Who dares to go up

After acquiring the basic combat skills, Su Yang's physique increased to 85 points.

His physical functions also improved significantly in ways he couldn’t even perceive.

The average person’s physique usually hovers around 70, with 100 being the absolute peak—though that’s an ideal state.

Even the world’s top athletes couldn’t reach that number; getting close to 90 was practically the ceiling.

But after obtaining the system, Su Yang’s physique was no longer bound by ordinary standards—his potential had no upper limit.

However, Su Yang wasn’t yet aware of this.

He quickly rushed toward the man in black, who appeared much thinner and shorter than him.

Even without the basic combat skills, Su Yang was confident he could easily overpower the guy.

In the blink of an eye, before the man could reach the door, Su Yang had already caught up.

He reached out and grabbed the man’s back.

The man was yanked to a sudden stop, his face twisting in shock.

He turned his head and roared, "Get off me!!" After shouting, he clutched the four or five bags in his arms and desperately tried to bolt for the exit again.

Su Yang smirked and yanked hard, sending the man sprawling onto the floor.

Without hesitation, he dropped to his knees, pinning the man’s abdomen with one leg while pressing his head down with one hand and prying the bags loose with the other.

As soon as his grip loosened, the bags tumbled to the ground.

"Bold enough to rob in broad daylight, huh?" Su Yang barked.

The man struggled violently, but Su Yang was bigger, heavier, and far stronger—there was no contest.

The man clenched his fists and swung at Su Yang’s face, but Su Yang tilted his head and dodged effortlessly.

"You got guts? Let me go, and I’ll fight you one-on-one!"

Su Yang chuckled. This was the perfect chance to test his new combat skills.

"Sure," he said, releasing his grip and letting the man stand.

Freed from the restraint, the man scrambled to his feet.

He glared at Su Yang and bellowed, "I’ll kill you!"

The moment the words left his mouth, he launched a flying kick at Su Yang’s stomach.

Su Yang sidestepped and drove his right fist straight into the man’s face.

Bright red blood instantly gushed from the man’s nose.

With a howl, the man staggered back, clutching his nose.

"Come on, I’ll even give you a handicap," Su Yang taunted, tucking his left hand behind his back and gesturing with his right for the man to attack again.

The man swallowed hard, steeled himself, and charged once more.

This time, he grabbed a nearby chair and swung it at Su Yang’s head.

Su Yang’s expression turned serious—he hadn’t been in many fights, and his lack of experience made him cautious. If that chair connected, he wasn’t sure how well his enhanced physique would hold up.

As the chair arced toward his skull, the nearby salesclerks and Lu Yun screamed in unison.

"Su Yang, watch out!" Lu Yun shouted from a distance, her voice tense.

Before the chair could smash into his head, a flood of combat techniques flashed through Su Yang’s mind.

Acting on instinct, he lunged forward, ducking low and wrapping his arms around the man’s waist. Using his momentum, he slammed the man onto the ground.

With a loud thud, the chair clattered to the side.

Su Yang tightened his grip and flipped the man over, pinning him beneath his body.

Then, bracing his feet, he shifted upward, releasing the man’s waist only to swiftly lock his arms around the man’s neck in a chokehold.

The position secured, Su Yang grinned.

He squeezed, and the man’s eyes bulged, his face flushing red.

The man clawed at Su Yang’s arms, trying desperately to break free.

But once a rear-naked choke was locked in, escape was nearly impossible—especially when the strength gap was this vast.

Su Yang was like a middleweight fighter, while his opponent was featherweight, two whole divisions below.

Su Yang gradually increased the pressure. The man’s face paled, his eyes rolled back, and his arms went limp as he lost consciousness.

Su Yang immediately released him, shoving him aside as he stood up.

"Done."

"Holy—!"

"Is he dead?!" Several customers nearby gasped in alarm.

"Nah, just knocked out. No big deal. Where are your security guys?"

"Coming, coming!"

Right on cue, two burly security guards rushed in from outside.

"Your response time’s terrible," Su Yang remarked. "I already handled it by the time you showed up."

"Hey, we came as soon as we got the call. Didn’t expect you to finish it in seconds."

True—the whole fight had taken barely a minute.

Su Yang hadn’t even used full force when applying the chokehold, holding back to about 20% strength.

Otherwise, the man would’ve been out cold instantly, with no chance to resist.

He’d also avoided punching the guy, worried that his enhanced strength might accidentally kill him. That’d be a disaster.

The rear-naked choke was his go-to—inspired by his love for UFC fights.

The guards shook the man awake, but he was too weak to move.

Coughing and clutching his throat, he needed a few minutes to recover before being hauled out by security.

Next stop: police interrogation.

Su Yang dusted his hands off and waved at the crowd. "Show’s over, folks. Move along."

Nearby, Lu Yun, Little Zhao, and Sister Li stood frozen, staring in awe.

Especially Sister Li—her eyes sparkled as she watched Su Yang, completely mesmerized by his display of raw masculinity.

For a woman in her early thirties, that kind of alpha energy was irresistible.

Lu Yun, blushing, stepped forward and asked softly, "Are you okay?"

"Do I look hurt?" Su Yang spun in a circle, arms spread.

"Good. That was terrifying."

"Piece of cake. More importantly, you weren’t hurt, right?"

"No, no."

"Then we’re good."

Sister Li clapped her hands. "Alright, everyone, back to work! Let’s get things running again."

Lu Yun glanced at Su Yang. "I’ll go help. Wait for me a bit longer?"

"Sure." Su Yang casually returned to the seating area as if nothing had happened.

[Ding. Host has successfully used basic combat skills for the first time and subdued the target. Emotional excitement detected. Reward: 500,000 RMB. Physique +1.]

Meanwhile, Sister Li pulled Lu Yun aside and whispered, "Lu Yun, what’s your relationship with Su Yang?"

"Uh… we’re high school classmates."

"Classmates? Not boyfriend and girlfriend?"

"Huh? No, no!" Lu Yun’s face turned crimson as she shook her head.

"If not… then I might make a move," Sister Li teased with a grin.

“Huh?” Lu Yun suddenly looked up at Sister Li.

Sister Li chuckled mischievously. “Just teasing you! Look how flustered you got. Don’t worry, I won’t steal him from you. But wow, that man is seriously hot.”

She glanced at Su Yang again and added, “Lu Yun, you better hold onto him tight. Guys like him are rare these days. In that kind of situation earlier, who else would’ve stepped up?”

“If it weren’t for him, we would’ve lost at least eighty or ninety grand. Handsome, loaded, skilled in a fight, and so righteous? Ugh, if I were five or six years younger, I’d definitely fight you for him.”

Sister Li’s words made Lu Yun’s heart race and her cheeks flush. It was true—Su Yang’s earlier intervention had left a deep impression on her.

She hadn’t even noticed Su Yang arriving, but the moment she saw him step forward to apprehend the thief, her heart pounded wildly, her face burning.

[Ding. Detected Lu Yun’s favorability toward the host has increased to 78 (Trust). Reward: 3 million yuan in cash, one McLaren Senna fragment (2/5).]

Hearing the system’s voice, Su Yang subtly glanced at Lu Yun nearby before calmly returning to his phone.

......

Soon, it was 5:30 PM. Lu Yun emerged from the changing room in her casual clothes.

Su Yang turned to look. Today, she was dressed refreshingly—her long hair loose, a small black leather bag slung over her shoulder.

She wore a simple gray round-neck T-shirt, paired with slightly distressed denim shorts, and white canvas shoes on her feet.

The look was both sexy and cute, but what really caught the eye were those long, flawless legs—longer than Su Yang’s lifespan, as he’d joke.

Su Yang stood up with a smile. “Off work now?”

“Mhm~ All done.”

“Then let’s go. Hotpot?”

“Okay~” Lu Yun replied sweetly.

The two walked side by side toward the exit.

Behind the counter, Sister Li and Little Zhao watched with envy.

“So jealous. I’m definitely grilling Lu Yun later about where she found a guy like that.”

“I already asked. She said he’s her high school classmate,” Sister Li remarked, leaning on the counter.

“High school classmate? Well, then we’ll just have to ask if he’s got any friends to introduce to us. A guy that good-looking probably has equally impressive buddies.”

“Not a bad idea. We’ll ask her soon~”