On the boxing ring, now that Jonathan had recovered, referee Joel announced the end of the challenge. Jason Luo secured the victory with a direct knockout!
Unfortunately, the crowd's reaction was lukewarm. Only Raul and Tony Huo cheered and clapped enthusiastically, while the tavern patrons seemed completely indifferent to such a low-level match.
Tony Huo rushed onto the ring, threw his arms around Jason, and bounced excitedly. "See? What did I tell you, Jason! I knew you'd pull it off! That was awesome—one punch and he went down! So damn satisfying! Watching you makes me want to start boxing myself..."
Raul walked over as well. "Not bad at all, Jason. That body shot was clean. Congratulations on winning your debut."
Before Jason Luo could respond, Old Joel stepped forward. "Young man, congratulations on your victory. According to the rules, here's the fight purse you've earned. I'll hand it over right now."
He pulled out a wad of cash from his pocket. Jason was momentarily stunned, but Raul casually took the money, peeled off two hundred dollars, and handed it back to Joel. "This match nearly went the full four rounds. You worked hard. Let's work together again next time."
Joel accepted the cash without hesitation. "No problem. You're welcome anytime. But for now, step down. The crew needs to clear the ring for the next bout."
"Oh, sure, no problem. We'll head down right away..."
Jason Luo and Tony Huo had no idea about these unwritten rules, so they stayed quiet.
At that moment, a chime echoed in Jason's mind:
"Ding! Congratulations on your first victory. The Greedy Wolf talent has extracted one point each of Reaction and Dodge & Anticipation from your opponent's superior attributes. In addition, for winning your debut, the system is awarding you two Free Attribute Points and one small reward draw opportunity. Please check your panel!"
Jason was stunned. Damn! He could train for half a month and not gain a single attribute point, yet one match had just given him four points plus a lottery chance.
Just as he was about to open his system panel, Raul pulled him down from the ring. "Jason, what's wrong? Why do you look so out of it? Did you take a hidden hit somewhere?"
Raul quickly checked him over, but Jason gently pushed him away. "I'm fine, Mr. Raul. It's just... when Jonathan fell, it startled me. Luckily, he wasn't seriously hurt. Otherwise, I..."
Raul hadn't expected someone Jason's size to have such a soft heart. "Jason, you can't think like that. Boxing is a brutal sport. Knocking your opponent down is every fighter's goal. Would you rather be the one lying on the canvas?"
"As for safety, don't worry. Everyone who competes here has been through long-term training, and with gloves and mouthguards, serious accidents are very rare. Otherwise, this sport wouldn't have lasted this long. Experts have studied the risks thoroughly. What you need to do is focus on improving your strength. The best way to stay safe is to make sure you're never the one going down..."
...
In the locker room, after changing clothes, Raul pulled seven hundred dollars from the stack. "Here, this is your earnings from today's match. Rest up this afternoon. Tomorrow, I'll take you to meet Kamman. He's demanding when it comes to sparring partners, so you'll need to be in top shape."
Jason Luo looked at the money and shook his head. "Mr. Raul, I really can't take this. You've already arranged matches for me, found me work, even covered my fees. You've done so much—I'd feel wrong taking money on top of that..."
"No way!" Raul slapped the cash into his hand. "If I did that, I'd ruin my reputation. This is yours. You earned it."
Even after accepting the money, Jason still felt uneasy. The match had lasted barely ten minutes, and he'd earned so much—it felt unreal, like a dream. "Then at least let me treat you and Tony to a meal. It's the least I can do to thank you."
Raul laughed and pointed at his watch. "It's only nine-thirty. People just finished breakfast. Haha, you're something else, Jason. Keep the money. Don't spend it recklessly—you'll need it later. Let's go. The locker room's packed, and if we don't clear out, someone's going to kick us out."
...
As they left the locker room and passed through the booth area, Raul spotted Pedro and Sonny. He walked over to greet them, then smiled. "Old Pedro, the Golden Gloves Tournament is just over three months away. Could you spare some time to give my fighters some guidance? Just as a favor. Money isn't an issue—you know I haven't had a solid result in more than two years..."
Pedro only cast him a sidelong glance and said nothing. Raul felt awkward, but he wasn't surprised. Pedro's bad temper was notorious—hence his nickname.
Fortunately, Sonny spoke up. "Raul, the fighters you've signed just aren't good enough. Not a single promising one. Is this Asian kid your new signing?"
Raul glanced at Jason Luo. "No, he's still a complete newcomer. I'm just helping him get started. But he's got solid fundamentals and good character. He just needs proper guidance..."
As he spoke, Raul looked back at Pedro again, but the old man didn't react at all. Sonny gave him a subtle shake of the head. Raul sighed inwardly—no chance.
He forced a bitter smile. "Well... I won't bother you two any longer. Have a pleasant morning..."
When Raul returned looking slightly embarrassed, Jason asked as soon as they stepped outside the tavern, "Sir, who were those two? Did that old man upset you?"
Tony Huo jumped in, "Yeah, I knew it. That old guy looked so mean—definitely not a good person!"
Raul quickly shook his head. "Don't say that. Those two are big names in the industry. Don't make careless assumptions. One is the sports editor of the Chicago Tribune, and the other is a top professional boxing coach. It's just a pity we couldn't get him—if we could... sigh."
A professional boxing coach?
Jason perked up. "Mr. Raul, is that coach really that good?"
Raul nodded. "That old man has a sharp eye for talent and years of experience. The fighters he's trained are recognized as top-tier in both technique and ring awareness. Unfortunately, maybe because of his bad temper or bad luck, none of his students have ever won a world championship. That might be his biggest regret."
Tony Huo scoffed. "Then he's not that great after all. If he was, how could all his fighters keep failing?"
"No, that's not it. The path of boxing is far tougher than you think. Pedro's fighters all had strong records, but some went astray—drugs, nightlife, throwing away their careers. Others suffered serious injuries in the ring and retired early. One even became an intercontinental champion, but he was framed, failed a drug test, and had his title stripped..."
(40 Chapters Ahead)
p@treon com / GhostParser