The training in the school wasn't very strict and only involved some basic skills.
Compared to what Lin Yuan learned in the Martial Arts Hall when he first started, it was far simpler.
But that was to be expected.
In the Martial Arts Hall, one could use medicinal baths and Nutritional Recovery Agents to heal hidden injuries, but all of that came at a cost.
With the massive number of Reserve Martial Disciples in the school, especially considering that more than 90% of them would be eliminated, the rest would be placed in different academies based on their performance, becoming the foundation of society.
If they were to use Nutritional Recovery Agents on everyone, it was feared that even emptying the entire national treasury of Xuan Country wouldn't be enough, not to mention that it would be a wasteful squandering of resources.
Moreover, if the training were too intense and students were left with hidden injuries... the school would probably face lawsuits.
No wonder Martial Arts Halls were thriving.
But none of this was a problem for Lin Yuan; what he lacked most was the basics. The knowledge that other students took for granted was the very thing he yearned to master, even if it meant enduring another thirty kilometers of running or practicing punches and kicks.
Only Lin Yuan practiced each punch and kick with utmost seriousness.
Although it wasn't as intense as in the Martial Arts Hall, the theoretical knowledge was more abundant here.
And since the instructor was also a Martial Artist, Lin Yuan could consult him on many aspects of knowledge.
By three-thirty in the afternoon, school let out early.
After showering in school, Lin Yuan immediately headed towards the Martial Dao Training Center. On his way there in a maglev train, he even took out his phone to double-check with Lin Rourou.
"Oh? Fang Zihao really showed up?"
Lin Yuan had previously asked Lin Rourou to help keep an eye out for whether Fang Zihao would come to work today...
Having someone at the front desk to inform on the target's whereabouts was perfect for Lin Yuan to keep a clear picture of Fang Zihao's comings and goings.
When Lin Rourou told him that Fang Zihao had arrived for work on schedule that morning, Lin Yuan was actually quite surprised; he had assumed that after he had bullied Fang Zihao severely the day before, Fang Zihao would have left early or simply not shown up at all today.
No one expected him to be so punctual...
Such dedication.
If Lin Yuan were the boss, he would have loved an employee like that.
But now...
Lin Yuan said, "I'll be there soon."
An hour later.
In the Martial Arts Hall.
Having been coming for several days and now familiar to the staff, a worker greeted Lin Yuan with a smile, "Yo... Lin Yuan, you're here again?"
"Yes, I've come."
"Smart choice. Even though the course is almost outdated, if you hang in there and complete the over thirty lessons, you'll get more than thirty Nutritional Recovery Agents. That should recoup at least half of your losses."
"Yeah."
Lin Yuan didn't argue with the worker. He didn't even get too close to Lin Rourou, just signalled with his eyes, then entered the Martial Arts Hall.
First, he changed into training clothes.
Then, instead of heading straight to the training ground, he wandered around and soon spotted Fang Zihao checking if the props and equipment had any quality issues.
Lin Yuan's eyes lit up as he approached.
Fang Zihao saw Lin Yuan, and a flash of shame and anger appeared in his eyes... but he quickly averted them and continued towards a more secluded backup restroom.
Lin Yuan followed.
Seeing him enter, Lin Yuan went in as well.
The restroom was empty.
This time, Lin Yuan took the initiative to close the door.
With a smile like that of a creepy uncle, he asked, "Fang Zihao, you deliberately came to this secluded place. Are you planning to pay me back, or do you want to get beaten up later without others watching to avoid losing too much face?"
Fang Zihao's face turned shades of red and white, and he gritted his teeth, bowed deeply to Lin Yuan, and said loudly, "Sorry, Mr. Lin, it was my fault. I was an accomplice to tyranny and deceived you of your money!"
The sudden capitulation caught Lin Yuan off guard.
He snorted through his nose and asked, "I thought you would stubbornly resist and play a game of wits with me for a while. Are you sure you're okay with conceding so easily and cleanly?"
Fang Zihao gritted his teeth and replied, "In the matter of deceiving you of your money, I made an extra five thousand yuan... You already took two thousand seven hundred yuan from me yesterday, and here's the remaining two thousand three hundred yuan. I'm returning to you as much as I took; I was wrong before, and I apologize to you. I hope you can forgive me!"
Lin Yuan looked at the stack of bills he was handing over voluntarily.
Suddenly, he understood Fang Zihao's intention.
He chuckled coldly and said, "Just five thousand yuan and you think that'll smooth things over?"
"I only cheated you out of five thousand yuan..."
"But I lost sixty thousand!"
Lin Yuan said coldly, "My parents are dead, and they left me an inheritance of only one hundred thousand yuan. That's all the living expenses I have for my future. I took out sixty thousand in one breath, hoping to invest in my future, but you deceived me... Luckily, I have some ability to fight back, otherwise, wouldn't I have just swallowed the bitter pill if I suffered losses? Now return that money to me... but ask yourself, is that really all you owe me?"
Fang Zihao explained, "But the person who cheated you was Zhao Sanyuan!"
Lin Yuan enunciated each word, "If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have believed Zhao Sanyuan. In this matter, why did Zhao Sanyuan give you five thousand yuan? Because the benefits you created for him are far more than five thousand. You've spit out what you gained, but what about my losses?!"
Fang Zihao was momentarily at a loss for words upon hearing this.
And at that moment.
From the innermost closed restroom stall, an extremely impolite voice suddenly came out, questioning, "So what else do you want him to do?"
Lin Yuan was startled, realizing he hadn't noticed a third party was hidden in this martial arts hall.
Fang Zihao, however, was not particularly surprised...
Clearly, he was already aware of this, but his expression was even more solemn than Lin Yuan's, and even had a touch of fear.
The bathroom door was pushed open.
A man in his early thirties, with messy long hair tied carelessly behind his head, looking somewhat like a balding version of Uchiha Madara, came out slowly with his arms crossed over his chest.
Fang Zihao called out with a mix of guilt and fear, "Cousin..."
"Hello, I am Fang Zihao's cousin, Senior Instructor Zheng Yaolie of Descending Dragon Martial Hall!"
The man stepped behind Fang Zihao, gave him a severe look, and introduced himself to Lin Yuan.
Lin Yuan asked, "Instructor Zheng, hello. It seems you are planning to stand up for your cousin, aren't you?"
Zheng Yaolie said indifferently, "After Xiaohao told me about the incident yesterday, I already severely reprimanded him. He coveted small gains and plotted to cheat others of their money. I was unaware of this matter; if I had known, I would have ordered him to stop long ago. Now that it has caused Mr. Lin losses, I also immediately ordered him to make amends to Mr. Lin..."
Lin Yuan flipped the thin stack of banknotes in his hand and asked, "This is the compensation?"
"Otherwise?"
Zheng Yaolie asked, "He only took five thousand from this event, do you really want him to pay you the full sixty thousand? This is indeed his fault, but if he truly paid you sixty thousand, don't you think you're being a bit too aggressive?"
Lin Yuan also fell silent upon hearing this.
The so-called demand for sixty thousand was just his plan to force Fang Zihao to take action against Zhao Sanyuan.
He didn't have the time to target Zhao Sanyuan, but Fang Zihao did...
Moreover, he had backing and strength. The smoothest plan was for him to recoup the sixty thousand from Fang Zihao's hands, not a penny more.
And then Fang Zihao would in turn reclaim the sixty thousand from Zhao Sanyuan.
That way...
He would be able to get his lost money back without causing too much friction between them.
As for the dog eats dog situation between them, he would not pay attention.
He wasn't swindled thanks to his special constitution. Sixty thousand was not a small sum for him, and since the other party had malicious intentions, he would definitely make them cough up the money.
But he truly didn't expect Fang Zihao, who seemed so bold, to actually act like a spoiled child when scared, hastily calling for a guardian.
Now, seeing Fang Zihao's expression, half fearful and half respectful toward Zheng Yaolie, this wasn't just a relationship between cousins; it seemed as if he had been raised by his own hand...
No wonder his first thought was to seek him out when bullied.
Lin Yuan pondered and carefully articulated, "It truly wouldn't be reasonable to make him pay back the full amount, but the reason I didn't go directly to Zhao Sanyuan is that I have no means or clues on my end, and there's no way to get my money back. Fang Zihao is the only person I can reach. He can choose not to compensate, but I need him to help me retrieve my lost funds, or he can simply pay out of his own pocket, either option is fine."
"There's no need for you to say it, I was going to trouble Zhao Sanyuan myself, that bastard led my brother astray... I wouldn't let him off so easily," Zheng Yaolie said, giving Lin Yuan a piercing look, "But if all sixty thousand went to you, wouldn't you be profiting from over thirty lessons and the Nutritional Recovery Agent for free?"
Lin Yuan said, "Classes that are about to expire aren't worth that much... When the time comes, I can pay again, but only at market price, at most a few hundred yuan per session!"
Zheng Yaolie nodded and said, "Alright! I agree!"
"Thank you!"
Lin Yuan pocketed the money and walked out.
Watching Lin Yuan's retreating back, Fang Zihao said unwillingly, "Cousin..."
Zheng Yaolie scolded, "Shut up, I've warned you so many times not to hang around with those shady characters. Did all my words go in one ear and out the other?"
Fang Zihao shrank like a quail, defiantly but somewhat sheepishly said, "But we are the ones shouldering all the consequences. Why do I feel like we're at a loss?"
"I will take the money back, but only if he has the skills to get it!"
Zheng Yaolie sneered, "Getting cheated and then blaming my brother... I'll let him know that the hardest thing to recover in this world is the money that's been cheated away from you."
His tone softened, "You don't worry about this anymore. That guy is too ruthless, he left some Qi Force in you with that punch yesterday, you better go to the hospital and get some medicine. Hmph... clearly a martial artist, yet disguising himself as an ordinary person to play such tricks... Trying to 'jump the fairy' on me and score over thirty Nutritional Recovery Agents for free, he better have the chance to do so!"