Actor: Thank you.

"You are younger than I imagined."

While eating Italian meatball noodles and authentic Italian pizza, Stallone chatted with him.

"In that movie called 'Ip Man,' were all your action scenes filmed for real?" Although he had already asked Li Lianjie, Stallone still asked him again in person.

"This film uses almost no special effects in its action scenes."

"All of these were performed by the actors themselves, under the guidance of the martial arts choreographer."

"The martial arts director is Chenlong's senior brother," he mentioned specifically.

"Oh..." As soon as Chen Long is mentioned, people know he's famous.

Even Americans know that Chen Long's action scenes rarely use special effects.

They can use stunt doubles, but there aren't many special effects.

This is not surprising, given the powerful alliance.

By using someone else's name and waving a big flag, Sammo Hung still has quite a bit of influence.

However, the eldest brother's personality is too assertive, while Zhang Yuan is more tactful and willing to back down, which is better.

It becomes difficult to cooperate with someone who is equally assertive.

When Chen Long was filming overseas, the director wouldn't listen to him, but he eventually put up with it.

I definitely wouldn't stand it if I got a new mobile phone; I'd probably go on strike.

Therefore, Sammo Hung basically couldn't make it outside of Hong Kong's entertainment circle.

This is what they call character determining destiny.

However, whether in China or abroad, men believe in only one thing.

Let's see what it's really like!
Talk is cheap; in the end, it all comes down to actual ability.

Stallone personally invited him to dinner, which is already a great honor.

Also, to see what kind of person this is.

Looking at it now, he has no problem communicating and speaking, and his mind is normal.

At least there is no obvious tendency toward extremes.

You know what, there are a lot of crazy people in the entertainment industry, both domestically and internationally. Stallone was just trying to find out what's going on.

Old-school artists believe that seeing is believing.

After we finished eating, I invited him to visit my studio.

Zhang Yuan definitely had to flatter him; this was someone else's moment to show off.

The walls were covered with old posters, as well as life-size statues of Rambo and Rocky, and a bunch of souvenirs.

Zhang Yuan was very accommodating, holding onto his right wrist the whole time and not taking anything.

Do you know how painful it is to see a Rambo-style M60 machine gun with ammunition belts but be unable to take it home?

After the hospitality was over, Stallone extended an invitation.

The general meaning is...

"We've finished eating and watching, let's find a place to digest our food."

First, they'll win you over with hospitality, then they'll make it harder for you to refuse their demands.

This led him to a boxing gym, which he had opened himself.

The facilities are complete, and the place is clean and hygienic.

When Zhang Yuan arrived at the place, he immediately noticed that it had been cleaned in advance, indicating that it had been planned in advance to bring him here.

He thought about it and figured Li Lianjie had said some nice things about him, but maybe he'd said too many nice things...

Sylvester Stallone is a strongman who has reached his current status because of his daring, fighting spirit and his refusal to submit to anyone.

Hearing Li Lianjie praise a young man so highly, he became envious.

I have to test whether I'm still vigorous despite my age.

That sounds nice, but it's just a suggestion to have him practice with you.

“You can go all out,” Stallone said after glancing at his physique after taking off his jacket.

Zhang Yuan shook his head inwardly.

Last time you said that, you got punched by Lundgren and ended up in the ICU.

Why don't they ever learn their lesson?

But I'm not a straight, STEM-oriented guy like Lundgren.

Sylvester Stallone is less than 1.8 meters tall and weighs over 250 pounds.

Moreover, this weight isn't from a large stomach; it's all from muscles honed through technology and hard work.

Even with boxing gloves on, one punch from him would be enough to hurt me.

In terms of weight, I'm at most a middleweight, while he's a heavyweight or above.

Lu Chuan always says I'm an idol, how can I let my image be ruined?

I still have to film a movie when I get back to China.

But it's not good to stun the other party.

Although, given Stallone's personality, he wouldn't get angry even if he were actually injured by him.

But what am I here for?
I'm here to film a movie, not to fight.

Besides, I wouldn't even show my face if I beat a 60-year-old man to a pulp.

So before he even put on his boxing gloves, he had already secretly devised a strategy in his mind.

"Come on!" Stallone beckoned him forward.

Instead of moving towards his opponent, Zhang Yuan beckoned back.

Stallone found it interesting, so he slowly stepped forward, adopting a boxing stance.

He glanced at the other person at the same time.

His hands hung down at his sides, without any pose.

It seems this kid is an amateur.

Since this is our first meeting and the purpose is to exchange ideas, I'd better hold back a bit... That's what my brother was thinking.

He then stepped forward with boxing steps, swayed his body slightly, and threw a standard jab with his right hand.

This basic boxing technique is often used in matches to test each other.

This probing made Stallone feel his fist suddenly lighten.

I got nothing.

The opponent leaned back slightly and dodged his straight punch.

"Phew!" Stallone thought to himself, "It's good to be young; you react and move quickly."

Looks like I need to step up my game.

Another straight punch, but this time it was a rear straight punch, with a wider opening and using the power of the legs and waist.

Zhang Yuan tilted his head and dodged the punch again.

"Use your kung fu," Stallone said.

“I’m using it right now,” Zhang Yuan replied steadily.

After saying that, the older brother quickly closed in and threw a series of hooks, swings, and jabs at a very fast speed.

But Zhang Yuan was like an eel, completely elusive to his opponent, who failed to land a single blow.

Stallone's breathing rate increased due to the continuous attacks.

Martial arts are quite physically demanding, especially boxing.

Otherwise, the World Boxing Championship wouldn't be set at 12 rounds, with each round lasting 3 minutes.

The later rounds are all protracted battles and attrition warfare, it's a test of who can hold out the longest.

In the early days, it was 15 rounds, but quite a few people were killed in the process, so the number of rounds was reduced.

High-intensity anaerobic exercise will cause physical fitness to deplete rapidly.

Stallone, having exhausted his energy, became calmer. He re-observed Zhang Yuan's movements and recalled the previous events, realizing something was amiss!
The other party did it on purpose!

Moreover, his gait and condition...

Stallone squinted and observed, finding the other person's state somewhat familiar.

This is……

When it comes to Stallone's generation, globally, whenever the word "boxing" is mentioned, only one name immediately comes to mind.

Ali!

Sylvester Stallone's breakthrough film, Rocky, was inspired by the fight in which Muhammad Ali won the heavyweight boxing title.

When it comes to boxers' fame, Tyson is the most famous in the world because he's so mainstream.

Mayweather and Lewis are also very strong, but they are mainly within the same circle.

Everyone knows Tyson.

Even Tyson, when he saw Ali on the show, laughed like a 200-pound child.

This isn't flattery; it's genuine admiration.

A grown man revealed the expression of someone meeting their childhood idol.

In the Japanese manga "Baki", the non-human creature Yujiro very rarely expressed respect to Ali.

It's basically the comic book author speaking through the characters.

Black people, Muslims.

In today's North American context, these two labels would absolutely make someone a paragon of the elite, a member of the Brahmin class.

In North America during the 6s and 70s, being labeled with these two tags meant you were done for. It was discrimination!
In the movie "Green Book," the professor is not allowed to dine with other customers in the restaurant.

These things all happened to Ali, and they even happened when he won the Olympic boxing championship and went to a restaurant with the gold medal around his neck.

Olympic champions are nothing, you old black guy came here to beg for food in America?

Even our old white man has a star and stripe pattern between his eyebrows!
In this context, after winning the Olympic gold medal, Ali began competing in the World Championships and eventually won eight North American gold belts and 22 world boxing gold belts.

He had two of the most famous matches in his life.

One of them was winning his first heavyweight championship by defeating Sonny Reston.

This Sony guy had a nickname back then: "The Vegetable Manufacturing Machine".

This shows how heavy his fist is.

But in this same match, Ali knocked out his technical opponent in just seven rounds.

Because during those seven rounds, Ali barely landed a single punch, yet, exhausted, he was forced to open a hole in the corner of his eye.

What made Ali a legend in this battle was not only his strength, but also his unique tactics.

That is, the legendary Phantom Fist and Butterfly Step!

The term "Phantom Fist" simply means his punches are fast, which is easy to understand.

But the butterfly step is amazing; it's Alibaba's signature move.

Simply put, unlike other heavyweight boxing champions who allocate all their skill points to strength and endurance.

Alibaba "selected all Agile because it was afraid of pain".

The butterfly step is a high-speed cross step that looks like tap dancing from a distance.

This footwork makes it difficult for the opponent to predict Ali's next move.

At the same time, Ali's upper and lower body exert their own power independently, and the upper body movements are not affected or restricted by the power exerted by the feet.

This means that no matter how you hit him, he can use his butterfly-like footwork and slight body sway to dodge your punches.

Moreover, Ali was the original trash-talker in boxing, capable of delivering a rap-like monologue before a fight that could break an opponent's defenses.

Being scolded makes one anxious, and being unable to hit someone makes one even more anxious, further depleting one's physical strength.

Ali, on the other hand, uses his agility to wait for you to tire yourself out.

With his over 2-meter wingspan, he's got the long wingspan to beat the short ones and the idiots.

Boxers who fought Ali not only suffered physical injuries, but also had a high rate of depression.

If you can't hit anyone in a match and you're completely exhausted, you'll feel incredibly frustrated.

But that's not where Alibaba's greatest strength lies.

Shortly after winning the boxing title, according to North American rules, the Vietnam War broke out, and he had to serve in the military.

Given his status as a boxing champion, even if he joined the army, he wouldn't be sent to the front lines. They would definitely provide him with good food and drink and give him a sinecure as a member of an arts troupe.

It's pretty much like Captain America during World War II.

Ali knew he would receive good treatment if he went, but he still publicly opposed military service.

He made it clear that the Vietnam War was an inhumane and unjust war, and that he would not cross 10000 kilometers to massacre those Asians.

Because of this incident, he dared to publicly oppose war, which is why he went from being a boxing champion to becoming a spiritual idol for countless people.

A true champion is one who is unafraid of power and dares to speak out for the weak.

Even so, after being nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 07, Ali ultimately lost the award, which was given to the Vice President during Clinton's presidency.

The claim is that Vice President Gore promoted the Kyoto Protocol, which made a significant contribution to global environmental protection.

But in the same year he won the award, it was discovered that his family's monthly electricity bill exceeded $1200...

The West is so hypocritical.

Ali, on the other hand, was disqualified from boxing by the Beacon for speaking out against injustice, banned from competing, and had all his honors in North America revoked.

It wasn't until three years later that he had the injunction lifted through legal proceedings.

But banning a boxer for three years during their prime could ruin their career.

How long is the prime of a professional athlete's career?

He was banned in 67 and never recovered until 74 when he faced Foreman, the boxing champion with a 40-fight winning streak.

Given his fame, Forman was very wary of Ali's butterfly walk, so he was initially very cautious.

But he discovered that Ali didn't use the butterfly step and wasn't very fast, so he could keep up with him.

He felt that Ali was too old and might not be able to use the butterfly step anymore.

Then he began to launch a series of attacks, and Ali could only parry and dodge throughout.

As he continued to hide, Foreman found his physical strength rapidly waning, while Ali found an opening and launched a fierce attack.

It's not that I'm too old to use it, but that Alibaba deliberately gave up on the Butterfly Step!

Like a peerless master, how can one take it to the next level?
Abandon techniques, find the Way of Oblivion, and find that no technique is better than any technique.

Not using the butterfly step means abandoning the moves and forms, which saves more energy.

Not only is it still difficult for his opponents to hit him, but Ali can also devote more energy to observing his opponents.

Just like IQ and EQ, Ali's boxing IQ is almost unmatched.

He can find your weaknesses, both physical and psychological, and attack them.

Looking at Zhang Yuan's condition, Stallone was reminded of the Ali boxing videos he had watched when he was young.

Zhang Yuan had only watched the video and had never met Ali in person.

Therefore, he was unable to replicate the opponent's butterfly step.

Learning by rote will only teach you the basics.

However, the principles of Chinese Kung Fu can be used to achieve a similar dodging effect to Ali.

For example, the technique of using the upper and lower body separately to generate power is very similar to the footwork of Baguazhang.

Even if the lower body moves at high speed, the upper body remains as stable as a mountain.

This dodging technique requires excellent body coordination and lower body control.

Fortunately, his "childhood training" is a natural style that places great emphasis on lower body strength.

In addition, Stallone is getting older, so not only are his movements not as fast, but his exertion tends to be very obvious.

Simply put, it's like those bosses in action games who have exaggerated attack animations before unleashing their moves.

And because of its high weight, the attack recovery time is also very long.

call!
call!
call!
Stallone kept chasing, but his attacks all missed.

His breathing grew louder and louder.

And the way the other person dodges is becoming more and more like that of their idol.

About 15 minutes later, Rambo was exhausted, looking like a dead dog.

Master Ye, however, could still take on ten.

"Stop, stop..." Stallone sat down in the corner of the boxing ring, panting and wiping his face with a towel.

No, no!

I've been practicing boxing for decades, how can I not even touch the hem of my opponent's clothes?

Is it possible that he's even more impressive than Jet claims?
JET not only didn't exaggerate, but also used the humility unique to Chinese people.
The old man recalled his story with Lundgren back then.

At least the other party just dodged...

She took a sip of water, then spat it all out. Afterwards, she looked helpless but also surprised as she asked him a question.

"You've studied boxing?"

“No, but I really like Mr. Ali; he’s my idol,” Zhang Yuan said deliberately.

“He’s also my idol!” Stallone quickly replied.

He imitated Ali's tactics, not only to avoid injury but also to leave a deeper impression on his opponent.

Having a shared idol allows for a range of conversations.

He patted him hard on the shoulder, as if to demonstrate his strength and let him know what the consequences would be if he were hit.

Unfortunately, the punch missed...

We talked for a long time, discussing many things about Eastern and Western martial arts cultures.

"It's a pity that you have such good skills, but it took you so long to recognize me," the other person sighed.

"And the script can't accommodate more of your scenes."

Stallone felt it was a pity.

Because there was already a capable Chinese fighter in the crew, namely Li Lianjie.

Zhang Yuan could never match Li Lianjie's fame, nor could he possibly replace him.

"It's alright," Zhang Yuan said nonchalantly.

How many more years can Lao Li play?
Just leave a good impression first.

"I feel very fortunate to have been able to work with so many superstars."

"Even a cameo role would be great."

“GREAT!” Stallone extended his large hand, and the two shook hands.

He then spoke in a bubbly voice.

"Welcome to the Expendables family."

After shaking hands with him, Zhang Yuan called his assistant to take a picture of the two of them.

He not only took a photo with Stallone, but also had someone take pictures of him from a distance while they were eating and chatting at the restaurant.

So, just a few days after he returned to the US, news of his meeting with Sylvester Stallone and his upcoming involvement in Stallone's new film spread across the internet… (End of Chapter)