From Bullets To Billions novel Chapter 665

Chapter 665: Wushu Master

"I’m sorry, are you a friend of Max?" Talia asked, her voice carrying a hint of genuine curiosity mixed with caution.

Under normal circumstances, the students in the business department were a relatively insular group, mostly only knowing those they shared lectures with. It was slightly different for Talia and Yovan, as they had both attended the same high school and brought their own social history to the university, but they knew one thing for certain: the man standing in front of them was definitely not part of the business department. He had a different air about him, steadier, more focused.

"Not friends, exactly," the man replied, offering a polite, practiced nod. "My name is Eric. I’m from the foreign martial arts department. Specifically, I focus on Wushu. Max expressed a serious interest in joining our club, and since our official activities are scheduled to begin next week, I thought I’d track him down to talk to him more about the curriculum and what he can expect."

"Max was actually interested in joining a Wushu club!" Steve interjected, his eyes lighting up with a sudden, fervent intensity.

"Oh, calm down, Steve," Yovan commented, her tongue as sharp as ever. "If you ask me, the only people who join those kinds of clubs are either thugs who like hitting people or losers who are tired of getting bullied and think they can finally one-up everyone after a few lessons."

She knew exactly why Steve was getting so worked up. He was desperately searching for any shred of evidence to support his theory that their quiet classmate was the same legendary Max Smith from the Notting Hill rumors. To Steve, a martial arts connection was the smoking gun he had been waiting for.

"Believe me, it’s about much more than that," Eric said, unfazed by Yovan’s cynicism. "People have various reasons for learning a martial art. For some, it’s purely for self-defense; for others, it’s a way to socialize, a form of disciplined exercise, or a path to learning more about themselves while mastering a new skill. You all should come by for a few sessions. You might find you enjoy it more than you think."

Yovan clearly wanted to snap back with another spiteful remark, but the words died in her throat. Eric was being remarkably nice, and the genuine, easy smile on his face made it difficult for even her to maintain her hostile front. However, the peaceful moment didn’t last.

"What’s this? So you’re some kind of big-shot martial artist, then?" a booming voice sneered from the side.

The group turned to see one of the senior members of the event committee approaching. He was clearly from one of the sports departments, and based on the way he was swaying slightly, he had already had a few too many drinks.

"You know, I’m from the Judo Club," the senior said, jabbing a thumb into his own chest. "And to be honest, I think all that kung fu business, or whatever you call that dancing, is a total load of crap."

The senior’s loud, aggressive voice was quickly catching the attention of the other guests. Even Donto, who had been lounging at the bar with a small entourage of sycophants, stopped his conversation to look over. A few of the other seniors were smiling, watching the confrontation unfold with predatory interest.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify