Chinese Extremes Part 1

So it was with more than the usual pre-fight nerves that Phil stood in front of the hotel the next morning a couple of minutes to ten. At ten sharp a very large, black Mercedes limousine pulled up to the curb right next to him and a chauffeur jumped out to let him in, clearly knowing who he was.

The drive was not long, ending on the outskirts of the diplomatic neighborhood at an exclusive and very forbidding complex. The streets were quiet, tree-lined and pleasant looking. But the complex itself was more like a very well guarded army base. It had wall at least twenty feet high, topped with barbed wire and broken glass. Access was through a huge iron gate, guarded by four heavily armed guards. Behind the walls was a garden and at the back lay a huge mansion. The Mercedes pulled up to the house and before Phil could even reach for the door; it was opened by an uniformed butler of some kind. The butler led Phil inside, showing him the locker room and explaining that The General would be with him shortly.

Just as Phil had finished undressing, The General showed up in the locker room. For Phil it was awkward moment as they said hello, Phil completely naked and The General dressed in a very elegant suit. Not that The General seemed to mind. As they let go of each other's hands, The General let his eyes wander over Phil's naked body, clearly enjoying the sight. It made Phil blush and he turned to hide the erection he could feel coming on. He told himself to forget it, that he was here for a friendly fight and nothing else.

That was the line The General clearly took as they went in to the next room, to the most exclusive private fighting arena he had ever seen. Everything in the room spelled wealth and taste. The room was lit by soft indirect sunlight and he and The General had the room to themselves.

After a thorough warm-up, they went at it. It quickly became painfully clear that Phil was no match for The General. Although he was twenty years younger than Phil, he was faster, stronger and had superior technique. As he tried parrying the blows and failed miserably, Phil thought that The General was easily better than the winner of the tournament he had just fought and lost in. He was easily the best fighter Phil had ever met and he began wondering why he had wanted to fight Phil, when it was so painfully clear that Phil was no match for him.