Steve the Apprentice

"Guns? I have some too."

As soon as Chen Mo finished speaking, two pistols appeared in his hands. Before the men opposite him could react, Chen Mo fired both guns in rapid succession. Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! ...

A burst of fierce gunfire rang out, rapid and brief. Every armed man on Johnny's side froze in agony, clutching their arms as their guns all fell to the floor.

In the blink of an eye, the situation had reversed once again.

Chen Mo casually set the pistols, their barrels still smoking, on the coffee table before him and glanced at Johnny, whose arm was clutched in his hand and whose forehead was drenched in cold sweat.

"Looks like I still call the shots here. What do you think?" Chen Mo asked mockingly.

"Y-Yes!" Johnny felt as though his back had been soaked through with cold sweat. Damn it, he's clearly a martial artist. How is his shooting this freakish too? I didn't even see what happened before all my men got shot.

Johnny's gaze flickered toward the pistols on the coffee table. Completely intimidated by Chen Mo, he did not dare to try anything reckless again.

"Then you can leave. No need to see you out," Chen Mo said with a wave of his hand.

Apparently not expecting Chen Mo to let him go so easily, Johnny froze for a moment before coming to his senses. He hurriedly gathered his men and fled as though running for their lives.

"Master, are we really just letting them go?" Huang Quan and the others had broken out in cold sweats when the guns were pointed at them, but none of them had backed down. Chen Mo was fairly satisfied with their performance.

Chen Mo understood what Huang Quan meant. He was worried that they would come back for revenge. "It's not time yet." Chen Mo lifted the coffee Old Albert had just poured for him and took a light sip.

Old Albert had been the calmest person in the room besides Chen Mo. When Johnny drew his gun, he had stepped forward, intending to shield Chen Mo, but Chen Mo had stopped him. At all other times, he had simply stood quietly behind Chen Mo with the coffee pot in hand.

Outside the Martial Arts School, Steve watched a group of gangsters rush inside. Worried about the safety of the people within, he was about to call the police when, after a bout of chaotic fighting, the building fell quiet again.

Steve was at a loss when a short, rapid burst of gunfire suddenly rang out. His face changed, and he thought the gangsters had started killing people.

Soon, a group of people stumbled out in a sorry state and quickly left the area. Steve hurried toward the Martial Arts School, nervously placing his hand on the door that had always seemed so mysterious to him.

The loosely closed door opened easily. It seemed they had been in such a rush to leave that they had even forgotten to close the door to the "crime scene." Steve's sense of dread grew stronger.

Filled with anxiety and imagining every possible scene, Steve froze the instant the door swung fully open. There were no bodies strewn everywhere, no river of blood. The people inside were all unharmed, gathered around the sofa and discussing something. Hearing him open the door, they all turned to look at him with strange expressions.

Glancing at the scattered bloodstains on the floor near the entrance, Steve understood. He had probably made a fool of himself. Those Mafia men had not been in a hurry to leave a crime scene—they had been beaten by the people before him and sent fleeing in disgrace!

Once he figured it out, Steve's face reddened under Chen Mo and the others' stares. "Um, I... I saw... the door wasn't closed..."

Steve did not know how to explain himself. He had barged into someone else's home without warning; he could hardly say that he thought they had all been murdered. The expression on his face was quite a sight.

"Come in." Chen Mo looked at the frail figure in the doorway. Steve looked embarrassed, but it could not conceal the kindness and integrity in his bones. Anyone else would have stayed far away and never waded into such trouble.

"You saw those people go in, then heard gunshots, and you were afraid something had happened to us, right?" Chen Mo stated the truth for Steve.

"Y-Yes, sir." Steve felt greatly relieved and gave Chen Mo a grateful look.

"Come sit down. Eddie, get him a cup," Chen Mo invited.

Steve could neither leave nor refuse, so he walked inside. Only then did he get the chance to properly inspect the mysterious Martial Arts School. The separate Training Room was covered with thick mats. A small Arena stood in one corner of the hall. The spacious hall had solid wood flooring, while several weapon racks were neatly arranged along the walls, filled with weapons of all lengths and types, most of which Steve had never seen before.

Only a set of sofas and a coffee table stood by the window. The entire Martial Arts School was simply and neatly arranged, nowhere near as lavish as Steve had imagined.

Steve hesitated for a long time before finally sitting down across from Chen Mo. The white-haired old butler poured him a cup of coffee, then left with the others to tidy up the hall that the Mafia men had messed up.

"Chen Mo, from China, master of this Martial Arts School." Chen Mo raised his cup, gesturing for Steve to have a taste as well.

"Steve Rogers, from Brooklyn, an ordinary factory worker." Steve did not feel inferior because of his status as a worker. He took a deep breath and put aside his earlier embarrassment. Once calm, Steve appeared neither humble nor arrogant. Only after introducing himself did he lift the coffee before him and take a sip, relaxing completely.

This was more like the Captain America Chen Mo remembered.

"You don't seem like an ordinary worker," Chen Mo said with a smile.

"I just don't know fear." Thinking of his frail body, Steve spoke with a hint of self-mockery.

"There's an old saying in China: when brave men meet on a narrow road, the braver one wins." Chen Mo's tone was gentle, like an elder patiently guiding a junior.

"There are many people with great strength, but few possess true courage. That is the most important quality of a strong person."

"Those people you saw outside just now—do you think they were strong?" Chen Mo asked, raising a hand to point outside.

Steve recalled the appearance of those Mafia men. "They were all strong, and there were a lot of them."

"But they were defeated. Faced with people stronger than themselves, they did not even have the courage to resist. They ran away like cowards, so they are all weak. But you have a brave heart. In my eyes, you are stronger than every one of them." Chen Mo looked at Steve seriously as he spoke.

"But my body..." Steve had never wanted to admit that he was weak. That was why he had fought back time and again.

Chen Mo waved a hand. "The body is external. It can become stronger through training. What matters is having the courage to fight enemies stronger than yourself, facing desperate situations without fearing death, and never giving up!"

Steve's eyes lit up. Wasn't he describing me? Maybe I'm not completely worthless after all. Steve's desire to become stronger grew even more intense.

"Then... can I learn from you?" Gathering his courage, Steve asked Chen Mo nervously.

Chen Mo nodded firmly. "Of course. You have great potential."

"But I don't have any money," Steve said dejectedly.

"I happen to need an apprentice. Besides learning martial arts, you'll be responsible for cleaning and miscellaneous chores. The pay isn't much—fifty dollars a month. What do you think?" Chen Mo did not offer him a high salary right away. Taking him in could be explained as recognizing his potential; giving too much would only arouse suspicion.

"Really? Thank you! I'll definitely work hard!" Steve said excitedly.

The pay here was considerably higher than what he had earned at the factory, and he could also learn martial arts and become stronger. Steve felt as though his life had entered a brand-new beginning. He was filled with gratitude toward Chen Mo and silently swore that he would work and train hard, never letting down Chen Mo's trust.

After Steve left, Chen Mo finished the last sip of coffee in his cup and rose from the sofa.

"Eddie, I'm heading out for a while."