Less than a minute into the match, Jason Luo floored his opponent, sending the crowd into a frenzy. Yet he felt only disappointment—an opponent like this hardly stirred his fighting spirit.
When a fighter gets knocked down, they often experience a brief moment of disorientation and a heavy psychological blow. Usually, a swift follow-up attack is enough to end the fight...
But Laurent quickly showed Jason Luo what "the cunning of the weak" meant. After falling, he secretly spat out his mouthguard. When the referee began counting, he waited until the count of eight before slowly getting up.
Just as the referee signaled for the match to continue, Laurent claimed his mouthguard had fallen out. The referee had no choice but to let him replace it. The back-and-forth delay cost more than ten seconds. By the time the fight resumed, Laurent had almost completely recovered.
What followed truly opened Jason Luo's eyes. Laurent used every trick in the book—forced clinches, arm-block defenses, circling to avoid confrontation. One moment his mouthguard fell out, the next his gloves came loose. He stalled however he could. Despite Jason Luo's relentless pressure and another knockdown in the second round, Laurent managed to drag the fight all the way to the end of the third.
This match was like trying to chop wet wood—it just wouldn't break cleanly!
Fuming as he returned to his corner, Jason Luo found Coach Brown laughing heartily.
"How was that? Pretty annoying, huh? Don't worry, he won't pull that again next round. If all goes as expected, you'll win!"
"Huh?"
Jason Luo was taken aback. Why would Coach Brown say that? Could it be…?
Brown shook his head. "I'll explain later. Don't worry—this isn't a fixed fight."
Sure enough, as soon as the fourth round started, Laurent changed completely. The stalling tactics were gone. He suddenly turned aggressive, launching a fierce counterattack.
Jason Luo met him head-on. The two exchanged rapid blows, and this time, Laurent seemed to fight with a do-or-die resolve, refusing to back down even as punches crashed into him.
But skill decided everything. After two solid exchanges, Jason Luo dropped him cleanly again. This time, Laurent stayed down, completely broken in spirit. He gave up the fight...
"Ding. Congratulations on defeating your opponent in an official match. The Greedy Wolf talent has automatically extracted the following attributes from your opponent's Melancholy trait: Stamina +1, Footwork +1, Reaction +1, Recovery +2, Coordination +1. Please check your status promptly."
Even in victory, Jason Luo felt little satisfaction. He couldn't stop wondering—why had Laurent suddenly changed his fighting style in the fourth round? And how had Coach Brown known it would happen?
In the locker room, Coach Brown explained patiently, "Jason, your professional career has been smooth sailing, so you probably can't imagine what fighters at the bottom go through. There are many like Laurent—no talent, no proper coaching, no promotion company willing to sign them. Yet, out of sheer love for boxing, they keep going…"
"But when dreams drift out of reach, reality hits hard. These men have families to feed. With no income, they have no choice but to become stepping stones—punching bags for others."
"Even that isn't easy. With no fame and limited skill, they earn only small appearance fees per fight. To cover basic family expenses, they have to fight two or three times a month just to scrape by."
"And in this industry, there are unspoken rules. No fixed fights—the match has to be entertaining. And you've got to last at least three rounds. If you get knocked out in seconds, not only does your pay drop, but your reputation suffers. Eventually, no one will book you anymore."
Jason Luo finally understood. There were so many things hidden behind the sport. His frustration toward Laurent eased.
"Then why didn't he just keep holding on?"
Brown smiled faintly. "There's a saying in their circle: 'The first three rounds are for your family; the fourth is for yourself.' No matter how strong the opponent, giving your all in the fourth round is the greatest respect you can show to boxing. When Laurent gave up at the end, it wasn't cowardice. He knew that if he got seriously injured and ended up in the hospital, his family would lose their only source of income."
At that moment, Jason Luo felt like he was seeing boxing through new eyes. The lives of these grassroots fighters were heartbreaking—yet even in such hardship, they held on to their respect and passion for the sport. That alone was extraordinary.
Compared to them, Jason Luo's circumstances were far better. Given that, what excuse did he have not to fight harder?
"Coach, I understand now! This fight was meaningful. I learned a lot from them—their attitude toward life and boxing will always push me forward!"
Brown's face brightened. "Good! That's what I want to hear. Keep that drive burning, kid. Let's get moving!"
...
Training resumed in full intensity. During a break, Jason Luo asked if he could try learning force-redirecting techniques.
To his surprise, Coach Brown disagreed. "That topic's been debated for years. On its own, force-redirecting sounds great. But in real competition, I don't recommend training that way."
"First, it's incredibly hard to master and unreliable. Boxing is brutal—there's no room for mistakes. Second, the technique has big flaws. Think about the rapid double swings I taught you—how would you redirect when being hit from both sides? And how would you redirect an uppercut?"
"So, it's fine to understand the principle and practice it casually—it might save you someday. But in daily training, rely on practical dodging and defensive movement instead."
Jason Luo thought it over and agreed. If that technique were truly that effective, it would already be common in boxing circles. He realized he'd overthought it again.
Coach Brown dropped the topic and shifted his focus. "Jason, only those who believe in miracles ever see them! As a boxer, you must have a commanding presence—an aura born from absolute confidence!"
"There was once an experiment: someone was handed a paper-thin walnut. After one look, they said they couldn't crush it. Then they were given a raw egg. This time, they tried—and actually cracked it. In truth, raw eggs are stronger than they look, while walnuts, despite seeming tough, aren't as durable."
"My point is, life works the same way. If you believe you can do something, you just might succeed. But if you're scared off by appearances, you'll never even try."
"The next phase of training is about building mental confidence. Every morning, look in the mirror and shout, 'I am the strongest!' ten times. When you hit the bag, believe you can break it. Give yourself that mental reinforcement. Understood?"
Jason Luo was stunned. Was this old man running some kind of motivational scam? Could that really work?
He glanced at the solid punching bag, then at his own hands, doubting it could ever work...