The training grounds were exceptionally quiet that night, a stark contrast to the boisterous competitions held during the day, after everyone had left.
Suddenly, two furtive figures appeared on the stage.
Judging by their stances, one seemed to be relentlessly beating the other, reducing them to tears.
Due to the dim light, the figures were indistinguishable, but both were clad in white. As the faint moonlight cast its glow, two flashes of white could be seen.
Then, with a woman's wails and cries, a surrender was declared. Her voice clearly indicated that she had been severely beaten.
...
The next day, the competitions resumed.
Gu Zhe was much more subdued today. He didn't dare to sit in the central area, nor did he dare to call Xia Feng over.
The mere sight of Xia Feng sent a chill down his spine, making him feel utterly unnerved.
The first match featured Jack Ma and Penguin Ma. They stood on opposite sides, gazing at each other, their hearts filled with a mutual respect and a sense of camaraderie.
They were both friends and rivals, having contended for years. This was their first formal confrontation on stage, and only one would leave standing.
"Haha... this is their first battle," Old Wang remarked with a smile as the two prepared themselves.
Before taking the stage, Jack Ma and Penguin Ma had specifically sought out Xia Feng and asked him to remove his protective gear.
Both were eager to have a good fight and prove their superiority.
"This is our first battle on stage, and now we can openly beat each other up, haha..." Lei Ming joined in with a hearty laugh.
As the competition began, the eagerly anticipated match commenced.
Jack Ma looked at Penguin Ma across from him and said, "Let's have a thrilling fight. I have no other intentions; I just want to beat you up."
Penguin Ma chuckled at this, his glasses shaking on his face.
"I feel the same way," Penguin Ma replied before preparing to make his move.
*Deng deng deng...*
Jack Ma sprinted towards him, his stride covering a meter, a somewhat comical sight.
Penguin Ma charged forward. As they neared each other, Penguin Ma leaped into the air, executing a 360° spin.
This maneuver might have been effective against others, but it was an exaggeration against Jack Ma.
Even if Jack Ma hadn't known his move, it was unlikely to inflict significant damage.
Jack Ma leaned back, his body almost parallel to the stage floor. They met in the air, one with a kick, the other with a punch.
Their movements appeared fluid, yet utterly useless.
Penguin Ma lost his balance upon landing. His 360° spin had sent him crashing to the ground.
"Haha..."
Jack Ma erupted in laughter.
Not just Jack Ma, but the entire audience burst into laughter as well. It was indeed quite comical.
Penguin Ma ignored the taunts, dusted himself off, and stood up, continuing his assault on Jack Ma.
They exchanged blows for a solid half-hour, with Jack Ma eventually succumbing to exhaustion and losing by a slight margin.
Neither achieved a decisive victory. Penguin Ma's glasses were knocked off, leaving his left eye bruised. Jack Ma, conversely, had his right eye badly bruised.
Finally, both realized that this continued struggle would yield no significant results and proposed a single decisive move.
Their highly anticipated battle ultimately ended without a clear winner. Destined to be rivals for life, their fates were intertwined.
Following them, others took the stage. The remaining two were met by Qin Wen and Ma Yuqin, while Xia Lin was paired with Liu Jingru.
As expected, the other two were swiftly defeated and eliminated by Qin Wen and Ma Yuqin.
The finals thus featured Xia Lin, Ma Yuqin, Qin Wen, and Penguin Ma.
At this point, who would be the champion was no longer the primary concern.
After the competitions concluded, everyone returned to Modu that same afternoon.
Having been away for so long, the feeling of returning home was undeniably different.
At Qinglong Bay Villa, everyone considered it their own home, reluctant to leave, harboring an inseparable affection for the place.
Upon their return, Xia Lin and the national "Little King" immediately formed a five-player team, having missed gaming after a long hiatus.
Li Changhe and Huang Heng found their own task: scrubbing toilets.
After such a long absence from home, the toilets needed a thorough cleaning, as they were the most bacteria-prone areas.
"Changhe, don't you think people are a bit strange? Why do I suddenly find the sound and motion of scrubbing toilets so beautiful and melodious?"
Huang Heng asked Li Changhe, who was cleaning the washbasin, as he scrubbed the toilet.
Ever since Li Changhe had properly met Xia Feng, he realized that not everyone had the opportunity to scrub toilets.
They were the newcomers in the villa, and if they didn't scrub the toilets, no one else would.
"Don't say that. It's our honor. Honestly, look at Xu Jiaying, whom we treated to dinner in Yuchen. Forget asking him to scrub toilets; you could ask him to lick excrement, and he'd do it without you even asking," Li Changhe offered a comforting thought, even resorting to a crude analogy.
"You're truly disgusting. Only you could come up with such a comparison," Huang Heng cursed, looking at Li Changhe making his point.
"Haha..."
Li Changhe laughed heartily, unbothered by the crudeness. He continued, "Hurry up and finish scrubbing. After that, we can watch Lin'er play games. I wish I had learned to play games back then."
Huang Heng nodded silently and returned to his newfound passion: scrubbing toilets.
The night passed uneventfully. The next day, Xia Feng went to the academy.
Upon arriving, he learned that everyone had gone to the hospital for their clinic duty.
Xia Feng then headed towards the hospital.
Today, an old Chinese medicine practitioner, who also held a professorship at the affiliated university, was leading the clinic.
Affiliated hospitals often shared faculty with universities, allowing for a seamless transition between clinical practice and teaching. One could be performing surgery in the morning and lecturing students in the afternoon.
Luo Hanxiang and Yun Yan frowned, as they had encountered a peculiar patient.
His entire body was covered in an itching sensation, yet the cause remained elusive. There were no visible red spots on his skin.
Professor Liu had examined the patient for quite some time but couldn't diagnose any ailment.
This man was making his second visit. The previous week, Professor Liu had prescribed him a herbal remedy, but it had not only been ineffective but had worsened the itching. The sensation of itching from within the flesh was something outsiders could not comprehend.
Professor Liu was a renowned old Chinese medicine practitioner, attracting a long queue of patients seeking his consultation.
"I truly cannot discern the symptoms of your condition. However, I have a colleague who might be able to help, though he is currently unavailable," Professor Liu said, shaking his head as he reviewed the patient's case.
"Dr. Liu, what should I do? I itch so much every day that I can't sleep. I've had eight blood tests, and none of them reveal any symptoms. It's just an inexplicable itch."
The man was deeply distressed. The continuous itching for ten days had driven him to the brink of madness. He hadn't slept well in who knows how long, and his eyes were sunken.
"Yun Yan, call your teacher and ask if he's available." With no other recourse, Professor Liu decided to request Xia Feng's assistance.
Yun Yan's face lit up upon hearing this. She particularly enjoyed calling Teacher Xia and readily agreed.
"Certainly."