After bidding farewell to Sun Lutang, Wang Yan left Shanghai and continued heading south.
This time, the departure was much faster. Powerful figures in the underworld and politics, such as Gong Baosen, Li Shuwen, and Sun Lutang, all endorsed Wang Yan. Adding to his strength, by now, there was practically no one who didn't understand. He primarily visited renowned masters and exchanged a few ideas. He would pass on the teachings of those who were willing to teach, but he wouldn't force anyone who wasn't.
Because up to now, the things in his space, plus the things he remembered in his brain, the things he had learned along the way were enormous. He had fought hundreds of battles with weapons and fists, big and small, and his opponents were no weaklings.
When Wang Yan arrived in Foshan in September, his fighting skills had already reached level 4. Now, if he wanted to reach level 5, it would be a long and arduous journey, not something that could be achieved overnight.
Walking out of the train station, Wang Yan saw someone outside holding a sign with his name on it waiting to pick him up.
Seniority is a matter of course, especially in this day and age. Without exaggerating, the most influential figure in the martial arts world right now is Wang, and everyone is watching his every move. Indeed, there are many who, regardless of their own skill, act like seniors, acting with high arrogance. Wang Yan has seen a lot along the way.
Coming to Foshan, I feel it’s okay. Although they are more likely to target the people behind him, they did give him face.
Walking up to the man, Wang Yan said, "Hello, big brother. I'm Wang Yan. I wonder which senior invited you here?"
"Hello, Mr. Wang. President Chen of the Jingwu Association asked me to come here. Please follow me. President Chen has already prepared the banquet." After saying that, he nodded to Wang Yan and turned around to lead the way.
Arriving at the destination, Wang Yan looked at the six-story building in front of him. On it hung a large plaque with three large gold-plated characters "Republic Building" written in a flamboyant style.
I guess this is the Golden Building in the play.
In the dust of the world, there must be a man of temperament? But in the land of gentleness, he is also a hero's tomb.
Today, the Jingwu Association has booked this place, so most of the people here are from Foshan's underworld.
As Wang Yan arrived at the lobby on the top floor, everyone inside looked over. They wanted to see this young man who had made such a big name with his fists.
Wang Yan strode forward, walked to the center of the arena, clasped his fists toward the middle-aged man sitting in the main seat, and said, "Junior Wang Yan, greetings to Chairman Chen." He then stood up, bowed his hands in a circle, and said, "Greetings to all the fellow seniors present."
"No need to be so polite, please sit down." President Chen gestured with his hand.
After Wang Yan sat down, President Chen continued, "Everyone here knows your thoughts and your purpose. There's nothing wrong with that. The seniors before us have already set an example, so we certainly can't let others laugh at us."
"It's just that you've traveled from north to south, and Foshan is your last battle. I wonder what you plan to do next?"
Wang Yan put down his teacup and said, "I will stay in Foshan for a while to organize what I have learned this year." After saying this, he thought about the matter of ruining his job and continued to explain, "But everyone, rest assured, I will not open a school in Foshan to teach disciples."
President Chen didn't need to say anything. A burly man holding a girl said, "Brother Wang, what are you talking about? It doesn't matter if you open a school and teach disciples. But since you said so, then it's settled." This man was impatient and was eager to confirm that Wang Yan would not open a school.
The others also started talking noisily, echoing the sturdy man's words. They were afraid too. Wang Yan was now so powerful that he could fight from north to south without a single defeat. If he said he wanted to open a school and teach disciples, what would they have to do? Isn't martial arts training also about making a living? Everyone has to eat and drink.
Chairman Chen looked at Wang Yan who was drinking tea nonchalantly, and then looked at this group of people with a grim face. They had brought shame to the Foshan underworld.
Gradually, the people below noticed the expression on President Chen's face and quieted down. However, they didn't take it seriously. They chose you, Chen, as the president for the benefit of everyone. Otherwise, why would they need you?
"Okay, let's stop here. Let's get to the point." President Chen naturally understood what was going on. He couldn't suppress the people below him, so he had to hold his anger in.
Wang Yan nodded, put down the teacup, stood up, walked to the center, bowed, and said, "Please teach me."
A man in his thirties with thick eyebrows and big eyes stood up. It was undoubtedly Ip Man. In fact, Ip Man was quite disgusted, but with a group of elders present, he had no choice but to step forward.
Ip Man came over and stood opposite Wang Yan, bowed and said, "Wing Chun, Ip Man, please give me some advice." After that, he took a step back and made his signature questioning gesture.
Wang Yan was already used to this and launched a whip kick. Ip Man raised his hand to block, but the immense force from his arm caused him to shift sideways several steps, putting him at a disadvantage. Although Wang Yan's kick was only a tentative one, not at full strength, the force was not something anyone could withstand. Wang Yan did not pursue him. Ip Man shook his numb arm, regained his balance, and held his breath, concentrating on watching Wang Yan's movements.
Pushing off with his left foot, Wang Yan unleashed a powerful punch at Ip Man. Preparing for this, Ip Man dodged, blocking Wang Yan's incoming arm and, with a plowing kick, choked him with a finger strike. Wang Yan calmly blocked with his other arm, following Ip Man's momentum and deflecting his arm. Simultaneously, he pushed off with his left foot again, stepped forward with his right, and lunged forward with a mountain-sticking strike. Ip Man spun around, dodging, and then kicked Wang Yan's shin bone diagonally. Wang Yan dodged, but his attack was unsuccessful. At the same time, Ip Man attacked with both fists, swinging rapidly.
The two exchanged a few more moves, and through this brief exchange, Ip Man's level was clear. Even with his cheating skills, he was still a long way behind. He punched from right to left, and after receiving two punches, he swung away Ip Man's fists, and while Ip Man was distracted and changing his moves, he delivered a top elbow.
Ip Man wasn't as fast as Wang Yan, so he couldn't dodge at all. He could only grit his teeth and endure. Seeing Ip Man's expression, Wang Yan quickly retracted his elbow and twisted his waist, pushing Ip Man back several steps. Wang Yan was helpless. Even though he didn't use his full strength, he couldn't stop the previous move. Fortunately, he changed his tactics, otherwise, the previous elbow would have broken ribs at the very least. Compared to that, this was the best result.
Wang Yan bowed to Ye Wen, who had just stood still, and said, "Thank you."
Ye Wen also straightened his clothes and returned the greeting to Wang Yan: "Thank you."
"Good skills." At this time, seeing that the winner was decided, everyone shouted in unison.
The people below did not blame Ip Man. They all knew Wang Yan's level, but they couldn't help but feel relieved that the other party didn't open the museum.
"Well, you're truly skilled," Chairman Chen said. "We've already competed. Brother Wang must be hungry after all this travel. Let's eat and chat."
Wang Yan nodded in agreement, and then asked Ye beside him, "Mr. Ye, let's have a couple of drinks."
"I'll stick with you until the end." Although he lost fairly, Ip Man was still a little unhappy. No one likes to lose.
Nodding, Wang Yan followed them to eat.
People who practice martial arts can eat and drink, and they are very happy with a mess of cups and plates.
However, while eating, Wang Yan noticed a dish of snake soup. He endured the discomfort and took a bite. After savoring it, he found that the taste was indeed good and it was indeed a dish that had been around for decades.
Taking advantage of the break, Wang Yan quietly went to the kitchen and said to the figure behind him, "Junior Wang Yan, may I ask if your surname is Ding?"
When Wang Yan first came, although his movements were very light, Ding Lianshan noticed it keenly. After all, for people in this line of work, caution is ingrained in their bones.
He slowly turned his head, and a pair of captivating, murderous eyes stared straight at Wang Yan: "You've got the wrong person."
Wang Yan bowed and said with a smile, "Stop scaring me. I don't believe that with such a big commotion in the Golden Building, you, the senior, would not know where I came from."
Ding Lianshan smiled, his expression instantly benevolent. "You're a good kid." He turned around and added a piece of firewood to the stove, then continued, "I know your ambitions, they're great. But as a person, you need to be able to give and take. It's time for you to take back some of that."
Wang Yan nodded in agreement. There was nothing he could do. He was invincible from north to south. Even with a God's perspective, he was still humble and polite. However, he couldn't help but feel a little proud in his heart, and his edge was inevitably revealed. He almost had the words "fight if you don't agree" written on his face.
Afterwards, Ding Lianshan asked Wang Yan about the current situation in Northeast China and the recent situation of the Gong family, and talked for a while.
As if he had lost interest in talking, Ding Lianshan turned around and continued to look at the stove, saying, "Go ahead, and don't tell Baosen that I'm here, so he won't worry about me."
Wang Yan knew Ding Lianshan was homesick and didn't want to discuss it further. It was understandable that it was hard to leave one's homeland. Besides, Ding Lianshan's current situation wasn't very good. If someone with ulterior motives saw him and discovered something, he'd have to hide from him again. He and Ding Lianshan didn't have much of a relationship, so he was grateful that he was even paying attention to him, just for Gong Baosen's sake. He didn't want anything from Ding Lianshan; after all, he already knew all those things.
He didn't insist and said, "I will stay in Foshan for a while. If you need me, you can come find me. I'll take my leave."
After going back and dealing with those people, the day was over.
The next day, Wang Yan woke up in the hotel. He packed up, rented a yard not far from the Ye family mansion, bought some miscellaneous items, and officially settled in Foshan.
A few days later, Wang Yan visited the local elders as usual. He was not qualified to have them host a banquet for him, so they were not present in the Golden Tower that day.
That day, Wang Yan went to the Ye family mansion with some wine, tea and cooked food.
I knocked on the door, and soon the door opened and an old servant came out.
Wang Yan raised the thing in his hand and said, "Excuse me, elder, for announcing that Wang Yan is here to visit."
The old servant nodded, said "wait a moment" and turned to go in.
Wang Yan waited patiently for a moment, then saw Ip Man quickly walk out with his old servant. He bowed from a distance and said, "Brother Wang, why didn't you let me know you were coming so I could greet you? Please come in."
"Haha, Brother Ye, you're so polite. You're so polite." As he said that, Wang Yan handed the things in his hand to the old servant and followed Ye Wen in.
As he walked, Ip Man said, "I wonder why Brother Wang is here."
"The last time we fought, I saw that Brother Ye's moves were very exquisite. This time I came here to learn a little bit."
"That's easy to say, easy to say."
As they were talking, they happened to arrive at the lobby of Ip Man's house and saw Ip Man's wife Zhang Yongcheng having dinner there with their children.
Wang Yan said embarrassedly: "Oh, I came at a really bad time. Brother Ye, please forgive me, please forgive me."
"That's fine. Brother Wang, have you eaten yet? If not, let's have a bite together."
"I'm so sorry, Brother Ye. I just happened to bring a roast chicken and braised pig's trotters. Let's eat together." Wang Yan agreed immediately.
Ye Wen was stunned. "I'm just being polite? You agreed? And you even added a dish? Besides, you had to refuse. I invited you twice before you reluctantly agreed?"
"Well, that's perfect. Uncle Xiang, bring the food up and add another set of bowls and chopsticks." Ip Man invited Wang Yan to sit down, turned to the old servant and gave instructions. It was just a meal, Ip Man didn't care.
Wang Yan sat down and said to Zhang Yongcheng, "Hello, sister-in-law. My name is Wang Yan. And Brother Ye, don't be polite. Just call me Ah Yan."
Zhang Yongcheng nodded to Wang Yan modestly, said "OK", and said nothing more, lowering his head to eat.
Ye Wen said from the side: "Then don't be so formal. I'm a few years older than you. Just call me Brother Wen."
Wang Yan greeted Ye Zhun next to him again. The child was only seven years old now.
The meal was quite quiet because we were not familiar with each other yet and needed some time to adapt.
After dinner, the two sat down to drink tea. Ip Man offered him a cigarette, and Wang Yan thanked him and took it.
The two of them puffed out cigarettes and began to talk.
It was mainly Ip Man talking about his understanding of Wing Chun, some tricks on exerting force, etc. Everyone has their own uniqueness, even if they practice the same thing, the results will be different, and this process really benefited Wang Yan.
"Okay, Wen Ge, don't send me off. I only live two blocks away. I'm sure I'll bother you later."
"Don't be so formal, Ah Yan, I'm always welcome. Take care."
"You have an okay friend. He remembers to bring food when he comes to visit, although I let him eat it all by himself." Zhang Yongcheng said after Wang Yan left.
Ye Wen shook his head and said nothing. He suspected that Wang Yan just came here to eat for free.
Wang Yan strolled down the street, his mind preoccupied with something. He still needed to slowly get to know Ip Man, so they were still a little unfamiliar.
On September 18, 1931, the Japanese bombarded Beidaying and captured Fengtian the next day.
Whether it was Young Marshal Zhang or the bald man who said it was irrelevant; the non-resistance was an established fact. When the news broke, the nation was in uproar. Protests and marches erupted, and public outrage erupted. But it was all in vain; ultimately, weakness was the original sin.
Wang Yan wrote to Gong Baosen in Fengtian to inquire about his safety, and then to an old acquaintance of his, to offer his regards, and the matter was over. He could do nothing. At best, he could return to the Northeast and kill a few dozen or a few hundred people, which would have no impact on the overall situation. On the contrary, his killings would have caused the Japanese to massacre the local people out of their anger.
And political matters were not something that a mere military man like him could get involved in.
There were ripples in Foshan's underworld, but they soon subsided, and the Jinlou was still the same Jinlou.
For a while, Wang Yan spent his days rehearsing his moves, occasionally practicing calligraphy. Sometimes he'd go to the famous Foshan clinic to learn medicine, a position he'd bequeathed with generous gifts. Medicine and martial arts are inseparable, and Wang Yan had studied sports medicine extensively before, partly to understand his own condition, and partly to learn how to strike hard and kill quickly. He also knew a few techniques like massage and bone setting. But this time, he was learning the true art of medicine. From memorizing the text as an apprentice, all the way to identifying and dispensing herbs, and even understanding the principles of medicine.
From time to time, Wang Yan would also go to Ip Man's house for free meals, and their relationship was getting better and better. Ip Man was not a petty person, and he would not be so unwilling to lose. Moreover, Wang Yan's knowledge was much higher than Ip Man's. Often, their conversations were more like Wang Yan giving Ip Man a one-sided lesson.
As I said, the more you interact with Wang Yan, the more fascinating he becomes. Ip Man was fascinated by him. He was also a martial arts fanatic. If Wang Yan hadn't been so busy, he could have followed him around all day.
Through Ip Man, Wang Yan also met his good friend Zhou Qingquan. Wang Yan was eager to connect with him, and the two hit it off, starting a business together. During that year, Wang Yan never felt wealthy. This was because wherever he went, he was always treated with respect by senior executives, who were all well-off.
It’s not the same in Foshan. He is a permanent resident, not a guest, so no one cares about him.
To get things done, you need people, and to keep them you need money. So, he borrowed some money from Gong Baosen and brought Ip Man and Zhou Qingquan into the business. He was in charge of direction, Zhou Qingquan was in charge of operations, and Ip Man was in charge of lying down, and everyone was happy.
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