No sooner had Jason Luo returned from Philadelphia than two important guests arrived.
Han Libo ca in with a broad smile. “We just got in last night and heard you’d gone to Philadelphia—thought we’d have to wait a couple of days! Oh, let introduce Mr. ng Chengze, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Boxing & Magazine, the most influential publication back ho. When he heard about your situation, he insisted on eting you.”
Jason Luo quickly shook hands with Editor ng. “Welco! Thank you for taking the ti to co. Oh—this is my promoter, Mr. Rod.”
After a round of pleasantries, they used Raul’s office as a temporary eting room.
Knowing Jason Luo’s training schedule was tight, Han Libo went straight to the point. “Since I returned, I’ve been in touch with several organizations and dia outlets. The response has been overwhelmingly positive. To accelerate the growth of competitive sports, we urgently need a symbolic figure to represent it—and everyone believes our cooperation has great potential.”
“After gathering ideas, we drafted a detailed plan. First, we’ll expand your visibility and influence back ho. With Editor ng leading the effort, we’ll use traditional dia, online campaigns, and new-dia livestreaming to introduce you to a broader fan base.”
“Next, we’ll aim to secure online broadcast rights for your official matches as soon as possible. Paid fight streams are still rare, so this has huge potential.”
“Once you have a solid following, we can partner with organizations like Martial Arts Wind to organize a few comrcial fights—then maybe matches in Japan and Thailand. I’m sure it’ll create a sensation in no ti.”
As Han Libo spoke, his excitent grew. Rod nodded. “Excellent. We agree in principle, but there are a few complications. For example, broadcast rights are tricky—both the WBA and the Arican Boxing Association must approve them, and the fees are very high.”
Editor ng smiled. “We’re aware. CCTV Sports Channel used to handle similar deals, so we’ve already looked into the procedures.”
“That’s good. You’re well-prepared,” Rod said. “Still, ti is tight. We’re about to face a tough fight. Jason will be challenging Britain’s top-tier fighter Charlison Hanvey at St. Mary’s Stadium in Southampton in thirteen days. It would be a pity to miss this one.”
Editor ng, clearly knowledgeable about the boxing scene, widened his eyes. “You an that British rising star—the one they call The Royal Guard?”
“That’s him.”
ng was stunned. “Jason, that’s a big leap forward. But if you beat him, you’ll officially break into the top tier. Young fighters move fast! We absolutely can’t miss covering this match.”
They imdiately drafted a letter of intent to establish cooperation. Once broadcast rights were secured, they would discuss revenue sharing in detail...
When business was finished, Han Libo pulled Jason aside. “Jason, I looked into that Southern Fist matter. The Southern Fist King, Liu Yai, was indeed real—and quite extraordinary. Born during the Qing dynasty’s Xianfeng era, he first trained at the Southern Shaolin Temple in Quanzhou, Fujian. Later, he traveled across the country, seeking out masters and exchanging techniques until he beca a true grandmaster. He created the unique Swallowing and Exhaling Fist, becoming a legend in his ti.”
“As for Liu Zhiqing, I found him too. But there’s nothing special in the records, and he passed away in 2009. He did have a son, Liu Jiguang, who lives in Putian—but he’s not involved in martial arts. Apparently, he runs a tofu shop.”
“Huh?” Jason was stunned. “Selling tofu?”
“Could there be a mistake?”
Han Libo shook his head. “No. My friend verified it several tis through the local civil affairs bureau. He’s indeed a descendant of Liu Yai. Liu Zhiqing started selling tofu himself in his later years.”
Jason felt a wave of disappointnt. “Alright… thank you so much, Mr. Han. Still, I’d like to see for myself if I get the chance.”
Han Libo nodded. “Sure. I’ll give you the exact address. It’s quite remote and not easy to find.”
Since they had co all this way, Mr. Rod arranged a dinner for everyone. Over the al, Rod and Editor ng hit it off imdiately. Though ng was from Jilin, his grasp of combat sports was incredibly broad and insightful.
Once everyone had grown comfortable, Jason voiced a question that had long been on his mind. “Editor ng, why does our combat sports scene lag behind even smaller countries like Japan or Thailand? From what I hear, our economy’s doing great.”
Editor ng sighed. “There are many reasons. Historically, our developnt started late and lacked continuity. Conceptually and system-wise, we confined combat sports too strictly within the category of physical fitness. The emphasis was always on health, not confrontation, which limited our fighters’ competitiveness.”
“Even now, our rules are too protective—no elbows, no consecutive knees, no clinch control... With so many restrictions, our fighters struggle to adapt when they step into truly global rings.”
So that was the reason.
Jason finally understood. He’d always wondered how a nation so steeped in martial arts tradition could end up lagging behind others. Clearly, his understanding had been too shallow.
Han Libo raised his glass. “Co, Jason—here’s to your trip to Britain. May you succeed and return victorious!”
“Cheers.”
“Jason, this will be your first match watched by all our people. You have to show the world our strength! When that day cos, I’ll be your number-one fan!”
“I will.”
After dinner, the two guests left in a hurry—the schedule was tight.
When they were gone, Rod turned to Jason. “I didn’t expect things to move this fast. That makes the upcoming fight even more important.”
Jason nodded. “Don’t worry, I won’t let anyone down.”
“Good. Get ready—after the weigh-in we’ll head to the UK and stay until the fight’s done. There’ll be other events too, so your training ti will be limited. We’re all feeling the pressure.”
The situation weighed heavily on Jason, but it also stirred a growing longing for the faraway eastern holand he’d only ever heard about.
After returning ho, he began discussing the trip with his father. “Dad, Grace’s vacation’s coming up soon. We should start preparing for the trip. I’ve always been curious—where exactly is our ancestral ho?”
His father sighed. “I once asked your grandfather the sa thing. It’s complicated. He was born in Zhangjiakou, Hebei, but after the Marco Polo Bridge Incident, the family moved south—first to Qingdao, Shandong, then wandered through Southeast Asia. When the U.S. Pacific Fleet began recruiting sailors there, he joined as a shiphand and eventually settled in Arica.”
“Jay, the exact place doesn’t really matter. What matters is that we rember where we co from and stay true to ourselves. This trip has always been sothing I wanted to do, and Grace has been looking forward to it too. Let’s go straight to Shanxi—her hotown can be our family’s ho as well.”
“Alright, Dad—whatever you say.”
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