Starting to Gain Experience from Push-Ups Chapter 1376 - 664:

The webpage stuttered for a few seconds, and as the buffering icon completed its spin, a crudely formatted recruitment flyer dominated the center of the screen.

The recruiter bore the name "West Mountain Folk Culture Protection Company."

Position: Village Guards.

Work Location: Ancient Locust Village, West Mountain.

Number of Openings: Several.

Xu Hao’s eyes shifted downward as he looked at the salary package and job requirements, his eyes lit up, and he couldn’t help but read out loud:

"Annual salary of one million, with a bonus of two million upon completion of a five-year term. Requirements are strong and sturdy physical condition, courage, unmarried, with no attachments, orphans prioritized."

"The daily work is just to stay in the village and patrol regularly..."

Seeing this, he smirked and sneered:

"Is this a goddamn pie falling from the sky? If I weren’t the boss of a gang now, back when I was still hanging around on the streets two years ago, I’d crawl there to apply if I had to."

He scrolled the mouse wheel, his gaze lingering on a real shot of the work environment at the bottom of the page.

The photo showed a dusty old village.

Due to cathode ray tube technology issues, the screen flickered slightly, making the shadows of the crooked houses in the photo seem to squirm slowly.

An undefinable chill crawled into his mind through the retinas, Xu Hao inexplicably felt a bit eerie, and goosebumps sprang up on his arms.

He pursed his lips and dismissed the wild thoughts from his mind.

Then he picked up the phone on the table, dialing the phone number listed on the webpage.

Beep, beep, beep—

After a few rings, the call connected.

A somewhat rigid male voice came through:

"Hello, West Mountain Folk Culture Protection Company. Who is this?"

Xu Hao dragged over a chair to sit down, his long legs directly crossed and propped on the edge of the computer desk, his tone carrying a strong renegade aura:

"Cut the crap. I saw online that you’re recruiting village guards, right? I fancy this gig. Send me the exact address, and I’ll be at work tomorrow."

Supervisor Wu on the other end of the phone noticeably paused for two seconds.

Clearly, he’s seen arrogance, but never someone so brazen under the pretext of job application.

"Sir, our recruitment has strict procedures, we need to verify your basic situation first..."

"Verify my ass."

Xu Hao impatiently interrupted him:

"Aren’t you just hiring someone to watch the place? I’ve got over a dozen years of robust work experience, and I can bench press one hundred and fifty kilograms, take on ten guys without breaking a sweat."

"Is my physical fitness not enough for gatekeeping? What, are you going to test me on calculus for a security job?"

Supervisor Wu took a deep breath, suppressing his temper, attempting to maintain a professional tone:

"This job is of a special nature, we must confirm. May I ask your age? How about your family background? We give priority to those who are unattached."

Xu Hao grabbed the half-pack of cigarettes on the table, shook out one and bit it in his mouth, lazily saying:

"Twenty-four, single. Old man disappeared without a trace long ago. Mom’s stuck in widowhood, treating me like I’m dead. Does that count as an orphan?"

Then seemingly thinking of something, he turned around to put forward a demand:

"Oh right, do you guys offer meals? I can eat a lot, meat must be plentiful. If the food is too shabby, I’ll flip the table on you."

Supervisor Wu’s breathing became noticeably heavier, but he still answered with patience:

"During working periods, all meals and lodging are covered."

He paused slightly before continuing to inquire about health issues:

"Do you have any hidden illnesses? Or a family history of mental illness? Our work environment is quite closed, those with poor psychological endurance are not considered."

"Mental illness? Who the hell are you cursing!"

Xu Hao spat out the unlit cigarette and slapped the table:

"Cut to the chase, do you want me or not! Don’t be wishy-washy. If not, I’m hanging up; I’ve got a dozen places under my thumb waiting for me to inspect them, gracing you with my presence there is giving you face!"

The phone fell into a brief silence.

Only faint static current remained in the receiver.

Supervisor Wu seemed to be madly weighing within himself whether to hire this physically formidable but slightly simple-minded hothead.

Seeing the other party staying silent for a long time, Xu Hao thought things were going south.

He swiftly adjusted his sitting posture, withdrawing the legs resting on the desk edge, clearing his throat.

Then, speaking into the phone, he continued to tout himself:

"Hello? Hello? Supervisor Wu, are you still breathing?"

"I’m telling you, it’s just that I’ve recently seen through worldly distractions and want to find a quieter place to cultivate my spirit. In the past, I wouldn’t go to such a rundown mountain village even if you carried me there in an eight-carriage palanquin!"

"Don’t underestimate me just because I haven’t studied much, but when it comes to guarding places and protecting homes, there’s no one more professional on the street than me. Back in the day, I wielded half a water pipe and fought my way from the south side of the city to the east side, chasing down a dozen punks without even catching my breath!"

Xu Hao becomes more enthusiastic as he talks, even standing up and walking around with one hand on his hip in front of the computer desk:

"If I work for you guys and run into any sneaky thieves or wild boars and wolves descending the mountain, I’ll handle them one punch at a time!"

"I may not have many virtues, but I’m strong and fearless. As long as you pay me well, even if there are ghosts causing trouble in the village at midnight, I can lift the coffin lid bare-handed and pull out the ghosts to give them a couple of hard slaps!"

"Let me tell you, just last month, some fool dared to cause trouble on my turf, and I..."

"Alright, alright... you come over then."

Supervisor Wu finally couldn’t take it anymore and interrupted his endless bragging.

Seemingly afraid that Xu Hao would further elaborate on his shocking street thug growth story.

Supervisor Wu took a deep breath, noticeably speeding up his speech, and quickly explained the job details:

"Bring your ID documents. On the afternoon of the thirteenth day of this lunar month at 2 PM, meet at the entrance of Ancient Locust Village. You can take the 304 bus to the terminal and walk two kilometers of mountain road to get in."

Buzz—

The other party impatiently hung up the phone.

Listening to the busy signal on the phone, Xu Hao grinned, flashing his pearly whites.

He triumphantly tossed the phone onto the sofa:

"Hey, who would’ve thought I’m actually a sought-after talent? These people really are eager for capable people."

Thinking of the chairman’s instructions and the mission’s goal, Xu Hao showed no fear on his face.

He abruptly pushed aside the chair, stood up straight, puffed out his broad chest, and prepared himself.

Then, targeting the air in front, he suddenly exerted force with his waist and hips, hammering out a fierce combo with alternating arms.

Jab, left hook punch, right hook punch, jab, low sweep, high sweep...

"Hoo! Hoo! Ha!"

His strong arms ripped through the air, producing a series of dull whooshing sounds.

The final powerful aerial chop left his leg suspended steadily in mid-air.

Xu Hao retracted his moves, rubbed his wrist, his excited gaze revealing a hint of eagerness.

"I’ve been cultivating the Great Sun Burning Body Technique under the boss for so long, but haven’t found a chance for practical combat. This time, I should take down those ignorant supernatural beings and test my cultivation results!"

..................

The evening breeze blew into the bedroom through the half-open glass window, dissipating the day’s accumulated heat.

Fang Cheng stood quietly by the window, holding a cup of water in one hand.

In the afternoon, he and Cheng Jiashu made a special trip to Ancient Locust Village in the West Mountain.

They circled the perimeter of the desolate village, confirming the terrain and road conditions firsthand.

Then, they finalized the detailed plan for Xu Hao to act as a spy infiltrating the village to gather intelligence, temporarily withdrawing from West Mountain.

Just before sunset, Fang Cheng returned to Wanghu Town smoothly.

Fortunately, dinner was already ready at home.

His mother, seeing him return so late, asked the reason.

Fang Cheng casually made up a reason to cover up, then finished eating, took a bath, and completely relaxed himself.

At this moment, he swallowed the warm tea, his deep gaze extending over the scattered rooftops of the town, toward the shadowy mountains in the northwest.

Ancient Locust Village is right there.

From his grandfather’s place in Wanghu Town, the direct distance to the village is roughly over ten kilometers.

If any sudden situation arises, with his current physical explosive power, he could sprint full force and, in a very short time, cross the mountains and forcefully enter the battlefield.

If choosing flight, it would be even more convenient and straightforward.

Although the speed is slightly slower than running and takes more time, there are no obstacles along the ascent.

Fang Cheng put down the cup, raised his left hand, and glanced at the calendar on his watch face.

June 29th.

Lunar calendar, May 11th.

Only four days remain until the full moon night when the village guards hold the ritual.

All preliminary arrangements have been completed.

Next, it’s just waiting for Xu Hao, that reckless youngster, to infiltrate the village and find the way to open the Inner World and trace Jiang Chen’s whereabouts.