Wenchuan District, on a certain street.
Fang Cheng was holding a business card, gazing at a private mansion not far away, complete with a small garden.
This area must belong to a traditional luxury neighborhood.
Mostly surrounded by independent Western-style houses that are two to three stories high, the road is densely lined with trees, creating a tranquil environment.
He had been standing here for a while, observing the house.
He saw a gardener trimming holly trees, a maid hanging sheets and clothes on a line.
He also saw a red sports car drive into the garden, and a well-proportioned woman in a white dress got out of the car.
"Seems like a pretty normal household..."
Fang Cheng’s eyes flickered slightly as he muttered to himself.
Previously, when he was working at the club, just as Chen Xiaohai had said, Shen Haoming quickly found him and assigned him some tasks.
It turned out that after the sparring class that day,
Shijima Gorou had expressed his appreciation for Fang Cheng at a private gathering with the company’s major boss, wanting to invite him over to his house to enhance their relations.
The next day, the boss called Manager Li, instructing him to make sure this invitation was handled properly.
Manager Li, upon receiving the order, passed the invitation task to Shen Haoming.
It seemed like a major effort, as if fearing that others would not want to visit.
Fang Cheng had almost forgotten about it if not for Shen Haoming mentioning it.
He then made an excuse, saying he had already scheduled four sparring classes that day and could not spare the time.
To be honest, even if he had no classes, he wouldn’t want to be what they called a ’troublesome guest’.
After all, the other party was mentally unstable and could go crazy at any time.
Moreover, there was a language barrier, and they weren’t familiar with each other.
Just imagining such a chicken-and-duck-talking meeting scenario made Fang Cheng feel awkward.
Moreover, unsolicited courtesies could suggest ulterior motives.
Who knows if this person from Japan had any ill intentions?
Shen Haoming persistently persuaded him, even mentioning various favorable conditions offered by Manager Li.
Such as end-of-the-month performance bonuses and annual bonuses.
He had even specifically approved 5,000 yuan for activities budget, to be used at Fang Cheng’s discretion.
All these suggestions indicated that they wanted to cultivate a good relationship with this important customer.
After several rounds of persuasion and pleading, Fang Cheng, weary of it, eventually nodded in agreement.
Of course, it definitely wasn’t for the sake of that 5,000-yuan budget but merely a matter of professional duty.
At the moment, Fang Cheng had been observing for about ten minutes.
When he saw that young lady enter the house, his doubts dissipated instantly.
He then picked up a bag of apples and bananas he had just bought and stepped forward.
When visiting someone’s home, one shouldn’t show up empty-handed.
He still upheld that custom.
After ringing the doorbell,
the maid quickly came running, and opened the iron gate, having been hanging laundry.
Fang Cheng introduced himself.
The maid immediately smiled warmly, respectfully ushering him inside.
Clearly, the household had been informed in advance.
Carrying the fruits, Fang Cheng followed the maid along a cobblestone path towards the main building.
Even though it was winter, the garden was still planted with various brightly colored flowers whose names he couldn’t recall.
The layout of the entire mansion was staggered, which added a touch of charm.
Casually looking around, Fang Cheng couldn’t help but daydream.
In the future, when he had earned enough money, he too would buy such a detached villa with a garden, hire some maids, and let his mother truly enjoy life.
As he walked through the entrance door, he could see a simply styled living room.
The furniture was sparse, and with multi-paneled floor-to-ceiling windows on all sides, the room looked very spacious.
Shijima Gorou was sitting by the window; the sunlight shining in, making his bald head particularly shiny and noticeable.
At the moment, he was talking with an assistant, seemingly giving some instructions.
Seeing the maid bring Fang Cheng in, he quickly stood up, squeezing out a slightly stiff smile from his chubby face.
"Mr. Fang, welcome to my humble home!"
Shijima Gorou said loudly, striding forward and extending his right hand towards Fang Cheng.
Fang Cheng, not knowing Japanese, smiled and reached out his hand as well.
The two shook hands and exchanged pleasantries, then sat down.
Fang Cheng placed the fruit on the coffee table and then sat silently.
Shijima Gorou glanced at his assistant next to him, then said a sentence.
The assistant immediately bowed slightly towards Fang Cheng and translated:
"Mr. Shijima says it’s his honor that you have graced his place, and there’s no need for you to bring gifts."
Fang Cheng responded politely:
"Just a small token, not worthy of honor."
It was unclear how the assistant translated this traditional Xia Country courtesy phrase.
Upon hearing this, Shijima Gorou’s smile grew even more exaggerated.
At this moment, the maid brought over ginseng tea.
Fang Cheng politely thanked her, took it, and placed it on the coffee table without drinking.
Shijima Gorou, however, was exceptionally enthusiastic and instructed the maid to fetch the prepared snacks from the kitchen.
Fang Cheng quickly waved his hands to decline.
Seeing how different Shijima Gorou was from their first arrogant meeting, Fang Cheng guessed he must be seeking a favor.
So, he turned to the assistant acting as the translator and got straight to the point:
"Mr. Shijima invited me here; if there’s anything you need help with, just say it."
Upon hearing this, Shijima Gorou’s smile narrowed slightly, his expression turning serious.
Through the assistant’s translation, he gradually revealed the real reason for inviting Fang Cheng:
"Although I am from Japan, I have always admired Xia Country’s traditional martial arts."
"My trip to East Capital is to seek out masters and learn some profound skills, but I haven’t been successful so far."
"Fortunately, during training at the club, I met a young talent like Mr. Fang, a natural-born genius, and I was greatly impressed."
At this point, Shijima Gorou paused, his eyes bright and fixated on Fang Cheng.
"May I boldly ask, Mr. Fang, who is your master?"
The assistant translated this inquiry, and Fang Cheng was momentarily taken aback.
He didn’t have a specific master.
If one must be mentioned, it would be the various coaches at the Global Elite Fighting Club.
But it seemed inappropriate to say this, and probably no one would believe it.
Fang Cheng pondered for a moment and explained:
"I have practiced martial arts since childhood, neglected it during my school years, and only picked it up again in the last two years for physical conditioning."
Shijima Gorou did not probe further, seemingly believing his explanation.
After a moment of reflection, he continued talking.
The assistant also continued translating:
"This time, inviting Mr. Fang here is to challenge you to an unrestricted mixed martial arts match."
"Please be sure to exert your full strength against Mr. Shijima, who will also use his real strength."
At this, Shijima Gorou took out a chequebook from his bag, picked up a pen,
and rapidly signed a cheque, sliding it toward Fang Cheng.
"One hundred thousand yuan."
Looking at the number on the cheque, Fang Cheng’s pupils slightly constricted.
"This is the compensation for the match. Should you get injured, Mr. Shijima will cover all medical expenses, relieving you of any worries."
Fang Cheng hid the surprise in his eyes and looked puzzledly at Shijima Gorou:
"Is it necessary to spend so much money just for a match?"
As soon as these words came out, Shijima Gorou’s lips curled slightly, his face breaking into a smile again.
The assistant also immediately translated:
"Not much, inviting a champion sparring partner, one session is priced over fifty thousand in the market."
"Mr. Shijima believes you’re definitely worth the price!"