Chapter 24: One Against Eight, Displaying Divine Might

Liang Yu walked over, unfazed and not out of breath, and asked Xiao Yang Bo, “What was the time?”

Xiao Yang Bo silently showed him the stopwatch.

Seeing 6.70 seconds, Liang Yu was just as surprised. He had expected his enhanced physique to bring him close to the world record, but this was three seconds faster. It was hard to believe.

Pointing at the stopwatch, Liang Yu said, “Is this thing broken? How can it be six seconds? It must be a glitch.”

He took the stopwatch, reset it, and said, “Forget it, let’s continue training!”

“The next session will be intense, so prepare yourselves mentally.”

With that, the group followed Liang Yu back to the open ground.

Liang Yu had the eight recruits pair up for sparring, as this session focused on close combat. He wanted to assess their skills.

Everyone had different strengths and weaknesses, so a one-size-fits-all training method would bury potential talent.

To let each recruit shine, tailored training was crucial.

Liang Yu set up the matchups:

First match: Zhang Tie Zhu vs. Zhou Da Qiang.

Second match: Jian Qi vs. Shen Zong.

Third match: Du Heng Zhi vs. Guang Le An.

Final match: Xiao Yang Bo vs. Wen Xing Chi.

He gave them ten minutes to prepare before starting.

***

Ten minutes later, the first match began.

Zhang Tie Zhu and Zhou Da Qiang stepped into the center, while Liang Yu and the others watched from the sidelines.

Zhang Tie Zhu gestured for Zhou Da Qiang to come at him, saying, “Come on, I won’t hold back!”

Zhou Da Qiang smiled and charged, but Zhang Tie Zhu wasn’t fazed. He grabbed Zhou Da Qiang and executed a 360-degree slam.

Liang Yu jotted down notes, planning their training.

Zhang Tie Zhu didn’t let up. After slamming Zhou Da Qiang, he pinned him with his massive frame.

Unable to move under Zhang Tie Zhu’s weight, Zhou Da Qiang tapped out.

Thus, Zhang Tie Zhu won the first match.

Next was Jian Qi vs. Shen Zong.

As a fitness coach, Jian Qi had trained in some combat techniques. In his field, having multiple skills was essential due to the competitive nature of the industry.

You might have abs, but clients also want you to know combat; you might know combat, but they also want you to be handsome…

It’s a lot to handle!

Jian Qi won in no time.

The third match was Du Heng Zhi vs. Guang Le An.

Both were sports academy graduates, muscular but lacking technique.

Liang Yu noted, “Strong, but lacking combat skills.”

Du Heng Zhi, with his strength, eventually won.

The fourth match was Xiao Yang Bo vs. Wen Xing Chi.

Xiao Yang Bo, an auxiliary police officer, had received training before starting his job. He had both skill and strength, but Liang Yu focused on Wen Xing Chi.

Wen Xing Chi was a former delinquent, looking to turn over a new leaf and help survivors.

Having fought often, he had developed skills and was a good match for Xiao Yang Bo.

After about ten minutes, Xiao Yang Bo narrowly won.

The fight was so intense that Liang Yu didn’t bother noting their strengths and weaknesses. He planned to teach them some firearms skills later.

After the final match, Liang Yu stepped into the center and addressed the recruits, “Have you identified your weaknesses?”

Du Heng Zhi raised his hand first. Liang Yu nodded, and Du Heng Zhi stepped forward, “I have strength but lack combat training. I rely on brute force and need to improve my technique.”

Liang Yu nodded approvingly. Du Heng Zhi’s self-awareness was commendable.

‘This kid’s teachable,’ Liang Yu thought, feeling slightly redundant as an instructor.

“Alright, go back,” Liang Yu said. Du Heng Zhi returned to the group, and Liang Yu continued, “Anyone else?”

The remaining recruits exchanged glances, unsure if they should speak or what to say.

After about ten seconds of silence, Liang Yu said, “Alright, let me tell you what you’re missing.”

He set his notebook down and gestured for Zhang Tie Zhu to come forward. Zhang Tie Zhu understood immediately—time for a demonstration.

Zhang Tie Zhu stepped forward.

Liang Yu tightened his shoelaces and looked up, surprised to see only one recruit approaching. ‘Was my gesture unclear?’

Zhang Tie Zhu bowed and said, “Instructor, go easy on me. I still need to find a wife!”

Liang Yu rolled his eyes and called out to the other seven, “I meant all of you!”

Everyone was shocked, staring at Liang Yu in disbelief.

Seeing no one move, Liang Yu added, “What are you waiting for? Hurry up, then we’ll practice shooting!”

Zhang Tie Zhu asked, “Instructor, are you really going to take on all seven of us?”

“What else? Time’s short, so let’s do this quickly!”

Hearing this, the recruits had no more questions. They slowly joined Zhang Tie Zhu, standing shoulder to shoulder against Liang Yu.

Liang Yu cracked his neck and said, “Let’s begin!”

With that, Zhang Tie Zhu attacked first. Liang Yu dodged his tackle and kicked him in the chin.

“Brute force without technique. Watch videos and practice more!”

Next was Jian Qi, who launched a flurry of punches. Liang Yu dodged and countered with a Brazilian martial arts move, knocking him down.

“Good strength and technique, but you need more practice and real-world experience. Next!”

Du Heng Zhi and Guang Le An attacked together, but Liang Yu easily evaded their clumsy moves.

“Brute force. You need more technique.”

Then came Xiao Yang Bo and Wen Xing Chi, attacking from both sides. Liang Yu dodged, testing their teamwork.

These two were the strongest among the recruits, but a team’s strength lies in cooperation, not individual prowess.

Suddenly, Wen Xing Chi’s attack hit Xiao Yang Bo, disrupting their coordination. Liang Yu seized the opportunity, taking them down with a kick each.

“Good strength and speed, but no teamwork. Work on that.”

The last two were quickly dispatched with a few punches and kicks.

“Got it now?”

“Yes, Instructor!”

“Good. Now, let’s have lunch!”

With that, Liang Yu led the recruits back for lunch.