Hong Kong Film: Starting Undercover from the Five Tigers!

“I am Tom Anderson, the former world mixed martial arts champion,” the man said in fluent Chinese. “I heard there’s a very strong kid from China here, so I came here to meet him.”

The reporters immediately perked up: "Mr. Anderson, do you think you're confident?"

"Of course!" Tom laughed arrogantly. "I'm invincible, what's a little kid from China?"

"Then why did you come to take on the challenge earlier than planned? Wasn't it supposed to be a week later?"

“Because I can’t wait.” Tom looked toward the martial arts gym. “And I think it would be a waste of a week to deal with him.”

This blatant disrespect angered the onlookers, but everyone also knew that Tom was indeed very strong.

"This Tom is a real world champion," someone whispered. "He's much better than the previous ones."

"Can Liu Wenhao handle it? He's still just a kid."

"Hopefully nothing unexpected happens."

Listening to these discussions, Liu Wenhao took a deep breath and walked towards the crowd.

"You're Liu Wenhao?" Tom looked him up and down, his eyes full of disdain. "You look even weaker than I imagined."

"What do you want?" Liu Wenhao asked directly.

“It’s simple, let’s have a match.” Tom pointed to the courtyard of the martial arts school. “Right here, let’s start now.”

"Okay." Liu Wenhao replied without hesitation.

"Wait!" Old Mr. Ma came out. "Xiao Hao, are you sure you want to compete now?"

“Master, I’m fine.” Liu Wenhao looked at Tom. “And I think it’s time to show some people what Chinese Kung Fu is all about.”

Tom Anderson's arrival put the entire martial arts gym on edge. Unlike Thunder and Jack, Tom was a true world-class fighter who had dominated the international mixed martial arts scene for many years.

"Xiao Hao, do you really want to compete now?" Old Mr. Ma frowned deeply. "This Tom is not someone who can be compared to the others."

“I know, Master,” Liu Wenhao said, watching Tom warm up. “But the longer this drags on, the worse it will be for me. Rather than waiting passively, we should take the initiative.”

Chapter 1255 Frontal!

Master Chen also came over: "Xiao Hao, I just asked around, and this Tom is really good. He has only lost three times in his professional career, and that was after his peak."

"How old is he now?" Liu Wenhao asked.

“Thirty-two years old is the prime age for a combat athlete.” Master Chen’s expression was very serious. “He is experienced, technically proficient, and has an extremely strong mental fortitude.”

Liu Wenhao nodded. He could sense the aura of a professional player emanating from Tom, a quality forged through countless real battles.

"No matter what, I'm going to give it a try." Liu Wenhao stretched his body. "And I think now is a good opportunity to test my true abilities."

The crowd grew larger and larger, many of them drawn by Tom's fame. As a former world champion, he was highly renowned in the fighting world.

"I never expected to see Tom Anderson here!" someone exclaimed excitedly.

"Yeah, this guy is a legendary figure. He single-handedly swept through half of the fighting world back then."

"I just don't know how long Liu Wenhao can hold on."

"I think it's unlikely, after all, Tom is a professional, while Liu Wenhao is just an amateur."

These comments reached Liu Wenhao's ears, but he remained unaffected. After this period of training and competition, his mindset was much more stable than before.

"Ready, kid?" Tom walked up to Liu Wenhao, a dangerous glint in his eyes. "I won't show any mercy like the others did."

"I don't know either," Liu Wenhao replied calmly.

The match took place in the courtyard of the martial arts school, without a professional ring, just a circle drawn on the ground. This rudimentary setting made some reporters frown, but Tom didn't seem to care.

“It’s all the same where you fight,” Tom said, cracking his knuckles. “You’ll be down in no time anyway.”

As soon as the match began, Tom immediately displayed the strength of a world champion. His first attack put immense pressure on Liu Wenhao.

Unlike his previous opponents, Tom's every move was extremely precise, with no wasted effort. His punches, kicks, and grappling techniques were all at a very high level, and the transitions between his various techniques were incredibly smooth.

Liu

Wenhao lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling, his mind still replaying the match with Tom Anderson.

Tom's first punch made him realize what true professional level was. The perfect combination of power and speed, and the precision of every movement honed through countless trials, were completely unmatched by his previous opponents.

"This is a true master," Wen Hao thought to himself.

Although he ultimately lost, he learned a lot from the match. Tom was indeed more technically skilled, but more importantly, he possessed a composure and confidence honed through years of experience.

"Ring ring..." The phone rang.

"Mr. Liu, are you alright?" Manager Wang's voice sounded very worried. "I watched yesterday's game. Although we lost, your performance was already very good."

"I'm fine, Manager Wang." Wenhao sat up. "I just need some time to process this."

"That's good. But I have some news for you." Manager Wang's tone became excited, "The video of yesterday's match went viral online! Although you lost, the netizens' reaction was very positive."

"What's the meaning?".

Chapter 1256 Angry!

"Everyone thinks you've already done a remarkable job. For an 18-year-old high school student to compete with a world champion like that has exceeded everyone's expectations," Manager Wang said quickly. "Furthermore, several TV stations want to invite you to their programs, and advertisers want you to be their spokesperson."

Wen Hao frowned. He didn't like this excessive attention, especially after losing the game.

"Manager Wang, let's talk about these things later."

“Mr. Liu, please don’t think like that,” Manager Wang said anxiously. “Failure is also a kind of wealth. Your reputation is much higher now than before.”

After hanging up the phone, Wenhao felt somewhat helpless. He just wanted to quietly reflect on the gains and losses of this competition, but the outside noise always seemed to affect him.

When he arrived at school, the way his classmates looked at him was different than before. Some looked at him with sympathy, some with encouragement, and some with schadenfreude.

"Wenhao, it's okay," the class monitor comforted him. "That Tom is a world champion, it's not shameful to lose to him."

"That's right, and you're only eighteen. You'll have plenty of opportunities in the future."

But there are also some dissenting voices.

"I knew it! Chinese kung fu is all show and no substance," someone whispered. "It still gets defeated when it encounters a real master."

"They hyped it up so much before, but it turned out just like this."

These words made Wenhao feel uncomfortable, but he knew this was reality. When you win, everyone praises you; when you lose, people laugh at you.

After school in the afternoon, Wenhao went straight to Zhengwu Hall.

"Master, I'm back."

Mr. Ma was feeding the birds in the yard when he saw him return. He nodded slightly and asked, "How are you feeling?"

"It was a huge blow," Wen Hao said without hiding anything. "I realized that there's still a long way to go between me and the real masters."

Where does the gap lie?

Wenhao thought for a moment: "The technical gap isn't the most important thing. The biggest gap is experience and mindset. Tom was very calm throughout the game, and every move he made had a clear purpose. But sometimes I get affected by my emotions and make some unnecessary mistakes."

Mr. Ma nodded with satisfaction: "Being able to recognize your shortcomings shows that you are making progress."

"But Master, I'm a little confused." Wenhao sat on the stone bench. "I feel that my skills are already quite good, so why is there still such a big gap in actual combat?"

"Xiao Hao, what do you think is the most important thing in martial arts?" Mr. Ma asked in return.

“Practicality?”

“No,” Mr. Ma shook his head. “The most important thing in martial arts is the mind. Technique can be acquired through training, but the mind needs to be cultivated slowly.”

As they were talking, Master Chen walked in, holding a newspaper in his hand.

"Senior, take a look at this." Master Chen handed over the newspaper. "Today's sports headline."

Wenhao leaned closer to take a look, and the title was "The True Level of Kung Fu in China".

The article's content angered him. The author, based on yesterday's match, questioned the practicality of traditional Chinese martial arts, arguing that they were merely decorative in the face of modern combat.

"These reporters are talking nonsense," Master Chen said indignantly. "Can one competition represent the entire martial arts of China?"

But Mr. Ma remained calm: "Let them talk. A true martial artist doesn't need to prove anything through arguments."

"Master, aren't you angry?" Wenhao asked.

Chapter 1257 Night View!

"Why get angry?" Mr. Ma asked in return. "We practice martial arts for ourselves, not for other people's opinions."

These words made Wen Hao fall into deep thought. Indeed, lately, he seemed to have been too concerned about what others thought.

"Oh, right, Xiao Hao." Master Chen remembered something, "Li Qiang came to see you today, saying he had something important to discuss with you."

"Li Qiang? What does he want with me?"

"I don't know, he said you should come see him when you have time."

Wenhao nodded and decided to go see Li Qiang that evening.

After dinner, Wenhao went to Li Qiang's house.

"Brother Wenhao, you're finally here!" Li Qiang exclaimed excitedly. "I've been waiting for you all day."

"What is so urgent?"

Li Qiang smiled mysteriously and pulled him into the room: "I'll tell you a secret, about that Tom."

"What secret?" Wenhao asked, intrigued.

“After the game yesterday, I walked with Tom and the others for a while,” Li Qiang said in a low voice. “I heard them talking.”

"What to talk about?"

"Tom said that you are actually much stronger than he expected," Li Qiang said excitedly. "He thought he could finish the match in three minutes, but it lasted fifteen minutes."

This news surprised Wenhao. Tom seemed very relaxed during yesterday's match; he hadn't expected him to be thinking this way.

"anything else?"

"Tom also said that if you train for another two years, you could become a threat to him," Li Qiang said, getting more and more excited. "So he suggested that Johnson sign you before you develop."

Wenhao frowned: "They want to sign me?"

"Yes! And the terms are even better than before. An annual salary of three million US dollars, including various training expenses and living allowances."

This number made Wenhao gasp. Three million US dollars, that's more than 20 million RMB.

“But there’s a condition.” Li Qiang’s expression turned serious. “You must renounce your Chinese citizenship and become a Japanese citizen.”

"What?" Wenhao stood up abruptly. "What gives them the right to make such a demand?"

“Johnson said that only in this way can you gain recognition in the professional fighting circle in Japan.” Li Qiang shook his head. “I think these foreigners are going too far.”

Wenhao paced back and forth in his room, his feelings a complex mix. On one hand, the offer was indeed tempting, enough to change his and his family's lives. On the other hand, he had never considered giving up his citizenship.

"Brother Wenhao, you're not really considering it, are you?" Li Qiang asked with some concern.

“I…I’m just shocked.” Wenhao shook his head. “I didn’t expect them to make such a condition.”

"Don't agree!" Li Qiang grabbed his arm. "You're our pride, how can you become a foreigner?"

Wenhao nodded, but he was still conflicted.

When Wenhao got home, he told his mother the news.

"Three million US dollars?" Mom was also shocked by the number. "So much money..."

"But we have to give up our Chinese citizenship." Wenhao looked at his mother's expression. "Mom, what do you think?"

After a long silence, the mother finally shook her head: "Son, money is important, but there are some things that are more important than money."

"Like what?"

“Like your roots.” Mom walked to the window, looking at the night view outside. “You were born here, grew up here, learned Chinese martial arts, and speak the Chinese language. If you change all of that for money, are you still you?”

Chapter 1258 will be managed!

Wenhao nodded. His mother was right; some things are indeed more important than money.

“And, son,” Mom turned around, “what was your initial motivation for practicing martial arts? Was it for money?”