"I...I am."
My words only fueled Old Master Gu's suspicions. He put the amulet back in the newspaper, then stood up and said, "I'll just keep it for a couple of days. Come find me again whenever you want it." I had nothing to say, otherwise I would only arouse his suspicion even more. 900-year-old paper, still spewing paper dust—if someone discovered this, I really didn't know what the consequences would be. I hoped the old man was of sound mind and would think it was impossible and give up on having it appraised.
Old Gu tore a corner off the newspaper, wrote down a number, and handed it to Chen Kejiao: "Contact my lawyer as soon as possible. Let's schedule a time to get things done." Chen Kejiao carefully put it away. Then we watched as Old Gu took off his black silk shirt, wrapped up all the stuff along with the newspaper, and left wearing only a vest.
I stood by the window, watching Grandpa Gu's retreating figure, and muttered to myself, "Although not all con artists are old men, why do all the old men I encounter seem like con artists?" I suddenly missed Liu Laoliu a bit. Another month was almost over; I wondered what surprise he would bring me this time. Mind reading was good, but each person could only use it once a day, and most of the time it didn't yield any useful information. I was still waiting for it to level up.
"Tell me about our situation, Manager Xiao."
"We...yes, let's talk." It suddenly dawned on me that I'd actually done this woman a huge favor. I'd started off pushing her, hoping for nothing in return, but things had escalated like this. Since it's already like this, let's see how she thanks me. Doing good deeds without expecting anything in return—I've only ever done that in my dreams, and then I'd wake up terrified.
"How much are those antiques worth to him?"
How would I know? I could only wave my hand knowingly. Chen Kejiao laughed awkwardly a few times and said, "I know it's not just about money. You've done me such a big favor, but I have nothing to give you in return..."
The subtext when a woman says this is usually, "I'm all alone," but even a fool wouldn't call her that. I really wanted to tell her bluntly, "Don't make things difficult for Ms. Chen, it's just about money..."
Chen Kejiao stood next to me, looked out the window, and said, "Why are you helping me?"
How should I say it? "Because your proud stubbornness touched a man's desire to protect the weak"? That's too Hong Kong/Taiwanese. Or should I use a roguish, aristocratic tone to lift her chin and say, "Your breasts are beautiful?" Or should I just tell her directly, "Because your breasts are very firm"?
Chen Kejiao looked into my eyes, as if trying to find something within them. Seeing that I didn't speak, she crossed her arms and said, "Don't worry, I won't let you suffer. It's much better for you to take care of 'Reverse Time' than for me. I'll write a bar transfer contract for you in the next day or two, and it will be completely under Xiao's ownership from now on."
Her words brought us back to the topic of mutual benefit, and I secretly breathed a sigh of relief, reminding her, "Reversing time is very profitable right now."
“That’s all because you managed it well, and the Five Star Gin is good too. Actually, it was just something I did for fun, and I won’t have time to manage it anymore, so it’s best to transfer it to you.” She looked at me and said, “I’ll think about how to thank you after I reach an agreement with Gu Lao.”
She was shrewd. When she calculated that a bar might not be worth the antiques I'd given to Master Gu, she made a margin of safety. She didn't want to offend me because she felt I still had value to her. I stared at her face for a while and suddenly realized she was actually quite young. Others use makeup to be beautiful, but she used it to make herself look more mature and indistinguishable from other upper-class people. I asked her curiously, "How old are you?"
"Hehe, don't you know it's impolite to ask a lady's age?" She used this sentence to deflect the question, indicating that she was a little flustered.
"When have I ever been polite? If you really can't believe me, just tell me your zodiac sign."
"...I'm almost 25." Chen Kejiao seemed to have gradually gotten used to how to talk to me.
I exclaimed in surprise, "I thought you were over 30!"
Chen Kejiao said helplessly, "That means I'm mature."
I continued to tease her: "No, people who make themselves look like they're in their 30s are actually over 40. Look at Liu Xiaoqing, she looks like she's in her 40s, but she's actually over 50 this year."
Chen Kejiao crossed her arms and said coldly, "Are you finished talking?"
I said, "I'm still not satisfied, but you've already used me and then abandoned me."
I saw the corners of her mouth turn up slightly, she said goodbye to me, and then resolutely embarked on her journey. She was clearly very busy; 400 million yuan probably wouldn't be enough to save a once-glorious real estate company, as evidenced by the 10-year timeframe.
Four hundred million, ten years—this woman's burden seems heavy.
In the afternoon, when all the competitions were almost over, the organizers announced over the loudspeaker that all teams participating in the team competitions should send representatives to draw lots the next day, so that the competitions could start early the next morning.
Our team was still represented by Lin Chong. On the way back from the podium, I kept seeing him holding a piece of paper and laughing incessantly. What could make such a usually composed person so happy? Even if he didn't get a bye, he shouldn't be this excited, right?
When he came back, I took the paper and couldn't help but burst out laughing: Our opponents tomorrow are still the Jingwu Free Fighting Association. Last time it was just bad luck, but this time it's really a bit of a laugh and cry. They lost last time, fought hard in the revival match, and now they're facing Lin Chong and his group again. I feel a little sorry for them.
That evening at the hotel, the president of the Jingwu Association led a group of people and knocked on my door. I thought they were there to cause trouble, but I heard the president say outside, "Team Leader Xiao, I know you didn't go all out in the last competition. I'm here today to ask you to have a serious fight with us tomorrow..."
When I opened the door, I saw that the student council president had a bald head, with the hair on both sides of his ears gathered up and tied into a small braid at the back of his neck, making him look like a Khitan. When he saw me, he said a little embarrassedly, "I shouldn't have come, but please grant me this request."
I nodded: "I promise you."
After the chairman and the others left, Lin Chong came over and asked me, "How do we fight?"
I thought about it for a moment, and said somewhat sadly, "With their abilities, they won't make it to the end. Let them die sooner and ascend to higher realms." Actually, I kind of like the president.
The next day, I left Shi Qian and me until last. The president and the others still hadn't seen our fourth member, and were beaten black and blue. Then, satisfied, they headed to the train station. They understood that continuing the revival match was pointless; their joy lay in finally witnessing true masters. As we parted, they hugged each of us without complaint. The president patted me on the shoulder and said, "My biggest regret is not being able to fight you." This made me, who had initially been somewhat moved, completely despair of those who practiced martial arts.
Actually, I felt a little guilty watching them leave. If they hadn't encountered our cheating, freakish team, their hard work would have been rewarded much more. I don't know if our involvement will negatively impact the country's grand plan, but thinking that our goal was only a mere fifth place makes me feel a little better.
Chapter Fifteen: Eighteen Falls When Clothes Are Touched
The competition became even more intense and arduous over the next few days, with half the participants being eliminated each day, though most of them remained. The vast majority of teams and individuals were aware of their own capabilities; they came primarily to broaden their horizons.
And none of them were disappointed. Not only them, but as the competition intensified, television stations from all over the country flocked to the scene. I returned the accreditation machine and rented out the office at a high price to several out-of-town reporters to share; I had to at least recoup the money I spent on renting the machine.
The individual competition has already reached the top 32, and we have secured 3 spots, making us a very strong team. Dong Ping, of course, made it through smoothly. You'd never guess the other two: Hu Sanniang and Duan Jingzhu. Zhang Shun and Ruan Xiaowu didn't go very far before being defeated on points. In a real fight, none of those opponents would have been a match for them, but a competition isn't about risking everything; there are rules. Making Zhang Shun and Ruan Xiaowu put on boxing gloves and stand in a small area to fight against people who had painstakingly studied the rules is a bit like making Pavarotti and Guo Meimei compete in singing "When I see a cockroach, I'm not afraid!" Of course, Zhang Shun and Ruan Xiaowu's lack of preparation was also a factor; they stubbornly underestimated their opponents and suffered a great loss. Hu Sanniang and Duan Jingzhu, on the other hand, participated with great enthusiasm. Hu Sanniang was determined to meet Tong Yuan, who had stolen the spotlight for being a woman, in victory; Duan Jingzhu was wholeheartedly focused on proving himself in front of the 107 brothers. With a bit of luck, both of them made it to the top.
Those who remained shared a common trait: most were members of distinctive martial arts schools, having mastered at least one of their core skills. Those naive youngsters who only knew how to lift barbells and hit sandbags were almost all eliminated early on, demonstrating the profound depth and breadth of Chinese martial arts.
However, a competition filled with such competitors is quite unpredictable and interesting. I once saw a practitioner of Bagua Youlong Palm running wildly around his opponent. After a 10-minute match, someone calculated that he had run a full 3 kilometers. Although he lost the race, he was recruited by a provincial long-distance running team.
And then there's that guy who's fought with Ruan Xiao'er before. This time he's learned his lesson, getting drunk every day and going on stage to fight. If he were in a regular competition, he'd probably be kicked out long ago, but this competition is all about highlighting tradition, so they've tacitly approved of his behavior. He's really stumbled his way up all the way.
There was also a contestant who practiced the "Eighteen Falling Techniques," where he would throw his opponent down every time they hit him. He would score one point for each hit and two points for each time his opponent fell to the ground. In this way, he won every battle and made it into the top 32.
Even funnier is seeing two Tai Chi practitioners clash, or a mantis boxer and a monkey boxer spar together, all wearing boxing gloves and making more aesthetically pleasing moves—it looks rather comical. It's a bit like having McGrady and Messi playing ping-pong on an ice hockey rink.
The team competition has determined the top 16 teams, and the next round will be the round of 16. Faced with the exhaustion of all the players, the organizing committee has decided to give everyone two days of rest. In fact, many strong teams have been worn down by the individual and team competitions. Most teams don't have many core players and have to juggle both. They face the dilemma of not being able to excel in both individual and team competitions. Many choose to defy the odds, only to find their stamina clearly failing them in the latter half of the competition when their opponents become stronger.
Of course, we at Yucai didn't have that problem. While winning the team competition wasn't easy, very few people even saw our fourth player; Shi Qian was undefeated. This created a problem: because I was always at the bottom, I remained unknown. As we progressed and came into everyone's view, I became an enigma. Strong teams always saved their strongest players for last, and as the team leader, I had to go to the front and bow to the opposing team leader before going to the back to sit and daydream or read a novel, completely indifferent to the situation on stage (even if I did, I wouldn't understand). This posture was repeated countless times in front of everyone, making me appear as a top expert in their eyes. Even Tong Yuan was confused, except for Tiger who knew the inside story. Although she said I fought like a thug, who says a thug can't be a master? I guess in her eyes I've almost become a reclusive knight-errant.
Many people dream of fighting me now, and many teams aim to defeat me, which forces me to always be accompanied by Lin Chong and his crew, or I should bring Zhao Bailian along—he's more useful than a detector.
On the afternoon of the day we made it into the top 16, after the event, 300 helped the workers dismantle the rings, so that only four rings would be needed for future matches. Xu Delong and I strolled slowly along the sidelines, and I asked him, "Are you leaving as soon as the match is over?"
Xu Delong nodded.
I said, "I'm getting married in a little over a month. How about I leave after that?"