The Rat of Treasure Seeking, Wuying, finally agreed to follow willingly, marking the premature completion of Zhang Yang's task. This outcome surprised Zhang Yang; it felt like being unexpectedly blessed. Before dealing with Shi Feng, he hadn't considered that Wuying's loyalty level would be affected; his initial thought was merely to teach the creature a lesson.

He hadn't expected that an unintentional effort would yield such a favorable result. Zhang Yang was quite pleased with this surprise bonus.

"Zhang, Zhang Yang, couldn't you take it a bit easier when you strike?"

Long Cheng also walked over, drinking water while constantly massaging his body. His face was etched with profound discomfort.

Zhang Yang's blows were solid, muscle against muscle. Every time he was hit, Long Cheng's muscles ached with a deep soreness, even when he was merely blocking, using his arms to ward off Zhang Yang's heavy punches.

This meant that every contact with Zhang Yang felt like absorbing a crushing blow. How could he possibly endure that? It was no wonder he gave up after five minutes and stubbornly refused to get up.

Managing to last five minutes was already quite an achievement. Those five minutes would be unforgettable for him; every part of his body now ached, was sore, and he felt as if he was about to fall apart.

"It was my fault. Next time, I'll only use half my strength!"

Zhang Yang smiled faintly. He was in an excellent mood right now. The mission was unexpectedly completed, and he had gained the powerful assistance of the Treasure Seeking Rat. Zhang Yang had a feeling his future days were going to get much better.

Long Cheng was quite speechless at Zhang Yang's words. What did he mean, "only use half my strength"? It sounded as if Long Cheng was only worth half of Zhang Yang.

However, upon reflection, Zhang Yang's statement wasn't entirely unreasonable. Given Zhang Yang's raw power, Long Cheng wasn't sure if he could even withstand half of it.

In Long Cheng's view, Zhang Yang’s strength was simply monstrous.

After a moment of thought, Long Cheng waved his hand dejectedly. "Forget it. I won't mention sparring with you again!"

Long Cheng had suffered a complete defeat. By the time they left the training center, it was nearly noon.

Su Zhantao and Yang Ling explicitly stated they would not be returning for lunch.

Wang Chen and Li Ya had disappeared to some club, telling everyone they had arrangements for lunch and not to wait for them.

Furthermore, Li Ya vaguely mentioned that Wang Chen had managed to charm another promotional model. They were currently inseparable, and Li Ya wondered if Wang Chen would break his vow tonight.

This made Zhang Yang shake his head slightly. If Wang Chen actually broke his promise, even Zhang Yang’s medical skills would be useless to him. Those who ignored medical advice would eventually pay a heavy price.

Since the others weren't coming, the three remaining men had to eat together. For three grown men, they weren't overly picky.

Finally, the three randomly chose a restaurant that looked decent, ordered a few simple specialties, and asked for three bottles of Baijiu.

Since Long Cheng couldn't compete with Zhang Yang in strength, he decided to challenge him to a drinking contest to regain some face. Most of the three bottles were consumed by him and Zhang Yang. In terms of pure capacity, Zhang Yang could easily handle over a pound of liquor, and by mobilizing his inner energy, or giving himself a few strategic needles, he could handle double that amount—equivalent to over three pounds.

The final result was another tragedy for Long Cheng.

After finishing three bottles, he ordered two more. Before finishing the second one, he crashed completely. His personal limit was about a pound and a half. Anything more was too much, and this time he had consumed over two pounds, far exceeding his usual intake.

Zhang Yang was also tipsy, but significantly better off. Supported by his internal energy, Zhang Yang managed to remain conscious, avoiding the fate of crawling under the table.

In the end, Huang Hai had to support one while helping the other into the car. Zhang Yang was relatively fine, but Long Cheng was a large man. It took assistance from the waiter just to get Long Cheng into the vehicle. Looking at Long Cheng's state, Zhang Yang almost drove him directly to the hospital.

Finally, Zhang Yang said it wasn't necessary, which is why he didn't take Long Cheng in for IV fluids.

Long Cheng’s constitution was quite good, as expected of a martial artist. Getting drunk wouldn't harm him permanently; he could endure it. Afterward, Zhang Yang would just give him a few needles, and he would be full of life again upon waking.

Back in the room, Zhang Yang released both Lightning and Wuying, then immediately sat down to meditate. He needed to first dispel the alcohol, and second, restore his state, as he still needed to apply acupuncture to Wu Yan that evening.

This was the third consecutive day. After today, with two more days, Wu Yan's body would be sufficiently regulated to safely take the Immortal Fruit Pill.

As for how effective the pill would be after she consumed it, that depended on her own fortune. Even Zhang Yang couldn't precisely calculate the full impact of the spiritual medicine; he could only estimate roughly.

Long Cheng didn't wake up until the next morning. Everyone else had already returned, and they all had breakfast together.

Zhang Yang fed Lightning and Wuying before heading down.

They couldn't let the others see how Lightning ate. If they did, they probably wouldn't dare remain as close to the creature as before; a pet that swallowed snakes whole, no matter how cute, would instill fear.

"Zhang Yang, did you really make Brother Cheng beg for mercy yesterday?"

As soon as Zhang Yang walked in and before he even sat down, Li Ya urgently asked.

Long Cheng, sitting right next to him, froze upon hearing the question, then immediately tapped Li Ya’s head. "Kid, can you phrase things better? What do you mean, 'beg for mercy'? I meant I was giving up, giving up—do you understand?"

Li Ya rubbed his head sheepishly, grimacing. "Yes, yes, Brother Cheng, you 'gave up,' not 'begged for mercy'!"

His words caused everyone nearby to burst into loud laughter, and eventually, Long Cheng himself grew embarrassed.

"Alright, alright, begging for mercy it is. None of you understand; Zhang Yang is a little monster, possessing innate monstrous strength. Unless you've experienced his power, you can't grasp it!"

Long Cheng waved his hands emphatically, a look of frustration creeping into his expression as he spoke.

He lost the sparring match, and he lost the drinking contest. Long Cheng suddenly realized there were very few things he could best Zhang Yang at. His remaining specialty was car racing, but they usually raced against outsiders, rarely against each other.

"Let's eat first; I’m starving," Su Zhantao suddenly interjected. Zhang Yang noticed that this guy had a very bright smile, looking quite happy.

He wondered how things were developing between him and Yang Ling. But since Yang Ling worked in the commercial world, surviving for so many years while maintaining her self-respect suggested she was quite principled and a good person.

"Eat, eat!" Long Cheng immediately responded. Su Zhantao had managed to defuse the awkwardness, and the group finally began their meal. After breakfast, they all had separate activities planned for the day.

"Zhang Yang, where are you planning to go today?" Huang Hai suddenly asked Zhang Yang after they finished eating. It was free activity time. Long Cheng planned to visit Old Man Wang's repair shop again to check on the modifications to his car; yesterday's interruption by Shi Feng had ruined his mood.

However, Huang Hai didn't plan to go there. He wanted to visit a different location today.

Zhang Yang replied, "I don't know. Anywhere is fine. If nothing pressing comes up, I plan to wander around randomly."

Huang Hai smiled. "If you have nothing to do, accompany me somewhere. Since the others aren't going, it won't be too boring if I'm alone."

"Sure, no problem!"

After a moment of consideration, Zhang Yang nodded immediately. He had no plans to begin with, and if there was nothing else, going with Huang Hai was fine.

Wang Chen and Li Ya had headed to the auto show center again. These two guys were clearly there to see people, not cars.

Both had managed to hook up with promotional models yesterday. Li Ya was doing alright; his constitution wasn't as fragile. Playing around was fine, but if Wang Chen kept this up, his health would eventually suffer.

When Zhang Yang treated him the day before yesterday, Wang Chen had solemnly vowed to abstain for three months. It hadn't taken long for him to relapse. The self-control of young men was truly low.

If Wang Chen wouldn't listen to him, Zhang Yang couldn't do anything about it. When the young man finally learned his lesson the hard way, he would regret it, and the suffering he endured would only be greater then.

As for Su Zhantao and Yang Ling, they bolted even faster than the others. Before anyone else had even stepped out the door, they had vanished, prompting the others to shake their heads and curse them for prioritizing romance over friendship.

"Brother Hai, this is where you wanted to come?"

Zhang Yang followed Huang Hai to the location, his eyes widening in surprise. He hadn't expected Huang Hai to bring him to the antique street.

In '98, collecting wasn't as wildly popular as it would be later, but the trend was beginning to surface. "Gold in turbulent times, antiques in prosperous times"—this was the dawn of prosperity, and the number of people interested in collecting and playing with antiques was growing.

"Not here, it's behind this. I don't understand antiques; the few we have at home are just for display. We're going to the back." Huang Hai took his bag out of the car, shaking his head as he spoke.

"Behind?" Zhang Yang paused slightly but said nothing.

If it wasn't here, so be it. But he might come back later if he had time, to see if he could unearth any good items.

Zhang Yang had a vague memory of this place from his past life. It was popular back then, but later demolished, with most shops relocating to the Antique City to set up in one centralized location. Afterward, this area declined, eventually becoming another commercial center, though occasionally a few independent vendors would set up stalls, usually selling fakes, and not many of them.

"Let's go!" Huang Hai picked up his bag—a large black duffel bag that felt somewhat weighty.

Leaving the car parked outside, Huang Hai led Zhang Yang toward the back. The street of the antique market was very narrow and couldn't accommodate vehicles; cement bollards blocked entry there anyway.

This antique street wasn't very long. Passing through it led to a T-junction. Huang Hai guided Zhang Yang onto the adjacent street.

There were fewer people here than on the main antique street. These were also various shops. Zhang Yang observed that this area mainly dealt in jade artifacts and antique jade. Typically, antique shops were situated alongside jade shops, dealing in both.

After walking a short distance, Huang Hai entered a somewhat larger establishment.

Before going in, Zhang Yang noticed the sign: Ya Yu Zhai (Elegant Jade Studio). The name alone suggested this place specialized in the jade business.

"Boss Lu, long time no see!"

Inside, a man in his forties stood up immediately, along with six or seven male and female attendants. Upon seeing Huang Hai, the man greeted him with surprise and delight.

"Boss Lu, you know as well as I do that I come here around this time every year!"

Huang Hai laughed heartily, and the man walked over to shake Huang Hai's hand. Zhang Yang, holding Lightning, turned back to examine the shop's interior.

…………………………