From 1945 to 1949, except for the somewhat tense period in 1947, it was generally a period of stable development.
With Wang Yan's guidance, Zhou Qingquan and Zhou Guangyao prospered. With the added support of military forces, their business grew rapidly. Various factories and companies were built, recruiting large numbers of family members from the Walled City and providing them with training and re-education. This enabled Wang Yan to fulfill his original promise and initially achieve a relatively high quality of life for the families of the Walled City.
Their lives now are much better than they were before. Gradually, there are almost no people clamoring to go home, except for some elderly people who are reluctant to leave their hometown.
While the Hong Kong government turned a blind eye, large amounts of land around the walled city were purchased and developed under a unified plan. The poor people who gathered around the walled city were mostly recruited into factories to support themselves.
On a street outside the walled city, dozens of martial arts schools opened for business, decorated with lights and colorful lanterns, set off firecrackers, and performed lion dances.
Wang Yan accompanied Gong Baosen and other senior colleagues as they strolled down the street and watched the grand scene.
"Great! Great!" Gong Baosen exclaimed.
Gong Baosen couldn't get enough of this scene. He wanted to bring northern martial arts to the south, southern martial arts to the north, but fate hadn't chosen the right time. After promoting Ip Man, the war broke out before he could even take action. A lifelong dream had been left unfulfilled, and Gong Baosen would be lying if he said he wasn't sad.
Ip Man was also feeling very uncomfortable. He had been so ambitious and vowed to do something big, but it ended so abruptly. He felt a little bit upset.
He thought his life was hopeless, but unexpectedly, a turning point came. In 1937, Gong Baosen followed Wang Yan to seek refuge in the south, where his life began to flourish again.
The martial artists Gong Baosen invited were all of high caliber, and the exchange and discussion was a process of absorption and integration. By learning from each other's strengths and weaknesses, he continuously refined and improved his own martial arts. His Gong family's Bagua and Xingyi styles were constantly revised. The same was true for others, and the distinction between northern and southern boxing had long since disappeared.
The other old seniors were also satisfied. At their age, they had no shortage of fame and fortune, and this was the only thing they cared about.
"Now it seems that our original sect was really ridiculous." An old senior said with emotion as he looked at the crowds of people.
The person next to him laughed and said, "Haha, why bother saying that? Just focus on the road ahead."
Gong Baosen said blankly: "Yes, keep an eye on the road ahead."
"Senior Gong, don't overthink it." Seeing Gong Baosen's condition was not right, Ip Man quickly said, "You told me back then that if you keep thinking about something, there will be a response. Now it has come, and you still have to work hard."
Wang Yan was about to say this just now, but was interrupted by Ip Man, who just watched from the side with a smile.
Ma San continued, "Awen is right! Master, you taught me that it's better to make progress than to stop. You still need to keep improving."
Gong Baosen was stunned for a moment after hearing this, then burst into laughter. Without saying anything, he walked forward with brisk and steady steps.
Wang Yan and everyone looked at each other, laughed heartily, and caught up with Gong Baosen in front.
Gong Er's life is becoming increasingly exciting. She's not exaggerating; she's truly amazing. Over the past two years, she's become a star. Of course, her status as the "Lady of the City Walled City" is inevitably a factor; it's unchangeable. People come for a variety of reasons, many hoping to build relationships through support, but there are also those who simply come to watch the fun. Regardless, her shows are always packed, and she's incredibly popular.
The three children, Gong Ji and Wang Zhilan, were all thriving. At the age of nine and eight, Gong Baosen personally trained Gong Ji in martial arts, teaching him his specialties of Bagua and Xingyi. Wang Zhilan was unhappy with Gong Ji's martial arts training, insisting she would follow him. Gong Baosen, after some thought, decided to continue the training.
Wang Zhilan was always wild, and after she started practicing martial arts, she became even more formidable. Among the children in the Walled City, she was the true leader. Wang Yan had specifically instructed that other family members not to tell the children about their status or the slang of young masters. No one ever mentioned such things to the siblings, so they had no idea what they were talking about. They went to school together, and were completely carefree all day long. Regardless of whether they said it privately, among the children of similar age, Wang Zhilan was truly unrivaled.
Gong Ji, needless to say, was the type who pretended to be profound. Wang Yan had watched the siblings compete and estimated that Wang Zhilan wouldn't last more than three moves. Of course, Wang Zhilan would definitely win; that was a must.
The remaining little one, Wang Xing, was only a little over two years old. Her mother was busy with opera performances, so Wang Yan had been taking care of her the whole time. He was also a mischievous child, not much different from Wang Zhilan when she was little.
It is worth mentioning that Li Zhao, who had followed Wang Yan at the beginning, was stuffed by Wang Yan into the Kowloon Police Station, which was in their area and it was convenient to do things there.
With the opening of numerous martial arts schools, the martial arts craze spread throughout Hong Kong Island, attracting many people to learn martial arts. With so many people here, the locals of Hong Kong Island will also be affected to some extent, which has also attracted the attention of many local boxers. They don't make easy money and are often exploited by foreigners. How can they not have resentment? It's just that they can't resist and can't do anything.
That day, at Wang Yan's house, he was staring at Wang Xing, who was babble-ing and covered in ink, with a mixture of laughter and tears. Wang Xing thought Wang Yan was teasing him, giggling and reaching out to grab Wang Yan.
Wang Yan had just put the child on the large desk to play by himself while he began writing. In a moment of carelessness, he had made a mess on the table. This was his ancestors. If Gong Er came back and saw the child in this state, she would annoy Wang Yan to death. After so many years, Gong Er's little girl's shyness had long since disappeared, and she didn't indulge his bad habits at all.
Sighing, Wang Yan picked up the giggling Wang Xing and went to clean up the child. As luck would have it, Gong Er came in humming a little tune.
When Gong Er entered the room, she saw Wang Xing, who was tucked under Wang Yan's arm and kicking his legs, grinning at her. She gave Wang Yan a displeased look, and Wang Xing, who was about to hug him, said, "What are you looking at, kid? Look at what you've got covered in..."
Wang Yan pretended not to hear and glared at Wang Xing who was clapping and howling. Seeing Wang Yan like this, Gong Er became even more angry: "I'm telling you..."
Fortunately, just as Gong Er was about to start a long speech, his subordinate knocked on the door and came in, saying with a stifled smile, "Sir, there's a boxer named Hong outside who says he wants to see you on behalf of the Hong Kong martial arts community."
He glared at his subordinate and told him to invite the person in. Wang Yan turned to Gong Er and said, "Look, someone is looking for you. I'll go over and take a look." After that, he turned around and left, ignoring Gong Er who was grinding her teeth.
Gong Er glanced at Wang Yan's back with annoyance. If she couldn't scold her father, she would scold her son. Regardless of whether he understood or not, she turned around and started scolding the aggressive Wang Xing. She had a lot of things in her heart, and she felt uncomfortable if she didn't say it out loud.
Wang Yan came to the reception room, and just then his subordinate came in with a fat man with a greasy hair, and then turned around to serve tea.
After his men left, Hong Zhennan bowed and said, "Hello, Mr. Wang. I have heard of your great name for a long time. Seeing you today is truly well-deserved."
"No, no, you're welcome." Wang Yan bowed and invited, "Sit down and talk."
Hong Zhennan thanked him and sat down upright.
The men came over and served tea to the two of them. Wang Yan took a sip, put down the teacup, and said, "I heard that Master Hong is here on behalf of the Hong Kong martial arts troupe. I wonder what he's doing here?"
Hong Zhennan knew that Wang Yan was lucky to be able to see him. If there was anything, he could just talk about it and it would be over. He didn't need his flattery, so he immediately said seriously: "To be honest, Mr. Wang, we are living under the control of foreigners..." Hong Zhennan rambled on about their plight and continued, "I know it is indeed presumptuous to come to see you without any hesitation, but I have no choice but to shamelessly ask for your donation. What are your conditions? I can make the decision."
The words were a bit blunt, but they also fit Wang Yan's thoughts. He was also annoyed by the hesitation. After thinking for a while, Wang Yan said, "There's nothing wrong with opening a martial arts school. The only requirement is to follow the rules. Can you do it?"
As long as he followed his rules, Wang Yan didn't care about these things. The strong prey on the weak, and there is progress only when there is competition. There is nothing to say if you can't beat others.
Hong Zhennan nodded excitedly: "No problem, no problem. Thank you, sir, thank you, sir."
Wang Yan nodded, accepted the thanks, picked up the tea and started drinking. Seeing Wang Yan's actions, Hong Zhennan sensibly said goodbye.
From then on, all the martial arts troupes in Hong Kong were concentrated in Wu Street outside the walled city.
In order to standardize the development of Hong Kong's martial arts industry, Wang Yan and a group of veterans, as well as Ip Man, Zhang Li, Hong Zhennan and others, once again unveiled the sign of the Chinese Martial Arts Association. This time, Wang Yan served as the president, and Ip Man and Zhang Li served as vice presidents, continuing to uphold the idea of "strengthening the race to protect the country, and strengthening the people to defend themselves."
With a sharp blade in hand, the desire to kill is inevitable. And as these people with different personalities gain the ability to fight, fierce fighting is inevitable.
Wang Yan had no control over other areas, nor was it his turn to do so. But within the perimeter of the Walled City, the Chinese Warriors Association was the rule. His men were still full of life, and he would punish anyone who caused trouble. Of course, blocking is worse than letting go. While martial arts skills may not be ranked high or low, people must be ranked high or low, and thus, the arena was born. Wang Yan set a simple rule, not many, except for one: no fatal blows to vital parts of the body. There were no other restrictions, and there was no weight limit. If you were truly strong, you could come in and fight as you pleased. Do whatever you wanted.
Wang Yan had already discussed this matter with a group of senior masters. They explained that when teaching martial arts, only direct disciples could be taught the secret ways of killing.
The seniors all understood what was going on and didn't say anything. Therefore, the martial arts school taught three sets of moves that were traditional, improved upon through years of exchange, and more suitable for fighting.
The traditional set of skills is to spread the knowledge of each school and lay a foundation. No matter how things change, they still have their roots. All schools and sects have something in common. You never know when a figure will emerge and forge his own path based on their foundation. After all, that's how they are.
Each set of improvements is the own way of the old masters and predecessors. They have practiced for a lifetime and dare not stop.
The modified set suitable for fighting eliminated a series of moves such as poking eyes, piercing the throat, kicking the crotch, etc. It was completely modified according to the rules of the ring.
Of course, Wang Yan would do his best to protect the lives of both combatants. Even so, many people still died in the fights, and there was nothing that could be done about it. No one would say whether it was inhumane or not. After all, they were making a name for themselves, making money, and enjoying themselves. So, if you couldn't defeat the opponent in the ring, you shouldn't blame them if you died.
The cake was quite large, so it was bound to be tempting. Wang Yan didn't want to cause any more trouble. He had basically given it to the Hong Kong government and the police. The foreigners, fearing trouble, didn't dare to take too much, and were content with just getting a small share.
By September of 1949, the divisions within the country had been cleared. Those who were defeated, fearing liquidation, fled to Wandao and other Western countries. The weaker ones were abandoned, some following instructions to join Liangshan, some captured, and some crossing to Hong Kong Island.
The people who came to Hong Kong Island weren't much of a deal either. Even though they were remnants of a defeated army, they had arrived with their equipment. Seeing the Walled City flourishing and prospering, they inevitably wanted to seize it. He who had the bigger fist was stronger, and by comparison, Yan was stronger. How could a bunch of veteran soldiers, who had only had the wind at their backs, compare to his elite brothers?
They lost some men, killed a group of officers leading the opposing team, and threw the rest of the soldiers into factories to work for nothing, supposedly for three to five years. Seeing such brutality, the others who hadn't participated didn't want to compete anymore. Their status wasn't enough here, so they just lived as poor peasants outside.
As for the noise caused by the fighting, the foreign devils thought it was just dog-eat-dog, and they wanted to kill them all. So they just sent people to see the result, and if the result was not what they wanted, they ignored it.
Of course, there are still many professional talents here, such as doctors, teachers and so on. After screening, these people are all placed in schools, hospitals and other places.
In April 1950, the border was closed.
That day, Wang Yan, Ip Man, and Zhou Qingquan sat together for dinner after a long absence. Zhou Qingquan was now extremely busy all day and refused to listen to any advice. Wang Yan and Ip Man did hang out together from time to time, and Ip Man would often go to the martial arts street to teach his disciples. Wang Yan was really idle, with nothing to do except taking care of the children.
On one side, Gong Er, Zhang Yongcheng and Zhou Qingquan's wife were talking, and several children crawling on the ground were fighting with the toddler. On the other side, the self-consciously sensible children were whispering to themselves, just like Gong Ji, Ip Man and Zhou Qingquan's children, who were all about the same age, pretending to be deep together.
It has to be said that Zhang Yongcheng is really fertile. Their youngest child is rolling around on the ground with Wang Xing.
The room was a chaotic scene, with the three women occasionally yelling and scolding, making it extremely noisy. However, the three of them were used to this scene and did not feel annoyed. Instead, they felt warm and at ease as Ye Zhun and Zhou Guangyao served them tea.
Ip Chun was already in his twenties and had already married. Zhou Guangyao was a few years older than Ip Chun, so it was even more difficult to talk about him.
Wang Yan took a sip of tea and said, "Brother Quan, the border is closed now. This is an urgent matter. You can leave your current affairs to A Yao. His children can run away and he can take on responsibilities."
Zhou Guangyao standing by had hope in his eyes. He had followed his father around for so many years and he had never made a decision. It was only because he had a calm temperament since he was young, otherwise he would have gotten angry long ago.
"But Ayan, Ayao..." Zhou Qingquan has taken care of them for so many years, but he is still worried about the children.
Wang Yan interrupted, "What's there to be said for? Children and grandchildren will have their own blessings. I told you to come down a long time ago, but you just wouldn't listen. Look how relaxed Brother Wen and I are. After working hard for half a lifetime, isn't it good to be at home enjoying life with your grandchildren?"
Ip Man nodded solemnly. He didn't care about anything, as Zhang Yongcheng handled everything, big or small. Ip Chun never came to him for help, knowing that his words were not effective.
Regardless of Zhou Qingquan's hesitation, Wang Yan said, "It's settled. This time, you take them over to identify the people. Don't worry about the rest. Let A Yao run the company from now on." After that, Wang Yan looked at Ye Wen next to him and said, "Brother Wen, what do you think?"
Wang Yan had fought guerrilla warfare for so many years, so how could he not have acquaintances? He had good connections with everyone, and now he had enough positions.
Ye Wen nodded and said, "Ayan is right. We are all old now. It's time for the children to take the lead. Brother Quan, please step down. It's fine to practice martial arts with me and drink tea when you have nothing to do."
Zhou Qingquan was speechless. His two best friends said so, and one of them could be considered his elder brother. He nodded helplessly in agreement.
Seeing Zhou Qingquan nod, Zhou Guangyao's hands became unsteady as he poured tea, he was so excited.
After laughing and scolding, Wang Yan said, "Don't be so happy. If something goes wrong in the future, I won't be a big deal. Just look at how good your father's Wing Chun is."
"Don't worry, uncle, I guarantee there will be no problem." Zhou Guangyao promised solemnly.
Zhou Qingquan snorted and said nothing, thinking that he had to pick up his kung fu skills, as he might be able to use them.
Everyone dispersed and went about their own business.
After Zhou Guangyao took charge of the industry, Wang Yan instructed him to transport various materials northward, apply for a television license, register a film and television company, a security company, etc. After explaining these things, Wang Yan left it alone. It was like this, and anyone who was not a fool could thrive.
Wang Yan quietly enjoys life, occasionally drinking tea and chatting with Gong Baosen and others. He takes his children for strolls, observing the neighborhood change with each passing day. He also takes his children to practice martial arts, calligraphy, and medicine. His life is comfortable and leisurely.
He didn't enjoy it for long. If he didn't look for trouble, trouble would look for him.
That day, the fat man came to the door with the little fat man. It was Hong Zhennan with the policeman named Fei Bo from "Ip Man 2".
Wang Yan invited them to sit down, but they both shook their heads and refused. Wang Yan didn't force it, and just looked at Hong Zhennan without saying anything.
Hong Zhennan quickly said, "Mr. Wang, this policeman is from my previous district. He is here on behalf of the foreign devils." After entering, he regretted it. But there was no other way. His former friend who had helped him came to ask for help, so he had no choice but to come.
He gestured for Hong Zhennan to sit down, as he had nothing to do. Wang Yan looked at Fei Bo: "Is this foreign devil one or a group? What level are they?"
"Mr. Wang, it's... it's... a foreigner." Fei Bo noticed Wang Yan's frown and continued tremblingly, "He... he is... a police... superintendent."
Wang Yan waved his hand. He was not interested in hearing the rest of the story. He was looking for trouble.
He walked to the phone nearby, dialed a few times, and waited for a while before the call was connected: "Hello, Director Mai, this is Wang Yan. Did you instruct your subordinates to send a small police officer to humiliate me? What do you want to do? Hmm?"
After listening for a moment, Wang Yan turned around and asked, "What's the name of that foreigner?"
Fei Bo quickly said, "Mike... Mike." He was stunned. Although he had known Wang Yan was quite fierce, including the battle six months ago, he had never expected Wang Yan to be so tough. He heard that it was a police inspector looking for him, and he went straight to their eldest brother.
Wang Yan reported his name and went over. After listening to a few words, he said, "Okay. I'll wait for your explanation."
He hung up the phone, sat down and said to the two of them, "You two can go now. This is none of your business."
The two men felt as if they had been pardoned. They quickly thanked him and turned away.
Thanks to Brother (┍床緔擁緊袮) for the reward of 1,500 coins and the monthly ticket support.
Thanks to brother (Shuoxuedouchang) for the reward of 100 coins for support.
Thanks to (Love Han Fei) Brother Han (Lian Nan Xue Lang) (Fatty Horse) (Best Actor in Purple Mountain) for your continued support.
As well as (gold coin orange) (tadpole) (block the wind for you_ PS: It’s too difficult for my brother to type it by hand.) (Prince Biao) (liushuiwu) (Assam Q tea) (Lu Awei) (relief and...) (book friend 20180714232705433) (no small fat meat) (three giants) and other eleven big brothers support with monthly tickets.
My memory is limited. Apart from the early elder brothers, I really can't remember so many elder brothers. I once again ask for your understanding.
I would like to thank all the big brothers who voted and recommended for their support.
Thanks to the brothers who spoke and those who didn’t speak but just watched for their support.
Thanks guys.