New York Chinatown was located in the southern part of downtown Manhattan, in the same district as Li Congxin's home. It was not very far away, and they arrived soon in Marcus's police car.
Following the address Old Cook had sent him, Li Congxin found the Chinese martial arts school called "Nalan Martial Arts School." The moment he entered, the Chinese girl behind the counter by the door immediately caught his eye.
It was not that the girl was exceptionally beautiful. It was simply that, after transmigrating for so long, this was the first time he had seen one of his fellow countrymen, which made him feel especially close to her. Besides, compared with those passionate and uninhibited foreign girls, the appearance of Chinese girls was simply more comfortable to look at.
"Hello, sir. Are you planning to come to our school to study martial arts?" The girl was not only cute, but had a pleasant voice as well.
Li Congxin returned her a polite smile before asking, "Hello. May I ask what kind of martial arts your school teaches?"
The girl replied, "That depends on what kind of martial arts you want to learn. The courses at our school are divided into two levels: regular and elite."
"The regular class teaches some simple and practical combat techniques. Each lesson costs ten dollars, and each term consists of thirty lessons."
"The elite class teaches Northern Leg Mastery. Each lesson costs forty dollars, and a term likewise consists of thirty lessons."
"New students can attend two trial lessons for free. If they wish to continue studying afterward, they must pay the tuition for the entire term in one go, including those two previous lessons."
Hearing that price, Li Congxin could not help clicking his tongue inwardly.
Forty dollars per lesson meant twelve hundred dollars a month. In 1998, the monthly salary of an ordinary office worker might not even reach that amount.
As expected, literary pursuits were for the poor, while martial arts were for the rich. Without money, learning martial arts really was out of reach!
After finishing, the girl added before Li Congxin could make a decision, "If you only want to learn some simple techniques for self-defense, I suggest you sign up for the regular class instead. It takes less time, produces results faster, and is more affordable."
Hearing the words "takes less time," Li Congxin's brows immediately furrowed, and his expression darkened.
"Smack!" Pulling a bank card from his wallet, Li Congxin slapped it onto the counter and said, "If I'm going to learn, of course I'm going to learn the best. I'm signing up for the elite class. I'll pay right now. Swipe the card!"
Impression Points from Nalan Bai +6!
Hearing the system's notification, Li Congxin froze for a moment before immediately realizing that he had been rude earlier. Unfortunately, it was already too late.
"Tch! She kindly offered you some advice, and not only did you refuse to appreciate it, you even gave me attitude. What a lack of manners!" The girl complained unhappily while efficiently handling Li Congxin's enrollment procedures.
Had he really offended her already?
But there was no way to explain this!
He could not exactly tell her that he had once been involved in the 9.58-second scandal, so he could not stand hearing anyone mention the words "takes less time" in front of him, could he?
"Name!"
The girl took out a form. Without looking up as she prepared to fill it out, she asked the question in a voice that was no longer as amiable as before.
Li Congxin helplessly shrugged. He had clearly been in the wrong first, so he could only answer obediently, "Li Congxin. Li as in the character for plum, and Congxin as in following one's heart without overstepping the bounds."
"Quite the show-off." While grumbling, the girl finished filling out the registration form, stuffed it into a file folder, and then tossed the folder onto the counter. "Go upstairs and turn right. The second room is the elite class classroom."
Li Congxin reached out to take the file folder, but it did not budge.
It turned out that, at some point, the girl had pressed her right hand firmly on top of the folder. Staring at Li Congxin, she said, "Let me make this clear first. If you want to learn genuine martial arts, talent, hard work, and perseverance are all indispensable. It is very difficult to achieve anything in a short time. Our Nalan Martial Arts School also does not guarantee that we can teach everyone successfully. Everything will depend on your own talent and effort."
"Don't think that paying the money is the end of it. If you cannot endure hardship, or if you neglect your training because of other matters, then by the end of a term, you might not even be able to beat a student from the regular class. When that happens, don't say that we taught you poorly or demand a refund."
"So, you can still regret it now."
It was obvious that the girl was sharp-tongued but soft-hearted. Although she was angry, she still could not help reminding Li Congxin once again.
Li Congxin, however, had not come to dabble in martial arts and leave after learning a few superficial tricks. Learning combat had been a decision he had made after careful consideration. In the Marvel world, there were countless ways to gain power, but for the time being, learning combat was the most reliable option for him.
Besides, combat skills were highly compatible with other abilities. Even if he obtained other means of becoming stronger in the future, mastering a decent combat technique would not be redundant.
Looking across the ranks of superheroes and supervillains, how many of them did not know at least a few combat techniques?
Even Tony, the rich man who relied on technology, had studied Wing Chun. The Ancient One, the Sorcerer Supreme of her generation, was also a combat expert!
There were certainly negative examples too, such as the "invincible" Hulk, who had been taught a lesson by Thanos's army with a barrage of punches.
Shaking his head, Li Congxin said amiably, "No need. I came here precisely because I want to learn genuine martial arts. If I fail to learn it well, that will be my own problem. I won't ask for a refund."
Following the girl's directions, Li Congxin quickly found the elite class classroom.
The classroom was large and spacious, but there were only seven people inside: one Black person, one white person, and five Yellow people. One Black student, one white student, and four Yellow students were either kicking sandbags, kicking wooden posts, or kicking at the air. The other was a short-haired young man who looked about twenty-five or twenty-six. Dressed in a traditional Chinese outfit, he stood with his hands clasped behind his back, watching the others' movements with a critical gaze. From time to time, he would call someone over, offer a few pointers, and demonstrate the proper technique.
Seeing Li Congxin enter, the short-haired young man stepped forward and asked, "Hello. I'm Nalan Qing, the instructor of the elite class at Nalan Martial Arts School. Is there something I can help you with?"
Li Congxin handed over the file folder and said with a smile, "I'm here to enroll in martial arts. This is my registration form."
Nalan Qing opened the folder, glanced at the form, then looked up at Li Congxin. In an uncertain tone, he asked, "Your name is... Li Song?"
Hearing Nalan Qing, the other four Yellow students in the classroom froze. They then immediately resumed their individual training. However, from their movements, it was obvious that they had shifted their attention from their punches and kicks to their ears.
Li Congxin helplessly explained, "My name is Li Congxin. Li as in the character for plum, and Congxin as in following one's heart without overstepping the bounds. Um, could you let me take a look at the registration form?"
Hearing this, the bodies of the other four Yellow students began trembling involuntarily. They were clearly holding back laughter, and doing so with great difficulty. This left Li Congxin feeling extremely depressed. Nalan Qing, meanwhile, wore a strange expression and silently handed the registration form to Li Congxin.
Taking the registration form, Li Congxin finally understood where the problem lay.
The girl's handwriting was beautiful and delicate. However, when filling in Li Congxin's name, she had insisted on writing vertically even though the form was laid out horizontally. She had also used flowing cursive script. As a result, someone familiar with the name would naturally not misread it, but someone unfamiliar with it could easily mistake the two characters Congxin for a single character.
Could that girl have done it on purpose?
Judging by Nalan Qing's expression, she definitely had!
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