Futile Devices Scans

Early the next morning, Old Master Chu got up for his morning exercise, practicing the Health Boxing that Wang Cheng had taught him. The Old Madam also practiced it occasionally, but not every day. Compared to this somewhat monotonous routine, she preferred having someone accompany her for a walk.

As a result, the men of the Chu family were often split into two groups—one group had to accompany Old Master Chu to practice boxing, while the other had to go walking with the Old Madam. However, with Wang Cheng present today, everyone originally intended for him to accompany the Old Madam on her walk. Compared to walking, the Chu family men preferred practicing boxing. But the Old Madam instead asked Wang Cheng to accompany Old Master Chu in practicing boxing, while the others went walking with her.

Wang Cheng had been practicing Health Boxing for over a decade. Having been personally taught by the old monk, he had endured quite a bit of hardship before reaching his current level.

As mentioned before, the old monk had been extremely strict when Wang Cheng was young. Take morning exercise for example—the routines of Health Boxing were actually not very complicated; on the contrary, it was suitable for all ages. An average person could roughly perform it after practicing ten or so times. Wang Cheng had a good memory and learned it in just two tries, yet he was still beaten frequently—the reason being that his movements were not standard.

As long as even one of Wang Cheng’s movements failed to meet the old monk’s requirements, the old monk would strike him with a ruler, like those used by teachers in ancient schools. Every day, either his backside or his hands would ache. Under such strict demands, over time, Wang Cheng’s movements became a model of precision.

Old Master Chu had already noticed this the last time Wang Cheng demonstrated it, though at the time he thought it might have been his imagination.

The name “Health Boxing” might sound rather ordinary, but in reality, the more precise the movements, the more graceful the form becomes. The motions flow as smoothly as drifting clouds and flowing water, bringing not only comfort to the practitioner but also a sense of elegance and ease to those watching.

That was exactly the feeling Wang Cheng gave Old Master Chu. Yet this feeling was only something he sensed internally and couldn’t quite put into words. At first, he had thought that after learning Health Boxing, everyone would be the same. But after seeing others practice it, he found that they didn’t evoke the same wonderful sensation. Only upon watching Wang Cheng today did he realize that he alone could achieve it.

While practicing together, Old Master Chu’s eyes would occasionally glance toward Wang Cheng, trying to imitate him. But it always felt like attempting to draw a tiger and ending up with a dog instead.

Wang Cheng had already noticed. That intense gaze was impossible to ignore. During one turn, he saw Old Master Chu staring at his movements, but perhaps distracted, his own form wasn’t executed properly. When Wang Cheng looked over, the old master immediately withdrew his gaze. After a brief thought, Wang Cheng figured out what he was trying to do and simply stopped to guide him.

“Raise your arm a bit higher, lower your waist a bit… yes, that’s it.”

Although Old Master Chu was stubborn, he wasn’t someone who refused help out of pride.

For a moment, it felt as if time had gone back to before the old monk had passed away. On that high and empty mountain, beneath a gray sky, a young boy repeatedly practiced a set of movements, while beside him an elderly man in a gray-blue robe walked back and forth, holding a ruler, his expression solemn.

After finishing their morning exercise, the two returned to the dining table. Kun Kun was already awake and had been placed on a chair by Chu Yifeng, drinking steaming hot porridge.

Once they sat down, the Old Madam and the others also returned from their walk. Their stomachs were already rumbling with hunger. Eight or nine people filled the table, all busy eating breakfast. For a while, no one spoke, yet the atmosphere felt both quiet and warm.

After breakfast, those who needed to go to work left one after another. The Old Madam had an appointment that day, and since the two daughters-in-law had nothing else to do, they went along with her. Old Master Chu didn’t need to go to the military district that day. After sitting in the living room for a while, he decided to visit the neighbors. Finding it dull to go alone, he asked Chu Yifeng and Wang Cheng to accompany him, and also brought along little Kun Kun.

Next door to the Chu family was the military residential compound. The identities of the people living there didn’t need explaining—they were all old acquaintances and former comrades-in-arms. Every household contained individuals of notable status, and many of the older generation had once shared life-and-death bonds with Old Master Chu.

Old Master Chu brought them to the Shen family, which was Shen Yuan’s home.

As soon as they entered, they saw several children playing in the courtyard. Most of them were quite young, with several adults nearby watching over them. Upon seeing Old Master Chu, the adults greeted him politely, and someone went inside to inform the others.

Within the Shen family, Shen Yuan was definitely an odd one out. Most of his cousins had already married and had children. The children in the courtyard belonged to them—three boys and two girls. Together, it was a lively scene of a large, flourishing family. Old Master Chu didn’t particularly like visiting the Shen family because every time he came, Old Master Shen would boast about having five grandchildren. Despite being two years older than him, Old Master Chu only had one.

Most of the people in the military compound recognized Chu Yifeng. Old Master Chu had brought him here several times when he was young, so his presence wasn’t surprising. However, seeing Wang Cheng was somewhat unexpected. They hadn’t missed the rumors about the eldest grandson of the Chu family. They had assumed Old Master Chu would be furious, but after only a short time, he had already brought his grandson’s partner to visit. What this implied was obvious, and no one believed they were mistaken.

As expected, in the very next moment, Old Master Chu introduced Wang Cheng to the members of the Shen family.

The Shen family had an even larger population than the Chu family. Whether it was Old Master Shen himself or his sons, they were all quite prolific. The entire household had no fewer than twenty people. Wang Cheng went around greeting everyone and only barely managed to remember them all.

Several of the younger members of the Shen family could also tell what their elders intended, so they took the initiative to strike up conversations with Wang Cheng. The Shen family also followed careers in the military and political fields, with many working in the military district. Most of them had inherited their grandfather’s and fathers’ bold and straightforward personalities, and some were naturally sociable and familiar with others from the start.

“Bro, honestly, I really admire you. How did you convince Old Master Chu to agree to you being with Big Brother Chu? From what I know, Old Master Chu has quite a temper,” said the Shen family’s sixth son, who was about the same age as Wang Cheng. He wasn’t married. When he was young, he often followed Shen Yuan around, picking up quite a few of his bad habits. Later, the elders strictly forbade him from hanging out with Shen Yuan, but by then his personality had already formed and couldn’t be changed. He had also rebelled before, but after being suppressed by his family, he didn’t dare anymore. That was why he admired people who dared to pursue what they wanted despite family opposition—Wang Cheng was one of them.

To be honest, Wang Cheng’s current status was no worse than his. He had connections in both political and business circles, certainly not inferior to the Shen family. For someone with such a prominent background to come out openly and even gain his family’s approval was practically a model example of rebellion. Of course, the person he admired most was still Chu Yifeng. The Shen and Chu families had a good relationship, so growing up, he had often heard about Chu Yifeng’s achievements. If one could live life like him, it would be perfect.

Before Wang Cheng could answer, the Shen family’s sixth son was smacked on the back of the head by his older brother.

“Talking about elders behind their backs—be careful or Grandpa and Mom and Dad will hear you. You’ll be in trouble.”

The Shen family’s sixth son reluctantly muttered that he understood, then looked at Wang Cheng with bright, expectant eyes and said, “Bro, you have to stick it out. I support you. Life should be lived freely like this—don’t be like me, stuck living in the cage set by the elders.”

Wang Cheng couldn’t help but laugh, feeling as though he had suddenly been entrusted with some great responsibility.

With the Shen family’s sixth son taking the lead, others also began to speak up, and the atmosphere quickly became lively. During this time, Chu Yifeng carried Kun Kun into the courtyard and let him play with the other children.

Kun Kun wasn’t the youngest among them—there was even a one-year-old who could only crawl. The older children all knew Kun Kun. When the Old Madam occasionally visited, she would bring him along, and the children usually played well together. The Shen family’s grandson’s wife said she would help watch over Kun Kun, and only then did Chu Yifeng feel at ease leaving.

When Chu Yifeng returned to the living room, he saw Wang Cheng surrounded by a group of people. Everyone was asking all sorts of questions about the photos. The Shen family’s sixth son, in particular, was very curious about them. He thought the person who doctored the photos was extremely foolish. When the news first came out, he was the first in the Shen family to notice that the photos had been photoshopped.

“Zhou Cheng, tell me secretly—was the person behind all this your aunt’s son?” the Shen family’s sixth son leaned close to Wang Cheng and asked in a low voice.

“And you think it’s them?” Wang Cheng replied without directly answering.

“Isn’t that obvious? Who else could it be?” the Shen family’s sixth son said.

As for Zhao Chenlin, their family had heard of him as well. The Shen family had many young members. Although they were restrained by their families and didn’t behave like typical rich playboys, they still went out with friends to eat, drink, and have fun. They also went to bars, though they didn’t do anything inappropriate. The Shen family’s sixth son himself had seen Zhao Chenlin a few times.

Wang Cheng smiled. “If you already know it’s him, why ask me?”

The Shen family’s sixth son froze for a moment, then laughed. Getting carried away, he threw an arm around Wang Cheng’s shoulders and said, “You’re right—I really am dumb.”

His older brother suddenly coughed lightly and pulled him away. The Shen family’s sixth son was about to ask what he was doing when he turned and saw Chu Yifeng. Instantly startled, he gave an awkward laugh. Somehow, the atmosphere turned strange. Everyone looked at Wang Cheng and Chu Yifeng with ambiguous smiles.

The corner of Wang Cheng’s mouth twitched slightly.

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