After May Gu leaned in and gave Danny Dean a kiss for luck, she let go of his hand and grinned, "Come on! Let’s hit the West Gym and show Paul Park what we’re made of!" That steamy kiss was her way of firing Danny up for the showdown.
Danny nodded, a flash of fear crossing his face—though it vanished in a heartbeat. At least his little act worked! Sure, he was about to get pounded, but hey, if taking a beating meant landing a girlfriend, he was all for it!
The four of them hurried to the West Gym at Southern University. The campus had an East Gym, a Lake Gym, and the West Gym—the biggest, packed with all kinds of training gear. The Taekwondo Club had staked out a huge practice area here. With the semester just started, the club was raking in tons of new recruits, thanks to its size and top-notch equipment. Most members were off grabbing lunch, but even so, the gym was still buzzing with people.
As soon as the four stepped inside, they spotted Paul Park warming up. His crew of young guys and a dozen Taekwondo students—both male and female—were standing around, eager for some action.
But honestly, Paul Park wasn’t the real head-turner. Over by the Taekwondo mats, a long-haired girl in a flowing white dress was jogging on a treadmill. The way her dress hugged her curves was seriously distracting, and her shiny black hair was swept up, with two long strands left to frame her face. Her bare arms were pale as snow, giving her an elegant, old-school vibe—totally stunning, with a kind of ethereal charm that made her stand out from the crowd.
Next to her, a burly guy in a camo tank top and black workout pants was bench-pressing a barbell that looked like it weighed at least two hundred pounds. He had a buzz cut, a square jaw, and a tough, intimidating look. Lying on the bench, he hefted the massive barbell like it was nothing. Shawn Young couldn’t help sneaking a few looks—especially at the graceful girl, who seemed to radiate something special.
Joanna Gong spotted Shawn Young staring at the girl in white as soon as they walked in. Feeling a stab of jealousy, she grumbled, "Wow—see a knockout and you’re glued to her, huh? Planning to go chat her up or what!?"
Shawn Young noticed Joanna getting jealous and quickly said, "No, it’s not like that! She just seems... different, that’s all!"
"Different!? Of course she’s different, she’s gorgeous! All you guys are the same—can’t take your eyes off a pretty face! Hmph!" Joanna pouted, clearly annoyed but half-teasing.
"Uh—Joanna, don’t get the wrong idea. I really do think she’s special. How come I’ve never seen her before?" Shawn asked, curiosity getting the better of him.
"Hmph—stop pretending! Her name’s Qian Qian Tang. She’s a transfer student, a special recruit, and the newest Campus Belle at Southern U! They say she’s got serious connections—nobody knows what, but that muscle guy next to her? He’s her bodyguard! I mean, how many students here have their own bodyguard? So yeah, don’t even think about messing with her. Just enjoy the view! Hehe—" Joanna giggled.
"Oh—got it! Got it! Haha—" Shawn Young nodded, shifting his gaze to Danny Dean in the middle of the gym.
Danny Dean strutted up to Paul Park, trying to look tough, though his face was a bit tight—he was definitely nervous. Truth was, he’d never learned any martial arts; he was just here for May Gu. But he stuck to his motto: ‘Lose the fight, but never lose face!’ So, puffing himself up, he shouted, "Hey, you wild Korean playboy! Danny Dean’s here! Let’s get this party started!"
Paul Park stopped warming up, flicked his long hair with a flourish, then busted out a flashy combo of kicks. His diehard fans cheered, and the Taekwondo students burst into applause. Paul’s moves quickly grabbed the attention of everyone in the West Gym.
After his combo, Paul Park took a breath and sneered, switching to clumsy Mandarin: "Fatty, I’ll show you what real Korean Taekwondo can do! You and your buddies will see how our legit martial arts blow your flowery Chinese kung fu out of the water! Don’t say I didn’t warn you—if you’re scared, better suit up! My kicks don’t pull punches!"
"Save it! I don’t need any gear. Today, I’m going with classic Chinese style—the famous 'Dragon Claw Milk Grab' move even kids and grannies know! If you’re not scared, come at me!" Danny acted all cocky, but inside, he was scared stiff.
"Oh, yeah? No gear—makes it even more exciting! Fatty, let’s see how long you can talk big. Don’t worry, I’ll pay for your medical bills! All I want is a good kick! Whatever it costs, I’ll cover it! You’re doomed today, but if you get on your knees and beg, maybe I’ll go easy on you! Hahaha—" Paul Park laughed arrogantly as the crowd pressed in—who’d miss a fight like this?
"Beg your mama! I came here just to crush your yolks! Man, Korean guys rank last in the world—I’m dying to see if you’ve even got any yolk in there!" Danny Dean shouted, determined to win with his mouth even if he couldn’t win with his fists. (Note: According to a global survey by Spanish medical company Andromedica1, Korean men rank shortest, with an average of only 9.6 centimeters when hard. Oof!)
"Drop dead!!" Paul Park couldn’t out-trash-talk Danny, so he snapped, roaring as he fired off a vicious high roundhouse kick at Danny’s head. Danny barely managed to block it with his left arm—"Bang!"—just in time.
A jolt of pain shot from Danny’s arm all through his body. His heart hammered as he shook out his numb left arm, wondering how he could save face. But Paul Park wasn’t done—he shot forward like lightning, unleashing three rapid, high roundhouse kicks straight at Danny’s head—
Danny saw the kicks coming and, clueless about how to dodge, instinctively wrapped his arms around his head—"Bang! Bang! Bang!" Paul Park’s triple kicks sent Danny crashing to the floor. His vision went black, his nose felt hot, and when he touched it, he realized he was bleeding. Thank goodness Danny was tough—if it’d been a skinny kid, he’d be picking teeth off the floor after those kicks.
"Damn it, you made me bleed! I’m coming for you!" Danny, fired up with rage, charged at Paul Park without a second thought.
"You looking to die?" Paul Park sneered, his eyes flashing. He kicked out hard—"Bang!"—right into Danny’s gut. "Waaah—" The force sent Danny flying backward, arms and legs spread wide as he crashed to the floor. He felt like cartoon birds were circling his head, and his stomach hurt so bad he thought he might puke up his guts.
Paul Park wasn’t done yet. He lunged forward, ready to keep pounding on Danny—"Stop! You can’t hit him anymore!" May Gu couldn’t stand it and rushed over to block him.
Paul Park was in full beast mode, ignoring May Gu and charging ahead, about to stomp on Danny’s head. May Gu gritted her teeth and, without hesitation, swung a sweeping kick at Paul’s waist.
Paul Park spun and kicked—"Bang!"—his foot slammed into May Gu’s shin, knocking her off balance. She cried out and tumbled to the ground.
Ignoring May Gu, Paul Park stepped up and planted his foot on Danny Dean’s stomach, grinning as he shouted, "Haha, fatty, is this your legendary Chinese kung fu? What a joke! You need a girl to bail you out? Not that it helps! Haha—"
Paul Park’s cocky rant drew angry shouts from the crowd. Most weren’t martial artists, but they couldn’t stand him trashing Chinese kung fu. People started pointing and cursing at Paul, but even though everyone was furious, no one dared step in.
Paul Park couldn’t care less about the crowd’s anger. He threw his head back and laughed, then looked around and said in clumsy Mandarin, "Hmph, Chinese kung fu used to be awesome, but now it’s just useless flashy moves. Get mad all you want, but it’s the truth—you saw it yourselves! Is this the kung fu you Chinese folks brag about?"
Paul Park was really piling it on, using Danny Dean—who didn’t know any martial arts—as a prop to mock Chinese kung fu. Most of the onlookers were Chinese students, and hearing Paul’s cocky speech made them furious and embarrassed, like they’d just been slapped. The noisy gym suddenly went quiet as everyone hung their heads.
As harsh and cocky as Paul Park’s words were, he wasn’t totally wrong. Once, Chinese kung fu was world-famous, but now it’s mostly for show. Too many schools are stuck in their ways, always bickering, so the real essence is held by a rare few. The ones who know it won’t teach, the ones who teach are fakes, and the few real masters willing to teach—well, hardly anyone wants to learn because it’s so tough. Meanwhile, Taekwondo, which actually came from Chinese kung fu, has developed into a strict, complete system that’s easy to pick up. The Korean government and its people push Taekwondo hard, both at home and worldwide, which is why it’s so popular today.