Chapter 32

Zhang Tie used to think he was quite smart, at least not stupid, and wouldn't easily be deceived. However, it wasn't until today that he realized he had been "very foolish and naive" all along, and only then did he understand the profundity of the ancient saying, "People die for wealth, birds die for food."

Now, he fully understood the meaning of Captain Colin's words.

High salary, good earnings, and excellent benefits—80 copper coins for an hour of being beaten up, with a hot shower before and after to avoid stinking up others. What a high salary, what considerate service...

He could interact with wealthy and influential people—those who could afford to visit the Iron Thorns Combat Hall were indeed wealthy and influential, far beyond the reach of ordinary people.

He could exercise his body during his free time—being a sparring partner and a human punching bag, if this didn't help build his body, Zhang Tie couldn't think of anything else that would.

There were plenty of beautiful women at the workplace—indeed, there were many waitresses like Mary, but what did these women have to do with him? He was so thoroughly defeated when he asked for her name that he almost became introverted. What more could he want?

Thinking about how he had blindly taken on such a part-time job, Zhang Tie felt his life darken again. Especially when he learned that his "customers" were mostly 11-12-year-old kids, he became even more depressed. Being beaten up wasn't a big deal; Zhang Tie could treat it as training at school. But being beaten by a bunch of kids was a double torment to both his body and mind—these kids came from wealthy and noble families, had received the best education from a young age, and their families had invested a lot of resources in them. They had already ignited the Divine Palace Bright Spot, and their physical attributes were on par with his, or even better. Being a human punching bag for these kids was a dead-end job.

So, after realizing this, the first thing Zhang Tie thought of was to quit and find Manager Hans. "The hell with it, I won't do this anymore. If I can't avoid trouble, can't I at least run away?"

...

"No..." Manager Hans, who had been smiling warmly, now put on a stern face. He shook the contract in his hand like a bitter woman, making the pages rustle, and almost poked Zhang Tie's forehead with his cigar. "Kid, if you quit before completing 600 hours of part-time work, you'll have to compensate us double the loss, which is 1200 hours, 80 copper coins per hour. Do the math. It's written in the contract, and you signed it. If you want to back out, bring the money. We at the Iron Thorns Combat Hall are powerful, but we don't bully people. We follow the law..."

Zhang Tie's face turned pale as he looked at the terms of the contract, unable to speak. It was just a part-time job contract, and he hadn't paid much attention when he signed it. He never expected there to be such a harsh clause. To break the contract, he would have to pay 9 gold and 60 silver coins, which he couldn't afford.

Seeing Zhang Tie's expression, Manager Hans put away the contract and softened his tone. "Kid, this job isn't as terrible as you think. You were at a disadvantage because it was your first time. You'll get smarter next time. I don't know why that bastard Colin recommended you, but as a young man, you should listen to my advice—behind every challenge you think is difficult lies an opportunity for growth. Think about this. The problem you face now is just a few kids younger than you. If you can't handle them, what do you expect to do in the future? The world is far more complex and difficult than what you've encountered today. Since it's your first day, and you didn't last a minute, I'll be generous and count it as half an hour. Go home quickly. There's a curfew in Black Flame City, and you might get into trouble if you're late..."

...

Leaving Manager Hans' office, Zhang Tie kept thinking about the words Manager Hans had said—behind every challenge you think is difficult lies an opportunity for growth. Is it really that I can't overcome such a small obstacle? Am I going to be scared off by a few kids and slink away, only to be laughed at by Mary again?

No, never! They're just a few kids. Can't I handle them?

Thinking this, Zhang Tie felt much better.

As he passed the service desk, Zhang Tie encountered Mary. Seeing him come out, Mary said something to the other beauties, and they all looked at him with disdain. Zhang Tie immediately felt that his chances of dating a waitress here were over. No woman would like a man who was looked down upon by other women. He sighed inwardly.

"I heard that someone was kicked unconscious by Young Master Gregory today and didn't last a minute. What a pathetic man!" Mary's words reignited Zhang Tie's anger.

"Mary, remember our promise in this life!" Zhang Tie gave Mary a flying kiss, then, with a reckless attitude, he did a couple of Sista's signature moves, thrusting his hips hard, making the woman's face turn white. The other women were stunned, seemingly unable to believe someone could be so audacious. Then Zhang Tie laughed and walked out of the Iron Thorns Combat Hall, passing the fountain.

Standing under the grand gates of the Iron Thorns Combat Hall, looking at the starry sky, Zhang Tie clenched his fist and shouted in his heart, "I won't give up!" Just as he shouted, his stomach growled loudly, reminding him that he hadn't had dinner. He ran home in the direction of his house...

When Zhang Tie got home, it was already 40 minutes later, just before the curfew in Black Rock City. He had just wolfed down the food his mother had left and cleaned up the dishes when his parents returned home.

"Why are you back so late tonight?" his father asked, puzzled.

"Well, your son did well at school, and the teacher introduced me to a part-time job. The salary is high, the benefits are good, and I can meet many wealthy and influential people. Plus, there are many beautiful women at the workplace!" Zhang Tie said with a beaming face.

"Really? Is it that good?" his father asked, skeptical.

"Of course, I'll go on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. I might come back a bit late, but don't worry about me, Dad and Mom!"

"Where is this part-time job?" his mother asked.

"The Iron Thorns Combat Hall. Mom, you don't know, the women there are so热情. When I went there today, a sister helped me find my way and even praised me for being ambitious. We even made a bet that I would achieve my goals!" Zhang Tie said with a sly smile.

"You, a sister praised you for being ambitious? Do you think your mom is easy to fool? I know exactly what you're worth!" his mother tapped his forehead.

"Really, Mom, I'm a little dog if I'm lying!" Zhang Tie stuck out his tongue and panted like a dog.

"Then tell me, how did the girl praise you for being ambitious?"

"She said I had lofty aspirations!" Zhang Tie said seriously.

"What lofty aspirations?"

"Like a toad lusting after a swan, heh... heh..."

Hearing this, both parents thought their son was telling a joke. Zhang Tie's father spat out the water he was drinking, and his mother, after a moment of shock, burst out laughing and slapped Zhang Tie. "You're getting more and more talkative..."

After chatting casually with his parents, Zhang Tie managed to make them believe he had found a regular part-time job at the Iron Thorns Combat Hall, which would help him see more of the world and interact more with society. Seeing Zhang Tie so happy, they didn't object. Zhang Tie thus managed to hide the fact that he was a human punching bag. If his parents knew, they would be heartbroken and wouldn't let him go, but he had to prove himself.

After washing up and yawning, Zhang Tie returned to his room but didn't go to sleep. Instead, he went to the Black Iron Castle. After a day, the basic attributes of the Black Iron Castle had changed...

The most significant change was in the spiritual energy value. As the sprouting potatoes grew taller, the spiritual energy in the space increased. The spiritual energy value, which was 1.8 two days ago, had increased to 3.7 in just one day, more than doubling.

The virtue value increased by 4, from 43 to 47. Besides the points he earned for serving his family, he got 3 points for helping classmates clean their desks early in the morning.

—On the morning of February 16, 889, the handsome and majestic lord of the castle did a good deed at school, helping classmates clean their desks, making the classroom clean and tidy, and bringing joy to a class of students, increasing the virtue value by 4.

Seeing this, Zhang Tie understood that although the classmates were sarcastic, they were actually happy when someone did a good deed for them. This deepened his understanding of the virtue value.

After checking the basic attributes of the Black Iron Castle, Zhang Tie went to his private plot. The corn hadn't sprouted yet, but the potato sprouts were already an inch long, much better than the sprouts from a few days ago. No wonder the spiritual energy value had increased so much.

Feeling better, Zhang Tie was about to walk to the small tree to check how much time was left before the first fruit matured when a dialog box suddenly appeared in front of him.

—On the evening of February 16, 889, the handsome and majestic lord of the castle was attacked at the combat hall. The attack exceeded the lord's physical limits and caused damage. The special fruit generation condition of the Manjusha Tree has been activated. Please check.

Zhang Tie was slightly stunned. After thinking for a moment, he approached the Manjusha Tree. As soon as he touched it, a line of text appeared in front of him—

—The more you are defeated, the stronger you become. As long as you face it bravely, all pain and suffering will eventually turn into sweet fruit. Your heart is as immovable as the earth, and your body is as strong as steel. The conditions for generating the Iron Body Fruit have been met. Do you want to generate it?

—Yes... No

Iron Body Fruit? Zhang Tie was stunned...