C3 Little Test of Strength

Chu Yang was jolted awake the next morning by the incessant ringing of his cell phone.

"Hello? Who's this?" he mumbled, groggily answering the call.

"Are you sleeping like a pig? You've got ten minutes to get to school, and don't you dare be late!"

Su Yue's voice was livid on the other end before she abruptly hung up.

Chu Yang scrambled out of bed, quickly washed up, and dashed off toward school.

His rental was quite a distance from the campus, about ten bus stops away.

He hurried out of the neighborhood and made a beeline for the nearby bus stop.

"Beep beep beep—"

He had only taken a few steps when a shrill honking from the left startled him just as he was about to cross the street.

Turning his head, Chu Yang saw a truck barreling towards him.

"Damn it!"

He leaped back in fright, landing on the curb.

The truck zoomed by, narrowly missing him, and sped through the intersection.

"Ran a red light?"

Chu Yang stood there, dumbfounded. That driver was reckless—running a red light could cost you six points!

Before he could fully process what happened, a loud crash echoed through the street.

Chu Yang witnessed a scene he would never forget: a car making a left turn was hit by the truck, flipping several times before coming to a stop in the greenery.

The scattered car parts on the road left bystanders in shock at the abrupt chaos.

"Someone call for help!"

A voice cut through the confusion, snapping everyone to action as they began to yell.

Chu Yang, a conscientious young man of the new century, could not just watch.

By the time he reached the scene, the truck driver was already on his knees in front of the wrecked car.

Staring at the mangled side of the car, the truck driver lamented, "It's all over, I could never afford to pay for this Maserati, even if I spent everything I had."

"So you know you can't afford it? What were you thinking running that red light?" an elderly man berated him with a stern look.

"The brakes failed, I didn't mean for this to happen," the truck driver wept.

"Move aside, we need to focus on saving lives right now."

Just then, a burly man stepped forward, grabbed the truck driver by the collar, and flung him aside.

"Let's all lend a hand here!"

The man shouted, beckoning several young people to come forward and try to pry the car door open.

Despite their efforts, the door remained firmly shut, not showing the slightest intention of opening.

"The deformation of the door is severe; it's probably jammed. We'll need the fire department and their equipment to get it open."

The man was gasping for breath, a hint of frustration in his eyes.

Chu Yang glanced into the distance. It was rush hour, and traffic was at a standstill. It would take the fire brigade at least fifteen minutes to arrive.

Peering through the car window, he could just make out a woman's profile beneath the deflated airbag.

She lay still, slumped over the steering wheel, her condition uncertain.

As everyone felt helpless, Chu Yang remembered the Divine Strength Pill.

"This pill could increase my strength tenfold; maybe I can try!"

With a spark of determination, Chu Yang quickly retrieved the black pill.

Without bothering to find water, he swallowed it whole.

The moment the pill hit his stomach, a warm surge spread through his chest and into his limbs.

"Excuse me, sir, let me through. I want to try."

Chu Yang squeezed his way to the car door, ready to spring into action.

"Young man, the doors are both bent out of shape; it's going to be tough to open them."

The man gave Chu Yang a skeptical look and shook his head.

Others around them agreed, doubting that Chu Yang's slender frame could make a difference.

But Chu Yang ignored their doubts, took a deep breath, grasped the door with both hands, braced his right foot against the car body, and pulled with all his might.

"Creak, creak..."

Amidst the chaos, an unusual noise emerged.

"Wow, this guy is incredibly strong!"

The crowd gathered around in amazement as the door began to warp, showing signs of caving outward.

"Let's help him out!"

Shaken from his astonishment, the man rallied the bystanders, and they all surged forward to assist.

As the old adage goes, unity is strength.

As they all pulled together, a loud bang echoed from the car.

In that instant, several people beside the vehicle toppled backward, crashing to the ground.

The car door was yanked right off its hinges!

"Great job!"

The onlookers erupted in cheers, delighted by the sight.

"Damn, I was about to pass out."

Chu Yang, having lifted the door off himself, breathed a sigh of relief.

The man next to him helped him up, eyeing him with amazement, "Kid, you've got some serious strength!"

"It was a team effort."

Noticing a hint of skepticism in his gaze, Chu Yang quickly added a modest remark.

Once the door was off, doctors hurried to the scene.

Minutes later, the woman in red was carefully loaded onto the ambulance by the nurses.

Before departing, one of the medics informed the crowd, "The patient has lost a lot of blood and is currently unconscious, but fortunately, her life isn't in danger at the moment."

"Thank goodness, thank goodness."

The faces of those who had helped in the rescue lit up with relieved smiles.

As the ambulance drove away, the crowd began to disperse.

Chu Yang, unnoticed, quietly slipped onto a bus.

...

Despite his efforts, Chu Yang arrived late.

"Good morning."

He greeted Su Yue sheepishly at the school entrance.

Su Yue shot him a look of exasperation and said, "I've spoken to Yang Wanli. He denies altering the IOU, and since you borrowed cash, there's no bank record. The evidence is stacked against you; winning a lawsuit seems impossible."

"I figured as much."

Disappointment clouded Chu Yang's eyes.

Su Yue shifted the conversation, "But he did say that if I vouch for you, he's willing to give you another month to come up with the money."

Chu Yang's brow furrowed as he quickly discerned Yang Wanli's true motive.

To Yang Wanli, the timing of the repayment was irrelevant; his actions weren't about the money.

By agreeing, Chu Yang would be admitting defeat, which was exactly what Yang Wanli wanted.

"That lowlife, he's utterly contemptible!"

Chu Yang couldn't contain his anger.

"So, what's your decision? Are you going to accept his terms?"

Chu Yang looked down, deep in thought. With access to the Celestial Amazon Store, making a hundred thousand yuan wasn't an insurmountable task, and a month would be plenty of time for him to make it happen.

Moreover, once he's capable, whether or not he chooses to repay the money is another matter entirely.

If he plays his cards right, he might even turn the tables on Yang Wanli, leaving him worse off than before!

"Fine, then. Class President, please relay a message to Yang Wanli for me. Tell him I've agreed and will ensure the debt is repaid in a month."

A sly grin spread across Chu Yang's face as he readily accepted the terms.

After having lunch, Chu Yang headed back to his dorm.

"Is Yang back?"

The moment he walked in, his dorm mates greeted him enthusiastically.

Noticing their curious expressions, Chu Yang asked in surprise, "What's up? Is there something wrong with me?"