Chen Xiaojin had originally thought that after managing to force his opponent back in a single stroke, all that remained was to keep increasing the power of his attacks, hone his ability to seize combat openings, and then he could try to genuinely defeat the examiner and participate in the tournament.
He had not expected that he had rejoiced too soon.
As he thought it over, the simulation had already reflected his optimal performance. Had he stepped up in person, the outcome would likely have been the same.
In particular, after throwing that punch, all his strength had poured out at once, leaving him with no reserve power to do anything else. That throw had been virtually impossible to evade.
Chen Chuan asked, "Can you tell what kind of jin he specializes in?"
Chen Xiaojin pondered for a moment, then looked up and said, "Teacher, I think it's still loose-hand jin."
Chen Chuan nodded. "You must learn to observe. Reading an opponent is an essential skill every martial artist must master. Unless you possess enough leeway to make mistakes, you have to quickly probe and engage in order to grasp their traits and basic condition.
"Typically, this requires experience that beginners lack. The good news is that this examiner is standing right there, allowing you to observe him freely. Utilizing simulation resources is one approach, and it complies with the rules.
"However, I suspect many more people are currently trying to uncover his weaknesses, so you aren't the only one taking this path."
Hearing this, Chen Xiaojin instantly felt a surge of urgency. It turned out he was not the only one looking for a breakthrough against this man.
Yet thinking about it, it made sense. Students with abundant resources could easily arrange for martial artists to guide them or obtain comprehensive data to run trials over and over. After all, every martial artist ultimately had exploitable flaws; if all else failed, they could hire a professional team to tailor a strategy just for them.
The reason no one had broken through there yet was simply that they hadn't found a countermeasure.
"Do you realize it now? You're in a race against them."
Chen Chuan said calmly, "Do you still want to continue?"
"Teacher, I want to continue!" Chen Xiaojin replied in earnest.
A spark of realization then lit up his eyes. "Besides, I imagine that examiner anticipated this as well, which is why he deliberately kept a contingency move in reserve. Teacher, am I right?"
Chen Chuan looked at him and said, "The fact that you considered this shows you know how to think. Just now, I gave you a demonstration of how to defeat the examiner, but what to do next is something you must figure out for yourself. That is the assignment I'm giving you."
"Yes, Teacher!"
Chen Xiaojin gave a resolute response. He didn't dwell on how difficult it would be; he only knew he would rack his brain and give it everything he had.
"I will give you one more hint: he combines loose-hand jin with grappling throws. It isn't orthodox grappling jin, but rather leverages the opening right after the opponent exerts their force, achieving the same purpose.
"Given that the difficulty here far exceeds what your current level can handle, there is likely another motive behind this assessment.
"You don't need to concern yourself with that for now; just focus on what's before you.
"I'll give you only two days. The day after tomorrow, I will come back to check on you. If you can't come up with a solution, you won't be qualified to spar against him, and it's best you give up early.
"Because if you step into the ring, he truly will beat you to death."
Chen Xiaojin's breath hitched slightly. Looking up, he said, "Teacher, I don't want to give up."
Chen Chuan looked at him and said calmly, "Words alone won't do it, nor will sheer brute force. Think carefully about what to do."
With that, he pulled a small packet from his pocket and tossed it over. Chen Xiaojin caught it in one swift motion.
"Jerky from the Confluence. A small piece will replenish your spent energy. Eat this for the next two days."
Chen Chuan then said to Hongfu, "Hongfu, allocate ample simulation resources for him. Deduct any extra time required from my quota."
Hongfu's voice replied, "Understood, Section Chief Chen."
Chen Chuan said, "I will return the day after tomorrow."
"Yes, Teacher!"
Seeing that the youth intended to see him out, Chen Chuan said, "No need to see me off. Your time is tight right now; make every minute count."
Once Chen Xiaojin answered, Chen Chuan turned and left. Afterward, he instructed Hongfu that Chen Xiaojin was not to be disturbed over the next two days, as he would personally take over all of his instruction.
When he walked out of the training room, his communicator chimed once more. Seeing that the call came from Yao Zhiyi, he connected.
"Principal Yao?"
"Section Chief Chen, I saw that you've come to Wuyi. Won't you come up and sit for a while? I've got some good tea here."
Chen Chuan said, "I'll have to pass; I have some matters to attend to shortly." Stepping into the elevator, he asked, "Did you need me for something, Principal?"
Yao Zhiyi replied, "Then we'll have to find time another day. Well, there is something, and I'll keep it brief. Section Chief Chen, you've probably heard about the league tournament by now, haven't you?"
"I've heard about it."
"For this tournament, each Center City Wuyi Academy will send several instructors to accompany and observe the matches. At the same time, the league is inviting heavyweights to attend as guest observers on-site.
"The other side has brought out Gu Xuanbin.
"You may not have heard of him. He is a Dongxuan View martial artist from the Refined Practice School, a member of the Supreme Advisory Group, and rumor has it he will join the advisory panel of the Supreme Advisory Group in the next term.
"This man stands firmly against Skyline.
"We must have someone who matches him in either strength or standing. Right now, the most suitable person might well be you, Section Chief Chen. Others might fit in terms of status, but you are the only one who firmly supports and has participated throughout the establishment of Skyline."
At this point, another voice chimed in: "Section Chief Chen, hello. This is Liang Guanghai."
Chen Chuan said, "Commissioner Liang, hello."
Liang Guanghai said, "Section Chief Chen, apologies for disturbing you, but regarding this matter, we had no choice but to turn to you.
"We would like to invite you to attend as our side's specially invited guest observer. With your strength and credentials, you are more than capable of exerting a potent deterrence against others—and against Gu Xuanbin."
He continued solemnly, "Winning or losing this league tournament might seem unimportant on the surface, but in truth, it is critically important, because it concerns everyone's confidence.
"We must demonstrate Skyline's superiority, even if it cannot yet be fully showcased."
Chen Chuan understood what he meant. Under the Skyline mechanism, promising talents and martial artists could be identified more effectively, but that required time. Compared to local traditionalists, they had not yet established a decisive advantage.
However, many people wouldn't bother with such nuances. If you were a center city that joined the Skyline Project, then you represented Skyline; your defeat was Skyline's defeat.
They had neither the interest nor the energy to comprehend the underlying complexities; they only cared about the bottom-line result. Naturally, if you won, it would be credited to Skyline.
Thus, they had to win the competition.
He checked the tournament schedule. The official matches were set for late September, while preliminary rounds would run all the way until the end of the year. As an invited guest, of course, he didn't need to show up every time—only for a few key matches. He said, "Alright, I accept the invitation."
"Wonderful," Liang Guanghai said. "With you there, Section Chief Chen, we will have confidence."
The elevator reached the ground floor. As the doors parted, Chen Chuan stepped out and said, "If anything comes up, just let me know in time."
With the matter settled, he ended the call. Stepping out of the Xuangong Building, he spotted a black limousine parked right next to his car.
He glanced at it, walked over to his car, opened the door, and got in. Instead of driving off immediately, however, he rolled down his window.
The window of the adjacent vehicle slid down at the same moment, revealing Commissioner Cao's face.
"Section Chief Chen."
He paused, then added, "I'm here to collect the item."
He then produced an object identical in appearance to the storage sheath in Chen Chuan's possession and pressed down on it.
Chen Chuan could feel the storage sheath in his pocket vibrating faintly—a resonance between the two.
He took the item out of his pocket and let go, allowing it to float out through the car window.
Commissioner Cao caught it in his hand. After verifying it, he stowed it away securely and said, "Section Chief Chen, the Temporary Special Committee recently dispatched two people to Jibei Dao. They want to ask you a few questions. We received word that certain individuals may offer favorable terms in exchange for your commitment."
Chen Chuan said, "They cannot give me what I want."
Commissioner Cao looked at him and nodded. "Section Chief Chen, you know how to reach us. Thank you for your assistance this time."
Chen Chuan gave him a nod. His car window slowly rolled back up, and he drove away, heading straight home.
After greeting his aunt, he returned to the study and considered writing an article.
Just then, a message arrived from Chang Dong:
"Minister, Mr. Zhuan sent a telegram stating that he will come to see you in the next day or two. It seems to concern an important matter; at the earliest, he will reach Jibei Dao tomorrow morning."
Reading this, Chen Chuan felt a slight stir in his mind. He replied, "Understood. I will wait here. Notify me the moment you have news."
"Right away, Minister."
Ending the communication, Chen Chuan continued drafting his article. With Hongfu's assistance and the wealth of data brought back from Vea State to support it, the article came together quickly.
Backed by detailed and compelling arguments, and endorsed by the vision and strength of a Dongxuan View martial artist, this paper, once released, would be enough to reshape many prevailing martial teaching methods and philosophies.
After mulling it over, he didn't plan to release it immediately, intending instead to test it first at Yangzhi Wuyi Academy.
Furthermore, he might be able to expand upon it and write more along these lines. After deliberating, he had Hongfu archive the draft, then opened the field screen to resume watching the documentary he hadn't finished the day before.
The next day at ten in the morning, he received word from Chang Dong that Mr. Zhuan and his companion had arrived at the southern industrial zone. Chen Chuan said, "Please invite both of them to meet at our newly constructed Jibei Dao branch."
Chang Dong was taken aback and said cautiously, "Both of them are martial artists. Wouldn't bringing them into the center city be somewhat problematic?"
Chen Chuan said calmly, "With me here, there is nothing problematic about it."
Chang Dong had a sudden realization. Right! With someone like the minister stationed in the center city, why worry about security issues? He said, "Understood, Minister. I will escort the two of them to the branch right away!"
Chapter 1345