"It seems Mr. Huang already knows my identity," Kingpin observed, a subtle hint of satisfaction flashing in his eyes as he noted Huang Wen's brief moment of recognition. "However, Mr. Huang needs not worry about holding back during our sparring. I expect your full effort."
"The name Kingpin is certainly renowned," Huang Wen acknowledged, his gaze steady. "Since I'm sparring with you, I will treat the match with the seriousness it deserves." He adopted the compact, focused starting posture of Wing Chun, standing his ground and waiting for Kingpin's initiative.
Huang Wen was still extremely cautious. He had 34 points of Essence, granting him superhuman ability, but the Kingpin was a known marvel of human physiology, a world-class combatant whose strength was often depicted as transcending the human norm.
"Good!" Kingpin seemed even more pleased by the implied respect. With a powerful, almost tearing sound, he stripped off his flawlessly tailored suit jacket. Terry, the boxing champion, instantly stepped forward to catch it, his expression now serious and focused on the man who dared challenge his boss.
With a sudden, deceptively fast movement, Kingpin lunged.
A powerful punch exploded toward Huang Wen. The blow felt terrifyingly similar to the raw, kinetic impact of Fist Stone's attack—a punch that felt like a rock smashing into him.
Huang Wen was stunned to observe that Kingpin's speed was actually greater than that of the Mutant enforcer! Such colossal mass, yet unhindered by inertia; it defied physics as he understood it.
This is truly the marvel of human potential, Huang Wen thought, even as his fighting instincts took over.
"Bang!"
Huang Wen met the blow head-on, seeking to gauge the depth of Kingpin's power. His body shuddered, and he was forced back half a step. The combination of Kingpin's strength and speed was even greater than he anticipated.
(For context, while both Kingpin and the Punisher are considered at the peak of human conditioning, Kingpin's strength is typically classified as 4 on the official scale, while the Punisher is often rated at 3. The Kingpin has even managed to overpower characters like Spider-Man briefly, implying a special, perhaps self-developed, training method that pushes his limits far beyond the average person.)
He is relentless!
"Whoosh!" Before Huang Wen could fully regain his equilibrium, Kingpin followed up instantly, not letting the opening escape.
Huang Wen's eyes narrowed. He stomped his back foot, driving power from the ground, and met the follow-up strike with an elbow, using Wing Chun's sophisticated continuous striking principle. He deflected and hammered Kingpin's fist repeatedly. By converting the brute force into a series of short, sharp, deflecting impacts, Huang Wen began to erode Kingpin's initial power advantage.
Kingpin, despite his immense strength and incredible tolerance for pain, felt the sting of the rapid-fire blows. His hands were becoming bruised and sore from the constant impact.
Kingpin immediately shifted tactics. His fists were being nullified, so he switched to his legs—a far stronger weapon.
"Whoosh!" Kingpin launched a powerful, sweeping kick.
In the same instant, Huang Wen executed rapid, solid footwork, closing the distance and cutting inside the range of the kick. He drove his own foot into Kingpin's supporting leg, striking the knee joint with precision and causing the behemoth to lose his foundational balance.
With a massive, earth-shaking thud, Kingpin—who weighed well over 400 pounds—crashed to the ground. Before he could leverage his incredible strength to rise, Huang Wen was already atop him, pinning him down with a relentless pressure that felt like being crushed under a thousand-pound weight.
Without hesitation, Huang Wen unleashed a barrage of punches toward Kingpin's head.
"Bang!" Kingpin instinctively raised his arm to guard his head, intending to weather the attack and counter once Huang Wen paused. But Kingpin was entirely unaware of the true nature of the assault he was facing.
"Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!"
The air was filled with a high-frequency, snapping sound—the sound of nearly a hundred punches landing in rapid succession, a relentless pile-driver assault. The punches were executed with inhuman speed and precision. Even Kingpin's astonishing durability began to fail against the concentrated, brutal force.
"Whoosh!"
Suddenly, Champion Terry, seeing his boss being brutally overwhelmed, instinctively lunged forward, throwing a professional kickboxing punch toward Huang Wen's head.
"Huh?" Huang Wen's fist paused, annoyed by the interruption.
He smoothly dodged Terry's punch, sidestepped slightly, and unleashed a devastating, short-range Wing Chun strike into the champion's midsection.
With a sickening thump, Terry was launched across the hall, crashing heavily against a pillar before collapsing into a curled, fetal position. His mouth gaped open, but no sound escaped; he could only feel a searing, debilitating pain tearing through his core.
"Apologies, I lost control for a moment," Huang Wen said, giving the champion a curt, purely formal bow of apology, though his expression remained completely unchanged.
"I apologize for my employee," Kingpin said, slowly rising to his feet, a grimace of pain masked by his controlled expression. He glanced at the struggling champion, knowing that Huang Wen had shown considerable restraint. If that blow had been aimed at him at full force, the damage would have been far worse.
"Chinese Kung Fu is truly extensive and profound, a tradition worthy of its thousands of years of lineage," Kingpin said, cupping his hand to Huang Wen—a Chinese martial arts courtesy. "I concede this sparring match. I look forward to the chance to spar with Mr. Huang again."
"If the opportunity arises, I am available anytime," Huang Wen replied with a measured smile.
"I wonder, Mr. Huang," Kingpin suddenly proposed, his eyes calculating. "Would you be interested in taking a position as my personal bodyguard?"
"My priority remains the promotion of my family's martial arts hall," Huang Wen declined immediately, shaking his head. "Regarding the arrangement for the sparring match with the champion?"
"I will personally arrange it for Mr. Huang as quickly as possible," Kingpin stated, unperturbed by the refusal. "I will handle the contacts with the newspapers and television networks. When the hype reaches its peak, that will be the moment for Mr. Huang to compete."
"However, I have one small request. I trust Mr. Huang would be willing to grant it?" Kingpin asked, knowing this was the price of his assistance.
"Speak freely," Huang Wen responded, nodding slightly.
"I understand that Mr. Huang is currently training my son's roommate, Zhong Qiang. I wonder if Mr. Huang would consider taking my son as a student as well?" Kingpin glanced over at Reece Fisk, whose expression was a mixture of awe and fanaticism, looking at Huang Wen. Kingpin shook his head with a show of parental exasperation. "As you can see, he is already desperate to become your apprentice."
"That is no problem at all. My martial arts school is open to all students," Huang Wen agreed easily. "Let him train alongside Xiao Qiang. One needs to improve his physique, and the other certainly needs to lose some weight."
"An excellent solution. We never had a proper teacher before, and my own methods were perhaps too demanding. It is an honor for my son to learn from Mr. Huang," Kingpin said, nodding with deep satisfaction. He then turned to Reece, his expression immediately stern.
"From this moment forward, you will listen to Mr. Huang as you would listen to me. Understood?"
"Yes, Father! I will follow the master and practice diligently!" Reece Fisk bowed respectfully to both Huang Wen and his father, his eyes gleaming with the excitement of a new, dangerous undertaking. The two students, the meticulous planner and the privileged heir, were now officially under the tutelage of the newly crowned protector of Chinatown.