The next day, Steve quit his job at the factory and moved into the martial arts school to begin his apprenticeship.
What went unnoticed was that many newspapers that day carried the news: "Brooklyn Mafia boss 'Mad Dog' Johnny and over a dozen of his men were killed last night at their headquarters."
Chen Mo did not personally teach Steve but had him start with the basics, learning horse stance and other foundational skills from Huang Quan and the others.
Chen Mo's combat techniques were based on his extraordinary physical abilities, incorporating the strengths of various styles into a simple, direct, and swift fighting method.
Since his strength mainly grew through several bursts of potential, Chen Mo was not very skilled in basic training. This was where the martial artists excelled, having trained from weakness to strength step by step.
So, Steve began by training in the basics with the martial artists, building up his body and laying a solid foundation. Despite his poor physical condition, Steve had an extraordinary willpower. Even when his muscles were in severe pain and his body was on the verge of collapse, he would grit his teeth and persist until he completed his training tasks.
These basic skills were a systematic and reasonable training method, accumulated and improved over many years by countless predecessors. They not only trained muscle strength but also enhanced the internal organs' capabilities, comprehensively improving physical fitness.
Even those with poor physical conditions could gradually improve and become stronger through this progressive training, unlike many combat styles that solely pursued great strength through high-intensity training, which could easily lead to injuries and long-term damage.
After a few months, Steve's body had become noticeably stronger, though still relatively small and weak compared to the average person. However, he no longer got out of breath after running a few steps, and his once thin frame now showed the beginnings of muscle definition.
"Master, when will you start teaching me martial arts?" Steve asked, looking at Chen Mo with admiration and longing after seeing him easily defeat the four martial artists.
Since Johnny and his gang were easily defeated by Huang Quan and the others, the martial arts school's reputation had spread throughout Brooklyn. Although Johnny and his men were killed that night, some who were not at the headquarters and escaped by luck recounted the events of that day.
According to the survivors, besides the four highly skilled fighters, the martial arts school's master had god-like marksmanship, firing multiple shots in the blink of an eye and injuring all of Johnny's gunmen.
It was clear to everyone that the deaths of Johnny and his men were likely the work of the martial arts school, and the other two major mafia families in Brooklyn were certain that the massacre was carried out by Chen Mo and his people.
Because they coveted the wealth of the martial arts school, they had been secretly observing it. After Johnny and his men were injured and retreated, there were people watching from the shadows all night.
According to the informants, late that night, a figure leaped from the third floor, disappearing after a few jumps across the rooftops. The timing matched perfectly with when Johnny and his men were killed. Their surveillance had likely been discovered long ago, and before the figure left, they glanced at the hiding spot, making the watchers feel a chill down their spines.
This was a warning!
The leaders of the two families simultaneously canceled their plans against the martial arts school and strictly ordered their men not to provoke anyone from the school.
As Johnny's old rivals, no one knew his strength better than they did. Although he was the weakest of the three major forces, the nickname "Mad Dog" was well-earned.
Johnny was more ruthless and crazier than any of them, and beneath his mad exterior lay a cunning fox. His men were all desperados, willing to fight and die under his leadership, having committed many major crimes. Their combat effectiveness was far superior to that of the other families' men.
Despite their smaller numbers, they always stayed together, even spending the night at their headquarters, being extremely cautious and not giving their enemies any chance to pick them off one by one.
To completely eliminate these lunatics would require a significant cost, which is why, despite being weaker than the other two mafia families, Johnny's gang still held a place in Brooklyn.
Now, the most formidable "Mad Dog" Johnny and his elite men were first defeated head-on by a few individuals and then assassinated in their headquarters. The remaining two families had no choice but to take the Chinese martial arts school, which they had once seen as easy prey, seriously.
As the school's reputation spread, people began to come, and after witnessing the martial artists' skills, they willingly paid the tuition.
Thus, Steve gained a few "junior brothers."
Watching his junior brothers start learning martial arts from their respective teachers, Steve, still practicing horse stance in the corner of the hall, grew anxious.
Hearing a foreigner call him "Master," Chen Mo felt a bit awkward, but considering this was the future superhero Captain America, he could accept it.
"Why are you so eager to learn martial arts?" Chen Mo asked, taking on the demeanor of a master.
"To become stronger so I can join the army," Steve said, his face full of longing at the mention of enlisting. It had always been his dream, but his frail body had led to repeated rejections.
"To join the army and kill Nazis?" Chen Mo asked, looking into Steve's eyes.
"No, I don't want to kill anyone; I just want to protect my country," Steve said, shaking his head.
"What if your country goes to war with mine?"
"An invasion? I don't think I would go," Steve said seriously.
"What if your country orders you to go?"
"I…"
Seeing Steve at a loss for words, Chen Mo patted his shoulder. "I just want to tell you not to be used by politicians and not to limit your vision to just one country. I hope you can have a great ideal like mine."
"Master, what is your ideal?" Steve asked curiously.
"My ideal is world peace."
Seeing Steve, who was looking at him with admiration and gradually falling into deep thought, Chen Mo smiled faintly, turned around, and sat back on the sofa, waiting for old Eddie to make coffee.
The next day, Steve officially began learning combat techniques from Chen Mo.
It had to be said that Steve had a natural talent for combat. Under Chen Mo's meticulous and selfless guidance, his combat skills improved rapidly. Although his strength was weaker than that of his "junior brothers," he always managed to win in sparring sessions.
Combat skills were one aspect, but more importantly, Steve possessed an indomitable and fearless spirit, which gave him an inherent advantage over his opponents.
Even when his strength was insufficient and he was in a tough fight, he always managed to outlast his opponent. Even if he was knocked down, he would quickly get back up until he defeated his opponent.
Gradually, his junior brothers were no longer willing to spar with him, so he had to spar with the martial artists. Although he often ended up being beaten badly, his skills improved rapidly, and Steve enjoyed it.
Time flew by, and it was now April 1943. Chen Mo had been in this world for over a year.
With the arrival of spring, it was a new beginning.
Chen Mo, wearing a light and soft sweater, sat comfortably on the sofa by the window, looking at the somewhat chilly street outside. He held a cup of freshly brewed coffee from old Eddie, occasionally taking a sip, feeling extremely relaxed and content.
"Where did that kid Steve go? I just praised him a bit, and now he's slacking off," Chen Mo joked with old Albert.
"You never let him enlist. Today, Huang Quan's student Jack passed the recruitment test and officially joined the army. Steve was quite disappointed, so I suggested he go see a movie to cheer up," old Albert said with a smile, his face showing a hint of affection. He was also fond of the kind and simple Steve.
"I'm doing it for his own good. It wasn't the right time before," Chen Mo said, shaking his head and continuing to enjoy the tranquility of the moment on the sofa.
"But soon, it will be."