Starting to Gain Experience from Push-Ups Chapter 1490 - 717:

Fang Cheng picked up the wine glass and sniffed it gently.

Then he tilted his head back and took a small sip.

The wine was smooth as it entered his mouth, sliding down his throat, initially carrying a hint of salty freshness like seaweed.

Immediately after, it transformed into a warm burst of heat spreading in his stomach, with a long-lasting sweet aftertaste.

"Indeed, it’s quite good."

Fang Cheng put down the wine glass, giving it an objective evaluation.

"Glad you like it."

Seeing this, Zheng Hongxin beamed with joy.

He then raised his glass with a flushed face, holding it aloft:

"Let this first glass of wine be a welcoming drink for Chairman Fang... uh, Mr. Fang!"

"To Mr. Fang!"

Everyone present echoed in unison, raising their glasses in response.

Fang Cheng did not act pompous, raised his glass for a toast with everyone, and drained it in one go.

Afterward, he picked up his chopsticks, picked up a piece of snow-white grouper, and started to feast.

Carrying the water pressure a thousand meters under the sea had taken a considerable toll on his energy; now was the perfect time to fill the emptiness in his stomach.

As the three rounds of wine passed, and the five flavors of dishes were tasted.

The atmosphere in the private room gradually warmed up.

Zheng Hongxin and Chen Jiandong took turns serving Fang Cheng dishes and toasting him, their words full of praise for his physique and courage.

Sitting across, Feng Kehai held a wine glass, gently shaking the emerald liquid inside.

His eyes, hidden behind gold-rimmed glasses, discreetly observed Fang Cheng through the crystal ornaments on the turntable.

From when he took a seat until now, this young man has behaved very naturally.

Faced with a table full of leaders of vast powers in the dark world, Fang Cheng only cared about eating and drinking, sitting relaxedly without showing the slightest bit of unease or tension.

"Mr. Fang, you’re remarkably composed, and you look so young."

Feng Kehai put down his wine glass, a warm smile on his face, seemingly casually initiating a topic:

"I wonder, Mr. Fang, which prestigious family might you come from? To earn President Su’s favor and be entrusted with the Silver Key, surely you’re an exceptional talent."

"Perhaps, our True Thought Society may have interacted with your family in business before."

At these words, the chewing and conversation noise in the private room suddenly diminished significantly.

Wu Yingshan and Zhao Lei paused their actions and perked up their ears.

This was precisely the biggest question on everyone’s mind.

Although Zheng Hongxin had already explained the specifics in advance, stating that the Silver Key was in Fang Cheng’s possession, they still found it hard to believe, speculating internally.

Who exactly is this young man suddenly appearing out of nowhere?

Fang Cheng swallowed the shrimp in his mouth, grabbed a paper napkin to wipe his mouth, and picked up his teacup for a sip.

"Elder Feng overestimates me. I’m not from any prestigious family."

Fang Cheng leaned back in his chair, speaking in a calm tone:

"My hometown is in the East Capital. My parents are ordinary people. I’ve just graduated from college for over two years and am currently just an average office worker, working nine to five, squeezing into the subway to clock in at the company every day."

The private room fell into a brief silence.

Several True Thought Society executives exchanged surprised and incredulous glances.

An ordinary office worker? A subway-commuting employee?

What an international joke!

Feng Kehai’s smile stiffened slightly.

The fingers holding his wine glass applied slight pressure, causing a faint friction sound against the glass.

He quickly calculated in his mind.

If this kid is telling the truth, has President Su Jing’an gone mad?

Entrusting the critical Saint Relic, concerning the guild’s survival, to a college graduate with no background and no remarkable abilities?

If what he said was a lie, then this disguise is too perfunctory.

Wu Yingshan, with her nails painted bright red, rested her chin on her hand, her beautiful eyes flickering.

Her gaze lightly swept over Fang Cheng’s hands, which were spotless, long, and clean, without calluses.

These hands indeed didn’t look like those that wield weapons regularly or undergo high-intensity physical training.

However, upon entering earlier, she distinctly felt an oppressive blood and qi aura emanating from this man.

"Working is good, the life of an office worker is more stable."

Wu Yingshan raised her hand to cover her mouth, letting out a charming laugh, breaking the silence:

"But, since Mr. Fang could cross the Space Gate to Yong’an Island, there must be some impressive skills in areas we’re not aware of, right?"

"Otherwise, why would someone as discerning as President Su become friends with you?"

She continued the probing, following along with Fang Cheng’s words.

Fang Cheng picked up a piece of baked sea urchin, placed it in his mouth, and replied nonchalantly:

"I enjoy working out usually, so my strength is slightly greater than that of an ordinary person. Maybe Brother Su noticed my strength and felt bringing me along would offer a sense of security."

This made Zhao Lei, sitting opposite, let out a cold snort.

Zhao Lei is straightforward, highly valuing strength.

He assessed Fang Cheng’s body in a linen shirt, noticing that even though there seemed to be decent muscle contours under the clothes, what good is mere brute strength these days?

"Chairman Fang!"

Zhao Lei abruptly raised a full glass of Bichao Chun, stood up, and looked down at Fang Cheng.

"I’m a straightforward guy, don’t understand all your twists and turns. Since you have the Silver Key, you’re the new chairman in our hearts."

"This glass, I toast to you! If you’re a man, down it with me!"

Fang Cheng stopped his chopsticks, glanced at Zhao Lei, then turned to Zheng Hongxin.

Zheng Hongxin was focused on dealing with a fishbone on his plate, ignoring Zhao Lei’s thunderous address of "Chairman Fang" as if he were suddenly deaf.

Well, it seems their ability to play rogue is quite consistent.

Fang Cheng silently mocked but maintained a calm exterior.

He then picked up his wine glass, not even bothering to stand, only raised it remotely.

"Master Zhao, you’re too kind, cheers."

After saying that, he tilted his head back and poured the wine down his throat.

Zhao Lei noticed Fang Cheng didn’t even stand to reciprocate the courtesy, and his eye twitched twice.

But he held back the discontent due to the token in the other’s hand, gulped down the entire glass of wine, and sat down heavily.

Chen Jiandong, sensing a slight tension in the atmosphere, quickly stepped in to mediate.

He picked up the communal chopsticks, served Fang Cheng a large prawn, and smiled to change the topic:

"Seeing Mr. Fang’s composure and confidence really makes Jiandong feel emotional; it’s as if he’s looking at President Su from back in the day."

"Indeed..."

Zheng Hongxin tactically raised his head, put down his chopsticks, and let out a long sigh.

The elder’s eyes showed a look of nostalgia, speaking with a tone of reflection.

"President Su Jing’an was, without a doubt, the most brilliant leader in the history of our True Thought Society."

Zheng Hongxin looked at Fang Cheng, voluntarily recounting the former president’s deeds.

"Mr. Fang, you probably don’t know, thirty years ago, Yong’an Island experienced a once-in-a-century ’Blood Tide’."

"At that time, undersea volcanoes were frequently erupting, and the magnetic fields in the Abyss were utterly disordered. A group of deep-sea beasts, polluted by high-dimensional energy, surged into the southern port along the ocean currents."

"The most troublesome of them was a mutated giant octopus over thirty meters long."

Upon reaching this point, not only Zheng Hongxin, but even the consistently stern Zhao Lei showed a look of awe.

"That beast was thick-skinned, and even the heavy artillery of the port’s patrol fleet couldn’t do more than leave a few white marks on it."

"It waved its tentacles, raising waves over ten meters high, about to completely destroy the breakwater and rush into the civilian residential area."

Zheng Hongxin vividly described, as if experiencing it firsthand.

"Just when everyone was at their wit’s end, it was President Su who stepped forward. He carried no weapons, not even wearing a wetsuit, yet he dived solo into the boiling vortex."

"From the shore, we could only see the intermittent bursts of dazzling blue light under the sea."

Zheng Hongxin’s voice carried a hint of excitement.

"Merely ten minutes later, the sea calmed down. President Su emerged, stepping on the massive corpse of the mutant octopus."

"He had single-handedly and barehandedly ripped apart the creature’s eight tentacles, gutted it completely."

"That’s right!"

Sitting across, Feng Kehai picked up the conversation, filled with admiration:

"In that battle, President Su protected the lives of tens of thousands of Yong’an Island residents. He was a leader truly worthy of respect; as long as he was around, True Thought Society members felt reassured."