C4 Superb Tang Xiaomin

On September 9th, the day Liu Hsing and Zhang Qiang had their bet, Liu Hsing donned his sportswear at 4:30 PM. He withdrew the last five hundred yuan from his bank account and arrived early at the Green Parasol Boxing Club.

Tang Xiaomin was expected at five o'clock. As someone who had never boxed before, Liu Hsing needed to familiarize himself with the basics of boxing and understand the fundamental rules.

The Green Parasol Boxing Club was one of the more upscale clubs in T City, boasting a large space and over a dozen coaches. Liu Hsing paid one hundred yuan for the entry fee and another hundred for coaching.

With boxing gloves on, he diligently practiced the basic moves with his coach.

At this time, the club wasn't crowded, with the number of people typically increasing after seven in the evening.

"Is this your first time boxing, young man?" asked the coach, noticing Liu Hsing's awkward punches and chuckling.

"Yes, coach. Could you focus on teaching me defense?" Liu Hsing requested.

"Defense?" the coach echoed, puzzled.

"That's right, like how to defend myself during sparring with someone."

The coach paused, surprised. It was unusual for a beginner to want to start with defense, and Liu Hsing's intent to engage in sparring was even more unexpected.

"Brother, even with gloves, sparring can be quite painful for beginners, especially someone of your stature," the coach warned kindly.

Liu Hsing just smiled in response. "No worries, coach. Just teach me what I need to know."

"Okay then," the coach acquiesced, reorganizing his thoughts. "There are eight key defensive techniques in boxing: sidestep, tuck, lean back, duck, block, slap away, sway, and evade."

"The sidestep defense is the most challenging to master, but at the same time—"

"Sorry to interrupt, coach, but I have less than twenty minutes left. Could you show me the simplest ones to learn?" Liu Hsing interjected.

"Sure, but first, tell me about your sparring partner. Are they more of a powerhouse or agile type? That way, I can tailor the training to be more effective for you."

Liu Hsing pondered for a moment before responding, "She's a woman."

"A woman? But women..."

The coach hesitated briefly, about to mention that girls usually have an easier time learning, when the image of that beautiful girl flashed through his mind. She had an appointment to come in and spar at five o'clock.

With other girls, it might be relatively easier, as the average woman's strength and agility are generally lower than a man's. But that girl...

The coach glanced at Liu Hsing's slight build and shook his head. That girl was every coach's nightmare.

The first time she came in, nearly every coach wanted to train her, but she ended up besting almost all of them. To this day, only the headmaster hasn't been defeated by her. But with his lecherous ways, the beauty refuses to spar with him.

So now, her situation is quite awkward. No one dares to spar with her seriously. When she comes in, her only option is to take her frustrations out on a punching bag.

"Coach?"

Liu Hsing looked confused when he noticed the coach's momentary daze.

"Oh, nothing. Women... generally speaking, women have less power and agility than men, so learning two defensive techniques should suffice for you."

The coach didn't believe the woman Liu Hsing referred to was Tang Xiaomin. In his view, for Liu Hsing to engage in a real fight with Tang Xiaomin would be tantamount to suicide.

"Now, I'll teach you two defensive techniques. The first is called block defense. Block defense is categorized into three scenarios: first, using your right hand to slap away a left straight punch; second, using your right forearm to block a punch aimed at your abdomen; third, using your right arm to block a left hook."

The coach demonstrated each block defense technique to Liu Hsing and let him practice for a while before continuing, "There's also something known as pat defense, which is a bit easier to grasp."

"When your opponent throws a jab or a straight punch, you can evade by patting it away. Use your right hand to pat down or to the left against a jab. Use your left hand to pat down or to the right against a right straight punch, altering the direction of your opponent's strike. The motion should be minimal—just enough to redirect the punch. If you overdo it, it'll be hard to counterattack, and you'll leave your chest wide open to your opponent."

The coach meticulously went over the defensive techniques with Liu Hsing once more.

Liu Hsing committed these defensive strategies to memory, knowing they could be life-saving in the upcoming bout. He had done his homework before arriving, learning that in this gym, it was common for strangers to engage in real fights without facing any ostracism.

After a bit more practice with the coach, Liu Hsing's gaze was drawn to a figure in the gym.

Her black hair was neatly coiled atop her head, revealing her striking oval face. Her delicate features were complemented by her fair, natural skin. She wore a form-fitting crop top and shorts that accentuated her figure, captivating onlookers.

Her long, slender legs were particularly eye-catching—smooth and seemingly very elastic, they were the kind that made you want to reach out and touch. Her ankles were adorned with only the simplest of guards, and her toes were painted with a subtle shade of red nail polish, adding to her allure.

The sight of such a stunning woman caused Liu Hsing to involuntarily gulp.

"Is that Tang Xiaomin? She's incredibly beautiful."

Upon Tang Xiaomin's arrival at the venue, a muscular man approached her with haste.

"Xiaomin, I'm free tonight. Let's spar today."

Tang Xiaomin appeared somewhat irritated and gave him a brief glance before responding softly, "There's no need, Director Zhao. I'm not in the mood today, please don't bother me."

With that, Tang Xiaomin headed to a practice area to start her warm-up exercises.

Director Zhao, slightly rebuffed but still smiling, let his gaze linger on Tang Xiaomin as he strolled around the gym.

"She's like a beautiful rose, albeit one with far too many sharp thorns," he mused.

Liu Hsing's coach watched Tang Xiaomin with genuine admiration. Clearly, he too had experienced her prowess firsthand.

"Coach, is that girl Tang Xiaomin?"

"Yes, how did you know? I've heard her specialty isn't free fighting or boxing, but rather Taekwondo. Rumor has it she's the H Province Youth Women's Taekwondo champion."

Liu Hsing nodded, confirming the accuracy of his information.

"Coach, have you ever sparred with her?"

The coach nodded with a touch of embarrassment and admitted, "I've sparred with her once, but she took me down within just a few rounds."

"Uh..."

Liu Hsing hesitated for a moment before venturing, "So, you lose just by getting knocked down?"

"Not exactly," the coach replied. "It's more that I know she's far stronger than me. I conceded defeat. If I hadn't, the rule is you only lose if you're down for more than ten seconds."

The coach glanced at Liu Hsing, recalling their earlier conversation.

"Bro, you're not seriously thinking about sparring with Tang Xiaomin, are you?"

Liu Hsing watched Tang Xiaomin pounding the heavy bag and nodded.

"Man, don't be foolish. With your level of skill, you'd be knocked out with just a punch or two."

Liu Hsing, however, didn't heed the warning and approached Tang Xiaomin.

As he drew near, a captivating scent overwhelmed him, though his predominant feeling was nervousness.

Taking several deep breaths, Liu Hsing tried to quell the anxiety and unease bubbling inside him.

"Excuse me, miss. Would you be up for a sparring match?"

Tang Xiaomin landed a powerful punch that sent the sandbag swinging. She turned to glance at Liu Hsing.

"Sorry, I'm not really in the mood today. Maybe some other time," she said curtly and continued to unleash a flurry of punches on the bag.

Liu Hsing was taken aback. He had thought that sparring challenges were readily accepted in the gym. Why had she dismissed his invitation so quickly?

But Liu Hsing quickly regained his composure. As a salesperson, he was no stranger to rejection. He moved to a nearby sandbag and threw several forceful punches into it.

"Look, we're here to blow off steam, right? Forget the troubles. Hitting a sandbag is dull. How about a real match? I guarantee it'll improve your mood."

Tang Xiaomin didn't pause in her workout, merely shooting Liu Hsing a brief glance before ignoring him.

Seeing no success, Liu Hsing continued to mentally coach himself to stay calm.

"Do you enjoy skiing or rock climbing, by any chance?"

Having failed with the direct challenge, Liu Hsing tried a different tactic, aiming to engage her through shared interests.

This time, Tang Xiaomin didn't even afford him a look, which left Liu Hsing feeling somewhat daunted. He hadn't expected Tang Xiaomin to be quite so aloof.

While Liu Hsing was fretting over his next move, a strapping man approached them and offered Tang Xiaomin a smile before fixing a stern glare on Liu Hsing.

"Brother, the lady is practicing. Please don't disturb her and find another spot for your workout."

The speaker was none other than Mr. Zhao, who had previously been turned down by Tang Xiaomin. Despite his polite request, his tone was unmistakably commanding.

Tang Xiaomin shot Mr. Zhao a look of distaste and murmured,

"No need. You can practice right here."

Liu Hsing remained silent, his attention fixed on the interplay of expressions between Mr. Zhao and Tang Xiaomin.

"Xiaomin, isn't it dull to hit the sandbag alone? Come on, let's spar together on the mat!"

Despite Tang Xiaomin's clear disinterest, Mr. Zhao's smile never wavered as he persisted.

"Xiaomin, what's that delightful perfume you're wearing today? I have a friend from Country F who'll be returning to China soon. I'll have him bring you some of Country F's perfume—it's considered the finest in the world."

Still, Tang Xiaomin paid him no heed. Liu Hsing could sense her growing repulsion toward Director Zhao and didn't miss the lecherous look in his eyes.

"Xiaomin, after we're done here, how about I treat you to a steak dinner? A friend of mine just opened a steakhouse, and they serve beef flown in from HHL—it's among the best in the world."

Director Zhao's relentless babbling only intensified Tang Xiaomin's irritation.

Just as she was about to lose her temper, glaring daggers at Director Zhao, a slender figure stepped between them, shielding her from his advances.