128: Chapter 128 Team's First Proposal: Reject "High-Risk Business Activities"

Section 1: The Risks Behind High-Value Invitations

In the early morning at the Martial Arts Advancement Base, Su Qing had just finished organizing the proofs for the "traditional martial arts Public Welfare Story Collection" when she received a special commercial invitation. The project manager of the world-renowned entertainment company "Star Brilliance Media," carrying a gold-edged cooperation letter, sat at the long table in the Traditional Martial Arts Lecture Hall. Before him lay a tempting proposal: "Teacher Chen, we would like to invite you to participate in the 'Extreme Traditional Martial Arts Global Livestream.' You will practice Xingji Fist on the edge of a cliff in the Norwegian Fjords, with a 1,000-meter-deep canyon beneath your feet. The entire livestream will be without safety gear. You will receive 50% of the livestream revenue, with a guaranteed payment of 100 million RMB."

On the holographic projection of the cooperation letter, the simulated scene at the cliff's edge was both shocking and perilous: a narrow rock platform barely large enough for one person to stand on, with a mist-shrouded canyon below. Beside it were notes: "Estimated peak viewership of 80 billion" and "Guaranteed global number-one trending topic." The project manager's tone carried a hint of arrogance as he tapped his finger on the payment figure. "You may be popular now, but this level of exposure can truly make traditional martial arts break into the mainstream. Besides, 100 million RMB is enough for you to build 100 traditional martial arts teaching centers. Why not go for it?"

Lin Mo's tactical tablet quickly retrieved past cases of "Star Brilliance Media." Last year, the company had invited an action star to film a commercial at a volcanic crater, resulting in the star nearly being burned by lava. Three months ago, during a "high-altitude wire singing" livestream, a guest lost their composure due to inadequate safety measures. A real-time risk assessment from the Technical Department popped up on the screen: "Rock stability of the cliff platform is unknown. Sudden strong winds are common in the fjord region. Practicing fist techniques without protection may cause Qi Energy fluctuations leading to physical imbalance. Fall risk is 92%. The livestream content is merely a 'thrilling performance' and is unrelated to the Legacy or public welfare of traditional martial arts, deviating from the team's core objectives."

Zhang Hao's iron arms tightened quietly under the table, his Mystic Water Energy shimmering with a cold light. "No protection? A 1,000-meter cliff? That's not practicing martial arts; that's gambling with your life!" He recalled the dangers of intercepting the imitation organizations, his tone wary. "They just want to use the popularity of traditional martial arts to grab attention, with no regard for your safety!" Lu Feng's security team also submitted a "Qi Energy Environmental Analysis Report": The strong winds of the fjords would interfere with the flow of Qi Energy in Xingji Fist. When exerting Brute Force, the wind could blow one off course; when using soft force to redirect energy, one could lose control due to turbulent airflow. Even with the strength of the Brute Force Middle Stage, the risks could not be entirely avoided.

In the bullet chat of the global livestream, fans had already begun a heated discussion. "Watcher of Huangtu Slope" Old Zhao commented: "100 million is a lot, but life is more important! Teacher Chen, don't agree!" Nurse Emily from London sent a "hospital emergency case": "Last year, a rock climber got into trouble in the fjords, and the rescue took 72 hours. It's too dangerous!" Amir from Egypt stated bluntly: "This isn't traditional martial arts; it's entertainment hype. It will make everyone think traditional martial arts is just a tool for attention-seeking!" Data from the Technical Department showed that in just 10 minutes, the topic "Reject High-Risk Livestream" hit the trending searches with a 98% support rate, far exceeding the 2% for "Looking Forward to the Livestream."

Chen Wu picked up the cooperation letter, his fingertip tracing the words "no protection," as the Qi Energy Core in his Dantian emitted a heavy, faint light. He thought of the smiling faces of the children in the mountain primary schools practicing with protective gear, and the teaching centers waiting to be built under the traditional martial arts public welfare plan. 100 million RMB was indeed tempting, but the Legacy of traditional martial arts did not depend on thrilling performances, and certainly not on trading a life for popularity. "Let's have a meeting to discuss it first," he said, placing the letter in the center of the table. "This is our first formal deliberation since the team was formed. We must unify our stance."

Section 2: Team Deliberation: The Clash of Original Intent and Temptation

Around the long table in the Traditional Martial Arts Lecture Hall, the team members sat in a circle with the cooperation letter spread in the center, the holographic projection repeatedly playing the simulation of the fjord cliff. Su Qing spoke first, pulling up the cooperation terms of "Star Brilliance Media" and marking key hazards in red: "First, the safety guarantee is only 'basic meteorological monitoring' with no professional Qi Energy protection. Second, the livestream content requires 'mandatory high-risk movements,' such as using Brute Force to shatter rocks at the cliff's edge, which further increases the risk of losing balance. Third, the breach of contract terms are harsh; if canceled for safety reasons, a 50-million-RMB penalty is required. They have no regard for safety at all."

Lu Feng projected a "Qi Energy Risk Map" nearby, with the airflow trajectories of the fjord region marked in red dashed lines, clashing with the hard and soft force trajectories of Xingji Fist. "I've simulated practicing 'Xingji Collapse' in this environment. Strong winds cause the power delivery of Brute Force to deviate by 15%. If it hits the edge of the rock, the reaction force could push a person off the cliff. When practicing 'Xingji Lean,' the soft force would be torn apart by the airflow, making it impossible to stabilize the body." He also showed a video of team members testing in a wind tunnel: even in a simulated level 8 wind, the members' Xingyi Energy defense showed 30% vulnerabilities, let alone the level 12 sudden gusts possible in the fjords.

Grandpa Wang's tobacco pipe made a dull thud on the cooperation letter, sparks from the bowl landing on the "100 million" figure. The old man flipped to the "Precepts Chapter" of the tombskeeper team records, where the words "The Three Taboos of the Tomb Guardians" were written in cinnabar on yellowed pages: "Do not engage in acts that endanger life, do not engage in matters that betray the Legacy, and do not engage in profit-seeking ventures." His pipe pointed at the precepts. "Your great-grandfather once refused a warlord's 'arena duel.' Even though the other party offered ten crates of gold bars, he said, 'traditional martial arts is a technique for protection, not a game of gambling with one's life.' How is this cliff livestream any different from that duel back then?" Suddenly, a bronze plaque engraved with the words "Risk Abstinence" flew out of the camphorwood chest, a pale gold Qi Energy spreading along the metal to cover the words "high-risk movements" on the letter, as if rejecting the temptation.

Flower Girl's inheritance grass bloomed beside the table, its eight-colored petals leaning toward the cliff simulation, but they soon withered. Dewdrops rolled on the leaves, reflecting the turbulent Qi Energy trajectories in the scene, completely contrary to the inheritance grass's nature of "seeking benefit and avoiding harm." The young girl dripped "Resonance Dew" onto the petals; the rainbow light collided with the Qi Energy trajectories and instantly scattered into fine fragments of light. "Elder Zhou said, 'When Qi Energy is smooth, there is life; when it is contrary, there is danger,'" she said, pointing at the withered petals. "The Qi Energy at this cliff is too chaotic; even the inheritance grass can't take it. It would definitely be dangerous for Teacher Chen to go. Besides, this kind of activity has none of the warmth of traditional martial arts. It's not what we should be doing."

Lin Mo suddenly pulled up the public welfare data from the previous protective gear sales: "Last time we added a livestream session, we earned 2 million RMB for the public welfare fund and built 20 rural teaching centers. Although it's not as much as 100 million, every center allows children to practice traditional martial arts safely." His finger slid across the tablet, bringing up photos of children practicing. "If we risk a life for 100 million, what happens to these children if something goes wrong? What happens to the traditional martial arts public welfare plan?" Zhang Hao nodded in agreement. "I'd rather go to the construction site and help Old Zhao move bricks to earn money for protective gear than have you risk your life on a cliff. We practice traditional martial arts to protect, not to perform thrills for others."

Although Li Xuantong and Zhao Lie did not speak, they showed their stance through action: Li Xuantong's Five Elements Energy condensed into the word "Legacy" before the table, while Zhao Lie's Baji Energy struck the projection of "high-risk movements," creating cracks. In the bullet chat of the global livestream, fans began flooding the screen with comments about "team unity." Some viewers compared the value of the "100 million high-risk payment" and the "2 million public welfare fund": "100 million can only grab attention once, but 2 million can benefit children in 20 teaching centers for ten years. Which is more meaningful?"

Section 3: Firm Refusal: Never Betraying the Legacy

Watching the direction of the team's discussion, the project manager's expression gradually soured. He pulled out his phone and brought up another "supplementary agreement." "If you think the cliff is too dangerous, we can change the venue. For example, the top floor of the Burj Khalifa. There are railings, and the payment would be reduced to 80 million. How about that?" He also tried to apply pressure using "industry standards." "Which of today's top stars hasn't participated in a few high-risk activities? If you refuse, it will be hard to get high-end commercial cooperation in the future, and the exposure of traditional martial arts will be affected."

Chen Wu looked up, his gaze calm yet firm. "Whether it's a cliff or the Burj Khalifa, as long as it's an activity that betrays the Legacy of traditional martial arts or endangers safety, we will not accept it." He pointed at the rural teaching centers in the holographic projection. "We do traditional martial arts not for 'high-end exposure,' but so more people can practice safely and benefit from it. If exposure is gained through high-risk performances that only lead to misunderstandings about traditional martial arts, then we don't need such exposure."}],

Su Qing took over the conversation, projecting the annual goals of the "Traditional Martial Arts Universal Benefit Plan" in the center: "Our plan this year is to establish 1,000 traditional martial arts teaching points globally. Currently, 120 have been completed. Funding primarily comes from protective gear sales, public welfare donations, and compliant cultural cooperation." Her fingertips swept across the target numbers. "Although these collaborations don't pay much, they can truly promote the popularization of traditional martial arts, which is far more meaningful than a 100 million high-risk livestream." She then brought up several "compliant cooperation invitations" on the spot: the "Traditional Martial Arts into Schools" project in partnership with the National Intangible Cultural Heritage Center, and the drafting of the "Traditional Martial Arts Safety and Fitness Guide" with International Sports Organizations. These collaborations did not offer high rewards, but they allowed traditional martial arts to enter broader fields.

Lu Feng's security team suddenly received an emergency warning from the Technical Department: "Behind Star Brilliance Media's 'Extreme Livestream' is overseas speculative capital. Their true purpose is to film your high-risk Xingji Fist movements for subsequent AI motion replication. Among the action stars previously invited, three have already had their movements illegally used for game modeling." This news was like a bomb, causing the project manager to panic instantly. He tried to defend himself but was silenced by the evidence Lu Feng produced: "This is the capital flow we tracked, along with your confidentiality agreement with the AI company. Stop pretending."

Grandpa Wang's dry tobacco pipe slammed onto the table with a 'thud,' the bowl pointing at the project manager: "You guys not only want him to risk his life, but you also want to steal his fist energy movements. What a calculated scheme!" The old man threw the tombskeeper team records in front of the other party. "Learn well what 'Legacy' is and what 'speculation' is—traditional martial arts is not a tool for you to make money, and we are not stars you can manipulate at will!"

Chen Wu stood up and pushed the cooperation letter back to the project manager: "Please leave. In the future, do not contact us for invitations that deviate from the original intent of traditional martial arts." The global livestream captured this scene, and the bullet chat was instantly flooded with comments like "Great refusal" and "The team is so tough." Some viewers dug up Star Brilliance Media's past scandals of "profiting from stars' high-risk actions," while more viewers began spontaneously promoting the "Traditional Martial Arts into Schools" project, calling for everyone to support compliant traditional martial arts cooperation.

The project manager's face turned ashen as he packed up the cooperation letter. Before leaving, he still wouldn't give up: "You'll regret this. Once you miss this chance, there won't be another!" Zhang Hao gave a cold laugh, Baji Energy condensing in his palm: "We will only regret not protecting the Legacy well; we won't regret refusing this kind of trash—if you don't leave now, I'll use Xingji Fist to teach you how to respect traditional martial arts!" Seeing this, the project manager didn't dare say another word and left the Traditional Martial Arts Lecture Hall in a pathetic state.

Section 4: Unexpected Gains After Refusal

After news of the refusal of the high-risk invitation spread globally, Chen Wu's team didn't "lose cooperation opportunities" as the project manager had claimed; instead, they received more high-quality invitations. The director of the National Intangible Cultural Heritage Center personally came to the base, bringing a cooperation plan for the "Traditional Martial Arts Culture Global Tour": "We plan to hold traditional martial arts exhibitions in ten countries, showcasing the history and techniques of sects like Xingji Fist and Baji Fist. We will also open free traditional martial arts experience classes and invite you to participate as the core team. All expenses will be covered by the National Culture Fund, and all proceeds will go toward the Traditional Martial Arts Universal Benefit Plan."

International Sports Organizations also sent expressions of interest, hoping Chen Wu's team would participate in setting the "Global Youth Traditional Martial Arts Safety Standards": "Currently, teenagers in many countries are practicing traditional martial arts, but there's a lack of unified safety standards. Your protective gear designs and Qi Energy defense methods can provide a reference for these standards, which is crucial for the global popularization of traditional martial arts." Even public welfare organizations that were previously hesitant increased their donations. An international foundation pledged 10 million yuan for protective gear procurement and teacher training at rural teaching points.

In the global livestream bullet chat, fans spontaneously organized "Support Compliant Cooperation" activities. "Watcher of Huangtu Slope" Old Zhao took his fellow construction workers to record a "traditional martial arts Safety and Fitness" short video, calling for everyone to "stay away from high-risk performances and practice safely." Nurse Emily in London organized hospital patients to film "traditional martial arts Recovery Stories" to support the "Traditional Martial Arts into Schools" project. Amir in Egypt held a "traditional martial arts Safety Class" by the pyramids, using the "Traditional Martial Arts Safety Manual" written by Lu Feng's team to teach local children how to identify Qi Energy risks. The view counts for these activities quickly surpassed 1 billion, making "Safe traditional martial arts" and "Compliant Legacy" new trending terms.

Striking while the iron was hot, the team, under Su Qing's coordination, launched the "Traditional Martial Arts Safety Global Livestream Week" event. Each day featured a different safety theme: on the first day, Lu Feng's team taught "Qi Energy Trap Identification"; on the second day, Li Xuantong spoke on "Safe Training Methods for Five Elements Energy"; and on the third day, Chen Wu demonstrated "Safe Power Generation Techniques for Xingji Fist." The viewership for the livestream week exceeded 50 billion. Schools and communities in many countries organized group viewings, and one international school even included the "traditional martial arts Safety Class" as a mandatory physical education subject.

The Flower Girl's inheritance grass bloomed at the livestream week site, its eight-colored petals unfurling toward the global audience. Dew rolled on the leaves, reflecting the viewers' learning scenes: children following the livestream to practice safe footwork, elderly people learning Qi Energy identification, and teachers playing the livestream videos in classrooms. The young girl dripped "Vitality Dew" onto the petals, and the rainbow light merged with the global livestream signal, popping up a prompt on every viewer's screen: "Practice safely, pass on the Legacy happily," embedding the safety concept deep in people's hearts.

Section 5: Team Unity: The Path of Legacy Becomes Steadier

After the team's first deliberation to refuse high-risk activities, the cohesion of the Martial Arts Advancement Base became even stronger. Su Qing reorganized the "Cooperation Selection Standards." On top of the original "Public Welfare Proportion ≥ 10%," she added two core clauses: "Safety Risk ≤ 5%" and "Legacy Compatibility ≥ 80%." All cooperation invitations had to undergo a triple audit of "Brokerage Evaluation + Security Risk Detection + Team Vote" to ensure they did not deviate from the direction of the Legacy.

Lu Feng's security team upgraded the "Qi Energy Safety System," installing "Qi Energy Wind Direction Monitors" around the base perimeter and "Safe Practice Prompt Screens" in the training area. These screens displayed the Qi Energy environment and power generation taboos in real-time. They also regularly organized "Safety Emergency Drills" so that ordinary Martial Artists could master response methods for emergencies. Zhao Lie and Li Xuantong took the initiative to serve as "Safety Coaches," teaching everyone in the training field daily on "how to generate power safely" and "how to avoid Qi Energy backlash," making traditional martial arts training more scientific and safer.

In Grandpa Wang's tombskeeper team records, a new "Team Deliberation Record" was added. He wrote with a brush: "In the 28th year of traditional martial arts, the team first deliberated to refuse high-risk invitations, guarding the heart of the Legacy and gaining public welfare assistance. This is the foundation of the team and the fortune of the Legacy." The "Risk Abstinence" bronze plaque from the camphor wood chest was hung in the center of the Traditional Martial Arts Lecture Hall, forming a "Three Precepts and Three Observances" layout with the previous "Brokerage" and "Security" bronze plaques, constantly reminding the team to "guard safety, guard the Legacy, and guard the original intent."

The final image of the global livestream stayed on the scene of Chen Wu's team signing with the National Intangible Cultural Heritage Center. Chen Wu shook the director's hand, Su Qing held the plan for the "Traditional Martial Arts Culture Global Tour," and Lu Feng and Zhang Hao stood on either side. Behind them were real-time images from 120 traditional martial arts teaching points worldwide—children practicing in protective gear, elderly people following the livestream for breathing exercises, and overseas Martial Artists practicing Xingji steps by the pyramids. The bullet chat finally filled with rows of neat text: "Refuse high-risk, guard the original intent; the team is united in the soul of traditional martial arts. Public welfare cooperation opens a new chapter; the path of Legacy is even steadier!"

This comment was lit up by 75 billion viewers simultaneously, like a warm and steady river of light illuminating every corner of the Traditional Martial Arts Lecture Hall. Chen Wu looked at the smiling faces of the team members and the blessings from global fans. The Qi Energy Core at his Dantian emitted a relaxed yet firm glimmer. He knew that the team's first deliberation had not only refused a high-risk invitation but had also established the core stance of "Legacy Priority, Safety First, and Public Welfare as the Base." In the future, no matter how many temptations or challenges they encountered, as long as the team remained united and held true to their original intent, the path of the traditional martial arts Legacy would grow wider and steadier.