Chapter 9 A Kind Reminder
9. A kind reminder
The man who had just been lying on the ground in a disheveled state scrambled to his feet. He jumped from the platform to Jiang Rong and stretched out his sweaty paws. "I am Wang Chenggang, the owner of Chenggang Gym. Welcome, welcome."
Jiang Rong glanced at Wang Chenggang, but before he could speak, a trickle of bright red blood slowly dripped from Wang Chenggang's hair. Jiang Rong was stunned. He quickly reminded him, "Blood, you're bleeding."
Wang Chenggang chuckled twice, then raised his hand to touch his forehead. The tiny bloodstain was wiped away, turning into a trail of blood. "It's nothing, just a minor cut. I'll go clean it up first; you can take a look at our venue."
As Wang Chenggang walked to the side, Jiang Rong clearly heard his complaint: "It's been too long since I've handled a knife, I'm rusty."
As soon as Wang Cheng left, the men who had been standing beside the arena all went to the side to attend to their own business. Jiang Rong stood there, somewhat dazed: No one came to greet him? Didn't he want his commission anymore? Didn't he want a membership card?
Just then, the man who had knocked Wang Chenggang down walked past Jiang Rong while drinking water. As he reached the door, he casually pulled the dagger nailed to the door panel. The sharp blade spun a beautiful arc in the man's hand, then suddenly flew up and landed on the target hanging on the wall.
With a sharp "thud," the dagger struck the bullseye.
Jiang Rong's gaze involuntarily fell on the man. He had seen many men with outstanding appearances, and this man was one of the best among them.
The men at the gym usually sported pompadours or buzz cuts, but this man had a side parting, his bangs damp with sweat and hanging loosely over his sharp eyebrows. His eyes were deep and bright, and his facial features were very defined.
The first time Jiang Rong saw him, she thought of a certain movie star, but he had an added air of restraint. A man like that would definitely attract a lot of attention if he went out in public.
Perhaps Jiang Rong's gaze was too obvious, for the man turned to look at him. Their eyes met, and Jiang Rong awkwardly looked away. If he were in Jiang Rong's shoes, he wouldn't want to be stared at so openly either.
After staying in the room for a while, Jiang Rong went outside. No one greeted him, so his gaze fell on the uniquely designed fitness equipment. As someone who doesn't exercise much, he always felt an urge to try it out when he saw it.
He quickly chose a machine and started working on it; it looked like it was for arm training. Just as he was spreading his arms wide and panting as he vigorously curled them, a deep voice came from beside him, "You're using the wrong technique."
Jiang Rong was stunned for a moment, then turned her head and saw that the speaker was none other than the man who had knocked Wang Chenggang down. The man stared at Jiang Rong, "This is a machine for exercising your back muscles. You didn't adjust the weight correctly, and your form is wrong. Your back needs to be straight, and your arms should be extended horizontally..."
Following the man's instructions, Jiang Rong carefully adjusted his posture. However, his lack of experience was obvious, and a sense of helplessness gradually appeared in the man's eyes.
After a while, the man seemed unable to tolerate Jiang Rong's dullness. He asked cautiously, "Would you mind if I adjusted your position?"
Jiang Rong said apologetically, "Thank you for your trouble." As soon as he finished speaking, the man raised his hand and gently pulled down his arms, saying, "Keep your arms at this height and open your chest."
Then a hand gently supported her waist and back, saying, "Straighten your back." The man's touch was very gentle, as if Jiang Rong were a fragile object.
The man bent down behind him and fiddled with something. Jiang Rongbao tensed up, afraid to move. Soon the man straightened up again. "You can exert force now. Try it."
As he moved again, Jiang Rong felt a pulling force from the equipment, and his back muscles felt stretched. He looked at the man in surprise, his eyes flashing with delight, "I can feel it!"
The man stared at Jiang Rong for a while, the smile on his lips deepening. "Remember this feeling; this is the correct way to exert force. If you feel the force is too light, you can adjust the weight later."
After practicing for a few times, Jiang Rong felt it wasn't bad, so he sped up. However, before he could do more than a few reps, he heard the man say, "Don't go so fast, and keep your strength consistent and even. Also, remember to wear your workout clothes next time you come to exercise."
Hearing this, Jiang Rong smiled sheepishly. He hadn't expected to get started so soon; the shirt he was wearing was indeed inconvenient for exercising. If he wanted to exercise, he should have chosen clothes with good sweat-wicking elasticity.
Seeing that Jiang Rong had slowed down, the man nodded slightly. "Very good, just keep it this way."
Jiang Rong thought this gym was pretty good; unlike other gyms where someone would try to sell you packages and discounts as soon as you touched the equipment. He turned to look at the man, and from his angle, he could see the man's well-built abs. So he tentatively asked, "Excuse me, if I want to get to your level, which muscle groups do I need to train?"
The man paused for a moment, then tilted his head slightly and pondered for a while. “I don’t use equipment often, but I think if you want to get in shape, you need to strengthen your core muscles.”
The man then explained in detail to Jiang Rong what core strength was and what kind of equipment was needed to train the muscles in the waist and abdomen. Following his explanation, Jiang Rong tried out almost all the equipment standing outside. This made Jiang Rong even more certain of the man's identity—he must be the most skilled trainer in this gym.
After walking around with the man, Jiang Rong was very satisfied with the gym. So he formally said, "Um, my name is Jiang Rong."
The man nodded. "Guan Shao."
After speaking, the two looked at each other. Jiang Rong waited quietly for Guan Shao to promote the package deal, while Guan Shao remained silent for a moment before asking, "What's wrong? Is there any other problem?"
Jiang Rong scratched her cheek. "Do you have short-term training packages? I don't have enough time, and I'd like to learn the correct training methods."
Guan Shao: ...
Seeing Guan Shao's strange expression, Jiang Rong suddenly thought of a possibility, "Aren't you a fitness instructor?"
Guan Shao honestly confessed, "I'm a friend of the boss. I happened to be in City C these past few days, so I stopped by to see him."
Jiang Rong's face flushed red. He quickly scrambled up from the exercise equipment and apologized repeatedly, "I'm sorry, I mistook you for my fitness instructor. I'm so sorry!"
Guan Shao chuckled and said, "It's alright, I'm free anyway." After a pause, he added, "Actually, there's not much point in getting a package like this. If you just want to learn the correct exercise methods, you can do it at home."
Jiang Rong's ears perked up. "How do we train?"
Guan Shao must be a fitness enthusiast. He then recommended many basic exercise books to Jiang Rong. This made Jiang Rong's eyes light up. He might not have believed the recommendations from others, but seeing Guan Shao's physique, he began to believe that as long as he practiced according to Guan Shao's instructions, one day he could also develop a physique like Guan Shao.
Guan Shao was a warm-hearted person; Jiang Rong hadn't met someone so frank and enthusiastic in a long time. After noting down the books and CDs Guan Shao recommended, Jiang Rong decided to give Guan Shao a reminder: "Mr. Guan..."
Guan Shao started chugging water from the kettle again, but when he heard Jiang Rong's words, he put down the kettle and asked, "Hmm?"
Jiang Rong said to him earnestly, "Thank you for telling me so much useful knowledge. I also want to tell you something: it's not a bad thing to stock up on supplies, food, medicine, and other necessities. Buy more and keep them at home."
Guan Shao opened his eyes wide in surprise. Seeing that Jiang Rong's expression was serious and not joking, he nodded after a moment of silence. "I understand. Thank you for reminding me."
Jiang Rong breathed a sigh of relief. Judging from Guan Shao's physique, he would definitely be able to survive the major crisis. Such a strong person might awaken some kind of superpower.
After the two finished speaking, Wang Cheng walked over and said, "Come, sir, let me give you a professional explanation."
Guan Shao said calmly, "No need, I've already explained it to him. He can practice on his own when he gets back. By the way, don't you have some instructional videos? Make him a copy."
Wang Chenggang, like a duck whose throat had been squeezed, let out a painful "quack" from his throat. "At this critical moment, I don't need you to be a lucky charm, but you can't turn away customers!"
Now it was Jiang Rong's turn to feel embarrassed. "How about I just get a short-term package?"
Wang Chenggang quickly waved his hand, "No need, no need, it's nothing serious, don't worry about it. You've seen the condition of our facility, just introduce us to more customers when you have the chance. You can come and practice whenever you have time, our equipment is free. Guan Tou'er is here recently, you can ask him anytime if you have any questions."
As he spoke, Wang Chenggang glanced at Guan Shao with a mocking look, but Guan Shao remained calm and composed, as if Wang Chenggang was talking about someone else.
Normally, Jiang Rong would have readily agreed, but after such a major crisis, everyone was on edge, so who would bother to come to the gym? The more enthusiastic Wang Chenggang was, the more Jiang Rong felt guilty towards him. After thinking it over, he secretly took out his phone and ordered a few takeout meals for the gym staff.
Not long after Jiang Rong left, the deliveryman walked into the restaurant carrying a large box of takeout. Looking at the delicious-looking and fragrant food in the box, Wang Chenggang felt both happy and distressed. "Good heavens, braised pork belly, sweet and sour pork hock! I didn't realize the person we just picked was such a meat lover. If he eats all this, he'll gain three pounds!"
Guan Shao lowered his eyes and opened the lunchbox. "Don't talk nonsense, she already has a child."
Wang Chenggang nearly dropped his chopsticks: "Huh?"
Guan Shao took the heavy pork knuckle out of the takeout container. He had seen the cute child on Jiang Rong's phone screen saver when Jiang Rong ordered takeout earlier. The child looked so much like Jiang Rong; they were definitely father and son.
Wang Chenggang sighed, "If I had known it would turn out like this, I would have gotten him a card."
Author's Note:
After finishing their takeout, the gym patted their bellies happily: Delicious, yummy! No wonder they chose this person; they really know how to order.
Guan Shao: ...Two extra hours of practice.
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