Chapter 29: Membership

"If you think you can defeat those weapon‑wielding thugs after just two or three months of study, I can only say you're being far too simplistic."

Bai Wei shrugged.

"Learning martial arts isn't a one‑day matter, and the earlier you start, the better the results. You're about twenty years old, right? You've already missed the optimal age, and if I'm not mistaken, you probably have no foundation either."

"That means just building a foundation will take two or three months. Moreover, daily training differs greatly from real combat; even if you have extraordinary talent and learn quickly, when you actually fight, your mind could go blank and you might forget everything you practiced."

"Most importantly, two fists can't match four hands. Those thugs come out at night in groups of at least two, sometimes three or four. If you confront them, you only end up enraging them and making them hit harder; it serves no purpose."

"Yeah, yeah."

The people around nodded repeatedly as they listened, and their gazes toward the woman in front of them changed.

If it were someone else, they'd surely brag at this moment about how amazing their own Martial Arts Hall is.

Two or three months of study, beating three opponents is no problem; a year or a year and a half, you could take on ten; three to five years, you could face a hundred.

The beautiful woman before us, however, spoke sincerely and frankly.

"However, if you want to avoid being robbed by those thugs, that's not difficult either."

She suddenly changed tack.

"Miss, what do you mean?"

Jiang Cheng quickly asked.

"Become a member of my Feiying Martial Arts Hall, and thereafter when you encounter those thugs, just show our Hall's Membership Card, and they won't trouble you, including members of the Wild Wolf Gang; they will also spare you out of respect for your being our Hall's member."

"Does that also include members of the Wild Wolf Gang?"

Jiang Cheng's eyes lit up.

"Of course."

Bai Wei's tone carried a hint of pride.

"What I mentioned earlier refers to an Ordinary Member. If you're a Senior Member, as long as you're within the membership period, you don't have to pay a single cent to the Wild Wolf Gang, and you can open a shop or set up a stall on this street without fearing bullying. On that point, my Feiying Martial Arts Hall can guarantee it."

After speaking, she swept her gaze around, making it clear the words were addressed not only to Jiang Chen but to everyone present.

In fact, the listeners indeed showed signs of interest after hearing.

They have suffered under the Wild Wolf Gang for a long time; if one day they truly didn't have to pay a single cent to the gang, they'd probably wake up laughing from a dream.

Jiang Cheng, hearing that, felt somewhat tempted.

But there's a simple truth: there's no such thing as a free lunch; everything has a price.

"Miss, becoming a Senior Member of yours must cost a lot, right?"

The next moment, Jiang Cheng asked.

Bai Wei smiled slightly, "Indeed, whether it's an Ordinary Member or a Senior Member, it's a Monthly Subscription. Ordinary Member is 2,000 yuan per month, Senior Member is 5,000 yuan per month; if you purchase a year outright, you can get a % Discount."

"Senior Member, five thousand per month!"

A chorus of startled gasps rose from around.

With such a high fee, they might not even earn that much in a month without eating or drinking.

"It's a bit pricey, but definitely worth the value, just like the Tan Ji Fan Dian on this street, which is a Senior Member of our Hall; it's been operating here for over ten years, never paid a cent to the Wild Wolf Gang, and business has always been good—no one dares to cause trouble, right?"

"Moreover, that's also a perk of Senior Membership. We're a Martial Arts Hall that teaches Fist Technique and blade technique; two or three months may have limited results, but after a year or two of training, one‑on‑one or one‑on‑two is no problem."

Bai Wei smiled.

"That is indeed..." the crowd nodded.

They didn't doubt the truth of Bai Wei's words; rather, the price was indeed beyond what they could afford.

As for Ordinary Members.

Many of them don't set up stalls; if luck is bad and they encounter trouble during the day, they can still run away—so it's rather of little use.

Of course, if they're after learning martial arts, it's still doable.

"Miss, if I'm an Ordinary Member, do I still not have to worry about being robbed by members of the Wild Wolf Gang?" Jiang Cheng asked.

"Exactly."

Bai Wei said without hesitation, "Here in this district, even the Wild Wolf Gang has to give our Feiying Martial Arts Hall some face, but you shouldn't rely on the Membership Card to directly clash with their members. First, you're not their opponent; doing so only brings trouble upon yourself. Second, even if the Hall later wants to intervene on your behalf, the result is unlikely to satisfy you."

Jiang Cheng nodded, indicating he understood.

To put it plainly, it's another kind of Protection Fee.

Senior Membership is the most cost‑effective; once you have it, you don't need to pay any Management Fee or Stall Fee—just the 5,000 per month to the Hall.

For the majority of people in the Poor District and stall vendors, this cost‑performance ratio isn't high.

It's possible that even the money lost to robberies is less than the cost of a Senior Membership.

But for those who run shops on the street, it's quite worthwhile.

Gang battles over territory have never ceased; every one or two years a new gang emerges. In contrast, these Martial Arts Halls are more like local vipers—no matter how the outside world changes, they remain as steady as Tai Shan.

Moreover, you can learn martial arts and even get access to Secret Martial Arts.

As for Ordinary Members, the cost‑performance is even lower.

It only guarantees you won't be bullied, but you still have to pay the Wild Wolf Gang every single cent.

"This isn't urgent; you can take your time to consider. Once you've decided, just go to our Hall, state your purpose, and someone will naturally handle the paperwork."

Bai Wei smiled.

"Alright, thank you, Miss."

Jiang Cheng quickly expressed his thanks.

Living here inevitably means being exploited by the Wild Wolf Gang.

Go elsewhere? There's another Wild Wolf Gang there.

They're all the same breed; how could it be any better?

If you don't want to be exploited by the Wild Wolf Gang, either you become strong enough, or you join a Martial Arts Hall; of course, there's a third option: join the Wild Wolf Gang.

The third option, Jiang Cheng could never choose; his former self had always been exploited by the Wild Wolf Gang, and now he would turn around and join the Wild Wolf Gang, not to mention what his family would think, and gang firefights are everyday fare, so he does not want to sell his life for the Wild Wolf Gang.

The first option is the best, but his strength is insufficient; even if his Short Staff training is excellent, being hit by a black gun would still kill him, and he also has family.

Thus, choosing the second option, becoming a Martial Arts Hall member, is a decent choice.

According to the woman in front of him, once he has the Martial Arts Hall membership, not even those well‑connected thugs, let alone members of the Wild Wolf Gang, would do anything to him.

The problem is, where will he raise the 2,000 yuan?

(End of chapter)