deltrittennovels Chapter 120 The Old Fox's Olive Branch
Chapter 120 The Old Fox's Olive Branch
Ma Cong's phone ringing sounded particularly jarring in the lively atmosphere of the budget hotel room.
Everyone in the room fell silent as a dozen pairs of eyes turned to them.
Wang Benlei, who had just been spitting and cursing the Martial Arts Association, also shut his mouth and looked at Ma Cong curiously.
Ma Cong picked up his phone, and the screen displayed an unfamiliar Beijing number. A thought struck him; he roughly guessed who it was.
Without avoiding the crowd, he pressed the answer button and turned on speakerphone.
Hello.
There was a two-second silence on the other end of the phone, and then a deep, steady male voice came through, carrying the air of someone who had long held a high position.
"Excuse me, are you Ma Cong, the leader of the Ma Alliance?"
The sound was not loud, but everyone in the room could hear it clearly.
Sun Changqing and Wang Benlei exchanged a glance, both seeing surprise in each other's eyes.
Leader Ma?
They were just using that term of address in their room, as a friendly joke and a sign of respect among their own people. How did the person on the other end of the phone find out?
Ma Cong's lips twitched. This old fox really knows his stuff.
"I am Ma Cong. I dare not accept the title of leader; it is only my friends who have bestowed it upon me. May I ask who you are?" Ma Cong's tone was calm, revealing no emotion.
"Hehe, young man, no need to be so modest. I am Li Jianguo."
Li Jianguo!
The moment those three words were uttered, the atmosphere in the room instantly changed. Wang Benlei's eyes widened, as if they were about to pop out of their sockets. Sun Changqing's brows furrowed, and he subconsciously moved closer to Ma Cong, as if that could help him shield himself from something.
The expressions on the faces of the other grandmasters also turned serious.
Li Jianguo, President of the Huaxia Wushu Association.
This name carries immense weight within the Chinese martial arts community. He represents more than just an individual; he represents the government, the system, and the invisible yet omnipresent net that hangs over the entire martial arts world.
No one expected that this important figure, who had been hiding behind the scenes, would actually call Ma Cong personally.
What does he want to do?
Should we confront them with accusations? Or issue an ultimatum?
However, what Li Jianguo said next shocked everyone.
"Young friend Ma Cong, I'm calling you today for no other reason than to say that my voice is filled with laughter, sounding like that of a kind and approachable elder. First of all, I want to congratulate you."
"Congratulations?" Ma Cong raised an eyebrow.
"Yes, congratulations." Li Jianguo chuckled. "Congratulations on your winning streak! You've really given our traditional martial arts a boost! Especially tonight, defeating Wing Chun with Wing Chun—it was beautiful! It was spectacular! It showed the spirit of our national martial arts practitioners!"
These words were spoken with sincerity and high praise.
If it weren't for Zhao Lixin's previous underhanded tactics, Ma Cong would almost have believed it.
Wang Benlei, who was in the room, was completely confused. He scratched his head and whispered to Sun Changqing beside him, "Old Sun, has this old fox lost his mind? His men just got slapped in the face by us, and now he's coming here to sing praises?"
Sun Changqing did not answer, but made a "shush" gesture, his eyes fixed on Ma Cong's phone, his expression solemn.
He knew things weren't that simple. The weasel offering New Year's greetings to the chicken was up to no good.
Ma Cong knew perfectly well that this old fox's tactics were far superior to those of his incompetent subordinate, Zhao Lixin.
He doesn't talk to you about rules or anything like stirring up trouble. He just comes up to you with high praise and makes you feel very important.
"President Li, you flatter me. I just did what I felt I should do," Ma Cong replied casually.
"No, you're not flattering me. You've done a great service!" Li Jianguo's tone shifted, becoming somewhat pained. "To be honest, it's shameful. In recent years, the martial arts circle has become a mess, producing many swindlers like Lei Lei, tarnishing the good reputation passed down from our ancestors. Our martial arts association also bears responsibility; it's our inadequate supervision that allowed these petty scoundrels to take advantage of the situation."
"Your actions this time were like a thunderbolt, sweeping away all this filth. This is to vindicate Chinese martial arts and rid the martial arts world of a scourge! On behalf of the Martial Arts Association, I want to thank you!"
These words were spoken flawlessly.
He absolved himself of all responsibility, as if the Wushu Association were also victims, while Ma Cong became their officially recognized "hero of eliminating evil."
Ma Cong sneered inwardly, "She's quite the talker."
"President Li, please speak frankly." Ma Cong was too lazy to beat around the bush with him.
"Good! Straightforward! I like this direct way of communicating with you young people." Li Jianguo laughed loudly, finally revealing his true intentions.
"Ma Cong, have you ever thought about joining our martial arts association?"
coming.
Ma Cong thought to himself, "This is the real issue."
"Join the martial arts association?"
"That's right!" Li Jianguo's voice was full of allure. "I know you have some opinions about the Wushu Association. I also admit that there are indeed some bureaucratic practices and inaction within us. However, our determination to reform is unwavering!"
"And you, Ma Cong, are exactly the talent we need most for our reforms! Your abilities, your ideas, your charisma—these are what we've been dreaming of!"
"Today, in my capacity as president of the Chinese Martial Arts Association, I formally invite you. If you agree, I can immediately appoint you as the executive vice president of the association!"
"Executive Vice President!"
Wang Benlei gasped, almost crying out.
This is no empty title; it's the real number two figure within the Martial Arts Association, wielding real power! Li Jianguo has really gone all out!
"Not only that!" Li Jianguo seemed to anticipate the reaction and continued, "I will establish a 'National Martial Arts Reform and Development Committee' specifically for you, with full authority! I'll provide you with policies, resources, and staffing! You can reform however you want! The entire Martial Arts Association will fully cooperate with you!"
"You want to establish a national martial arts alliance? Sure! Our martial arts association will help you organize it and turn it into an officially recognized, nationwide organization!"
"You want to build a training base? No problem! Our Wushu Association will provide the funding, approve the land, and build you the best and most advanced training base in the country!"
"You want to compile boxing manuals? That's even better! Our martial arts association's database contains valuable materials collected from various schools since the founding of the People's Republic of China, and we can give you access to them!"
"Ma Cong, your strength is ultimately limited when you fight alone. But if you join us and stand on the platform of the nation, the grand blueprints you spoke of today can truly be realized without any obstacles!"
"How about it? Think about it?"
The conditions Li Jianguo offered were increasingly tempting.
Executive Vice President, Reform Committee, official support, funding, land, valuable data...
This was practically everything Ma Cong wanted, delivered right to his doorstep.
The old masters in the room listened with bated breath. They had spent their entire lives worrying about money, venues, and the continuation of their craft. The promise Li Jianguo made was incredibly tempting to them.
A look of hesitation appeared on Sun Changqing's face. He looked at Ma Cong with a questioning gaze.
Perhaps, accepting the offer of amnesty and relying on the power of the government is indeed a shortcut?