'Dismissal?' A trace of 'astonishment' crossed Fang Yu's face, as though he hadn't expected Manager Huo to say such a thing.
'Mm.'
'I'm partly to blame for this too. At the end of June, headquarters issued the latest Standard Recruitment Criteria for Ordinary Coaches. It requires that, for a teaching assistant to become a formal coach, they must be an undergraduate and their Life Level must be at least level 18.' Manager Huo sighed. 'I should have submitted your application to become a formal coach a month earlier. Then it might have gone through.'
'Now I'll have a hard time explaining this to Brother Dong.' Manager Huo's face was full of regret.
Fang Yu watched the other man put on his act.
'Manager Huo, what am I supposed to do now?' A trace of 'nervousness' appeared on Fang Yu's face, and he couldn't help asking, 'If I'm not made a formal coach, I can't keep working as a teaching assistant?'
'That won't do.'
'The joint statement of the Blue Moon Alliance and the Eight Great Martial Groups has a clear provision: a teaching assistant counts as a trainee position, the internship period is at most one year, and after one year they must unconditionally be converted to a formal coach position and enrolled in six insurances and two funds.' Manager Huo shook his head. 'You've been a teaching assistant for a year already. If I let you continue as a teaching assistant, the city headquarters would...'
Fang Yu sneered inwardly. The man kept saying "the city headquarters" over and over, clearly to shift the responsibility off himself.
'Then what should I do?' A touch of 'panic' showed on Fang Yu's face.
'Don't worry. I'll settle this month's base salary and performance pay for you in full.' Manager Huo sighed. 'On top of that, to make it up to you, I'll have finance compensate you an additional month's salary.'
'You'll be starting summer vacation soon anyway, so this is a good chance to rest a while. By the time the senior-year job fair comes around, you might even sign directly with one of the Eight Great Groups—better than becoming a formal coach now, don't you think?' Manager Huo looked at Fang Yu.
'Only one month?' A flash of unwillingness crossed Fang Yu's face. 'Manager Huo, when you discussed Supervisor Gao's severance with him last time, it was more than just one month... I should go ask Brother Dong about this.'
At the words "Supervisor Gao," a barely perceptible coldness flashed through Manager Huo's eyes.
But the name "Brother Dong" made Manager Huo's heart sink as well.
'There's no need to contact Brother Dong. He's got his own plate full.'
'Xiao Fang.' Even the way Manager Huo addressed him had changed, and his voice grew gentler. 'Tell you what—I'll compensate you by the martial club's standard for dismissing a formal coach, N+2. You've been employed just a year, so that's three months' average salary... But you'll also have to sign a confidentiality agreement, as required of a formal coach's departure.'
Fang Yu's heart stirred.
As a teaching assistant, his base salary was very low, but the average salary had to include performance pay, which was no small amount. Three months of compensation added up to a considerable sum.
Fang Yu knew this wasn't the man's bottom line. If he squeezed a little harder, he could probably get more.
It was just that...
If he actually exposed what he'd overheard by accident, he would offend the man beyond repair.
If he didn't expose it, there was still room to maneuver.
The man was not only the manager of the Xinjiekou Branch but also an Advanced Martial Artist who had reached level 30. With only the little bit of "dirt" he held, even if he told Senior Brother Dong, he couldn't bring the man down.
And if he couldn't crush the man utterly, then quitting while he was ahead and always leaving some leeway was the wisest course—that was what his father, Fang Ping'an, had always taught him.
Besides, exposing it would do Fang Yu no good either.
'All right.'
'Then thank you, Manager Huo.' A flash of 'gratitude' crossed Fang Yu's face, and he went on, 'Rest assured, Manager Huo. Next time I see Brother Dong, I'll say I resigned on my own to focus on preparing for my exams.'
'Mm.' Manager Huo's expression eased considerably.
Both of them understood each other without a word.
Soon, Fang Yu signed a confidentiality agreement. Its content was simple: mainly not to disclose the martial club's operations that he had learned during his tenure, nothing concerning martial arts itself, with a confidentiality period of one year.
At the same time, a message from the bank had already arrived on Fang Yu's communicator.
'Account income +48,211.60 Star Coins, account total 71,622.72 Star Coins.'
Fang Yu was in high spirits.
Normally, he'd have had to work part-time for several months to earn this much... And now, simply by choosing to resign a week later, he had it. If he'd resigned of his own accord, he wouldn't have gotten a single cent of compensation.
...
Manager Huo watched Fang Yu go downstairs.
Whoosh!
A thin, tall figure in a coaching uniform came to Manager Huo's side as silently as a wraith. His voice was very soft, tinged with hoarseness. 'Manager, are you sure he heard our conversation?'
'I can't be sure.' Manager Huo shook his head.
'Oh? Then why give him so much compensation?' The thin, tall figure frowned slightly. 'Or how about I secretly threaten and scare him a little, to see whether he really knows anything? A rookie in the teens—we can still handle him however we please. Back on the Primordial Star, I'd kill him with a single slap.'
'Old Gao.'
'This isn't the Primordial Star. It's Blue Star. Don't use force so readily. If the Martial Artist Supervision Department catches you, you'll lose a layer of skin even if you don't die.' Manager Huo shot him a glance.
At the five words "Martial Artist Supervision Department," the thin, tall figure couldn't help tensing up inside.
Powerful martial artists were all astonishingly destructive. An Advanced Martial Artist in the low thirties could easily throw a single-arm punch of over ten thousand kilograms, and an Earth Martial Artist above level 40 was even more astonishing—able to run at subsonic speed, practically an earthly immortal.
But!
On both New Moon and the old lands of Blue Star, martial artists of great strength—even when dealing with ordinary people—would not lightly resort to force.
Why?
For one thing, it came from the education and guidance instilled from childhood.
For another, it was the unprecedented regulation the Blue Moon Alliance maintained across its territory. Even a "Level 50 Sky-Patrolling Martial Artist" who could fly through the skies and burrow into the earth would be arrested for daring to break the Alliance's laws.
Martial artists were powerful, and the Blue Moon Alliance granted them many privileges.
But the Blue Moon Alliance's enforcement power was even stronger and more fearsome.
A martial artist's battlefield was the Primordial Star.
'This Fang Yu is very clever. I like dealing with clever people.' Manager Huo spoke softly. 'The benefits he asked for are within what I'm willing to allow... Secondly, he was recommended by Dong Xin.'
'I don't want to alarm Dong Xin.'
'Dong Xin?' A trace of wariness flashed through Supervisor Gao's eyes.
They were all Advanced Martial Artists, but Dong Xin was only in his twenties. That set him in an entirely different category from the likes of them—Advanced Martial Artists past fifty—and his standing within the martial club was on a completely different level as well.
'Most importantly.'
'I just got word that this Fang Yu's martial technique has already reached Great Accomplishment of Entering the Minute.' Manager Huo spoke softly.
'Great Accomplishment of Entering the Minute?' Supervisor Gao's pupils contracted slightly. As an Advanced Martial Artist, he understood what this level of martial technique represented.
Even among Advanced Martial Artists in the low thirties, many had not reached Great Accomplishment of Entering the Minute.
Before the Great Sky-Burning Era, what was called Great Accomplishment of Entering the Minute was a "Concealed-Force Martial Artist." Once one could channel qi and blood to a profound degree, they were qualified to be called a kung fu master.
In the New Calendar Era, with martial arts flourishing, life evolution advancing, and powerful figures emerging in waves, mastering a martial technique to Great Accomplishment of Entering the Minute was already quite common.
But for a junior college student who hadn't even reached senior year yet, it was still rare.
'Isn't he only level 15?' Supervisor Gao couldn't help saying.
'That's what surprises me too.' Manager Huo said with feeling. 'If he'd awakened a Void Star Aspect early and his Life Level had reached the twenties, his spirit would be strong and sensing the tendons, bones, and muscle bundles of his body would come more easily... then reaching Great Accomplishment of Entering the Minute would be only natural.'
'But he's only level 15. According to the information I got, he hasn't awakened a Void Star Aspect yet.'
'It can only be said that his comprehension is truly extraordinary.' Manager Huo said with feeling. 'He still has the possibility of awakening the Void Hundred Aspects. If we can avoid offending him, it's best not to.'
Supervisor Gao understood what Manager Huo meant.
With his martial technique at Great Accomplishment of Entering the Minute, even without awakening a Void Star Aspect, channeling qi and blood would bring his Life Level into a period of rapid growth... Though the older a martial artist is, the lower the chance of awakening a Void Star Aspect, and the lower the grade of the awakened star aspect usually is.
On the other hand, the higher a martial artist's own Life Level, the greater the hope of awakening.
It was not unheard of even for a martial artist to awaken a Void Star Aspect at thirty... With Fang Yu's technical talent, once he awakened a Void Star Aspect, even if it were only a low-grade star aspect, drawing star power into the body would still give him a good chance of becoming an Advanced Martial Artist.
As Manager Huo saw it, since Fang Yu was sensible, spending just a few tens of thousands of Star Coins to resolve the trouble was worth it—there was no need to create a bigger problem.
'All right, that's enough. Fang Yu's matter isn't important. Even if he heard the conversation, he has no direct evidence, and now he's resigned and signed a confidentiality agreement... Go check the next batch of medicines carefully.' Manager Huo shook his head. 'Don't make any mistakes.'
'Don't worry.'
'Our supply source is fine—it's from a legitimate manufacturer too. We just switch on the Eight Great Groups' brand label and it's done.' Supervisor Gao said. 'All these past months, I haven't seen a single student get sick from them.'
'Don't be careless.' Manager Huo warned.
...
'Brother Fang, how'd it go? Did the manager give you a raise?' Xu Chenyang came up, smiling. He was still waiting outside the finance office on the third floor.
Fang Yu glanced at the manager's secretary not far away—a large expanse of pale, silky skin showing at her chest, a professional smile on her face.
'Let's head home first. I'll explain on the way,' Fang Yu said simply.
The manager's secretary had surely been given instructions; otherwise, she wouldn't have kept waiting here all this time... Since he'd taken the money, Fang Yu would of course play by the rules.
'Okay.' Xu Chenyang answered, not quite understanding.
As the two of them reached the second floor—
'Beep!'
'Bang~' 'Bang~' Faint sounds came from a training room not far from the stairwell, and a flash of surprise crossed both their hearts.
Every room in the Iron Mountain Martial Club's hall had been given reinforced soundproofing when it was built. Otherwise, how could it withstand the force released when martial artists trained?
For faint sounds to carry through the soundproof glass—what kind of strength did that take?
Bear in mind, though the martial club had several Advanced Martial Artists serving as coaches... most of these coaches trained in the basement, and the second-floor martial arts rooms were generally used by VIP students.
'Does a student have this kind of strength? Who is it?' Curious, Fang Yu and Xu Chenyang both stepped outside the martial arts room.
Through the glass, they saw at a glance a short-haired youth in a black-and-red martial arts uniform, standing before a punch-force tester and casually pounding the test target.
'Bang~' 'Bang~' 'Bang~' Along with the deep thuds, a string of numbers surfaced on the readout atop the tester.
'6,432 kilograms, 6,247 kilograms, 6,533 kilograms...'
The string of terrifying numbers made Fang Yu's eyes narrow instinctively.
'It's him! Jiang Chenyi—I recognize him.' A trace of envy showed in Xu Chenyang's shocked voice. 'Brother Fang, he's the one they talk about on the posters outside: Wuling City's martial arts zhuangyuan of last year, who got into the strongest New Moon Martial Arts University.'
'Just a casual punch, and it's already this kind of punch force. His Life Level is probably already over level 25.'
'So strong, and he's only a freshman.'
'He really lives up to being an undergraduate!'
Chapter 2