Ren Yuanhao detested the way money and status were used to constrain these young kids' growth, define their goals, and even twist and kill their dreams.
"Hey, you kids, I think Mr. Zoulong here has a bit of a misunderstanding about Taekwondo," Ren Yuanhao said, hands in his pockets, walking towards the group of youngsters, facing the resentful gazes of the three women and Zoulong.
Zoulong naturally had no idea how this annoying man had gotten in, but in his mind, it certainly wasn't through any legitimate means.
"Oh? And does the accountant fellow understand Taekwondo too?" Zoulong extended his right hand, as if to remind Ren Yuanhao to clearly see whose territory this was and that he decided who he wanted to shake hands with and when.
Ren Yuanhao was already in a foul mood; if Wang Xin hadn't shown up today, he might have been blocked from the martial arts hall.
He raised his eyebrows and swiftly clasped Zoulong's hand.
Their hands clasped. As expected, Zoulong, relying on his sturdy build, sent out frequent hidden forces, thinking he could easily put Ren Yuanhao at a significant disadvantage.
However, initially, he could feel Ren Yuanhao's hand deforming under his grip. But after a moment, he felt an astonishing surge of power erupt from Ren Yuanhao's hand. It felt like killer bees swarming his skin, with waves of unbearable, stinging pain rapidly penetrating!
His expression changed slightly, but he dared not release his grip, fearing that if he slackened, his hand would fare even worse. Ren Yuanhao's lips curved upwards. He had gained the upper hand, and he wasn't going to play coy. He immediately released his force, giving Shen Lannini ample face.
Although Ren Yuanhao quickly withdrew his strength, it was obvious to anyone with a keen eye that the robust Zoulong had suffered a disadvantage in their struggle.
His face turned slightly red. He had walked into this disadvantage himself, so there was no point in trying to save face with words. He immediately retreated to Shen Lannini's side, his mind filled with confusion.
—Who the hell is this brat? He looks like a scrawny monkey, yet he's so strong!
Ren Yuanhao and Shen Lannini exchanged a meaningful glance, acknowledging each other. He then turned his serious gaze back to the youngsters, continuing his unfinished speech.
"Tell me, why are you here? Is it just to defeat your opponents? Or is it for money and status?"
Ren Yuanhao's voice wasn't loud, but his eyes were sharp as knives, as if he could see through each of the young people before him.
"If you're just here to show off or fight, you can all go home. I'm sure you know that among the competitors are black belts. Do you think mere desire can defeat them?"
Ren Yuanhao wasn't intimately familiar with all these children, but he had also been 18. Back then, he had no goals; his mind was solely focused on getting out of the mountains, going to college, and earning money. Dreams were as distant as the stars.
But these children, honestly, had much more advantageous conditions than rural children. However, their values could easily be distorted by the dazzling city lights, neon glow, and bustling traffic. What they called dreams was, in reality, laced with the stench of money.
Of course, Ren Yuanhao wasn't saying that money and status were inherently bad. He meant that from their current perspective, placing too much importance on money and status as their goals would inevitably lead them to want to give up everything when facing strong opponents. This was because they still had a fallback. After all, there were countless ways to make money.
But dreams were different. Once you've decided and strived for them, even when facing strong opponents, the subconscious of your dreams can elevate your power to its peak. This kind of battle, fueled by dreams, could unleash more power than usual, compared to battles aimed at money and status!
The faces of these youngsters turned ashen, and Zoulong stepped forward at this moment.
"Hey, whose side are you on? The competition hasn't even started, and you're boosting the enemy's morale while crushing our own. How can we fight like this?"
Upon hearing this, the youngsters' faces grew even more grim. Ren Yuanhao completely ignored Zoulong and instead pointed to the spotlight on the ceiling.
"Kids, do you know what that is?"
"Light," the youngsters replied in unison.
"If that light were obscured by something dark and heavy, would you have the courage to push it aside? Or would you choose to wallow in despair, retract your claws, and become useless?"
"But even if we wanted to, we can't contend with black belt opponents, brother. We can't stomach your pep talk."
The speaker was half a head shorter than Ren Yuanhao, with a slender build that looked agile and graceful.
"If I recall correctly, you should be the third eldest under Coach Shen, Peng Lin, right? You have excellent bones, and your footwork should be quite agile. Unfortunately, your weight is insufficient, your muscle strength is lacking, and you tend to be lazy. Your strength has been stagnant between blue-green belt and red belt for over a year, wouldn't you say?"
Ren Yuanhao's words not only startled Peng Lin but also caused Shen Lannini to frown.
"Don't look so surprised. I don't have a voyeuristic tendency. What I want to tell you now is that you have extremely high talent, but you lack focus. If you want to go further in a competitive match like this, you must think clearly about why you are here!"
Ren Yuanhao scanned everyone one by one, finally casting a meaningful glance at the glaring light above. He lowered his voice and said, "To surpass your usual self, you must clear away the dark clouds that block the light. With that, your future is full of promise."
The dejected eyes of the youngsters suddenly seemed like a calm lake into which a solitary light was cast, instantly rippling with waves, shimmering and sparkling!
"Well done, Ren Yuanhao. You punched those kids hard and then gave them a dose of honey. I never noticed you had this ability before!"
Shen Lannini's voice was low, but Zoulong, standing beside her, heard it clearly.
"I think he's just spouting nonsense. Lannini, what's the use of inviting someone like him?" Zoulong was naturally dismissive, believing that Ren Yuanhao reeked of wannabe, immature swagger. In his eyes, only money was omnipotent.
"You'll know if he's useful later," Shen Lannini didn't say much more but walked slowly towards Ren Yuanhao.
Seeing this, Zoulong followed, thinking he must find a way to make Ren Yuanhao embarrass himself in front of everyone. If he followed his Lannini too closely, he might get cuckolded by this guy.
Lost in his thoughts, Shen Lannini didn't perform a handshake as a friend or a superior would to a subordinate. Instead, she opened her arms slightly, her smile blooming like a flower, "What, aren't you going to give me a big hug?"