Had his father said this three months ago, Jason Luo would have happily agreed. But now, he simply couldn’t bring himself to give up his boxing life.
“Dad, my life is really good right now! I’ve made so many good friends through training, and boxing brings so much joy. Please, let keep fighting.”
Henry Luo shook his head. “Jay, have you thought about this? I may not know much about boxing, but I do know it’s a young man’s ga. Right now, you can push yourself and earn so money, but what about the rest of your life? And fighting is dangerous—don’t you ever think about us? Living in fear every day, how could we possibly be happy?”
His father’s words weren’t without reason. Jason Luo rembered his coach’s advice—not to argue head-on—so he tried a different approach. “Dad, Dr. Miao said you just got out of the hospital and shouldn’t go back to work yet. Wait a year, then find the right job. We’ll talk about it then!”
“No! On this, you have to listen to . If you wait a year, it’ll be too late to get back into studying. Trust , I used to be a software engineer. I’ve been brushing up while in the hospital—I’ll definitely find a job.”
“Dad, I—” Jason Luo started, but Tony Huo waved him off. “Let’s eat first. None of this is urgent. We can talk it over slowly. Uncle Luo, you two eat—I’ll step out and make a call.” He shot Jason Luo a aningful look.
Sensing the tension, Grace quickly picked up the pace, filling plates with food and shifting the conversation to lighten the mood...
After dinner, Grace pestered Henry Luo into digging out old family photos. The two sat together, reminiscing and laughing as they looked through them.
Before long, Tony returned with Pedro and Mr. Raul.
As soon as they entered, Raul stepped forward. “Mr. Luo, we’re Jason’s coach and agent. We heard you were discharged today and thought we’d take the chance to visit. Hope we’re not intruding.”
Henry Luo stood to shake their hands, casting a sharp glance at Tony before turning back with a smile. “Welco, welco! I should be the one visiting you. Thank you both for looking after Jay these past days. Since you’re here, please co in. Grace, pour so water for our guests!”
He ushered Raul and Pedro into the inner room and closed the door behind them.
When Grace ca back out, Tony quickly asked, “Well? No argunts yet?”
“Not yet.”
But it didn’t take long before the voices inside grew louder.
“We’re only thinking about Jason’s future, Mr. Luo. His condition is perfectly suited for boxing...”
“He could beco a coach later. There are plenty of paths in boxing...”
…………
Jason Luo stayed silent, quietly waiting.
The door finally opened, and Raul strode out, smiling at him. “Co to the gym tomorrow for training. Your father wants to watch the match the day after tomorrow. Let’s prepare well.” He even gave Jason a quick wink.
Pedro still held Henry Luo’s hand firmly. “Mr. Luo, don’t worry—we care about his safety too. On that, I can give you my word.”
Henry Luo sighed. “Alright. Maybe I really don’t understand boxing well enough. I’ll have to see it myself to feel at ease. Sorry to trouble you both. Why not stay for a simple al here at ho? It’s the least I can do.”
Raul politely declined, saying they needed to get back and prepare for the match. Jason hurried to see them off.
Once they reached the lobby, Raul let out a long breath. “Jason, this is the best we could hope for. Luckily, things went our way. Here’s the profile of your next opponent. Take a look and you’ll see. Both your coach and I agree—the win shouldn’t be hard to secure. The real challenge is getting your father to set his worries aside. We’ll discuss that in detail tomorrow morning.”
Pedro added, “Spend more ti with your family. Love can resolve any conflict!”
After they left, Jason opened the dossier. Matthews, 21 years old, Scottish. Height: 203 cm. Reach: 209 cm. Weight: 79.2 kg. His unique physique was his only real advantage. Amateur record: 7 wins, 3 losses, no KOs.
Currently, in the ranking tournant, he had one win and one loss, four points total, sitting at rank 1,933...
Wow, a specialist fighter!
With more experience in pre-match analysis now, Jason quickly understood why his coach and Raul were so confident.
This fighter’s height and reach were overwhelming advantages. A technical boxer might really struggle against him, but an aggressive one could close the distance and fight inside, where his long reach would beco a liability.
And judging by his record, his heavy punches weren’t all that threatening. If that was the case, Jason had a solid chance. But even if he won—would his father really relent?
As he turned to head upstairs, he spotted Tony rushing out in a panic. “What’s wrong?”
“I’ve gotta run. If I stay, your dad’s gonna tear into . Bye! I won’t be coming to your place for a while...” With that, he bolted off like the wind.
You’re running—what about ?
Jason braced himself and pushed the door open. Grace sat quietly, while his father stared at him with a stern face.
“So you brought in reinforcents. Looks like you really intend to keep boxing.”
Jason clenched his teeth and gave a firm nod.
Henry Luo was silent for a few seconds before asking gravely, “Tell the truth. Do you fight because you love it, or because of the money?”
Jason hesitated, then said, “Both. I love it, and I fight for money.”
Henry Luo’s eyes widened.
Jason quickly added, “Dad, I love boxing because it drives . As long as I work hard, sweat in training, and fight with everything I’ve got in the ring, I can see my own progress.”
“Boxing has also given true friends and broadened my horizons. It brings a kind of joy I’ve never known. Every ti I beat an opponent, I feel excited because I know I’m growing stronger.”
“And money matters too. I want to work hard to give my family a better life. Dad, I really can’t live without boxing...”
Another silence. Then, suddenly, Henry Luo stood up. “Alright. I’ll give you this chance. In the match the day after tomorrow, I’ll see if you’re really as strong as they say. If you win, you can keep training. If you lose... then you’ll focus on your studies. How’s that?”
Before Jason could answer, Grace jumped up. “Yes! Victory! My brother will win—”
But she stopped short at Henry Luo’s displeased glare and shrank back. “Um... it’s late. I should head ho!”
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