Not Cowardice, But From the Heart!

New York Chinatown is located at the southern end of downtown Manhattan, in the same district as Li Congxin's home. The distance wasn't too great, and after a short ride in Marcus's police car, they arrived.

Following the address sent by Old Cook, Li Congxin found the Chinese martial arts school named "Nalan Martial Arts School." As soon as he entered, a Chinese girl behind the counter by the door caught his eye.

It wasn't that the girl was exceptionally beautiful, but after being in this world for so long, it was the first time he'd seen a fellow countryman. He couldn't help but feel a sense of closeness. Moreover, compared to those enthusiastic and outgoing foreign girls, Chinese girls' appearances were more pleasing to the eye.

"Hello, sir, are you here to learn martial arts at our school?" the girl asked. Not only was she cute, but her voice was also pleasant.

Li Congxin returned a polite smile and then asked, "Hello, what kind of martial arts does your school teach?"

The girl replied, "That depends on what you want to learn. Our school offers two levels: regular and elite classes."

"The regular class teaches simple and practical combat techniques, costing $10 per class, with 30 classes per semester."

"The elite class teaches Northern Leg Mastery, costing $40 per class, also with 30 classes per semester."

"New students can attend two trial classes for free. If you wish to continue studying, you must pay the tuition for a full semester, including the two trial classes, upfront."

Hearing the prices, Li Congxin couldn't help but gasp inwardly.

$40 per class meant $1200 a month, which in 1998, was likely more than the monthly salary of an average office worker.

As the saying goes, "scholarship is poor, martial arts is rich." Without money, one truly couldn't afford to learn!

After the girl finished speaking, before Li Congxin could make a decision, she added, "If you just want to learn some simple martial arts for self-defense, I suggest you enroll in the regular class. It's shorter, the results are faster, and it's more economical."

Hearing the words "shorter," Li Congxin couldn't help but frown, his expression instantly darkening.

"Slap!" Taking out his bank card from his wallet, Li Congxin slammed it onto the counter. "If I'm going to learn, I'll learn the best. I'll enroll in the elite class. I'll pay now, swipe the card!"

Received Impression Points +6 from Nalan Bai!

Hearing the system's prompt, Li Congxin was startled, then immediately realized his rudeness, but it was too late.

"Tsk! I was kindly offering you advice, and not only do you not appreciate it, but you also give me a dirty look. How uncivilized!" the girl complained as she efficiently processed Li Congxin's enrollment.

Had he really offended her?

But there was no way to explain this!

He couldn't possibly tell her that he had a scandal about "9.58 seconds," so he couldn't stand anyone mentioning "short time" in front of him, could he?

"Name!"

The girl took out a form and asked without looking up, her previous amiability gone.

Li Congxin shrugged helplessly. He was in the wrong to begin with, so he could only obediently answer, "Li Congxin, Li from Muzi, Congxin from 'Congxin suoyu buyuju'."

"Quite the attitude," she grumbled, filling out the registration form and stuffing it into a file bag. She then threw the file bag onto the counter. "Go upstairs, turn right, the second room is the elite class classroom."

Li Congxin reached for the file bag, but found he couldn't lift it.

It turned out the girl had placed her right hand firmly on the file bag and was staring at Li Congxin as she said, "Let me be clear: to learn true martial arts, talent, effort, and perseverance are all essential. It's difficult to achieve results in a short period. Furthermore, Nalan Martial Arts School does not guarantee that you will master the skills. It all depends on your own aptitude and effort."

"Don't think that just because you've paid, it's all done. If you can't endure the hardship, or if you neglect your training due to other matters, you might not even be able to defeat a regular class student after a whole semester. In that case, don't blame us for teaching poorly and ask for a refund."

"So, you can still regret it now."

It was clear that the girl had a sharp tongue but a kind heart. Although she was angry, she couldn't help but remind Li Congxin again.

However, Li Congxin wasn't someone who just wanted to dabble in a bit of martial arts and call it a day. Learning combat was a decision he had made after careful consideration. There were many ways to gain power in the Marvel world, countless of them, but for him, learning martial arts was the most reliable for now.

Moreover, martial arts were highly versatile. Even if he found other ways to become stronger in the future, mastering a good set of combat skills wouldn't be redundant.

How many superheroes and supervillains didn't know a few fighting moves?

Even Tony, who relied on technology, had studied Wing Chun, and the supreme sorcerer, the Ancient One, was a master of combat!

There were also negative examples, like the "invincible" Hulk, who was taught a lesson by Thanos's army with a set of basic martial arts.

Shaking his head, Li Congxin said kindly, "No need. I came here precisely to learn true martial arts. If I don't learn well, it will be my own fault. 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, with only seven people inside: one Black, one White, and five Asians. One Black person, one White person, and four Asian individuals were either kicking a sandbag, kicking a wooden dummy, or kicking the air. Another man, a short-haired youth around twenty-five or twenty-six years old, was wearing a Tang suit, with his hands behind his back, observing the others' practice with a discerning eye, occasionally calling someone over to give pointers and demonstrate proper form.

Seeing Li Congxin enter, the short-haired young man stepped forward and asked, "Hello, I am Nalan Qing, the coach of the elite class at Nalan Martial Arts School. Is there something I can help you with?"

Li Congxin handed over the file bag and smiled, "I'm here to register for martial arts. This is my registration form."

Nalan Qing opened the file bag, glanced at the form, then looked up at Li Congxin and asked with uncertainty, "Your name is... Li Song?"

Hearing Nalan Qing's words, the other four Asian individuals in the classroom were initially stunned, then immediately resumed their training. However, their movements indicated that their attention had shifted from their punches and kicks to their ears.

Li Congxin helplessly explained, "My name is Li Congxin. Li from Muzi, Congxin from 'Congxin suoyu buyuju'. Uh, could I see the registration form?"

Upon hearing Li Congxin's explanation, the other four Asian individuals' bodies involuntarily trembled, clearly suppressing laughter, and doing so with great difficulty. This made Li Congxin feel quite frustrated. Nalan Qing, on the other hand, had a strange expression and handed the registration form to Li Congxin without a word.

Taking the registration form, Li Congxin finally understood the problem.

The girl's handwriting was beautiful and delicate. However, when filling in Li Congxin's name, although the form was horizontal, she insisted on writing vertically, using a cursive, connected script. This way, familiar people wouldn't misread it, but unfamiliar people might easily mistake the characters "Cong" and "Xin" for one.

Speaking of which, wasn't that girl doing it on purpose?

Judging by Nalan Qing's expression, she must have done it on purpose!