When Liu Juan woke up, she felt like she had inexhaustible energy. She threw a few punches, her movements clean and swift, without any hesitation. Her body, which she used to find somewhat cumbersome, now felt light and agile.
She wiped the damp sweat from her forehead and smiled at the little girl who had been sitting on the edge of the bed keeping her company while she did her homework.
"It felt so good!" Liu Juan couldn't help but say, her mood had improved a lot.
500 points is definitely worth it. Those moves lingered in her mind, and she could immediately master them with a single move, as if she had practiced them hundreds or thousands of times.
"How long has it been?" She sat down next to Cheng Shuang, took the little girl's completed exercises, and habitually opened the textbook to begin grading the papers.
"Fourteen hours." The little head leaned closer, curious about how many points it had scored. "I even took a nap and worked out for an hour."
"Not bad!" Liu Juan was holding a Chinese language test paper, from the second semester of the first year of junior high. Cheng Shuang's progress was already quite fast, considering that time at the rest stop was always limited, and it wasn't like she was really rushing to the exam. Doing practice questions and studying was just a way to prevent the girl from forgetting reality amidst the prolonged turmoil.
Transformation and maturity do not equate to becoming numb and indifferent.
It's easier said than done.
In a world where lives are at stake, showing kindness and tolerance to one's companions is the last vestige of humanity.
After Liu Juan finished checking the paper and pointed out the wrong answers, Cheng Shuang marked them and then smiled as she took Liu Juan's hand, saying, "Sister Juan, Uncle Du is waiting for you! He wants to spar with you and help you integrate martial arts techniques."
The thought of Du Lanshan's iron fist instantly shattered Liu Juan's good mood.
She rubbed her temples, her head aching, and muttered to herself, "Is that guy going to have a fight as a welcome ceremony for the new comrade?"
Cheng Shuang's eyes lit up. "Not bad either!"
Liu Juan immediately looked at the soft and tender little girl beside her with mixed feelings. She was clearly a delicate and pretty little girl, but when she fought with Du Lanshan, she was so fierce and powerful.
"Sister Liao Yuewei is very skilled in martial arts!" the little girl grinned mischievously. "Hehehe, Uncle Du will be in for a rough time!"
Liu Juan swayed slightly, leaning against the headboard and chuckling softly. If her uncle Du heard her, he'd probably burst into tears again. Truly, a new generation surpasses the old…
To avoid taking a wasted bath, Liu Juan went straight out and exchanged a few blows with Du Lanshan. This was mainly to let her companions know that she was safe and sound. After all, men were not allowed to enter their ladies' room without permission, and those men must be getting impatient.
As expected, the four men sat on the living room floor, some reading, some playing games. When they saw the two of them appear, they all stood up. There were no mushy words or pleasantries. Only Du Lanshan immediately picked up two pairs of boxing gloves and tossed them to Liu Juan.
"Come on, Juan, let's practice."
Liu Juan put on her gloves. Strictly speaking, martial arts are not a form of combat, but gloves can protect both of their wrists well. It's especially important for friends to stop when they're on the same side.
The group arrived at the convenience store's fitness area. Liu Juan stretched her limbs and launched an attack.
Her physical condition is what it is; she has martial arts skills, so her movement techniques are not a problem, but her strength and endurance are still far from sufficient.
Before long, he started panting.
Before Liu Juan could wave her hand in defeat, Du Lanshan stopped and helped her out of the fitness area.
"You've made progress!" Du Lanshan's teaching style is definitely encouraging. Except for his younger brother, who is often teased by him, his style is much gentler towards others.
"I'll adjust your fitness plan. We'll focus on training endurance. Juan, your leg strength is good, but your arms are a bit lacking. The initial plan is to continue running and strengthen your endurance training, followed by a two-pronged approach of improving upper body coordination and strength."
Liu Juan, panting heavily, gave an OK sign and said intermittently, "I'm going to take a shower and get all dressed up to welcome the new member."
Du Lanshan stared in astonishment as Liu Juan leaned against the wall and left, asking in surprise, "There are still several hours left! Isn't it a bit early to be getting dressed?"
Du Lushu scoffed, "Instead of dressing up, you're staying here exercising? Bro, you really are my brother!" So, the two brothers are destined to be single forever...
Du Lanshan scratched his head, "I'm not that domineering. Even if we don't exercise, we can still have a chat..."
"A fitness plan?" Sun Han interjected. The Du brothers immediately turned to look at him, and he coughed awkwardly, "Brother Du, none of us have as much stamina as you!"
Du Lanshan chuckled, "You flatter me, you flatter me!" His pride was genuine.
The group was amused by his smugness. After chatting for a while, they went their separate ways to relax and do something they enjoyed.
Cheng Shuang and Du Jun came to the computer. He saw the little girl take out the Wanderer's Smart Large-Scale Game System—that small chip—that she had retrieved from the 'New World Born from the Cocoon.' Out of curiosity about the game, he wanted to see how the Gate of Reincarnation would judge its level.
Placed on the cashier, Cheng Shuang opened the online store, set the transaction information, and clicked confirm. The computer screen flashed twice.
'Ding, resources available. Station manager of rest stop DZ-BLD12, would you like to have it absorbed by the convenience store system? After absorption, the convenience store will expand to 300 square meters, be equipped with a second assistant computer, and each maintainer will have one lucky single-person round-trip ticket. The destination of the single-person round-trip ticket can be chosen within a certain range, and the maintainer's safety will be guaranteed accordingly.'
Cheng Shuang immediately went on high alert, summoning everyone except Liu Juan, who was taking a shower.
Du Jun gave a brief explanation of the matter.
"I have two questions. First, do new companions count? Second, what is the range of options for single round-trip tickets?" The young woman spoke very seriously when it came to business.
“These two are very important.” Sun Han nodded in agreement: “Especially the single round-trip ticket. Does the so-called life safety include serious injury?”
"And a secondary computer?" Du Lushu's eyes flickered slightly. "What kind of permissions do you have?"
Du Lanshan glanced at his brother, then at Sun Han, whose expression remained unchanged. Sun Han had often held the position of deputy, but he understood Du Lushu. This guy was ambitious wherever he went. While being deputy didn't mean much, this guy would never relinquish control to someone else, even a trusted ally, if he could fight for it.
Cheng Shuang sighed slightly. The atmosphere and relationships in the convenience store were already very good, but they still couldn't avoid this kind of competition. Other convenience stores were even less likely to be affected.
She had some doubts, feeling that every action at the rest stop and the gate of reincarnation was not simple or meaningless.
To some extent, rest stops are also screening out more suitable teams from multiple perspectives.
Sun Han, on the other hand, didn't mind quietly patting the girl's shoulder. He didn't really care about such things. He was willing to lend a hand in everything before because he didn't trust others. Later, he subconsciously wanted to help the girl and help her avoid some trouble.
If Du Lushui can really do a good job, he doesn't mind if the assistant computer is his.
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