Chapitre 85: ## Chapter 85: Just Treat It as Kidney Nourishment
Bang! Bang! Bang!
In the training hall, Richard, wearing boxing gloves, continuously struck the punching mitts.
His match with Vasily was scheduled for the 10th of next month in Atlantic City, New Jersey. With less than a month left, and facing a strong opponent, he needed to dedicate more time and energy to training.
Bang!
While hitting, the punching mitt suddenly burst.
"Richard, your strength is enough. At least before challenging the heavyweight champion, it's definitely sufficient. Now you can focus on speed training. Regardless of the weight class, speed is always the most important."
Alvin said.
"I understand."
In the boxing world, there's a widely recognized fact: 'speed determines victory.'
If a boxer possesses both the speed of a lightweight and the punching power of a heavyweight champion, they become incredibly formidable.
Over the past six months of matches and training, Richard's punching power had become increasingly strong, comparable to a heavyweight champion. However, he had also gained four pounds in the past six months.
Boxers are extremely strict about weight control. Even an extra 100 grams of muscle can significantly impact overall performance, such as speed and coordination, which are his advantages that must not be lost.
In the following training, the focus was on speed training, akin to sharpening a sword, making his fists sharp again.
There are many methods to train speed: running, jumping rope, ball sports.
For boxers, jumping rope is the most suitable. Fast jumping rope not only trains hand-foot coordination but also improves brain reaction speed.
Swish, swish, swish~
He quickly swung the jump rope, his legs constantly moving on the ground.
Thud, thud, thud, thud~~
In the afternoon, he went with Alvin and Paul to Madison Square Garden to watch a boxing match.
WBC heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis was fighting WBU heavyweight champion Shannon Briggs.
The two fought for five rounds. In the first round, 'Cannon' Shannon performed brilliantly, aggressively attacking and almost knocking down Lewis, causing a sensation at the scene.
In the second and third rounds, Shannon still held the advantage, fighting fiercely, while Lewis focused on defense.
But in the fourth round, Shannon ran out of energy, and Lewis launched a fierce counterattack, knocking Shannon down twice in one round.
In the fifth round, Lewis continued to dominate, knocking Shannon down twice again, leaving Shannon defenseless.
The referee stopped the match, and Lewis easily won. The match lasted a total of 26 minutes from start to finish.
"After watching the match, what are your thoughts?"
Leaving the arena, Alvin asked.
"I heard the prize for this match was 12 million, and Lewis could take home over 9 million. Damn, that's really enviable."
Paul exclaimed, smacking his lips.
Alvin shook his head and looked at Richard.
"Lewis's advantage is clear, from initial defense to counterattacks in the fourth and fifth rounds, he controlled the match's rhythm."
Richard said.
"Yes, rhythm is very important. Anything else?"
"And his moves. Lewis fought steadily and calmly, with high attacking efficiency and no unnecessary movements. Shannon was more active in the ring with many small movements, which seemed to consume his energy."
Richard said.
Alvin nodded, "In boxing, the competition is about power and speed. Saving energy is crucial, and another key aspect is the basics.
In the boxing world, those who truly establish themselves have solid basics. Offense, defense, dodging, all are done excellently. Lewis is such a boxer.
Shannon, on the other hand, relies heavily on his heavy punches, probably focusing on punching in training. Over time, his skills become unbalanced. Facing an opponent like Lewis, his flaws are quickly exposed.
Both of you should pay attention to this. To go further, don't rely too much on a signature move. Sometimes, a signature move is a weakness."
Richard nodded. In previous training, he focused heavily on practicing his signature 'jab.' Finally, persuaded by Alvin, he stopped emphasizing special moves and focused more on basic training.
"Paul, your style is somewhat like Shannon's, with powerful punches and a high KO rate. This style can quickly win against ordinary opponents, but facing tougher opponents, if the match drags on, it becomes very difficult to win. So, you should also strengthen your basic training."
"I got it."
Paul said, clenching his fists.
After watching a match, Richard and Paul each gained insights.
In the following days, the two trained while learning, occasionally flying to various places to watch matches, gradually improving their skills.
Ring, ring, ring~
One day during training, Richard received a call from Anthony.
"Richard, didn't you ask me to find a stockbroker last time? I found a suitable one. Want to meet?"
Anthony said on the phone.
"Alright!"
——
In the afternoon, after training, Richard went to a high-end bar on Wall Street in Manhattan to meet the stockbroker Anthony introduced.
After a period of recall and research, he thought of an important piece of information from the materials of famous figures like Steve Jobs of Apple, Jeff Bezos of Amazon, and Larry Ellison of Oracle: the dot-com bubble in 2000.
In Jobs' materials, it mentioned, 'After the dot-com bubble in 2000, Jobs proposed the advanced concept of designing PCs as digital hubs.'
In Bezos' materials, it also mentioned this event, 'After the burst of the dot-com bubble in 2000, many rapidly growing internet companies went bankrupt. Only Amazon remained profitable, and its stable growth became a legend in the industry.'
Some time ago, he mentioned to Anthony that he wanted to find a stockbroker to help manage his funds.
"Richard, here!"
Anthony waved, leading him inside.
"I'm introducing you to a classmate of mine. She studied finance in college, and after graduation, she joined Stralem, a New York asset management company. Do you know it?
It's right across from the Empire State Building. She became a formal manager in just three years, with an annual salary of over 500,000, much better than me."
"A girl? Have you slept with her?"
"Of course not!"
Anthony shook his head, "That girl is very proud, like a little peacock, not interested in me at all. You'll understand when you meet her."
"Alright!"
They reached a red sofa booth in the middle and met Anthony's classmate, Ellie Adler, a woman in her twenties, wearing a gray and white business suit, with short ear-length hair, light makeup, and above-average looks. She wore two simple and exquisite accessories, which were quite valuable.
She was on the phone, speaking quickly and clearly, with strong logic, looking very professional and capable overall.
"Okay, I'll be in the office this afternoon. Goodbye!"
The girl hung up the phone.
"Ellie, this is Richard Blade."
Anthony introduced.
"Hello!"
The two shook hands and sat opposite each other.
"You're the handsome client Anthony mentioned?"
The girl glanced at him a few times and smiled, "Indeed a handsome guy. Anthony, you finally said something reliable."
"Ellie, when have I been unreliable?"
Anthony said with a frown.
"Often!"
The girl curled her lips, "Mr. Blade, how much money do you need us to manage?"
"Is there a limit?"
"Yes, the minimum investment amount is 500,000."
"In that case, we probably can't cooperate. I only have 200,000."
Richard said. With previous savings, film fees, match bonuses, and bets, he only had just over 200,000 left.
Hearing his amount, the girl looked at Anthony, her eyes a bit dangerous.
Anthony shrugged, "Ellie, don't look at me like that. Richard said he would invest 200,000 first. If the returns are good, he will continue to invest. You probably don't know who he is, right?
His name is Richard Blade, not just a professional boxer but a very promising professional boxer. He's about to enter the finals to challenge the champion. Do you know boxing? Do you know how much money boxers make?
Once he wins the championship belt, he can earn millions per match. Was I wrong to say he's a big client?"
"Mr. Blade, are you confident in becoming a champion?"
The girl crossed her arms, her gaze scrutinizing.
"Is that important?"
"Of course. If you become a champion, you'll be a high-quality potential client, and we can lower the entry threshold."
The girl said.
"Wait, Ellie, I'm not done yet. Richard is not just a professional boxer; he's also an actor.
Last year, he worked with Oscar winner Michael Douglas and star Gwyneth Paltrow, playing the second male lead. Once the movie is released, he'll become a star. How about his qualifications?"
Anthony added.
"Are you serious?"
The girl frowned at Anthony.
Anthony shrugged, "You're buying this round!"
"Okay!"
The girl smiled slightly and took out some documents from her work bag, "Mr. Blade, these are my personal data and certifications. Please take a look."
"Wait a minute, I need to explain something first."
Richard felt a bit helpless. He originally planned to find a small stockbroker to handle some simple operations and invest his money in the tech internet sector, then cash out in 2000 to make a quick profit.
Unexpectedly, Anthony found a manager from a large asset management company, making cooperation more complicated. The other party might not follow the advice of an outsider and invest the funds in the internet sector.
He briefly explained his research, expressing his optimism about internet stocks and his desire to invest the money there.
"You already have investment targets?"
The girl frowned, "If you have stocks you're interested
in, we can buy and manage them for you. But the market fluctuates, and we can't guarantee profitability."
"I understand."
The two discussed the details of the investment.
"Mr. Blade, you only have 200,000, not a lot of money, but you need a high return, right?"
"Yeah."
"If you have time, I suggest you come to our company tomorrow to sign the agreement and give us the money."
The girl said.
"Alright, no problem."
The next day, Richard went to the Stralem company and handed over his money to Ellie, hoping the investment would go smoothly.
On his way home, he went to a grocery store and bought some gifts, planning to visit the Jenkins couple.
After he reached his destination, the Jenkins couple greeted him warmly and invited him inside.
"Richard, are you here to deliver goods again?"
The old man was watering the flowers in the backyard.
"Why say that? I'm not a delivery guy."
Richard said with a smile, "Just bought a few supplements for you."
"You always buy things for us. I still have some of what you bought last time."
The old man complained but quickly called his wife, and they carried the supplements inside.
Richard asked about their recent situation and learned that the old man had gone for a health check-up. The doctor said he had high blood pressure and needed to control it with medicine and avoid excessive exercise.
Richard offered some advice, urging the old man to drink less alcohol and eat less fatty food.
"Richard, I'm in my seventies. I'll be satisfied if I live to eighty."
The old man said.
"Grandpa, you must live to ninety, even a hundred."
Richard said.
In the following days, he trained hard and prepared for his match with Vasily.
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone