Chapter 79: Withdrawal of Investment

The nemesis of all kinds of hard or soft qigong? That’s quite something, but… does anyone even practice qigong these days? Even the army has done away with those old hard qigong drills—who among the common folk would still bother with it? I just wonder what will happen when the Iron Man Technique upgrades again.

Du Ruo’s feelings about the Iron Man Technique were complex. On one hand, he relished the knowledge it offered, as it broadened his horizons. On the other, he worried the technique might end up useless, with nowhere to apply it. After a moment’s reflection, Du Ruo could only hope that, upon upgrading, the technique would reveal more secrets.

“A good harvest today. Time to go home.”

He’d gained two new skills today, and learned a great deal about acupoint techniques—Du Ruo was more than satisfied. Glancing up, he saw the sun was already high. He didn’t linger by the cliff’s edge but started down the mountain path.

The place he’d climbed was only the outskirts of Mount Huang; the real heart of the mountain, with its famed peaks, still lay far ahead. He could only explore bit by bit—after all, the future was long and he was in no rush.

…

“This sun is brutal. It’s only a little past nine, and I already don’t want to go out.”

By the time Du Ruo returned to the courtyard, the sun was blazing overhead. Standing outside, feeling the scorching rays, he’d originally intended to practice Bajiquan in the yard, but quickly gave up on the idea.

In this weather, all he wanted was to lie on the sofa in the air-conditioned living room and play on his phone—the last thing he felt like was sweating in the yard practicing forms or basics.

Just now, before coming inside, Du Ruo had weighed himself at the front desk. He was up to 176 catties, and at 178 centimeters tall, that was already overweight by normal standards—at least a little plump. Yet it didn’t show on him; only when he lifted his shirt did a ring of fat around his waist and belly hint at the gain.

But that wasn’t enough—Du Ruo could feel his bones and tendons were far denser than the average person’s. There was still much room for growth; he’d only feel he’d truly replenished what had been lost, only start stockpiling fat, once he looked obviously more robust, with a noticeable fleshiness about him. Only then would he ease up on strengthening his body.

Still, with all this rapid weight gain in such a short span, he was struggling to adjust. His strength had increased dramatically, but he’d lost some control over his internal power, and his movements were clearly less agile than before—slower, less nimble. He also found himself more averse to the heat.

Despite the drastic changes, the benefits outweighed the downsides. After all, the body is the root of everything.

“Boss Du, you just got back?”

Du Ruo was about to head inside for some air conditioning when Xiang Yuanyuan called out to him.

“Yes, did you just bring Aqi home? Come in and sit for a bit.”

Du Ruo opened the courtyard gate wider, inviting Xiang Yuanyuan inside.

“I won’t come in, just got back from town. Here, this is some dried fish I brought you—not the kind from my shop. My family sent it, all sea fish, sun-dried at home, with just a touch of seasoning and no additives, not even extra bones. It’s a snack for Yaya.”

Still wearing her sun-protective jacket, Xiang Yuanyuan was chewing on something—some long, dried root that twitched at the corner of her mouth as she chewed. She had a cardboard box tucked under one arm, and as she spoke, she thrust it into Du Ruo’s hands.

“Heh, thanks! By the way, what are you chewing?”

Du Ruo hadn’t expected such thoughtfulness. Knowing Yaya loved fish, Xiang Yuanyuan had gone so far as to have her family send dried fish just for her. Since she’d made it clear it was a gift for Yaya, Du Ruo didn’t insist on paying, but his curiosity was piqued by what she was chewing.

“This? It’s licorice root.”

Now that her hands were free, Xiang Yuanyuan pulled the chewed end of the root from her mouth. The yellow-brown, well-chewed licorice was now recognizable to Du Ruo. Seeing his curiosity, she fished another stick from her pocket and offered it to him.

“Here, take this. My family has dealt in medicinal wines for generations, drinking them almost daily. But you know, all herbs have their toxicity. If you drink them every day, over time you risk a buildup of toxins. Licorice is neutral in nature and can counteract the toxins of all herbs. So sometimes we drink licorice water or just chew it raw. Anyway, the sun’s a killer—I’m heading back.”

With a wave, Xiang Yuanyuan adjusted her sun jacket’s collar and hurried along the shaded eaves back to the tavern.

“Tch… truly a family of medicinal wine connoisseurs.”

With the box of dried fish under one arm, Du Ruo popped the licorice root into his mouth, imitating Xiang Yuanyuan by chewing it slowly.

“Still tastes like childhood.”

The sweet, distinctive flavor of licorice filled his mouth—just like when he’d secretly fished licorice out of his grandfather’s medicine pouch as a child.

Lying on the sofa with the air conditioning on, Du Ruo scrolled through his phone with one hand, while the other absentmindedly gripped and released the edge of the wooden tea table, over and over. The pressure wasn’t great, but the constant gripping and relaxing was a basic Iron Man Technique exercise, training the strength and dexterity of his fingers at every opportunity.

…

“I’m fine, thank you for your concern, boss.”

At that moment, Li Yu was walking slowly on a treadmill, dressed in yoga pants and wearing Bluetooth earphones, speaking on the phone.

“And… the baby?”

A man’s voice came from the other end, his tone noticeably softer when he mentioned the baby.

“My mother’s looking after her. My baby’s just fine. If there’s nothing important, I’m hanging up.”

Li Yu looked down and noticed a wet patch on her shirt over her chest. Frowning, she replied impatiently.

“I care about the baby, too. How about doing a paternity test in secret? If it really is—”

The man tried to go on, but Li Yu cut him off.

“I said, that’s my baby. It’s not appropriate for you to ask about my private affairs, and I don’t want to know who the father is, nor will I get any tests done. It doesn’t matter.

The baby’s going to have a new father soon. I’ve been on a string of blind dates and have already settled on someone. In a few days, we’ll get our marriage certificate and register the baby. In half a month, I’ll be able to return to work. If there’s nothing urgent, let’s talk once I’m back at the office.”

Li Yu stepped off the treadmill, grabbed a towel to pad her shirt, and unscrewed a bottle of water, gulping it down.

“Well… here’s the real issue. Your old client, Old Yang from Guangdong, called the company today and said he wants to withdraw all his investments.”

The caller sighed, then switched to business.

“What happened? That money’s been invested for five years, and it’s been profitable all this time. Why would he suddenly pull out?”

Li Yu frowned. That was over ten million in investments, a substantial annual profit for her. Its sudden withdrawal would be no small loss.

“I did some digging. His only son was kidnapped in the Philippines, and after the ransom was paid, they killed him anyway. He’s lost his mind—now he’s throwing money around trying to get revenge.”