The white-bearded old man was called Lao Hao, which was how Zhang Guodong addressed him; he was very amiable. Speaking of the Five Elements Internal Fist, Zhang Guodong's guess was correct; Lao Hao was indeed very proficient. While explaining Zhang Guodong's mistakes, he demonstrated a few moves. The exhilarating, unstoppable force of his punches shocked Zhang Guodong. This was the true Five Elements Fist!
Zhang Guodong's eyes grew eager as he listened intently, afraid of missing this opportunity to learn. He was overjoyed; with such a wise teacher guiding him, how could he not learn the Five Elements Fist?
Old Hao often practices Tai Chi with his eyes closed, his movements fluid and graceful. Now, having switched to the Five Elements Fist, his style possesses a greater depth and sharpness than that of the middle-aged man, as steady as a mountain and as powerful as thunder.
"The Five Elements Fist incorporates the 'intention' of Tai Chi. If one principle is understood among the various techniques, then all techniques are understood. At a certain level, even minor modifications can better align with the principles of martial arts and become one's own style! Simply put, the moves are static, but the person is dynamic!"
Zhang Guodong learned and practiced each step. After Lao Hao gave him some pointers, he smiled and said, "Practicing boxing is not something that can be done overnight, especially internal martial arts. It trains the muscles and bones internally and the skin externally. At the highest level, any part of the body can become a weapon. Legend has it that the highest level of internal martial arts can open up the meridians and cultivate internal energy! So you must persevere in your practice and carefully experience the essence of the art!"
Zhang Guodong was shocked: "Does this world really have internal energy? Like in the movies?"
Upon hearing this, Lao Hao laughed heartily and said, "Internal strength does exist. It is an extremely profound application of power, achieving the greatest effect with the least amount of power. However, it is different from the so-called internal force in the movies. The internal force in the movies can be understood as an advanced version of internal breath, but it is too exaggerated. Even if it is internal breath, apart from the records and descriptions, I have never heard of anyone cultivating it!"
Slightly disappointed, but thinking about it, it makes sense. While the scientific understanding of meridians in the human body is that they exist, the idea of unblocking these meridians is unfounded and misleading.
But then, Zhang Guodong remembered the existence of Peach Blossom Spring.
The existence of Peach Blossom Spring seems even more outrageous than any internal energy! How can science explain this? It's probably nothing more than absurdity!
This gave Zhang Guodong another boost. Although his original intention for his morning exercise plan was to improve his physical fitness for self-defense, the unexpected information he received greatly stimulated him. No one in this world has ever cultivated internal energy. If he were to cultivate it one day, he probably wouldn't even need to worry about facing a dozen or so special police officers.
Of course, this is on the premise that firearms are not used.
No matter how good your kung fu is, you're still vulnerable to bullets. However, this did not diminish Zhang Guodong's ambition or interest in the slightest.
Once a person has a beautiful aspiration, even if it is completely unrealistic, they are full of fighting spirit.
Time flew by as the old man and the young man taught each other martial arts. One was eager to learn, and the other was willing to teach. Zhang Guodong felt that the two hours had passed so quickly, and he was still eager for more. After being instructed by Lao Hao, Zhang Guodong could clearly feel the difference when he performed the Five Elements Fist. The power was more concentrated, but the difficulty of performing it had increased. After one round, he was exhausted, sweating profusely, and his muscles were sore. He was extremely surprised.
Even when I practiced the Five Elements Fist before, though I didn't quite grasp the key points, my muscles weren't this sore. Clearly, the current style of boxing has put a tremendous amount of strain on his muscles.
However, this was exactly what Zhang Guodong wanted; one repetition of the Internal Five Elements Fist was equivalent to several repetitions before. This demonstrates Lao Hao's high level of skill in martial arts.
"Xiao Zhang, that's enough for today!" Old Hao said to Zhang Guodong, noticing it was getting late. The square gradually filled with pedestrians, and the people who had been doing their morning exercises began to disperse.
Old Hao remarked that Zhang Guodong had quite a talent for martial arts.
After two hours of instruction, Zhang Guodong actually learned about 70-80% of the techniques. Of course, the most important spirit of the boxing style cannot be learned by hand; it requires time to accumulate and a deep understanding.
Just like Tai Chi, Lao Hao said: "Tai Chi is not only an extremely profound internal martial art, but also a very good health-preserving exercise. It contains the philosophy of the natural way. This statement is very mysterious, but in fact, the essence of Tai Chi lies in getting close to nature, integrating with nature, and becoming one with nature in order to achieve the purpose of health preservation!"
This is the understanding of Tai Chi. It's not something that can be spoken, but something that is truly experienced.
But this natural way cannot be described in words, and everyone's understanding of it is different. Zhang Guodong nodded in understanding, but he still didn't want to learn Tai Chi, and Lao Hao didn't force him.
Lao Hao is no ordinary person.
He pulled out an elegant plastic business card for Zhang Guodong, which only had his phone number and name on it: "Let's discuss boxing more often when we have time. You must learn to persevere!"
"I'll need your guidance in the future, Lao Hao!"
Zhang Guodong quickly put it away and handed over his business card. Although Green Treasure Pavilion was no longer open to the public, he hadn't had time to change his business cards yet and would have to reprint some another day.
Old Hao smiled, then looked at the business card in surprise: "Green Treasure Pavilion?"
"Old Hao, you've heard of this name?" Zhang Guodong asked in surprise. He thought to himself, "Green Treasure Pavilion is quite famous these days."
"I saw it in the newspaper. It's getting late, Xiao Zhang, see you later!" Old Hao said with a faint smile.
Watching Lao Hao get into the car and leave, Zhang Guodong clearly saw someone acting as Lao Hao's driver, indicating that Lao Hao's identity was not simple. However, it didn't matter; he had only made an old friend and didn't care much about the other person's background.
Overall, Zhang Guodong's performance today far exceeded expectations.
Over the next few days, Zhang Guodong frequently sought guidance from Lao Hao on his progress in the Five Elements Fist. However, as the form became more correct, the difficulty increased. At this point, Zhang Guodong could only manage to complete one repetition. By the next day, his proficiency with the technique had improved significantly, with very noticeable results, but he was also more exhausted.
In late March, following the successful conclusion of the provincial and municipal people's congresses, a major personnel reshuffle took place in the province and city, and even the district committee and government of the High-tech Zone underwent a major personnel reshuffle.
Luo Jianhui was promoted to district head, reaching the deputy provincial level, which was consistent with the rumors that had circulated earlier. Jiang Lihan, surprisingly, was promoted to the position of director of the district public security bureau, becoming a deputy division chief. In addition, Xiang Chunyan, the former director of the government office, was promoted to deputy district head, reaching the division chief level. Although she did not receive a standing committee member title due to seniority issues, it was still a significant step forward in her career, fulfilling her wish.
The new district party secretary was parachuted in from above, and I've heard he's a powerful figure.
Of course, for Zhang Guodong, the person he was most concerned about was the fat man.
The fat man was cut out to be an official. This time, he followed in the footsteps of Luo Jianhui and others, getting promoted to become Luo Jianhui's full-time secretary and concurrently serving as the deputy director of the government office—a deputy section chief becoming a section chief. Now, the fat man became incredibly busy and a rising star in the district.
Luo Jianhui is not yet fifty, so he has a lot of potential for future development. Following in his footsteps is the right thing to do. Even the deputy district heads, ministers, and bureau chiefs have to give him some respect as the district head's personal secretary. You have to give him face, even if you don't care about the person!
Every day, he accompanies his superiors to social events, field visits, and research trips, but whenever he has time, Fatty from Green Treasure Pavilion has to come. There's no way around it; Fatty's palate has become quite picky.
Moreover, Luo Jianhui and Jiang Lihan, his two major allies, also took a liking to Zhang Guodong's food, making the dishes in other big hotels taste bland. The fat man was naturally very happy about this, while Zhang Guodong could only roll his eyes.
I thought to myself, this Green Treasure Pavilion doesn't seem to be a restaurant, does it? You're going to come and rob a wild blackfish or a wild eel every few days to treat people to meals or give as gifts, don't you know these things are very expensive?
Of course, that's a joke. The fat man has a thicker skin; how could he possibly be defeated by Zhang Guodong's sarcastic remarks? Besides, the only people he brought were Luo Jianhui and Jiang Lihan, not his true confidants; otherwise, he wouldn't have brought them.
"Guodong, you have a talent for cooking, and your skills are getting better and better!" Fatty always said this, and he never ate slowly at the dinner table.
Wild seafood is hard to find outside, and Zhang Guodong doesn't offer delivery services.
Nowadays, the blackfish and eels in Taoyuan are all newly grown seedlings, weighing about two pounds each, and there are quite a few of them. Eating a few is nothing at all.
Fat men have social obligations in official circles, and they play a significant role at the dinner table.
Zhang Guodong doesn't give face to anyone, but he'll entertain anyone brought by the fat man. This is extremely effective in strengthening the relationship between the secretary and the leader, that is, in terms of connections.
Zhang Guodong sometimes even thought that with a fat man in the officialdom, wouldn't things be much easier in the future? Of course, improving his own "capital" was the right path.
Li Yun had a lot of complaints about this and grumbled to Zhang Guodong, saying it was affecting her rest and beauty routine. Therefore, she never gave the fat man a friendly look. Whenever the fat man brought people over, she would leave beforehand, preferring to stay out of sight.
After selling all the vegetables and seafood for the day, Zhang Guodong sighed and closed the shop. He then practiced his internal Five Elements Fist, and found that selling vegetables was no longer a tedious task; it seemed to be greatly helping him understand some principles. This is somewhat similar to Lao Hao's understanding of Tai Chi, but they are different paths.
"Xiao Zhang, I'm taking you to the flower and tree market to find some treasures today. We might not be back tonight!" In the afternoon, Lao Hao called Zhang Guodong.
According to Lao Hao, health preservation is inseparable from flowers and trees. Similarly, kung fu is derived from nature and is also closely related to flowers and trees.
Such an absurd assertion is difficult to understand.
"The flower and tree market? Great, I'll be right there!" Just when he was wondering what new things to do, Zhang Guodong washed his face, dressed in new clothes, and went downstairs.
"Li Yun, I won't be back tonight. You'll have to cook for yourself, right?" Zhang Guodong called Li Yun on the way. After hanging up, he laughed. Li Yun's cooking skills were 'high'; he usually didn't dare to try her food.
Is it true that looks and cooking skills are inversely proportional? Like the saying "big breasts, no brains"?
The flower and tree market that Lao Hao took Zhang Guodong to was unusual; it was not open to the public, or rather, it was a black market for flowers and trees!
This news intrigued and astonished Zhang Guodong. He was interested because the flower and tree market was actually a gambling den, with transactions ranging from tens of thousands to millions of yuan. Like gambling, it was incredibly exciting, and finding a bargain could potentially earn hundreds of thousands or even millions overnight.
This was clearly very attractive to Zhang Guodong.
Although Zhang Guodong had made some money during this period, and his total savings amounted to five or six hundred thousand yuan, it was nothing compared to the price of a precious flower tree.
Wasn't the original purpose of opening Green Treasure Pavilion to make enough money? Lao Hao's invitation greatly tempted Zhang Guodong.
But Lao Hao actually frequenting the black market flower and plant market? That's simply unbelievable. Given his possible identity, Zhang Guodong finds it hard to connect Lao Hao with those in power. After all, the black market is illegal!
After taking a taxi to the TV Plaza, Zhang Guodong saw Lao Hao and the driver and got into the car without any hesitation.
Sitting in Lao Hao's luxury car, Zhang Guodong glanced at the silent driver and, realizing the car was heading out of the city, asked in confusion, "This flower and tree market doesn't seem to be in the city, does it?"
Old Hao laughed and said, "What would happen in the city? Getting caught would be a huge loss. This place was recommended by an old friend. I heard they have a lot of valuable flowers and trees; not just anyone can get in."
Hearing this, Zhang Guodong chose to keep quiet and humbly sought advice from Lao Hao.
For example, gambling on flowers and trees was something Zhang Guodong had never heard of before. He had heard of gambling on jade stones and antique hunting. The former was very popular in Yunnan, Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia, and other places. If a high-quality jade stone was cut out, the price would immediately go up, just like gambling, which was very exciting. But gambling on jade stones required experience and luck, and it was only for wealthy people.
However, gambling on stones and gambling on flowers and trees have a lot in common. In addition to the roots being contained in the original soil, the branches are also pruned. The purpose is to maximize the survival rate of the flowers and trees, and secondly, to make people interested in gambling, so that they can compete at a relatively high base price, similar to an auction. Therefore, if customers want to make a profit, they need to rely on their eyesight, experience, knowledge, and have done a lot of research on flowers and trees.
On the black market, you can find all kinds of precious bonsai, flowers, and trees, including rare, precious, and even endangered species from overseas.
But here, whether it's an endangered tree species or a very common one, as long as it's worth gambling on, the base price is the same, so there's a chance to find good deals.
Old Hao's explanation was simple, but Zhang Guodong immediately realized that gambling on flowers and trees was not so simple. To enter an unfamiliar industry as a side job and reach an expert level was not an easy task. For him, visiting the flower and tree market was at most a way to broaden his horizons.
The car drove more than forty kilometers out of the city, off the highway, and came into view of a small town. This town was easily accessible, with excellent transportation links. Old Hao said, "This town is called Tongguan Town. It only developed because of the increased traffic; there wasn't a town here before!"
Upon entering the town, Zhang Guodong saw that it was indeed as described. The town's terrain was generally flat, and the roads were wide. However, it was quite developed and somewhat prosperous, with many vehicles coming and going from all directions.
"Tongguan Town doesn't have a large population, only 30,000 to 40,000, most of whom live here. The biggest pillar industry here is the service industry, with hotels and restaurants being the most numerous. Here you can enjoy different styles of accommodation and eat a variety of foods from both the north and south. It's very good!" Old Hao said with a smile, glancing at Zhang Guodong, who was showing great interest.
Zhang Guodong exclaimed, "I never imagined such a small town existed, with the flower and tree market hidden here?"
Old Hao chuckled, tacitly agreeing. Tongguan Town served as a supply stop for travelers from the north and south; its main function was that. Aside from that, it was quite ordinary. The flower and tree market was an exception; it wasn't anything special.
After Zhang Guodong, Lao Hao, and driver Xiao Zhao got out of the car, Lao Hao made a phone call to an old friend.
However, an elderly man in his sixties and three assistants arrived shortly after.
"Haha, Lao Hao, did the sun rise in the west today? What made you think of coming here?" The slightly thin old man shook hands with Lao Hao and joked.
The two were old friends, so they had fewer reservations.
Old Hao laughed and said, "This place is only for you, Old Cao, to come. Why can't I, Old Hao, come? Today, I'm bringing the kids here for a stroll!"
"oh?"
Old Cao glanced at Zhang Guodong in surprise, somewhat astonished. His old friend rarely came here; the black market was illegal, and it would be embarrassing if someone saw him. He hadn't expected him to bring a young man in his twenties here today.
"Welcome, welcome! I thought you were joking when I got your call yesterday!" Old Cao said happily. "Come on, let's go back to town first and take a hot bath!"
On the way, Lao Hao gave a brief introduction to Lao Cao. Zhang Guodong also knew that this unassuming and slightly thin Lao Cao was not simple. He was in his sixties and his son and daughter were said to be successful in both government and business. He was a wealthy and powerful man. However, after retiring, he became obsessed with flowers and trees and has now become an expert.
Zhang Guodong sometimes marvels at how he only encounters amazing people.
"This is Xiao Zhang, Zhang Guodong, a young friend. Xiao Zhang, this is Lao Cao, my old friend. Lao Cao is a local big shot here. Without Lao Cao leading the way, we can't go anywhere!" Lao Hao introduced with a smile after getting into Lao Cao's car.
"You're making things up about me! You're disrespectful to your elders!" Old Cao retorted.
Zhang Guodong was momentarily embarrassed and didn't know how to address him.
We're used to calling him Lao Hao, but you can't just call him Lao Cao directly, can you? If you act like a junior, Lao Hao would be a generation lower for no reason.
"Don't listen to Lao Hao making me sound like a mountain king, Xiao Zhang. Just call me Lao Cao, or Lao Cao Tou, it's fine. There's no need to be so formal here!" Lao Cao greeted Zhang Guodong.
Zhang Guodong nodded.
After the introductions, Lao Hao and Lao Cao chatted happily, while Zhang Guodong could only listen and couldn't get a word in edgewise, given his status.
Tongguan Town looks ordinary, but it's quite large. The car wound its way through the streets until it arrived at a quaint, two-star hotel. This is Lao Cao's residence, where he has a room booked year-round.
After settling into his accommodations, Lao Cao, being practically the host, naturally wanted to welcome him with a feast. He'd heard that the area was a melting pot of flavors from all over China, and it would be a shame not to try them. Zhang Guodong was quite intrigued! He figured he had to give it a shot this time and see if it was as amazing as Lao Cao had described.
P.S.: First update! 5,000 words! Please vote, add to your favorites, and give a reward!
Also, thank you '1uiz' for the 588 coins again! We can expect a 'disciple' level fan to appear soon, hehe. Thanks also to '无剑书生' and 'jacky－czj' for the donations; this is '无剑书生's second donation, hehe.
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