After spending the afternoon at Dr. Miao's house, everyone expressed their hopes that Jason Luo could go further in the tournament—maybe even win the championship.
But no one could guarantee that. Once the Top 16 were set, the organizing committee would decide the pairings, with results announced three days later. For now, no one even knew who his opponent would be...
Everyone promised their full support, saying they'd bring as many friends as possible to the opening match of the finals to cheer him on.
That would be their only relaxing afternoon. Even though Jason had reached the Top 16, training only became stricter.
Brown began teaching him the reverse punch—feint left, then throw a powerful right. It wasn't a common technique, and it made Jason realize just how important Coordination really was.
Then came Silvaliev's absorption technique, which was even tougher to practice.
He had to let the sandbag tap against his head and use the absorption method to cancel out the recoil, keeping the bag still instead of bouncing back. After only a short while, Jason's head was spinning from the repeated impacts...
But after Brown explained the path to challenge the champions, Jason understood that the road ahead would only grow tougher.
He had to seize every chance if he wanted to help his old coach fulfill his dream as soon as possible.
Coach Pedro would be back soon!
Raul said the new treatment would finish in five days at most. Then Pedro would rush back from Princeton Medical School to attend Jason's first-round match.
That was why Jason threw himself into training—so his coach would see real progress when he returned.
But before the coach was back, Sonny had actually arranged an exclusive interview—and with a female reporter, no less!
Angela walked up to Jason with poise.
"Hello, Jason. I was sent by our editor-in-chief to do an exclusive interview with you. I hope I'm not disturbing your training."
Jason looked puzzled.
"An interview? I'm just a small-time amateur who barely made the Top 16. What's there to talk about?"
Angela flipped open her notebook.
"Of course there is! Don't you realize you've become the biggest dark horse of this tournament?"
"Jason Luo, born in 2002, only 19 years old. You only started boxing four and a half months ago. Yet with a record of 17 straight wins—16 of them by knockout—you've made it to the Golden Gloves finals. That's already extraordinary!"
"We'd like to learn about your experiences and mindset, then publish a piece in the Chicago Tribune's sports section to inspire others to follow your example..."
Jason's head was spinning. Follow my example? What for?
Should I just tell them that besides hard work, the real secret is having a champion system?
He waved his hands quickly.
"Uh... Miss Angela, I'm sorry, but I really don't have much to say..."
Just then, Brown came over.
"Thanks, gorgeous. Take a break—I'll get this kid to work with you."
Then he dragged Jason away.
He pulled him to the far side of the training platform.
"Jason, this is a great opportunity! From now on, you need to learn how to deal with the media. Kid, you still don't get it—professional boxing isn't just about strength. Another key factor is commercial value!"
"You'll see once you turn pro. A promotion company doesn't just arrange fights—they package you, build your image, raise your influence. That's the only way you'll keep getting chances at higher-ranked opponents until you win a championship belt!"
"Sonny's already giving you early packaging, expanding your influence. That's a huge advantage—so why are you resisting?"
Jason glanced at Angela, uneasy.
"But what do I even say to her? I don't really have anything to say."
Brown kicked him in frustration.
"Are you stupid? Just say nice things! Make them up if you have to..."
"Oh, alright, I'll try!"
"Relax, it's easy..." Brown reassured him.
Angela stood up as Jason returned.
"Can we begin now, Mr. Jason Luo?"
Jason nodded hesitantly.
"Alright, first question: What's the driving force behind your rapid progress in such a short time?"
"Ahem... well, I'd say the most important reason is that I met two very professional and dedicated coaches. Thanks to their strict but caring guidance, I was able to achieve what I have today..."
As he spoke, Jason sneaked glances at Brown, lowering his voice as if afraid Brown would overhear. His sheepish, almost sneaky look nearly made Angela laugh.
"Oh? So by your account, all the credit belongs to your coaches? Didn't you put in any effort yourself?"
"Well, yes, I did... but mainly it's because my coaches are so good."
Angela held back a smile.
"Alright, second question. Do you plan to go all-out for the championship in the finals?"
Jason grew serious.
"Well, I know it'll be very tough. But I'll definitely give it everything I've got."
Angela nodded. That was the right kind of answer.
"Third question—about sportsmanship. Could you share what you felt up there in the ring..."
...
The interview itself wasn't long—less than an hour. But by the time Jason saw the reporter off, he was drenched in sweat. Talking to reporters like that was exhausting—say the wrong thing, and it could cause real trouble.
Brown came over, smiling.
"Relax. With Sonny screening things, nothing harmful will get out. Now, back to training. Once we know your opponent, we can tailor the drills."
Two days later.
When Raul came back, his expression was grim. Jason and Brown took the opponent list from him, and both turned pale at once!
The name on it was Carl Frazier!
What...?!
He had barely made the Top 16, and his very first match was against the No. 2 seed. What brutal luck!
But Raul shook his head. It wasn't bad luck—the committee had arranged it deliberately. For the Round of 16, the top four fighters were seeded and placed into Groups A, B, C, and D. Jason had been drawn into Group B, where his first match was set against Carl Frazier.
In the other Group B match, seventh-ranked Tutkason was paired against fifty-first-ranked Vathem. So barring surprises, Carl Frazier and Tutkason were expected to advance to the quarterfinals...
Jason understood. Even though he'd clawed his way into the Top 16, in reality he was just one of the stepping stones the organizers had prepared for the seeded fighters.
Hmph. So this was their idea of fairness...