When Huang Wen woke up, it was already the next morning. He felt pretty good, just a little sore. He looked down; the bruises were still there, but they had deepened considerably.
As for his injured finger, Huang Wen wiggled it a couple of times. If he didn't apply force, there was no problem, but if he used even a little strength, he could still feel a throbbing pain from within the bone.
At the intersection of Chinatown, a young man with a backpack appeared. A hint of fatigue was on his face. He exhaled heavily, relieving some of his weariness, and headed towards the Wing Chun Martial Arts School.
Seeing the martial arts school's door tightly shut, the young man frowned and muttered, "Didn't Dad say Brother Wen had already left the martial arts school before? Why hasn't he returned to a normal routine?"
This young man was Zhong Qiang, Uncle Zhong's son, and the one Huang Wen wanted to help out at the martial arts school.
After seeing that the Wing Chun Martial Arts School hadn't opened yet, Zhong Qiang turned and walked towards his family's Bayu Hot Pot restaurant. The hot pot restaurant was open, but not for business. Uncle Zhong, knowing his son was returning, had eagerly woken up early.
He even cooked a pot of Chaoshan congee, waiting for his son to come back and eat it while it was hot.
Don't ask why a Bayu Hot Pot restaurant would have Chaoshan congee. Just assume that Chinese cuisines blend together, and regional distinctions have long since disappeared.
"Dad, I'm back!" Zhong Qiang put down his backpack as soon as he entered, calling out with a smile.
"You're back, that's good." Uncle Zhong poked his head out from the back kitchen, his eyes slightly red, and nodded at Zhong Qiang. He didn't come over for a hug. Even though Uncle Zhong had lived in the US for so many years, he hadn't developed that habit.
"Dad, what are you making? It smells so good!" Zhong Qiang, however, walked over to Uncle Zhong and gave him a big hug, asking with a smile.
"I made some congee for you. Alright, alright, go on now, you smell. Go take a shower and eat." Uncle Zhong, held in Zhong Qiang's embrace, clearly had a relieved smile on his face, but he pushed Zhong Qiang away, feigning disgust.
"Hehe, I couldn't help it, I left in too much of a hurry." Zhong Qiang laughed and scratched his head. "I'll go take a shower first, then I'll go call Brother Wen and see if he's awake."
"Okay, we just talked yesterday. You don't need to persuade him. Brother Wen has always had his own opinions." Mentioning Huang Wen, Uncle Zhong sighed and walked into the back kitchen.
"How can I possibly persuade Brother Wen when something like this happens?" Zhong Qiang shook his head, turned, and carried his backpack up the stairs. Their living quarters were also on the second floor, similar to the layout of Huang Wen's Wing Chun Martial Arts School.
"It's laughable that the American police haven't given an explanation after all these days. But there's still some news I need to tell Brother Wen."
Before long, Zhong Qiang had a quick shower. He glanced at Uncle Zhong, who was still in the back kitchen, then left the hot pot restaurant and headed towards the Wing Chun Martial Arts School nearby.
"Brother Wen! Brother Wen, I'm back! Are you awake?" In front of the Wing Chun Martial Arts School, Zhong Qiang called out towards Huang Wen's room.
"Xiao Qiang?" Huang Wen, who was washing up, paused. Zhong Qiang's appearance flashed through his mind, and then a touch of emotion flickered in his eyes.
Although Uncle Zhong said there was no rush to call Zhong Qiang back early, he still did it. Fortunately, his revenge had been taken. Next, he would focus on running the martial arts school.
"Coming!" Huang Wen wiped his face, shouted back, and then hurried downstairs to open the door and let Zhong Qiang in. "Why are you back so early?"
"Isn't it because I was afraid something would happen to you, Brother Wen, and I wouldn't get to see you one last time!" Zhong Qiang playfully punched Huang Wen in the chest and said with a laugh, "Considering how hard I worked to rush back, aren't you going to teach me your family martial arts before you go?"
"Hiss!" Huang Wen gasped, sucking in a breath of cold air. Zhong Qiang's punch, of course, had no real force,
but it landed right on a bruise.
"What's wrong, Brother Wen? I didn't even use any force!" Zhong Qiang quickly withdrew his fist, looking at Huang Wen with concern.
"It's nothing. If you're okay, I'll be okay!" Huang Wen waved his hand, giving Zhong Qiang a sideways glance. "You want to learn my family's martial arts? First, learn the basics of Wing Chun!"
The so-called family martial arts were actually a portion of Wing Chun that was not taught to outsiders. After all, Huang Hong only ran the martial arts school to make a living, so he definitely had to keep some of the essence of Wing Chun reserved.
And when Huang Hong was teaching Huang Wen, Zhong Qiang had secretly watched, and from then on, Zhong Qiang remembered that Huang Wen had family martial arts.
"That's boring. Those basics are too tiring to practice." Zhong Qiang pouted. "You have to keep practicing basic skills every day. Who has that much time? Look at people who teach Taekwondo, Karate, or free combat. They only need a few simple forms and practice two or three times a week."
"Most Americans don't care how powerful your boxing style is or if it can actually fight. The main thing is that it's simple, practical, allows them to occasionally defend themselves, show off a move or two, and then there's a so-called ranking system that gives them the thrill of leveling up..."
"You've certainly done your research!" Huang Wen looked at Zhong Qiang with some surprise. "What, are you planning to come here to help me during your internship? I'd be delighted! Salary and everything else are negotiable!"
"Brother Wen, you should solve your own problems first." Zhong Qiang shrugged and lowered his voice, "I have a classmate whose family also has a gang. According to him, most gangs have real masters, the kind far beyond ordinary people..."
"Before I came back, I found out about that 'Big Brother Lian' from the Goryeon Gang. He has a mutant under him, and his strength seems pretty good. Have you heard of mutants, Brother Wen? They're much more powerful than your kung fu. You have to be careful. It's best to wait until the Goryeon Gang members are alone before you make a move..."
"Oh, he's already dead." Huang Wen smiled and spread his hands. "But, his strength was indeed very strong; otherwise, he wouldn't have injured me."
"What?" Zhong Qiang's eyes widened instantly, then he recoiled, looking left and right. Seeing that no one was walking by outside, he then whispered, "Brother Wen, you've already dealt with the Goryeon Gang?"
"That's right." Huang Wen nodded with a smile. "They're all dealt with. I've avenged Dad. Next, I'll fulfill his last wish and make our Wing Chun Martial Arts School flourish!"
"How did you..." Zhong Qiang was speaking when he suddenly stopped. "Let's go, Brother Wen. My dad made breakfast and told me to come get you. Let's talk while we eat!"
"Alright, I'm hungry too. Let's go." Huang Wen nodded with a smile. He also had some questions about promotion and management that he wanted to ask Zhong Qiang, so he took this opportunity to bring Zhong Qiang to his Wing Chun Martial Arts School.