Chương 97: Swords and Dreams

Chapter 97 Swords and Dreams (5K) The exterior of the Budokan is modeled after a Western palace, and it is covered with various unidentified raw stones, giving it a rather elegant and grand appearance.

Twelve marble columns support the dome, with reliefs of Louis XIV hunting on the columns and golden leaf ornaments wrapped around the entire column.

The pillars at the entrance alone are as tall as a three-story building, not to mention the entire building.

The boss is clearly not a simple person.

A large plaque hangs at the entrance, bearing the five characters "Zhengyang Martial Arts Hall".

The handwriting is strong and powerful, with sharp strokes, like a sword being drawn from its sheath, revealing its brilliance.

It must have been written by a martial arts master.

However, compared to the one at the entrance of the Emei Sect, which only has sharp and aggressive handwriting, it is far inferior to the one that contains sword intent that has lasted for thousands of years.

Guided by a staff member at the entrance, Zhao Rui entered the hall and was immediately greeted by a massive Swarovski crystal waterfall chandelier hanging from the ceiling.

It exudes a misty haze and light.

The floors and walls are made of smooth, shiny, exquisite stone, inlaid with sparkling gemstones.

In the spacious reception bar, two graceful young women, each about 1. 75 meters tall, wearing fitted light blue uniforms, looked over with smiles.

Her eyes were smiling, and her demeanor was graceful.

"No wonder so many people resent the rich!"

Zhao Rui secretly spat. He wasn't afraid of you being rich, he was afraid of you being rich and then showing off.

If it were a chance to play cards like "Fight the Landlord" with the rich, he would definitely be the first to sign up.

Despite his complaints, Zhao Rui was genuinely impressed by the restaurant.

If the stores in the provincial capital are like this, I really can't imagine what the stores in Beijing must be like.

A few minutes later, led by a waiter, Zhao Rui entered a luxuriously decorated office.

In the spacious room, a bald man was lying on a rosewood-carved desk with his legs crossed, talking on the phone.

Seeing the waiter lead Zhao Rui over, he waved his hand down, indicating that he should sit down first, and then continued making the phone call.

After serving Zhao Rui tea, the waiter closed the door and left the office.

Zhao Rui sat quietly in his seat, looking around the room while listening to the other person's phone conversation.

There's no way around it; after learning the Heavenly Demon Illusionary Sound Technique, my ears have become incredibly sharp.

"Brother Luo, don't worry, our movie will definitely be a box office hit...!"

"Yes, yes, you see, could you try talking to Ms. Song again? You have no idea how many messages I receive from viewers every day..."

"If she doesn't take her clothes off, we won't be able to explain ourselves!"

"Oh, oh, here it comes, waiting for your letter!"

The bald man hung up the phone, his grinning face instantly turning cold. He spat, "You bitch, what are you pretending for!"

After speaking, he seemed to remember that there were still people around, so he quickly stopped talking and looked at Zhao Rui in a nonchalant manner.

"You're here for the job interview, right? You can call me Brother Kun... A level nine martial artist, not bad. I don't have many rules, just one: do your job well."

"Yes, I know that."

"Okay, it's good for young people to get out and see the world. Staying cooped up on campus all day will spoil them."

After Kun finished speaking, he took out his phone and made a call. A moment later, a manager came in and led Zhao Rui to the training hall of the martial arts gym.

The huge hall is spacious and luxurious, and it is filled with a lot of top-quality sports equipment that is rarely seen in normal times.

Even the weapons were so unique.

It's obviously not an ordinary item.

At this moment, people were exercising in various locations throughout the hall.

They might practice martial arts routines, train with equipment, or wield weapons.

There were even people doing yoga.

The yoga pants come in a variety of beautiful colors—some are rounded, some are baggy, and some are perky…

The teaching arrangements are similar to other martial arts schools, divided into regular teaching and designated teaching.

Zhao Rui took over from the teacher who had previously left, and taught classes every weekend. Each class consisted of two periods, totaling one and a half hours.

It didn't take long either.

It mainly provides martial arts instruction and training for non-professional athletes.

After understanding the nature of the work, familiarizing himself with the work environment, and obtaining his work permit, Zhao Rui left the martial arts school.

Tomorrow is the weekend, so I just need to be on time for class.

After leaving the martial arts school, Zhao Rui rode his bicycle leisurely around the city, looking for delicious street food.

I had only been riding for a short while when my phone rang. I had just parked my bike next to a small shop and bought some sweet potato fries with plum powder.

When I picked up my phone, I saw it was a call from Ouyang Xin, a senior from the music academy.

What did she want from me?

Zhao Rui answered the phone out of curiosity.

"Zhao Rui, I have good news for you."

Ouyang Xin said excitedly.

"What good news?"

Zhao Rui asked curiously.

"Our piece of music caught the eye of the renowned director Wang Ping, who wants to use it as background music."

"Oh, how much?"

Zhao Rui said calmly, "It's just choosing background music. I thought you were choosing to be the male or female lead."

"Ten thousand, but we won't be playing the piece."

Ouyang Xin said somewhat embarrassedly, "It's a bit unreasonable to use the music but not let the composer sing it."

However, Zhao Rui's skill level is really not up to professional standards.

"Junior brother, don't be disappointed. I've secured you a minor supporting role."

Ouyang Xin said with a hint of excitement.

"Just another passerby?"

"No, you're way better than just some random extra. The director heard you're a martial arts student and specially reserved a role for you. You can say ten lines!"

"Thank you, senior, but I'm not really interested. Is it okay if I don't go?"

"No way! Where are you? Let's talk in person!"

"I have something to do outside, I'll be back in a bit."

"Then I'll wait for you at the Fila Cafe near the school gate."

Ouyang Xin hung up the phone after she finished speaking.

Zhao Rui glanced at his phone, which was still lit up, and casually put it into his pocket.

The film and television industry is highly developed in this world. Many martial artists choose to pursue acting careers after achieving fame.

Some people even learn martial arts with the goal of becoming a star.

Sports stars and film stars are inherently interconnected.

If Zhao Rui makes a name for himself at the National College Martial Arts Tournament, agents will likely approach him.

After taking a couple of bites of the sweet potato fries, Zhao Rui found them quite tasty, so he bought another bag and rode his bike straight back to school.

Fila Coffee Shop.

Ouyang Xin excitedly put away her phone. Director Wang Ping's assistant had just contacted her again, asking if she had any other similar pieces.

Director Wang admires their musical style and would give them priority consideration if they were offered a chance.

Ouyang Xin immediately thought of Zhao Rui.

Although this junior is a complete novice, his musical talent is truly exceptional.

They might have some stock on hand.

After all, this junior student was the one who could create such a passionate and patriotic song during his freshman year military training.

I imagine it won't be just that one song.

If the younger student becomes famous, he can help me out...

"Senior, what are you thinking about?"

Just then, Zhao Rui's voice interrupted her reverie.

Ouyang Xin blushed and was about to speak when she saw Zhao Rui place a bag of sweet potato fries in front of her.

"It's delicious, try it!"

Eating sweet potato fries at a coffee shop?

Ouyang Xin took the sweet potato fries in surprise, picked one up, put it in her mouth, and found it to be sweet and sour, and very delicious.

Forget about coffee shops, my junior gave me these, they're all delicious!

"Director Wang's assistant just called again, asking if there are any similar songs, or even better ones."

"Junior brother, do you still have any stock?"

Ouyang Xin looked at Zhao Rui with a hint of expectation in her eyes, her pupils filled with the handsome and dashing image of a young man.

"One hundred thousand?"

"It should be more than that. If it's a song, it might be even higher."

What type of movie?

Zhao Rui's questions and answers were unhurried and deliberate.

Upon hearing her junior's words, Ouyang Xin's beautiful eyes lit up; there really was a chance.

"It's a story about江湖恩怨 (jianghu grudges and feuds), but I can't really explain it clearly. Do you need to see the outline?"

"Can I watch it?"

Zhao Rui's mind is never short of martial arts songs.

Although he can't compose music, his senior can.

It's no different from doing it yourself.

"Let me ask."

Ouyang Xin quickly called Director Wang's assistant.

After the call was connected, the other party said "wait a moment" and then hung up, presumably to consult Director Wang Ping.

After a while, the other party replied that the director happened to be going to Jiang Province and would have a day to spare, passing through Jeju Island, so they could arrange to meet.

"Okay, okay!"

Ouyang Xin hung up the phone, stood up excitedly, and clenched her fists tightly.

"Yay, that's great!"

"Zhao Rui, your chance has come!"

Seeing the excited Ouyang Xin, Zhao Rui couldn't help but chuckle.

"It's not even close to being settled yet!"

"I have faith in you."

Ouyang Xin nodded vigorously.

……

The next day, Zhao Rui arrived at Zhengyang Martial Arts Hall about ten minutes early.

His classes were held in a small martial arts hall on the second floor, which was about 200 square meters in size.

When he arrived, there were seven or eight people, both men and women, standing loosely inside.

Many of the men have ferocious tattoos.

He does resemble the same person as Brother Hong I met before.

Zhao Rui immediately realized what was happening.

These people probably really are underground boxers, so naturally they don't have legitimate martial arts credentials.

And how could such a luxurious store not have some influence?

Setting up underground boxing matches is a piece of cake.

"Hello everyone, I'm the new coach, you can call me Coach Zhao!"

Although Zhao Rui is young, he has been a coach before, so facing them is no different from facing children.

Upon hearing Zhao Rui's words, the others couldn't help but look over and sized him up.

Some of them had already narrowed their eyes slightly.

They clearly hadn't expected the new coach to be so young.

"If you want to be a coach, you should at least show some skills, right? Otherwise, what are we supposed to learn from you?"

One of them scoffed, clearly underestimating Zhao Rui's youth.

They are all seasoned fighters, and when it comes to fighting and mental discipline, they believe they are far superior to those privileged students in their ivory towers.

"Oh? So, are you going to have a one-on-one fight or a group battle?"

A smile appeared on Zhao Rui's lips.

"You've got quite the nerve, wanting to start a group fight? I'll fight you one-on-one. If you lose, get the hell out of here."

A man with a dragon head on his arm said sternly.

"No, I meant I could take on your whole group by myself."

Before Zhao Rui could finish speaking, his figure blurred, and he vanished from the spot, having executed the Dragon Step to its fullest extent.

Everyone only felt a blur before their eyes and didn't have time to react before Zhao Rui attacked one of them.

Everyone snapped out of their daze and charged at Zhao Rui, shouting angrily.

Zhao Rui used the Prajna Palm technique to instantly seize the person in front of him. With a casual push and a kick, the person crawled to the ground, landing face-first in the dirt.

This is naturally the one who spoke the most aggressively just now.

Thankfully, the floor was carpeted; otherwise, my face would have been scratched.

"With this kind of reaction, you dare to be arrogant?"

Zhao Rui reprimanded them without any politeness, while his hands continued to work. He used the Wing Chun technique of small grappling to knock down all the attackers.

Everyone fell to the ground, their eyes filled with horror.

The movement just now was too fast.

Many of them are already at the level of eighth-level martial artists.

As a result, he was beaten to the ground before he could even touch Zhao Rui's clothes.

"Alright, get up, all of you. I didn't acupuncture on your pressure points!"

Zhao Rui clapped his hands and said casually.

"Coach, you can use pressure points on me!"

Just then, a woman lying on the ground wearing a boxing vest and shorts suddenly winked and said in a coquettish voice.

Upon hearing this, everyone revealed knowing, lewd smiles.

They all laughed and looked at Zhao Rui, guessing that he was a young man and probably wouldn't be shy.

This can be considered a roundabout way of bringing back a sentence.

"Is that so?"

Zhao Rui's eyes sharpened, and with a flick of his finger, a mirage-like finger force struck her Tanzhong acupoint from a distance.

The woman cried out in pain, then fell back to the ground, curling up into a ball, trembling.

"What, you can't even withstand this little bit of finger pressure?"

Zhao Rui sneered.

"Coach, I was wrong!"

The woman immediately began to plead.

Zhao Rui glanced at the crowd and saw that they all lowered their heads and dared not look at him. He then casually flicked his hand and released the woman's pressure points.

"I'm paid to teach, you teach and observe, everyone has their own role, understand?"

"Understand!"

Everyone agreed in unison and dared not be arrogant again.

"How many people are still missing?"

"Coach, there are three more!"

As they were talking, three tall, sinister-looking men walked into the hall.

"Wow, you're so young, you're not a coach, are you?"

"Yes, that's right. My surname is Zhao! You can just call me Coach Zhao."

After Zhao Rui finished speaking, he waved his right hand, and a gust of wind swept out, directly closing the two doors that had been opened.

The three who entered narrowed their eyes slightly, a faint smile appeared on their lips, and they silently joined the line.

"Okay, let's begin the lesson now."

As Zhao Rui spoke, he turned around and picked up the study materials placed to the side, and then said, "According to the progress of our course, it should be time to learn the Five Tigers Severing the Gate Saber now."

"I'd like to see your progress first."

Zhao Rui pointed to the man with the dragon head tattoo, told him to step forward, and said, "Go get a weapon and use the Five Tigers Severing Gate Sword Technique to attack me."

Upon hearing this, the man raised an eyebrow and quickly grabbed a broadsword, slashing at Zhao Rui.

With such a ferocious appearance, one might mistake it for a blood feud.

"A martial art that can be copied has been discovered: Five Tigers Severing the Gate Saber. Copy now!"

"Copy!"

Zhao Rui pointed in the air and picked up a glow stick from the table, holding it in his hand.

Then he used the Taiyi Splitting Light Sword Technique and engaged in battle with his opponent.

"The internal energy isn't flowing smoothly enough... the moves are outdated..."

Zhao Rui casually used his martial arts experience to give some pointers.

Five minutes later, he moved aside and used his Entangling Silk Hand technique to disarm the man's broadsword, then threw it to the student next to him.

"You all have most of his flaws. Watch carefully when others are practicing. Next!..."

The teaching proceeded naturally in Zhao Rui's usual manner.

This group of people has a wide variety of martial arts skills, enough for Zhao Rui to "instruct" them for a while.

Less than a week later, Zhao Rui received a call from Ouyang Xin, saying that Director Wang Ping would be staying at Jeju TV Station for a while that afternoon.

The assistant told them to get there before 2 p. m.

We should have had time to meet then.

Zhao Rui had a good impression of Wang Ping.

Many of the TV dramas and movies we watch at home are directed by him; they're of decent quality and have a bit of a chivalrous, martial arts feel to them.

I wonder what they'll be filming this time.

If the song is selected, then my parents can sit in front of the TV and experience their son's "charm".

Around 1 p. m., Zhao Rui and Ouyang Xin took a taxi to the provincial TV station on time.

Upon arrival, after contacting their assistants, the two were led to a small reception room.

"You're Xiao Zhao and Ouyang! It's nice to meet you!"

Upon meeting, Wang Ping warmly shook hands with the two men and greeted them.

"I listened to your music, it's very good, it has a unique flavor..."

After offering a few words of praise, Wang Ping got down to business, gesturing for his assistant to hand the outline to the two men, and then said, "The story begins in the Jiajing era of the Ming Dynasty..."

After he saw that the two had finished reading, he smiled and asked, "What are your thoughts?"

"You're all on the same side, so feel free to express any opinions you have."

"I'm not familiar with acting, but I do have some ideas about music."

Zhao Rui mentally reviewed the martial arts songs he had heard in his previous life and could still hum, and then spoke aloud.

"Oh? Tell me about it?"

Wang Ping's eyes lit up, and he asked with a smile.

Zhao Rui frowned slightly, as if pondering, and after a moment he hummed a couple of lines:

"My sword, where shall it go? Love and hate, emotions are hard to control alone. My blade, slicing through the sky, right and wrong, I understand and do not understand."

After humming, Zhao Rui shut his mouth.

"This song? This melody, these lyrics..."

Wang Ping and his assistant stared at him in astonishment, their faces filled with surprise.

They didn't expect Zhao Rui to have an inspiration so quickly, and the lyrics really had a strong sense of the martial arts world.

"That's it?"

After waiting a moment, seeing that Zhao Rui didn't speak again, Wang Ping asked with some disappointment.

"Well, that's all I've thought of for now!"

"Young man, you're a genius! I want this song! Write it as soon as possible. Don't worry, the price is negotiable."

Wang Ping immediately made the decision.

"I'll do my best!"

Zhao Rui smiled and nodded in agreement.

"I believe you. I won't have dinner with you all today. My flight is this afternoon. Once you finish your composition, I'll treat you in Beijing!"

Wang Ping said with a smile.

Seeing this, the two did not linger. After exchanging a few polite words, they left the provincial broadcasting building accompanied by their assistants.

After his assistant returned from seeing the person off, Wang Ping tapped his fingers on the sofa armrest, turned to him and said, "Add an actor selection plan for Dongqi University and Dongyi Sports University on short notice."

"We'll discuss the specific casting and timing later."

"Okay, Director Wang!"

The assistant quickly nodded in agreement.

They won't shift towards entertainment.

The chain reaction caused by simply showing off will continue as the story unfolds normally.

(End of this chapter)