Hidden Dead Ends

The weather had cooled.

Inside the training facility at Hongjin Corporation, two figures were swiftly exchanging punches, launching rapid attacks at each other.@@novelbin@@

Punch, dodge, reposition, punch again.

They repeated the sequence, both dressed in close-fitting, black, sleeveless sports gear that emphasized their well-defined muscles.

A sudden dull sound broke the rhythm as Song Ran took a slight step back, surprised as he looked across at his opponent.

“You’re improving fast!” He remembered that Li Chengyi had only been learning cross-track combat for a few months, yet his progress seemed... remarkable.

“No, wait—your technique is still rough, but your strength and speed have increased,” he quickly corrected himself.

“Recently, I’ve been feeling stronger overall, probably due to better physical conditioning,” Li Chengyi replied, wiping the sweat from his face. “But it’s still not enough. Against those opponents I faced before, I wouldn’t stand a chance.”

“How long have you been training?” Song Ran shook his head. “Besides, combat skills don’t count for much nowadays. No matter how long you train, if a cyborg shows up, it’s useless. All your power and technique can be negated with a single punch by someone with alloy-enhanced strength—things like rainbow steel, Wilkes copper, or Soviet iron alloys would destroy your fists.”

“It may not be a game-changer, but it’s still essential. In critical moments, I can’t afford any weaknesses,” Li Chengyi replied firmly.

He understood that his floral armor would work best with hand-to-hand combat, so he aimed to become as skilled as possible in that area.