rpbooks Chapter 124 Bankruptcy
Chapter 124 Bankruptcy
Qian Zhenhua leaned forward slightly, his tone becoming somewhat urgent: "Mr. Ma, I heard everything you said on the stage tonight! You wanted to establish a national martial arts alliance, to set up a base, to establish standards, to organize the inheritance of national martial arts... What you said was simply... simply touched my heart!"
"I've loved martial arts since I was a child. My grandfather practiced Hung Kuen. Unfortunately, by my father's generation, no one was willing to learn his skills. They all thought it was outdated and couldn't put food on the table. As for me, it's even less of a thing. All that's left is a bit of nostalgia."
"Over the years, my business has grown, I've made some money, and I've thought about doing something for traditional Chinese martial arts. I've sponsored some martial arts schools and donated a considerable amount of money to the martial arts association. But..."
Qian Zhenhua gave a bitter smile. "It's useless. The money I spent either ended up being used by those so-called 'masters' to scam people, or it just disappeared without a trace. Gradually, I became disheartened."
"Until you appeared!" Qian Zhenhua's voice unconsciously rose, his eyes gleaming. "You fought Titan, Tian Ye, Lei Lei, and today you fought Ding Hao! I watched every single one! Only then did I realize that it's not that martial arts are bad, it's that the people practicing them are bad! It's that this entire circle is rotten!"
"What you need to do today is smash this old order and establish a new one! This is a great thing that benefits the present and future generations!"
"So, here I am. I don't have much money, but I think I can afford to build a base!"
"Mr. Ma, how much money do you need? Just name your price! Is one hundred million enough? If not, two hundred million!"
"As long as traditional Chinese martial arts can rise again, I, Qian Zhenhua, am willing to give up everything I own!"
Qian Zhenhua spoke with great passion, his face turning red.
The others in the room were completely dumbfounded.
Wang Benlei stared with his mouth agape, feeling like his brain wasn't quite processing what he was seeing.
One hundred million? Two hundred million?
Bankruptcy?
He had lived for over sixty years and had never heard of anyone talk about money in such a casual way, as if it were just saying "one steamed bun, two steamed buns."
The other grandmasters exchanged bewildered glances, feeling as if they were dreaming. They had spent their entire lives worrying about the rent for their martial arts schools, only a few tens of thousands of yuan, and now suddenly someone had come along and offered to give them two hundred million... The impact was simply too great.
Sun Changqing was also shocked. He glanced at the gift box on the table and wondered if it contained a check.
Ma Cong looked at the excited middle-aged man in front of him and quickly analyzed the situation in his mind.
What this man said sounded very sincere. His love for traditional Chinese martial arts didn't seem feigned.
Moreover, the timing of his appearance was too coincidental.
The coincidence was so striking that Ma Cong couldn't help but wonder if this was another new trick that old fox Li Jianguo had used after being rejected by him.
First, they tried to "recruit" him with high-ranking positions and generous salaries, but that didn't work.
Then they send a "wealthy merchant" to "corrupt" them with money?
If he accepted his money, the nature of the National Martial Arts Alliance would change. It would transform from a purely martial arts organization into a commercial group controlled by capital. At that point, he, as the leader of the alliance, would likely have to listen to his big spender.
Thinking of this, Ma-Cong's eyes turned cold.
"Mr. Qian, I appreciate your kind offer," he said slowly, "but I cannot accept your money."
"Why?!" Qian Zhenhua was stunned. The excitement on his face instantly turned into confusion and disappointment. "Mr. Ma, do you not trust me? Or do you think my money is not clean? I assure you, I, Qian Zhenhua, have always conducted business with integrity and honesty!"
"It's not that I don't trust you, nor that I doubt your money." Ma Cong shook his head. "I just want to tell you that the National Martial Arts Alliance doesn't belong to me alone, Ma Cong. It belongs to all those who truly love Chinese martial arts and are willing to contribute to its revival."
"It cannot, and should not, be controlled by any capital."
"If you give me two hundred million today, I'll take it. But tomorrow, will Mr. Li and Mr. Wang also want to offer three hundred million or five hundred million to buy control of the alliance?"
"In the end, will this alliance belong to 'military' or 'money'?"
Ma Cong's words made Qian Zhenhua's face turn pale.
This also instantly brought Sun Changqing and the others to their senses.
Yes! They were so overwhelmed by the huge sum of money that they didn't consider this aspect at all.
If they actually accept this money, the nature of the alliance will completely change. At that point, what say will these so-called masters have in front of such a big spender? They'll probably all become bodyguards and instructors working for capitalists.
Thinking of this, Sun Changqing broke out in a cold sweat. His eyes were filled with admiration as he looked at Ma Cong.
It is truly remarkable that this young man could maintain such a clear mind in the face of such enormous temptation.
Qian Zhenhua fell silent.
He stared blankly at Ma Cong for a long time before letting out a long sigh, a bitter yet relieved smile on his face.
"Mr. Ma, I...I understand."
He stood up and bowed deeply to Ma Cong.
"I apologize for my shallowness and recklessness just now. You are right, I was wrong. I shouldn't have used money to measure the value of your work."
"You are the one with truly great vision and courage. I, Qian Zhenhua, am convinced! Completely convinced!"
After saying that, he turned around and prepared to leave.
"Wait a minute," Ma Cong called out to him.
Qian Zhenhua turned around and looked at him with some confusion.
Ma Cong smiled and said, "I can't accept the money. But our National Martial Arts Alliance really needs you."
"Me?" Qian Zhenhua pointed to himself, even more confused.
"That's right, it's you." Ma Cong nodded. "Didn't you want to contribute to Chinese martial arts? I'm giving you that opportunity."
"Our alliance is currently lacking a 'chief steward' who can manage the finances and operations. I think you're perfect for the job."
"I plan to establish a 'National Martial Arts Development Foundation' specifically for receiving donations from all sectors of society and managing all the alliance's finances. This foundation must be independent of the alliance's martial arts system, operated by professionals, to ensure that every penny is spent wisely, and that the accounts are open, transparent, and subject to everyone's supervision."