"Who did I offend?" Xu Jingming asked.
Fang Xinglong looked at Xu Jingming and said a name: "Cheng Zihao."
Xu Jingming understood everything in his heart and asked calmly: "Brother, did he come to you?"
"Yes." Fang Xinglong nodded.
Xu Jingming nodded and said, "I have a conflict with him."
"You are a professional martial arts player. You were selected for the provincial team in high school and later joined the national team. You have been in the professional martial arts circle for so many years. How could you have a conflict with Cheng Zihao?" Fang Xinglong couldn't understand. The two parties were not in the same circle at all.
Xu Jingming smiled and said, "Life is full of infinite possibilities."
"Don't be so playful." Fang Xinglong was a little anxious and worried. "Is the conflict between you and him unresolvable?"
"It can't be resolved." Xu Jingming shook his head.
Fang Xinglong snuffed out his cigarette and looked at his junior. "Jingming, that's Cheng Zihao! If you offend him, you'll be banned online!"
"I know. The Cheng family!" Xu Jingming sighed. "The Cheng family controls Tiger Shark Group, a company with a market capitalization exceeding five trillion yuan, a giant internet conglomerate ranked among the top three. They're truly formidable."
The Cheng family ranks in the top ten of Xia Country's richest list, with a family fortune exceeding five hundred billion yuan. Tiger Shark, Xia Country's leading livestreaming platform, was founded over sixty years ago by Cheng Yunxiu, a legendary figure in the Cheng family. Over those sixty years, Tiger Shark Group has not declined, but has instead grown stronger. Today, with Tiger Shark Platform at its core, it has become a giant internet conglomerate with ramifications across multiple industries, including e-commerce, music, and gaming. Tiger Shark Group has a market capitalization exceeding five trillion yuan. As the founding family, the Cheng family holds an 8.2% stake and consistently holds over 50% of the voting rights, firmly maintaining control of Tiger Shark Group.
For thirty years, Tiger Shark Group was completely controlled by founder Cheng Yunxiu. After his death, his only son, Cheng Liwei, has been in charge ever since.
Cheng Zihao, Cheng Liwei's son, is thirty-two years old.
"On the internet, the Tiger Shark Group is one of the top three conglomerates. Its live streaming platform is even number one. As a martial arts practitioner, you have no idea how terrifying its influence is." Fang Xinglong looked at his junior, feeling a little anxious.
"Of course I know," Xu Jingming said with a smile. "Once you're banned, you won't have any commercial activities, and you won't be promoting yourself online. Your fame will quickly fade."
For martial arts practitioners, fame is crucial.
The greater the fame, the higher the income.
While Xu Jingming is quite impressive in terms of martial arts competition results, he's only considered a third-tier martial arts practitioner among the top practitioners in Xia Nation history! Legendary figures like Master Liu Hai are considered first-tier. After all, at over forty years old, he's finished in the top three in five consecutive competitions and even held the world's number one title.
There are three first-tier practitioners, all of whom are legends. Their appearance fees for a single peak match exceed 100 million yuan, and their cumulative career earnings are even more astonishing. Among the top practitioners in history, the second-tier is comprised of those who have achieved a top-three finish in the world, or who retired after a difficult first attempt at world number one. They're often mentioned, their appearance fees for peak matches often exceeding ten million.
Xu Jingming reached the World Martial Arts Championship twice, once reaching the round of 16 and once the quarterfinals. His highest appearance fee was a mere one and a half million, and his highest single payout was the prize money from the quarterfinals of the World Martial Arts Championship. After so many years of hard work, his total income only amounts to tens of millions, a testament to his strength and status.
In terms of performance, Xia Guo's historical players are third-tier. As for fame? Being banned online would quickly diminish.
"Martial arts players have to make a living, too. Sometimes, taking a step back opens up new horizons," Fang Xinglong counseled.
"Brother," Xu Jingming said seriously, "You know, there are some things you can't back out of."
Fang Xinglong was startled, then nodded slightly, worriedly saying, "Just banning you is a small matter. I'm just worried Cheng Zihao will keep causing trouble for you."
Xu Jingming smiled, "At worst, I'll go back to my hometown, Mingyue City. In Mingyue City, my Baji Sect and Chuojiao Sect have thousands of disciples. I'll see how he can cause me trouble. Besides, in modern society, with surveillance everywhere, what can he do?"
"Then what are you planning to do back in Mingyue City?" Fang Xinglong pressed.
"Open a martial arts school and do some high-end private training. I can make a living," Xu Jingming said. "After all, I'm a gunsmith. I make a living by my skills, so I can make a living anywhere."
Fang Xinglong shook his head slightly. "In a second-tier city like Mingyue City, you'd be lucky to earn a million yuan a year with your hard work."
"I've earned quite a bit over the years, and I've also earned quite a bit in interest and dividends," Xu Jingming said. "Brother, don't worry about me."
After Xu Jingming and Cheng Zihao fell out, he was prepared.
He'd just make less money.
Influenced by his father from a young age, he became a disciple of Mingyue City's two major traditional martial arts schools, the Baji School and the Chuojiao School. Since the World Martial Arts Championship became the world's largest fighting competition, traditional Chinese martial arts schools have once again flourished, and various weapon fighting techniques have been discovered.