Underground boxing can be deadly, though not frequently.
Organizers need participants to make money, not just kill off every single one.
But when necessary, death is real.
The essence of underground boxing is the violent catharsis of the audience. Regardless of social class, everyone has their own pressures, and over time, many harbor a hidden undercurrent of violence, needing an outlet.
Some vent online, some drink heavily and sing their hearts out, some fight and kill, and some watch others fight and kill for a different kind of satisfaction.
The common thread is that they're likely to regret it afterward: "What a rip-off last night, I feel terrible today."
But at that moment, three more drinks!
That's what happens when you're high on the edge.
By day, underground boxing spectators are impeccably dressed elites, but at the moment of bloodshed, their violence is more ruthless than anyone else's.
If you combine that with the rage of gambling, it becomes even more brutal.
"Useless! Kill her! Useless!" The sight of the burly man being kicked backward by Yueying, almost falling off the stage, completely enraged the spectators who had bet on him. The scene briefly became turbulent, with some attempting to rush down the railing.
"Roar!" The burly man gripped the edge of the stage tightly, managing to dangle one hand in mid-air, preventing himself from falling.
"Use your Shadow Blade to cut his hand! What are you standing there for, you filthy bitch!" Spectators who had bet on Yueying continued to hurl insults.
Yueying couldn't hear the insults hurled at her amidst the deafening noise; she was too weak. She wanted to deliver a finishing blow, but a sharp pain shot through her abdomen from the previous blow, making her feel like she was falling apart. Blood still dripped from beneath her mask, staining her black clothes a dark red stain.
She breathed weakly, slowly moving towards the burly man.
This opponent wasn't a superhuman, just a fighter with no special abilities, yet his gravity-limiting ability and his current levitation... it seemed someone else had intervened to help him. This is a foul.
The managers here should have noticed, why didn't they stop it?
"You lose a match, one million." The other's cold voice echoed in her mind again.
"That will hurt a lot."
"...If you're already in a lot of pain, then it's okay, right?"
Yueying never imagined these words would come from this person... When she first saw him, Yueying felt a sense of familiarity, but those two short sentences shattered that feeling completely.
It's all the same.
If it's already in a lot of pain, then it's okay to lose...
Thoughts flashed through her mind in disarray. Yueying slowly moved to the edge of the ring, trying to kick the big man's hand gripping the edge.
"Whoosh!" The other suddenly leaped up, landing behind Yueying and above her head, delivering a flying kick to the back of her head.
The scene erupted again!
Yueying's "it's okay to lose" thought vanished completely. Sweating profusely, she quickly bent over, dodging the flying kick.
This isn't losing...this is death!
They want to kill me?
"Lily's broken... This is..." Chu Ge, having overcome his initial shock, had calmed down.
Qiu Wuji said, "This man is being helped to levitate; that's cheating. Our neighbor is going to die."
"Die?" Chu Ge looked at Yueying dodging her opponent's relentless attacks at the edge of the ring, somewhat puzzled. "If she surrenders, she can just jump off the stage, right?"
Qiu Wuji said sarcastically, "If I'm not mistaken, the odds of her dying are probably higher. Besides, if she finds out she's being targeted by cheaters, she might cause trouble for the venue later. Even if she's not killed on stage, she'll try to kill her offstage—that's why someone came looking for her. The one who walked through the wall was probably just scouting beforehand, confirming where she lives, so the commission was only ten thousand yuan." Chu Ge frowned. Qiu Wuji's analysis made a lot of sense. Having dealt with both the legitimate and criminal worlds so much, the principles were similar in both.
This neighbor is going to die?
Yueying also wanted to jump off the stage to surrender.
But she couldn't.
Her movements grew increasingly heavy; injured, she was powerless to break free from the pull of gravity, her internal organs feeling like lead and mercury, constantly sinking.
Her opponent's fist loomed large before her.
Yueying quieted down, looking into her opponent's bloodthirsty eyes, and a thought suddenly crossed her mind—if she died, would she feel no pain?
Suddenly, the pressure on her body eased, the gravity binding inexplicably dissipating.
Without time to think, the instinct for survival made Yueying instinctively backflip, dodging a punch and landing below the ring.
The clamor paused eerily for half a second, then erupted into even louder cursing. Many tried to rush into the stands, but were bound by something, unable to escape, creating chaos like a caged beast.
Yueying dragged her injured body, quickly entering the passageway and reaching the elevator. Losing meant no money; money was out of the question. Leaving here and saving her life was the priority.
She suddenly hesitated. In her current state, wouldn't the elevator be a death trap? Could she even leave?
The elevator doors suddenly opened. Yueying glanced inside instinctively, saw the person, and without hesitation, quickly slipped inside.
The elevator doors closed, and it began to ascend.
Upstairs, in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows, someone silently watched her leave, their brows slightly furrowed, seemingly puzzled.
"Brother, I really didn't break free from that gravity restraint myself! Someone interfered!" A red-haired youth behind her hurriedly defended himself.
The man didn't turn around, waving his hand and saying, "I know, I'm not blaming you."
The red-haired youth sighed: "Brother, someone was there to meet her. Did we cut off the elevator's power? Or were we lying in ambush outside?"
The man sighed: "Look at the security footage. There's no one in the elevator anymore. The elevator was just a smokescreen; they left long ago through other means." The red-haired youth checked the security footage, unconvinced. Sure enough, the elevator was empty. He reluctantly retrieved the previous footage; it was completely blank, nothing there.
"The other party has a highly skilled superhuman. From the moment they entered the nightclub, all the surveillance footage of them was blank. This ability to leave no trace is almost instinctive; they're a seasoned veteran…"
The group exchanged glances. "Could it be the cops?"
The man sighed softly. "Close the door. That idiot who walked through walls has been caught. Although he was just a hired hand and didn't know our situation, he at least knew about underground boxing. The authorities are probably already investigating. Keep a low profile for now, and halt all operations."
"What about Yueying…"
"When she walked from the ring to the elevator, we were hesitant to leave too many witnesses in public. We watched her enter the elevator, and then we lost our best chance to kill her." The man stared blankly at the elevator, muttering to himself, "I'll find another way."
"Yes." Several people behind him, including the red-haired youth, bowed respectfully, seemingly trusting him implicitly.
Although he seemed a bit indecisive today… For example, whether the other party was in the elevator or not, they couldn't have gone far. Why didn't they search or chase them?
They're probably worried the other side is the police, right? It's understandable that the boss is being cautious, given the overall situation...