The skinny guy was named Chen Sheng, and he ranked sixth in the "Ye Martial Arts Academy."
The bulky guy was named Wu Xi, and he ranked seventh in the "Ye Martial Arts Academy."
An Sen had been at the "Ye Martial Arts Academy" for two months, but he still wasn't sure how many official disciples there were. From the details he observed, these two seemed to be the lowest-ranked members left at the academy since they were responsible for most of the daily chores, and he usually dealt with them.
Every morning could be divided into two parts:
Before and after the master officially arrived at the academy. When the master appeared, everything was normal—perhaps a bit formal and arrogant, but still functioning as a martial arts academy, open to visitors.
Unfortunately, Nick and Matt chose to arrive early, before the master had shown up. As a result, the already strict rules of the academy became even more rigid.
From his observations, An Sen guessed that Chen Sheng and Wu Xi were probably hiding in the storage room, playing Tetris. At this moment, being interrupted while slacking off was unforgivable.
Their body language made it clear—they were itching to turn around and go back for another 300 rounds of Tetris.
The unspoken message in their eyes and actions wasn't complicated:
"If there's a problem, I've already given you the answer in advance. You're not so stupid that you can't figure it out, right? Do I really need to explain it in detail? So, if there's nothing else, could you please leave now? Don't interrupt my slacking off; there's not much time left before the master arrives at the academy."
Chen Sheng blinked, smiling brightly, but his eyes were clearly signaling for them to leave.
Matt looked at Nick, waiting for his response.
But Nick was just as confused. Before he could speak, the skinny guy had already spoken again.
"If there's nothing else, the exit is over there. Feel free to leave."
Nick: ???
Nick was a bit flustered.
Actually, you couldn't blame Nick. It was his first time at the "Ye Martial Arts Academy," recommended by a friend, so he wasn't familiar with the situation. He had only heard that this academy was home to hidden masters in Manhattan's Chinatown, and they were the real deal.
In terms of reputation and popularity, there were plenty of martial arts academies worth mentioning in Chinatown. With the resurgence of interest in martial arts over the past two years, movies like "Rush Hour" and "Shanghai Noon" had achieved outstanding box office success, making Jackie Chan a sensation. It was a wave that hadn't been felt since Bruce Lee.
But true professionals knew that most of these academies were just for show, catering to people's curiosity or market demand, like tourist attractions for novices to experience. Even the more professional ones were only good for basic fitness.
If you wanted to learn something real, you needed to avoid the crowds and know your way around—
After all, martial arts require patience and perseverance; there's no such thing as a quick course.
The "Ye Martial Arts Academy" wasn't well-known, hidden away on an inconspicuous street, but Nick's friend couldn't stop singing its praises, expressing admiration without reservation.
"Everyone there has real skills," was what he had said.
And that was exactly what Nick was looking for.
Currently, Nick and Matt are preparing for an unconventional action movie, "The Bourne Identity."
This project falls under Hollywood's hottest genre of spy/agent films; however, its unique aspect is the commitment to a realistic style. From the Cold War-themed story to genuine hand-to-hand combat, everything is designed to be authentic. They aim to set this film apart from other spy/agent movies by creating a completely new story, hoping to push the genre to its limits and become a benchmark for others.
So, what's the core element?
The fights.
As a martial arts coordinator, Nick is well aware that Hollywood has a weakness when it comes to fight scenes. Hollywood relies heavily on guns, explosions, big set pieces, and computer effects. Hand-to-hand combat doesn't really get much attention; the fight sequences tend to be repetitive, and flashy moves rarely get the audience's adrenaline pumping.
This time, they want to change that.
When Matt signed on to star in "The Bourne Identity," he expressed his desire to perform as many of his own fight scenes as possible, even though the crew was willing to hire professional stunt doubles for the more challenging scenes—
To the greatest extent possible.
So, the first step was for Matt to undergo personal training—professional training. And it wasn't just simple self-defense training for the movie; it had to start with the basics, with no shortcuts, solid training that would build real skills over time.
Nick had an idea: to create a new fighting style by combining Filipino Kali with Chinese Wing Chun, Jeet Kune Do, Israeli Krav Maga, and kickboxing. This hybrid style would match the film's cold, gritty tone and deliver close-quarters combat that would get the adrenaline flowing.
That's why Nick came here.
Basic skills!
Nick knew that Chinese martial arts had particularly strict requirements for basic skills, and Matt needed to start from scratch. This place seemed like the perfect choice.
The result?
They were turned away at the door.
Seeing the skinny guy about to turn and leave, Nick quickly called out to stop him, "Excuse me, is Master Ye here?"
Chen Sheng stopped, noticing out of the corner of his eye that Wu Xi had already left and slipped into the storage room. He couldn't help but feel a bit anxious.
"Hey, Wu Xi! That's not fair!" he shouted in Chinese through clenched teeth, but maintained a smile as he looked back at Nick.
"The first rule of the 'Ye Martial Arts Academy' is that anyone who wants to learn must pass the first test."
"You can either hold a horse stance for 30 minutes, or challenge one of the academy members. Once you pass, we can sit down and talk."
What kind of weird rule was this?
Matt was full of confusion, torn between wanting to bow respectfully or salute with his fists. His wildly darting eyes revealed his current state of bewilderment.
Nick, however, wasn't surprised.
He knew that legitimate martial arts academies often had their own set of rules, both to test a student's sincerity and perseverance, and to weed out those who were just there for a casual visit. Only by doing this could they ensure that those who were genuinely eager to learn would stay.
This rule actually made Nick more determined.
Nick turned to Matt, "What do you think?"
It was up to Matt to decide, after all. He was the one who would be undergoing the tough training here, and if he couldn't pass the test, everything would be in vain.
Matt was still clueless.
However, Matt had always been down-to-earth. "I'm fine with anything. Maybe I should hold the horse stance? Wait, what does the horse stance look like?"
As he spoke, Matt started trying to figure it out.
From his wobbly stance, it was clear that Matt had no understanding of martial arts. Forget about being a professional; even a five-year-old could kick Matt's leg in the right spot and his horse stance would collapse instantly. Holding it for 30 minutes would be tough.
Nick could see that too.
That's why Nick insisted Matt needed to start with the basics.
Upon reflection, Matt had already been practicing kickboxing for a full month now, and his agility and footwork in defense had been recognized. Though he wasn't an expert, he wasn't a total novice either. He could handle a regular fight, and this could be a good way to test the training results.
With that in mind, Nick made a decision. "If we choose to challenge, who would we be up against?"