Chapter 001: The Antique Pocket Watch

Upon hearing this sound, the two individuals immediately recognized it as belonging to Xia Xiaonuan. They turned their heads in unison to see a young woman standing with her hands behind her back, gazing at them with a playful expression in her eyes

This person looked at me sincerely and said, "May I take a look?"

This skill is called "Scorpion Backward Climbing City". It is indeed a great hardship, requiring two hours of rigorous practice daily with the head down and feet up against the wall. This is simply a nightmare from his childhood

The bitter melon, rolling up its sleeves, was taken aback, and so was Wu Chen. Unconsciously, they began to scrutinize this person. The way this individual looked at the pocket watch was quite greedy; although he was trying hard to conceal it, he kept stealing glances. If there had been no one nearby, he would have almost been scratching his ears and rubbing his head.

One morning three months ago, Old Wu was hit by a car while supervising Wu Chen after his morning exercises. By the time he was sent to the hospital, it was already too late

Isn't this just nonsense? This was left by my father; it is a memory. The bitter melon can naturally be seen, but he wants to see it yet has no way to enter. Wu Chen hung the pocket watch back around his neck: "No."

Wu Chen sat by Baoyue Lake with a cigarette in his mouth, enjoying the coolness brought by the mist from the water

This is indeed strange. He had always been somewhat suspicious of this pocket watch, as it had been hanging around his father's neck. However, when he arrived at the hospital, why was it taken out from his father's mouth? His immediate thought was that someone wanted to steal this pocket watch, which led to the incident with his father. However, he had no evidence to support this claim, as he could not discern anything particularly special about this old pocket watch

Wu Chen smiled wryly. If someone else had said such a thing, it might have led Wu Chen to think they were mocking him, for how could such a broken pocket watch be considered a family heirloom? However, since it was Kuguo who said it, it was different; he was genuinely puzzled. But before Wu Chen could respond, another voice suddenly rang out: "What a fine pocket watch!"

Wu Chen's father, Old Wu, sells breakfast in Xuhe City. While others wake up at five in the morning to sell breakfast, he insists on getting up at two o'clock every day, and then forces Wu Chen to practice a certain martial art.

Wu Chen shot him a glance, neither affirming nor denying.

During this summer vacation, Wu Chen has been pondering this matter: why did his father put this pocket watch in his mouth? Does this pocket watch hold a secret? However, no matter how he looks at it, he cannot discern any secret within this pocket watch. Not only is it worn out, but it is also broken, with the hands forever frozen at 3:50:40.

However, the bitter melon was also looking around aimlessly. After a long while, the bitter melon, puzzled, said: "This broken pocket watch, Uncle Wu used to wear it all the time. Now it's your turn? Is this a family heirloom of yours?"

Is being wealthy really impressive? One rushes to buy three, one rushes to sell three. Do you think offering three million can intimidate us? Even if you offer thirty million, we still won't sell.

However, there is really nothing to say about Kuguo. When Wu Chen says to go east, he absolutely will not go west. He usually loves to hang out at Wu Chen's house, being mischievous and causing trouble. He can eat more than twenty fried dough sticks in one sitting, and when it comes to drinking soy milk, no matter how much Old Wu has left, he can finish it all by himself. With such a large appetite, he needs to exercise. Usually, he goes out with a fierce look, just waiting to get into a fight.

After the car accident, Wu Chen was the first to arrive at the hospital and clearly remembers what the doctor said when he handed him the pocket watch.

The young couple was so frightened that they did not even dare to look him in the eye, while he stood there like a victorious rooster, using his chin to send the couple fleeing in panic

The bitter melon, engrossed in studying the pocket watch, was startled by an unfamiliar voice. Looking up, it saw a man in a suit with a center-parted hairstyle standing by the riverbank. This man appeared to be around thirty years old, wearing glasses, and looked very refined.

It has been three months, and he still cannot face the fact that his father has passed away

This old-fashioned pocket watch is indeed quite ordinary, and it is difficult to determine its exact age. However, since it is a pocket watch, it is likely not very old. This pocket watch has always been worn by Wu Chen's father, Old Wu, on his chest

The bitter melon is formally known as "Wang Bin". He is tall and robust, standing at 1.85 meters. His hair is naturally curly, and a few pockmarks on his face give him a somewhat fierce appearance. His neck and shoulders almost seem to merge, with a broad back and sturdy waist; his arms are as thick as a young woman's legs, and he appears to possess the strength of an elephant. He is honest and straightforward, willing to lay bare his heart for his friends, while outsiders often say he lacks a bit of cunning.

Next to Wu Chen sat another person, his close friend "Bitter Melon".

Wu Chen is twenty years old this year, a sophomore student. He may not be conventionally handsome, but he possesses a strong character. His eyebrows are like two large swords, his eyes are lively, his nose is high and straight, and his lips are tightly pressed. When he is serious, his entire face is sharply defined like a sculpture, exuding a unique aura that is hard to describe. He stands close to 1.8 meters tall, with broad shoulders and long legs. His skin shines with a healthy dark glow, and there is not an ounce of excess fat beneath his black tank top, giving him an impressive sense of power, all of which has been instilled in him by his father.

At that moment, a couple walked by the lakeside, cuddling and laughing together. Upon seeing this, Kuguo immediately felt a surge of anger, his eyes widening like copper bells. "Showing off your love, you’ll die quickly. In broad daylight, hugging and cuddling, do you believe I could kick you both into the river with one kick?"

I don't understand what your father is thinking; after such a serious car accident, how could he still have the presence of mind to hold that broken watch in his mouth

As Kuguo turned to prepare to take credit from Wu Chen, he noticed Wu Chen still fiddling with that broken pocket watch and said, "What are you doing? Others are polishing jade and walnuts, and you spend all day fiddling with a broken watch. What’s the matter with that?"

The young man with a suit and a middle part smiled slightly: "This little brother has quite a temper, I won't compete, I will offer three million to buy."

Throughout the entire summer vacation, Wu Chen wore a long face, and Ku Gua, seeing this, felt anxious and was filled with frustration.

Wu Chen had never imagined that his father would leave him so early, which left him feeling lost, especially when he thought of his father's unwavering dedication to teaching him martial arts for over a decade. All past grievances transformed into longing, causing him daily sorrow. After the hit-and-run incident involving his father's car, no one was found. His mother, unable to bear the blow, returned to their hometown. For the entire half of the summer vacation, he had not smiled.

Bitter melon waved its hand like swatting flies, its eyes wide open, staring at the man in the suit, exuding an air of "if you don't leave, I'll beat you up." Just as the man in the suit was about to speak, a female voice came from not far away: "Bitter Melon, are you showing off your strength? Can't you learn some composure from Wu Chen?"

In the lunar calendar, the month of July remains hot.

His eyes were vacant, revealing a hint of sorrow, as one hand continuously touched the old pocket watch hanging around his neck

The gentle breeze lifted his short, tousled hair, revealing a melancholic face

At the slightest disagreement, they would resort to violence, getting excited at the prospect of a fight, and turning red at the sight of blood. In his childhood, because he followed him into fights, Wu Chen often faced his father's wrath. During those times, he would roll up his sleeves and stand in front of Wu Chen like Lu Zhishen, enduring the beatings from his father without ever stepping aside. Therefore, anyone who dared to say that Wu Chen was somewhat lacking in wit would find themselves at odds with him. At most, he was a bit naive, but his heart was undeniably straightforward.

From the age of five to twenty, he practiced for fifteen years, developing a strong physique. After initially watching Spider-Man, he attempted to climb the school building when no one was around, positioning himself upside down with his feet on top, using only the crevices in the walls of the building. In just twenty minutes, he managed to climb more than twenty floors in this manner, which led him to fantasize about creating a scorpion-themed costume to become a city scorpion hero, but ultimately, this idea came to nothing.

He was still extremely polite, but the bitter melon was different. He tilted his head and looked at the person: "I say, are you planning to break the chain and steal the watch? Come on, go ahead and steal it, and after you steal it, I'll let you run for five minutes. If I can't catch you, from now on, I'll take your surname."

Bitter melon handed the pocket watch to Wu Chen, then pulled up his baggy shorts and glanced sideways at the person: "Oh, aren't you hot dressed like that? Playing with a rash? Keep your distance, let me tell you, buddy has been in a bad mood these days. If my 'mandarin duck legs' act up later, it won't be fun if I kick you into the river.