After Ishikawa Hidehisa left, everyone gathered around, cheerful and excited. Rod was grinning from ear to ear. "You really pulled it off, kid! That was clean and effortless. What kind of miracle did that old man Datchai pull—training you up like this in just ten days?"
Jason Luo smiled lightly. "It was just a sparring match. I got lucky, that's all. Let's get back to business, Mr. Rod. My rematch with Carl is still over two months away—we can't just sit here waiting, right?"
"Right. You've already beaten Tomio, so no challengers are coming from the lower divisions for now. We reached out to IBF's Plant, but he declined to fight. WBC champion Maskaev, however, seems interested—but he's not someone to mess with. After discussing it with the coaching team, we agreed it's best not to engage him before your big match with Carl."
Coach Brown nodded. "Maskaev's a nightmare to face. His Toughness is legendary—like Foreman in his prime. He barely guards, takes punches straight to the face, yet no one can knock him down. And his heavy punches are lethal. There's no point taking that kind of risk right now."
Jason Luo felt reluctant, but he knew they were right. With the fight against Carl approaching, losing the championship belt now would make everything meaningless.
Rod shrugged. "So, for now, we'll set up exhibition bouts. Don't worry, the promoters will take care of arrangements. What we need to focus on is how to handle Carl's growing momentum. He's already strong under De La Hoya's guidance, and now he's getting technical coaching from Mayweather. That's serious pressure for us."
He sighed. "Yudar's response has been lukewarm—probably a dead end. I've also reached out to Pacquiao's manager, but we'll see how that goes. Golden Boy Promotions really knows where to hit us—they're counting on the fact that we lack high-level connections."
Jason Luo could only smile bitterly. That was the difference in foundation. Carl came from a champion's lineage, while he was just a self-made fighter. There was nothing to be done—it was out of his hands.
"It's fine, Mr. Rod. They might have the technical edge, but we'll rely on strategy. And in the end, it all comes down to our own strength, right, Coach?"
Coach Brown gave a tired smile. "You're taking it well, kid. For now, that's all we can do. When Carl's title challenge comes, we'll be there to watch and learn. An opportunity will show itself."
...
For the first time in months, Jason Luo's schedule eased up. With over two months to go before the fight, there was no need to stay on full alert. He trained just two hours a day, keeping himself in shape without overexerting.
Back home, he finally checked his system notifications. After defeating Ishikawa Hidehisa, the Greedy Wolf talent had activated again, extracting: Burst Power +2, Willpower +2, Leg Techniques +3, Elbow Techniques +3, Knee Techniques +2, Lower Body Strength +2, Leg Speed +1. Fifteen attribute points in total—not bad, though not much for his main stats.
Tony had been in China for some time, so Jason Luo called to check in.
Tony reported that he had researched all major cities across Fujian Province and found Quanzhou to have the best overall conditions among Quanzhou, Fuzhou, and Xiamen. He'd already met with local officials, who were very supportive—overseas investment was being encouraged.
A planning company had drafted an initial budget. Based on Jason Luo's blueprint, the total investment would run between 2 to 3 million dollars.
Tony had also tracked down Master Liu, but the old man was reluctant to come out of retirement. He told Tony to pass along a message: if the goal was just to make money by running training programs, he wasn't interested.
Jason Luo chuckled wryly. Even struggling with his own livelihood, Master Liu was still that stubborn. Since Liu lived in the mountains with poor reception, Jason had Tony relay his full idea instead.
The academy would be divided into two departments: boxing and martial arts.
The boxing division would include three tiers—recreational, amateur, and competitive. Jason Luo planned to send managers to organize internal and regional exchange bouts later on.
The martial arts division would also have three levels—beginner, intermediate, and advanced. Jason wanted to guide those kids into competitive training too, turning martial arts into something more than just a traditional practice. He hoped Master Liu could mentor them, observe carefully, and select worthy disciples to pass down his craft.
Most importantly, Jason had no plans to profit from the martial arts side. He would personally cover its expenses as long as necessary.
Tony was stunned. "Jason, are you crazy? We're investing millions. If it doesn't make money, what's the point?"
Jason chuckled. "Tony, the boxing division will be your responsibility. Whether it makes a profit depends on you. As for martial arts, that's separate. I just want to do something meaningful for Master Liu and for those kids. There should be more paths in life for them than just academics. Don't you think so?"
Tony sighed. "Man… the gap between us just keeps growing. Alright, I'll head into the mountains tomorrow. I'll let you know once I've got news."
...
The next day, before Tony could even call back, Rod burst in with big news.
"Haha, Jason! Pacquiao himself called—he's agreed to give you technical guidance! He's preparing for a fight right now, but after it's over, you can train with him. You'll need to go to Manila, but that's not a problem, is it?"
"Of course not!" Jason's eyes lit up. The thought of training with his idol made his heart race.
Manila wasn't far from Fujian either, so managing both sides of his plans would be easy. The region had plenty of overseas connections—everything about this arrangement was perfect.
Of course, there was the matter of compensation. BX Promotions was still negotiating with Pacquiao's management, but as long as the company was willing to invest, it shouldn't be an issue.
Perfect!
Jason might've acted indifferent about Mayweather training Carl, but deep down he knew—these champions carried decades of experience. A single pointer from them could be worth a lifetime. And hands-on training? Who wouldn't want that kind of chance?
Every boxer had a unique routine. Training side by side with Pacquiao would open up a whole new world for him.
That afternoon, Tony called again with more good news. After hearing Jason's plan, Master Liu had agreed to come out of retirement—on one condition: he didn't want a salary, just meals and a place to stay.
Jason laughed aloud. "That old man's still single—does he really plan to spend his whole life alone?"
Ah well, he thought. Let's just get him out of the mountains first. Once he's back in the world, we'll deal with the rest later.
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
p@treon com / GhostParser