down on them too hard. Besides, the investigation into Martial Arts Psychosis has been going on for months with no leads, so the pressure won’t be entirely on the school."
"My advice is, just go and don’t worry about it. Has the location for the training camp been decided?"
Yang Shen gave him an address. Chen Beiwang paused, stunned. "Isn’t that right next door?"
Yang Shen: "Huh?"
Chen Beiwang laughed. "Well, not exactly next door. It’s at the foot of the mountain. They built some villas there years ago, but the project went belly-up and was taken over by the government. It was turned into commercial support for the scenic area, with some B&Bs, bars, and hot springs opening up."
"The community I’m living in has a back gate with a small path. It’s just a ten- to fifteen-minute walk down from there."
Yang Shen asked doubtfully, "Aren’t you just staying here temporarily? How are you so familiar with the area?"
Chen Beiwang: "I have a few new girlfriends over there."
Yang Shen had no intention of digging deeper. Chen Beiwang’s mind was like a trash can; it was best not to go rummaging through the filth.
He just said helplessly, "I know the school’s handling of it is fine, and I understand the training camp will be good for my academic performance. I just feel like I’m completely lost in a fog. I really want to know what the truth is."
Chen Beiwang speared a piece of steak and put it in his mouth, the pink juices running between his lips and teeth.
"Sometimes, this world is like an experiment. All coincidences... are just patterns you haven’t discovered yet."
Chen Beiwang glanced at the night outside. The villa district was somewhat dark and deep at night.
"Everything in the world is connected, even if they seem completely unrelated. Who knows? Maybe ’Martial Arts Psychosis’ is even connected to the recent ’Sea Beast anomaly’?"
Yang Shen frowned slightly, but ultimately shook his head.
He and Chen Beiwang got along well enough, but not so well that he would tell him about his Uncle.
But in his heart, he had already reached a conclusion.
’It looks like I’ll have to go to this training camp after all.’
’Because he couldn’t 100% rule out the possibility that he himself might go "psychotic." ’
’Going to the training camp could also be seen as a form of self-quarantine for his family’s sake.’
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