Chapter 59: Luo Zhidong, This Is Truly a Costly Gamble!

Xisha Garden Community, exclusively for dual-force warriors.

Security at the entrance consisted of Level 2 warriors.

A private car personally delivered Zhang Chu to the No. 38 private villa.

Using the one-star warrior badge to sense the “Warrior Mall” real estate voucher on his phone, the access control automatically performed facial recognition and deactivated the high-energy electric grid.

“Damn, money and status really do get you everywhere,” Zhang Chu thought as he stepped inside, the elegant, new Chinese-styled decor refreshing to his eyes.

Compared to the Warrior’s Home, this truly lived up to the legendary “move in with a suitcase” reputation. There was even an AI smart electronic dog, “Ironhead,” to play with, catering to every lazy whim.

He took a stroll around the villa.

Three floors in total.

The basement housed the garage and training room; the first floor held the living room and kitchen; the second floor, the bedroom.

Seated on a rosewood sofa, he unlocked his phone, opened the beauty camera, adjusted the angle, flashed a peace sign, and took a selfie.

“Post it!” he declared.

“Some unfortunate souls need to see this.”

After this, Zhang Chu ordered delivery and opened “Warrior Mall” to browse for high-end martial techniques.

Now that he was a one-star dual-force warrior, using techniques fit only for ordinary warriors would be embarrassing.

And since his personal info panel had updated, Zhang Chu wasn’t sure if he could use his combat power to upgrade his technique ranks.

Meanwhile, in Binzhou, at the admissions office of the Martial Arts Research Institute—

“I’m sorry, Miss Su, Director Zhang had an urgent matter. Would you please come back tomorrow to complete your registration?”

Su Mingyue, clutching a stack of personal documents to sign her official contract with the Institute, hadn’t expected Zhang Xueying to be absent.

“I’ll come back tomorrow then,” Su Mingyue said, leaving the admissions office. She had just stepped outside when she saw a message from Zhao Panpan: “Mingyue, check Zhang Chu’s Moments—look! He’s moved again, and if I’m not mistaken, that’s Xisha Garden!”

Xisha Garden?

She hurriedly opened Zhang Chu’s Moments.

The moment she saw the words “Xisha Garden” on the street sign outside his window, her legs went weak. “Impossible! Xisha Garden is a high-end compound reserved for dual-force warriors!”

Could it be—he’d already advanced to dual-force warrior?

Su Mingyue felt her blood pressure spike.

She quickly dialed a number. “Chief, no matter the cost, I must become a one-star dual-force warrior as soon as possible!”

...

After checking the prices for martial techniques on “Warrior Mall,” Zhang Chu decisively gave up.

Take the lowest-grade, one-star inferior mental technique, “Immovable Meditation”—it cost eight million.

As for offensive mental techniques, the prices were even more outrageous.

Level 1 inferior mental technique, “Hypnosis”—twelve million.

What could one say?

Being a one-star dual-force warrior seemed glamorous, but in truth, they might be even poorer than ordinary warriors.

Zhang Chu’s net worth wasn’t enough to buy even half of “Immovable Meditation”!

Dingdong!

Just then, the doorbell rang. “Hello, sir, Black Swan delivery. Your order has arrived.”

The voice was crisp—a young woman.

She was young and attractive, most importantly dressed in black stockings, hence the nickname “Black Swan.”

This was a delivery service exclusively for high-end clients like dual-force warriors; couriers had to be at least Level 1 warriors themselves.

Today, Zhang Chu had deliberately ordered an outrageously spicy hotpot.

Soon, ten portions of cilantro and a box of beef covered the large round table in the dining room.

The beef was for eating.

The cilantro was for experimentation.

As he ate, he tried touching the cilantro with his fingertips.

But to his puzzlement, although cilantro was a green plant, contact did not trigger his passive devouring ability.

Once didn’t work, so he tried twice, three times.

He finally concluded: to be eligible for passive devouring, the green plant needed to be alive—cut and processed greens wouldn’t work.

Staring at a tableful of cilantro, Zhang Chu felt numb.

Ten plates of “Yang-blocking Herb”—even as a one-star warrior, he couldn’t handle it.

Thankfully, a savior arrived.

Zhang Xueying called, “Zhang Chu, are you home?”

“Yes, come have hotpot,” Zhang Chu joked.

“Open the door,” Zhang Xueying said, then hung up.

Before Zhang Chu could react, the doorbell rang.

Through the peephole, he saw Zhang Xueying standing at the door in a black business suit.

“Teacher Zhang, how did you find me here?”

Zhang Chu was dumbfounded.

It had been less than three hours since he’d moved in.

Zhang Xueying glanced at the special cilantro hotpot on the table, somewhat surprised, took a few bites, then pushed Zhang Chu out the door. “Let’s go somewhere else—I have something to discuss with you.”

Hey, I haven’t turned off the stove!

Zhang Chu was unceremoniously bundled into the car, and, with a burst of speed, they drove out of Xisha Garden.

No sooner had they left than a Martial Affairs Bureau official vehicle stopped at Zhang Chu’s door.

Fan Tianlei got out, looked through the window at the still-steaming hotpot, and shook his head in exasperation. “Damn, still too late—the Institute got here first!”

...

At the VIP reception room of the Martial Arts Research Institute admissions office—

Seeing President Luo Zhidong personally receive him, Zhang Chu immediately guessed their intentions.

The Institute wanted to recruit him!

“Mr. Zhang Chu, this is a token of our sincerity. Please consider it seriously,” Luo Zhidong said, handing him a box.

To advance from ALS patient to one-star dual-force warrior in a month! For this, not only was Luo Zhidong recruiting in person, but even inviting the Institute’s honorary president, a Level 9 dual-force warrior, would have been warranted!

“Take a look first,” Zhang Xueying said, sitting beside Zhang Chu, so close he suspected she was trying to seduce him.

On the table was a high-end black gift box.

Inside, a book and a bank card.

Damn!

Was Zhang Xueying monitoring his house? How did she know exactly what he wanted!

The book was “Immovable Meditation,” a Level 1 inferior-grade foundational mental cultivation method, especially marked as the personal, improved version by President Luo Zhidong, a six-star warrior.

This was far superior to the one sold in the “Warrior Mall” at the Stele Hall.

Even the Institute’s top students might not receive this.

As for the bank card—

No sooner had Zhang Chu picked it up than Zhang Xueying explained, “There’s fifteen million inside, a one-time incentive for recruiting top-tier special talent.”

A gift worth over twenty million at a stroke.

Luo Zhidong was sparing no expense!

Seeing the look in Zhang Chu’s eyes, Zhang Xueying and Luo Zhidong launched into a persuasive pitch.

They extolled the Institute’s rich history, its famous alumni, faculty, resources, and future prospects.

Zhang Chu summed it up: “Join Binzhou Martial Arts Research Institute—give yourself a chance, and give me a chance!”

Just as Luo Zhidong finished, Zhang Chu’s phone began to vibrate madly on the table.

Zhang Xueying glanced at the caller ID and quickly grabbed it, plugging it in to charge. “Low battery warning—let’s not let it interrupt our discussion.”

Zhang Chu wasn’t stupid.

He knew it had to be the Martial Affairs Bureau calling.

But he still leaned toward the Institute.

“I can join the Martial Arts Research Institute, but I have one condition.”

“I heard the Institute has a ten-thousand-acre primeval forest preserve in Binzhou—I want to be the administrator.”

Forest preserve administrator?

Both Zhang Xueying and Luo Zhidong were stunned.

A one-star warrior, asking for such a humble position?