Chapter 58 Battle
Nathan had just entered the office when he heard this question. He was stunned for a moment. "Mr. Windsor, what's gotten into you? Asking this all of a sudden. Are you planning to break into entertainment and become an A-list celebrity? With your looks, you'd definitely be the most handsome guy out there!"
Charles glared at him and said irritably, "Cut the smart mouth and answer seriously."
"Of course, you're devastatingly handsome and distinguished—the dream man of every woman in Emerald City."
Hearing Nathan's teasing, Charles immediately regretted asking. How had that woman bewitched him so completely that he'd lost his mind and asked such a ridiculous question?
He glared at Nathan. "Get out and don't repeat this to anyone, or I'll have you cleaning the parking garage!"
Nathan was so frightened that he quickly shut his mouth and nodded repeatedly. "Yes, Mr. Windsor, I promise I won't tell anyone."
What on earth had gotten into Charles?
All morning, Nathan didn't dare disturb Charles again, instead staying guard in the assistant's office outside, occasionally peeking in to check on the situation.
As soon as the lunch bell rang, Jasper, Ethan, and Emma shouldered their backpacks and left Joyful Jamboree together, heading to the Emerald City Conservatory.
According to their schedule, they had intensive training there in the afternoon.
Jasper had an extraordinary talent for piano. He had already passed the entrance exam for a top-tier overseas conservatory, and they had sent multiple invitation letters, hoping he would study abroad.
But Emily felt he was too young and couldn't bear to let him live alone overseas. Jasper was also worried about leaving Emily and the others, so he resolutely gave up the opportunity, choosing to stay in Emerald City with his family.
Once he entered the conservatory's piano room, Jasper seemed to find his world.
He sat at the piano, his fingers gently touching the keys, and smooth, beautiful melodies instantly flowed out like magic, making people unconsciously immerse themselves in the music. He was completely absorbed in the world of music, undisturbed by anything external.
Emma walked into the dance studio. She had been deeply interested in dance since childhood and was extremely talented.
Once she put on her dance shoes and stood on the studio floor, she immediately transformed. Every movement was precise and graceful, and her gestures already showed the bearing of a master. The teacher watched her from the side, eyes full of admiration.
Ethan, however, had absolutely no interest in these artistic courses.
He had tried every instrument once. Although he learned quickly, he just had no interest whatsoever.
No matter how enthusiastically the teacher explained, he would slump over his desk and soon be fast asleep, even drooling a little from the corner of his mouth.
"Ethan, Ethan, wake up." A classmate next to him gave him a push.
Ethan drowsily opened his eyes, looked around, and saw the teacher staring at him. He quickly straightened up. But within minutes, he was nodding off again.
Unable to stand these boring courses any longer, Ethan quietly slipped out of the classroom. He wandered aimlessly through the conservatory's hallways, muttering to himself, "This stuff is so boring, when will it ever end?"
When he reached the small grove behind the academic building, Ethan suddenly heard cries for help.
"Help!"
Following the sound, he saw outside the school's fence a little girl in a school uniform being grabbed by a tall man. The girl's clothes were disheveled as she cried helplessly.
Just as Ethan was about to rush over, he saw two men in plain clothes emerge from behind nearby trees, quickly subduing the tall man with swift movements. One of the men was one of their bodyguards.
The bodyguard used standard combat grappling techniques—a precise side kick plus chokehold instantly controlled the situation, as brisk and efficient as a movie action scene.
"Thank you," the little girl said gratefully to the bodyguard.
"Don't mention it. Be more careful in the future." After speaking, the bodyguard took out his phone to call the police.
Ethan watched everything clearly from behind the fence.
Seeing the bodyguard's smooth movements, a strong longing suddenly surged in his heart. He thought of Emily's worries, Jasper and Emma, and an idea flashed through his mind: he wanted to learn combat to protect his family!
Once this thought appeared, it wouldn't go away.
Ethan's eyes lit up; he finally knew what he liked.
After the bodyguard finished handling the situation and left, Ethan immediately rushed out of the school gate, with the bodyguard promptly appearing beside him.
"Hi, I want to learn combat from you."
The bodyguard was stunned, looking at him with some surprise. "Ethan, why would you want to learn this? Combat training is very tough."
"I'm not afraid of tough. If I want to protect Mom, Jasper, and Emma, I need to learn the most powerful skills!"
Seeing his serious expression, the bodyguard was somewhat moved. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Alright, I can teach you some basic moves, but you can't tell anyone, especially Ms. Johnson."
"I promise!" Ethan said happily, immediately assuming a combat stance he had just observed. Though his form was still childish, it showed genuine determination.
What the bodyguard didn't expect was that Ethan had an extraordinary talent for combat.
In just over half an hour, he had mastered the fundamentals of straight punches and hooks, and his footwork was much more stable than other children his age. His reaction speed seemed almost innate.
When the bodyguard deliberately threw a test punch, Ethan could instantly block it, and several times nearly caught the bodyguard's wrist. He was completely unlike a 5-year-old just starting combat training.
Just then, a shabby old man leaning on a well-worn walking stick slowly emerged from behind a tree. His hair looked like a messy tangle of weeds, his clothes were stained with grease, and his canvas shoes had holes that revealed dirty toes.
Seeing his appearance, the bodyguard unconsciously frowned, his eyes showing disdain as he thought, 'Where did this homeless guy come from? Don't let him disturb Ethan's practice.'
But the old man acted as if he hadn't noticed the bodyguard's contempt. He squinted at Ethan, observing his center of gravity when punching and arm angles when blocking, occasionally making small sounds.
Ethan felt uncomfortable being watched and lost half his punching power, his movements becoming constrained.
Suddenly, the old man spoke, his voice raspy but powerful, "Your center of gravity is too far forward when punching. It looks fierce, but it can't generate full power, and you're easily knocked off balance. And that blocking—your arms are too stiff, no cushioning in the wrists. Against a real expert, your wrists would be finished."
The bodyguard was stunned.
What the old man said was exactly what he had been planning to correct with Ethan!
Center of gravity control and force absorption in mixed martial arts were advanced concepts that ordinary people couldn't articulate, let alone observe so accurately.
He immediately abandoned his contempt and reassessed the old man with curiosity and respect—this guy was probably a hidden expert.