67 Chapter Sixty-Six
Chapter 1: Shanghai Young Master Returns Home.
That night, the street dance community was in an uproar—a video of Yu Jinyang and Echo battling on the dance floor went viral, with people saying that the underground dance crew WG had a newcomer who was arrogantly challenging them.
During Echo's break, several influential accounts in the industry repeatedly shared the post.
The top comment reads: "@Provincial Capital Wildlife Park, they caught an escaped baboon."
...
"Where did this guy come from? I haven't seen him in the underground battle arena in China for the past few years."
"The guy in the white t-shirt is so handsome, give me his address, I'm in the provincial capital, hurry up."
"Why are you pulling on your clothes while doing a handstand? Are you not letting me see your abs?"
"Who is this guy? It's been a long time since we've seen such a handsome guy in the underground battle scene."
However, someone quickly provided some information, and the comment section was instantly flooded with messages:
"Yu Jinyang, well... all I can say is that he's never lost an underground battle, but he's never participated in a single official competition."
Before talking about him, let's first talk about WG's founder, You Xiaofan. Compared to Yu, Yu is a second-generation rich kid. When he was studying at F University, his family bought him a river-view apartment in Lujiazui.
You, on the other hand, is a genius who worked his way up from the steel mill. Only someone like him can convincingly perform breaking. Can a rich young master understand the fighting spirit of breaking? However, the talent of both Yu and You is undeniable. I will not comment on who is better or worse.
Some say Yu's movements have more flair, a touch of old-school OG style, and a more gentlemanly feel. It's rumored he studied under an internationally renowned figure, but who that person is hasn't been revealed yet.
You's style is a bit wilder, but the two initially got along well, practicing dance together whenever they had free time and battling with underground dance groups, showing a mutual respect. However, even the best of friends have to go their separate ways eventually.
Moreover, their backgrounds are so different. You is single-minded and stubborn, treating breaking as his lifeblood, while Yu is more relaxed, since his family is wealthy and dancing is not his only way out.
At that time, You was obsessed with proving himself by competing everywhere, while Yu wasn't so obsessed with competitions. He preferred underground battles, and he had never lost an underground battle. Later, You somehow convinced Yu, and the two participated in a top-level domestic Breaking league that year, where Yu won the championship.
Yu Zheng'er has only participated in this one competition. However, that competition quickly sparked controversy within the street dance community—
A week after Yu confirmed his registration, the original sports brand sponsor, "GLI," was temporarily replaced by a furniture brand. Moreover, the brand's assembly plant happened to be located in an industrial park in Yu's hometown, Fengtan.
Netizens dug deeper and discovered that his father was quite wealthy and his family was very well-off. Fengtan wooden toys were very famous in the past, and there were many overseas Chinese in that area. His father's business was considered a leading enterprise at the time, but it seems to have declined now. Anyway, back then, quite a few people went to the tax bureau to report his father.
The underground battle scene was in an uproar because Yu's signature move in that match was a three-round Air Flare followed by a Turtle Freeze (a scorpion-like pose with one hand on the ground and abdomen suspended in the air). The judges unanimously awarded him full marks, a score that was highly controversial even on the day of the match. Subsequent revelations of these details are quite intriguing.
The Chinese champion only got three full-on acrobatic moves? How can he compete with foreigners internationally? While breaking isn't defined by a single move, this doesn't represent the true level of Chinese street dance. If I hadn't seen Yu's underground battles, I wouldn't comment much on his skill, but he didn't deserve to win that competition.
So everyone became furious and started to condemn the event organizers. Under the promotion of breaking culture and spirit, how could anyone tolerate such blatant behind-the-scenes manipulation? As a result, You and Yu broke up, and then Yu went abroad to study in Chicago. It is said that he focused on underground battles in Chicago and basically did not appear in any competitions.
To put it bluntly, when it comes to hobbies, rich kids have shortcuts—find a famous teacher, spend some time, and they can learn to be about 80% proficient. But people like You, who carved out their own path by sheer hard work and dedication using videotapes, are very rare in China.
Facts speak louder than words: WG's current status in Asia, need I even ask? He's the one who propelled Chinese street dance onto the international stage. Yu is practically irrelevant now. You is currently the top breaking artist in China; disagree? Let's debate.
Echo finally understood what "subtle and ambiguous writing" meant, and he was so angry that he jumped up and down, replying directly below:
"That's not why they broke up, OK? What do you know? You're just here to argue with me. Has WG suddenly gotten some spare cash? They've started spending money on marketing? Who wants to argue with you about who's number one in breaking? Quickly tell You Xiaofan to pay the rent he owes us, Hu Shao!"
Brother, let me tell you another secret. Do you know why WG is called that? Wasteland Graffiti. It was Yu Jinyang's name. Because at first we all called him "Rolling on the Floor," and Hu Shao was a nice guy, he didn't get angry, and even said the floor was his canvas, and that's what he was doing rolling on the floor. That's how the name came about, Wasteland Graffiti. I'd like to ask your boss, when you registered the new company, did you pay Hu Shao any copyright fees?!
Echo had just finished sending the message when the person next to him disappeared. Not far away, in the aisle of the audience, stood three people. He immediately widened his eyes. Damn, You Xiaofan had actually delivered himself to his doorstep.
He rushed forward, taking three steps at a time—
As they got closer, they saw Yu Jinyang pull his girlfriend behind him, turning his head slightly to ask her in a low voice, "Did he touch you anywhere?"
No.
You Xiaofan let out a cold laugh. Echo was most annoyed by his current attitude, as if the whole world owed him something. So she darted between the three of them, pointed at his nose, and yelled, "Pay back the money! You deadbeat! You owe our Hu Shao rent! Copyright fees! Pay it all back!"
You Xiaofan's smile vanished. He gritted his teeth and called out Echo's real name: "Long, Dong, Qiang!"
Echo was incredibly annoyed: "What the hell are you calling my grandpa? Don't you recognize these three characters? You have to emphasize them to me every time we meet."
The two people next to them ignored their shouting. Yu Jinyang, with his head down and sweat still dripping from his forehead, didn't bother to wipe it away, and continued to ask Li Yingqiao in a gentle voice, "What did he say to you?" He was completely different from how he was on the field just now. Echo suddenly realized that Yu Jinyang back in school could not be considered gentle at all, because his gentleness towards women now was a completely different matter.
Before Li Yingqiao could say anything, Echo glared at You Xiaofan and roared, "Damn it! What did you say to him? You even went to his girlfriend's place and gossiped, trying to sow discord! What a vicious man! Don't you know it's better to tear down ten temples than to break up one marriage?!" Suddenly, he realized something, and his pupils shrank as he said, "Damn! You weren't talking about your sister again, were you?"
You Xiaofan dismissed it as mere barking and turned his gaze to the other two.
Li Yingqiao looked at Yu Jinyang and said truthfully, "He invited you to participate in his program."
You Xiaofan shrugged.
Yu Jinyang remained silent, and Echo suddenly fell completely silent, like a duck being choked. You Xiaofan stared directly at him, sneering, "My competition rules are absolutely fair. So, dare to come?"
Yu Jinyang's expression remained unchanged, but a rare hint of sarcasm appeared on his face. This was uncommon; even during the fiercest argument between Li Yingqiao and him, when Yu Jinyang grabbed her chin and interrogated her, it wasn't as pronounced as it was now.
Because his tone was cold and his eyes were filled with disgust: "What else is there in your life besides competitions? You think you're not breaking unless you wear your knees out? Does training until your tendons are torn prove your passion? Or do you have to compete until you're paralyzed from the waist down to prove your worth? You're a gambler, and sorry, I don't participate in any competitions of gamblers."
After saying that, he pulled Li Yingqiao away.
You Xiaofan suddenly kicked over a small speaker next to him, blocking their path with a loud bang and instantly attracting everyone's attention. He shouted loudly, "You're just too scared! I'm a gambler? Then what are you? A coward! You don't dare to come out on stage to compete; you only dare to fight underground. Because you know that as long as you come out to compete, whether you win or lose, you'll be nailed to the pillar of shame. You'll be the target of everyone's scorn, you'll live in the eye of the storm. If you make even the slightest mistake, your family will suffer, your friends will suffer, even your girlfriend will be implicated. Including your useless, bribe-loving father—"
"Bang!"
The words were abruptly cut off. With a clear thud of bones colliding, You Xiaofan's jaw dislocated, and the force of the oncoming punch sent him staggering backward. But in an instant, someone grabbed his collar and yanked him back forcefully—
Yu Jinyang's face was cold, and the veins on the back of his hand, which was gripping his collar, were bulging and undulating. "Have you said enough? You Xiaofan, you don't know why the brand sponsor was changed at the last minute when the competition was held? GLI withdrew its investment at the last minute, and the stage couldn't even be set up. I had my dad find a friend to sponsor it. You clearly knew about this from beginning to end."
The fabric, suddenly tightened around You Xiaofan's neckline, made it hard for him to breathe. He could only tilt his head back and stare back with a cold smile: "...So what? Does that make your perfect score well-deserved? And my sister, don't think you can get away with it."
Echo was stunned. In the blink of an eye, Yu Jinyang had already withdrawn his fist. Now that the two were locked in a struggle, he couldn't intervene. By the time he realized what was happening and tried to break up the fight, Li Yingqiao had already grabbed him by the collar and dragged him out of the aisle.
You Xiaofan was being held by the collar, watching Li Yingqiao's retreating figure. A trace of blood seeped from the corner of his mouth, yet he still defiantly asked, "Was that your girlfriend? Just like that, she left?"
Yu Jinyang glanced at him, released his hand, and said to him indifferently, "And what about you? Is You Letan your real sister? Would a real sister do that? I saw it all."
You Xiaofan looked at him, and the fabric at his collar slowly spread out again, allowing air to enter and his breathing to return to normal. He didn't say a word, but leaned against the wall and silently wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with his fingers.
"Let me participate in the competition, sure." Yu Jinyang pushed open the magnetic door behind the corridor, left without looking back, and said, "Unless you compete in Xiaohua City."
***
That evening, a tweet suddenly went viral on social media—
Chapter 1: Shanghai Young Master Returns Home, Tremble, Battle Circle!
Yu Jinyang checked his phone in the middle of the night: ??
And then, a head quietly slid down beside him, until it was completely flat under the covers, leaving only a pair of bright, mischievous eyes peeking out, staring at him without blinking.
hey-hey.
[Author's Note]
See you tomorrow.
The daily update time is before 12 PM. [Poor thing][Poor thing][Poor thing]
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