After leaving Brown Manor around eight, Jason Luo—his body sore and weak from training—got on his bicycle and started heading home.
He wanted to speed up but quickly realized he just didn't have the strength. His legs were numb and shaky, as if they didn't even belong to him, unable to generate any power at all...
With a bitter smile, Jason Luo admitted to himself that this only proved his lower body really did need more work. Forget it, he'd just pedal slowly back.
The street was lined with single-family homes, and at this hour, families were gathered inside. Lights glowed warmly from every house, mixed with women's laughter and children's playful chatter. The whole place radiated warmth and happiness.
Jason Luo, however, was stuck thinking about training. Both his coach and Brown had stressed that he needed to strengthen his stamina at home. But what could he do? His house had nothing but a punching bag—how was he supposed to improve with that?
Time was another problem. His schedule was already crammed tight, and the only spare time he had was at night after coming home. By then, most gyms were already closed. Frustrating!
Was he really going to have to spend money on equipment?
Jason Luo felt reluctant. He had saved a little recently, but his father was getting out of the hospital in a month. That money needed to go toward his recovery and medicine. Besides, his father couldn't stay idle forever. If he couldn't find a job, at least with some savings, he could try a small business...
Man, it was tough...
As he rode, the surroundings grew familiar. Looking closer, he realized he was near Boeing.
Memories from two months ago rushed back—him and Tony breaking their backs working here. He chuckled. Compared to that, today's struggles weren't much at all.
Then he suddenly stopped. That's it! Since he couldn't train stamina at home, why not take on more physical work? That was training too!
Back when he did hauling jobs, he'd even gained several Free Attribute Points. Plus, he could earn some extra cash. The house was full of broken-down furniture anyway—time to replace it. At least then, when his father came home, it would look presentable.
That settled it.
Jason Luo immediately pulled out his phone and called Tony.
"Tony, can you help me out again? See if there's any night work available? Short hours would be great... hard labor's fine too..."
"Jason, what's going on? Did something happen? If you're strapped for cash, I don't have much, but you can use what I've got. If that's not enough, we'll figure something out." Tony Huo sounded worried.
"No, no, nothing like that. My coach just told me to push my stamina training. Since I'll be sweating buckets anyway, I figured I might as well do some work while I'm at it, right?"
"Oh, I see! You scared me for a second. I thought you were in trouble. Alright, leave it to me. The guy I hooked you up with last time does this year-round—he's got all kinds of jobs. Shouldn't be a problem."
"Perfect. Get back to me as soon as you can."
"Got it. I'll have an answer by tomorrow morning."
When he hung up, Jason Luo felt relieved. But once home, the cold emptiness hit him again.
He missed his father. He wanted a warm family. Thinking about him brought a swirl of emotions. Would this treatment finally break his father's drinking?
What kind of attitude would he have once discharged? For six years, he hadn't smiled, hadn't shown Jason Luo a kind face even once. Would this time be any different?
Would he support Jason Luo's boxing?
If he opposed it and tried to stop him, how could Jason Luo keep going? Wouldn't all his early effort be wasted...?
Restless, Jason Luo shook his head to push the thoughts away. He'd take things one step at a time. Training came first, no matter what.
He searched the house for something to train with but found nothing. Finally, he hoisted up the old bicycle Raul had given him, using it like a barbell. But after a few dozen lifts, it proved too light and awkward—totally pointless...
Frustration boiled over, and a deep, aching sorrow welled up inside. He threw the bike aside and pulled out his mother's portrait from under the bed. He always kept it hidden—if his father saw it while drunk, it would trigger a complete breakdown...
He wiped the dust off the photo, tears slipping down his cheeks as he looked at her.
"Mom, I sent Dad to rehab. I don't know if it'll finally work this time. Please, watch over us. Help him quit... I just can't take this anymore... Mom, I miss you! When you were here, our family was so happy. Everything changed after you left..."
"I feel like I'm just drifting through life. I don't want to live like this. Please, help him wake up. I just want a family... someone to talk to. I... I'm begging you..." Jason Luo broke down completely, sobbing uncontrollably.
Alone in the house, he finally let out years of bottled-up pain. He cried for a long time. When he finally stopped, he felt lighter. He placed his mother's portrait on the table, lit incense, and with her presence, the house seemed a little warmer, a little less lonely.
"Mom, I've started boxing. So far it's going pretty well. I'll keep working hard—I'll make something of myself. As long as Dad quits drinking, I'll hold this family up. I can do it!"
He gave up on stamina training for the night and spent two more hours hammering the heavy bag. Staring at his mother's photo, he finally drifted into a deep sleep.
...
The next day, Tony called with good news. He had found a night job at the freight yard. The hours were short, and the pay wasn't much, but Jason Luo accepted right away. For him, the training was more important than the money.
That morning at the gym, Pedro started drilling him on slips and switch stances. Sometimes in the ring, you'd run into southpaws, and the standard stance felt awkward and ineffective. That's why learning to switch was so important.
Even against an orthodox fighter, suddenly switching stances mid-fight could throw off their rhythm and slow their offense.
That afternoon, while sparring with Kamman, Jason Luo noticed he seemed distracted, his performance off.
"What's wrong, Kamman? Something on your mind?"
Kamman let out a sigh. "Not really. Just pressure. The Golden Gloves are coming up. I need to place well this year to get into the pros. Otherwise, my agent's sending me to Olympic trials."
Jason Luo frowned. "But isn't Olympic boxing good? Lots of champions came up that way."
Kamman shook his head. "I don't want to go. Olympic boxing uses headgear, and the style is totally different from pro boxing. I'm not used to it and would have to retrain. Eventually, I'd have to switch back to the pro style, and then I'd feel off again. Too much trouble!
"Besides, the Olympic trials are insanely competitive. I've got to place well this time!"
"Oh, I see. Hey, you're really strong—you'll definitely do great. If you're stressed about it, then I might as well not even bother showing up!"
Kamman chuckled. "You're stronger than you think. But I'm different. I'm already 25. If I don't make it now, it'll be too late. The older you are, the harder it is to catch the eye of a good management company. And without a strong company backing you, the pro circuit is brutal."
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
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