Jason Luo's decisive victory made his name spread far and wide—but the happiest person of all was Rod. For the past two days, he'd been rushing between interviews and endorsement meetings, busy to the point of exhilaration.
Meanwhile, Jason Luo and Coach Brown kept to themselves, continuing their closed-door training, paying no attention to the noise outside.
But trouble doesn't just disappear because you ignore it. Before long, Jason got a call from Catherine.
"Hey, peeping tom! I saw online that you won your fight. How could you not tell me such good news? Even as a normal friend, that's way too cold!"
Jason was caught off guard by how fast word had spread online. "Uh... Miss, it was just a regular challenge match. I didn't win any titles or awards. I didn't think it was worth bothering anyone about..."
"Stop making excuses. I know you're just avoiding me. You haven't even gone to visit your old coach yet! Hmph! I'm mad!"
"Well... I'll go, I promise. I'll make time in a few days..."
"Jason, I've got a great idea. Want to hear it?"
Jason raised an eyebrow. "What kind of idea?"
"Look—you're all the way in Chicago. Between your training and your matches, you don't have time to visit your old coach. And the poor man has no one to keep him company. He's all alone, with no one to talk to."
Jason grew more and more confused. "And what exactly are you getting at?"
"Hehe, let's make a deal," Catherine said mischievously. "You're in Chicago, but I go to school right next to the medical center. I could stop by three times a day if I wanted! So, if I visit your old coach pretending to be your girlfriend, it should be fine, right?"
Jason nearly choked. "What? No way—that's ridiculous!"
But Catherine was persistent. "Oh, come on, hear me out! I know your coach doesn't know me, but you can video call him first. Once he sees you with me, he'll get used to it. I could check in on his health and take care of him for you. That's basically helping you fulfill your filial duty! Think about it."
Jason hesitated. She actually had a point. Coach Pedro didn't have anyone around. His son was stationed overseas in the Middle East, and only his close friend Sonny dropped by sometimes—but Sonny was an editor-in-chief, so he couldn't stay long. Even with good hospital care, the old man didn't have anyone to talk to...
Still, Jason couldn't help but suspect her motives. He'd never once managed to get the upper hand in their conversations. "Alright, Catherine, just say it—what's your condition?"
"Be my official boyfriend!" she said without missing a beat.
Jason sighed. He'd seen that one coming.
"Don't joke around, Miss. I don't make deals with my emotions."
"Oooh, how cool! I love that answer... Hehe, fine then. How about this—Memorial Day's coming up, and it's a long weekend. We get three days off. I'll come to Chicago and hang out with you for two days. That's not too much to ask, right?"
Jason gave a helpless smile. This girl was relentless—but her request was reasonable. Besides, she had helped him before, so spending two days with her didn't seem like much.
"Alright, that's fine. Welcome to Chicago. Grace will be on break too—we'll all hang out together."
"What?!" Catherine let out a playful groan. "I'm traveling all the way there to see you, and you want to bring your sister along? Can't you just spend time with me?"
Jason laughed. "And here my sister thought you were her friend. Guess you never planned on including her at all, huh?"
"That's not what I meant! Fine then, I'll only stay for two days. We'll all hang out one day, and the next day, you spend it with me. Deal?"
Jason didn't refuse—after all, she was a girl, and he didn't want to seem rude. "Alright, I promise. I'll make sure you have a great holiday."
"Yay! Then it's settled! I'll go visit your old coach tonight. Text me the room number."
"Catherine... thank you. Really."
After hanging up, Jason shook his head, half amused, half impressed. Catherine really was something—who else would come up with an idea like that? For a rich girl to humble herself like this was no small thing.
He couldn't help but wonder what she saw in him. Maybe it was just youthful infatuation...
Not long after he ended the call, Rod came by.
"Haha, Jason! The company just called. They've raised your appearance fee and officially named you one of this year's key rising stars. Next month, you'll attend the annual headquarters meeting—you'll meet a ton of other signed fighters and expand your network."
Jason's face lit up. He didn't have many friends, and this was a good chance to make connections and learn.
Rod sat down and began explaining the current situation. Jason's victory had made him a hot topic again—an enormous boost from both a commercial and career standpoint.
But there was one awkward issue: his ranking. He'd replaced Zack at #311, but his inhuman evasive techniques had scared everyone off. Rod had already reached out to several fighters in the 200s, yet every single one had refused to fight.
No one wanted to go up against someone they couldn't even touch. And as the challenger, Jason had little to offer—if they beat him, it didn't mean much; if they lost, they'd become his stepping stone. No one wanted to take that risk.
Jason caught on right away. "Mr. Rod, what do we do then?"
"Don't worry," Rod said. "I'm using company connections to look for match-swap opportunities. We'll find a way."
Then, lowering his tone, he added, "But Jason, whether you've truly mastered that technique or not, I suggest you avoid overusing it before you win a title. Otherwise, this situation will only get worse."
Jason understood exactly what he meant. Being too dominant could backfire—if everyone was too scared to face him, there'd be no matches at all.
"Got it, sir," Jason said with a nod.
Rod smiled. "Good. You can fight as fiercely as you want in normal matches—there'll always be challengers. But your situation? This is the first time I've ever seen something like it! Haha, once you're champion, though, it won't matter. I'm counting on you to reach the top soon."
After that, Rod even arranged for Jason to practice his autograph, preparing him for upcoming promotional events.
Once you're famous, problems come with the territory. Luckily, Rod handled things professionally, shielding Jason from most of the noise. It barely affected his training. Only when absolutely necessary would Jason make a public appearance—signing autographs or posing for photos. Over time, he got used to the rhythm of his new life.
Lately, though, Jason had noticed Tony acting differently. He'd traded in his old car, dressed sharp every day, and even showered Grace with gifts.
"Huh? You've really changed lately. What happened? Hit the jackpot or something?"
Tony Huo smirked mysteriously. "Pfft, don't underestimate me! Just because you make your money in the ring doesn't mean I can't make some too."
"What kind of talk is that? If my brother's doing well, I'm just happy for you. I'm just curious, that's all."
"Haha, well... let's just say it's a secret for now!"