When David Miao arrived, the first thing he noticed was the bandage wrapped around Jason Luo's eye.
"Whoa! Jason, what happened?"
"Mr. Miao, it's nothing. I just got a small cut during the match. The bleeding's already stopped."
"You need to be careful. Infection's the real danger. Did they stitch it up yet?"
"Not yet. I was going to the hospital once the coaches got back."
"Good timing then. With me here, no need to go. I always keep a medical kit on hand. If you trust me, I'll stitch it for you. The sooner it's treated, the better..."
As expected from a professional doctor, Dr. Miao's kit was stocked with disinfectants and scarless sutures. He quickly redressed Jason Luo's wound and applied a flesh-colored bandage that looked much better than before.
"Oh! Dr. Miao, you're here—what a lifesaver! I was just about to take this kid to the hospital… Sorry to trouble you again, but thank you so much." Raul had rushed back and, seeing Dr. Miao suturing Jason Luo's wound, hurried over to express his gratitude.
"No problem, this is minor. The stitches won't need removal, but you have to keep the wound dry for the next few days—no water, not even sweat. That's especially important."
"Got it. We just found out the next match is tomorrow afternoon, and that's cutting it close. Will the wound be an issue, Dr. Miao?" Raul asked anxiously.
"What? Tomorrow afternoon already?" Dr. Miao looked up, thought for a moment, then said, "In principle, it shouldn't be a problem. You can add a waterproof medical patch during the match. The real concern is if you take another heavy blow…"
Jason Luo spoke up. "It's fine. I'll protect myself—as long as it doesn't affect my vision."
Raul nodded. "Tomorrow's opponent is a Japanese boxer. His preliminary record is one win and one loss—not too strong. Pedro has the full details. They went to get the car—we were rushing to the hospital earlier, but now I'll let them know. Anyway, I say we celebrate today. Since Dr. Miao is here, let's all have dinner together and talk more there."
Dr. Miao was about to decline, but Raul cut him off. "You have to come. Everyone should cheer this kid on. Let's go to Goya Restaurant—the French cuisine there is authentic. We'll talk details once we're seated."
Unable to refuse Raul's enthusiasm, Dr. Miao nodded in agreement.
Raul was in high spirits. "Great, we'll meet there then." With that, he turned and left first.
"Whoa, Goya? That's a three-Michelin-star restaurant! Mr. Raul's really going all out!" Tony Huo's eyes lit up.
Watching Raul leave, Dr. Miao smiled at Jason Luo. "Jason, looks like your boss treats you well. Want me to drive you guys?"
"Oh, no need, Mr. Miao. I'll go with my friends."
"Alright then, I'll head off."
...
Goya Restaurant.
It was Jason Luo and Tony's first time dining in such an upscale place, and they looked a little stiff. Fortunately, everyone was familiar, so no one paid attention to their table manners.
French dining was elaborate, with appetizers, main courses, and desserts brought out one by one. The food wasn't bad: puff pastry onion soup, French escargot, veal in white sauce, Marseille fish soup...
At the table, everyone raised their glasses to Dr. Miao. Athletes held deep respect for doctors, knowing how often their profession was indispensable.
The conversation soon turned back to Jason Luo. Pedro handed him the opponent's file.
"Take a look. Get a feel for it."
Jason Luo scanned the report: Sasaki Ichiro, from Yokohama, Japan. Age 24. Height 179 cm. Weight 75.5 kg. Amateur record: 11 wins, 3 losses, 2 draws.
A Japanese boxer!
For some reason, Jason Luo felt a sudden surge of fighting spirit.
Seeing Jason Luo finish reading, Pedro explained, "This Sasaki Ichiro doesn't have a high knockout rate. He's more of a technical fighter. Based on his record, he shouldn't be too tough, but we can't underestimate him. He's currently 1–1 in the preliminaries, and this match is his last chance to advance as a reserve."
Brown set down his glass. "When facing a technical fighter, the key is closing the distance. From today's match, I think you already understand that well."
Jason Luo nodded. For an offensive fighter, closing the gap against a technical opponent and forcing close-range exchanges was the way to gain the upper hand.
Pedro gave him a serious look. "You fought well today, but it's not enough. Stay calm in the ring. Don't fall into fixed patterns. Use what we've taught you flexibly. Win this round, and you'll qualify for the ranking tournament."
"What's the ranking tournament?"
Raul smiled. "Let me explain. After the preliminaries, you enter the official tournament. The first stage is the ranking points tournament. Each qualified fighter gets five matches. Winners earn points, but not a fixed amount—it's a five-point system. Your performance, technique, conditioning, and fight awareness are all evaluated. You might score three, or four, or even five points.
"Losers earn points too, but never more than three—usually only one or two. After five rounds, the top 512 fighters with the highest points move on to the knockout stage."
"Then it's head-to-head for another five rounds to reach the top sixteen finals. But that's down the line. Jason, you must win this last preliminary. If you can make the ranking tournament, you'll get your official amateur ranking—that's huge."
Jason Luo did the math—making the finals would take just 11 straight wins. Boldly, he asked, "So… what happens if I make it to the finals?"
Everyone burst out laughing. "You don't need to reach the finals. Just making the knockout stage could get you noticed by professional management companies.
"If you reach the top sixteen, you'll be a minor star already. And the champion gets a $3 million prize—agents will be lining up to sign you."
Jason Luo couldn't understand what was so funny. Was it really that impossible for him?
After dinner, as they were heading out, Dr. Miao called Jason Luo over.
"Jason, this might not be the best time to say it, but I really hope you win this fight. Not just for advancing. Many of us here had parents who fled during the war. So if you can… fight hard for us."
Jason Luo felt the same fire. "Don't worry, Mr. Miao. I won't let our community down. And since he's a technical fighter, I'm confident."
"Good. Very good!" Dr. Miao clenched his fist. "Then tomorrow I'll rally our Chinese friends—we'll all be there to cheer you on. Once the match time is confirmed, send me a message."
"Got it. I definitely won't forget this time."
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
p@treon com / GhostParser