Chapter 574
Cheng-ge, you're different, you're a genius!
As night deepens, the old factory street comes alive with its most vibrant energy.
As the early summer evening breeze brought a touch of warmth, the barbecue stalls on the street became bustling with business.
The simple folding tables lined up along the sidewalk, and almost every seat was occupied.
The aroma of cumin and chili powder, mixed with the smoky scent of charcoal, permeates the air.
In the iron wok at the food stall next door, clams were being stir-fried in boiling oil, and the rising steam made one's mouth water.
The shouts of people playing drinking games, the clattering of bottles, and the accents from all over the country filled the air.
At a table in the far corner of the barbecue stall, the scene was slightly different.
Sizzling lamb skewers, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside grilled chicken wings, savory and flavorful salt and pepper mantis shrimp—a mountain of various foods.
Dozens of ice-cold beers were piled up on the side, almost filling the entire table.
Ma Dong-hyuk was shirtless, revealing a ferocious dragon tattoo that stretched across his shoulder.
He grabbed a handful of lamb skewers, plucked three pieces off with his left hand and stuffed them into his mouth, while his right hand was already bringing another skewer to his lips.
Its cheeks bulged out like a hamster's, and its chewing movements were powerful, as if it were tearing apart prey rather than eating meat.
Fang Cheng, sitting opposite, did not appear to eat rudely, but his movements were strangely precise and efficient.
From picking up a skewer to putting it in your mouth, and then the skewer being cleanly and neatly pulled out, the whole process is smooth and quick, taking less than half a second.
On the table, the number of bamboo skewers piled up near his seat was more than twice that of Ma Donghe.
One of them was as big and strong as a bear, and his eating manner was extremely ferocious.
The handsome and refined young man opposite him swept through the enemy with a speed even more exaggerated than that of the bear.
Their nonchalant attitude quickly drew the attention of other diners.
At the next table, several young people were laughing and joking, pointing at Fang Cheng's table and making inappropriate remarks.
But he was startled by a fierce look that Ma Donghe caught in the dark, and he trembled all over.
Coupled with the menacing dragon head tattoo on his chest, he looked every bit the underworld boss.
This made the young people afraid to even glance at him, and they could only lower their heads guiltily and focus on the skewers in front of them.
When the last skewer of grilled chicken wings on the plate was finished, and the table was piled high with food scraps, Ma Donghe finally stopped eating.
He grabbed the chilled beer mug, tilted his head back, and gulped down more than half of it. The icy liquid slid down his throat into his stomach, making him let out a satisfying burp.
"Ha - cool!"
Ma Dong-hyuk put down his wine glass and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.
Then, looking at Fang Cheng, who was still struggling with a plate of grilled oysters, he suddenly asked:
"Ah Cheng, aren't you curious why I suddenly went to Master Lin and shamelessly begged to learn medicine?"
Fang Cheng was about to put a plump grilled oyster into his mouth when he heard this and paused slightly.
He popped the oyster into his mouth, savoring the flavors of garlic and sweetness, and slowly swallowed before looking up.
It was only then that he remembered.
Ma Donghe just said that his father had something important to discuss, so he specifically dragged him out for this late-night snack.
So engrossed in enjoying the food, I almost forgot about the important matter.
"Oh?"
Fang Cheng casually picked up a skewer of chicken wings, took a bite, and replied indistinctly:
"Didn't you say it was to get extra points on the Special Investigations Team exam?"
"correct."
Ma Dong-hyuk nodded, tossed the skewer onto the table, and took another big gulp of beer.
"The extra points are one thing, but the main thing is, I've been forced into this situation!"
After finishing his drink, he moved his stool closer and began to pour out his grievances:
"Ah Cheng, to be honest, the Special Search Team's spring recruitment re-examination is on June 5th next month. It consists of three parts: an interview, a written test, and a physical fitness test."
"I'm definitely fine with physical fitness."
Ma Dong-hyuk patted his increasingly muscular chest, his words brimming with confidence:
"With your excellent preliminary test scores, you can skip the retest and be admitted without any special consideration."
Fang Cheng glanced at him.
Indeed, although this guy still looks like a bear, his overall spirit and energy are completely different from before.
His muscles are much stronger than before, with his biceps bulging high and hard like a lump of iron.
His fierce aura intensified, and just sitting there quietly was enough to keep the surrounding thugs from speaking loudly.
Clearly, he has put in a lot of hard work to hone his skills, which has brought about this change in his demeanor.
"As for the interview, it's just a formality, and it depends on whether we click."
Ma Dong-hyuk chuckled and raised his hand to touch his face:
"Although my appearance is a bit rough, it is imposing enough to command respect. I was born to be an official."
After boasting for a few moments, he suddenly changed the subject, a look of worry appearing on his face:
"The difficulty lies in the last written exam, which covers subjects like law, Chinese language, foreign language, and psychology... It gave me a headache just hearing about it."
"So, my father was worried that I would fail because of this, so he gave me an idea: to learn a medical skill, which would be a plus."
As he spoke, he grabbed a skewer of grilled kidneys, took a big bite, and muttered as he chewed:
"Originally, the old man wanted me to learn the Ma family's ancestral qigong massage from him, but I refused. His mediocre skills are nowhere near as good as Master Lin's miraculous medical skills."
"Massage, bone setting, and acupressure to stop bleeding are all real skills, the wisdom passed down from our ancestors for thousands of years. They can treat injuries from falls and blows, and also regulate the flow of qi and blood in the meridians."
Once Ma Donghe started talking, fueled by alcohol, he went on and on:
"By the way, in today's trendy terms, this is called... what is it called sports rehabilitation? It's much more practical than those fancy Western medical methods."
"Think about it, the brothers in the action department fight to the death every day. Bumps and bruises and broken bones are commonplace. If I knew authentic bone-setting massage and could help them with emergency treatment and relieve their injuries on the spot, I would be in high demand."
"At that time, won't those captains and officers treat me like a treasure?"
Ma Donghe got more and more excited as he spoke, as if he could already see his bright future as a star player in the team:
“Acheng, let me tell you, I started learning from Master Lin at the end of last month, and Sister Huiyi has also taught me a lot of real skills.”
“I feel that my bone-setting technique is already quite good. In Master Lin’s words, I have just begun to understand it. After another ten days or half a month of practice, I dare not say that I can compare with you, but I will definitely be able to graduate.”
Fang Cheng listened to Ma Donghe's self-praise and smiled slightly.
He then picked up his glass and clinked it against Ma Dong-hyuk's:
"Then I congratulate you in advance, Commander Ma."
"Haha, I appreciate your kind words."
Ma Dong-hyuk laughed heartily and downed the drink in one gulp.
He smacked his lips, seemingly savoring the crispness of the beer, but the excitement on his face suddenly vanished, turning into a sigh.
"Sigh, to be honest, Acheng."
Ma Donghe put down his wine glass, a hint of envy in his eyes:
"Seeing how you set the bones for those thugs today, I finally understand what professionalism is, and what it means to be outmatched and to have someone more skilled."
"I've studied hard for a month, and I probably still can't compare to what you can achieve with a single flick of your wrist. If I had your talent, I wouldn't have a thing to worry about in this exam!"
"Even if I hand in a blank paper for the written exam, with this skill alone, the examiners would be begging me to pass. Getting first place would be a piece of cake!"
After he finished speaking, he seemed to realize that his words had given him away, and quickly waved his hand to explain:
"That's not what I meant. I just... I just feel that it's such a waste of your talent if you don't use it to shine!"
Fang Cheng slowed down his chewing and looked up at him.
His gaze was calm and unfathomable, as if it could see right through a person's thoughts. "Hehe."
Ma Dong-hyuk felt a little uneasy under that gaze and couldn't help but give an awkward smile.
Finally, they raised their hands, gave up resistance, and stopped circling around.
"Okay, I'm coming clean."
"Actually, it was my grandfather's idea. He wanted you to participate in the special search team's exam as well."
Fang Cheng didn't speak, but silently picked up another skewer of grilled chicken gizzards and ate them slowly, as if waiting for him to continue.
Ma Donghe's spirits lifted, and he immediately straightened his back, staring intently at Fang Cheng with an expression that had never been more serious before.
“Acheng, I know what you’re worried about. You’re afraid of being retaliated against if you go in, afraid of getting caught up in those messy factional struggles, and even more afraid of exposing your true abilities and being studied as a monster.”
“However, my old man said that you don’t have to apply to the Operations Department or the Intelligence Department. With your superb medical skills, you can directly apply to the medical team.”
"What kind of place is the medical team? It belongs to the logistics department, a dream unit that ordinary people can only dream of!"
Ma Donghe leaned forward, lowering his voice even further, as if afraid of being overheard:
"Normally, I stay in the rear, treating the wounded brothers. At most, after the battle, I go to the scene to clean up and bandage up those who aren't quite dead."
"You don't need to charge into battle at all. The risk level is many times lower than that of us on the front lines who are fighting to the death."
"Besides, Elder Shi is the Minister of Logistics. With him protecting you, who would dare to cause you trouble?"
"Once you go in, you'll be treated like royalty. You'll clock in every day, drink tea, and read the newspaper. Just consider it an experience."
"As for those benefits, cultivation resources, insider intelligence, family protection, you'll get them all. Isn't that better than you fighting alone out there?"
Ma Donghe finished speaking in one breath, staring intently at Fang Cheng, waiting for his response.
To be honest, he was also a little uneasy.
These heartfelt words of advice were something his father, Ma Jianguo, had pondered at home for several days before teaching him, word by word.
The old man truly thought highly of Fang Cheng, feeling it was a real pity that such a martial arts prodigy was buried in obscurity.
They also worried that he was a loner, with no social circle, and that one day he might go astray, commit a heinous crime.
That's what you call regretting it too late.
That's why the old man and Shi Chengyi got together and discussed it.
Finally, they came up with this brilliant "indirect" method, allowing him to safely enter the system as a "technical talent," achieving the best of both worlds.
"Medical team?"
Fang Cheng put down the skewers in his hand, wiped his hands with a napkin, and seemed to be seriously thinking:
"That sounds good, so why don't you just take the exam?"
"I?"
Upon hearing this, Ma Donghe blushed, scratched his head, and said somewhat awkwardly:
"I'd like to, but you need real skills to get into that place."
"They only recruit top medical students. With my mediocre skills, even if I manage to get in, I'd just be a fraud and a freeloader."
"But you're different, Acheng!"
Ma Donghe once again earnestly urged him:
"I dare say that among all the students at Dongdu Medical College, you can't find another person who can match your bone-setting and massage skills."
"You go take the exam, isn't that a sure thing?"
Fang Cheng looked at his anxious expression and smiled noncommittally.
Then, he picked up his glass, downed the remaining beer in one gulp, and slowly said:
"This isn't urgent, let me think about it some more."
Seeing that Fang Cheng did not refuse on the spot, Ma Donghe breathed a slight sigh of relief.
He knew there was hope!
As long as Acheng is willing to consider it, based on the old man's judgment, this matter is very likely to succeed.
If the two brothers join the Special Investigations Unit together in the future, they can not only look out for each other, but they might also benefit from it.
Besides, having a capable colleague like Fang Cheng makes me feel more at ease when going on missions in the future!
"Okay! Okay! Take your time to think it over, but it's best to make a decision before next Monday, otherwise you'll miss the last registration deadline."
Overjoyed, Ma Donghe quickly grabbed another plate of skewers and handed it over, saying solicitously:
"Come on, Cheng-ge, don't just drink, eat some skewers! It's on me today, all you can eat!"
Fang Cheng smiled calmly and took the plate.
The two continued to clink glasses, eat skewers, and drink.
At the barbecue stall, the noise was still deafening, and the charcoal fire was burning brightly.
The dim yellow lights illuminated the old factory street at night, filling it with the vibrant atmosphere of everyday life.
....................................
"Click".
With a soft sound, the old security door was pushed open and then casually closed.
The room was dark and silent.
Fang Cheng did not turn on the light.
For people who are already accustomed to darkness, light is not a necessity.
He changed into slippers in the entryway and quietly walked into the living room.
As I passed the center, I paused slightly.
Moonlight streamed in through the window, which had no curtains, casting a cool, silvery glow on the floor.
Within that silvery glow, a spiderweb-like crack was clearly visible.
That was a hole that was stomped on and cracked by Ah Le when he fought with me before, and it hasn't been repaired yet.
Fang Cheng's gaze lingered on the crack for less than a second before he looked away.
It was as if it were just an ordinary pattern on the floor.
He went into the washroom and turned on the tap.
The cool tap water gushed out.
He scooped up a handful of water with both hands and carefully rinsed his face, washing away the grease and alcohol fumes.
Water droplets slid down his angular jawline, tracing shimmering trails in the dim light.
After tidying up a bit, Fang Cheng looked at himself in the mirror and then went into the bedroom.
His gaze fell on the handbag on the bedside table, and his eyes narrowed slightly.
After thinking for a moment, I reached out and unzipped the bag, took out two items, and gently placed them on the desk illuminated by the moonlight.
Those were two completely different masks, one on the left and one on the right.
A mask of a demon, its entire body deathly pale, its features grotesque, and its eyes and brows exuding madness and evil.
The other one is a comical clown mask, with an exaggerated black smiley face painted on a bright red background, and a teardrop hanging from the corner of its eye.
Fang Cheng pulled out a chair and sat down, crossing his arms, quietly looking at the two masks on the table.
Moonlight streamed through the window, casting an eerie glow on the mask's cold surface.
His gaze was as calm as a deep pool, without a ripple, as if he were merely admiring two ordinary works of art. (End of Chapter)