Chapter 55: Everyone Present Is Rubbish
Gu Changqing could feel that just one punch had already consumed about a fifth of the spiritual energy within his body, and the power was indeed somewhat terrifying. Even if he were up against a fourth-level Awakened with enhanced physical strength, he was confident he could hold his own. After all, he had once fought such an opponent—the Golden Tiger, who met his end beneath the Blood Prison.
“This fist technique really suits me!” A smile played on Gu Changqing’s lips, a dangerous glint flickering in his eyes. He had no idea how quickly others learned this technique, but he himself had picked up the Eight Desolations Fist with remarkable speed. Its intent perfectly matched his nature—it felt as if it had been crafted just for him.
Still, he sensed that the punch was only in its embryonic stage, not yet displaying its true potential.
As the dust settled, Luo Xiu could finally make out the tall figure standing in the courtyard. Her expression shifted: “It’s you!”
Gu Changqing looked up and saw those long legs—he was even more surprised than Luo Xiu.
Had he really bought a villa next door to a soldier? What rotten luck.
He relaxed, raising an eyebrow with a half-smile. “Hey, Long Legs, you soldiers can afford villas here?”
“That’s what I should be asking you!” Luo Xiu replied, frowning.
“Our welfare at Chongming is good. Want to switch over?” Gu Changqing grinned.
Luo Xiu couldn’t be bothered to respond.
Gu Changqing scoffed, muttering under his breath, “What damn bad luck.”
He turned and swaggered inside to call the property management.
Luo Xiu watched Gu Changqing reenter his house from the rooftop, eyes full of suspicion. She cared less about the ruined courtyard and more about the overwhelming ferocity Gu Changqing had displayed in the dust moments ago.
Something was off about this man.
The information Secretary Bai had just uploaded was definitely inaccurate. She had never felt such pressure or menace from any other Awakened at her level.
Moreover, he had only been a low-ranking police officer before joining Chongming—how was he living here?
She considered testing Gu Changqing’s strength to understand why she’d felt that way, but since this was her own home, she hesitated and gave up for now. There would be other opportunities.
...
The property manager and security arrived quickly, given the commotion. Even if Gu Changqing hadn’t called, they would have showed up.
“I think there’s something wrong with your construction quality here…” Gu Changqing lounged on the sofa, legs crossed. “It’s my first damn day and the wall collapses.”
“What, is this your way of intimidating me?”
The property manager explained, “Mr. Gu, from our inspection, it appears the wall was smashed!”
They hadn’t just checked the area; they’d also questioned Luo Xiu nearby, since one of her walls had collapsed as well.
The scene looked almost as if it had been blasted apart, especially Luo Xiu’s courtyard, which was riddled with holes.
“You mean I smashed this wall with one punch and brought down the other one too?” Gu Changqing smiled as he asked.
“I didn’t say that, Mr. Gu…” The manager exhaled softly—Gu had basically admitted it himself.
If not for the lack of explosive residue, they’d suspect a bomb was involved. This wasn’t something human strength could accomplish. But the existence of Awakened was no longer a secret.
“So you really think I leveled both courtyards with a single punch? You have some nerve!” Gu Changqing’s eyes crinkled with amusement.
Looking at the imposing man before him, the manager couldn’t help but feel that Gu Changqing might actually have a point.
...
“Mr. Gu, it seems we’ve made some kind of mistake!” Sweat broke out on the manager’s forehead as he realized his error.
“You have one day to rebuild the wall,” Gu Changqing waved them off.
He’d only bought the villa half a day ago, and the wall was already gone. Unfortunately, he had no better options for now—Jiangjing Courtyard was in an excellent location, right in the heart of Angang and conveniently close to Chongming headquarters.
“Looks like I should find a chance to persuade the owners of the eleven riverside mansions to sell. They’re much larger and more suitable,” he mused. But there was no rush.
...
Over the next few days, strange phenomena still appeared sporadically in Angang, though less frequently. Everyone else was busy training, and Gao Wenxin hadn’t assigned any new missions.
With nothing to do, Gu Changqing devoted his time to the Eight Desolations Fist. His technique remained in its infancy; though powerful, it still felt off.
After two days, he figured out why: The ethos of the Eight Desolations Fist—supreme dominance—was forged in countless battles, each punch reinforcing that belief and intent. While he considered himself second to none, he lacked the battle-hardened conviction the technique demanded.
The solution was simple: fight, over and over, until no one dared to stand before him. That was how the fist would be perfected.
As for who to fight, that hardly mattered.
He called Qiao Renxia over to help him register a forum account.
“Captain, what username do you want?” Qiao Renxia asked.
“Angang Blade Maiden,” Gu Changqing replied.
“Captain, the minister’s on the forum too…” Qiao Renxia hurried to stop him.
Gu Changqing reconsidered; that name was a bit disrespectful. He’d pick something more polite.
“How about ‘Everyone Here Is Trash’?”
“What?” Qiao Renxia was taken aback.
“The username! Xiao Qiao, I always thought you were the clever one,” Gu Changqing said.
Qiao Renxia’s scalp tingled. If the captain went on the forum with that name and his personality, trouble was sure to follow.
Thinking quickly, she said, “Captain, there’s a limit—two to eight characters only.”
“So complicated… Fine, ‘Nothing Personal Against You All!’ That’s it!” Gu Changqing waved his hand.
“In the profile note, write: ‘What I mean is, everyone here is trash!’”
Seeing his certainty, Qiao Renxia had no choice but to register the account for him.
“And get me one on the Age of Awakening forum too,” he added.
Once the accounts were set up, Gu Changqing dismissed her and began stirring up trouble online.
Nanshan: “A few days ago I met Ning Ze in Yong’an and went on a mission with his team. It was eye-opening. I think Ning Ze is the strongest below level five.”
Nothing Personal Against You All: “Really? I don’t buy it!”
Gu Changqing had no idea who Ning Ze was, but among third- and fourth-level Awakened, none could match him.
Nanshan: “Don’t believe me? Go fight Ning Ze yourself! I’m a fourth-level too, and I admit I’m strong, but he’s on another level.”
Nothing Personal Against You All: “Trash! Why are you kissing up to him? You should be kissing up to me.”
On the other end, a young man kicked a chair over in fury: “Who the hell is this bastard calling me trash? Wants me to kiss up to him? Who the hell does he think he is?”
Nanshan immediately opened the other user’s profile.
Nothing Personal Against You All, note: What I mean is, everyone here is trash!
Nanshan froze, then fumed, his hair practically standing on end. “What branch is this? Where did such an arrogant newcomer come from?”
“Where are you? I’ll show you who the real trash is!” Nanshan’s fingers flew across the keyboard.
“Angang. Come find me. If you don’t, you’re my grandson!” Gu Changqing replied with a grin.
After leaving Gu Changqing’s office, Qiao Renxia anxiously watched the forum. It wasn’t long before she saw Gu Changqing openly provoking others—her scalp tingled at his audacity.
“Captain’s really going overboard this time…”
“What’s up?” Tan Li and Zhuo Zhipeng leaned over. “What’s the captain doing?”
“Look!” Qiao Renxia stepped aside so they could see.
“That’s the captain?” The two felt chills as well. They’d always known he was fierce, but not this ferocious.
Under Gu Changqing’s reply to Nanshan, plenty of users were astonished: “Who is this? So arrogant?”
Zhou Cheng: “Angang Branch is new. Only Captain Gao counts as an expert, right?”
Snowy Nougat: “Is this Captain Gao?”
Zhou Cheng: “Impossible. That’s not his username. Must be a newcomer!”
Mingxue: “Nothing Personal Against You All… Damn, so arrogant, I want to go beat him up myself!”
Nothing Personal Against You All: “Come on, let me see if your talking skills are as good as they say! Or are you only brave behind a screen?”
In another city, a young woman smashed her keyboard, got up in a fury, and stormed out.
“Mingxue, are you really going to fight him?” another young man laughed as he stood.
“Don’t stop me! I’m asking the captain for leave to head to Angang right now!”
“I’ve got nothing better to do either. I’ll come along and see for myself!” He didn’t try to stop her, just followed with a smile.
“I’m curious, too—when did Yongzhou get such an arrogant newcomer?”
...
Meanwhile, in the rec room at Angang’s Guard Headquarters, Luo Xiu and Sang Yeye were playing a board game.
“Gu Changqing? That guy from Chongming? He lives next door? How can a former beat cop afford that? Must’ve stolen it somehow!” Sang Yeye exclaimed, looking at Luo Xiu in surprise.
Sang Yeye—the girl in a tank top and headphones—was a fourth-level Awakened specializing in psychic attacks. She sneered, “Talk about a narrow world! Secretary Bai got the worst of it when she went to pick up that fire user from him. He’s both arrogant and obnoxious. I’ve been wanting to teach him a lesson, just haven’t run into him lately!”
Luo Xiu immediately knew what Sang Yeye was plotting and cautioned, “He’s… odd. That night, he gave me the creeps.”
She wasn’t fond of Gu Changqing either, not after what happened with Secretary Bai.
“All the more reason not to let him stay! Who knows what he’ll do if he loses it one day?” Sang Yeye smirked.
“I want to see just how tough he really is. Secretary Bai isn’t a fighter—she got careless. We have to get payback.”
She didn’t plan to confront him herself—Angang’s Guards had over a dozen members, after all. The only issue was finding the right place for a fight. Jiangjing Courtyard was surrounded by busy districts, and inside the complex, Luo Xiu’s house was right next to his. Any stray attack could destroy her home.
(End of Chapter)