Hong Kong Film: Starting Undercover from the Five Tigers!

"Come, come, sit down and let's talk." Wang Lei poured Liu Wenhao a cup of tea. "Mr. Liu, I've watched all your videos, and your skills are indeed excellent. I think you have a very good chance of winning this competition."

"What video?" Liu Wenhao asked, puzzled.

“Those are the ones you had at school…” Wang Lei made a fighting gesture.

Liu Wenhao frowned. He didn't want to become famous because of those things.

"Manager Wang, those are all things of the past."

“Yes, yes, I understand.” Wang Lei quickly nodded. “Now let’s get down to business. There are 32 contestants participating in this competition, divided into four groups for elimination rounds, and the champion will be decided in the end.”

Wang Lei took out a document: "Take a look at the information on these competitors."

Liu Wenhao flipped through the document and found it filled with information on various contestants. There were retired soldiers, professional boxers, internet celebrities, and some names he didn't recognize.

“This Zhang Hu was last year’s runner-up,” Wang Lei said, pointing to a photo of one of the people. “He’s trained in Sanda (Chinese kickboxing) and is very strong.”

"And then there's Li Meng, a professional boxer who has fought in several commercial matches."

Liu Wenhao carefully looked at the information of these people and found that he was indeed the youngest among them.

"Manager Wang, what do I need to prepare?"

"Basic medical check-up, signing the contract, and a media conference." Wang Lei handed him a contract. "Take a look at the contract first, and we can discuss any issues later."

Liu Wenhao took the contract and found the terms to be quite complicated. The gist was that the club would be responsible for packaging and promotion, he would be responsible for playing matches, and the prize money would be split 70/30.

"Manager Wang, about this profit-sharing ratio..."

“Mr. Liu, please consider our investment,” Wang Lei interrupted him. “Venue, publicity, packaging, training—all of these require costs. Moreover, we will also arrange professional trainers for you.”

Liu Wenhao thought about it and agreed. He did indeed need professional guidance right now.

"Okay, I'll sign."

After signing the contract, Wang Lei immediately arranged for a medical examination and training plan.

Chapter 1232 Tradition!

"Mr. Liu, starting tomorrow, you will officially be a contracted player with our club." Wang Lei smiled happily. "We will definitely groom you into a star player."

When he got home, Liu Wenhao told his mother about signing the contract.

"Son, are you sure this decision is the right one?" the mother asked, somewhat worried.

“Mom, I believe in my abilities.” Liu Wenhao held his mother’s hand. “Besides, I can’t stay at home forever. I need to have a direction for development.”

That evening, Liu Wenhao called Mr. Ma and explained his decision.

There was silence on the other end of the phone for a long time.

"Master, do you think I did the right thing?"

"Wenhao, do you remember what I told you?" Mr. Ma's voice was somewhat heavy.

"You mean you can't use martial arts to make a profit?"

“It’s not just about making a profit, but more importantly, about not losing sight of your original aspirations.” Mr. Ma sighed. “However, I also understand your situation.”

“Master, I promise I will never forget what you taught me.”

"I hope so." Mr. Ma paused. "If you feel lost, you can come back to me anytime."

After hanging up the phone, Liu Wenhao looked at the night view outside the window, feeling somewhat conflicted.

Perhaps this is the choice we make in life. Sometimes, you have to compromise between ideals and reality.

But he believes that as long as he stays true to his original aspirations, he will not go astray.

The next day, Liu Wenhao arrived at the Wolf Warrior Club to begin training.

The trainer was a retired soldier named Chen Li, who looked very serious.

"Liu Wenhao, right?" Chen Li looked him up and down. "I heard you're pretty good at fighting?"

"It's alright," Liu Wenhao said modestly.

"Then let's give it a try." Chen Li pointed to the sandbag next to him. "Let me see your basic skills first."

Liu Wenhao walked to the sandbag, assumed a horse stance, and began to throw punches.

Bang! Bang! Bang! The sandbag was hit so hard it shook violently.

Chen Li watched for a while and nodded: "The strength is good, but the movements are too rigid."

"What do you mean?"

“Real combat and performance are different.” Chen Li walked over and said, “Your movements are too textbook-like and lack variation.”

"Then how should we practice?"

"A real fight." Chen Li pointed to the arena next to him. "No matter how much theory you talk about, it's not as good as practicing it once."

There was already a fighter training in the ring; he was a young man in his twenties with a very strong build.

"Xiao Zhao, come over and practice with the newbie," Chen Li called out.

Xiao Zhao walked over, looked at Liu Wenhao, and asked, "Is this the high school student?"

“Yes, that’s him.” Chen Li nodded. “You guys do a practice spar first.”

Liu Wenhao and Xiao Zhao put on their protective gear and stepped onto the ring.

"Little brother, I won't hold back." Xiao Zhao loosened his joints.

"Please advise me." Liu Wenhao assumed a horse stance.

When Xiao Zhao saw his pose, he couldn't help but laugh: "Still striking this classical pose? This is modern combat, not a martial arts novel."

No sooner had he finished speaking than Xiao Zhao rushed forward, throwing a straight punch at Liu Wenhao's face.

Liu Wenhao instinctively used Tai Chi techniques to deflect the attack, but Xiao Zhao's attack angle was tricky, and his deflection movements appeared somewhat stiff.

Xiao Zhao seized the opportunity and delivered a low sweeping kick, catching Liu Wenhao off guard and causing him to fall to the ground.

"How about that?" Xiao Zhao looked down at him. "Traditional martial arts are nothing but empty gestures in the face of modern combat."

Chapter 1233 Fusion!

Liu Wenhao got up, feeling somewhat unconvinced. He felt it wasn't that Tai Chi was ineffective, but rather that he hadn't fully mastered it yet.

"One more time."

This time, Liu Wenhao abandoned the routines of Tai Chi and adopted a more direct attack method.

His speed and strength were indeed very strong; after a few punches, Xiao Zhao began to struggle to defend himself.

Finally, Liu Wenhao landed a heavy punch on Xiao Zhao's chest, and Xiao Zhao fell to the ground, unable to get up.

"Not bad." Chen Li stepped onto the arena. "It seems your strength is indeed quite good. However, the battle just now exposed your problems."

"what is the problem?"

“Your fighting style is inconsistent,” Chen Li pointed at him. “Sometimes you use traditional martial arts, sometimes you use modern fighting. If you continue like this, your opponents will exploit your weaknesses.”

Liu Wenhao seemed to be deep in thought. Indeed, he had learned Tai Chi, but he couldn't completely abandon his previous fighting skills. Mixing the two styles together would only make it look awkward and incongruous.

"Then what should I do?"

“Choose a style and specialize in it,” Chen Li said. “Either pure modern combat or traditional martial arts. You can’t do both.”

This suggestion made Liu Wenhao fall into deep thought.

Choosing modern combat sports would mean giving up Tai Chi. But Tai Chi was taught to him by Master Ma, and it holds special significance for him.

Choosing traditional martial arts means facing opponents in modern combat sports, where the outcome is unpredictable.

This choice was much more difficult than he had imagined.

"Master, I have encountered a problem."

Liu Wenhao stood at the entrance of the Zhengwu Club, watching Mr. Ma practicing Tai Chi. Three days of club training had only deepened his confusion.

"What's the problem?" Old Master Ma stopped his movements and looked at his disciple, who had changed again after only three days.

"Traditional martial arts or modern combat sports, which should I choose?" Liu Wenhao expressed his confusion.

After listening, Mr. Ma smiled faintly: "You think they are opposites?"

"Isn't that right?" Liu Wenhao asked doubtfully. "Coach Chen said that mixing the two styles together would expose weaknesses."

"What do you think?" Mr. Ma didn't answer directly, but asked in return.

Liu Wenhao thought for a moment and said, "I feel... they can complement each other."

"Why do you say that?"

"Tai Chi taught me how to deflect an opponent's attacks, while modern combat sports taught me how to attack more effectively," Liu Wenhao said, becoming increasingly excited. "If I could combine the two, wouldn't I be even stronger?"

Mr. Ma nodded: "That's your answer."

"But Coach Chen said..."

“Coach Chen is not wrong, but he is talking about the general situation.” Mr. Ma walked a few steps with his hands behind his back. “For ordinary people, it is indeed easier to achieve results by specializing in one thing. But you are different.”

"What makes me different?"

“You have talent,” Mr. Ma said, looking at him. “And you have a strong learning ability. Others need to choose, but you can integrate.”

This sentence made Liu Wenhao suddenly understand.

"Master, can you teach me how to fuse them?"

“Of course you can,” Mr. Ma smiled. “However, it is much more difficult than simply learning a martial art.”

"I'm not afraid of difficulties."

Over the next few days, Liu Wenhao shuttled back and forth between the club and the martial arts school. During the day, he learned modern combat techniques at the club, and at night he studied the essence of Tai Chi at the martial arts school.

Gradually, he discovered that the two martial arts styles could indeed be integrated.

Chapter 1234: Dinner!

The "listening energy" technique in Tai Chi allows him to better anticipate his opponent's attacks, while the directness and effectiveness of modern combat makes his counterattacks even more lethal.

"Not bad, you've improved." Chen Li watched Liu Wenhao sparring with another player. "Your style is becoming more and more distinctive."

Indeed, Liu Wenhao is no longer simply a power-based fighter. His attacks have become smarter, and his defense more skillful.

"Coach Chen, I have an idea," Liu Wenhao said, wiping his sweat.

"what idea?"

"I want to challenge a stronger opponent."

Chen Li frowned: "You've only been training for a week, don't be too impatient."

"I think I'm ready," Liu Wenhao said confidently. "At least I can give it a try."

Chen Li looked at him and finally nodded: "Alright, Zhang Hu is training here today, so you guys can practice."

Zhang Hu was last year's runner-up, and his strength ranks among the top three of all contestants.

"Kid, are you sure you want to challenge me?" Zhang Hu looked at Liu Wenhao with a hint of contempt in his eyes. "I won't go easy on you just because you're young."

“I don’t need you to go easy on me,” Liu Wenhao said calmly.

The two put on their protective gear and stepped onto the ring. The people around them stopped training and gathered around to watch.

"That kid's got guts."

"Zhang Hu's strength is no joke."

"I doubt it will last more than a few rounds."

Listening to the surrounding discussions, Liu Wenhao felt even calmer. He recalled Mr. Ma's words: "Still as a mountain, swift as thunder."

"start!"

Zhang Hu launched the first attack, throwing a left hook straight at Liu Wenhao's chin.

Liu Wenhao slightly turned his body and at the same time drew a small circle with his right hand, deftly deflecting the punch.