"What? Not only did the operation fail, but they got caught? Charmu, I'll kill you!" Tutkason roared, his fury shaking the room.
"Sir, please—let me explain! Something unexpected happened. That kid somehow got involved with the daughter of the Vice Chairman of the New Jersey State Senate. Who could've possibly seen that coming?"
Tutkason's expression darkened. "What did you say? That's impossible!"
"It's true, Sir, every word of it. But don't worry—I've already found a way to get a message through. Those two will keep their mouths shut."
Tutkason grabbed Charmu by the collar. "And what good does that do now? If we've offended those politicians, our business could take a massive hit. Are you trying to ruin me?"
Just then, Charmu's phone rang. He glanced at the screen, his face turning pale. "Damn! Sir—it's the President calling…"
Tutkason sank into the sofa, his anger giving way to dread. He lowered his head in silence.
Charmu reluctantly answered. "Useless! A bunch of useless fools! Charmu, how many times have I told you not to act on your own? Who gave you permission to move without orders?"
Charmu grimaced and looked helplessly at Tutkason . He knew he'd have to take the blame. "I'm sorry, Sir. It's all my fault. I'll handle the aftermath—"
"Enough! You're not handling anything. Put that boy on the phone. Now!"
Charmu handed the phone over. Tutkason took it reluctantly. "Father… I was wrong."
The voice on the other end softened, though it carried clear disappointment. "How many times have I told you? Only when you lack the strength should you resort to underhanded tactics. To deal with a mere boxer—with your status and resources—why stoop to such petty tricks? This mess is nothing but your own doing."
"You just wanted to vent your anger, didn't you? There are better ways. You could've had people dig up dirt to ruin his reputation, or arranged a proper opponent to defeat him in the ring. Once he loses his momentum and hope in boxing, what's left of him? Do you think a rich girl would stay with a failure? Son, you've disappointed me deeply."
Despite the scolding, Tutkason's eyes brightened with sudden realization. "I understand now, Father. Don't worry—once I fix this, I'll return to the company and start from the ground up. I won't let you down again."
"Hmph. I'll be satisfied if you can just stay out of trouble. Remember this: an open scheme fears no exposure."
Tutkason nodded quickly. After hanging up, he turned to Charmu. "You heard him. We'll strike on two fronts. I want results—and soon. Understand?"
Charmu straightened up confidently. "Leave it to me, Sir. I'll make the arrangements perfectly. You just wait for the good news."
"Good. Find me several strong opponents. I'll choose from them myself."
"Yes, sir. I'll start contacting them right away..."
...
After a night of thought, Jason Luo made his decision—to take two commercial fights first. Sharpening the blade never slows the work. Only with solid strength could he seize the right opportunity when it came.
Once Rod heard Jason's decision, he immediately began organizing things. Brown also agreed. "Jason, you still lack enough ring experience. These kinds of fights may carry low risk, but they're far from useless. These lower-tier fighters face every kind of opponent and gain invaluable experience. You can learn a lot from them—how to manage stamina, how to protect yourself when you're at a disadvantage, and so on."
Jason chuckled to himself. So that was it—the coach was worried he might resist fighting in commercial matches.
Seeing his expression, Brown's face hardened. "Jason, don't look down on those fighters. They may lack talent and skill, but they possess something far more admirable—the courage to face defeat."
"There are many so-called undefeated champions. At their peak, they act invincible, but the moment they lose once, they collapse and disappear. In my eyes, those men aren't real warriors. The true fighters are the ones at the bottom—those who step into the ring knowing they're outmatched but still fight anyway. Do such people disgrace the ring?"
"There's a boxer nicknamed 'Mr. Reliable'—Christian Wright. Over fifteen years, he fought more than three hundred matches, losing two hundred ninety and drawing six. Yet he never gave up. A man like that earns everyone's respect. As your proverb says, 'Victory brings no arrogance, defeat no despair.' That's the highest state a fighter can reach."
Jason lowered his head, humbled. "Thank you, Coach. I guess I've been too proud. Everyone has something worth learning. I'll make sure to draw lessons from every opponent and turn them into my own strength."
Brown smiled at last. "That's it! Keep your head too high for too long, and you'll get dizzy. Sometimes, lowering it helps you see the path ahead. Jason, plenty of people dream of becoming world champions. Don't rush. Train hard—and leave the rest to God."
...
Setting up a commercial fight was easy. Rod's main focus was how to maximize Jason's exposure and commercial value.
Considering Jason's background, Rod narrowed the choices to cities with large immigrant communities—Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, and Boston—leaving the final decision to him.
Jason immediately chose Los Angeles. Maybe the name itself felt like destiny.
Rod was pleased. Los Angeles, located in Southern California, had one of the largest immigrant communities in the country. Its mild oceanic climate attracted countless newcomers, and many neighborhoods had developed distinct cultural identities—something that still took many Americans by surprise.
With the venue confirmed, finding an opponent was the easy part. But pre-fight weigh-ins, press events, and promotions would take time, meaning the earliest they could hold the match was about ten days later.
That was the life of a boxer—fight when there's a match, train hard when there isn't. The early career was always like this. Only after fame came did life begin to change.
"Squat lower! Jason, your center of gravity's too high when you dodge—that's why you can't slip properly. Push down! Right, use your waist for power!"
"Your circling rush can evolve into a spiral attack—it's all about how you shift your footwork..."
"You struggled last time against a Switch Stance opponent—that's your weakness. Fix it! Remember, your opponents might analyze every one of your fight recordings. If you want to be a champion, you need to be complete!"
The grueling training reignited Jason Luo's spirit.
Train harder.
I will become a champion!