"Tony Du, did you hear that? Lily's boyfriend has spoken, so stop pestering her," Lily's two dorm mates said righteously.
"Leon, what makes you think you can protect Lily?" Tony Du struggled to contain his anger. Several other boys who secretly admired Lily Lin also chimed in.
"If you are a man, let's compete," Tony Du said, raising his head. "If you lose, you have no right to stop us from pursuing Lily Lin."
This guy was clever. By switching "I" to "we," he quickly garnered the support of the other boys.
"And if I win?" Leon asked.
"Win?" Tony Du looked dismissively at Leon's frail-looking frame, as if saying, "Win in your dreams." "If you win, we won't harass Lily Lin and will even help you fend off other suitors."
"Sounds good." Leon nodded, relieved at the prospect of a solution. "What's the competition?"
Tony Du sneered, "I won't bully you, Senior. To be honest, I've been trained. Let's compete in push-ups."
Hearing this, the girls were unhappy.
"Tony Du, you're too shameless."
"Senior Leon, don't compete with him. He's the push-up champion among freshmen," Lily Lin's dorm mate kindly reminded.
Tony Du scoffed, "Senior Leon, you do one hundred push-ups, I'll do two hundred. Whoever finishes first wins. That's fair, right?"
The girls glared at him. How arrogant!
"No need. Let's keep it simple: whoever does the fewest push-ups loses," Leon chuckled inwardly. He was looking forward to testing the Iron Will ability, and Tony had just given him the perfect opportunity.
"Is this how the seniors at H University are? So full of themselves?" Tony Du sneered. "Senior, don't make promises you can't keep."
"Senior Leon, let's just drop it," Lily Lin hesitated, remembering how exhausted Leon had been in the dorm.
"Don't worry. Just watch," Leon smiled at her reassuringly.
"You've got guts!" Tony Du gave a thumbs up and took off his military jacket, revealing a well-toned body. No wonder he was so confident; his physique showed years of training. Compared to him, Leon indeed seemed unremarkable.
Some girls thought this senior was really foolish, risking everything for love.
The boys, on the other hand, were eager to see Leon make a fool of himself. Tony Du had won the push-up challenge during freshman military training with a record of 300 push-ups, outshining everyone at H University. Compared to his explosive muscles, Leon seemed like no competition at all.
Their competition quickly drew the attention of students on the field, who gathered around. Even an instructor took an interest and volunteered to act as referee.
"Go, Senior Leon!" Lily's dorm mates cheered loudly. Lily Lin watched silently, feeling a mix of emotions.
Leon wasn't used to so much attention, but as soon as he activated Iron Will, all external factors and internal emotions disappeared, leaving only one thought in his mind:
Defeat him!
Tony Du, with his training, did push-ups swiftly and aggressively, like a warrior charging into battle, forcing the onlookers to step back.
The instructor nodded in approval at the results of the training, then looked at Leon. He noticed that despite his frail appearance, Leon's push-ups were perfectly executed, steady and precise, with a rhythm just right.
The girls watching were thrilled. "Amazing! He's done over 100 already!"
"Look at his form. It's perfect, so stylish."
"This senior is incredible!"
Leon kept up with Tony Du's pace without rushing or slowing down. Even after 100 push-ups, his form remained the same, showing no signs of fatigue, much to the chagrin of the boys who were expecting to see him fail.
As Leon's perseverance began to shine through, the girls started cheering for him: "Go, go!"
After an astonishing 300 push-ups, Tony Du was secretly struggling, barely holding on.
He glanced at Leon, filled with disbelief—how could he still look so unaffected?
Unwilling to admit defeat, Tony Du gritted his teeth and kept going. But strength isn't about brute force; by the 323rd push-up, his exhausted body finally gave out with a loud thud as he collapsed, motionless on the ground.
Damn, I've encountered a real master.
"...350, 351, 352," others continued counting Leon's push-ups.
The more they counted, the more dumbfounded they became.
H University, renowned globally, truly had hidden talents. A second-year senior easily defeated the freshman push-up champion.
"Enough, enough. Stand up, you've won," the instructor finally said, seeing that Leon's movements were still precise and steady, showing no signs of weakening. Who knows how long he could keep going.
Leon stood up effortlessly, leaving the entire field of students gaping in astonishment.
Tony Du, overwhelmed with frustration, fainted from exhaustion. Two boys were about to carry him to the medical center, but he was heavy.
"I'll do it," Leon said, scratching his head. He silently marveled at the power of Iron Will—300 push-ups and he felt no fatigue.
Using his NO103 super strength, he effortlessly lifted Tony Du and carried him to the medical center, leaving a final word.
"Guys, stay away from Lily Lin from now on!"
The instructor and students were left speechless, watching him leave.
"Lily, your boyfriend is something else. Can you handle him?"
…
The H University medical center was almost as good as a regular hospital.
After being questioned about the cause, the doctor grabbed Tony Du's hands, pulling and pushing them repeatedly until he finally coughed and exhaled deeply. After that, they moved him to a bed and gave him medication to help recover his muscles.
A trainee nurse, while administering the IV, curiously asked Leon what happened.
Upon hearing it was due to push-ups, she laughed. "He's so much stronger than you. How could he collapse while you seem fine?" The nurse wrinkled her nose, looking skeptical.
Leon didn't explain, just gave her a once-over.
Her silky hair fell gracefully to her shoulders, long lashes framing beautiful, lively eyes, and a naturally stubborn mouth. She wore a pink casual top, exuding a unique charm.
"You're from the medical school, right?" Leon asked.
"Yep. I sometimes help out here," she said with a giggle. "If you want to see me again, come back, but it's better if you're the one on the bed... hehe."
Leon was speechless.
A few minutes later, Tony Du regained consciousness.
He looked around, then at the IV in his arm, remembering what had happened. He had been doing push-ups on the field, and when he couldn't keep up with the unbothered senior, he felt all the blood rush to his head and then blacked out.
How embarrassing.
"You brought me here, didn't you? Thanks," Tony Du said, not one to hold grudges.
Seeing Leon still friendly and unassuming, Tony smiled broadly.
"No problem. Just remember our deal."
"No worries." Tony patted his chest, "With me around, no one will bother your girl!"
Leon smiled at Tony's change in attitude.
Suddenly, Tony thought of something. He had done enough push-ups to collapse, yet Leon seemed completely unaffected, even carrying his 120-pound frame to the medical center. It didn't add up. The difference between them was too strange!
"Senior Leon, why were you still okay after so many push-ups?" Tony asked, now using respectful terms.
"Oh, I trained with some ancient techniques when I was younger," Leon lied to avoid further questions. "But I don't know where they are now."
Tony listened, thinking: Wow, our country really is full of hidden talents.