Three of the five-day holiday had passed in the blink of an eye. Jason Luo was getting ready to head to Princeton to visit Coach Pedro.
Before boarding his flight, he called Catherine—saving himself another taxi fare. Money, after all, should be handled like picking up cigarette butts while driving a Mercedes: save when you can, spend when you must...
Four hours later, he met Catherine, who showed up in a full racing outfit. This time, the daredevil arrived riding a Yamaha Road Star BMS Chopper!
The gold-plated beast gleamed under the sun, and with Catherine in her sleek black-and-gray Richard Mile racing suit and small sunglasses, she looked impossibly cool. Pedestrians near the airport couldn't help but stop and stare...
"Hey, champ! You'd better hold on tight, or if you fall and get hurt, no crying allowed."
Catherine tossed him a helmet with one hand, teasing as she spoke.
Jason Luo didn't get on right away. He circled the bike twice, admiring it. He'd always liked motorcycles more than cars—they felt freer, wilder, and full of youth.
"This bike's incredible! How much did it cost? I kind of want one too."
"Oh, not that expensive—just five hundred thousand."
Jason Luo nearly choked. Five hundred thousand for a motorcycle? Forget it. He quietly put on the helmet and climbed on behind her.
Catherine smirked. "Hold on tight! I'm not joking—this thing's got power."
With no choice, Jason Luo wrapped his arms around her waist. Catherine lowered her visor, twisted the throttle, and the machine roared to life. Tires screeched, and they shot forward!
Holy crap!
It was Jason Luo's first time riding something so wild. The massive chopper tore down the highway like a raging bull, overtaking cars one after another under Catherine's skillful control. The rush of pure speed was intoxicating...
The wind carried Catherine's scent to him, and Jason Luo couldn't help feeling relaxed—though it was a little awkward. With his sharpened senses, the feel of her soft, smooth waist under his hands was... alarmingly pleasant.
The realization jolted him.
Damn it, calm down!
This had to be another one of Catherine's tricks. He couldn't let her mess with him again...
After a thrilling ride, Catherine brought him to a dojo—the place where she practiced judo. The moment he got off, Jason Luo froze. The sign at the entrance clearly read "Women's Judo Training Center." There was no way he could just walk in there, right?
But Catherine waved off his concern. She said she'd already spoken to the director, and they were expecting him.
Jason Luo still hesitated. He wasn't stupid—if he stepped inside, it would only end badly for him. But Catherine wouldn't take no for an answer. After some pushing and dragging, he finally gave in.
Sure enough, when they reached the second-floor training hall, he found over a hundred students—all women, even the instructors. Thankfully, the judo uniforms were modest enough that it wasn't too awkward.
One of the coaches came over with a smile. "Catherine, so this is your boxer boyfriend? He looks so young! Welcome. Catherine's been improving rapidly here. You're welcome to observe—or, if you're interested, try it out for yourself..."
"No, no, no, just watching is fine." Jason Luo quickly waved both hands. Sparring wasn't exactly his idea of fun right now.
But Catherine wasn't letting him off. "Come on, you're already here! Don't be scared. I'll grab my gi and we'll spar a bit—let me show you how much I've improved." She said it cheerfully and ran off toward the locker room.
"Hey, wait—you…"
This was a trap. Definitely premeditated!
Jason Luo knew he'd walked right into it, but there was nothing he could do.
The female coach smiled reassuringly. "It's alright. Judo focuses on holds and throws, and we often train with men to help students understand the differences in center of gravity and stability. Since judo is also a practical self-defense skill, we'd appreciate if you could help demonstrate. Sorry for the trouble..."
Ah, so that was the reason. Hearing that, Jason Luo relaxed and nodded.
The coach seemed pleased and handed him a new gi to change into.
Once he was ready, she led him to the center of the mat and clapped her hands, pausing everyone's training. "Alright, everyone, take a break. Today, Catherine brought her boyfriend, so we'll use this chance to demonstrate how differences in center of gravity and bone structure between men and women affect technique."
The students, who had already noticed him, perked up with curiosity and gathered around.
The coach gave him a quick rundown of the basics.
Judo, unlike boxing, wasn't about striking. It focused on grappling, throws, and locks—controlling your opponent or forcing them to submit.
Joint locks targeted the opponent's limbs, while a rear-naked choke was used to cut off airflow. Once applied, these techniques were difficult to escape. If the defender couldn't endure, they could tap the mat to surrender.
There were four scoring methods: ippon, waza-ari, yuko, and koka.
An ippon was scored when the opponent's shoulders or back stayed flat on the mat for over thirty seconds, or if they submitted through a lock or choke—resulting in an instant win.
A waza-ari was awarded for a partial technique where contact lasted between twenty-five and thirty seconds.
A yuko required twenty seconds, and a koka fifteen.
In short, as the defender, Jason Luo only had two key rules to remember: first, avoid being thrown—and if he was, make sure his shoulders or back didn't stay flat for too long and escape as quickly as possible. Second, guard his limbs and neck to prevent joint locks or chokes.
It sounded a bit complicated, but Jason Luo got the gist. Still, he doubted Catherine could actually throw him.
Seeing him nod, the coach said to Catherine, "Alright, let's warm up. Let him get a feel for the rules before we start properly."
Catherine smiled. "Got it. Alright, Mr. Champion—you're the defender, no counterattacks allowed. Here I come!"
She dove straight in for a leg tackle. Jason Luo, wanting to see her fail, rooted his stance solidly. No matter how hard Catherine tried, she couldn't move him an inch and stomped her foot in frustration.
She glared at him, then grabbed his arm, bent forward, and tried a hip throw. To her credit, she was strong—Jason Luo's balance wavered for a moment, but he quickly caught her waist to stop her from gaining leverage and steadied himself again.
Catherine's irritation grew, especially when she heard the girls around them giggle. Her pride wouldn't let it slide.
"Fine! You asked for it—watch this!"
She stepped back, then suddenly lunged forward and jumped. Her feet pressed against Jason Luo's waist, her hands gripping his collar. Using her body's momentum, she pulled hard. Jason Luo's weight shifted backward, then forward again as she reversed force—and before he knew it, he was flipped over and slammed down hard.
That sacrifice throw was no joke!
Jason Luo lay stunned. Catherine quickly mounted him, pressing down to pin his shoulders.
But with a thirty-kilogram weight difference, she couldn't hold him. Jason Luo planted one elbow and began to push up. Seeing that, Catherine abandoned her pin, went for his arm, and tried an armbar.
But Jason Luo's strength was overwhelming. Even using all her power, Catherine couldn't straighten his arm.
When he pulled it free, she didn't get frustrated. She just switched tactics.
Releasing his arm, she slid behind him, hooked her legs over his shoulders, and locked her arms around his neck—tightening into a rear-naked choke.
This time, Jason Luo really felt it. His breathing grew strained, his strength fading fast. He couldn't overpower her hold...
But his head just so happened to be resting right against Catherine's chest. His neck hurt, but his head felt… oddly comfortable. The feeling was beyond description.
Seeing him still refuse to submit, Catherine tightened her grip slightly. "Admit defeat already, you stubborn brat!"
Unable to speak, Jason Luo just shook his head. Unfortunately, that movement made the back of his head rub against her chest, sending a strange shiver through her.
Realizing what had just happened, Catherine's face turned crimson. She quickly released him and kicked him aside. "You shameless idiot! You lost and still won't admit it!
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
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