Chapter 63

The Jinlan Taekwondo Gym is located on the upper floor of an old mall in the city center, which is also a property of the Minghua Group.

Behind the mall, a small courtyard has been preserved, which is quite unusual in this land of high value. When Lin Zixian drove up, he immediately noticed an expensive white Maybach parked there.

As he parked his car, a man and a woman got out of the Maybach. The woman was dignified, with wavy long hair and a tall, slender figure. She wore a tight black leather jacket and pants that accentuated her curvy figure, as if to show off her body. Lin Zixian didn't recognize the woman, but he did recognize the man—it was Zheng Longqing, who was also wearing a taekwondo uniform. However, unlike Qiao Yun's black belt, Zheng Longqing's was a white belt, indicating he was a beginner.

As soon as Qiao Yun got out of the car, Zheng Longqing politely greeted her, and they walked up the high steps together. The woman in the leather outfit, Luo Qili, glanced at Lin Zixian, who smiled at her, but she ignored him and followed behind Zheng Longqing. Lin Zixian was inwardly annoyed, thinking that they were all drivers and there was no need to put on airs. But what made him even more frustrated was yet to come...

The Jinlan Taekwondo Gym was on the top floor, and in a building over thirty stories high, no one would climb the stairs, so they naturally took the elevator. As they entered the elevator, Luo Qili extended her hand to block Lin Zixian and said coldly, "You take the next one."

Lin Zixian watched in shock as the elevator doors slowly closed. He quickly stuck his foot in to stop them, and the doors opened again. He looked at Luo Qili in confusion and said, "We're all drivers, why can you take this one and I have to take the next one?"

Qiao Yun's lips curled slightly into an almost imperceptible smile, but she didn't say anything to help him. Zheng Longqing watched Lin Zixian with interest, having seen him before but not paid much attention. Today, he noticed that this driver in a security uniform was a bit different.

"Because I'm a woman, and I don't like taking the elevator with strange men," Luo Qili said coldly.

"I don't like taking the elevator with strange women either. You get out and take the next one," Lin Zixian said as he tried to squeeze in.

Suddenly, a bright dagger appeared in Luo Qili's hand, pressing against Lin Zixian's chest and pushing him out. The elevator doors then closed.

"You don't look like you have any real skills, but you dare to threaten me with a knife. Do you think I don't have a weapon?" Lin Zixian muttered, not rushing to take the next elevator.

He returned to the courtyard, opened the bulletproof car's rear door, and pulled out a box from under the seat. He opened the latch, grabbed an automatic rifle, but found it too long and inconvenient to hide, and it would scare people. So, he switched to a Type 54 pistol, loaded the magazine, and tucked it into his waistband before heading back to the building.

When he reached the top floor where the taekwondo gym was, a guard stopped him and said, "Sir, non-students are not allowed in."

Is there such a rule? Lin Zixian pointed to his security uniform and said, "I'm the building's security guard, checking the electrical circuits on this floor. For safety reasons, please cooperate with my work, or I'll have to cut off the power to your gym."

The guard was taken aback, probably not expecting anyone to impersonate a security guard, so he let Lin Zixian in without suspicion.

Once inside, Lin Zixian found the place bustling with activity. People of all ages, from young children to adults, were either practicing alone, sitting in groups, or sparring with each other. He looked around but didn't see Qiao Yun. Instead, he noticed Luo Qili, dressed in black leather, standing by a door in the corner of the gym, quite conspicuous.

Lin Zixian immediately walked over and asked, "Is my boss inside?"

Luo Qili seemed in a bad mood and ignored him, turning to push the door open. Lin Zixian took the opportunity to peek inside and saw Qiao Yun and Zheng Longqing taking off their shoes. He quickly followed them in.

When Qiao Yun revealed her slender, delicate feet, both Zheng Longqing and Lin Zixian paused to admire them.

There's a saying, "Beauty has its flaws." Besides the common interpretation, some use it to describe a woman's feet. A woman may be beautiful everywhere, but her feet can detract from her overall beauty. Some discerning men judge a woman's beauty not by her face but by her feet, which often reveal her inner state and lifestyle.

Qiao Yun's feet were very beautiful, white and tender like a work of art, and she stepped onto the platform barefoot.

At the entrance, there was a small area one step lower than the rest of the room, where several pairs of shoes were neatly arranged. Just as Lin Zixian was about to step in, a middle-aged man with gray hair spoke in broken Chinese, pointing at him, "Don't wear shoes in here."

This man was the gym's master, Jinlan, an eighth-degree black belt and a genuine Korean. Two fifth-degree black belt disciples stood on either side of him. The entire building was a property of the Minghua Group, and this spacious room was Qiao Yun's private training area, with the two disciples serving as her sparring partners.

Lin Zixian glanced back at Luo Qili, who was leaning against the wall, and finally understood why she was reluctant to come in. She probably had some pride and didn't want to take off her high-heeled leather boots in front of others.

Lin Zixian kicked off his shoes, which he had bought from a street vendor, and stepped inside. Everyone else was barefoot, but he was still wearing socks. He walked around the room with his hands behind his back, and suddenly realized everyone was looking at him. He adjusted his cap and said, "I'm Qiao General Manager's bodyguard. You all carry on with your training, and I'll just watch. You don't need to pay attention to me."

Qiao Yun's lips twitched slightly, and Master Jinlan, seeing that she didn't object, said nothing. After all, Qiao Yun's influence was significant, as she had managed to rent an entire floor at a low price in this prime location.

After bowing to Master Jinlan, Qiao Yun went to the side to warm up, stretching her legs and doing push-ups, which was quite different from her usual image.

"Mr. Zheng, let's start with the basics of taekwondo," Master Jinlan said politely to Zheng Longqing.

Usually, only two disciples stayed to train with Qiao Yun, and a beginner like Zheng Longqing wouldn't need personal instruction. However, after learning Zheng Longqing's identity, Master Jinlan took a personal interest and came himself.

"Mr. Jinlan, I'm still considering whether to learn taekwondo," Zheng Longqing said, seeing Master Jinlan's expression change. "Don't misunderstand me. My time is valuable, and I don't want to waste it on useless techniques. I hope Mr. Jinlan can show me something genuine. I want to see if taekwondo is a real martial art."

"Of course, taekwondo is the largest and most excellent martial art in the world," Master Jinlan said confidently, then nodded to his two disciples.

The disciples immediately brought over a stack of wooden boards and sticks, preparing to demonstrate a shocking display of human flesh against wood.

The best martial art? Lin Zixian, standing nearby, found this amusing and ran over to help them carry more wooden boards, ready to clap after they finished. Even Qiao Yun, who was warming up, paused.

"I think Mr. Jinlan misunderstood me. I want to see a real taekwondo sparring match, not a performance," Zheng Longqing said, pointing at Lin Zixian. "This is Qiao Miss's bodyguard. If he can become her bodyguard, he must be skilled. If taekwondo can't defeat Qiao Miss's bodyguard, I can't see the point of learning it for self-defense. I might as well hire more bodyguards."

He had noticed that the relationship between Qiao Yun and Lin Zixian wasn't a typical employer-bodyguard relationship and wanted to test Lin Zixian's skills.

Master Jinlan immediately looked at Qiao Yun, who didn't object. He then turned to Lin Zixian and asked, "Sir, are you willing to accept my challenge?" In fact, Qiao Yun also wanted to see how skilled Lin Zixian was.

Lin Zixian glanced at Zheng Longqing, who was still smiling. Damn! You came to me first.

He shrugged and said, "Since my boss has no objection, I have no reason to refuse. Otherwise, everyone might think I'm afraid of you."

"Please!" Master Jinlan extended his hand toward the center of the mat, looking very confident and ready to show off.

Lin Zixian walked to the sparring area with him and said calmly, "Mr. Jinlan, let me say this upfront. I don't act unless it's necessary, and when I do, it's either to kill or to injure. If you can't handle it, it's best to surrender quickly, or you'll be responsible for the consequences."

This statement made Zheng Longqing's eyes flicker, and Luo Qili, who was leaning against the wall, straightened up slightly. Qiao Yun couldn't help but worry about Master Jinlan, though she had never seen Lin Zixian's skills, she didn't doubt his claim, having heard that he had killed several people the day before.

Master Jinlan, clearly confident in himself, smiled faintly and assumed a standard taekwondo fighting stance, inviting Lin Zixian to make the first move.

Lin Zixian didn't hesitate, lifted his shirt, and pulled out a pistol from his waistband. He chambered a round, turned off the safety, and fired at Master Jinlan. With a 'bang,' a strand of gray hair floated to the ground.

Master Jinlan, seeing the smoking gun barrel pointed at him, was stunned, as were the others, who couldn't believe Lin Zixian would use a gun.

'Bang, bang, bang,' three more shots rang out, each grazing Master Jinlan's head and cutting strands of hair, leaving bullet holes in the wall behind him.

Master Jinlan, shaken, quickly raised his hands and said, "I surrender."

"You're smart. Fortunately, I have good aim. Otherwise, if I had lost control, you wouldn't have a head to eat with," Lin Zixian said, adopting a Western cowboy pose, blowing on the smoking barrel, re-engaging the safety, and tucking the gun back into his waistband. He then made a 'V' sign, looking as if he had won easily, almost effortlessly.