23: Chapter 23 Saturday Night's Plans

March 15th, Saturday, 9:00 PM.

The Underground Fighting Ring was packed with people; the air was thick with smoke and the stench of alcohol, while gamblers waved cash and roared at the ring, the entire space resembling a boiling pot.

Yan Zheng sat in the first row of the VIP section right next to the ring, a spot specially arranged by Liu Kun, less than two meters away from the iron cage.

Liu Kun sat down beside him and handed him a glass of whiskey.

"Mr. Yan, it's a big night tonight, the stakes are at 150,000. The Silent One is up against three professional fighters who've been injected with adrenaline enhancers."

"What are the odds?"

"The Silent One is one to 1.2, and the three challengers are one to eight." Liu Kun puffed on his cigarette and chuckled. "Nobody bets on the challengers to win; everyone is just here to watch him get beaten up and then recover, it's about the same as watching a circus."

Yan Zheng: ( ˘ ꒳ ˘ )

"Then I'll place a big bet tonight."

"Oh? How much does Mr. Yan want to bet?"

"Five thousand, betting on the challengers to win."

Liu Kun's action of puffing on his cigarette paused, and he turned his head to look at him.

"You're betting on the challengers?"

"Intuition." Yan Zheng adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses, his smile gentle. "Gambling on an underdog once in a while—what if I win?"

Liu Kun: ( ꐦ ˙ ꒳ ˙ )

"Mr. Yan, that intuition of yours is quite expensive. Aren't you worried about throwing five thousand down the drain?"

"As a businessman, one has to find a little excitement for oneself from time to time."

"Suit yourself." Liu Kun shook his head and waved to his subordinate behind him. "Write Mr. Yan a ticket for five thousand, betting on the challengers."

Five thousand.

If The Silent One fell, the one-to-eight odds would mean forty thousand.

Yan Zheng took the handwritten betting slip, folded it, and placed it in his suit's breast pocket.

Twenty minutes later, the lights dimmed.

A spotlight turned on, casting a stark white light in the center of the iron cage.

Gao Wenxiong's voice came through the speakers, reciting the same old lines—no recording, no photos, and once you walk out the door, nothing ever happened.

Then the side door of the iron cage opened.

Two burly men walked in pulling an iron chain, the other end of which was connected to The Silent One's neck.

The boy was led into the iron cage, the old scars on his shaved head especially visible under the spotlight. His eyes remained hollow; he did not look at the audience, his opponents, or anyone else.

Yan Zheng's gaze fell upon him, the lenses of his gold-rimmed glasses reflecting the white light of the ring.

"Check him." Liu Kun nodded to the subordinate beside him.

A young man in blue work clothes walked over to the side of the iron cage, opened the small window on the side door, and reached in to check The Silent One's inhibitor and physical condition.

"Boss Liu." Yan Zheng suddenly spoke up.

"Hmm?"

"Can I hand him a bottle of Water?" Yan Zheng picked up a bottle of mineral water from beside his seat and shook it. "His lips look very dry; if he drinks some Water, he'll look better during the match."

Liu Kun glanced at him and waved his hand dismissively.

"Go ahead, it's just a mouthful of Water anyway."

Yan Zheng stood up and walked to the edge of the iron cage.

The subordinate who had been checking him had just stepped away, and the small window was still open.

Yan Zheng handed the mineral water bottle through the small window.

The Silent One did not reach out to take it.

"Drink some Water." Yan Zheng's voice was soft and gentle, as if speaking to a frightened animal.

The boy still did not move.

Yan Zheng shoved the water bottle into his hands, his fingers brushing against the boy's wrist during the exchange.

Just a touch.

Less than a second.

Yan Zheng: ( ꈍ ꒳ ꈍ )

The layer of dark green light on his right palm flashed and vanished beneath his skin, completely invisible to the naked eye.

A line of text popped up in the corner of his vision on the system panel.

[Undead Touch: Micro-injection successful. Target cell activity beginning to be inhibited.]

[Countdown: 10:00.]

Yan Zheng withdrew his hand, turned, and walked back to his seat to sit down, straightening his cuffs with a composure as if he had just handed over a business card.

"Mr. Yan is kind-hearted." Liu Kun chuckled beside him.

"Just a small favor."

The door on the other side of the iron cage opened, and three burly men filed in.

They were a size larger than the three Yan Zheng had seen last time, with broad shoulders and thick backs; their bare upper bodies had bulging muscles, and veins wriggled like earthworms beneath their skin, clearly injected with some kind of performance-enhancing drug. Their eyes were bloodshot, their breathing heavy, and they looked like three enraged bulls.

Gao Wenxiong's loudspeaker blared.

"The Silent One versus three challengers, no restrictions, fight until one side cannot stand."

"Begin."

The door of the iron cage was locked.

The three enhanced fighters closed in simultaneously, forming a triangular encirclement.

The Silent One stood in the center of the iron cage; the water bottle dropped to the ground, spilling water everywhere. He still said nothing, only slightly bending his knees to assume a defensive stance.

The first fighter rushed up, throwing a straight punch at The Silent One's face.

The boy dodged to the side, driving his knee into the opponent's lower abdomen, causing the fighter to grunt and double over.

The second fighter flanked from the side, sweeping a kick toward The Silent One's knee. The boy jumped to avoid it, but the moment he landed, the third fighter's fist slammed into his back.

Thwack.

The dull thud could be heard even over the noisy audience.

The Silent One staggered a step, but did not fall.

He turned, swung his right fist, and smashed it into the third fighter's chin, causing the opponent's head to snap backward.

"Nice!" A burst of cheers erupted from the audience.

Yan Zheng sat quietly in his seat, his gaze behind the gold-rimmed glasses as calm as water.

He glanced at the system panel.

[Countdown: 8:42.]

"Eight more minutes."

For the first two minutes, The Silent One was barely able to cope by relying on his fighting skills; although surrounded, he was able to quickly adjust his stance and counterattack after each hit.

But at the third minute, a change occurred.

The first fighter's elbow strike slammed into The Silent One's ribs, and the boy's body noticeably paused.

Then his footsteps began to falter.

Yan Zheng: ( ꉺ ꒳ ꉺ )

The Silent One looked down at his ribs—they should have started healing by now.

But they hadn't.

The pain remained, the dull ache from the ribs remained, and the bruising under his skin continued to spread.

The boy's eyes finally showed a change.

From hollow to confused, and then from confused to fearful.

This was the first time Yan Zheng had seen the emotions of a living person appear in those eyes.

The second fighter, seeing The Silent One's abnormality, grew excited like a shark smelling blood and slammed a fist into the boy's temple.

The Silent One's body tilted, and his knees hit the floor of the iron cage.

Blood streamed down from his brow, into his eyes, and dripped onto the ground along his chin.

He wiped it with the back of his hand and looked up at his blood-stained palm.

The wound had not healed.

The three fighters pounced at the same time.

Fists rained down on the boy—back, ribs, face, abdomen—each punch carrying the terrifying power of the drug enhancement.

The Silent One was beaten to the ground, curled into a ball, clutching his head with both hands.

This was the first time he had fallen and not risen since he entered the Underground Fighting Ring.

Liu Kun stood up from his seat.

The cigarette fell from his mouth, and his jade ring flashed in the light.

Liu Kun: ( ꐦ ° ᷄ д ° ᷅ )

"Why isn't he recovering?"

Yan Zheng held his wine glass, watching the boy being beaten in the iron cage with a calm gaze, the corners of his mouth curving into an imperceptible arc.

"Boss Liu, it seems my intuition is quite good tonight."