659 Showing Off Before The Experts

He chose the popular and entertaining Tai Chi. It was his secret weapon for sucking up to old men in New York parks thanks to its unstrained, elegant style.

Qin Guan took off his coat to warm up before he walked to the center of the yard.

There is great beauty between Heaven and Earth,

The spirit of nature lives in human beings...

Even though he was not wearing a loose gown, Qin Guan still seemed to possess a natural grace. He struck a starting pose as silence prevailed around the yard.

Then he slowly began his performance. His every move was smooth and gentle, his actions like floating clouds and flowing water. A living painting of Tai Chi and the Eight Trigrams unfolded before the audience.

Qin Guan's every pause was like a punch, his every tense and relaxed movement round and clear. It was well-known that Chinese punching skills were divided into the Neijia School and the Waijia School. One focused on spirit cultivation, while the other focused on power. Tai Chi was a representative of the Neijia School.

The philosophy of Tai Chi contained both movement and quietude, both speed and slowness. Qin Guan's performance combined the two different powers together. His moves were complete and flexible, the power of his waist making his body a coherent, well-coordinated unit.

All the martial artists present could tell that he was very meticulous. Master Guolin was getting more and more strict, but both performance and combat martial arts were worthy of an expert's acknowledgement. 

When Qin Guan finished his performance, the students applauded.

"Well done!"

"It was a little soft. I prefer a more vigorous performance..."

"Stop daydreaming, dude..."

Martial artists were always straightforward. Qin Guan's ability was acknowledged by Master Guolin though. Qin Guan presented his gifts to Master Guolin and then left in relief, unaware of the riot he had caused.

"Take me to the party, Master!"

"I'm the best student at the temple!"

"I'm the sincerest one! Listen to me, the others always eat meat in secret..."

"I'd rather beat you all up! Then no one will be able to compete with me!"

"Ouch!"

"Ouch!"

They were all punished by the master.

"Amitabha! Your cultivation has not been enough. Squat over here, everyone!"

Meanwhile, Qin Guan drove off, admiring the Chinese infiltration of New York. The most distinctive landmarks of Chinatown were its restaurants and martial arts clubs.

The Chinese parents living far from their motherland sent their kids to martial arts clubs to express their love for China. As a result, the talented masters had taken root in that foreign land.

All kinds of martial arts schools could be found in that area. It was a perfect miniature of the Chinese martial arts circle.

Qin Guan and Xu Xiaoxiao had an appointment at a martial arts club. Only when Qin Guan went out and saw the sun again did he come back to his senses. His experience had been surreal.

He felt like he had travelled back in time a few decades. The masters had been sitting in their chairs in a vigorous manner, while Qin Guan stood in the middle like a criminal in court.

If he hadn't had a tough mind, he would have been scared. Why had they gotten together to meet him? It had seemed like an assembly of the entire New York martial arts circle.

Qin Guan burst into laughter at the thought. He had advocated for the importance of the cooperation between the police and the public, as well as the future development of Chinese martial arts. The earnest masters had believed him.

He had opened a door for them and introduced them to more possibilities. In return, the masters had patted their own chests and made promises to him.

Their valiant spirit had encouraged Xu.

"You are familiar with Chinatown. What did you think of them?" Qin Guan asked him nervously.

Xu was confident. "Don't worry, they have been operating clubs here for many years. What you want from them is very simple. You just need some background actors. They are talented enough and they won't meddle with your work."

Qin Guan relaxed at his words. The national party was coming up soon, so everything had to be ready.

In late December 2003, the important moment finally came. The party would be the last one to be held in the large hall of the New York Police Station.