Chapter 31: Who Beat Him?
Translator: Noodletown Translations Editor: Noodletown Translations
The double metal doors slid open once again, and the only difference was that Mu Fan was intact 40 minutes earlier when he entered, but his body was now covered with bruises 40 minutes later when he exited.
He dragged his body as he walked towards the water dispenser and sat down on a training bench to take a sip as he thought to himself, Once I get paid, I can go home and sleep well today. It was his first time getting to contact with a mech today. Even though it was in virtual reality, Mu Fan felt like the experience was more than real; it was a novel and exciting experience, and he couldn’t keep his mind off it.
Chubby Harry who was sitting on the sofa suddenly sighed out of relief as he pressed the release button and took off his helmet.
“Why did you go offline first? Didn’t we agree on messaging each other?” Chubby Harry complained. “I lost again! Ahhh! I can’t do it without you! Was that really your first time in the PO Battle Network? Tell me about how you did it! All I could think about was that game!”
Chubby Harry stood up and poured himself a cup of water as he sat across from Mu Fan and asked him in excitement.
Mu Fan was troubled about what to say as too many things were involved.
He frowned and organized his thoughts before saying, “I just got lucky. I went around after the battle, but I wasn’t familiar with anything other than the training camp, so I went offline to train for a bit.”
Chubby Harry only noticed that Mu Fan’s training suit was soaked in sweat and admired his hard work.
Mu Fan continued after thinking for a bit, “The PO Battle Network is really amazing, but I should be responsible. I think we should also spend half of the time on combat in reality. You’ll attack while I defend.”
Chubby Harry nodded but didn’t speak.
“Beep-beep. Incoming call on Skycom. Caller: Uncle Wu.” His Skycom suddenly lit up.
“Uncle Wu is calling me. That’s it for today then. I’m going out for lunch, and I’ll see you in the afternoon!!! We’ll train in the afternoon again. Bye, Mu Fan!” Chubby Harry said to Mu Fan in a rush as his eyes widened when he saw it was almost time for lunch. How wonderful! He thought as he grabbed his coat and ran away.
It’s almost lunchtime. Mu Fan’s eyes squinted when he heard Chubby Harry’s words, ignoring the fact that Harry dashed away.
Got to be eager for food! Mu Fan thought as he acted immediately and changed his shoes as he headed downstairs. He was hungry, and it was time for food.
When Mu Fan walked out of the levitated elevator, he could sense something strange in the atmosphere at the lobby.
There were still many members in the lobby, and the instructors in the normal teaching zones were demonstrating combat techniques like usual. However, when he looked toward the place where he trained yesterday, which was Court No. 5 where practice partners usually gathered, there were still many people, but they didn’t look at ease nor looked like they were looking forward to lunch time.
Something happened?
Mu Fan pondered as he walked in that direction with an emotionless expression.
“Sigh, this job really is…”
“Ya, I’ve seen a lot, but I didn’t expect him to fall…”
“He’s been working here for a long time; they probably won’t be this cruel.”
…
As Mu Fan walked towards them, his acute hearing picked up on what they were murmuring about.
It seemed like something had really happened at the Budokan, but he didn’t know who it was. Perhaps it was someone who everyone was familiar with, or else they wouldn’t be acting this way.
“Big Stomach King!”
Mu Fan became famous from yesterday’s ‘battle in the cafeteria’, and he already got a nickname today. Even though he heard this nickname, he didn’t realize that they were referring to him.
He had no idea that he was in the topic of discussion.
“Big Stomach King is here; don’t know what he’ll think about this since it is related to him.” Mu Fan’s ears perked up when he heard this. The name of Big Stomach King is referring to me? What does this have to do with me?
“Look at his back!”
“Gosh! Did the client use weapons? How is he this badly injured!”
Someone with a sharp eye had noticed Mu Fan’s back when he walked past them.
His training suit was soaked in sweat after the training in the gravitational room, and it was stuck onto his skin. Almost all the rubber bullets during that level-40 round had struck Mu Fan’s back, and the suit was nearly torn apart, showing the bloody marks on his bare back.
Mu Fan continued to walk steadily and expressionless towards the crowd.
More people noticed the wounds on Mu Fan’s back and thought, how unfortunate. It is only his second day here, yet he got beat like this.
“What a shame. Man Kun and this boy are both unlucky today, but Man Kun’s situation was worse. Sigh, I wonder if the Budokan will still keep him.”
Mu Fan suddenly paused, and his eyes sharpened as he turned his head around.
“Who else did you say?” Mu Fan stared at the person who just talked; his eyes were like those of a lone wolf.
“What’s this attitude? Did I say anything? I didn’t say anything at all.” That person was displeased by Mu Fan’s attitude. There weren’t many people with a good temper at the Budokan, so what was with this newbie’s attitude?
“Who else did you mention?” Mu Fan didn’t respond to his question and walked straight towards him.
“How are you talking to your senior with this attitude?” That person was pissed off as Mu Fan’s attitude irritated him. Is this how you treat your senior? So arrogant even when Man Kun can’t shield you anymore.
This man had been working here for more than three months, and he always took extra caution during his sparring with the clients. As a veteran here, he already learned how to behave differently toward different people.
It seemed that some people in the crowd were already looking at him with mockery because of the way that Mu Fan was talking to him. He felt like he was losing face as his cheeks burned with embarrassment.
Mu Fan didn’t speak anymore and walked straight forward with coldness in his sharp eyes.
“You can still care about others when you got beaten this badly? What a joke,” that man continued to mock Mu Fan, a new practice partner who seemed defeated, to regain his status.
“You…ugh! Mmm!! Let go! Let go!!!” That man didn’t expect Mu Fan to come towards him and grab him by his collar without an extra word; he was like a rooster that was held by its neck. His face flushed red, and he couldn’t stop yelling.
He put his hands onto Mu Fan’s hand subconsciously as he tried to pull it away from his neck.
However, when his hands grasped onto Mu Fan’s wrist, he realized that this thin-looking boy’s arm was as hard as steel! Mu Fan’s muscles tensed up so hard that he couldn’t even make a dent as he grabbed onto this boy’s wrist; the muscles under the smooth body lines were all seemed to be cast from metal.
“I’m asking you who else did you mention.” Mu Fan’s right arm which was grabbing this man’s collar lifted upwards, making this man’s legs dangle in the air.
Mu Fan’s arm was as straight as a ruler! His body didn’t move a slight bit!
The man’s face flushed red, and he could only make low muffled noises now. Regardless of how this man hit Mu Fan’s arm, he didn’t let go.
This man was a practice partner with a level-8 physique, yet he was like chickling that was waiting to be butchered in Mu Fan’s hand.
The crowd was stunned by the scene as they had thought that this newbie who looked as soft as a rabbit was only an herbivore with a big appetite. Now, he seemed like a T-Rex in human skin! Mu Fan had lifted this man up in such a fierce manner in front of all their colleagues and clients in the Budokan.
“Answer me!” Mu Fan’s eyes sharpened, and there was no trace of gentleness left.
His fist started to clench tighter, choking the man in his hand so much that his eyes were almost rolling backwards.
“I’ll… I’ll tell…you…” this man’s voice came out struggling.
Mam! Mu Fan dropped him onto the floor and stared at him coldly as he coughed non-stop.
Mu Fan looked like he was in a mess as the blood marks on his back soaked through the training suit.
However, nobody in the crowd dared to laugh or make a sound. There was dead silence in the air as everyone focused onto the practice partner who Mu Fan was looking down at.
“Also… there is also Man Kun,” that man answered immediately after catching his breath as he was afraid that Mu Fan would be displeased and lift him up again. This is too embarrassing; I can’t work at this Budokan anymore. I got to find another place to work.
“What happened.” Mu Fan stared at the man on the ground, and his eyes were as fierce as those of a wolf. Man Kun was the first person who greeted him when he came to the Budokan. Even though it had only been two days, Mu Fan could still differentiate between the nice people and the mean ones.
“He has been crippled… One of his legs broke, and he was sent out for treatment.”
The people in the crowd looked upset as well. Man Kun was the practice partner for a VIP client today; no one expected that this client would still use all his force towards Man Kun who was a management-level personnel of bottom workers at the Budokan. The client crippled Man Kun within a few hits, and now the Budokan had sent Man Kun out the door for further treatment.
“Who did it?” Mu Fan’s expression turned calm, but his right fist suddenly cracked.
The man on the ground shivered.
“Young… Young Master Wen.”