The Reluctant Coaching Session and the Special "Fan"

These two chapters are an absolute riot! The escalation from a simple coaching session to a full-

As promised, a few days later, Ly Thien Ba drove a flashy sports car to pick up his "master."

"Get in, Master! The gym is just nearby!" he said enthusiastically.

Lam Minh sighed and reluctantly got into the car. "Just one session, okay? I have a lot of things to do."

"Yes, sir, I know!"

The car took them to an extremely luxurious and modern private gym, clearly one for the wealthy elite.

When they entered, a girl was already waiting. She was tall, with hazelnut-brown hair tied in a high ponytail, a sharp and beautiful face that exuded an air of a proud, high-class lady. She was wearing an expensive designer workout outfit.

Seeing Ly Thien Ba, she frowned. "You're late. And who is this?"

Her eyes glanced at Lam Minh, who was wearing a normal set of sportswear, with a hint of disdain.

"I... I'm sorry, Diep Chi," Ly Thien Ba said hastily. "Let me introduce you, this is... this is your idol! Lam Minh!"

"Lam Minh?" The girl named Diep Chi was surprised, taking a closer look at Lam Minh. "The 'Tiger' Lam Minh, the champion of the tournament?"

"That's him!" Ly Thien Ba said proudly. "I specially invited Master... uh no, invited him to coach you. With his guidance, you'll definitely win your upcoming match!"

Diep Chi looked Lam Minh up and down again. The initial look of disdain was gone, replaced by curiosity and a little... disappointment.

"He... looks pretty ordinary," she muttered. "I don't feel any special aura from him. He's even skinnier than you."

Lam Minh could only offer a wry smile. He had completely restrained his aura, looking no different from a normal student.

"Hello, I'm Lam Minh," he said politely. "I hear you have an important match coming up?"

"That's right," Diep Chi replied, still sounding skeptical. "My opponent is very strong. Can you... really help me?"

"Let's just see," Lam Minh shrugged. "Why don't you spar with Ly Thien Ba for a bit, so I can see what your skill level is."

Diep Chi and Ly Thien Ba stepped onto the ring.

"I'll go easy on you, Diep Chi," Ly Thien Ba said with a smile, clearly doting on the girl.

"No need!" Diep Chi snorted coldly. "Use your full strength!"

The match began. Diep Chi attacked first. She used Karate, and her techniques were orthodox and powerful. But against Ly Thien Ba, who had been taught by Lam Minh and possessed the power of an Awakened, she was no match at all.

Ly Thien Ba easily neutralized all her attacks with just one hand.

After a few minutes, Lam Minh waved his hand. "That's enough."

The two of them stopped.

"How was it, Master?" Ly Thien Ba asked.

Lam Minh looked at Diep Chi and gave a frank assessment. "Your foundation is quite good. Your strikes are decisive and have power. But... it's too rigid, too by-the-book. You're just 'performing' Karate, not 'using' Karate to fight."

His blunt criticism made Diep Chi, a young lady who had always been praised, feel extremely uncomfortable.

"What do you mean by that?" she frowned.

"What I mean is," Lam Minh said, "when you fight, you're too focused on executing the techniques correctly, beautifully, and you forget that the ultimate goal is to defeat your opponent. You throw a punch, but in your head, you're thinking, 'Is this punch technically correct?' instead of, 'Will this punch hit its target?'. That's the difference."

He stepped into the ring. "Let me show you."

He turned to Ly Thien Ba. "Attack me. Use about 50 percent of your strength."

Ly Thien Ba nodded. He charged forward and threw a straight punch.

Lam Minh didn't move. He waited until Ly Thien Ba's fist was about to touch his face, then he tilted his head slightly. At the same time, he reached out, not to block, but to use the edge of his hand to lightly chop at Ly Thien Ba's wrist.

It was an extremely simple, unflashy move, but incredibly effective.

Ly Thien Ba felt his entire arm go numb, the force of his punch completely nullified.

"See?" Lam Minh said to Diep Chi. "You don't need to use complex techniques. A simple move, at the right time, in the right place, is enough to neutralize an opponent. This is called 'efficiency'."

Diep Chi was stunned. She had re-watched Lam Minh's final match over and over, but seeing it in person was a completely different experience. The way he moved, the way he struck, it was so light, so refined, yet it held a deadly danger.

"Now, you try attacking me," Lam Minh said.

Diep Chi took a breath, no longer daring to underestimate him. She charged in, unleashing her strongest attack.

But the result was no different from Ly Thien Ba's. All her attacks were easily neutralized by Lam Minh, like an adult playing with a child. He never touched her, just used parries, pushes, and redirections to make her lose her balance and fall on her own.

After falling on her butt a few times, Diep Chi stopped, panting, her face flushed. Her initial arrogance had completely vanished, replaced by admiration and a little... embarrassment.

"You... you..."

"Martial arts is not a formula," Lam Minh said. "It's an art of improvisation. You have to learn to 'feel' your opponent, not 'see' your opponent. Forget the rigid forms and let your body move freely according to its instincts."

He began to teach her basic practical combat skills, how to maintain her center of gravity, how to move, and how to strike most effectively.

For Diep Chi, being exposed to a completely new training method for the first time was like having a new world opened up to her. She listened attentively, trying to absorb his every word. The way she looked at him also gradually changed, from doubt to admiration, and then... sparkling like a true fan.

Ly Thien Ba stood on the side, watching his "master" diligently teaching the girl he loved, feeling both happy and a little... jealous.

The training session ended. Diep Chi's improvement was visible.

"Thank you, Lam Minh!" she said, her voice no longer haughty, but full of sincerity. "You've shown me what real martial arts is. Oh... as a thank you, let me treat you and Thien Ba to dinner tonight, okay?"

Lam Minh was about to refuse when Ly Thien Ba quickly answered. "Of course! Of course! Thank you so much, Diep Chi!"

Lam Minh could only sigh. It seemed he was about to gain another "tag-along."

Just then, the gym door opened. Quynh Nhu and To Quyen walked in.

"Lam Minh!" Quynh Nhu called out, her voice full of accusation. "You skipped training with me to come here and give 'private lessons' to some young missy?"

She saw Diep Chi standing next to Lam Minh with sparkling eyes, and the flames of jealousy in her heart roared to life.

To Quyen also looked at the scene, and though she said nothing, her delicate eyebrows furrowed slightly.

Lam Minh looked at his two friends who were radiating killing intent, then at his new "student" and his goofy "disciple."

He felt that his life was about to be hit by a Category 12 typhoon.

"You skipped training with me to come here and give 'private lessons' to some young missy?"

Quynh Nhu's "murderous" voice echoed through the gym, instantly freezing the cheerful atmosphere.

Diep Chi, with her high-class nature, showed no fear. She looked at Quynh Nhu, then at To Quyen, assessing the two new "rivals" who had just appeared. "Who are you two? And why are you talking to my teacher like that?"

"TEACHER?"

Those two words were like a bomb exploding in the room. Quynh Nhu and To Quyen simultaneously turned to look at Lam Minh with bullet-like glares.

Lam Minh held up his hands and quickly explained. "Wait! It's a misunderstanding! I'm not her teacher! It's this fool who calls me that on his own!" He pointed at Ly Thien Ba.

Ly Thien Ba, seeing the situation was not good, quickly stepped in to mediate. "Hello, two big sisters, I'm Ly Thien Ba. This is Diep Chi. We just asked Master... uh no, Brother Lam Minh to teach us a few moves."

"Teaching a few moves looks that intimate?" Quynh Nhu crossed her arms, smirked, and glanced at Diep Chi. "Even calling him 'idol.' Looks like my 'prize' is quite the ladies' man, huh?"

"Prize?" Diep Chi frowned, not understanding. "He's my teacher, not some prize."

"Oh, this little miss doesn't know yet?" Quynh Nhu sneered. "Let me enlighten you. This punching bag is currently the 'prize' in a fair competition between me and that wise class president friend of mine. You'd best know your place and not butt in."

After hearing this, Diep Chi was stunned, then burst out laughing. "A competition? You two think you can compete for Teacher Lam Minh? Ridiculous. Take a look at yourselves. One looks like a violent child, the other like a four-eyed bookworm. Do you stand a chance against a beautiful and talented young lady like me?"

Diep Chi's arrogance had ignited a real war.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?" Quynh Nhu roared, her pink hair seeming to stand on end. "Who are you calling a violent child?"

"I'm talking about you," Diep Chi retorted, her chin held high. "Or do you want to see if this 'child' can put you on the floor in a single beat?"

"Bring it on if you've got the guts!"

The two girls lunged at each other, not with fists, but with... their mouths.

"You pink-haired loli, all you know how to do is throw tantrums!"

"You pampered missy, all you have is a sharp tongue!"

"You're the pampered one! Your whole family is pampered!"

Lam Minh and Ly Thien Ba stood in the middle, looking as dazed as two deer in headlights. They had absolutely no idea what to do.

To Quyen, always the calmest, couldn't sit still this time. She stepped forward, getting between the two.

"That's enough, you two!" she said. "This is a public place. Don't make such a scene."

Then she turned to Diep Chi, smiling "intellectually." "Hello, Diep Chi. It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm To Quyen, Lam Minh's classmate and 'scientific research partner.' I think using verbal attacks to solve problems is ineffective. We should use a more 'scientific' method."

"A scientific method?" both Quynh Nhu and Diep Chi were surprised.

"That's right," To Quyen pushed up her glasses. "We can hold a contest. A contest to see which of the three of us understands Lam Minh the best."

"Understands Lam Minh the best?"

"Precisely. The contest will include questions about his interests, habits, and even his little secrets. Whoever answers the most questions correctly will prove that they are the most worthy to be by his side. What do you all think?" To Quyen proposed.

Quynh Nhu and Diep Chi looked at each other, then nodded in unison. This was a civilized and seemingly... interesting way to compete.

"Alright! Game on!"

"I have no problem with that!"

The three girls turned to look at Lam Minh, who was standing there, petrified.

"And you, the reluctant 'judge,' do you have any objections?" Quynh Nhu asked.

Lam Minh felt a terrible headache coming on. What had his life become? Some cheesy romantic-comedy movie?

"Do... do I have the right to refuse?" he asked weakly.

"NO!" the three girls said in unison.

And so, a "Who Understands Lam Minh Best" contest was held right there in the gym. Ly Thien Ba reluctantly became the host.

First question, from To Quyen: "What food does Lam Minh hate the most?"

Quynh Nhu buzzed in to answer: "Bitter melon!"

"Correct!"

Second question, from Quynh Nhu: "What is Lam Minh's worst habit when he sleeps?"

Diep Chi, who had just met him, was clueless.

To Quyen thought for a moment and answered, "Does dozing off in class count?"

"No! It's talking in his sleep!" Quynh Nhu said triumphantly. "One time I even heard him mutter 'more points, you damn system'."

Lam Minh's heart skipped a beat when he heard that. Luckily, this girl didn't understand what "system" meant.

The competition was incredibly intense. To Quyen, with the subtlety and observation of a scientist, correctly answered questions about his study and daily habits. Quynh Nhu, with her time as his "punching bag" and her surveillance, knew his bad habits and little secrets that no one else knew. Diep Chi was completely stumped, only able to sit and watch with an aggrieved expression.

In the end, it was a tie.

"It's a tie! So what now?" Ly Thien Ba asked.

The three girls looked at each other, then back at Lam Minh.

"There has to be a tie-breaker question," Quynh Nhu said. "A question that only someone who truly cares about him can answer."

To Quyen nodded. "Agreed."

They both turned to Lam Minh.

"Lam Minh," To Quyen asked, her voice gentle. "What is your biggest dream?"

The question silenced the entire gym.

Lam Minh also froze. His dream?

In his past life, his dream was to live a peaceful life with his family. But now, with his power, knowing about the greater secrets, his dream had also changed.

He looked at the three girls staring intently at him, at his goofy disciple Ly Thien Ba. He looked out the window, towards a distant future.

He smiled, a smile no longer lazy, but filled with determination and profundity.

"My dream?" he said, his voice not loud but extremely clear. "Is that one day, the children of humanity can play freely under a blue sky, not one red with blood and fire. That one day, all of us can live without needing great walls."

His answer stunned everyone.

It was not a personal dream. It was an ambition, a noble ideal of a true hero.

In that moment, all three girls realized that their competition was so small and meaningless. The young man before them, his heart didn't just contain personal feelings, but the fate of all humanity.

They looked at him, and in the eyes of all three, there was no longer any jealousy, only absolute admiration and reverence.