Chapter 39: Chapter 39: Hiring a Sparring Partner or a Primadonna?
A few minutes after the receptionist made the call,
a sturdy man in his thirties hurried over.
He sported a crew cut and had plain features.
However, his eyes held a keen look.
When he arrived at the front desk and saw Lin Yi,
he first looked him up and down.
Then, a flicker of disappointment crossed his eyes.
"Hello, you must be the sparring partner Teacher Liu recommended, right? I’m the coach here, Yang Yong. You can just call me Coach Yang!" the man said, introducing himself first.
Lin Yi nodded. "Hello, Coach Yang. My name is Lin Yi, I’m from Third Middle School..."
Before Lin Yi could finish, Yang Yong nodded and cut him off.
"Teacher Liu told me all about your situation before you came. You’re looking to earn some money, right? But being a sparring partner is tough work. Are you sure you can handle it?" Yang Yong asked, seeking confirmation.
Lin Yi smiled. "I think I can handle it!"
At his words, Yang Yong stared at him intently for a moment.
After a long moment, he said, "Alright, follow me for now."
With that, he turned and walked back the way he came, and Lin Yi followed.
To the left of the front desk, there were three elevators.
Yang Yong pressed a button. The elevator doors slowly opened, and he glanced back at Lin Yi.
The two of them entered, one after the other.
The elevator arrived at the second floor, stopping with a DING!
"Let’s go!" Yang Yong said to Lin Yi over his shoulder, stepping out of the elevator first.
When Lin Yi also stepped out of the elevator,
an expansive view opened up before him.
Stepping out of the elevator led directly into a training area.
Numerous students were engaged in various types of training.
Some were hitting practice dummies, some were shadowboxing, some were dripping with sweat on treadmills, and some were doing strength training.
And in the very center of the training area was a fighting ring.
At that moment, two people were sparring in the ring.
One looked to be in his twenties, his fighting style seasoned and vicious.
Every punch was fast, accurate, and ruthless, making his opponent suffer greatly.
In less than two rounds, his opponent was beaten into a steady retreat, having lost all his initial momentum.
Yang Yong led Lin Yi straight toward the ring.
"Hold on, Zhou Qi, Liu Yang, you two stop for a moment!"
CLAP CLAP CLAP—
Yang Yong then clapped his hands again, drawing everyone else’s attention.
Instantly, everyone in the Martial Arts Hall began to walk toward Yang Yong.
"I have an announcement. This student is Lin Yi from Third Middle School.
"He’s the new sparring partner. I won’t say more than necessary. The purpose of a sparring partner is to help you identify your own shortcomings during live practice!
"Of course, pull your punches. He’s still a student, after all. Understood?"
After Yang Yong finished speaking, everyone’s gaze fell on Lin Yi.
And in their eyes, Lin Yi could see disdain, confusion, contempt, and bewilderment.
This wasn’t strange at all.
The youngest of these students in the training hall were already in high school.
And it looked like they had been training here for a long time.
Their fundamental boxing and kicking techniques were all very solid.
They even had ample combat experience.
When they saw a high schooler like Lin Yi come to be their sparring partner,
it would have been strange if they weren’t surprised.
"Alright, Tong Ye, take Lin Yi to the locker room to get changed first. The rest of you, don’t stop. Keep training.
"You don’t have much time left. The Martial Arts competition starts next week!
"If you want to get a good ranking in the Martial Arts competition, then you’d better train with everything you’ve got! You hear me?"
"Yes..."
Spurred on by Yang Yong’s words,
the other students all scattered.
Those hitting the practice dummies went back to hitting them, those running went back to running...
After Lin Yi left with the student named Tong Ye,
Zhou Qi jumped down from the ring. "Coach Yang, what’s the deal? You found a high school kid to be a sparring partner? More like a living punching bag, right?"
His eyes held a look of contempt and disdain.
Clearly, he didn’t take Lin Yi seriously.
Yang Yong sighed softly. "There’s nothing I can do. I owe Teacher Liu a favor. That kid just now, Lin Yi, is his student. He said his talent is pretty good and he was supposed to take the martial arts exam!
"It’s just that the registration fee is too expensive, and he can’t afford it. Teacher Liu values talent, so he came to me and asked for a favor... When you guys spar with him later, just go easy. Don’t take it too seriously!
"Just consider it helping me repay my favor to Teacher Liu!"
After Yang Yong finished, Zhou Qi chuckled and nodded.
"Fine, but Coach Yang, isn’t this a waste of our time?
"The competition is next week. I was hoping to get some good training in over the weekend, and you bring a kid like this over..."
"It won’t be a waste. Stay late tonight, and I’ll be the sparring partner for you few who are competing. How’s that?"
"Really? If you’re our sparring partner, Brother Yang, then it’s definitely not a loss!"
Seeing Zhou Qi’s excited expression, Yang Yong sighed softly.
Just as they were talking,
Lin Yi came out, having changed into a Martial Arts Uniform.
"Hm, not bad, the size is a perfect fit... Let me first explain the duties of a sparring partner. You don’t just passively take hits; you’re allowed to fight back. To put it plainly, you’ll be sparring with them, and during that process, you need to find their weaknesses and openings!
"I’ll be observing from below the ring. Leave the rest to me!
"If you get tired, you can call for a break. If you get injured, don’t try to tough it out.
"Even though it’s just sparring, fists and feet have no eyes. You understand what I’m saying, right?"
After Yang Yong finished, Lin Yi nodded.
"Coach Yang, I understand completely!"
"Good, as long as you understand. Get in the ring. Remember to call a stop if you can’t take it. Don’t try to be a hero!"
Yang Yong added a few more words of caution.
As Lin Yi stepped into the ring, Yang Yong turned and scanned the students.
Finally, he said, "You there... Sun Tao, you go up first and spar with Lin Yi!"
"Yes, Coach Yang!"
The student named Sun Tao was about the same age as Lin Yi.
He was also a high school student, and his build seemed a bit slight.
However, his gaze held a hidden ruthlessness.
Zhou Qi crossed his arms, stroking his chin with one hand as he watched Sun Tao climb into the ring.
"Brother Yang, that kid Sun Tao... his cultivation has already reached the 4th stage, and he fights dirty. Aren’t you afraid that..."
Before Zhou Qi could finish, Yang Yong understood what he meant.
"Sun Tao’s aggression is too intense. He looks fierce, but he actually has many openings.
"In the upcoming competition, he’s in the high school division. I want to take this opportunity to observe him carefully!
"Keep an eye on them for me. If it looks like that Lin Yi kid can’t hold on, shout for a stop immediately and get up there to restrain Sun Tao!" Yang Yong reminded him again.
Hearing this, Zhou Qi couldn’t help but laugh.
"Brother Yang, I really don’t get it. Did you hire a sparring partner or a little emperor?
"Why not just have him sit on the sidelines, collect his money when the time’s up, and leave? How about I pay for it?"
As soon as the words were out, Yang Yong shot him a glare. "Cut the crap. Teacher Liu asked me to give him some pointers on the side. But that last suggestion of yours isn’t bad. You’re paying his fee. That settles it!"
Zhou Qi: "..."
