Xue Jing followed Chen Fuguang into the venue.
Somehow, the soundproofing in this venue was incredibly effective. It was almost quiet outside, but as soon as they entered, a cacophony of noise instantly assaulted their ears.
Xue Jing looked up to see the seats filled with a dense crowd, and a rough count told him there were at least a few thousand people there. In the dimly lit space, neon lights flashed everywhere, illuminating the faces of people who were shouting loudly.
In the center of the venue was an octagonal cage ring raised more than a meter off the ground and quite spacious. Inside, two muscular men clad only in shorts were fighting barehanded, striking with fierce moves that produced a cracking sound upon contact.
"This is the Fist Competing Pavilion, junior brother. You should know what this place is," Chen Fuguang said with a smile as he watched Xue Jing observing his surroundings.
Xue Jing nodded, "I know."
Fist Competition is a unique method of commercial competition in this world.
Due to the prevalence of martial arts, companies found a peculiar way to resolve their disputes: each would send one or several Martial Artists to sign an agreement beforehand and engage in 'Fist Competition' fighting matches.
The representative who won the Fist Competition could, according to the prior agreement, claim the benefits stipulated in the contract.
Initially, this was only a form of competition among a small circle of company owners who were martial arts enthusiasts.
But decades ago, a major figure skilled in martial arts took charge in 'Cangting' and enacted a new law known as the 'Fist Competition Act.'
Since the enactment of the 'Fist Competition Act,' this form of dueling spread far and wide, becoming popular throughout the country and even globally.
To this day, any company with some reputation would support one or several players specifically for Fist Competition matches.
As Fist Competitions attracted more attention, aside from their inherent commercial competition significance, they also accrued considerable additional commercial value.
Some large companies' Fist Competitions featured renowned star players, each event drawing tremendous interest, with massive promotion beforehand, renting large venues for ticket sales, and even involving some gray areas like bookmaking and gambling...
Indeed, some companies would even fabricate disputes to attract attention and hold Fist Competitions to rake in money.
"Practicing martial arts is a very costly affair."
Chen Fuguang led the way while speaking.
"Junior brother, you've just started training, so you might not feel it yet. 'Coiling Dragon Art' only requires some healing medicines for care, but once you start practicing 'Armor Shaking Skill' in 'Dynamic Posture,' you'll discover that your body is like a bottomless pit."
Chen Fuguang shook his head.
"The practice of 'Kungfu Body' in our Hidden Dragon School requires many secret medicines, and a lot of the materials must be obtained from the Intersecting Boundaries, purchased from those immensely greedy companies there, especially materials related to the 'Dragon Breed.'
"Cultivating Dragon Qi, Training Dragon Strength, the ultimate goal of the Hidden Dragon Kungfu Body is to harbor a True Dragon within one's flesh. Naturally, many materials related to the Dragon Breed are needed, as they are the source of Dragon Qi and Dragon Force."
"And all of these require money, lots and lots of money!"
Chen Fuguang said slowly and earnestly.
"We disciples only have the role to honor our Master; there's no logic in bleeding him dry, so we have to earn this money ourselves. Aside from Zhu, whose family has substantial wealth, all the other senior brothers and sisters are busy for exactly this reason."
He then patted Xue Jing on the shoulder.
"The Hidden Dragon Dojo is prestigious, and many matters that need to be handled by Martial Artists are entrusted to us. The remuneration for resolving these commissions, aside from a small part used to maintain the Dojo's operation, is spent on ourselves."
"For example, today's Fist Competition is a match where Boss Zhao of Haoteng Real Estate has contracted us to represent the company. The fee is this much."
Chen Fuguang stretched out his hand, spreading five fingers.
"Five hundred thousand?"
Xue Jing spoke.
"Correct, all the major dojos in Qingcheng take on this kind of job. The usual appearance fee is around three hundred thousand, but our dojo has a bigger name, so we charge higher than the average market price,"
"These small companies that lack the capability to sponsor Fist Competition fighters are our clients. For such deals, our opponents are typically the direct disciples from the various dojos in Qingcheng."
As they talked, the two had already moved from the noisy center of the venue to the quiet backstage rest area for the competitors.
Chen Fuguang removed his casual clothes, wearing only a pair of crimson fight shorts, his muscular physique more distinct and imposing than when clothed.
"Sooner or later, you'll be dealing with these things too. It won't hurt to learn more now," Chen Fuguang said as he sat on the soft mat in the rest area, smiling.
Xue Jing nodded in understanding, feeling somewhat excited inside.
Such real combat could bring him far more experience than regular daily practice, not to mention the money to be earned. It was a win-win situation.
However, his martial arts skills were not yet perfected, and he thought his teacher probably wouldn't agree to let him participate. It would have to wait.
"The Fist Competition match between Haoteng Real Estate and Honghui Real Estate will begin shortly. Please have the competitors from both sides prepare!"
An announcement from a staff member came from outside the rest room door.
The next moment, the door opened, and Boss Zhao, dressed in a suit and leather shoes, stepped inside. His chubby face was covered in sweat, and he kept wiping it with a handkerchief, anxiously saying,
"Master Chen, are you ready?"
Chen Fuguang patted Xue Jing's shoulder, stood up, and walked towards the competitor's passage.
"Watch, little junior brother, and see your senior brother's valor."
Xue Jing smiled and nodded, following behind him.
Chen Fuguang seemed quite famous. As he emerged from the competitor's passage, the noise and cheers from the audience immediately grew louder.
The cameras set up for filming all focused on him. Chen Fuguang waved at the audience, performed a nimble somersault on the spot, and struck a boxing pose for the cameras, eliciting even louder cheers.
Xue Jing, as the accompanying person, stood straight and proper behind him, not speaking, but his outstanding appearance still caught the attention of many.
The photographers seemed to notice this youth who simply 'screamed potential,' with one even directly moving the camera to focus on him.
Inside a particular box, a young man with bandages on his head and a buzz cut suddenly pointed at Xue Jing on the screen.
"It's him, it's him! That little brat who threw things!"
"Damn, it's this son of a bitch. Finally found him!"
"Duan, look, there he is!"
Duan Kaiping, large in stature, shirtless, with a dragon tattoo crossing his shoulder and a razor etching, took a deep drag from the cigarette in his mouth and put down the poker cards in his hand.
His gaze moved from the screen to the refined and handsome youth, and then to Chen Fuguang beside him. His eyebrows instantly furrowed deep.
...