Chapter 020: The One-Punch King

Everything had been proceeding according to plan. With Ji Xiaorui’s abilities, she was certain to lose to Panshan Eagle, but unexpectedly, because of just four simple words from Lin Le, the outcome took an unforeseen turn.

Heishan and his companions saw the money they almost had slipping away, and there was no way Heishan could sit back and watch that happen.

Lin Le saw through everything, but he didn’t expose it.

“You call yourself her master—what proof do you have?” Heishan demanded.

“And what proof do you have that I coached her from outside the ring?” Lin Le retorted.

Damn it, if you want to play dirty, I can play too.

“You…” Heishan was momentarily speechless.

“My friend, as the overseer of this match, you seem awfully eager to protect Panshan Eagle. Surely, there’s nothing fishy going on, is there…” Lin Le hinted.

Only then did those who’d bet on Ji Xiaorui realize what was happening.

“We didn’t see him coaching the princess at all!”

“That’s right, none of us saw it!”

Heishan glared at Lin Le, furious, but he dared not provoke the crowd’s anger, so the situation reached a stalemate.

Just then, from the high platform, the man in sunglasses—the boss behind the scenes—spoke softly, “Since we’re at an impasse, the only solution is to have a rematch. However, Panshan Eagle’s hands are now crippled, so he cannot compete. Heishan will take his place.”

“What?!” The entire crowd was stunned.

Everyone was well aware of Heishan’s strength. Even though the princess now had six consecutive victories, compared to the ten-time champion Heishan, she was clearly outmatched.

No one had any hope for the princess.

“Fine, I’m willing to fight!” Ji Xiaorui declared, undaunted.

“Fight? Fight my ass!” Lin Le, as if picking up a chick, dragged Ji Xiaorui down from the ring.

Heishan was an internal energy martial artist; with Ji Xiaorui’s abilities, she’d be going to her death.

“If you refuse to fight, then Panshan Eagle’s victory stands…” Heishan announced smugly.

“Hold on! If this is a rematch, it needs to be fair. If Panshan Eagle can be replaced, can’t we choose a new fighter too?” Lin Le said.

“That’s acceptable,” the boss behind the scenes answered confidently. Heishan was a heavy investment, brought in from another city, and in all of Haizhou, few could match him.

“Very well, then I’ll take her place.”

Lin Le spoke, stepped onto the ring, and approached the center.

A wave of disappointment swept through the crowd. This skinny youth looked utterly unimpressive. So young and already playing the hero? If he wanted to stand up for the princess, he should consider his own weight.

Someone like him trying to challenge Heishan, the ten-time champion, was simply courting death—not even enough to get stuck between Heishan’s teeth.

Heishan looked at Lin Le and sneered.

“Boy, think carefully. I won’t hold back,” Heishan warned.

Lin Le had nearly ruined Heishan’s plan and almost turned the crowd against him. Heishan had already resolved to use this opportunity to take his life.

After all, in the underground arena, killing was hardly unusual.

“Nor will I,” Lin Le replied with a faint smile.

The whistle blew.

Heishan’s expression twisted, and a murderous aura radiated from his body.

“Not good, Heishan’s out for blood now!”

“That kid’s done for!”

Even Ji Xiaorui was tense to the extreme, fearing Lin Le would be killed by Heishan.

“Die!” With a roar like a lion, Heishan’s massive fist tore through the air, hurtling toward Lin Le’s face.

“Master!” Ji Xiaorui was so frightened she almost closed her eyes.

The next instant, a thunderous boom resounded.

When the crowd looked again, only Lin Le remained standing in the ring.

What happened? Where was Heishan?

A noise came from behind the crowd. As they turned, they were dumbfounded.

Lying unconscious more than ten meters away was a figure—none other than Heishan himself!

The crowd was utterly astonished. The underground king of Haizhou, ten-time champion Heishan, had been felled with a single punch by this unknown youth?

For a few seconds, the venue was silent, then the entire tin-roofed structure erupted in chaos and excitement.

A new champion! They had witnessed the birth of a new underground king!

Had they not seen it with their own eyes, they never would have believed that this ordinary-looking youth could defeat the formidable Heishan with a single blow.

Everyone was thrilled beyond measure.

By now, thoughts of bets and wagers had long faded. Compared to money, the spectacle before them was far more exhilarating.

“This… this truly is a historic moment!” the announcer finally managed, emerging from his shock.

“We have a new champion—let us all shout his name. He is…”

Only then did the announcer realize he didn’t even know the young man’s name.

“Master Tai! His name is Master Tai!” Ji Xiaorui cried out excitedly, rushing up to hug Lin Le around the neck and shouting to the crowd.

“Master Tai! Master Tai!” The ring was instantly filled with cheers for Lin Le.

Panshan Eagle was utterly stunned. He knew better than anyone how powerful Heishan was—far stronger than himself.

Yet, such a formidable man hadn’t lasted a single move under the youth’s hand!

How terrifying must this young man’s strength be!

A chill ran through Panshan Eagle; he dared not think further.

At that moment, Lin Le was unaffected by the frenzy around him. In his eyes, there had never been any suspense in his fight with Heishan, so even victory brought him no excitement.

The only thing that interested him now was the boss behind Heishan.

Though the man had worn sunglasses, Lin Le recognized him as a familiar face.

Ma Bozhong, chairman of Pegasus Group.

Pegasus Group had once been partners with the Lin family, rumored to have shady connections. The group had started with underground gambling and loan sharking, then laundered its reputation and gradually moved into real estate, which led to partnerships with the wealthy Lin family.

It seemed this underground arena was one of Ma Bozhong’s many cash cows.

It was said that Ma Bozhong was ruthless and worshipped money above all else. Everything he did was for profit, with no principles whatsoever. Even Lin Tenghui had once warned to keep a distance from him.

When Lin Le looked back toward the high platform, Ma Bozhong was already gone, but Lin Le didn’t dwell on it.

Before the match, Ji Xiaorui had bet five million on herself—a routine for her before every fight.

After this match, her five million had become six million, a net gain of one million!

On top of that, defeating Panshan Eagle for her fifth consecutive win brought a fifty-thousand bonus.

In one night, she had earned a hundred and fifty thousand!

After exchanging the winnings, Ji Xiaorui handed the bank card with the one hundred and fifty thousand to Lin Le.

“Master, the victory was yours, so this money belongs to you.”

“If you insist, I’ll take only the fifty-thousand bonus. The extra one hundred thousand you earned yourself—I can’t accept that.” Knowing Ji Xiaorui was not lacking for money, Lin Le didn’t stand on ceremony.

Ji Xiaorui didn’t argue; she had fifty thousand transferred to another card for Lin Le.

Holding the card, Lin Le appeared indifferent, but inside he was anything but calm.

Fifty thousand! One punch, and he’d earned fifty thousand!

Damn, now he could expand the Little Tienwai Noodle Shop and make it even better!

After leaving with Ji Xiaorui, Lin Le drove toward the southern ring road.

By then, night had fallen, and the suburban road was shrouded in darkness.

As Ji Xiaorui and Lin Le discussed the match, a truck suddenly shot out of the roadside woods ahead, barreling across the road.

“Look out!” Lin Le shouted, grabbing the steering wheel and slamming the brakes.

The Maserati spun five or six times before finally stopping just short of crashing into the truck.

“Damn it! Who the hell dares block my car?!” Ji Xiaorui cursed.

As she went to open the door, five or six shadows leapt out from the roadside, surrounding the Maserati.

“Get out of the car!” the leader barked.

Ji Xiaorui saw he was holding a pistol and was instantly stunned.

Though skilled in martial arts, neither could outrun a bullet.

“Master, what do we do?”

“Get out for now—let’s see what happens.”

Lin Le and Ji Xiaorui got out. The leader pointed his gun at Lin Le and sneered, “You’re a tough kid, but I’d like to see if you’re tougher than this.”

Lin Le understood at once. “Is this because I ruined your business tonight?”

“You’re smart! Too bad you realized it too late. Time to die!”

“Master!” Ji Xiaorui cried out.

The man pulled the trigger.

Bang! Muzzle flash.

To his astonishment, Lin Le, who had been squarely in his sights, jerked his head aside at the very instant the trigger was pulled, dodging the bullet with unimaginable speed!

“What?!” The man couldn’t believe his eyes.

Before he could react, pain exploded in his elbow—his arm was nearly broken, and the gun fell from his grasp.

The others, shocked, tried to counterattack, but their reactions were far too slow. In the darkness, Lin Le’s movements were ghostly, lightning-fast—only a blur to the naked eye.

Thud, thud, thud! In the blink of an eye, Lin Le had knocked all of them to the ground. From start to finish, they hadn’t had a chance to fire a single shot.

Click, click! Lin Le disassembled a complete pistol with ease and tossed the pieces at the leader’s feet.

“Tell me, where is Ma Bozhong?”