Helping someone lose weight and becoming stronger yourself might seem like two different things, but Shen Xingkong, despite his mediocre grades, had learned enough from his Chinese medicine studies to draw some parallels. Xiao Hong was overweight because her body had too much of something—fat—that needed to be reduced. On the other hand, the reason Shen Xingkong couldn’t beat Wang Lei was likely because he lacked something—perhaps speed or strength.

Both speed and strength are determined by physiological factors. Speed, for instance, is influenced by muscle explosiveness and endurance, while strength depends on muscle development.

If Shen Xingkong could use his special ability to strengthen his muscles in the same way he used it to weaken Xiao Hong’s fat, then what would he have to fear from Wang Lei? He could beat him to a pulp.

The logic was simple, but putting it into practice was challenging. Even after reading the Chinese Acupuncture Points Compendium for a few days, Shen Xingkong couldn’t think of any acupoint that, when stimulated, would make his muscles balloon up like inflating a tire, enabling him to lift mountains and become invincible.

So, after leaving "Flowering Years," he quickly hailed a taxi and hurried home, intending to scour his books for an acupoint that could turn him into a powerhouse.

By the time Shen Xingkong returned to his apartment complex, it was already dusk. The autumn sun hung low, painting the sky with blood-red hues.

The apartment complex was old, probably older than Shen Xingkong by two years. It had no property management, just a dilapidated concrete gate. Inside the gate, besides a bumpy footpath, the sides were lined with cucumber and chili plants that the elderly residents had grown.

As Shen Xingkong stepped through the gate, his mind was still preoccupied with the idea of finding a "muscle-enhancing" acupoint, and he kept his head down as he walked. His apartment was in the third building, just a few steps away. Although his home was still a mess after the previous attack, he had earned some money over the past few days. If he could find a cleaning service and buy some basic necessities, he could still manage.

“Xiao Shen… Xiao Shen…” Suddenly, Shen Xingkong heard someone calling him in a hushed and secretive tone.

“Hm?”

Shen Xingkong looked back and saw a woman peeking out from the entrance of the first building. Her face was filled with fear as she frantically waved him over.

This woman was his neighbor, Aunt Wang, who lived across the hall from him and was also Nannan’s mother.

“Aunt Wang? What are you doing over in the first building instead of at home?” Shen Xingkong asked curiously as he walked over.

“Oh, I’m too scared to go home!” Before Shen Xingkong could get close, Aunt Wang reached out and pulled him inside the building’s entrance. “Xiao Shen, let me ask you, have you gotten yourself into some kind of trouble?”

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“Trouble? What trouble could I be in?” Shen Xingkong was puzzled.

“Oh my goodness, you really don’t know? I have to tell you, Xiao Shen, there are a lot of bad people in your apartment right now! They’re all around your age, and they’re carrying sticks. I think they might be planning to harm you, so I stayed here to warn you!” Aunt Wang was frantic.

“What?”

Shen Xingkong’s face instantly turned cold. He thought of what had happened that morning and the venomous glares on the bus. He hadn’t expected Wang Lei to act so quickly, already bringing people over in the afternoon to get revenge.

From what Aunt Wang said, these people were armed, while he was alone. If he had just walked up to his apartment without thinking, the consequences could have been dire—he might have ended up spending the rest of the month in the hospital.

Anger surged within Shen Xingkong. It was bad enough that Wang Lei had trashed his home last time, but now he was coming for him personally. Was the son of a deputy chief of the Public Security Bureau’s Criminal Investigation Division really above the law, free to bully and humiliate people like Shen Xingkong, just because he was poor?

“Aunt Wang… thank you for warning me. I know what to do now. You should also avoid going home for now—those people have no conscience.” Shen Xingkong forced himself to stay calm and warned Aunt Wang.

“I’ll be fine. You just be careful!” Aunt Wang had done her part and quickly walked away.

Watching her leave, Shen Xingkong pulled out his old, beat-up Nokia phone. After some hesitation, he dialed a number.

The call was answered quickly, and an elderly voice came through the line.

“Hello, this is Shi Jianguo speaking. Who is this?”

“Professor Shi, it’s Shen Xingkong. How are you?” Shen Xingkong said as he kept an eye on the third building, watching for any signs of the enemy.

“Shen Xingkong? Ah, hello, hello! What can I do for you?” Professor Shi sounded pleased.

“I’m sorry to bother you so late, but I have a question I’d like to ask.”

“Hehe, don’t be so formal. You’re the heir of Daoist Master Shouyin! But what could I possibly teach you?”

“Well, I was wondering if there’s an acupoint that can control muscle growth—something that could stimulate the muscles and make them stronger?” Shen Xingkong was worried that Professor Shi might not understand his question, so he explained in detail.

“Uh…” Even though Professor Shi was a renowned expert in Chinese medicine and the founder of the medical school, Shen Xingkong’s question stumped him.

The old professor couldn’t help but admire Shen Xingkong; he was truly a worthy heir to Daoist Master Shouyin, the inheritor of the Golden Needle technique. Even his casual questions were so profound and challenging.

“As far as I know… there isn’t. You have to understand, acupuncture isn’t a cure-all, and the human body is an incredibly complex system.” Professor Shi thought for a long time, racking his brain but coming up with nothing.

“Ah…” Shen Xingkong was utterly disappointed. It seemed that his plan was just an unattainable fantasy.

“But…” Professor Shi suddenly dragged out the word, hesitating slightly. “As they say, all roads lead to Rome. If you’re trying to increase muscle strength, there’s another method that might work.”

“Another method?” Shen Xingkong’s excitement reignited, though he cursed the old man for his dramatic pauses.

“Yes, but this method is only theoretically feasible. In practice, the effects are minimal, and it’s subject to many limitations…”

“Professor Shi!” Shen Xingkong couldn’t afford to waste time listening to the old man’s rambling and interrupted him. “Please, just tell me what the method is.”

“It’s called auricular acupuncture.” This time, Professor Shi was concise, but his brevity left Shen Xingkong confused.

“Could you… explain in more detail?”

“In addition to the twelve meridians and extraordinary points, there are two major acupoint regions in the body: the foot and the ear. Your coursework hasn’t covered this yet, but to put it simply, the ear is a significant acupoint region, with many sensitive nerves that can influence certain organs in the body.” Professor Shi was patient, a quality that had helped him mentor countless students over the years.

“And how exactly should I go about it?”