Being forced to grow like a pig? But I'm immune to the consequences!

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After the third test, the atmosphere on the training field became noticeably more tense and rigorous.

For those who rank highly, the supply of extra potions may be cut off if their progress is slow in the next test. This is a matter of vital interest, so no one dares to slack off.

For most of the lower-ranked trainees, the dream of entering the inner city had long been abandoned, and their sole focus was on achieving "Body Tempering Level Three"—the minimum requirement to remain in the Hyena Gang. If they couldn't reach it within a month, they would have no choice but to pack their bags, return to their original settlement, and continue doing endless manual labor. Even with a bit more strength than the average person, they still couldn't escape the mire of their bottom-tier fate.

Furthermore, through these days of interaction, even the most reserved or youngest trainees have, without being taught, grasped the weight of "human relationships and social skills" under the influence of this small community. Wherever there are people, there is a social dynamic, and where there is a social dynamic, it needs to be managed.

Many people believe that, regardless of their ultimate fate, it's always beneficial to cultivate good relationships with those "potential stars" who are destined to stay with the Hyena Gang or even have the potential to enter the Inner City.

Therefore, the top-ranked students naturally became the center of attention, whether intentionally or unintentionally. Among them, the most prominent were Tu Nan, Yan Liang, Zhang Lin, and Wu Sheng, who had already broken through to the second level of Body Tempering.

Yan Liang was especially so. He was eloquent, good at performing, and knew how to show "humility" or "generosity" at the right time. Whenever he rested or ate, there were always people around him who would try to make conversation and laugh along.

Of course, some people privately scoffed at this, believing that even if Yan Liang were to become successful in the future, the benefits would not go to them, the common folk.

But reality is often like this—in a certain environment, if you don't have enough strength to stand on your own, you will inevitably be swept up by its invisible rules. Whether by choice or by force, smiling obsequiously when "key figures" like Yan Liang are talking big, and nodding to each other when you meet them on the street, has become a subconscious survival strategy for many people.

However, amidst this subtle social frenzy, the corner where Wu Sheng and Mo Han were located remained strangely quiet.

The reasons are not hard to understand. First, due to their personalities, neither of them is keen on pointless gossip and socializing; second, the Xu Wenbo incident hangs like a dark cloud over Wu Sheng's head, making many people wary and unwilling to get too close to him, for fear of getting into trouble for no reason.

Nevertheless, no one was foolish enough to provoke them. Wu Sheng's talent and fighting prowess were undeniable; many people still vividly remembered the ruthless scene of him smashing Liao Xing to the ground in front of Guo Hui.

Moreover, rumors have recently spread from who-knows-where that Wu Sheng and Mo Han have been seen dining at the staff canteen with the official members of the Hyena Gang every afternoon without paying a penny.

This news, like a pebble dropped into water, created ripples. It made more people realize that Wu Sheng and his companion were not as destitute as they appeared; they too had their own connections and support.

Upon learning of this, it was not others who reacted most strongly and whose emotions were the most complex and subtle.

It was Yan Liang.

Yan Liang clearly had ulterior motives. He began to intentionally or unintentionally approach Wu Sheng and Mo Han, pretending to chat casually, but actually always trying to steer the conversation toward Pasa, inquiring about the background and preferences of that official member. When he vaguely sensed that Pasa might be related to Mo Han, his enthusiasm became even more undisguised and blatant.

If you happen to bump into him on the street, he will raise an exaggerated smile and greet you familiarly; during breaks, he will come over and try to start some conversations like friends, although Mohan usually responds coldly.

At lunchtime that day, Yan Liang, carrying his tray, sat down near Mohan with a grin and started chatting about the food at the training ground.

Mohan gave a few perfunctory replies, and after he left, he shook his head speechlessly at Wu Sheng: "What exactly does this guy mean? His skin is thicker than a city wall corner."

Wu Sheng ate his food slowly and deliberately, without looking up: "Seeing your connection with Pasa, I just want to get on that bandwagon."

"Connect with me?" Mohan almost laughed in exasperation. "Has he forgotten what grudge we have against him? Besides, he's quite talented; he'll probably get into the inner city just like you. What use will my 'connection' be then?"

Wu Sheng then raised his eyes and calmly analyzed, "That's a conflict between him and me, and it doesn't have any direct conflict with you on the surface. Besides, although it's only for a month, it doesn't stop him from trying to get benefits from you just by talking, like getting free meals. As for after entering the inner city? He will naturally look for new and more valuable leads then. For him, this is just a cost-free attempt; if it succeeds, he gains; if it fails, he loses nothing."

Mohan frowned, his tone filled with undisguised disgust: "Your grudge is my grudge. Even if there were no grudge, knowing what kind of people they are, I wouldn't befriend them. They put on a respectable facade, but deep down they're even more repulsive than Liao Xing!"

Upon hearing this, Wu Sheng put down his chopsticks, looked at Mo Han, and his eyes became serious: "Mo Han, listen. If I enter the inner city a month from now, and you join the Hyena Gang, you need to appropriately reduce your public contact with me and focus more on building relationships with other people in your environment."

He paused, lowering his voice, which carried an unusual seriousness:

"I'm worried... if I cause trouble in the inner city, the enemy might use you to deal with me."

Mohan wasn't unaware of these things; he simply didn't want to measure friendship on a utilitarian scale. He paused for a few seconds, then nodded emphatically: "I understand. Don't worry, I know what's good for me."

The small training ground, with only about thirty people, resembled a miniature martial arts world. Some knew their talents were limited and didn't want to follow the crowd, yet they couldn't help but be swept along by their environment; some were adept at social maneuvering, scheming and seeking every visible benefit; and some, like Wu Sheng, seemed aloof, but in reality, they had clear goals and were single-minded.

The one who suffered the most was Liao Xing. He was truly experiencing the taste of falling from a false cloud.

Three days have passed since the third test, and there has still been no news of Liao Xing breaking through to the second level of Body Tempering in the training ground. On the other hand, others who were originally in the top five group with him, such as Mo Han, have successively broken through with the support of extra potions.

Given Liao Xing's personality, if he had truly broken through, he would probably have already made it public knowledge. But he didn't. His face grew more and more gloomy each day, and his movements during training showed obvious anxiety and a lack of strength.

There's no doubt he's stuck.

From initially ranking fourth in punching power, to falling out of the top five in the second test, and then experiencing slow progress in the third... In this closed and monotonous environment, anyone's ups and downs become the focus of everyone's attention. Liao Xing's dramatic rise and fall naturally became the most popular topic of conversation.

These comments, whether overt or covert, were like countless tiny thorns, pricking Liao Xing's sensitive and fragile self-esteem, making him increasingly irritable, yet helpless.

Time passed in a tense atmosphere, and the fourth test arrived as scheduled.