First Release

Three in the afternoon.

The gymnasium doors were wide open, with a steady stream of people still pouring in.

This place was usually used for gymnastics—spacious and well-lit—but today it had been temporarily repurposed for a challenge match.

It wasn't really a proper ring, just a few blue mats pushed together in the middle, cordoned off with white lines. It barely passed for one.

A ring like you'd see on TV was hard to come by in a school.

Still, you could imagine this was the arena from the World Martial Arts Tournament.

But the atmosphere more than made up for it.

In the stands—or rather, the folding bleachers on both sides of the gym—most seats were already taken. The buzz of conversation blended together, almost like a vegetable market.

"Man, I didn't expect this many people."

An Yuexin looked around, clicking his tongue in surprise. "Too bad Bro Fang isn't here—he loves this kind of stuff."

"If he were, he'd probably want to give it a shot himself, right? I heard he's been learning Taekwondo lately?" Mai Chuwen stood nearby, adding the comment in a flat tone.

"Nah, not anymore. He stopped recently." An Yuexin shook his head.

The two of them reined it in at school, not acting too lovey-dovey—just standing together, occasionally chatting in low voices.

Lin Mo scanned the crowd.

Quite a few people had shown up. A rough count put it at least two or three hundred.

Most of them were G2 students, with only a few from G1—after all, the newbies had just enrolled and many didn't even know about this match.

His gaze shifted to the left side of the makeshift ring, where the Taekwondo club had gathered in a sea of white uniforms, dozens strong and standing in neat rows. It was an imposing sight.

On the right, the Boxing club looked shabby by comparison.

Still, the dozen or so guys standing there—especially those in front with their broad shoulders and thick backs—looked like they weren't just there to fill space.

Lin Mo also spotted Lu Xiaochen, who was clearly handling logistics.

"The numbers are a bit lopsided," Lin Mo remarked.

"Not too bad," An Yuexin said, unfazed. "Taekwondo's a medium-sized club; they've got the foundations. If Boxing had more members, they wouldn't be begging Master Mo to be their president in a time of need."

Lin Mo didn't say anything more.

The group found a decent spot to sit—not too close, not too far, with good visibility.

The front rows had already been snapped up by early arrivals, but this angle gave a clear view of the ring.

An Yuexin hadn't even settled in before he pulled out his phone and shared the flyer in the class group chat.

As soon as the message went out, the chat exploded.

Predictably, the guys in the class were hyped.

"Whoa, there's a fight to watch?"

"Where? Where?"

"Is Li Yongkang competing?"

"Already on my way!!!"

An Yuexin grinned as he watched the messages flood in, then tucked his phone back into his pocket.

Over by the ring, the faculty advisors from both sides had called the two club presidents together. The three of them huddled by the edge, exchanging instructions in low voices.

After a moment, the Taekwondo advisor raised his voice.

"The match rules are as agreed: no strikes to vital areas, and all protective gear must be worn before stepping onto the mat."

"Got it, teacher." Both presidents nodded simultaneously.

"Each side sends five people. Best of five rounds—first to three wins. Any objections?"

"No."

"No."

Concise and decisive—two words sealed the deal.

The two sides dispersed, heading back to their camps for final preparations.

The presidents gathered with their members, quietly discussing the fighting order and strategy.

Since there were so many spectators today, someone had to manage the event.

The Taekwondo advisor stepped onto the mat, picked up a megaphone, and cleared his throat.

"First of all, welcome, everyone, for taking the time to watch this friendly exhibition match between the Taekwondo club and the Boxing club."

The crowd fell silent for two seconds.

"It's my honor to serve as the referee for today's event. Before we begin, I'd like to give you a brief history of both clubs..."

Many students started to zone out.

An Yuexin yawned.

Lin Mo glanced around. It wasn't just An Yuexin—several students had already pulled out their phones.

Two girls had even brought out snacks, cracking sunflower seeds as they waited.

The teacher's speech really was dragging on.

But Lin Mo noticed that fighters from both clubs were using this time to warm up.

The Taekwondo members were stretching and doing kicks, while the Boxers were shadowboxing, their fists cutting through the air with audible whooshes.

The teacher was probably buying them extra prep time with all that talk.

Finally, both presidents walked over to the judges' table and handed in a sheet of paper each.

The competition lineup was set.

The advisor let out an audible sigh of relief and shifted gears.

"Alright, enough chit-chat. The match is about to begin!"

Someone in the crowd yelled, "Should've started ages ago," drawing laughs from others.

The teacher didn't take it personally, shaking his head with a smile.

"First match: From the Taekwondo club—Li Yongkang! Against the Boxing club—Chen Yixuan!"

No one expected Li Yongkang to be the first competitor.

The moment his name echoed from the speakers, An Yuexin shot up from his seat.

"Li Yongkang! Go!" He turned to the students from Class Eight and shouted, "Cheer him on, guys!"

The boys from Class Eight had been waiting for this all afternoon. They stood up in unison.

"Li Yongkang! Go!"

Haphazard cheers grew more uniform with each repetition, before finally converging into a steady rhythm that reverberated through the gymnasium.

Lin Mo stood up too, cuing in with a couple of shouts.

Now taller than most, he rose half a head above the crowd, and his face alone drew attention.

Eyes from several directions swept over and recognized Lin Mo.

He was pretty well-known, after all.

Li Yongkang, now stepping onto the mats, had heard all the cheers from his classmates.

He stood on the blue mats, still fastening his protective gear, and looked toward Lin Mo's spot. He spotted his class cheering him on.

A slight flicker crossed his face before he lowered his head to finish buckling his gear.

"Guess I've gotta win now. Otherwise, it'll be embarrassing."

He tightened his fingers a little.

The whole class was watching.

His opponent, Chen Yixuan, had already stepped onto the stage, making final adjustments to his gloves.

They were about the same height, but Chen Yixuan's shoulders were noticeably broader—a sign of years of training.

Both clubs had sent out strong fighters for the first round.

Chen Yixuan was the vice-president of the Boxing club and had been training years before joining.

Li Yongkang needed no introduction—he had already earned a black belt in Taekwondo in middle school.

In fact, in Lin Mo's memories from his past life, Li Yongkang had been the best fighter in their class. He just didn't often show it.

But Lin Mo had seen him in action.