Spy-x-War Showdown
Chapter 113 - 112 Good Teacher

Chapter 113: Chapter 112 Good Teacher

Yang Yi sat against the wall, silent for a long time.

Reflecting on the events of the last two days, Yang Yi realized he might indeed have been arrogant, just as Zhang Yong said, his tail was up in the air.

So far, he truly had been able to take and ask at will, but were any of those he defeated considered experts? Not to mention experts, besides being physically robust, they hadn’t even learned how to throw a more powerful punch; they were entirely at the level of ordinary people, at most a bit stronger and more ruthless than the average person.

But the problem is, outside of prison, these people use guns, not knives.

Yang Yi didn’t plan to stay in prison for life, so the prison’s ecosystem was meaningless to him; going out with the mindset from prison would be tragic, it would cost him his life.

In this era, one couldn’t just rely on martial arts to do as one pleased; martial arts only provided a better foundation, far from being the ultimate weapon he could use to rule the world.

His face seemed to still burn with pain, yet, Yang Yi had been jolted awake.

"Brother Yong, thank you."

Yang Yi was sincere when he said thank you, then he paused for a moment and said softly, "Thank you for promptly knocking me off the wrong path."

Zhang Yong also sat down against the wall, and then he said softly, "I’ve been practicing martial arts since I was a kid; my foundation is very good. After joining the army, the foundation from childhood didn’t make the new recruit company too hard, but once I was out of it, I realized that what I’d learned since childhood seemed useless, right?"

With a sigh, Zhang Yong said with a look of anguish, "Let me tell you, martial arts are outdated because now it’s the age of guns and artillery. What’s the use of being able to fight if you can’t block a bullet? It’s useless, and in combat today, do you even come face to face? Hundreds of meters away, bullets fly randomly, a touch can kill or injure, what use is your good kung fu then?"

Yang Yi remained silent, Zhang Yong took out two cigarettes, lit both in his mouth, then handed one to Yang Yi and said softly, "Guess how many people I’ve killed with my fists?"

Yang Yi took the cigarette, drew a breath, pondered for a while, then said in a deep voice, "Ten? With your skills, having been both a mercenary and a hitman, there must be at least ten, right?"

Zhang Yong held up three fingers and said, "Three, just three."

"Ah, so few?"

Zhang Yong shook his head and said, "Few? What if I told you that among the three, two were already captured, posing no threat, and I simply couldn’t tolerate the inhuman things they did, so I beat them to death alive, what would you say?"

"Ah, so it’s just one?"

Zhang Yong smiled and said, "Just one, I’ve only killed one enemy with my bare hands, and even then I was injured, seriously injured, nearly dying."

Yang Yi opened his mouth, but could not utter a word.

Taking a deep breath, Zhang Yong said, "I’ve killed a few people with a knife, but in a real fight to the death, barehanded, there was only that one time. Remember, fists are the last weapon, the most reliable weapon, but definitely not the most efficient one. If you can use a gun, use a gun; if not, use a knife or a spike. Anyway, don’t put all your hope in your fists."

Yang Yi nodded and said, "I will remember, truly remember."

Zhang Yong put the cigarette to his lips, smiled, and said in a deep voice, "But that’s the value of kung fu. I’ve practiced my whole life and never dared to let it go. Then I used it just once, but that one time saved my life. Tell me, was a lifetime of training worth it or not?"

"Worth it! Of course, it’s worth it. You only have one life."

Zhang Yong nodded and smiled, "That’s what I think, too. Maybe you’ll never need it in your whole life, but when the time comes when you do, you’ll be grateful you practiced all your life. So, kung fu isn’t useless; it just no longer plays a decisive role on the battlefield. But martial arts make you agile, clear-headed, and it gives you that extra bit over those who don’t practice."

Yang Yi said firmly, "I will keep practicing, Brother Yong, don’t worry. I will never give up on martial arts in this lifetime."

Zhang Yong nodded and said, "You are to be a spy in the underworld, a battlefield that is not a battlefield. In that place, kung fu is very useful. Even if all you learn is to draw a gun faster than others, that is a major asset for survival."

Having said that, Zhang Yong stood up and reached out his hand to Yang Yi, then pulled Yang Yi up once he took his hand.

Yang Yi, standing up, rubbed his stomach and said with a wry smile, "Brother Yong, I need to thank you for waking me up, but you were really harsh. It hurts like hell."

Zhang Yong smiled and said, "If I didn’t hit hard, you wouldn’t learn your lesson. Besides, what are you talking about? I didn’t even use my full strength."

Yang Yi sat on the bed and after thinking for a while, said to Zhang Yong, "Brother Yong, do you think I should keep recruiting people to fight?"

"Fight? Of course, you need to fight. Did you gain any insights from those white guys today, I mean about martial arts?"

"Yes! Really! But I can’t describe what it feels like."

Zhang Yong smiled and said, "That’s right. Those are personal experiences, your own insights. You can only gain them by fighting yourself, accumulating experience bit by bit. Gradually you’ll understand what’s happening, and even in more dangerous situations than those you faced today, you’ll be able to handle them with ease instead of panicking. So, of course, you need to continue fighting."

Yang Yi said seriously, "That’s what I was thinking. Oh, Brother Yong, there’s one more thing. Do you think I should keep taking on subordinates?"

"What’s wrong?"

"I just feel a bit inflated. I get pumped up by my subordinates, especially so much so that I think it’s not good."

Zhang Yong smiled and said, "You’re not planning to go solo in the future, are you? You’re definitely going to need people to back you up, right? So why not take on followers? Consider it practice."

"But they’re just a few prisoners..."

"Prisoners? The people in here are all cunning as hell, the cream of the crop. Compared to the people inside, ordinary folks outside are like fairy-tale princesses. If you can handle the prisoners in here, let me tell you, you’re impressive. The only reason you can’t use guns in this prison is that if you met them outside, you really wouldn’t know who the boss is. Believe it or not."

Yang Yi laughed and said, "You’ve got a point, Brother Yong. You’re more experienced, and you talk sense."

Zhang Yong said in a serious tone, "What ’sense’? I’ve just been in the mix a few years longer than you. But remember this: People can be used, but you need to see them clearly with your own eyes. They come under you not because they like you, but because you can protect them, because you are of value to them. Otherwise, why would they kowtow and serve as your subordinates? Are they worth nothing? Don’t ever get too full of yourself and think people can’t get by without you. Be careful because when you’re no longer useful, you might not have many people left. Those who call you brother today are doing well if they don’t kick you while you’re down."