After clearing the air with Catherine, a subtle new understanding formed between her and Jason Luo. That afternoon, after spending another wonderful time together, Jason personally saw her off at the airport.
Before boarding, Catherine turned to him with a smile.
"Don't worry. Until you win that boxing championship, I'm happy just being your best friend. I hope you'll think of me sometimes and call now and then. And if you win another match, promise you'll let me know, okay?"
Jason Luo nodded gently.
"You too—make sure you stay safe in your own matches. I'll definitely come watch you. Thank you, Catherine. I promise, within a year at most, I'll win that Gold Belt!"
Catherine laughed. "I believe in you, Jason Luo. You're the best!"
Then she leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on his forehead before waving goodbye and walking away...
Watching her leave, Jason Luo felt a swirl of emotions. Love, like fate, couldn't be controlled by human will—perhaps it was simply fate.
After seeing Catherine off, Jason's life returned to normal. Two days of peace passed quickly before intense training began once more.
Four days later came the pre-fight weigh-in against Finnish boxer "Quick Blade" Durant. This time, a crowd of reporters had been invited, turning the event into a small press conference.
Weigh-ins had long since become more about hype than the sport itself. During the photo op, Durant glared at Jason Luo and muttered under his breath like a grumpy old man,
"Kid, you're dead! Dead meat!"
Jason Luo didn't bother responding. In truth, Durant wasn't even as famous or skilled as Zack Bruzz. He'd lucked into his current ranking and had been ducking fights ever since. But after Jason defeated Zack and became the talk of the boxing world, the tide of public opinion shifted—and Durant suddenly popped out of nowhere.
In Durant's eyes, Jason's ability to dodge dozens of Zack's punches came down to Zack's lack of speed. As the self-styled "Quick Blade," Durant prided himself on his Punch Speed and saw this as his big chance to rise to fame—as the proud defender of Western boxing!
Since Jason ignored all his taunts, the weigh-in went smoothly—no trash talk, no scuffles. The reporters were visibly disappointed, so they shifted all their attention to the Q&A session that followed.
Jason Luo was the first target.
"Hello, Jason Luo," said a reporter from The Washington Post. "As a rising professional boxer, your record has been impressive so far. May I ask—have you truly integrated traditional martial arts into your boxing style?"
Jason had expected this question. He had already discussed his response with Mr. Rod beforehand.
"Hello! I grew up in the United States. Although I am of Chinese descent and have great admiration for traditional martial arts, I must say with regret that I've never actually practiced them. I've already clarified this several times, so I hope everyone won't believe such rumors."
Another reporter immediately stood up.
"New York Sports Column. After defeating Zack, do you plan to challenge the WBA champion in your division anytime soon?"
Jason glanced briefly at Durant before replying with firm confidence.
"Yes. Every professional boxer dreams of that championship title, and I've been working tirelessly toward it. Naturally, I hope to achieve that dream as soon as possible."
His answer was calm and professional, leaving no room for controversy.
So the reporters turned their focus to Durant.
"Mr. Durant, what do you think are your chances of winning this fight?"
Durant finally had his moment.
"I will definitely win! That kid might have some skill, but in front of true professional boxing, he'll learn what defeat tastes like."
That was exactly the kind of talk the reporters loved.
Like sharks scenting blood, they swarmed him with more questions.
"Then, Mr. Durant, how do you think this ten-round fight will end?"
"I'll knock him out within three rounds."
"Oh? Mr. Durant, Jason Luo currently has a one hundred percent KO rate. How will you handle his heavy punches?"
"I think he should be the one worrying about how to deal with my fast hands."
Good grief—Durant was talking as if Jason wasn't even there, bragging without restraint!
Jason couldn't help but chuckle inwardly. His overall strength had improved, though he still needed to be cautious against true power punchers. But against technical fighters like Durant, the threat was minimal.
As a Super Middleweight—just one step below Light Heavyweight—Jason knew the truth: in these larger divisions, if you didn't have knockout power or the endurance to take heavy hits, you had no say in the ring.
With Durant providing plenty of juicy quotes, the reporters got their headlines. But just as the event was wrapping up, an Asian man stood up from the back row.
"Hello, Jason Luo. I'm from World Chinese Weekly. May I ask if you have any plans to expand your commercial promotions in Asia?"
Jason's eyes lit up. The question was subtle, but given the man's identity, the message was clear.
"Of course," Jason replied. "Asia is an important boxing market, and I'd love to connect with more fans there. It's just that the events in Macau right now are of very high caliber, and we haven't yet found the right opportunity."
The middle-aged man smiled approvingly.
"The opportunity will come, Jason Luo. We look forward to that day."
As he spoke, he glanced meaningfully toward the backstage area. Jason immediately understood.
After the event, Jason and Mr. Rod met the same man again outside the locker room.
Jason stepped forward. "It's a pleasure to meet you, sir."
"You're too kind. My name's Han Libo, from Dalian. Honestly, I'm a bit embarrassed—we only recently discovered that among the large divisions of the four major organizations, there's another boxer of Chinese descent. Looks like we've fallen behind on our work!"
Rod chuckled. "That's not on you. Jason only officially registered in February. He's a true newcomer—hardly any publicity. If he hadn't won two brutal matches, it would've taken a lot longer for people to notice him. Please, come in. Let's talk inside."
Once the door was closed, Jason introduced Mr. Rod's role so Mr. Han could relax.
Mr. Han knew Jason was a signed professional boxer, so naturally any promotional discussions had to involve his company. He didn't mind at all.
"Alright, Jason Luo, I'll get straight to the point," Mr. Han said.
"We're now heavily investing in competitive sports—UFC, MMA, all developing fast. But in professional boxing, we've only earned titles in the smaller weight classes. As far as I know, among the higher divisions, only you and Zhang Zhilei are competing under the four major organizations. Jason Luo, if you can claim the WBA Super Middleweight Gold Belt, people around the world will be proud of you!"
A wave of warmth surged through Jason's chest—it felt like reuniting with family after years apart.
"Mr. Han, tell me—what do you need from us?"
Mr. Han smiled. "You've got it backwards! As long as you keep fighting well, we'll give you full support. We just hope for one thing: if possible, could you make time to visit China for some promotional events, so more of our people can know and support you?"
Jason turned toward Rod, who immediately reached out and shook Mr. Han's hand.
"No problem at all. We've just been lacking the right contact. BX Promotions would love to establish a long-term and stable partnership with you."
"Excellent! Leave it to me. I'll contact the relevant organizations in mainland China and come up with a full proposal soon. We can go over the details then."
"Perfect. It's a deal."
In the warm and friendly atmosphere, both sides reached an initial agreement. Just before parting ways, Jason grabbed Mr. Han's hand.
"Mr. Han, sorry to trouble you, but could I ask a personal favor?"
"Of course. What is it?"
"If it's not too much, could you help me find out if a man named Liu Zhiqing from Putian, Fujian, is still around? I want to learn Southern Fist from him."
"Liu Zhiqing? Alright, that shouldn't be difficult. I've got contacts there… wait, you want to learn Southern Fist? There are many kinds of Southern Fist—what exactly do you mean?"
Jason blinked in surprise.
What did he mean by 'many kinds'?
Mr. Han smiled patiently and began to explain.
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
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