Chapter 82

Song Haowen somewhat guessed the intentions of Miao Chong and smiled, “Head coach, feel free to speak your mind. No need to keep me in suspense.”

Miao Chong chuckled, “I was afraid you might misunderstand, so I didn’t speak directly. Now that you’ve clarified, I’ll be direct: the predicament you’re facing now, if mishandled, is a dead end. If things go wrong, your future in the entertainment industry may come to an end, and you might even face imprisonment. However, when one door closes, another one opens. In a few days, the American boxing team will arrive in China, and there will be a highly anticipated international martial arts competition. If you pass the selection, becoming one of the five representatives, win or lose, it will bring you significant honor. If you go further and manage to defeat your opponents, you’ll become a national hero and a global celebrity, achieving a status comparable to the heroes of previous years. At that point, who would dare to undermine you easily?”

Listening to these words, Song Haowen didn’t immediately refute, as he thought about his current unfavorable situation. It had already affected Tian Nana and the music studio.

If things continued to escalate, he didn’t know who else might be implicated, and whether his family would be affected. Although he had rich experience and abilities from his previous life, facing such vile and unscrupulous behavior without limits, he didn’t have a foolproof solution.

Miao Chong’s suggestion, starting from the upcoming Hua Mei competition, was undoubtedly a golden opportunity for him to break free from his current predicament.

Furthermore, contributing to the glory of the country was a responsibility that everyone should bear. If he had the ability and refused to contribute, it would be akin to betraying the nation.

Having thought it through, Song Haowen didn’t immediately agree but said he would consider it and provide an answer later. Miao Chong nodded in satisfaction and left on the pretext of having something else to attend to, leaving He Hu, Zhao Meng, and others waiting for Song Haowen’s decision.

Song Haowen said to He and Zhao, “Your national team has many talented individuals. How could they consider someone with my amateur level? Besides, even if you let me participate, what if I win? Wouldn’t that be embarrassing for the country?”

He Hu smiled and said, “Little brother, you’re overthinking it. There’s no certainty in a competition. If the outcome is already decided, what’s the point of the match? If you can pass the internal selection and make it to the final roster, it already reflects your ability. Even if you lose the competition, who can blame you? Let them go and fight! Moreover, you’re a popular singer and a university student. Boxing is just your hobby. If someone beats you, it’s not a glorious achievement. On the other hand, if you win, the embarrassment for them will be unforgettable, and many people will remember it for a lifetime.”

Zhao Meng added, “Based on your ability to easily defeat both of us, I believe you can make it to the final competition roster. I don’t believe those American have three heads and six arms. If heroes like Huo Yuanjia and Wong Fei-hung could achieve great feats in the past, why can’t our great nation achieve the same now?”

These impassioned words stirred Song Haowen’s blood, adding a surge of courage. He thought, “Naturally gifted, I must have a purpose. Maybe my small fists can shine brightly in this lifetime.”

With these thoughts in mind, Song Haowen said, “Alright, in consideration of your sincerity, I agree.”

He Hu and Zhao Meng were overjoyed. He Hu enthusiastically put his arm around Song Haowen’s shoulder and said, “Fantastic, brother! You’ve finally seen the light!”

Song Haowen pushed He Hu away, who was squeezing the air out of him, and laughed, saying, “Actually, I also want to bring glory to our country.”

The next day at noon, He Hu and Zhao Meng arrived in a Jeep, picked up Song Haowen from Beijing University, and headed straight to the National Martial Arts Team’s training base on the outskirts of Beijing.

Upon arrival, many athletes looked down on Song Haowen. Several national champions even wanted to challenge him directly, eager to teach him a lesson.

However, due to the intervention of Head Coach Miao Chong, these people didn’t dare to provoke him openly but resorted to trip him secretly.

Song Haowen, observing it all, remained unfazed. He knew that here, survival was based on merit rather than connections. It was a fairer and more just world compared to the outside.

After a day, the National Martial Arts Team began the selection competition. Dozens of martial arts enthusiasts, recommended from all over the country, including Song Haowen, competed on equal terms with national team athletes, irrespective of their rankings.

Through multiple rounds of elimination, Song Haowen lived up to expectations, defeating all opponents, including national team athletes, becoming the number one representative for the Hua Mi International Combat Competition. He Hu and Zhao Meng also performed exceptionally well, making it to the final roster.

Following that, the martial arts team granted Song Haowen a few days off from school to undergo standardized training at the base. Song Haowen took his training seriously, quickly mastering basic etiquette, competition rules, and the routines of free combat.

On the eve of the competition against the U.S. boxing team, the martial arts team gave Song Haowen, He Hu, Zhao Meng, and three other participating athletes half a day off in the afternoon for pre-match preparations.

In the evening, while discussing newly acquired Golden Nanmu armchairs with Zhu Hongyu and Ren Hua, Song Haowen’s second sister, Song Huihua, rushed in with an infuriated expression.

She grabbed Song Haowen’s hand, dragged him into an empty courtyard, and handed him a newspaper. Then, she sat alone in the pavilion, sulking.

Song Haowen was startled, unsure what major event had angered Song Huihua so much. Although they studied at the same university, they were in different faculties, and Song Haowen was quite busy, so they rarely communicated.

Giving Song Huihua a stern look, Song Haowen quickly opened the newspaper. It turned out to be a local daily from the outskirts of Beijing. On the front page, in the bottom left corner, there was an article about him. Glancing at the headline, Song Haowen was instantly alarmed.

Top of Form

The newspaper boldly stated, “The Ten Crimes of the Unavoidable Celebrity Star Song Haowen.” The subheadings listed the so-called “ten crimes,” including:

neglecting studies,

violating school rules,

tax evasion,

street brawls,

playing with women’s feelings,

illegal business operations,

selling antiques,

deceiving the public,

framing classmates, and

unclear wealth.

“Neglecting studies” referred to: engaging in business activities and participating in commercial performances.

“Violating school rules” meant: not returning to campus at night and consistently skipping classes.

“Tax evasion” was related to: a hundred thousand in back taxes, suspected of tax evasion.

“Street brawls” indicated: frequently involved in group fights, causing injuries.

“Playing with women’s feelings” pointed to: being jealous and having numerous rumors about relationships.

“Illegal business operations” referred to: violating regulations and operating beyond the permitted limits.

“Selling antiques” meant: trading in antiques, passing off fakes as genuine.

“Deceiving the public” indicated: plagiarism of famous works, falsely claiming to be original.

“Framing classmates” referred to: setting traps to harm others, using public means for personal gain.

“Unclear wealth” pointed to: owning multiple properties with unclear origins.

No wonder Song Huihua was angry; even Song Haowen himself was nearly furious.

“Second sister, everything written here is nonsense, pure defamation and rumors. Please don’t believe it.”

“I don’t believe it.” Song Huihua’s eyes reddened. “But what will others think when they see this? I never thought you would offend someone so deeply. What’s going on?”

Song Haowen was infuriated, gritting his teeth. He believed he knew who was behind this. So, he explained the situation, mentioning the conflict with Black Bear, the retaliation from Black Bear’s powerful lover, the fines and closure of the music studio, and the forced payment of substantial taxes, leading to the separation from Tian Nana.

After listening, tears streamed down Song Huihua’s face. She hugged Song Haowen’s head, crying, “Little brother, you’ve been through so much. You faced such a big issue, and you didn’t even tell the family. We thought you were doing well!”

Song Haowen gently patted Song Huihua on the back. “Alright, second sister, it’s not as serious as it seems. You have to believe me; this will blow over in a few days.”

Song Huihua sobbed and said, “Don’t underestimate this matter. Although it’s published in a grassroots newspaper, the impact can be significant. If not handled properly, it could affect your future.”

At this moment, Song Haowen truly appreciated his decision to become an official participant in the Hua Mi International Wushu Competition.

As long as he won tomorrow, positive publicity about him would spread widely, and the news from this tabloid would be ignored. He saw this as a temporary frustration that he would endure, and in the future, he would make sure to make the responsible party pay.

However, he couldn’t share the upcoming martial arts competition with his second sister right now. Otherwise, the whole family would worry about him again. Despite being confident in himself and believing that, with caution, even if he couldn’t win, he wouldn’t lose miserably.

Wang Li, Zhu Hongyu, and Ren Hua approached when they saw Song Huihua crying on Song Haowen’s shoulder. They were alarmed, thinking something significant had happened, and hurriedly inquired.

The siblings didn’t want to bring up the news report, so Song Huihua casually made up a reason to divert the conversation.

Of course, Wang Li and the others weren’t easily convinced by Song Huihua’s fabricated story. They could tell that what she was saying wouldn’t make her so upset. Since the involved parties weren’t willing to talk, they didn’t want to pry into the siblings’ private matters.

They changed the subject and started talking about things that interested the girls. Song Huihua noticed that Song Haowen didn’t seem too affected by the news, so she gradually let go of her worries and joined the conversation.

Seizing the opportunity, Song Haowen left the company of the four chattering girls and lay down on a chair, contemplating how to deal with the American opponents. He still wasn’t clear about the lineup for tomorrow, and he hoped he wouldn’t draw the strongest opponent from the American team.

After dinner, Song Huihua went home first. Song Haowen wanted to accompany her, but considering the competition the next day and the need for proper rest, he reluctantly abandoned the idea of seeing her off.

That night, Zhu Hongyu and Ren Hua stayed in the school dormitory, leaving Song Haowen alone in the empty room. He gazed at the cold moon outside the window, reflecting on his life over the past year since his rebirth. He couldn’t help but marvel at the tremendous changes he had experienced, finding the phrase “earth-shattering” to be an accurate description.