The Encounter is Fleeting

The next day, as planned, Dash separated from Devon and her family, who were set to visit some tourist spots. His first stop was to visit Mr. Han, Dre's master. After coordinating the tournament meetings, he planned to spend the following days exploring the city.

Leaving the hotel, Dash embarked on his journey with Mr. Kim, the one who could navigate the language. After a somewhat long trip, they reached a rustic area near Dre's neighborhood, where they had agreed to meet.

The night before, Dash had spoken with Dre, who was thrilled to meet a friend he had spent a lot of time playing with online. Dre couldn't wait to meet Dash in person, perhaps because he knew about Dash's Kung Fu training and saw him as a comrade willing to join him in battles with Cheng and his Kung Fu school.

"It should be around here..."

Dash, observing the buildings and people in the streets, couldn't say much about it. He was unfamiliar with China, and his memories of the historical events that took place here held no power in this place or any other.

This wasn't a story where prior knowledge would give him an advantage; therefore, he couldn't be of much help in finding directions.

"It must be close; this is the address, so we just need to find the apartment complex..."

Dash walked alongside Mr. Kim on a different side when, in the distance, he spotted a twelve-year-old boy with braided hair and an elderly man wearing a cap.

"Wait, I found them!"

By the time Dash said this, Dre, who had seen him, shouted, "Oh my God, Mr. Han, that's Dash!"

Mr. Han was much calmer than the energetic Dre, so he walked calmly towards their meeting point. As a man who had lived a life full of sacrifices and training, he had taken a new path by teaching Dre true Kung Fu. Upon meeting the friend Dre had mentioned, he felt content.

Dash had diverted his gaze to see Mr. Han, a man he knew well as he stood in front of a well-known legend from where he came.

"Ha..." Dash sighed as he hugged Dre, who had come to meet him, and asked, "How have you been in this wonderful country full of martial artists?"

Dre, looking at Dash, who was a bit different from what he remembered, still said, "I'm glad you finally made it. I thought you wouldn't show up for the tournament, and I'd have to win it on my own..."

"Are you that good at Kung Fu?"

Dre's face filled with a sense of confidence as he asked in a low voice, "Is it true that you won a Karate tournament?"

"Of course, I ended up in first place."

Dash, who looked at Mr. Han approaching, extended his hand and said, "Mr. Han, my name is Dash Hale, and I'm a known friend of Dre Parker... I brought you a gift; this is a martial arts school uniform that I'm interested in expanding worldwide."

The idea of expanding a martial arts school was both true and untrue. Dash wasn't interested in opening numerous schools; instead, he aimed to expand the reputation of Sakura Bushido, making everyone aware of how prestigious its members were in the martial arts world.

Mr. Han, who received the gift, looked at Dash and said with a somewhat reserved smile, "You didn't have to bother; Dre told me about what you want to do, and we can discuss it."

In truth, for Mr. Han, opening a Kung Fu school was a bit exaggerated. It's not that he didn't want to, but he preferred not to be too involved in such commotions. He knew perfectly well that if he got too involved in Kung Fu, there was no way back to his boring life.

But Dash, an expert in dealing with people, said, "Have you had lunch? A full stomach is an indicator of happiness, so we could catch up over a meal."

Dre, who was glancing at Mr. Han, smiled, knowing that the possibility of him opening a Sakura Bushido branch in Beijing was much more likely.

Unable to refuse Dash's hospitality and because they were not well acquainted, Mr. Han nodded, leading them to one of his favorite restaurants.

"Are those guys you made the deal with strong?" Dash, wanting to break the barrier of awkwardness with Dre, initiated a conversation.

"Fighting someone who knows martial arts while being clueless about it is incomparable. They hit me hard, and I might not be here with unbroken bones if it weren't for Mr. Han."

Upon Dre's words, Dash nodded, and for the rest of the day, they only talked about many things related to Kung Fu.

Throughout the day, they discussed the tournament, the rules, and, more importantly, what was beyond just winning.

Mr. Han, who had no affiliation, believed there was no problem in being a master of a foreign martial arts school and decided to register Sakura Bushido as a martial arts school participating in the tournament.

Dash's brought uniforms were also well-received by Dre, and both, after a long conversation, wondered if they would win that tournament.

...

"This is a nice uniform..." Mr. Han had tried on the uniform, and seeing how incredible it was in terms of details, he knew it was made of very high-quality material.

"This Sakura tree is amazing, Mr. Han!" Dre had tried on his participating uniform, and it, too, was full of surprises in terms of comfort.

Being a black uniform, the details in its embroidery were exquisite, and the seals along with the Sakura Bushido logo stood out in terms of beauty and quality.

After parting ways with Dash and Mr. Kim, Dre had been insisting on Mr. Han accepting the proposal to open a Kung Fu school in this country, so they could be in the same division as Dash, even if they weren't in the same country.

Mr. Han didn't refuse, but he didn't approve either, leaving Dre in a somewhat awkward silence. So, after saying goodbye, he returned home to show the uniform to his mother and tell her that they would visit the place where the tournament would be held tomorrow.