Chapter 34 – The Crying Woman

Basic professional skill.

Advanced leg techniques.

Lu Yuan’s eyes showed a hint of surprise.

He didn’t expect that after his basic leg techniques reached Level 5, they would max out, and he would unlock the more advanced leg techniques in the process.

However, it also seemed somewhat inevitable.

The more he studied the middle-aged man’s leg techniques, the more he realized that many parts of this sharp leg skill had already transcended basic leg techniques.

Describing it with the word “advanced” couldn’t be more fitting.

Lu Yuan glanced at his professional panel again and found another pleasant surprise.

“When did I get an additional attribute point?”

In the section for available attribute points, the original 0 had somehow turned into 1.

“Is it a reward for maxing out the basic leg techniques?”

Most likely.

For a moment, Lu Yuan had the impulse to use the one skill point he had been saving to upgrade one of the other three Level 4 basic skills to Level 5.

He resisted the urge.

“I’ll keep pushing myself. I’ll use them only if I really need to.”

If it weren’t for the quite impressive effect of the core skill [Imaginary Enemy] so far, Lu Yuan might have regretted spending 1 skill point on upgrading basic grappling.

Lu Yuan hadn’t yet decided where to allocate that attribute point.

After taking a shower and changing clothes in the changing room, he concluded his intense self-training for the day.

As he stepped out of the martial arts gym, the sweat-drenched training maniac was gone, and Lu Yuan reverted to his usual quiet and handsome self.

At five o’clock in July, the sun was still blazing outside.

Lu Yuan had arranged to meet Lin Zhiqin at six, so he needed to head back early.

With a half-hour bus ride, he probably wouldn’t make it home in time for dinner.

So, Lu Yuan had two bowls of beef noodles and three large pancakes at the noodle restaurant next to the martial arts gym.

This beef noodle place added a lot of chili to the soup. Although it tasted good, it was quite spicy for Lu Yuan.

The restaurant didn’t have air conditioning, just an old fan creaking and turning its head.

Sweating profusely as he ate, Lu Yuan asked for a bottle of ice water when he paid the bill and drank it as he walked out of the noodle restaurant.

Lu Yuan was standing at the bus stop across from the Yuan Martial Arts Gym, waiting for his bus. It was already 5:20 PM, and the next bus wouldn’t arrive for another fifteen minutes.

He was debating whether to call Lin Zhiqin to ask him to come pick him up or to let him know he might be a bit late.

Just then, Lu Yuan saw a familiar figure stepping out of the gym’s entranceit was Lin Zhiqin.

Feeling a surge of relief, Lu Yuan thought to himself that he wouldn’t have to wait for the bus and wouldn’t be late either.

He crossed the street and headed toward Lin Zhiqin.

At that moment, a figure rushed past him and headed straight for Lin Zhiqin.

“Coach Lin, Coach Lin!”

It was a middle-aged woman in her fifties, wearing a faded yellow short-sleeve shirt, black pants, and sandals.

She had a small shoulder bag and wore a black UV-protection sun hat.

She hurried up to Lin Zhiqin and blocked his path.

“Have you heard anything about my son Chen Yang in the past couple of days?”

Lin Zhiqin seemed to pause for a moment before shaking his head.

“No, Chen Yang hasn’t contacted me.”

“Coach Lin, please help me find Chen Yang. It’s been nearly a month, and there’s been no news at all.”

The woman clutched Lin Zhiqin’s arm, pleading desperately.

“I understand how you feel. I’m looking for Chen Yang too. But when someone goes missing, there’s not much anyone can do. I’ve already spoken to my friend at the city police station who is in charge of the case. As soon as there’s any news, I’ll notify you immediately.”

Lin Zhiqin patiently reassured her.

“Coach Lin, do you think Chen Yang might have been kidnapped? Every day and night, I dream about my son Chen Yang. In my dreams, he’s locked in a dark, tiny room, covered in blood, crying and saying, ‘Mom, I’m in pain, save me.'”

“Coach Lin, please help me look for him again. I remember what that little room looks like. I’ll take you there, and we can search together.”

Seeing the woman becoming increasingly frantic, Lin Zhiqin seemed to lose his patience.

He pulled his arm away from her grip, apologized, and quickly walked away.

The woman took a few steps after him, then stopped and covered her face, crying.

Lu Yuan witnessed the entire scene.

Lu Yuan quietly watched the woman cry for a while before wiping her tears. With red eyes, she walked away and rode off on a red electric scooter.

She probably wasn’t here for the first time.

Lu Yuan thought as he followed in the direction Lin Zhiqin had gone.

In the parking lot next to the martial arts gym, Lu Yuan found Lin Zhiqin sitting in a black car, smoking.

Lin Zhiqin was staring fixedly at the rearview mirror on the driver’s side, as if looking at something or deep in thought.

Lu Yuan walked over.

When he was about ten meters away from the car, Lin Zhiqin suddenly turned his head.

“It’s you?”

Seeing that it was Lu Yuan, Lin Zhiqin’s expression immediately relaxed.

He casually closed the overhead rearview mirror and forced a smile.

“How did you find the gym? Didn’t we agree that I would pick you up?”

“I was training at the gym today, and I happened to see you when I came out.”

Lu Yuan replied.

Lin Zhiqin nodded and then gestured for Lu Yuan to get in the car. “Alright, then. Get in the car. I’ll take you to dinner first.”

“I’ve already eaten.”

Lu Yuan opened the passenger door and got in.

Lin Zhiqin took out his phone, checked the time, and after thinking for a moment, said, “Then let’s go straight there. We should arrive just in time.”

“Aren’t you going to eat, Coach?”

“No need.”

Lin Zhiqin started the car, and it slowly drove out of the parking lot.

As they passed the entrance of the martial arts gym, Lu Yuan couldn’t help but glance at the spot where Lin Zhiqin and the woman had been talking earlier. He asked, “Coach, who was that woman just now?”

“You saw that?”

Lin Zhiqin gave Lu Yuan a glance, his expression becoming slightly complicated.

“There’s no point in hiding it from you. That woman is the mother of Yang Jiandong’s former student. That student went missing a month and a half ago during a night run and never came back. Because he disappeared, I later approached Yang Jiandong and then you.”

“Missing?!”

Lu Yuan was particularly sensitive to those words and instantly blurted out, “Is it that high-profile missing persons case that’s been in the news these past two months?”

“Yes.”

Lin Zhiqin nodded slightly.

“It’s probably related to that case.”

“Is it really that difficult to solve? No leads at all?”

Lu Yuan couldn’t help but be curious.

He had just heard Lin Zhiqin mention that he had a friend at the police station.

After thinking for a moment, Lin Zhiqin replied, “It should be broken soon. It’s been two months, so it must have caught the attention of higher-ups. Once they send people down, it should be solved in a few days.”

The way Lin Zhiqin said this was strange. It was as if he knew something and was very confident that once the “higher-ups” he mentioned arrived, all problems would be easily resolved.

Lu Yuan’s curiosity wasn’t entirely satisfied, and he wanted to ask more questions.

But sensing that Lin Zhiqin seemed unwilling to continue discussing the topic, Lu Yuan suppressed his curiosity and sat quietly in the passenger seat, saying no more.