Zhou You pushed open the office door and saw the two of them chatting in there.
"What are you talking about, having such a good time?"
"Just chatting about Brother You's glorious achievements," Wang Ping said with a chuckle, a bit awkward about gossiping behind someone's back.
"You don't know the half of it. If you knew everything, how would I get by? Keep it among ourselves, or else your Brother You will have to hire bodyguards, and then your swimming pool won't get any investment." Zhou You gave a subtle hint.
"Don't worry, Brother You, I didn't say anything out of line. It's just for the future, to make sure Brother Liang pays more attention!" Wang Ping caught the underlying meaning and quickly stood up to say.
Li Houliang also stood up: "Brother You, what do you think? Does it meet your standards?"
"Not bad. Brother Liang looks like a solid guy, not much fluff." Zhou You genuinely admired him—teaching for real was exhausting.
Hearing this, Li Houliang gave a wry smile: "It's because I teach for real that results come slowly. Many students can't stick with it, so the numbers keep dropping."
That was true. Everyone was so impatient these days, wanting to get the hang of it in a day, master the basics in two, fight in three, and graduate in five.
It was just that Zhou You had time now; most people were at work.
Back in the day, Zhou You was curious about who those people were, strolling through malls on workdays—didn't they need to work?
Gradually, he realized some had irregular work schedules, while others were just really idle, like himself.
"Brother Liang, please give me some professional advice based on my needs. I'm a timid guy, scared of death, with no sense of security," Zhou You said with a grin. In the past, he'd have been embarrassed to say that, but now he didn't care.
Li Houliang had lost some of his initial confidence. He'd originally thought Zhou You was just a small-time rich guy here to learn some kickboxing to show off, like many young students.
But after hearing Wang Ping's story, he realized he'd underestimated him. This guy wasn't here to show off; he wanted to defend himself and stay alive. Plus, with assets over a hundred million, it was a bit of a headache.
"Brother You, your situation is pretty unique. I'll teach you personally," Li Houliang said, rubbing his head. "Let's start with the basics, and then we'll tailor the training based on how it goes."
Zhou You noticed Li Houliang wasn't as confident as before and shot Wang Ping a glare: "Don't listen to Wang Ping's nonsense. I'm just here for fun. Just don't let me get hurt, and go easy on me in sparring."
Li Houliang shook his head like a rattle-drum: "No way. You're not going pro. If I injure a student, even fewer people would come."
"Alright, how about the tuition? One-on-one like this, it can't be too cheap." Zhou You was starting to feel a bit awkward.
"Not many people are learning kickboxing now, and my fees are on the higher side. Group kickboxing is 1,000 a month. Private lessons vary by program. For someone like you, Brother You, how about you pay 10,000 first, and we'll figure out the rest later." Li Houliang thought it over and laid out the price. Since Zhou You would be training here long-term, keeping it secret was pointless.
Without a second word, Zhou You transferred 10,000 over.
"Brother Liang, I've never seen combat sports live. Could you get in the ring later and give a demo? Let me broaden my horizons."
"Sure, no problem. I have to keep in shape every day anyway, and I haven't started training yet today." Once the topic shifted to his area of expertise, Li Houliang's confidence returned.
With a weapon in hand, the urge to kill arises.
Few martial artists aren't competitive, especially when young—cocky and reckless, learning a few moves and thinking they're above ordinary people, always itching to test themselves.
The three of them walked over to the ring. Li Houliang changed clothes, put on gloves and a headguard, ducked under the ropes, and jumped in.
Meanwhile, another coach changed into gear, put on protective equipment, grabbed a target pad, and stepped in.
Li Houliang assumed a training stance, and as the pad holder moved the target, his hands and feet alternated in rapid strikes.
Standing outside the ring, Zhou You could hear the powerful thuds.
He thought to himself, if that hit him, he'd probably lose the ability to fight back in an instant.
He'd seen a few online videos showing the gap between ordinary people and professionals.
One road-raging driver got into a dispute with another car. Three big guys got out to attack him, but the first was knocked out with one punch. The other two flailed wildly, and within 20 seconds, they were all down.
Regular fights were just clumsy brawls—landing a hit was an achievement, and it all came down to endurance in the end.
Then Li Houliang did some live sparring with other coaches at the gym. But the skill gap was too big; the other coaches were intimidated and couldn't perform at their best.
Sweating heavily, Li Houliang jumped down: "How was that, Brother You?"
"Impressive. No wonder you've got a gold medal." Zhou You meant it sincerely. In ancient times, this guy would've been a fierce warrior.
"Let me first explain the difference between kickboxing and free fighting," Li Houliang said while wiping his sweat. "Then we'll see what you want to focus on."
"Free fighting is a stand-up combat style. Once one side hits the ground, the other can't strike. It also bans joint locks, elbows, knees, and restricts throws to some extent. Free fighting is also known as international free fighting or full-contact karate in the West."
"Kickboxing is a native Chinese combat skill, and it truly embodies 'Chinese kung fu.' It emphasizes 'long-range kicks, close-range punches, and clinch throws.' Because it includes throws, its practical skills are more comprehensive. The punches in kickboxing have been adapted to match boxing—jabs, hooks, uppercuts—plus a tricky spinning backfist. The kicks include roundhouse kicks, front kicks, side kicks, spinning back kicks, and spinning side kicks."
"Additionally, kickboxing has a series of throws like double-leg tackles, single-leg trips, and leg catches. You could say kickboxing has very complete offensive and defensive skills, making it great for self-defense."
After finishing, Li Houliang thought carefully: "Kickboxing is better for sudden counterattacks, street fights, and protecting yourself."
"Of course, the best protection is to stay away from danger and not fight."
Since Zhou You wasn't competing or stepping into the ring, he went with whatever was most convenient. After a moment's thought, he chose kickboxing.
"Whether it's kickboxing or free fighting, it's all about one-on-one combat. When two people are close in size, technique matters a lot. If the size gap is too big, technique doesn't help much unless it's exceptional."
"That's why competitions have weight classes. But in real life, no one gives you a weight class."
"Speed, power, endurance—those are the three things. So, Brother You, let's begin." Li Houliang grinned fiercely.
What followed was nothing but testing—checking Zhou You's stamina, endurance, speed, and strength. These few things alone put Zhou You through the wringer.
Luckily, Zhou You had VIP service.
Afterward, someone gave him a professional massage.