Chapter 29: Membership
Chapter 29: Membership
"If you think that after just two or three months of learning, you can defeat those thugs with weapons, then I must say, you're being too naive."
Bai Wei shrugged her shoulders.
"Learning martial arts takes time and dedication. The earlier you start, the better the results. You're probably around twenty, right? You've missed the ideal age, and if I'm not mistaken, you don't have any foundation either."
This meant that just building a foundation would take two to three months. Moreover, daily training and real combat are vastly different. Even if you have exceptional talent and learn quickly, when it comes to actual fighting, your mind might go blank, causing you to forget everything you've learned.
"The most important thing is that one person's fists cannot defeat four hands. Those thugs usually come out in pairs, or even in groups of three or four. If you confront them, it will only provoke them to attack you, and they'll strike even harder. There's no benefit in that."
"That's true, that's true."
The people around her nodded in agreement, their gazes towards the woman before them filled with newfound respect.
If it were anyone else, they would surely boast endlessly about how formidable their martial arts gym was.
After two or three months of training, they could take on three opponents without breaking a sweat. After a year or so, they could face ten. And if they trained for three to five years, they could take on a hundred.
The beautiful woman before them spoke with sincerity, telling it like it is.
"However, it's not difficult to avoid being robbed by those thugs."
Her tone suddenly shifted.
"What do you mean, beauty?"
Jiang Cheng hurriedly asked.
"Become a member of our Falcon Fist Gym. From now on, if you encounter those thugs and show them our membership card, they won't give you a hard time. Even if you come across members of the Wild Wolf Gang, they'll respect you as a member of our gym and won't cause any trouble."
"Even the Wild Wolf Gang?"
Jiang Cheng's eyes lit up.
"Of course."
Bai Wei's voice carried a hint of pride.
"I was talking about regular membership. If you're a premium member, you won't have to pay a single cent to the Wild Wolf Gang during your membership period. You can also open a shop or set up a stall on this street without worrying about being bullied. My Falcon Fist Gym guarantees this."
After saying this, she glanced around, making it clear that her words were not just for Jiang Cheng but for everyone present.
Indeed, the crowd showed signs of interest after hearing this.
They had long suffered under the Wild Wolf Gang. If there ever came a day when they didn't have to pay the gang a single cent, they'd probably laugh in their sleep.
Upon hearing this, Jiang Cheng's heart stirred, but he also understood a simple truth: there's no such thing as a free lunch in this world; everything comes with a price.
"Beauty, becoming a premium member must be expensive, right?"
Jiang Cheng asked without hesitation.
Bai Wei smiled slightly, "That's right. Both regular and premium memberships are monthly subscriptions. Regular membership is two thousand yuan per month, and premium membership is five thousand yuan per month. If you purchase a year-long membership, you get a ten percent discount."
"Five thousand yuan per month for premium membership!"
Gasps of disbelief filled the air around them.
Such a high fee was more than what they could earn in a month, even without spending a cent on food.
"But it's definitely worth the price. Just look at Tan's Restaurant on this street; they're our premium members and have been running their business here for over a decade. They've never paid the Wild Wolf Gang a single cent, and their business has always been good. No one dares to cause trouble, right?"
And this is an additional feature for premium members. We are a martial arts gym, teaching fist and sword techniques. The effects might be limited after just a couple of months. But if you train for a year or two, one-on-one or even two-on-one, there shouldn't be much of a problem."
Bai Wei smiled as she spoke.
"That's true..."
Everyone nodded in agreement.
They didn't doubt the truth of Bai Wei's words; it was the price that was beyond what they could afford.
As for the regular membership...
Many of them didn't have stalls, and on the off chance they encountered the Wild Wolf Gang during the day, they could still run away. It was a bit of a mixed bag.
Of course, if one was there to learn martial arts, it was still a viable option.
"Miss, if I'm a regular member and I encounter someone from the Wild Wolf Gang, will I still be safe from robbery?" Jiang Cheng asked.
"That's right."
Bai Wei didn't hesitate to respond, "In this neighborhood, even the Wild Wolf Gang has to give some face to our Flying Eagle Martial Arts Gym. But you shouldn't rely solely on your membership card and confront the Wild Wolf Gang head-on. First, you're no match for them, and doing so will only bring trouble upon yourself. Second, even if the gym wants to stand up for you afterward, the outcome might not be to your satisfaction."
Jiang Cheng nodded, indicating that he understood.
In essence, it was another form of protection money.
The premium membership was the most cost-effective option. With this, you wouldn't need to pay any management or stall fees; just a monthly payment of 5000 to the gym was sufficient.
For the majority of people in the slum and street vendors, the value for money wasn't that high.
In fact, even including the money taken by thugs, it might not amount to the cost of the premium membership.
However, for those with shops along the street, it was quite a good deal.
The battles for territory among gangs had never ceased. Every year or two, a new gang would emerge, but these martial arts gyms seemed more like local tyrants, unshaken by external changes.
Moreover, one could learn martial arts and even come across secret techniques.
As for the regular membership, the value proposition was even lower.
It only guaranteed protection from bullying, but the money owed to the Wild Wolf Gang would still need to be paid in full.
"There's no rush for this. You can take your time and consider it. If you decide, just go to our gym and state your intention, and someone will assist you with the registration."
Bai Wei smiled.
"Okay, thank you, Miss."
Jiang Cheng quickly expressed his gratitude.
Living here meant being exploited by the Wild Wolf Gang.
Go somewhere else? There's another Wild Wolf Gang there.
They're all cut from the same cloth; it wouldn't make much difference.
If you don't want to be exploited by the Wild Wolf Gang, either you have the strength to resist, or you join a martial arts gym, and of course, there's a third option—join the Wild Wolf Gang.
Jiang Cheng wouldn't choose the third option. If he joined the Wild Wolf Gang after being exploited by them, what would his family think? Moreover, gang wars were a common occurrence, and he had no desire to risk his life for the gang.
The first option was the best, but his skills weren't up to par. No matter how proficient he was with the short stick, a single gunshot could still be fatal, and he had his family to consider.
Given these circumstances, the second option—becoming a gym member—was a decent choice.
According to the woman, with the gym's membership, even those with connections wouldn't dare to mess with him, let alone the Wild Wolf Gang.
The problem was, where would he get the 2000 to register?
(End of Chapter)
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