After returning to Chicago, Jason Luo took two days to rest. The two points of Vitality he had absorbed from Charlison greatly aided his recovery, though the process still took time.
During these two days, Jason noticed many subtle yet extraordinary changes in his body. His eyesight and hearing had improved the most, but even his taste, touch, and sense of smell had become sharper. He could smell the faint floral scent from Grace even when she was far away.
When his father cooked, Jason could tell instantly whether he had used white or yellow pepper just from a single bite.
His sense of touch was another surprise. While practicing in the small garden Grace had planted behind the house, he could sense a butterfly fluttering past his back, as if the air currents from its wings brushed against him.
It left Jason deeply shocked—could enhanced Vitality really have such a dramatic effect?
The system prompt had once advised him to "continue cultivating and elevate his life form." That meant if his Vitality kept increasing, even greater transformations might follow.
Originally, Jason had treated Vitality as a reserve resource, something to keep in case of emergencies. But now he realized it was priceless. If he used too much and his Vitality dropped below 20 points, the system might reclaim all these new changes.
After experiencing this new state, Jason couldn't bear to lose it. He'd already tested it—his perception made dodging punches during sparring effortless, and the enhanced vision and hearing were a massive advantage in boxing. Giving that up now was impossible.
But that brought a new problem: Vitality had become the key.
He urgently needed more of it—and it seemed to come from blood. To Jason, blood had become something precious. In matches, his opponent's blood could be converted into Vitality. But what about outside of fights? Would animal blood work?
Intrigued, Jason went straight to the market, bought a live chicken, and tried an experiment. After killing it, nothing happened. Unwilling to give up, he stripped off his shirt and smeared the chicken's blood across his upper body—but there was still no response.
Henry Luo stood frozen, staring at his son's actions in disbelief, half convinced Jason had gone crazy. Jason quickly made up an excuse, claiming it was an old "Indian ritual" meant to bring good luck and ensure victory.
After brushing off his father's suspicion, Jason reflected while showering. It seemed animal blood didn't work. That left only one option—human blood.
The thought made his skin crawl. This was supposed to be a boxing champion system, so why did it feel like it kept nudging him toward becoming some kind of bloodthirsty maniac?
But how would he even get human blood?
Go pick fights in the street?
If he seriously injured someone, that would destroy his career! Underground fights weren't an option either—if any boxing organization found out, he'd be banned for life.
This was turning into a real dilemma.
...
The next day, Jason returned to the gym as usual. It was only June 24th, a week before Grace's summer break, and he had no time to waste.
Coach Brown greeted him with a grin. "Good recovery. Since your cuts are all on your face, it won't affect your regular training. I thought you'd try to steal one more day off!"
Jason laughed. "You're kidding, right? With the pressure I'm under, how could I dare slack off?"
Brown motioned for him to sit. "Jason, you're improving fast and your results have been excellent. Rod told me you're planning to go to China, and there's even talk of an Asia tour. That's great news. To be blunt, this is your chance to make real money."
"But I want you to stay clear-headed. There are plenty of regional titles and organizations out there, but none of them compare in prestige to the four major ones. This is your foundation! A boxer's prime only lasts a few years—don't waste those precious years chasing meaningless belts. Inside the four major organizations lie countless honors waiting for you: Intercontinental Champion, Regular Champion, Super Champion, world rankings in The Ring Magazine, even the Boxing Hall of Fame. This path could take a lifetime to walk. Do you understand?"
Jason nodded seriously. "I understand, Coach. I'm just getting started. I won't get carried away."
"That's good." Brown smiled, then added, "You'll be traveling to many countries soon. Every place has its own ways. Stay disciplined, and don't let something small ruin your future."
After giving his heartfelt advice, he went back to guiding Jason through training.
...
After several busy days, Rod finally reached an agreement with the domestic partners and finalized Jason's itinerary for his upcoming trip.
Jason's first stop would be Shanghai, where a welcome banquet would be held. Fellow boxers and martial arts stars would be invited to promote exchange and cooperation.
After that, Jason and his family would have about a week of free time before heading to Zhengzhou for a special exhibition organized by Martial Arts Wind. The event would feature Koichi Matsumoto, the former Japanese super middleweight champion of the APBA Asian Boxing Association, and Jason would receive a post-tax appearance fee of $85,000.
Jason found the plan thoughtful and reasonable, agreeing immediately. He only wondered whether he'd have enough time to visit Putian, Fujian, as he'd planned. But since the company had already scheduled the event, he'd have to find a way to make it work.
Rod also handed him a check for $730,000—his share of Youku video revenue and appearance fees from the last fight, with the appearance fee alone accounting for $80,000.
"Jason," Rod said, "commercial work earns far more than boxing itself. But remember—your commercial value depends entirely on your boxing success. Keep that in mind. And take good care of that check—it's not pocket change. If you don't have any immediate plans, consider investing."
Jason sighed. The more money he made, the more lost he felt. He didn't really have hobbies and honestly didn't know how to spend it. Maybe investment was a good idea someday, but he didn't know much about it, nor did he have friends in that field. A happy problem to have, he supposed.
Forget it—he'd just hand the money to his dad and let him handle it. Jason would focus on his schedule.
That night, Henry Luo called a family meeting. They decided that after the welcome banquet in Shanghai, Jason would travel alone to Putian to look for Liu Zhiqing's descendants. If things went smoothly, he'd stay a few extra days; if not, he'd regroup with the family in Jiexiu, Shanxi.
Henry would also help Grace bring part of her mother's ashes home. Returning to one's roots was important tradition, and this would help Grace find peace.
After reaching a decision, Henry began preparing—buying gifts, exchanging currency, and managing passports. All the arrangements fell on his shoulders.
Time flew by, and on July 2nd, Jason Luo and his family boarded the flight to Shanghai, accompanied by Rod and Editor Meng.
Han Libo, unable to join due to an interview assignment, handed Jason a phone number before they parted. "This is my friend in Putian. If you need help, call him—he'll do everything he can."
Jason thanked him sincerely.
After takeoff, Rod and Editor Meng chatted animatedly. Jason listened closely and learned a lot.
At one point, he asked a question he'd always wondered about. "Uncle Meng, why is your magazine called Boxing and Magazine?"
Old Meng laughed awkwardly. "We're a provincial publication. Back in 1982, when we started, we were just a bunch of young guys who knew nothing. Information was scarce. We knew the American The Ring magazine was called the 'Boxing Bible,' but we couldn't use the same name—so we went with Boxing and Magazine! Looking back now, it's honestly kind of funny."
Everyone laughed, then the conversation turned to their upcoming trip to Shanghai.
"Li Tonghui is now the WBC Super Welterweight Intercontinental Champion, Wu Ju holds the IBO Lightweight Gold Belt, and Su Jason is the WBA China Youth Champion. You'll all have the chance to exchange insights—it'll show you that local fighters have strong potential in the lower weight divisions. What we need now is someone like you, Jason, who can break the Western monopoly in the middle and heavyweight classes."
Jason smiled humbly. "I wouldn't go that far. They've already achieved so much, and I'm still empty-handed. I've got a long way to go."
...
After a long fifteen-hour flight, the plane finally began its descent. Jason pressed his forehead to the window, quietly taking in the view below. He felt a gentle warmth in his chest—a mix of excitement and anticipation for what awaited him.