What surprised everyone was that Song Haowen, who had been on the defensive, suddenly counterattacked, and his moves were astonishing. Before the masked men could recover from their shock, they were already airborne, crashing heavily to the ground. Without hesitation, Song Haowen left the scene, leaving the onlookers bewildered.

By the time the masked men stood up in embarrassment, Song Haowen had disappeared. Amidst the deafening whispers around, the masked men had no choice but to flee in disgrace.

Feeling quite frustrated earlier in the day, Song Haowen, after the satisfying fight, felt refreshed and carefree. Humming a tune, even the taxi driver wondered, “As a singer, do you really need to be so physically active? Isn’t it tiring and annoying?”

Back at the store, Song Haowen found Zhu Hongyu and Ren Hua already asleep. Trying not to wake them up, he refrained from using water and just lay down on the heated bed, still dreaming of a continued brawl with the masked men.

The next day, the Bureau of Industry and Commerce shut down and fined the music studio’s theater again, citing baseless charges, imposing a fine of one hundred thousand yuan.

Additionally, departments like Food and Health, Publicity, Fire Safety, and the Police provided suggestions for improvement. If any of these failed the inspection, the entire music studio would be prohibited from operating.

Furthermore, using some tax formula, it was discovered that Song Haowen and Tian Nana had underpaid taxes by ten thousand and three thousand yuan respectively. They were given a week to pay the arrears; otherwise, they would face a fine of up to five times the underpaid amount, and in serious cases, criminal penalties.

Song Haowen and Tian Nana had no choice but to pay the overdue taxes. Although the amount was substantial, they were fortunate it wasn’t classified as tax evasion.

Several tax officials spent an entire day but couldn’t find evidence of tax evasion. Otherwise, given the motivation behind this inspection, Song Haowen might have faced imprisonment with such a large amount.

While they temporarily passed the tax hurdle and paid the fines, the requested improvements posed a challenge. Relevant departments either didn’t have time for re-inspection or, when inspections did happen, they were superficial, demanding continued improvements.

Even when inspections occurred, they couldn’t find any faults, leaving decisions pending for leadership approval. In short, they were doing everything to prevent the music studio from reopening.

In desperation, they sought help from Tian Yuxi’s father, Tian Pengfei, who worked in the municipal government office and had connections with high-ranking officials. Surprisingly, despite approaching several city leaders, all requests were politely declined, citing difficulties.

Later, Lin Min indirectly learned that the black bear, previously arrested, had been released secretly by the police station without being detained or sentenced.

It turned out the black bear had a cousin who worked as a journalist at the national television station. She was attractive and had become a secret mistress to a deputy leader in Beijing.

The black bear was released through the influence of this deputy leader. Furthermore, to please the mistress, the deputy leader ordered the closure and fine of the music studio co-owned by Song Haowen, along with increased personal taxes.

Lin Min suspected that these punishments might only be the first step in retaliation, with potentially more severe actions to come.

Upon learning this news, everyone was furious. However, even city leaders were hesitant to step in due to professional courtesy, leaving them helpless. The only option was to temporarily close the music studio and advise Song Haowen to be extra cautious.

Feeling frustrated, Song Haowen blamed himself for offending the black bear, which had brought unwarranted trouble to the thriving music studio. But in such a situation, he couldn’t just back down.

Moreover, the conflict with the black bear was not of his making; they had no prior connection. Even if he had chosen to retreat at that time, who could guarantee that the black bear and his associates wouldn’t have intensified their extortion against the music studio?

Returning to the business office that evening, Song Haowen, in a gloomy mood, was questioned by Zhu Hongyu and Ren Hua. He explained the situation of offending the black bear, leading to the closure of the music studio. Hearing this, they were enraged and wished they could find someone to seek justice.

However, all three of them were rural folks from another province. They had no connections with influential figures in Beijing. Even in university, their interactions with leaders were limited. Ultimately, feeling helpless, they sighed and went to sleep.

Several days passed, and Song Haowen, unable to help due to the closure of the music studio, refrained from going there to avoid further distress. One afternoon, after finishing two classes, he was leaving the building with his backpack, intending to return to the store.

 Three people approached and stopped him. Seeing that two of them were He Hu and Zhao Meng, Song Haowen sarcastically remarked, “Are you two planning to have me test in your martial arts team again? We’ve already fought once. You should be well aware of my strength.”

He Hu and Zhao Meng blushed, feeling awkward. They explained, “So, you’ve already figured us out. But why did you attack so fiercely?”

“If I didn’t use a ruthless move, would you have let me go?” Song Haowen glared. “Can you explain why you did this?”

At this point, the middle-aged man standing beside He Hu and Zhao Meng spoke, “Young man, hello. I’m Miao Chong, the head coach of the national martial arts team. Let’s find a place to have some tea and I’ll slowly explain the reasons behind all this.”

Although Song Haowen had some grievances towards He Hu and Zhao Meng, he still needed to show respect to the head coach.

He took them to a tea house near the school gate and ordered a pot of Longjing tea and a plate of snacks. Sitting down, the imposing Miao Chong took a sip of tea before slowly unraveling the details of the situation.

As it turns out, Head Coach Miao Chong has been worried recently about the visit of the American boxing representative team to China. They are about to participate in the Huami International Martial Arts Competition.

This competition is crucial for the honor of China, so the national team must go all out. However, most of the athletes in the team are inclined towards routine performances, lacking practical combat skills.

Facing top-notch boxing experts from the United States, who, although not part of a professional league, are much stronger than ordinary professional players, the national team needs to strengthen its internal training and recruit civilian combat experts to make up for the talent gap.

A week ago, Miao Chong heard about the young pop singer Song Haowen defeating over ten armed thugs barehanded. Impressed, he asked He Hu and Zhao Meng to invite Song Haowen to the martial arts team for a test to see if he had genuine martial arts skills. If he proved capable, he could be considered as a candidate for the national team.

However, when He Hu and Zhao Meng approached Song Haowen, they were met with rejection, prompting them to take direct action. Partly dissatisfied and partly curious about his actual skill level, they wanted to test him. Their combat abilities were among the best in the national team – the shorter He Hu excelled in the River and Lake Overlord Fist, with a powerful and intimidating style, while the taller Zhao Meng mastered the Shaolin Arhat Fist, with unpredictable movements and lightning-fast strikes. Both were formidable fighters, having defeated numerous renowned opponents.

To their astonishment, not only was Song Haowen highly alert, but he also effortlessly exposed their intentions. His martial skills proved to be exceptional, making him more than a match for both of them combined.

Hearing that his two disciples were defeated by a young musician, Miao Chong’s curiosity peaked. Eager to nurture talent and fearing that his disciples might offend someone again, he personally approached Song Haowen, hoping to recruit him into the national team. If that wasn’t possible, even as an amateur player would be fine.

However, Song Haowen, despite the head coach’s goodwill, politely declined the invitation, explaining that he was currently in a messy situation and didn’t have the energy to participate in competitions. He suggested the national team find someone more suitable.

Miao Chong furrowed his brow in confusion, asking, “You’re young and successful, where could your troubles come from?”

Song Haowen sighed. “That’s what you think. I’ve offended the wrong people now, hitting walls everywhere. I’m in a desperate situation with no way out.”

“Could you share your situation with me?” Miao Chong expressed his concern.

After hesitating for a moment, Song Haowen eventually shared the recent events that had unfolded in his life.

Once He Hu understood the situation, he slammed his fist onto the table with a loud bang, startling everyone in the tea room. If his strength were just a bit greater, the table might have shattered.

Zhao Meng also stood up in excitement, angrily saying, “Damn it! I’ll go break that black bear’s legs for you!”

Song Haowen didn’t expect the two of them to be willing to stand up for him and expressed his gratitude, “Thank you both. Revenge is not necessary; otherwise, the situation will only escalate, and it will be harder to handle.”

At this point, Miao Chong calmly said, “Let’s not rush into things. I actually have an idea, but I wonder if Brother Song is willing to consider it.”

Song Haowen was intrigued and asked quickly, “Does the head coach happen to know that leader and want to help me mediate?”

Miao Chong shook his head. “No. I mean, ‘Those who tie the bell should untie it.'”

Song Haowen’s eyes lit up, but in an instant, they dimmed again. “Are you suggesting that I apologize and make amends with the black bear? I’m afraid I can’t do that.”

Zhao Meng immediately opposed, “No way. If it were me, I’d rather break his legs.”

He Hu also expressed his disagreement.

Miao Chong smiled. “You’ve misunderstood my meaning. I meant, ‘A problem shared is a problem halved.'”

Song Haowen was momentarily confused and asked, “Could you please explain what you mean?”