Binhai City, the pearl of China's northern seaport, is adjacent to Kyoto. As one of the few municipalities in the country, its economic level is not the best, but at least it can be regarded as first-class. Relying on the port with the largest throughput in the north, the people here live a rich and ordinary life. China has been open for decades, and the people's material living standards have been continuously improved. Some spiritual and cultural entertainment has gradually spread throughout this metropolis, just like this fencing club located in a certain building in the city center.
Wei Guoguang rode his slightly worn but well-maintained mountain bike into the underground parking lot of Rongheng Building. There were countless luxury cars here, which contrasted the extremely shabby mountain bikes. There was no other way. Now many buildings have no bicycle parking spaces reserved at all. He had to shamelessly park his car in the underground parking lot. Fortunately, he had a good relationship with the security guards and finally had a place to stay.
He parked the car in a place where it would not get in the way, locked it with a chain to the fire hydrant next to it, and said hello to the security guard Lao Hu and walked towards the elevator. The Tang Dynasty Fencing Club is on the 11th floor of the building. It is the leading club in Binhai.
Wei Guoguang is not a member of this club. He cannot afford the 200,000 yuan annual membership fee. From the worn-out mountain bike he rides, we can basically know what level his financial situation is. He is an employee here, a fencing coach.
Take the elevator to the 11th floor. When you get out of the elevator, you will see a huge Tang character emblem. After a few words of flirting with the pretty girl at the front desk, Wei Guoguang walked into the employee lounge. The conditions here are incomparable to the member lounge. The boss has decorated the member lounge with extreme luxury, while the employee lounge is as economical as possible. Wei Guoguang habitually complained while quickly changing into a white fencing suit.
The Tang Dynasty Club is very large, occupying the entire 11th floor of Rongheng Building. It has a full range of facilities, including physical therapy, fitness, sauna, rest, coffee, bar, and restaurant. Of course, there are also the most important 3 fencing halls and 5 VIP small halls. Wei Guoguang is in charge of the fencing hall C, which has 10 kendos and is usually managed by two coaches.
In China, fencing began to gradually enter the public's attention after the national Olympic strategy. Compared with traditional martial arts, fencing is a very high-end and fashionable thing that can reflect a certain aristocratic style, which is in line with the current mentality of the Chinese people who have just become rich and pursue quality of life. In this world, those who are doing well and making money always show off their sports hobbies when chatting with others, as if not doing so is enough to show their personal taste and grade, even if they may not agree with it in their hearts. Hiking, hiking, donkey walking, racing, rock climbing, taekwondo, parachuting, etc., even pole dancing, you must be able to do one, right? Among them, the more foreign imported products are, the more people flock to them. For example, fencing is such a thing that is both elegant and aristocratic, does not need to be exposed to the wind, sun and rain, and has a bit of practical meaning to show masculinity.
Walking into Hall C, the 300-square-meter hall was a little empty. Only four students were playing in pairs on the five kendos that Wei Guoguang was in charge of. That's right, this wasn't fencing, it was just playing. He was on the night shift, from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., and there weren't many people at the moment. These four students were nocturnal animals, and they usually played until 7 or 8 p.m. before leaving for supper, and then began the evil urban nightlife.
After saying hello to a few students, Wei Guoguang casually found a chair next to the kendo and sat down, drinking a bottle of mineral water while casually watching the situation on the field. This was not a professional sports team, and it didn't really matter whether one learned to fencing or not. As long as the members had fun and thought they knew it, it was fine. The key was not to let these uncles get hurt, and that was the most important thing.
Fencing sports include foil, saber, and epee. Among them, epee is heavy, and it is not easy for ordinary people to swing it for a long time without a certain sports foundation. The confrontation rounds were dragged out and very physically demanding, so few people chose it. Since saber allows slashing and has a larger effective stabbing range, it is basically a fight between two people, and the fight can end in 1 or 2 seconds. It loses the fun of the round and is easy to get hurt, so not many people choose saber. Only foil is the favorite of rookie successful people. The sword is lighter, has both attack and defense, and can advance and retreat in rounds. It can also be cool occasionally, so it is the choice of most people.
"Stop, stop..." After observing for a while, Wei Guoguang couldn't stand it anymore. This is not fencing, it's basically a street fight. Training a group of people with no athletic talent and trying to ensure that they don't get hurt is really a headache and a sense of accomplishment. If it weren't for the high salary, anyone with ideals, pursuits and bottom lines would not waste time here.
"Fatty Zuo, can you not run to the side? The reason why there is kendo is to limit, attack or defend, advance or retreat... You run around the world with a sword, what kind of sword is it to fight back..." They are all old acquaintances. Wei Guoguang has a good relationship with these people, so he doesn't need to care too much about whether his words are polite.
"What the hell is this bullshit rule? My body is too big, so I'm at a disadvantage..." Fatty Zuo is a security door manufacturer. He's a nice guy. With the massive construction of urban housing in recent years, he's made a lot of money, but his body is so shabby. He's been here for three months, but he hasn't lost any weight. Instead, he's gained a few pounds, breaking the 200 mark for the first time in history.
"And you, Xiao Huang, you use the bow step to move forward and backward in fencing, not the chicken step. You jump around like that... And your left hand, does it look good when you make an orchid finger?"
"That's my sword finger, right? Sword finger... The masters on TV and in novels all make sword fingers, hehe, it looks much better than that pig head Zuo making a fist..." Xiao Huang, a stylist, seems to be a bit effeminate. He and Fatty Zuo are sworn enemies. If they get on the sword path, they'll definitely fight.
Too lazy to argue with the stylist, Wei Guoguang pointed the finger at the third student, "Zhu Gan, I know you have a good figure and long legs, but that doesn't give you a reason to kick people casually. It's easy to hurt people, you know? Since you like to use your legs so much, why don't you learn Taekwondo? That's more suitable for you..."
"Sorry, sorry, I was in a hurry. People can't help but play to their strengths when they are anxious. I think my habit is closer to actual combat. Look at the one-armed Taoist priest in Jin Yong's novels. In addition to the fast sword in one hand, doesn't he also know the soul-chasing kick? The fast sword plus the long legs, this is a perfect match..."
"Stop it, Wang, you idiot. Tell me how many times have you kicked me in the past two months?" The fourth student shouted angrily, "I'm lucky that I'm strong and generous. Why don't you try to kick Fatty Zuo? He can fight you to death with a kitchen knife. If you kick Little Huang, she'll be like a bean sprout. How much medical expenses will you have to pay..."
Zhugan said slowly and without losing out. "You dare to say you're generous? I can't control my legs, but every time I kick you, I'll eat you out. In just two months, I've eaten at every restaurant on this street. How about this, starting today, it's your turn to kick me, and I'll eat you back..."
Wei Guoguang shook his head helplessly. The two brothers were childhood friends and were used to playing around. To be honest, there is no one here who is really willing to put in the effort to learn fencing. Most of them are just doing it for fun. They have money, so they are willful. What can you do about it? He didn't have the energy to correct their movements. As long as they were having fun, that was enough. He chatted for a few more minutes and let the brothers practice on their own. Wei Guoguang sat back in his chair and started thinking about his own thoughts.