After hanging up the phone, Jason Luo felt no regret at all. Sure, everyone liked pretty girls, but he wasn't the kind of guy to play the fool. Besides, he was at a crucial point right now—spending time shopping with her? That would be insane!
The match had been relatively easy. Brown suggested they continue afternoon training as usual, which suited Jason Luo just fine. He had already made it into the top 32—pulled from over ten thousand competitors. None of them could be underestimated.
The top 16 was only one step away, but that step definitely wouldn't come easy...
Back at the gym, Jason Luo suddenly had an idea. Royerson's move really was vicious. If he could learn and master it himself, wouldn't that give him another trump card to fall back on?
When he shared the thought with Brown, the coach shook his head.
"Royerson's move is indeed powerful. He uses his waist to spin his body, then channels the centrifugal force into his hook, creating tremendous destructive impact. If you want to mess around with it in regular training, I won't object."
"But at this stage, I don't recommend practicing it, and I definitely don't want you trying it in the ring."
Jason Luo blinked. "Why? It looks really threatening!"
Brown's expression turned serious.
"Because it's too dangerous! The higher the level of fighters, the more they avoid flashy moves. Opponents at this stage are too good at spotting openings. Royerson's technique has three fatal flaws. First, it burns too much Stamina. Second, the timing is incredibly hard to master. Third—and worst of all—it leaves a massive opening. Against someone with fast Footwork and Punch Speed, one punch at close range will throw you off balance. With your body spinning at high speed, you're bound to hit the canvas. And you know what happens when you fall in the ring, right?"
Of course Jason Luo knew. There was no such thing as "just falling" in boxing—it counted as a knockdown. That meant losing two points straight away. More importantly, once you got up, you were almost guaranteed to face a fierce rush from your opponent. Half your momentum would already be gone!
His brief excitement was snuffed out instantly, leaving him slumped. Brown found it a little funny.
"You're nineteen and still sulking like that? Really! You should focus on techniques that fit your own style. Royerson is half-technical and mainly defensive, so that move works for him. But you're an offensive fighter—you need to think about attacking combinations. What, you expect to charge forward, suddenly pull back, and wait for your opponent to chase you?"
Jason Luo thought it over. That did make sense. Still, with strong opponents ahead, everyone else had their signature moves while he felt like he had nothing. It felt pathetic...
Brown couldn't help but chuckle at his downcast look.
"Alright then! I knew you'd try to squeeze something out of me. I'll teach you a move that suits you. Listen carefully!"
Jason Luo perked right up. The old miser was finally loosening up!
Brown considered for a moment.
"Your current charges are too straightforward. Your attack paths are predictable, so opponents can read and control you easily. I'll teach you a flanking charge."
"Start with a normal forward rush. After throwing a hook, use the momentum to slip to your opponent's side, then quickly pivot back and launch an attack from the flank. If they're ready for it, you can keep chaining it—circling around them..."
Jason Luo's mouth hung open. You could fight like that?
Unable to wait, he immediately went at the heavy bag. But the move wasn't easy—the key was syncing the pivot speed with his Footwork. Still, it was doable!
Under Brown's demonstration, Jason Luo gradually practiced the move. It wasn't the most powerful attack, but for him, it was definitely more practical.
Learning something new kept him energized, and he trained all afternoon without feeling tired. Toward the end of practice, Raul came running in.
"Man, tickets for the last knockout round are insanely scarce! I managed to get ten from the committee. Here—you take five. If you've got friends or family coming to support you, give them these."
Jason Luo accepted the tickets and thought for a moment. His father and Grace were out of the question. One for Tony, one for Dr. Miao... but there wasn't really anyone else to give them to.
Forget it. He'd just hand the rest to Dr. Miao and let him distribute them among the other friends.
After training, Jason Luo called Tony and asked him to drop off the tickets at Dr. Miao's place.
That night, Jason Luo gathered his thoughts and opened his attribute panel.
System Binder: Jason Luo
Age: 19
Height: 184 cm
Wingspan: 187 cm
Weight: 77.1 kg
Occupation: Amateur Contract Boxer
Reputation: Renowned
Strength: 11
Stamina: 14
Boxing Technique: 12
Footwork: 13
Reaction: 13
Punch Speed: 10
Coordination: 10
Explosiveness: 10
Recovery: 8
Dodge & Anticipation: 10
Toughness: 16
Jab Power: 11
Cross Power: 16
Free Attribute Points: 2
The stats looked great. Except for Recovery, everything was now in double digits. His technical weaknesses had been covered, and his physical attributes had improved significantly.
But what was the maximum value? 20? 30? Surely not 40. Jason Luo guessed randomly. Even if it was 30, at this pace, he'd probably max out some stats within a year. At most two years—and wouldn't all of them be maxed out by then?
If that happened, who in the world could withstand a single punch from him?
Haha... Thinking of that, Jason Luo chuckled softly. If it really turned out that way, it might be boring. But still... he liked the idea.
Exhausted after a long day, Jason Luo drifted into dreams again. This time, he was tearing through opponents in the ring. Carl Frazier and Yorkliel together weren't his match—he sent each of them flying out of the ring with one punch...
Trophy in hand, his old coach—recovered from illness—nodded approvingly from the sidelines.
Then the scene shifted. Jason Luo had become a hero in the League of Legends, locked in a life-or-death battle with Superman. But the underwear-on-the-outside guy was playing dirty, constantly breaking the rules. Jason Luo took a serious beating... Luckily, Wonder Woman swooped in to save him...
The chaotic dream was a complete mess.
When he woke at dawn, it was all gone. Jason Luo shook his head. What a ridiculous dream. Sigh... hard work was the only way forward. Dreams wouldn't feed you.
Morning training was a must. The weather was getting colder—it would snow soon. Thankfully, Tony had already helped Grace move into her new place. That kid was unusually attentive to her... definitely up to something!
Jason Luo laughed softly. At this age, love was always clumsy and raw—at most, just a bit of fondness. Let them be.
At six in the morning, Chicago was filled with rare tranquility and vitality. Jason Luo charged forward like a steam locomotive, white mist puffing from his mouth as he ran...