Zhou You and Sun Li returned to Luzhou together. Sun Li took a taxi straight to her apartment, then went to meet old friends and her parents. Li Houliang, as usual, drove to pick Zhou You up. There’s no place like home. Though there are plenty of temptations outside, indulging occasionally is fine—doing it every day gets old. He resumed his daily training routine. Zhou You was nearsighted, with a prescription around 500 degrees, which made everyday sparring practice quite inconvenient. Especially when practicing wrestling. Bate’er couldn’t help asking, “Brother You, why don’t you get laser eye surgery? I’ve seen a lot of people do it.” Zhou You laughed heartily and said to Bate’er, “Look at the ophthalmologists who perform eye surgeries—how many of them have had the surgery themselves?” “I never really noticed that. I just see a lot of kids getting it done when they go to college,” Bate’er replied, unaware of the complexities involved. But Zhou You knew. He’d long been troubled by his nearsightedness—everything was inconvenient. He’d thought about getting corrective surgery more than once, even visited hospitals several times, but never made up his mind. Because the payoff versus the risk just wasn’t worth it. If the surgery succeeded, it only made life more convenient—a nice bonus, but nothing essential. If it failed, it was a devastating blow: at worst, blindness; at best, eye damage. What was even more uncontrollable was that many side effects wouldn’t show up until ten years later, or even in old age. What would he do then? Especially since Zhou You noticed that even Brother Ma still wore glasses. He could afford the best ophthalmologists, right? He must have consulted many. So why didn’t he get it done? Was he stupid? Or was Zhou You the stupid one? For a bit of convenience and appearance, putting himself in such danger—Zhou You was definitely not doing that. If someone really wanted it done, they just had to look at the surgeon performing the operation and see how many top ophthalmologists still wore glasses. Telling others to do it, And doing it yourself— Those were two different things. So, don’t listen to what people say; watch what they do. Learn to observe, Learn to observe, Learn to observe. Confucius said thousands of years ago: “See what he does, observe his motives, examine what he finds peace in. How can a man hide? How can a man hide?” Their mouths are full of virtue and morality, But their hearts are filled with theft and depravity. Their deeds are petty and sneaky, And their gains come at a cursed cost. Bate’er was stunned. Was the world really this treacherous? Shouldn’t everyone be encouraging goodness? “Brother You, is that true? Then why do so many people still do it?” “Bate’er, did Genghis Khan lack food, drink, or beautiful women?” Zhou You countered. Bate’er was taken aback. What did that have to do with the Great Khan? “He didn’t lack anything—by the end, he had everything!” “Since he had everything, why did he keep conquering lands, expanding his empire, knowing no empire lasts forever, charging forward without stopping?” Zhou You pressed on. “I don’t know. Who knows what the Great Khan was thinking?” Bate’er shook his big head, feeling like he’d been thinking too much today—his head was spinning. “Because people believe they can defy fate, escape the laws of history, think they’re the main character, believe they won’t suffer such misfortune, and trust everything will go smoothly for them!” Zhou You stood up, walked over to Bate’er, and said solemnly. Bate’er was completely dumbfounded. If you’re not doing it, fine—why lecture me so much? I don’t get it anyway. And I don’t want to. You say your piece, I’ll do mine. Xiao Si couldn’t hold it in anymore and said to Bate’er, “Brother You’s main job is a teacher, and his hobby is spreading knowledge and solving doubts—in other words, he loves preaching, haha. You walked right into that one!” Bate’er looked gloomy and shot Xiao Si a resentful glance. “You couldn’t have warned me?” Xiao Si spread his hands. “I think Brother You’s right. Most people don’t even get a chance to hear his lectures. You should be grateful!” After that outburst, Zhou You felt refreshed. “Come on, let’s keep training.” Bate’er finally grinned. No matter how sharp your tongue, I’ll just knock you down with a throw. Reason? Only the weak reason. Our Great Khan convinced people with force—if you didn’t comply, he fought; if you still didn’t, he wiped you out. Reason? I don’t listen! Zhou You saw Bate’er approaching with a sinister smile but wasn’t scared. No matter how cocky you are now, I’ll settle the score sooner or later. In their earlier training, Zhou You was completely dominated. Now he could hold his own for a few rounds. Zhou You believed it wouldn’t be long before he turned the tables and sang a different tune. The joy of improving every day was immense. Immediate positive feedback was the true path to progress. Just as Zhou You was immersed in training, his family called, insisting he come back for the village election—they wanted his advice. Zhou You hadn’t planned to get involved in such matters. But on second thought, his hometown was his base—his parents and relatives were there. Right now, it was just starting, with no one coveting it yet. In the future, who knew? If he didn’t unite most of the village, he’d never grow big. Without official channels, small troubles would keep popping up. Last time, he’d suggested his older brother run for office; it seemed likely now. Go home, stabilize the base. In their village’s past elections, Zhou You had no clue, no interest, and no stake—there was nothing worth fighting over. Unlike those coal-rich areas, where village elections could turn into bloody brawls. In the end, the strongest always won. As for what counted as strength: Strong troops, many people, and deep pockets. Negotiation—only after showing strength could you talk; otherwise, who would bother? He drove, gathered people, and headed home. He brought back some of the Zhulang Gym coaches for training, moving the sessions outdoors, and took Bate’er along. They’d offer free sparring and wrestling lessons for everyone interested to try. It was also a contribution to promoting traditional culture. He’d already given up some early benefits; now it was time to show strength to protect his own. No need for anything higher. Just enough to safeguard the village’s interests. Zhou You roughly explained his plan to Li Houliang, who nodded in understanding and picked a few close regulars. The gym now had over 30 sparring coaches. Bringing ten this time was enough. Luckily, the gym had added another van; otherwise, it would’ve been cramped. They packed basic training gear—real training was the priority. What was this? A show of force. A military exercise. Aiming to achieve victory without fighting. The group drove toward the village in a grand procession. Xiao Si was now the driver, soon to be a full-time chauffeur and trusted right-hand man. Those chosen were eager and excited. They all knew following Zhou You paid off—every trip came with a travel allowance, but opportunities like this were rare. Now it was up to the other side to step up.