Jason grinned to himself. Now that's a pro.
After the introductions, Ms. Hao Xiulian arranged their rooms and let them rest for a few hours before the welcome banquet that evening.
At dinner, Jason's family was seated with several female guests from the organizing team. Their table was filled with people from the boxing community, and the conversation quickly became lively.
Most of the athletes stayed away from alcohol, so Old Meng and Coach Du turned their attention toward Rod instead. Editor Meng's drinking ability was terrifying, and poor Rod couldn't keep up no matter how hard he tried.
The others chatted over tea instead of wine.
Among them, only Wu Ju was close to Jason's age, so the two connected quickly.
"Jason Luo, your last fight was incredible!" Wu Ju said. "I even paid to download it. I'm planning to watch it before every match—it fires me up!"
Jason lifted his teacup in a polite toast. "I'm flattered. You're all older and more accomplished than me. I still have a lot to learn from everyone here."
Li Tonghui laughed. "Come on, Jason! We're all fighters here. Don't start with that humble talk or we'll walk out! Learn what? Your fight was pure power. I watched it, and there's only one word for it—awesome! I may be a super welterweight, but I know the WBA super middleweight scene. After you took down Charlison, there aren't many in that division who can stop you. You'll be at the top before long."
Wu Ju nodded. "Exactly! That Siham and David Morrell aren't much stronger than Charlison. We all think you can take them down."
Jason smiled awkwardly at the flood of praise and quickly shifted the topic. "By the way, what's the story with Koichi Matsumoto?"
Li Tonghui chuckled. "Ah, that guy. He was the APBA Asian Champion five years ago. Still has some skill, but he's been slipping for years. Now he just makes the rounds cashing in on his old fame."
"It's just an exhibition match, Jason. Don't overthink it. But I'll say this—Japan's boxing level is high, and they tend to be pretty cocky. So this time, don't go easy on them. Teach them a good lesson."
Jason nodded.
Then Wu Ju suddenly leaned in. "Jason, where's your ancestral hometown?"
"It should be Zhangjiakou, Hebei," Jason replied. "But my grandfather moved away when he was a kid."
Wu Ju glanced at Rod, who was already half-drunk, then lowered his voice. "Jason, it'd be great if you ever considered taking Chinese citizenship. Every time I see 'American-born Chinese boxer Jason Luo,' it feels like something's missing."
Li Tonghui added, "Yeah, once you win the WBA title, technically it'll be America's honor, not ours. That stings a bit."
Jason looked surprised. "Wait—would that even be possible?"
"Why not? Don't you ever think about—"
Before he could finish, Old Meng turned and shot Wu Ju a sharp glare. Everyone immediately caught the hint and dropped the subject.
...
After dinner, they exchanged contact information and said their goodbyes. Jason then parted ways with his family and boarded the G1659 high-speed train alone, heading for Putian.
Shanghai wasn't far, and a little over four hours later, Jason arrived in the prefecture-level city.
Han Libo had given him an address in Linquan Town. As for the local contact, Jason decided not to bother him. I'm a grown man. With an address and a name, I should be able to find someone on my own.
He took a taxi straight to Linquan Town—but once he got there, he realized he had a problem.
Putian was famous as one of the nation's main shoe production hubs. In the city center, Mandarin worked fine, but in Linquan Town, people spoke the local Putian-Xian dialect. The locals understood Jason's Mandarin, but when they replied, he couldn't make out a single word.
How was he supposed to ask around like this?
After a long search, he finally found a young student who could help him translate, but even after asking around, nobody had ever heard of a man named Liu Jiguang.
Frustrated, Jason decided to crash at a small local inn for the night.
With no better options, he decided to contact Han Libo's friend after all. The man told him that asking for "Liu Jiguang" wouldn't help—he needed to look for someone called "Sui Fu Liu," or "Crumbling Liu." Everyone in town knew that name.
Crumbling Liu? Jason frowned. What kind of nickname is that?
After hanging up, he hurried downstairs to ask the front desk lady. The name worked instantly.
As it turned out, "Crumbling Liu" was infamous for never selling proper tofu. He'd deliberately break up perfectly good tofu into small, crumbly chunks before selling it. The price was cheap, but his odd habits made him something of a local legend.
The catch was that he didn't live in town. His tofu workshop was deep in the countryside, with few people around. He only came out to sell tofu for two hours each day at a fixed time and place before heading home. He didn't socialize, hardly talked, and didn't even have a wife—an eccentric man, to say the least.
Jason frowned. "Could you take me to his place?"
The woman quickly shook her head. "No way! That man looks scary and barely ever speaks. But tomorrow, I'll have my son take you there."
Jason thanked her sincerely. It was late anyway. Tomorrow would do—as long as he could find the man. Still, something felt off. From the sound of it, this guy doesn't seem like a martial arts master at all. Could it be that my father's Southern Fist really has been lost?
...
The next day, guided by a boy of about fourteen or fifteen, Jason followed a rugged path into a bamboo grove. The scenery was beautiful—bamboo forests, clear springs, mossy stones. A small tofu workshop sat beside the source of a bubbling spring.
Once they arrived, the boy turned and ran off, clearly afraid of the place.
Jason felt a twinge of nervousness himself. As he cautiously approached the courtyard, a large black dog appeared silently from the shadows. Startled, Jason instinctively backed away. Dogs that didn't bark were the dangerous kind.
After retreating a safe distance, he called out, "Excuse me, is Master Liu home?"
A creaking sound came from the doorway. A tall, broad-shouldered man stepped out, eyeing Jason warily. "What do you want?"
"You're Mr. Liu, right? My name's Jason Luo. I came all the way from America to visit you."
"Visit me? I don't know you." Liu Jiguang's tone was flat and cold. He clearly had no intention of letting Jason step inside.
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
p@treon com / GhostParser