nycdaug Chapter 99 Kid, Times Have Changed
Chapter 99 Kid, Times Have Changed
Chapter 99 Kid, Times Have Changed
The following morning at 6:00 AM, No. 57, Jia, North Third Ring Road.
As dawn broke, there were already people at the entrance of the Dongguo Traditional Martial Arts Association.
The first person to arrive was an elderly man in his fifties, wearing a traditional Chinese padded jacket, holding a bag of steamed buns in his hand. He squatted on the curb, eating while staring at the entrance of the six-story building. He was a successor of a small style of Baguazhang in Fengtai. He saw the news in a WeChat group last night and left home at four in the morning, taking two subway transfers just to get a good spot.
"Grandpa, you're here early." Before seven o'clock, the second group of people arrived. They were three young men in their twenties, dressed in trendy brands, holding mobile phone stabilizers, and wearing employee badges from a short video platform on their chests.
The old man glanced at them, said nothing, and continued eating his steamed bun.
At 7:30, more and more people started to arrive.
First came the people from the traditional martial arts circle. Some were wearing training clothes, some were carrying swords, and some were wearing cloth shoes. They stood in groups of three or five on the sidewalk opposite the entrance, talking in hushed tones.
Their expressions were complex, some excited, some worried, some gloating, and some solemn.
Then there are internet celebrities.
This was the most enthusiastic group. Someone was holding a selfie stick and live-streaming to the camera: "Hey guys, did you see that? That building in the back is the legendary headquarters of the Traditional Martial Arts Association! Today, that Eagle Claw King Hu Biao said he was coming to smash the sign! I'm right here! Follow me, and I'll show you the inside scoop!"
Someone set up a professional camera and took close-up shots of the association's gate.
By eight o'clock, people had already blocked half the street.
When the sidewalk is full, people move to the non-motorized vehicle lane.
When the non-motorized vehicle lane is full, people squeeze into the motorized vehicle lane. Electric bike riders can't get through, so they honk their horns, but no one pays attention. Drivers slam on their brakes, lean out of their cars, and yell, "Are you crazy?! What are you doing blocking the way so early in the morning?!"
No one cares about him.
A social media influencer holding a selfie stick shouted at his car, "Hey guys, did you see that? This is Beijing's morning rush hour! This is what it means to be trending!"
The driver's face turned green, and he pulled out his phone to call the police.
Someone nearby advised him, "Don't bother reporting it, it's useless. I've tried, the line is busy."
At 8:30, the flow of people reached its peak.
A rough estimate suggests there were at least three to four hundred people present. One-third were from the traditional martial arts community, another third were online influencers, and the rest were just onlookers.
There were nearby residents, commuters passing by, people who came all the way from Tongzhou, Daxing, and Changping, and some even dragging suitcases as if they had just gotten off a train.
A young girl in a down jacket screamed into her phone, "Girls, I'm here! I'm right at the association entrance! That Hu Biao hasn't come yet! Do you think he'll come? Will he chicken out?"
The screen was flooded with comments—
Nine o'clock sharp.
A police car approached from a distance, its lights flashing but its siren not sounding. It struggled through the crowd and came to a stop at the association's entrance.
Four police officers got out of the car and stood on the steps, holding a megaphone: "Fellow citizens, your actions have caused traffic congestion and disrupted public order. Please cooperate and disperse immediately! Disperse immediately!"
The crowd stirred.
"Why should we be evacuated? We're standing on the sidewalk!"
"Exactly! We haven't broken the law!"
But the police ignored the noise. They had a clear division of labor: two officers maintained order at the entrance, while two others walked along the sidewalk, repeating, "Please cooperate and evacuate immediately."
Some people remain still.
The policeman stood in front of him, saying nothing, just looking at him.
Thirty seconds later, the man deliberately put away his phone and took two steps back.
"Stepping back is not considered an evacuation; please leave the scene."
"I----"
"Please leave the scene."
"6
The crowd began to loosen up.
The first to leave were the office workers who were just passing by; they were just there to watch the excitement and didn't want to cause any trouble.
Then there are the nearby residents. They live here and still have to make a living, so there's no need for them to go against the police.
Then there are the online influencers. They wanted to put up a fight, but the police said that if they didn't evacuate, their filming equipment would be temporarily confiscated, and they couldn't afford to take that risk.
Only the people in the traditional martial arts circle persisted, but soon another police car arrived. Seeing the car and the police officers who got out, the people in the traditional martial arts circle also relaxed.
There was no other way; it was the Sixth Division of the Garrison Command.
This is pretty much like the Six Doors in online novels. Why provoke them? I'm outta here!
Ten minutes later, within a 300-meter radius of the association's entrance, spanning two streets, there wasn't a single stranger in sight.
The sidewalks and the bike lanes were empty, leaving only the six-story building and a few association staff members standing at the entrance.
At 9:20, a taxi stopped in front of the small building.
Hu Biao got out of the car.
He paid no attention to his surroundings, but walked to the entrance of the Traditional Martial Arts Association and looked up at the black sign with gold lettering: "Eastern Traditional Martial Arts Association".
Then he took out his phone, pointed it at the sign, and prepared to take a picture.
The screen lights up.
He opened Weibo, ready to post the picture.
Your account has been banned for posting content that violates the law. The ban will be lifted on January 25, 2036. Please appeal if you have any questions.
Hu Biao stared at the words for two seconds, stunned.
He smiled, put his phone back in his pocket, looked up, and gazed at the entrance of the small building.
The door opened.
Luo Zhenkun walked out, followed by a middle-aged man wearing gold-rimmed glasses, Xu Shimin.
Luo Zhenkun's expression was not good, but Xu Shimin smiled and walked up to Hu Biao, extending his hand: "Hu Biao, I've heard so much about you. I'm Xu Shimin, the operations manager of the Traditional Martial Arts Association."
Hu Biao did not reach out.
Xu Shimin wasn't embarrassed. He withdrew his hand and continued, "It's cold outside, shall we go inside and talk?"
Hu Biao looked at him but didn't say anything.
Xu Shimin smiled, a smug look in his eyes. "Little friend, I know you're angry right now, but being angry is useless. Even if you defeat everyone here today and flatten this place, the news won't spread. There won't be any photos online, and the news won't report it. At most, it will circulate in a small area. In this information age, it won't make a ripple. And you—"
He paused, his tone still calm: "You will be taken to the police station for disorderly conduct, detained, fined, and have a criminal record. Your family will go bankrupt. You are young, with a bright future ahead of you, and it will all be ruined."
"Kid, times have changed. This is the right way to play the game. What's the use of being good at fighting? In this world, it's about power and connections. Don't you agree?"
Hu Biao remained silent, simply looking at him.
Xu Shimin continued, "Instead of this, why don't we sit down and have a proper talk? You are very capable, we admire you, and the Traditional Martial Arts Association needs talent like you. We can definitely cooperate and achieve a win-win situation. Have you considered it?"
After listening, Hu Biao suddenly smiled.
He laughed softly and briefly, then his gaze shifted from Xu Shimin to the signboard.
He lifted his foot and walked forward.
Luo Zhenkun frowned and stepped forward to block him: "What are you doing?"
Hu Biao ignored him and continued walking forward.
Luo Zhenkun reached out to stop him, but Hu Biao slid past him with a slight sidestep, like a fish swimming past rocks. Luo Zhenkun's hand grasped at empty air, and he stumbled forward.
By the time he had steadied himself, Hu Biao was already standing at the door.
Then he looked up at the sign.
The next instant, his body rose from the ground.
Without a running start or any preparation, with just a light leap, he soared more than two meters into the air like an eagle spreading its wings, his right hand reaching out with his five fingers like hooks, precisely gripping the top edge of the signboard.
—Click.
The expansion bolts securing the signboard groaned under the strain.
Hu Biao landed, carrying the black signboard with gold lettering in his hand.
It weighs over 100 pounds, but in his hands it feels like he's carrying a piece of foam board.
Luo Zhenkun's expression changed instantly: "You—you dare!"
Hu Biao turned his head, looked at him, and waved the signboard in his hand: "I told you, I'm here today to ruin your brand."
Luo Zhenkun roared and charged forward.
He was a martial arts expert of colonel rank, who had practiced Tongbei Quan for over forty years. His punches were powerful and his footwork was solid. With this charge, a gust of wind was created, and his right fist was aimed straight at Hu Biao's face.
Hu Biao took a step to the left.
The force of the punch grazed his ear.
Luo Zhenkun changed his move extremely quickly. Before his punches had even finished, his left elbow was already swinging horizontally, aiming for Hu Biao's temple.
Hu Biao lowered his head.
The elbow brushed past his head, lifting a few strands of hair.
Luo Zhenkun changed his move again, raising his right knee and striking Hu Biao in the abdomen.
Hu Biao took half a step back.
His knee missed the target.
All three attacks failed.
Throughout this process, Hu Biao didn't even put down the signboard. He carried the over 100-pound plank in one hand, his body swaying like a willow catkin in the wind, making sure Luo Zhenkun didn't touch it at all.
"Old good-for-nothing," Hu Biao muttered.
Luo Zhenkun's face turned a deep purplish-red, and his breathing became heavy. He gritted his teeth and pounced again.
This time, Hu Biao did not dodge.
He stood still, waiting for Luo Zhenkun to rush in front of him, and then stretched out one foot.
—Thump.
Luo Zhenkun tripped and fell forward, landing on a shard of the signboard. Splinters of wood pierced his palm, and his face scraped against the rough surface with a dull thud.
Hu Biao looked down at him, took out his phone, and took a picture.
Luo Zhenkun lay sprawled on the ground, looking utterly disheveled, with a broken signboard in the background.
He took another picture.
A close-up of the signboard.
Take another picture.
An empty view of the association's main gate.
Luo Zhenkun got up from the ground and tried to rush upwards, but Xu Shimin grabbed him.
"President, don't be impulsive." Xu Shimin's voice remained calm. He supported Luo Zhenkun, looked at Hu Biao, and a complex emotion flashed in his eyes.
"Hu Biao," he said, "even if you take a picture, it won't do you any good."
Hu Biao looked at him but didn't say anything.
Xu Shimin pointed to the phone in his hand: "You have no idea who you're going against. You can't upload photos online. Weibo has already blocked your account. Fetion, short video platforms, forums, Tieba, all social media interfaces have been notified that any content related to you will be subject to manual review, and you won't be able to post it."
"Do you know what will happen next?"
Hu Biao looked up.
"The police will be here soon. You caused trouble in a legal business and assaulted an elderly person. You will definitely be detained. And I assure you, that lawyer from last night can't help you."
No sooner had he finished speaking than a police siren sounded, and a police car turned the corner and drove toward them.
"Kid, times have changed. You call the police, and so do we. We're a legal organization, and naturally, we're protected by law. What do you say?"