Chapter 3: Learning By Analogy
In the next few days, Chen Wuhong didn’t dare to go home.
Although one arm and one leg were fractured from the beating, he was the local snake here and could definitely find a way out.
Chen Wujun’s nightly activity range also began expanding from inside the Walled City to outside the Walled City.
North of the Walled City was the airport under construction, northeast was the park and school, southeast was Red Incense Burner Bay, which was the New District with many large buildings under construction and a university.
It was said that many rich people were buying land and investing in property on the south side.
The southwest side was a slum even more chaotic than the Walled City.
The Walled City interior was dark without daylight, with a foul stench everywhere and rats all around; the residents here were the bottom of society.
The slum on the southwest side surrounded a garbage mountain, even more chaotic and poor; every day the urban area would dump garbage onto the garbage mountain.
Then those slum dwellers would go looking for things that could still be eaten; even bones gnawed clean by people would be processed there and resold to those slum dwellers.
However, people from the Walled City had little interaction with those over there, and people from there were not allowed to enter the Walled City to make a living.
The west and northwest were the Residential Area; between the Kowloon Walled City and the Residential Area were Carpa Da Road and Gaosen Long Road as buffer zones, and these two roads were quite prosperous.
Especially since there was a Gold Shop and a watch shop, Chen Wujun circled around that area several times.
But he just circled around.
After all, what bad thoughts could a sixteen-year-old boy have.
Returning home, the meal was placed on a small cabinet next to the sofa.
Chen Wujun put the stool in front of the sofa, then placed the plate on the stool, and held the bowl while eating and watching television.
At this time, the television was broadcasting an urgent news insert: “Today, a gold shop robbery occurred on Nathan Road. Three robbers robbed the Pak Fuk Gold Shop on Nathan Road at 2:30 p.m. The Federation police are soliciting clues from the public…”
Chen Wujun sat on the rundown sofa, shoveling the meal while staring intently at the news.
While watching the news, he suddenly realized something: to borrow some startup funds from a Gold Shop, he couldn’t do it alone.
Not only did someone need to go in to take the gold from the cabinet, but someone to watch the store clerks, and someone outside to drive the car, otherwise even if they robbed it, they couldn’t escape…
In other words, at least three to four people were needed.
By analogy, the same went for those banks and watch shops.
……
This morning, Chen Wujun followed his father to the Dental Clinic, but halfway there, Chen Wujun noticed that his father wasn’t heading toward the dentistry but in another direction.
“Exposed? Is Dad taking me to see the Eldest Son?” Chen Wujun’s thoughts turned in his mind, but his face showed no change, revealing no flaws.
However, different from what he thought, Dad turned a few corners and arrived in front of a house.
Unlike the narrow and rundown houses in the Walled City, this house was visibly spacious from the outside, with sounds of drinking coming from inside.
Dad Chen Hanliang turned back, smiled at him, and said: “Didn’t you want to learn martial arts? You’ll learn here from now on! Go in, I’ve already paid the tuition.”
“Come in the morning every day for Martial Arts Practice, and go to the Dental Clinic in the afternoon to help out.”
“Paid already?” Chen Wujun was a bit surprised in his heart.
He knew the business of the Dental Clinic.
It looked like Dad had borrowed the money.
However, this Martial Arts School was neither He Tu Martial Arts School nor Dong Sheng Martial Arts School.
This disappointed Chen Wujun a bit; he had originally planned to take the Martial Arts School route to join a Gang.
He wanted to make big money, to make a name for oneself.
And in the Walled City, the best way to make big money was to join a Gang.
Chen Hanliang had sent him to this Martial Arts School in a remote corner for this reason.
This way, it satisfied his wish to learn martial arts without any contact with Gang people.
To prevent this second son from also “learning bad” like those rotten boys.
With his thoughts turning, Chen Wujun felt more anticipation than anything.
Pushing open the door, inside was a space about 100 square meters, over three meters high, with a bluestone floor; on one side were a Wooden Dummy, sandbag, and Wooden Stake wrapped with Hemp Rope.
On the wall opposite the door hung a sign: Zhou Qing Martial Arts School.
On one side, four students were sparring, their footwork steady, strikes ruthless, mostly using elbows and knees to attack.
On the other side, five students were standing in a strange pose: single-leg stance, body low, the knee of the other leg raised high, like a fighting cock poised to strike.
Their whole bodies’ muscles were tense, sweat sliding down their foreheads.
A young man in his twenties was circling them, occasionally reaching out to push them.
One of them saw Chen Wujun and showed a surprised expression, then looked away.
Chen Wujun raised an eyebrow upon seeing the other; he was Lin Zetao, they were classmates but didn’t interact much.
At that moment, the young man circling them pushed Lin Zetao, causing him to stumble forward several steps, nearly falling to the ground.
“Where’s your mind wandering?” The young man frowned and kicked him directly.
“Wolf Fist’s stance is a combat stance, not for posing! Your strength must root into the ground, like it’s grown roots, otherwise one push from the enemy and you fly off—what fight is that?”
Lin Zetao hurried back to stand properly.
“You’re adding twenty minutes of standing today! No rest until you’ve stood 90 minutes.” After scolding him, the young man stared at the others and said:
“Lose focus, and your spirit scatters. Spirit scatters, strength floats. Strength floats, and you’re a live target! You few, add ten more minutes of Stance Training.”
After scolding them, the young man came before Chen Wujun and sized him up.
Chen Wujun was 1.7 meters tall, fairly robust, weighing 140 pounds, with bronze skin, looking very honest, which made him nod slightly.
His gaze passed over Chen Wujun, he nodded to Chen Hanliang, and said: “Chen Wujun? Follow me to register!”
“I’m your Senior Brother Li, also your coach! At your current stage, I’ll be teaching you!”
Chen Wujun followed Senior Brother Li excitedly to register, then went to the back to get a set of training clothes.
Besides the front hall, the Martial Arts School had several rooms in the back.
After changing clothes and coming out, the others who had been standing had started resting, except Lin Zetao who was still standing there.
“The first Boxing Method taught at the Martial Arts School is Wolf Fist, a Boxing Method used on the battlefield before; though crude, its combat ability is outstanding!” Senior Brother Li took Chen Wujun to the side.
“Practicing Wolf Fist, the first step is to practice fixed stance.”
“Wolf Fist’s fixed stance is called Combat Stance, also called Charge Stance!”
“As I said before, Wolf Fist is a battlefield Boxing Method; like soldiers on the battlefield holding weapons, waiting for the commander’s order to charge forward.”
“This Charge Stance is the foundation of Wolf Fist; it trains spirit, eyesight, and generates strength.”
Senior Brother Li first assumed a horse stance posture and explained it bit by bit to Chen Wujun.
Just standing there, Senior Brother Li’s body hair stood on end, eyes sharp, like a soldier ready to spring up and fight to the death at any moment.
This was completely different from what Chen Wujun had imagined for Martial Arts Practice.
This Martial Arts School taught Old Technique.
He had classmates who learned New Technique; they started Martial Arts Practice from strength training at their Martial Arts School.
This disappointed Chen Wujun; he wanted to train strength more—greater strength meant no loss in fights.
Although Senior Brother Li said this Charge Stance could also train strength, it surely wasn’t as good as the Equipment at New Technique Martial Arts Schools for training strength.
But Dad had already paid the money, and even learning Old Technique was better than nothing, so Chen Wujun patiently followed Senior Brother Li in horse stance.
Senior Brother Li occasionally corrected his Movement.
“Feet must root into the ground, stance low, center of gravity forward, as if ready to pounce at any time!”
“As I said, stand with the feeling of on the verge of a great enemy, enemies all around, body hair standing on end!”
“Shoulders relaxed, body muscles tense! Shoulders relaxed, otherwise holding blade or spear, you’d exhaust before fighting… Body muscles tight like a spring, or an arrow about to shoot, ready at any moment to use Knee Strike, bite with teeth, to combat the opponent!”
“Chest in, back arched, shoulders sunk, elbows dropped! Stick your neck out, imagine a string pulling from the top of your head!”
Senior Brother Li just poked him with a finger, and it felt like being poked with an iron rod, half his body going numb.
This shocked him greatly.
“When you can stand half an hour without shaking or tiring, body hair rising and falling with intent, entering combat with a single thought, then your Charge Stance is considered minor accomplishment.”
Not to mention half an hour, even one minute, and Chen Wujun’s legs felt excruciatingly sore, but he gritted his teeth and endured.
After all, money had been spent.
At two minutes, Chen Wujun had no stray thoughts left, all his mind fighting the soreness in his legs.
After standing five minutes, Chen Wujun felt his legs weren’t his own anymore, before Senior Brother Li let him rest.
Chen Wujun plopped down on the ground.
“Tired, right?” Senior Brother Li stood not far from him, watching, then said slowly: “That’s what happens when you stand wrong.”
Chen Wujun was stunned.
“Stand wrong, and you’ll get more and more tired!”
After resting over ten minutes, Chen Wujun was called up to stand again; Senior Brother Li corrected him once more.
This time Chen Wujun felt a bit better; still tired, but not as painful as before.
……
At noon, Chen Wujun’s legs felt like they were filled with lead; seeing Lin Zetao about to leave, he quickly took two steps and draped his arm over Lin Zetao’s shoulder, walking out with him.
Lin Zetao instinctively shrank his neck, then suddenly reacted—he had come a month earlier than Chen Wujun, and he was no longer the same as before.
“Why walk so fast? Avoiding me?” Chen Wujun put most of his body weight on Lin Zetao.
Chen Wujun pretended to be fairly honest at home, but outside, not at all.
In a place like the Walled City, if you weren’t fierce enough, you’d be bullied.
Even kids were the same.
“How did you end up here?” Though Lin Zetao had just psyched himself up inwardly, he was still a bit afraid of Chen Wujun and changed the topic.
“Sent by family… Didn’t expect you to be here too. Tell me, what’s the deal with this Martial Arts School?” Chen Wujun inquired.
In his mind, he calculated whether the money his father paid could be refunded.
“I’ve been practicing here a month. Our Martial Arts School is very strong; don’t think it’s Old Technique—combat is very powerful. There are a few Old Technique Martial Arts Schools in the Walled City, all have to pay protection to He Tu and Li Dong. Ours doesn’t!” Mentioning the Martial Arts School, Lin Zetao said proudly.
“But the Martial Arts School Owner doesn’t advertise outside; normal people don’t know about it!”
Lin Zetao’s proud look made one think he’d been practicing here for years.
“Oh?”
Hearing this, Chen Wujun’s fatigue lessened quite a bit, and his mood improved.
“And for New Technique, to make real progress, you need Firefly Ointment… One small box is 5000 bucks, one box a month, later even two boxes a month…” Lin Zetao continued.
“Practicing Old Technique doesn’t need that!”
This was something Chen Wujun didn’t know.
“How much is the tuition at our Martial Arts School?” Chen Wujun suddenly asked.
“You don’t know? 1500 a month.”
Chen Wujun calculated in his mind: New Technique Martial Arts School tuition was 3000, plus at least one box of ointment a month, totaling 8000 bucks.
His family’s Dental Clinic made only about 5000 a month, 6000 on good business months, and had to cover the family’s food and drink, plus Younger Brother Chen Wuqi’s schooling.
While Old Technique was only 1500 a month.
He suddenly felt that learning Old Technique was pretty good.
“A Tao, how long do you have to stand this stance?” Chen Wujun asked.
“Always; when I joined, I stood Charge Stance for 17 days first, now every morning half an hour, then practice Golden Rooster Stance and Seven Step Stance…”
“It’s said to be fast already; most practice four weeks before being taught other stances. That’s why so few people at the Martial Arts School—most can’t endure and leave…” Lin Zetao boasted.
“Our Martial Arts School is so awesome, let’s go celebrate, you pay.” Chen Wujun’s eyes turned and he said.
“Ah? But I have no money!” Lin Zetao deflated instantly.
“Just kidding, silly boy!” Chen Wujun patted Lin Zetao’s shoulder and laughed.
……
In the afternoon helping at the Dental Clinic, when idle, he stood Charge Stance on the side, recalling Senior Brother Li’s key points, carefully sensing the feelings in every part of his body, correcting his Movement.
“Strength rises from the ground, feet like old tree roots, embedding into the earth!”
“Imagine on the verge of a great enemy, body hair standing on end…”
“Body like a compressed spring, ready to pounce and kill the opponent at any time…”
After all, money was spent; he had to get his money’s worth in practice.
The faster he mastered this Charge Stance, the sooner Senior Brother Li would teach other things.
