mesbooks Chapter 1: The Inch Punch Still Needs Practice
Chapter 1: The Inch Punch Still Needs Practice
The lights went out, and the computer screen went black due to inactivity.
A folding cot was propped up in the gap between the cubicles, hoping that when it tightened up, it would hear a long, sighing sound:
Uh ah—
While a midday nap has many benefits, some people simply can't fall asleep.
If you also get up at six in the morning, have breakfast near the bus stop, squeeze onto the bus for two hours, and sleep on and off along the way, you'll barely make it to your destination before eight o'clock.
The morning was chaotic. The boss was using psychological manipulation, the middle managers were adding more tasks, and my colleagues were shirking responsibility and then leisurely watching TV.
Before lunch, I'll receive a message from Dingding: "Let's meet up at lunchtime to discuss the details..." You should also:
Sleep! No!
Not only will you have trouble sleeping, but you'll also vent your frustrations in the break room, just like Wang Lang, getting more and more agitated as you go: "This is outrageous! I'm your worker grandpa!"
People were drinking coffee and heating up their meals in the break room, everything was as usual, their hearts as calm as the sea, without a single ripple.
What's wrong with Grandpa? Which grandpa isn't someone else's grandson?
Wang Lang was already used to his colleagues' indifference.
Unfortunately, he was handsome and had sharp eyes that could see through too much.
Right after leaving school, Wang Lang would stubbornly ask: Is this right? Is this fair? Is this reasonable?
It wasn't until Xiao Lai, who joined the company a year later, that he became the team leader by using the three tricks of shifting blame, taking credit, and flattering the manager.
He appears respectable in public, but neglects his duties and engages in numerous questionable actions, earning him the nickname "Lai Ge Bao" (meaning "scoundrel").
Wang Lang did struggle, and even once thought: being a toad wouldn't be so bad.
However, after only two years of work, Wang Lang has become the person he is today, all talk and no action, but in reality, he is willing but unable to do anything.
As was the usual practice, the tea room would be noisy for a while, with Wang Lang occasionally spouting some outrageous remarks before he would finally stop.
The break room was unusually quiet lately.
A voice flashed through Wang Lang's mind:
[The system has been activated after detecting the host's genuine call.]
The system will issue a reward when the host completes the act of reversing the Heavenly Ranks.
What?!
Wang Lang's eyes darted around several times before he confirmed that only he could hear the sound.
However, when Wang Lang tried to contact the system again, he received no response whatsoever.
Wang Lang tried twice more, but his mind was as quiet as a morgue.
call--
The specific task wasn't mentioned, and the reward is unknown.
They even genuinely called out, could it be some bored person playing a prank on me?
With the advancement of science, is there now a technology that can transmit sound only to a specific individual?
Wang Lang cautiously looked around again and decided that, just to be safe, he should check his phone first.
ding ding-
A schedule reminder popped up on my phone:
• Birthday team building activity from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM (all participants)
• Group discussion from 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Note: Quotation forms must be completed and uploaded to the team leader before 5:00 PM, and then submitted to the manager.
"Oh!"
People can actually laugh when they're in a state of extreme speechlessness.
No need to check anymore, Wang Lang put his phone away; he was willing to believe that the system was real.
"What could be worse than this?!"
"What if... what if it really is God giving me a chance?"
"Do him/her/it/He".
……
It was past noon, so the folding bed was put away.
The lamps lit up in a way that was neither bright nor dark, casting patches of light and shadow on people, making them look like oxen or horses—in any case, destined to work.
Looking at the afternoon's schedule, Wang Lang's eyebrows furrowed into a deep frown.
Wang Lang tapped on the desk at his workstation, starting to plan.
"How do you determine if something is considered 'reversed' or 'inverted'?"
Reporting a company for tax evasion? No evidence.
Reporting overtime without overtime pay? That's nothing new.
Slap Lai Ge Bao across the face? That would be satisfying, but...
Tsk—how do you define it?
While Wang Lang was still anxiously thinking, his colleagues in the same group had already left their workstations one after another to prepare for team building activities.
"Xiao Lang, are we going or not?"
"Brother Lang, I'm leaving now."
"Wang Lang," his voice, accompanied by a milky fragrance, came before he even arrived, "thanks to you last time, you sprayed the whole bottle, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to walk."
As she spoke, she held a tube of Yunnan Baiyao in her fair and delicate hand and handed it over.
"On the contrary... Oh, it's nothing, it's nothing, you're welcome." Wang Lang casually took it and put it in his pocket.
"Thank you."
Seeing that Wang Lang was distracted, the delicate hands had no choice but to withdraw them and leave.
Take a deep breath—exhale—Wang Lang gently shook his head:
Woman, don't slow me down the speed at which I draw my sword.
Then I fell into thought: Is it really okay to just punch him directly...?
"You white-haired scoundrel, you old thief with a gray beard, take this punch, ah!" A figure leaped over with a strange cry, throwing Bruce Lee's signature one-inch punch with abandon, completely disrupting Wang Lang's thoughts.
The visitor was none other than Bruce Lee's staunch supporter and Wang Lang's close ally—Zhu Ge.
"What are you thinking about? Let's go. Be careful, or your rascals will cause trouble again if you're late for team building."
Zhu Ge grabbed Wang Lang's arm and shoved him into the courtyard.
"What's gotten into them today? It's a birthday celebration, and everyone's attending."
Zhu Ge complained as he walked, and the company's activity area was just across the atrium.
Neither of them noticed a sinister gaze appearing in the back courtyard, fixing on them and following closely behind.
Wang Lang was also full of dissatisfaction: "That scoundrel Bao Cai is truly the worst! He held meetings until the end of the workday, and then he even demanded a price list! I..."
Suddenly, a tremendous force struck, shoving Wang Lang hard on the back, deliberately like a premeditated murder in a TV drama.
Caught off guard, Wang Lang instinctively propped himself up with one arm, nearly bumping into the wooden door of the activity area. He staggered to regain his balance, his other hand clenching so tightly that the veins bulged, and a glint of light flashed in his eyes.
"Are you in such a hurry to eat the cake?"
His forced, dry laugh carried a hint of triumph.
"Lai Ge Bao, Ni Ma."
Zhu Ge cursed under his breath, his eyes fixed on Lai Ge Bao, as he stepped forward to examine Wang Lang's arm.
Having probably grown accustomed to the angry stares, Lai Ge Bao stepped forward, grinning indifferently with his upper teeth showing:
"Is it really necessary? I'm just kidding."
"Don't blame me for not telling you, there's a team-building event later, the big boss will be meeting..."
Snapped--
A loud, cracking sound rang out as it struck Lai Ge Bao's face.
Wang Lang spread his fingers one by one, striving to maximize the damage, leaving vicious and bright red marks on Lai Ge Bao's face.
Lai Ge Bao's face flushed and burned, his head buzzed, and he didn't react for a moment.
Zhu Ge was stunned.
Wang Lang turned and "blamed" Zhu Ge:
"You touched my nerves, look what happened to Team Leader Lai."
As he spoke, Wang Lang spread his fingers and stretched them towards Lai Ge Bao's face, wanting to compare their size with Hong Yin Zi's.
hiss--
Lai Ge Bao quickly dodged, stammering, "You...you..."
Hiss—ha—
"You dare..."
"Team Leader Lai, don't misunderstand, this... um... it's that... knee-jerk reflex!"
Wang Lang gestured with his hand, intending to explain this junior high school biology knowledge. As soon as he reached out, Lai Ge Bao covered his face and took several steps back.
Seeing that everyone around him was paying attention, and not wanting to make a fool of himself, Lai Ge Bao retreated while muttering harsh words indistinctly:
"The fish and turtle thought they couldn't do anything to you, but now they've netted your Baojia watch..."
Zhu Ge nudged Wang Lang: "What did he say?"
"have no idea."
"His mouth was all slurred, he was hit pretty hard."
"You know about the one-inch punch and explosive power, right? You're a Bruce Lee fan, aren't you?" Wang Lang waved his fist.
"It seems you've learned something after all this time and effort..."
Wang Lang ignored Zhu Ge's boastful words, his attention completely drawn to the several voices flashing through his mind, and a semi-transparent system panel appeared before his eyes:
[Host detected reversing the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches - Slap]
[Severity of Reversal of Heavenly Principles: Mild]
[Rewards are being distributed...]
"Was it too mild? I used quite a bit of force."
Wang Lang glanced at Zhu Ge and shook his head: "It seems I still need to practice my inch punch."
Zhu Ge continued talking to himself, while Wang Lang went on to check the rewards.
【Skill: Heavenly Eye - Insight (Lv.1)】
[Effect: Reveals the current target's weaknesses (Consumes 100 Heavenly Spirit Points)]
[Current available attempts: 1/1 (refreshed daily)]
[Reward: 2000 Heavenly Spirit Points (First-time reward)]
Current Celestial Strength Value: 2000
"Seeing through...tsk," Wang Lang clicked his tongue, muttering to himself, "It's useless, it's more practical to just give them money directly."
……
The activity area was already decorated with colorful ribbons and playing light music. On the table were fruit platters and an excessively beautiful cake.
The administrative assistant skillfully organized the birthday celebrant to take photos, distribute gifts—old newspapers from the birthday celebrant's day—and then cut the cake.
Zhu Ge squeezed forward and grabbed two pieces.
"Hey old rascal, are you alright? You've been acting a bit strange since you hit Lai Ge Bao earlier?" He said, handing her a piece of cake.
The cake emitted a sweet, milky aroma, which seemed to trigger some memory. Wang Lang looked up and around, replying, "It's alright, have a seat."
The most important part of birthday team building is for employees to connect emotionally and share their life experiences.
"Really, my husband and I..."
"Although I just got divorced last month, I'm facing the team leader election next month, and I..."
"Ever since I gave birth..."
Bored out of his mind, Wang Lang kept checking the system notifications, as if afraid of missing out on some reward.
After confirming that nothing was missing, I couldn't resist trying out the [Eye of Heaven - Seeing Through], but it can only be used once a day, and I didn't want to waste it easily.
Zhu Ge... has already woken up twice.
"Hey old rascal, wanna order coffee?"
"It's icy." Wang Lang nodded.
……
"The influence of one's family of origin is truly..."
"I'm only now realizing that nothing is more important than health..."
"After becoming the team leader, I realized..."
……
The motivational sharing session on stage was finally coming to an end when a commotion arose behind me.
The managers, who are usually arrogant and haughty, now fawn over one person, showering him with smiles they've been saving up for the day.
"The big boss really came?" Zhu Ge also looked back.
"Did you know he was coming?"
"Lai Ge Bao mentioned it earlier, but he didn't finish the story."
Why didn't he tell us the whole story?
"This..." Zhu Ge turned his head and looked at Wang Lang with a puzzled expression for a while. "He blushed when he saw you."