As soon as the Human Emperor Banner came out, I became the Lord of the Old Ones

Chapter 157 Re-employment Training Course
Xiong Rutie couldn't help but close his eyes, projecting all the information he had just gathered into the depths of his brain, imagining himself and the completely transformed Hou Zhijian facing off on a virtual stage.

In his imagination, Hou Zhijian seemed to have become a giant rock tortoise with thick armor, every vital part of his body was firmly covered, and he also had a strange tail with a huge blade embedded in it. It swung around in a wide range and made a deep, thunderous roar. If you were not careful, it could break his bones.

As a master of the no-card style with vigorous blood and energy, Xiong Rutie is best at blasting away the remnants of the past with his bare hands.

However, despite imagining seven or eight different tactics, he was unable to thoroughly penetrate Hou Zhijian's defense.

In the end, the only option was the cumbersome method of positional warfare, chipping away at the enemy's defenses one punch at a time.

In actual combat, doing this would certainly allow one to defeat one's own worthless disciple.

But he himself will also be unprecedentedly slashed by his disciples, leaving deep, bone-revealing wounds; for every thousand enemies killed, at least three hundred of his own will be lost.

"This kid's got guts!"

Xiong Rutie was both surprised and delighted.

However, thinking of Xu Yan's strange massage techniques, her brows furrowed slightly.

No one knew better than him how mysterious and dangerous the secret arts deep in the wilderness were, and how much of a price one had to pay.

"Ah Jian, you actually went to this extent for Kuang Tie?"

Just as I was struggling with this decision, there was a knock on the door.

He is Wang Dali, a muscular, tattooed man.

The veteran member who had trained at the Kuangtie Club for seven or eight years was quite familiar to Xiong Rutie.

Xiong Rutie knew that although he looked fierce, he was not a bad person at heart; he was a clever and warm-hearted commoner.

Since he collapsed, his daughter has been busy managing the situation, and he has become her errand boy, visiting her every few days.

The reason is also quite good - Director Xiong was busy with many things, and he was exhausted from working hard for the Kuang Tie team and young prodigies like Chu Zhifeng. How could an ordinary member like him with mediocre talent get personal guidance from Director Xiong?

I finally got a chance to help Manager Xiong and also have plenty of time to listen to Master Xiong's guidance. It's like a windfall!
With such an honest personality, no one can dislike him.

Xiong Tieshan originally did not intend to take the secrets of the cardless style to his grave.

Out of boredom, he patiently gave Wang Dali pointers, and in just over a week, Wang Dali's maximum punching power broke through 1,200 kilograms. The guy was so happy that he jumped around like a big monkey and became even more attentive to Xiong Tieshan.

However, today, Wang Dali was followed by seven or eight men with straight backs.

His age was similar to Xiong Tieshan's; both were middle-aged or elderly with gray hair.

Judging from their poor-quality clothing, rough nails, and well-developed muscles, they were manual laborers from the lower to middle class.

Xiong Rutie looked somewhat familiar, but for a moment he couldn't quite place him.

He stared at the old man's bald head, where a leaf-shaped birthmark was visible. After three seconds, his expression relaxed.

"You are Song Sixi!"

He smiled with absolute certainty.

"I didn't expect Brother Xiong to still remember us. That's right, I'm Song Sixi, the deputy captain of the well-drilling team!"

The elderly man at the head of the group had a booming voice. He stepped forward half a step and opened his arms.

In a tight bear hug, Xiong Rutie recalled even more names.

They were all his first batch of students when he first came to Dawn City.

No, back then, there wasn't even the concept of "Dawn City" or "students".

Back then, this place was a mining area where mines were nested within mines and towers were connected one after another, a vibrant and bustling mining region.

He was just a member of the mine's guard team, using his own fists to maintain basic safety and order in the mine, which was surrounded by ancient monsters and constantly plagued by natural disasters.

They were all energetic young men. When they had nothing to do, he would spar with some of his peers who were naturally strong in the mining team, well drilling team, and construction team. Of course, most of the time, it was seven or eight heavy laborers against him, otherwise it would be impossible to have a good time.

If anyone is interested, he is willing to teach some breathing and power generation techniques of the cardless style.

I don't expect everyone to be able to crush the remnants of the past with their bare hands like him. I only hope that when natural disasters strike, everyone can run an extra three or five hundred meters and save their lives.

That was the prototype of Kuang Tie Martial Arts School. However, the vast majority of the veteran students did not persevere.

Unfortunately, as people get older, they all start families and have to shoulder greater responsibilities and face more demanding work.

Without the extra time, energy, and money to spend every day at Kuang Tie Martial Arts School, they gradually drifted apart on their life paths.

I never expected Wang Dali to be able to get all these guys here.

Xiong Tieshan felt both grateful and wistful.

What I never expected was that my casual, silly pointers back then would be remembered by my old buddies to this day.

Song Sixi said that back then, they trained together with Xiong Tieshan, which helped them develop strong physiques and abundant physical strength.

Although they did not pursue a cardless lifestyle afterward, they remained ordinary manual laborers.

However, their vigorous blood and energy still helped them to be more at ease when controlling the Black Iron Spirit, resulting in outstanding work performance and a pretty good life.

Especially when many colleagues were physically exhausted by the heavy workload, suffering from spiritual erosion or even going mad, they remained unharmed, making them feel that Xiong Rutie and Wukaliu had changed their fate.

"Not to mention, now that Manager Xiong is willing to help us so much, we really don't know how to thank you two!"

Song Sixi slapped his thigh and said.

These words left Xiong Tieshan somewhat confused.

After Wang Dali explained, he learned that Xiong Ruyue had recently been busy running around between the club, the bank, suppliers and sponsors, and had also started a public welfare project called "Re-employment Training Class".

As a mining town, Dawn City has the largest population of manual laborers.

Many people spend their entire lives dealing with hard rocks and rough pickaxes.

While using civilian-grade black iron cards like [Bullhead Iron Guard] to amplify power several times over can certainly help complete work tasks perfectly, it also causes one's muscles and bones to gradually solidify, eventually resembling the shape of an ancient minotaur, making it difficult to adapt to other cards.

The problem is coming.

As the mines become increasingly depleted, Liming Heavy Industry has laid off a large number of workers, pushing many manual laborers who have spent half their lives mining into the job market.

Many manual laborers are only in their fifties or sixties.

This is the prime of life when one should strive hard for the sake of their family.

Unfortunately, their bodies were deeply affected by cards like [Bullhead Iron Guard], which emphasize power amplification, even to the point of some deformities.

It's difficult to learn the operation skills of other cards by studying on your own, and to find a new job in an increasingly competitive job market.

Xiong Ruyue keenly noticed this.

Leveraging the advantages of cardless operation, it provides free assistance to manual laborers in adjusting their breathing and exertion patterns, gradually restoring deformed bones and muscles.

They also taught everyone how to master more types of black iron civilian cards to enhance their competitiveness in re-employment.

They even went so far as to find new jobs through middlemen like Wang Dali—even temporary jobs like moving, delivery, takeout, or security guard—to at least alleviate their immediate needs.

This project has only just begun, and it's unlikely to make any money in the future.

However, it can help Kuangtie Club seize the initiative in the lower-tier market that others have not noticed.

Even Song Sixi and his old buddies only reconnected with Xiong Tieshan through this project.

Xiong Tieshan was stunned.

It felt like in just half a month, not only had Hou Zhijian undergone a complete transformation, but even his simple-minded, physically strong but mentally challenged daughter seemed to have become a different person, understanding the importance of planning ahead and making long-term arrangements.

He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but he instinctively felt that the lower-tier market in Dawn City would become increasingly important for a long time to come.

This matter was handled admirably.

The problem is that distant water cannot quench immediate thirst. The seeds sown by the daughter may blossom and bear fruit in three to five years, but how can they help the Kuangtie Club overcome its imminent difficulties?
As he was pondering, the sound from the television caught his attention.

"The next match will be held on Arena Seven. The red team is Xiong Rulong from the Kuangtie team. Unlike Hou Zhijian, who just won a hard-fought victory, he has drawn a rather tough opponent!"

(End of this chapter)