ocean-life Chapter 111 The Martial Arts Association's Actions, Li Jianguo
Chapter 111 The Martial Arts Association's Actions, Li Jianguo
Ma Cong's declaration of war, and the starkly different reactions of the three "masters," completely ignited the entire internet within just a few hours.
Lei Lei's declaration of avoiding conflict and Ma Cong's phrase "Translate this" became a new internet meme, wildly shared and parodied by countless netizens. Lei Lei's Weibo comment section was completely flooded; no matter what he posted, the comments were all "Translate this," which infuriated him to the point of almost having a stroke on the spot, and he finally had no choice but to disable comments.
On the other side of the field, he became a "real villain" in the eyes of countless people. Although everyone was mocking him for being willing to risk his life for money, some people felt that he was at least more "honest" than Lei Lei, that coward. Ma Cong's extravagant act of transferring one million yuan without saying a word added even more legendary color to his title of "God Ma".
"The money has arrived, the fight starts tomorrow"—this simple and direct style is incredibly appealing.
As for Ding Hao, his poignant declaration of acceptance of the challenge salvaged much of his reputation. Many felt that although he had lost before, he at least possessed the backbone and responsibility of a martial artist, daring to face an opponent far stronger than himself.
For a time, the entire internet's attention was focused on the first duel between Ma Cong and Tian Ye the following afternoon.
Major live streaming platforms reacted quickly, contacting Ma Cong's team to secure exclusive live streaming rights. However, Ma Cong, through Sun Changqing, replied that he would not pursue exclusivity, but welcomed simultaneous live streaming on all platforms without charging any fees. The only condition was that the entire broadcast must be live and the signal must not be cut off.
This decision has further boosted the favorability of countless netizens towards Ma Cong.
Not for fame, not for profit, but solely for "rectifying the reputation of Chinese martial arts".
What a magnanimous spirit and boldness!
……
Just when the entire internet was in an uproar.
Inside a traditional courtyard house in Beijing that is not open to the public, the atmosphere was rather somber.
This is the headquarters of the Huaxia Wushu Association.
A middle-aged man dressed in a dark Tang suit, with his hair neatly combed, was holding a cup of tea and listening quietly to his subordinate's report.
He is Li Jianguo, the current president of the Chinese Martial Arts Association.
"President, this is what happened." A secretary wearing gold-rimmed glasses adjusted her glasses and said with some concern, "That young man named Ma Cong has completely lost control. His so-called 'National Martial Arts Alliance' has completely bypassed our Martial Arts Association, privately challenging fellow martial artists to battles, and has caused an extremely large public opinion impact online. This... this is against the rules."
Li Jianguo blew on the tea leaves in his cup but didn't speak immediately.
His face betrayed no emotion, and his eyes were as calm as a deep pool.
Seeing his lack of reaction, the secretary continued, "Especially his 'signing a death warrant' statement—the impact is extremely negative! This is a society governed by law; how can we engage in this feudalistic kind of fighting? If someone really dies, our martial arts association, as the governing body, will bear the responsibility! Chairman, we must stop him immediately!"
"Stop him?" Li Jianguo finally spoke, putting down his teacup and looking at his secretary with a half-smile. "How? Issue an official document reprimanding him? Or send someone to arrest him?"
"This..." The secretary was stumped.
"He's now a national hero adored by the entire internet, a martial artist who has brought glory to the country. If we step in to stop him now, guess what the people online will say?" Li Jianguo said slowly. "They'll say that our martial arts association isn't standing up for real Chinese martial arts, but instead suppressing a hero. They'll say that we're in cahoots with those swindlers like Lei Lei and Tian Ye, afraid that Ma Cong will ruin our livelihood."
A bead of cold sweat appeared on the secretary's forehead: "Then... what should we do? Are we just going to stand by and watch him do whatever he wants?"
"Nonsense? I doubt it." Li Jianguo tapped his fingers lightly on the mahogany table. "He hit Lei Lei, he hit Tian Ye, he hit Ding Hao—whose face is he hitting?"
The secretary was stunned for a moment, then realized: "It's...it's the face of those charlatans."
"That's right." Li Jianguo nodded. "Why has our martial arts association's reputation been getting worse and worse over the years? Isn't it because these swindlers, posing as 'masters of traditional martial arts,' are going around swindling people and making the whole environment a mess? We want to manage it, but there are too many people, too scattered, and we simply can't manage it all. How many statements have we issued, how many documents have we put in place, has it been useful? No, it's useless. They still swindle people as they always do."
"Now, someone is willing to be the knife, to cut away all this rotten flesh. Why should we stop them?"
The secretary seemed to understand: "Does the chairman mean... we should sit back and watch the tigers fight?"
"No." Li Jianguo shook his head, a deep, unfathomable smile appearing on his lips. "We're not watching the tigers fight; we're the orioles unaware of the tigers."
He stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the century-old locust tree in the yard with its lush branches and leaves.
"This Ma Cong is a fine knife, very sharp. Let him charge, chop, and cut out all the demons and monsters hiding in the dark corners."
"Once he's finished hacking away, tired from it all, his hands are covered in blood, and he's got himself into a mess, then our martial arts association will come out and clean up the mess in the name of 'maintaining order in the martial arts world' and 'regulating industry development.'"
"At that time, those so-called 'masters' who have been beaten and are afraid will take the initiative to come to us for protection. Those reputable sects who have been frightened by Ma Cong's domineering methods will also support us in standing up for justice."
"As for Ma Cong, a lone wolf covered in thorns, he will either be recruited by us and become the sharpest knife in our martial arts association, or he will be isolated by us, ostracized by the entire martial arts world, and eventually disappear without a trace."
Li Jianguo's tone was calm, but the content of his words sent chills down the spine of the secretary with the gold-rimmed glasses.
He then realized that his chairman had never considered Ma Cong a threat from the very beginning.
In his eyes, Ma Cong was just a pawn.
A piece that can be used to stir up trouble and ultimately be used for one's own benefit.
"I understand, Chairman." The secretary bowed respectfully.
"Okay." Li Jianguo turned around and instructed, "Go, issue a statement in the name of the Martial Arts Association."
"The statement said that we have taken note of this challenge. We support testing martial arts skills in real combat, but oppose any form of violence and gambling. We will send an 'expert observation team' to the competition venue to provide 'guidance' and 'supervision' to ensure that the competition is conducted in a 'fair, just, and safe' environment."
"At the same time, we also urge martial arts enthusiasts to view the competition rationally, not to blindly worship individuals, and to trust our official organization."
The secretary's eyes lit up, and he instantly understood Li Jianguo's intention.
This statement is absolutely brilliant!
On the surface, it appears impartial and dignified.
But in reality, they are quietly seizing the narrative and dominance in this incident.