While Jason Luo focused on recovering, the situation outside continued to escalate, spreading rapidly through word of mouth. People began to hear that among Chicago's Chinese community, a young boxer had emerged—one who could hold his own in tough fights. It sparked a wave of hope.
America's sports culture was different. Even soccer struggled to gain popularity. The sports most valued by Americans—football, basketball, boxing, and auto racing—were all fiercely competitive, and Chinese participation in them was minimal.
This made it hard for Chinese Americans to integrate into mainstream sports life. Now that someone like Jason Luo had appeared, excitement naturally spread.
In the Chicago Chinese community, his name became a hot topic of conversation. Gradually, a strong wave of enthusiasm formed.
The media quickly capitalized on this buzz. Tabloids, eager for attention and with no sense of responsibility, began sensationalizing and exaggerating the story, confusing the public.
"Chinese boxer stuns the world, vows to claim the championship!"
"Chinese Kung Fu shocks the boxing ring!"
"Young Chinese fighter boasts he'll dominate the entire boxing scene..."
...
After three days in the hospital, Jason Luo completed his discharge paperwork. Tony drove the family home, but before they even arrived, they saw a large crowd gathered at the entrance of their apartment building.
Jason immediately told Tony to stop early. "Damn it! How did these people even find out where we live? With them around, it's better not to go home at all!"
Henry Luo sighed. "Yeah, and it's not just you—they won't even leave me alone. It's really getting on my nerves. But where else can we stay if not at home?"
Grace thought for a moment. "Dad, let's go to my place first. I'll stay with one of my pharmacy coworkers for a couple of days. They can't camp out there forever, right?"
Henry Luo sighed again. "I guess that'll have to do. Grace, give it a try. If it's not convenient, your brother and I can stay at a small hotel. Don't make things difficult for others, alright?"
"It's fine, Dad. I'm really close with her—she's been wanting me to keep her company anyway..."
Jason gave a wry smile. Once again, his success had brought trouble to his family. Not being able to go home—what kind of situation was that?
Tony laughed. "That's what they call the problem of success, Jason. Keep this up and you'll be rich soon. When that happens, just buy a big house with security guards—no one will bother you anymore!"
Henry widened his eyes. "Security guards? That sounds like living in a prison! I'm not staying anywhere that feels like that. No way!"
Grace nodded quickly. "Yeah! What if I want to come home and the guard won't let me in? That'd be a real hassle. Bad idea!"
Jason grinned. "Don't worry—the guard at the gate will be Tony. He'll definitely let you in."
"What? Jason, that's not fair! You promised me a villa, and now I'm the guard?"
"When we're away, the villa's all yours... hahaha!"
After settling temporarily, Jason resumed training the next day. There were only four days left before the match, and since he couldn't push too hard the day before, time was extremely tight.
But just as Brown and Jason began training, Raul rushed in. "Take a look at this! Today's papers sound... off."
Jason leaned over. Sure enough, the tone had changed. Several newspapers had started taking a mocking, sarcastic stance.
Some columns claimed Jason's technique was rough, saying he won through "luck and opportunism" and lacked "sportsmanship" or the "potential for greatness."
An article from Washington went even further, calling Jason arrogant. It claimed Carl had been unwell before the fight, saying Jason's victory was pure luck and predicting certain defeat in the next round.
Brown frowned as he read. "The tone's changed suddenly—and they're all saying the same thing. That's not coincidence. Something's behind this."
Raul nodded. "Let's ask Sonny. He's in the industry—he might know what's going on."
He quickly got in touch with Sonny, who was in Princeton accompanying Pedro for treatment. Sonny, ever the expert, soon identified the problem after hearing Raul's report.
"Let Jason focus on training. It's the emotional reaction of certain Chinese groups that's backfiring on him. You know the global climate right now—personal actions can easily get tangled with bigger issues. Tell him to stay clear-headed and avoid anything that could be linked to ethnic or political tensions. Maybe this is just a warning..."
Raul nodded slowly. "Got it. I'll remind Jason. Let's not tell Old Pedro—no need to worry him. We'll handle it."
When the call ended, the room fell silent.
In that moment, Jason finally understood what his father had meant before. Yet instead of discouraging him, this situation awakened a powerful sense of pride deep inside.
Raul gave a dry laugh. "Doesn't matter, Jason. Papers are papers—fans aren't blind. Let's focus on the fight. No matter how they twist the story, they can't call victory a loss. Let them talk."
Brown added, "Exactly. The media's always like that—one day sunshine, the next day storm. It's nothing new. But you should take Sonny's warning seriously. Stay away from sensitive topics."
Jason said nothing, but his fists clenched tightly.
Brown could tell it was hard for him to accept, so he shifted the subject. "Alright, no time to waste. Let's start your recovery drills. You just got out of the hospital, so we'll begin with light technical work—small evasive moves first..."
Though he knew it was unfair, Jason also knew that alone, he couldn't fight the hidden forces behind this. Still, he made a silent vow—someday, he would break through that wall.
Channeling his frustration into determination, Jason threw himself into training with renewed intensity...
That night, he discussed the situation with his father. Henry Luo was furious. "Son, don't let it get to you. The more they act like this, the more your efforts matter. Unless they dare disqualify you, keep fighting! Fight hard! Show them—show the whole world!"
Jason slammed the table with his fist. "You're right, Dad. I'll fight with everything I've got. I'll honor the blood in my veins."
"Good son!" Henry's voice trembled with pride. "Then I've made up my mind. I'll support you completely. From now on, our family's your foundation. You focus on training and competing—I'll handle everything else. The Luo family doesn't back down—we fight for our pride!"
From that moment, every punch Jason threw carried a new kind of power—a strength born of his blood and soul. One day, that power would carry him toward an immortal legend.
...
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