Chapter 35: The new world When Xin left the Karate club she was showered with praises from the other members. For doing a good job in humiliating Gary. However, for her she felt like the fight wasn’t over yet. Her opponent hadn’t been knocked out, and was still well enough to fight again, yet for some reason, her opponent had just left having received the first blow. Before she left to make her way home, Mr Fang had stopped to have a word with her. “Xin, I’ll ask you again, are you sure you don’t want to join the winter tournament? If you do well, it’s a good chance for you to get noticed. With your talent and in a world we live in like today you could easily get noticed and…” “Please Mr Fang. I know you mean well, but I really can’t.” Xin replied. “Besides, I’m not the one with talent in my family.” With the conversation over, Xin quickly left the club to head home. While Mr Fang was left thinking that a wasted opportunity was slipping right in front of him. He could tell that something was up. He had never seen any student with such a pained look before, turning such an offer down. When leaving the club, Xin saw a group of girls looking towards her. They soon looked away and started whispering to each other, still making glances once in a while. ‘Damn it, did I mess with the wrong girl, like dad was worried about. But it was an accident? It might be good if I go and apologise to her tomorrow. Crap, I’m not really good at these things.’ Xin thought. Eventually, leaving the school gates, she took a turn, and a black coloured car was waiting for her. Before Xin could even open the door, the driver had gotten out of the car and opened the door for her. “Please miss.” The driver said. Xin had gotten into the car with tinted black windows, and had started her drive home. All of this was done. because Xin was The mayor’s daughter. The mayor of a tier three city. Usually, such an important figure of a town or city, would send their family for schooling in a higher tier city. The reason, because to get into the position the mayor was in today, it most likely meant that the mayor had a connection to one of the big gangs in the area. Making a mayor’s family an easy target. At the same time, this also meant that Xin was protected in more ways than one. However, she was sick and tired of her old life. Not being able to go anywhere freely, having to be careful who she talked to, and always being guarded at all times. It was hard for her to even make friends due to the way she lived. However, this year she had managed to get her father to relax a little by making a deal with him. ‘I just have to get through this year and prove to him that everything will be okay. I’ll say sorry to Tiffany tomorrow and I’ll make sure everything is alright. But what about that Gary guy? Will I have to worry about him?’ She thought. Thinking about the look on his face. She also found it strange that someone who was inexperienced in fighting would suddenly ask to fight trained fighters like that. She honestly didn’t like people like Gary, Those that had been blessed with a good body and strength, beating on those that had trained for years. ‘Well, his friend did say he liked me, so I don’t think he will be causing any problems.’ Eventually, the vehicle had arrived in a more private area of the town. It was driving through what looked like woodlands, and had reached a large black gate. Standing outside there were those that looked like guards wearing suits, however if one was to look closer they could see that they weren’t just any guards. They had tattoos running up their necks, and some even had piercings. These were gangsters that had been lent to the mayor for protection. In a way they worked as a bigger deterrent than bodyguards for other gangs. The house was in sight, it was quite a large six bedroom house with a bathroom in every room. This would be a luxury for anyone living in a tier three city. In the first place, not even a mayor of a small town like this one would have been able to live in a place like this, not unless to get into the position they were in and had taken a few bribes here and there, but she knew her dad wasn’t a bad person. ‘It is just how the way the world works.’ Xin repeated in her mind. Unfortunately, that was the only way to move up in the current world. Still, because she hadn’t been here long it was hard to call this foreign place home, that was until she had entered the house and heard a certain voice. “Hey, is the troublemaker back!” A voice said, coming from the kitchen. Xin quickly ran in and went inside, to see her mother, and the one whose voice she had heard coming through the doors. Her brother. “Jayden you’re here! Didn’t you say, you would be busy shooting at this time?” Xin asked. Like Xin herself, her brother was quite the pretty boy, having clear skin, and a quite chiselled look yet feminine as well. His eyes were so naturally dark that it looked like he wore eyeliner. However, it was just his dark eyelashes. His body was also what bodybuilders would strive for, but that was mostly due to his job. “Well, one of my appointments got cancelled, so I decided to head back home early.” Jayden answered. He could see a glow in Xin’s eyes, leaving him to let out a big sigh. “Sometimes, I don’t think you’re happy to see me because of me. Fine, let me finish here and we can go for a round.” Jayden said, getting up from his seat. The two of them moved and headed outside. On the large piece of land where their house lay, there was an annex and inside it was set up with gym equipment, such as punching bags and dolls, and more martial arts equipment. “Wow, this place looks nearly as nice as the gym I train at.” Jayden complimented. He was waiting to hear Xin say something but could just see her already putting on protective gear. Shaking his head, he knew he had already lost to the fighting obsessed maniac. The two had gotten into position and it was time. Xin started as she charged forward, leaping up in the air and spun, delivering a kick to the head. She soon saw Jayden lean back and narrowly avoid it. ‘It missed, just like it did against Gary, but this is different.’ Xin thought. She was right, the difference was, Jayden had narrowly avoided it on purpose to not use too much energy, and if he wanted to, it would allow him the timing to attack himself. The kicks continued with a few punches here and there, and Jayden avoided all of them, once in a while he would throw a kickback, but it would just be a light tap, showing his sister he could have hurt her at any time. Eventually, getting frustrated, Xin went to try her strongest attack. She was ready, waited for the perfect time, and spun once again, hoping to hit her brother with the back of her heel, right behind the ear. She could feel it connect, but her brother was still standing with his arm covering the area, He then took a step forward throwing her off balance and causing her to fall to the ground. Throwing out a punch to her face, he stopped an inch from her nose. “And that is definitely a defeat.” Jayden said with a smile. “You really have improved a lot, and those kicks of yours are hard to deal with, trust me.” He said massaging his arm. Helping her up off the ground, he could tell Xin wasn’t pleased. Usually his compliments would make her feel better but it didn’t look like it this time. “What’s wrong?” Jayden asked. “Are my kicks really that strong? You’re not just saying that to make me feel better, right?” Xin asked. “That’s what you’re upset about? That kick I blocked at the end. First of all, I’m twenty five and your body still has room to grow.” Jayden said. “Second of all, your brother is one of the top fifty fighters in the country, and to top that off I am an Altered, so I have an unfair advantage. If you kicked anyone your age be it boy or girl they wouldn’t be able to stand up again.” Hearing her brother’s words, she found it very hard to believe because that very kick he was talking about, there was a person who had stood up again. “Maybe that boy is someone to look out for after all.” Xin mumbled. Suddenly, she felt a heat coming from the corner of the room, and as she looked at Jayden, she could see the fire in his eyes. “What’s this about a boy! Did he try touching you? You can tell me, right?! You know the rule I and dad set for you. If anyone wants to go out with you they need to at least be strong enough to beat me!” She knew about this rule, but she knew that was also impossible. There were only a few people in the country strong enough to beat her brother. That’s why she had altered that rule slightly to herself, that they had to at least be stronger than her, hopefully then it would be someone her brother would accept, but whether she would ever find a person or not was a different story altogether.