Robert Hughes went from complete disbelief at the beginning to gradually accepting it. Although he was still very skeptical, if things really unfolded according to Henry Clark's ideas, then Fumanlou would become a hen that lays golden eggs.

The young master has finally come to his senses. Even if he fails, so what? As long as Henry Clark can be cured of his foolishness, everything else is a minor issue. This is the master's only wish.

Robert Hughes couldn't help but shed tears of joy—heaven has finally opened its eyes.

From here on, Henry Clark no longer needed to worry about the rest. He was just the designer; after putting forward his ideas and concepts, there would naturally be people to carry them out.

On the way back, he bought ten doses of Strengthening Powder and ten Body-Enhancing Pills, which cost him 1,500 taels of silver. Adding in the expenses for renovating and refurbishing the restaurant, the family's savings were almost completely depleted.

If, after a month, the restaurant reopened but had no business, then the Chu family would be on the verge of bankruptcy.

Man proposes, God disposes. All he could do was wait.

He moved a bathing tub into his room, filled it halfway with warm water, then sprinkled in a dose of Strengthening Powder. Stripping down to just his big underpants, he stepped into the tub with one foot.

So hot!

It was clearly warm water, so why did it feel like he was being burned by fire?

This proved the Strengthening Powder was the real deal.

Once the Strengthening Powder was added to the water, its effects would only last for half an hour. After that, the medicinal power would quickly evaporate into the air and could no longer be absorbed. So, to absorb the medicine, you only had this half-hour window.

Henry Clark didn't even frown. He put his other foot in as well, and not only that, he squatted down so that the water reached up to his neck.

Hot! Hot! Hot!

His whole body felt like it was on fire, making Henry Clark want to jump out of the tub immediately.

—Although the Strengthening Powder's effects could last for half an hour, in reality, very few people could endure the full duration. Ordinary people could only soak for five minutes; those with strong willpower might last ten. Anyone who could hold out for more than fifteen minutes was rarer than a giant panda.

Even with the same Strengthening Powder, the amount of strength gained varied greatly from person to person.

But Henry Clark was extremely ambitious—he wanted to last the full half hour.

He was too far behind. If he couldn't outwork others, how could he ever catch up on lost time?

Next time, he thought, he should find a thin bamboo tube to breathe through, so he could submerge his whole body in the medicinal water. As he soaked, Henry Clark made a mental note.

If others found out, they'd definitely call him a madman.

In a sense, geniuses and madmen aren't much different—they both have a terrifying obsession with what they believe in. For Henry Clark, martial arts training was full of challenges, rekindling a long-lost passion.

On Earth, the reason he chased after adventure was because ordinary life felt too dull.

Only challenges made things interesting.

Beads of sweat the size of beans began to roll down Henry Clark's forehead, and his whole body trembled from the intense pain.

No wonder most people could only last five minutes—this was truly torture. After just a few minutes, Henry Clark felt like he was about to faint, his consciousness growing hazy.

But at this moment, he had to stay awake, because this was only the first step. Next came intense training, to make the absorbed medicine work on his cells and strengthen them. If he passed out, the medicine would just leave his body, and all the suffering—and money—would be wasted.

Henry Clark clenched his teeth. Even though his muscles were twitching from the pain, a faint smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

Only challenges made things interesting.

After ten minutes, the burning sensation grew even stronger, as if he were being roasted over a fire. The pain was beyond words. Most people would have only two choices: either escape, or simply pass out.

Henry Clark kept his eyes wide open. His skin was now as red as a cooked shrimp, shockingly bright, with a hint of purple.

Fifteen minutes, twenty minutes, twenty-five minutes.

Henry Clark's physical fitness was only average, but his willpower was top-notch.

To last more than twenty-five minutes on his first try with Strengthening Powder—maybe even the full thirty—was nothing short of a miracle. Throughout history, there couldn't have been many with such determination.

Thirty minutes.

Henry Clark didn't stand up immediately. The medicinal power was starting to dissipate, but not completely—he could still absorb a bit more. But once the time was up, the Strengthening Powder's effects evaporated at an astonishing rate, and the water, which had been slightly greenish, turned clear and colorless almost before his eyes.

But by then, Henry Clark had already absorbed nearly all the medicine, so what evaporated was negligible.

Wearing only his underpants, Henry Clark went to the family's martial arts training ground to begin the real body forging.

Chapter 4: Body Forging

Using Strengthening Powder was only the beginning. To truly convert the absorbed medicine into his own strength, he still needed to complete the process through body forging.

It was simple: through high-intensity training, the muscles would be tempered, the medicine absorbed into the cells, and the cells would be strengthened.