Extraordinary Realm from Persuasion System

May 11, 2019. Due to the time difference, Great Xia was six hours ahead of Ancient Rome. Consequently, when Zhang Beixing and his group arrived back in Great Xia, landing at Shishi Zhengding Airport, it was already 7:30 p.m.

The airport was bustling. Members of the Great Xia Martial Arts Association, led by Liu Yi, Chen Rourou, and Lin Pengfei, were present. Representatives of Great Xia officials, such as Huo Honghao and Commissioner Bai, were also there. Even some foreigners affiliated with the Asian Martial Arts Association had come. All were gathered to welcome Zhang Beixing.

Such a grand spectacle was bound to draw attention, and curious passersby stopped in their tracks, eager to see who could command such influence.

Under their watchful eyes, it wasn’t long before Zheng Jituo and his companions emerged from the arrival gate.

”Welcome home, Grandmaster Zhang!”

”Greetings, President Zhang, upon your return!”

The shouts erupted almost the instant they appeared, the voices of those waiting booming powerfully.

This sudden uproar startled Zheng Jituo and the others. They exchanged bewildered glances, unsure how to react.

”Master, welcome home!”

While Zheng Jituo and his group were still dazed, Chen Rourou stepped out from the ranks of Great Xia Martial Artists. She joyfully approached a man in their group who was wearing sunglasses.

The man in sunglasses was, of course, Zhang Beixing. Witnessing the grand scene before him, he was both surprised and momentarily speechless. He had originally planned to maintain a low profile and give his online followers a big surprise without any prior announcement, but it seemed Liu Yi and the others had beaten him to it with a surprise of their own. With such a grand spectacle and so many onlookers, there was no way his return could go unnoticed.

Zhang Beixing simply took off his sunglasses and ruffled Chen Rourou’s hair. ”Thanks for your hard work.”

”If you hadn’t returned soon, we were genuinely worried you might not make it back,” Liu Yi chimed in, a hint of exasperation in his voice. Then, recalling the recent events, he said, ”I say, Beixing, you really know how to stir things up, don’t you? To just up and challenge that D&E lab all by yourself—you actually went through with it! How’s your recovery?”

Liu Yi continued, his voice laced with genuine concern for Zhang Beixing’s well-being. After all, Zhang Beixing had been shot multiple times—more than ten bullets, in fact. Although Zhang Beixing had repeatedly assured them over the phone that he was fine, they couldn’t truly be at ease until they saw him with their own eyes.

Hearing this, Zhang Beixing understood their concern. He instantly patted his chest, producing a THUMP THUMP sound. ”Relax, Master, I’m perfectly fine. Just a few bullets, hardly worth mentioning.”

”’Hardly worth mentioning…’ Tsk, only you could say something like that. You’re a real monster. Are you even human anymore?” Liu Yi clicked his tongue, astonished by Zhang Beixing’s unbelievable nonchalance.

At that moment, Huo Honghao approached. ”Brother Zhang, how does it feel to be back home? Is this fanfare big enough for you?”

”It’s great, very grand. You’ve really outdone yourself, Brother Huo.”

Zhang Beixing’s string of praises left Huo Honghao beaming. Suddenly, however, Huo Honghao remembered something. He looked seriously at Zhang Beixing, finally voicing the major question that had been weighing on his mind for days.

”Brother Zhang, can you tell me… how on earth did you manage to survive?”

Recalling the footage he’d seen online of Zhang Beixing being riddled with bullets, and then looking at him now, completely unscathed, Huo Honghao was utterly astounded. He couldn’t fathom how Zhang Beixing had managed such an incredible feat. This sentiment was shared by everyone else present; they all turned to Zhang Beixing, their faces alight with curiosity.

However, Zhang Beixing just waved his hand dismissively. ”Hold on. You’ll all know about it soon enough. The time isn’t right yet.”

A chorus of good-natured boos and groans swept through the crowd, clearly unimpressed by his attempt to build suspense.

Seeing their reaction, Zhang Beixing simply shrugged, not elaborating further. After exchanging pleasantries with everyone, he prepared to head home to see his parents. He had, after all, caused quite a stir back in Ancient Rome, and now that he was back, he owed them an explanation.

Before that, however, he needed to update his social media status to let his followers know he was back. With Liu Yi and the others creating such a commotion at the airport, it was inevitable that he’d be recognized. I can’t let someone else hijack this wave of attention, he thought, beginning to mull over what his post should contain.

Just as Zhang Beixing was about to leave, a somewhat hesitant male voice called out from behind him, ”Excuse me, are you Mr. Zhang Beixing?”

Zhang Beixing paused and turned to see a middle-aged man in a suit, exuding an impressive aura.

Zhang Beixing raised an eyebrow. ”That’s me. What do you need?”

”Hello, Mr. Zhang. I am Wang Sheng, the head of the live streaming section for our Douyin platform. I sincerely apologize for interrupting you so abruptly today.” The middle-aged man adopted an extremely deferential posture, his tone apologetic. He was even sweating slightly, a demeanor that seemed incongruous with his apparent high-ranking managerial identity.

”I’ve come today primarily to discuss the possibility of live streaming with you. I was wondering if you might have any interest?” Wang Sheng asked, his tone deeply respectful. It was no wonder he was nervous; the airport reception area was packed with a large, imposing crowd, including some high-ranking military figures. Even as the general manager of a renowned domestic corporation, he felt compelled to adopt a humble stance.

”Live streaming?” Zhang Beixing echoed, intrigued. The idea had crossed my mind when I first started martial arts training, he recalled.