The aftereffects are quite intense!

“Another critical hit again!”

“Pillar training—a combination of aerobic and anaerobic exercise?”

“With the right breathing rhythm, the effect is very similar to the [Horse Stance] prompt before.”

“But wait, that strange sensation just now... why does it feel so familiar?”

Chen Jue stared at the string of prompts popping up on his panel, stunned at first, then quickly recalling the marvelous rush brought on by combining the [Cuo Gudao] point with standing in the pillar stance.

He was intimately familiar with that surge of heat—every time he added points to his [Constitution] attribute, it would start in his chest and spread throughout his whole body.

After experiencing it so many times, Chen Jue had almost grown used to it.

But he hadn’t expected that this time, without even adding points and relying solely on physical practice, he could trigger this bodily transformation. This was truly beyond his expectations.

“Pillar training, what’s the principle behind it?”

“If it can improve physical constitution so much, why do so few people practice it these days?” Chen Jue wondered inwardly.

At that moment, Zhao Jianguo, who had been correcting mistakes nearby, also noticed the goosebumps rising on the backs of Chen Jue’s hands and his neck.

He even saw the fine, translucent, white hairs on Chen Jue’s face standing on end, and was completely dumbfounded!

“He… he’s achieved it!”

“How is that possible?”

“It took me over half a year of practice just to barely get started. How did this kid learn so quickly?” Zhao Jianguo’s mouth formed an O, his mind reeling as he recalled his own youthful days of diligent practice under his master on Wudang Mountain.

Back then, he trained with over a dozen fellow disciples. Only a handful of the truly gifted grasped the knack in four or five months; most, like himself, needed more than half a year to master the essence of pillar training.

Thinking of this, Zhao Jianguo realized that the young man before him couldn’t simply be called a genius—he was like one of those prodigies you hear about online!

A true monster!

“Mr. Zhao, am I doing something wrong?” Sensing the unusual looks, Chen Jue paused to ask.

“No, you’re doing it perfectly!” Zhao Jianguo shook his head, a trace of envy in his eyes, then spoke earnestly: “Chen, you must remember that feeling when your goosebumps rise. That’s the key to pillar training. When you can freely control that reaction, you’ll be considered a true disciple!”

With that, Zhao Jianguo demonstrated.

He tensed the back of his hand, and the goosebumps instantly rose; under his deliberate control, the normally invisible hairs stood upright, as if miniature flags were being raised.

“Amazing!”

“Mr. Zhao, is this the internal energy you develop through Tai Chi?” Chen Jue’s eyes widened, as if he had discovered some new amusement.

“This isn’t internal energy, just a method of cultivating breath,” Zhao Jianguo explained in terms a young person could understand. “More practice increases control over the body, locks in moisture, keeps your energy up, and helps ward off wind and cold, which can contribute to longevity.”

“Just breath cultivation? Not internal energy?” Chen Jue’s heart stirred, though he wasn’t disappointed.

On the contrary, after experiencing that attribute-boosting comfort through pillar training, he felt his thousand-yuan tuition was truly worthwhile.

If he could trigger that attribute surge every morning, wouldn’t his physical condition shoot through the roof?

As for the technical terms like moisture retention and warding off wind, Chen Jue made a mental note to look them up during downtime, hoping to better understand the principles.

...

He practiced pillar training for another half hour, but this time didn’t trigger another attribute surge—only earning 0.01 free attribute points.

Chen Jue also noticed that not every attempt at pillar training made his entire body break out in goosebumps.

It happened only occasionally when he combined it with the [Cuo Gudao] pelvic lift movement.

The frequency was low, but the effect was significant!

Because at those moments, the proficiency in [Tai Chi Thirteen Pillars] would jump by ten or twenty points at a time—far better than simply standing.

However, Chen Jue found that the more he practiced, the faster he became fatigued—even more so than climbing stairs.

After forty minutes, he felt completely drained, his body hollow and his head spinning.

When he asked Zhao Jianguo, the answer was that his technique was still lacking, causing excessive energy expenditure, and coupled with letting in wind and cold.

Ordinary people who hit the gym, break a sweat, and then expose themselves to wind experience much the same.

It’s best to drink hot water to sweat it out, take a hot shower once your body cools down, and wear proper clothing afterward to avoid catching a chill.

As for how to nourish energy, Zhao Jianguo was vague, saying it depended on diet, rest, and individual constitution, and suggested buying some supplements to try.

Sensing Zhao Jianguo’s evasiveness, Chen Jue guessed he had asked about a closely guarded secret of the school.

After all, he’d only paid a thousand yuan—asking for trade secrets was inappropriate.

They weren’t obliged to teach him unless he was willing to become a full disciple of the Dragon Gate branch of the Quanzhen Sect.

...

Leaving the park, Chen Jue felt light-headed and uneasy.

He found a breakfast shop, drank a cup of hot soy milk, and ate two eggs and meat buns.

With his stomach full, the dizziness and anxiety gradually subsided.

“Earned a total of 0.04 attribute points this morning—pillar training really is magical!”

“But the aftereffects are rough. Do I really need supplements?” Chen Jue pondered Zhao Jianguo’s advice.

He showered, changed, and rested until 8:40.

When it was nearly time, he deliberately took his cod liver oil, then drove to Hengtong Group.

He clocked in right on time, not late.

But since he was still exhausted from the morning practice, Chen Jue decided not to climb the stairs today and took it easy.

He squeezed into the elevator to the seventeenth floor, sprawled at his workstation, and, imitating the chubby colleague nearby, took a morning nap.

There was nothing to do all week anyway, so no one cared if he slept. It was the perfect chance to rest and recover his energy.

Around eleven, Shen Shikun gently tapped his aluminum cubicle divider, kindly reminding him, “Jue, the bosses are here!”

Chen Jue opened his eyes. After a two-hour nap, he felt refreshed, with much of his fatigue gone.

He looked down the aisle and saw Director Luo from Risk Control personally leading a group of people on a tour.

“Why them?” Chen Jue was a bit surprised, recognizing several familiar faces among the group.

Along with the ambitious Zhou Yong from Taisheng Finance, his own junior apprentice Jiang Lin was also among them.

Seeing them peering around like spies, Chen Jue quickly guessed they must have landed an outsourcing contract with Hengtong.

Outsourcing meant financial companies would delegate some of their business to interested agents.

A giant like Hengtong couldn’t handle everything themselves, and to expand their business and capital, they had to bring in channel partners.

Ambitious types like Zhou Yong, after leaving Taisheng to start anew, naturally saw Hengtong’s potential and wanted to latch onto this big client.

But in this vast risk control department, with its entire floor of cubicles, Zhou Yong’s expression turned complex the moment he spotted his old adversary.

“What’s this punk doing here?”

“With a degree like his, how did he get into Hengtong?” Zhou Yong’s face darkened, growing suspicious.

Jiang Lin, clearly lured to Zhou Yong’s new company, spotted his old mentor during the tour and eagerly slipped over during a break: “Jue! You got an offer from Hengtong?”

“Incredible! No wonder you’re my teacher!” Jiang Lin was full of envy.

As a leading company, Jiang Lin knew well about Hengtong’s high salaries.

He’d thought following Zhou Yong to start anew would one day let him surpass Chen Jue, so after leaving Taisheng he hadn’t kept in touch.

Who’d have guessed that in just over ten days their fortunes would reverse, his former mentor now working for a major corporation and becoming someone to look up to again—Jiang Lin couldn’t help but feel a pang of bitterness.

“I just started, still getting used to things.”

“How about you? Are you adjusting to working with Zhou Yong?” Chen Jue smiled, noticing his once-naive apprentice had grown more worldly after the experience of switching jobs.

Indeed, the harsh world of money is the best school for growth.

“It’s okay, I guess. The conditions aren’t as good as Taisheng, but with fewer people, there are more opportunities.” Jiang Lin shrugged and chatted a bit about work.

...

The group toured for about half an hour, then left en masse for lunch with Director Luo.

That’s the finance industry—always finding an excuse to drink tea and eat for free.

As long as you have the nerve, you can eat and drink your way to a potbelly.

But to Chen Jue’s surprise, not long after they left, he received a private message from Jiang Lin on WeChat.

Zhou Yong wanted to invite him out for drinks that evening, to build rapport and discuss business.

Chen Jue couldn’t help but chuckle, “Rapport? This is just a bribe for a backdoor, isn’t it?”

As the gatekeepers of financial risk, the risk control department’s job was to keep high-risk clients out.

Zhou Yong had just taken over Hengtong’s auto loan outsource business, and all the files would pass to Chen Jue’s fifth team for review.

Whether the loans were approved or not was up to people like Chen Jue.

Even though the customer assignments were random, any position where someone made the final call had plenty of room for manipulation.

A little trickery with the submitted documents, a bribe to the back-end reviewer, and even the worst clients could get approved.

Most financial firms—even big banks—had similar kickback schemes, and plenty of risk officers couldn’t resist the temptation.

Chen Jue needed money, but he knew better than to take such dirty money—it would burn his hands!

If Hengtong found out, he could be charged with embezzlement and end up in jail.

Besides, after threatening Zhou Yong with that pen last time, who knew what the man was plotting? Without hesitation, Chen Jue replied, “I’m busy tonight, maybe another time,” and declined Jiang Lin’s invitation.

Of course, he was telling the truth.

He needed to spend his evenings practicing, grinding proficiency and attributes—who had time to eat with a schemer like Zhou Yong?

Meanwhile, in a private dining room in the company cafeteria, as Zhou Yong toasted the Hengtong directors, Jiang Lin quietly reminded him, “Boss Zhou, Jue isn’t coming tonight. He said he’s busy.”

At this, Zhou Yong’s face instantly darkened, cursing inwardly, “That brat! Does he really think he’s untouchable now that he’s in Hengtong?”

“I—”

But as soon as he tried to think up a threat, the memory of that pen stabbing through the sofa flashed in his mind like a shadow, making him shiver.

Thinking further that all his new business would have to pass through Chen Jue’s hands, Zhou Yong’s appetite vanished—all his lunchtime cheer drained away.

“That brat… he’s really something else!”