Madman!

Chapter 16: Wine, Women, and Song

Chen Wujun took Shark Jiu's phone and stepped aside to make a call. The man who had guided them bowed slightly and asked Shark Jiu:

"Shark Jiu, you really think highly of him?"

The kid wasn't very old, and he looked rather ordinary.

Sure, he had some martial arts skills, but which of Hetu's underlings hadn't trained in some kind of fighting?

"He's my junior brother, after all, and I genuinely see potential in him. Bold as they come, willing to think big and act on it! His luck isn't bad either!"

"Give it a year or two, and I might just have another capable general under my command!" Shark Jiu declared with a grin.

She had so many businesses to manage that she always needed people to help run things. If this young man could grow into his potential, he might become quite the asset.

Just as she'd said earlier—what mattered most right now?

Talent!

Same school, same master, and following her since his teens—she could trust him down the line.Moments later, Chen Wujun returned with the phone and set it on the coffee table.

"Let me introduce you—this is Ji Xiang! If you can't find me, take any problems to him!" Shark Jiu tilted her head toward the man who had led them in.

"Ji Xiang, nice to meet you!" Chen Wujun greeted him promptly.

Ji Xiang flashed him a smile. "You're Shark Jiu's junior brother. If you ever need anything, come find me."

"Go round up Ah Hao and the others!" Shark Jiu instructed Ji Xiang.

Ji Xiang went to make the calls. Chen Wujun seized the moment to ask, "Senior sister, what you mentioned earlier about human head stakes?"

That was what concerned him most. He truly needed sparring partners for his training.

"You're my junior brother. There are over a hundred thousand people in the Walled City—if anyone rubs you the wrong way, just use them as your training dummy!" Shark Jiu bared her teeth in a grin, a hint of wickedness dancing across her face.

"Of course, if your skills aren't up to par and you go pick a fight only to get beaten instead, don't expect me to bail you out."

"Understood!" Chen Wujun nodded.

The Walled City's foundation was built on the most brutal law of the jungle—the weak are prey to the strong. If he wanted live sparring partners, he could simply pick someone and fight. With this many people in the Walled City, he'd always find someone suitable.

Eventually, once he had money, he could hire people to spar with him. But since he was broke right now, the simplest and most direct method would have to do.

And with Shark Jiu backing him, even if he used others as human head stakes, no one would dare retaliate.

Of course, if he got beaten by someone else, that was his own fault for lacking skill.

Moments later, two men and a woman entered the room.

Both men were solidly muscular. Ah Hao had close-cropped hair that gave him a sharp, capable look. Flower Boy Rong was strikingly handsome with keen, spirited eyes.

The woman was about the same height as Chen Wujun, wearing a black mini dress. Her hair was long, her lips red as fire, and her figure even more scorching. When she looked at someone, her eyes seemed to speak on their own.

"Shark Jiu!"

"Ah Hao, Flower Boy Rong, Karen!"

"This is my newest little brother! He'll be following along and learning the ropes from now on!"

Shark Jiu didn't mention their master-and-apprentice-sister relationship, which made Ah Hao and the other two size up Chen Wujun with a touch of surprise, unable to figure out his background.

"Hao, Rong, Karen—nice to meet you all!" Chen Wujun stood up and greeted them politely, though something felt a bit strange. Just days ago he'd killed a guy called Hao, and here was another one.

"Just call me Jun!"

"Alright, everyone's here. Let's eat. After dinner, I'll broaden your horizons a bit!" Shark Jiu rose with a beaming smile and patted Chen Wujun on the shoulder as she passed him.

Only then did Chen Wujun realize that Shark Jiu was actually half a head taller than him—at least a hundred and eighty centimeters, possibly even a hundred and eighty-five.

The group headed to a hotpot restaurant on Carpenter Road outside the Walled City.

It was Chen Wujun's first time at a place like this.

He'd had hotpot before, but always at home.

This particular restaurant was quite upscale. He even noticed that each place setting had a pair of long chopsticks and a pair of short ones.

When he saw everyone else using the short ones, he set the long pair aside as well.

As for the dishes that arrived, he barely recognized any of them. He only knew the plating was exquisite and the prices were surely anything but modest.

Throughout the entire meal, Chen Wujun said little. He spent most of his time observing Shark Jiu, Ji Xiang, Ah Hao, Flower Boy Rong, and Karen.

When the meal was over, Ji Xiang glanced at the bill, pulled out a thousand-dollar note, and tossed it to the waiter. "Keep the change!"

Chen Wujun was quietly stunned. This single meal could have fed his family for an entire month.

"Ji Xiang, this dinner cost a thousand?"

He asked in a low voice as they walked back.

"A thousand? Try two thousand! That bottle of Penfolds Bin 707 Shark Jiu ordered was eight hundred on its own! But when we eat out, we always get a discount," Ji Xiang laughed heartily, clapping him on the shoulder.

Shark Jiu had ordered a bottle of red wine, and Chen Wujun had even had a glass. He hadn't realized that single glass was worth over a hundred dollars.

Chen Wujun nodded thoughtfully.

Another lesson learned.

Back in the Walled City, Ah Hao and Flower Boy Rong split off to attend to their own business.

Shark Jiu led Ji Xiang, Karen, and Chen Wujun into the shop with the red curtains from earlier.

The atmosphere now was nothing like the quiet of the evening. Thumping music pulsed through the establishment.

On the T-shaped stage up front, several women wearing nothing but shorts danced under dim, reddish lights. Five or six tables of customers sat watching in the hazy glow.

At one particular table, a woman with a sizzling figure was dancing around a steel pipe.

Chen Wujun couldn't help but stare.

Apart from magazines and his classmate's VCR, he'd never seen anything quite this... vivid.

"Like what you see? Pick your favorite and I'll have her dance just for you!" Shark Jiu noticed his gaze and slapped his shoulder with a booming laugh.

The seats near the main stage were for walk-in customers or those without much to spend.

Beyond that, you could request a private table dance—far more interactive and far more expensive.

"Never seen anything like it, so yeah, a bit curious. But a private dance won't be necessary. Thanks, Shark Jiu!" Chen Wujun took a few more looks, then grinned.

It was his first time seeing a scene like this, but he knew better than to look nervous.

"If you enjoy watching, you'll have plenty of chances! Come every day if you want! Though you'd better stay on Karen's good side!"

"The most popular clubs in the entire Walled City, the ones with the hottest girls and the best figures—Karen runs every single one of them!"

"Tell me what type you like, sweetie, and I'll set something up for you," Karen teased with a playful wink.

Though she hadn't figured out Chen Wujun's exact background, the fact that Shark Jiu had brought him to dinner personally and introduced her key people to him told her all she needed to know—he was someone important.

A woman as socially savvy as Karen naturally knew to build good relations.

"Lucky them," Chen Wujun replied with the slightly bashful grin of a teenager. "Let me think it over and I'll let you know, Karen."

......

At ten o'clock that night, Chen Wujun finally said goodbye to Shark Jiu and walked along Lung Tsun Road in the late darkness. The street was still bustling.

All-night shops remained open, and the sidewalks were filled with gamblers, pleasure-seekers, and workers coming off the night shift.

Chen Wujun took a deep breath and glanced at the cheap digital watch on his wrist. He knew there was no time for rooftop training tonight.

'Senior sister recruited me because she sees my potential. I absolutely cannot let my martial arts slide!'

'And even without her backing, as long as I master my skills, sooner or later I'll carve out a place for myself in this Walled City!'

'My martial arts—that's my true foundation!'

'I need to wake up early tomorrow and make up for tonight's missed session.'

'I should also adjust my training schedule going forward.'

Chen Wujun's mind was crystal clear. Tonight had truly broadened his horizons—he'd witnessed indulgences and temptations he'd never experienced before. But deep down, he knew what mattered most.

At the same time, his vision for the future had grown sharper.

'Train my martial arts on one hand, learn the business from senior sister on the other!'

'Then wait for the right opportunity!'

'But days at the martial hall and nights working with senior sister... I'd often be getting home past midnight. My parents will definitely notice.'

'Maybe I should rent a place outside and tell them I'm staying at the martial hall.'

Chen Wujun also knew he couldn't hide this from his parents forever. The Walled City was only so big—secrets didn't stay hidden long, and eventually they'd find out.

But his father Chen Hanliang preached every day about being a good person, and here he'd gone and joined Hetu the moment he turned around.

He figured he'd wait until he had solid footing before bringing it up.

......

The next morning at four o'clock, Chen Wujun dragged himself out of bed, dug some leftover rice from the refrigerator, and ate it cold.

Wearing shorts, a tank top, and flip-flops, flashlight in hand, he climbed up to the rooftop.

The sky above the Walled City was a deep blue. Only the faintest trace of light seeped through—even the silhouettes of distant buildings were invisible.

Chen Wujun made his way to his usual training corner, where a few beer bottles and snack wrappers lay scattered on the ground.

He kicked the trash aside, set the flashlight on the ground, and threw a warm-up set of punches in place. Once his body loosened up, he pressed both hands onto the parapet wall and vaulted up.

It was his first time coming here at this hour. He peered over the edge—no lights below, yet the view was somehow clearer than at night.

The vertigo of looking down from such a height hit him even harder.

Chen Wujun drew a deep breath, steadied his mind, and settled into the Charge Stance. After twenty minutes, he transitioned into the Golden Rooster Stance. Though the sun hadn't yet risen, the sky was beginning to brighten with the first pale hints of dawn.

By the time he finished the Golden Rooster Stance and prepared to practice his forms, the sky had turned a pale white. Looking down, he could even make out the ant-like figures of pedestrians far below.

Chen Wujun pulled his gaze back, raised his focus and intent to their peak, and his body began to move slowly.

Every step demanded absolute care. Every movement required constant awareness of his balance.

A single misstep meant no second chances.

After completing two full sets, Chen Wujun was drenched head to toe, as though he'd been fished out of water.

Clear footprints marked the surface of the parapet wall, the impressions of his toes especially vivid.

Slipping his flip-flops back on, he returned home, changed his clothes, and headed downstairs. He hadn't gone far when he spotted a man with dark circles under his eyes shuffling toward him from the opposite direction.

It was the father of Shu Fen, the little girl who lived downstairs.

From the looks of it, he was just getting back from the gambling den.

Chen Wujun recalled what Shark Jiu had told him yesterday. If he wanted real skill, practicing on stationary targets alone was useless—he needed live opponents.

Just as the two were about to pass each other, Chen Wujun suddenly stepped half a pace sideways, nearly knocking Shu Fen's father off his feet.

Before the man could even get angry, Chen Wujun glared at him furiously. "Are you blind? The road's this wide and you walk right into me? Looking for trouble?"

Shu Fen's father was stunned at first, then rage flooded through him.

Losing at the gambling tables was bad enough, but now some brat was picking a fight just as he was trying to get home and sleep?

"You little punk, I'll—"

Chen Wujun slapped him across the face before he could finish.

Crack!

The man's mind went completely blank. When his senses returned, his chest was blazing with fury. He swung a fist at Chen Wujun.

'That's what I was waiting for!' Chen Wujun's eyes lit up. His left hand swept upward to parry the incoming punch, then his right hand chopped down lightning-fast between the man's legs.

In an instant, the man's entire body went rigid.

Chen Wujun pivoted his torso and hammered both fists into the man's chest. The man staggered backward, on the verge of toppling over.

Chen Wujun closed the distance in a flash and drove an elbow into the man's sternum.

The man flew backward, clutching his chest with both hands, face twisted in agony, completely unable to breathe.

Chen Wujun walked over and stomped on his stomach for good measure.

Then he strode away without looking back.

As he walked, he replayed the sensation of each impact. 'Hitting a real person is completely different from hitting a stationary dummy! A person isn't a piece of wood—they react, they move.'

'I couldn't even use the full power from my body's five bows just now. Everything I drilled in practice went right out the window the moment I started fighting, and this was just an ordinary man. Senior sister was right—real skill comes from drilling on live opponents!'

'So that's how the Dismounting Stance works in practice—counter the instant you defend, chop the groin, then hammer with both fists...'

'There were things I couldn't quite grasp before, but now it all makes perfect sense!'