Chapter 77: The Birth of Scott Song!

Chapter 77: The Birth of Scott Song!

Turning toward the eastern side of the stadium, I spotted a familiar face I hadn't spoken to in a while and immediately headed down the steps to greet him first. Knowing a lot of powerful eyes were fixed directly on me, I used my hardwired Acting skills to channel the smooth, unbothered confidence of James Bond.

I made my way through the rows of the eastern seating area toward the vice leader of the Crouching Tigers. Jerry Bing was a surly twenty-seven-year-old man with short orange hair and sharp gold eyes.

Sitting right next to him was his beautiful twenty-two-year-old fiancée, Stacey Tang. She was a side-branch daughter of the prominent Tang clan.

It was a standard political tradition for outside leaders to marry a daughter of the main family to permanently bind their loyalty and traditions to the clan. As I finally reached their row, Jerry maintained the strict, stern look he usually showed to the public before a massive grin broke across his face.

"It has been too long, Jerry. And hello, Miss Stacey Tang, it's nice to meet the fiancée of Jerry. I am Rick Lee."

Jerry immediately thrust his fist out just like last time, and I gave him a quick, solid fist bump. Stacey extended her hand for a polite handshake, and I took it, matching her firm grip.

"I heard from Helen about you," Stacey said, her expression softening with genuine sympathy. "When I found out the bodyguard that fought on the rooftop was connected to our Tang clan, I was completely surprised. I am very sorry to hear about your mother."

I shook my head slightly, letting my hand drop back to my side. "No, it's fine. Sadly, she passed away when I was born, so I did not get the chance to know her."

Jerry coughed awkwardly, clearing his throat as his eyes darted past my shoulder to look at my attendant. "I think I said a bit too much about your new maid last time we spoke, so..."

"Ha-ha! No, you're fine," I laughed, waving off his concern. "I too had thought she was a dangerous spy at first. Who knew she was actually framed? Sigh, well, I felt bad for her situation and hired her."

Jerry leaned in closer, dropping his voice to a low whisper so the surrounding rows couldn't overhear. "Really? I thought you were just intentionally stealing a silk-pant's favorite toys!"

I placed a single finger over my lips, offering him a quick wink. "Shh. Of course, that's the unofficial reason as well, ha-ha!"

As the two of us continued to chat, the wireless communication collar tucked under my clothes suddenly crackled to life. Mei was speaking directly to Victoria, but she purposely kept the line open so the words would transmit straight to me.

[See, Helen Tang likes Master Lee and is coming to surprise him, fufu.]

Mei gave me the quick heads-up so I wouldn't instantly freak out and deploy my Kung-Fu reflexes when my cousin tried to jump me from behind like a playful cat. Sure enough, a soft pair of arms suddenly reached around my neck from behind, cold fingers gently covering my eyes.

"Guess who?"

Jerry had seen my expression shift right before the ambush, instantly realizing I expected her arrival, but he kept his mouth shut to watch the show. I leaned back into her hold, answering smoothly. "A super kind and amazing angel?"

Helen let out a happy laugh, dropping her hands from my face to join the conversation. "Wow, you got that right on your very first try, fufu. Hello, cousin!"

She wrapped her arm tightly around my right sleeve before turning her bright brown eyes toward the vice leader and his fiancée. "Stacy and Jerry, hello. So I see you already know my cousin Rick?"

Jerry chuckled, pointing a finger directly at my chest. "Of course I do. He is the helicopter guy, ha-ha!"

Helen's eyes opened incredibly wide, her jaw dropping slightly as she stared at me. "Huh? Rick, you're the helicopter guy?! No one ever told me that, wow. Well, you are my cousin, so of course an elite stunt like that was nothing to you, right?"

I looked over at Jerry with a face full of exaggerated sadness, overacting my disappointment perfectly. "Thanks, Jerry. Now I will forever be known to the entire clan as... Helicopter Guy."

After a few more minutes of perfunctory small talk, Helen glanced across the arena toward the northwestern VIP block where Victoria was waiting, her tone suddenly turning serious. "Cousin, why did you come here tonight with Victoria Long?"

I seized the perfect opportunity to grieve openly and stir up some justified trouble for my enemies, making sure to stick strictly to the facts. "Alex Deng thought the number two contender didn't have any right to be here and deliberately left my name off the invitation list, so Victoria kindly brought me along instead. I am acting as her official bodyguard for tonight. And lastly, she is my university teacher and a very nice woman."

Helen's brow furrowed into a deep, angry frown the exact second she heard that little Alex Deng had intentionally made things difficult for me. She immediately pulled out her smartphone, typed a furious message into the screen, and shoved it back into her purse.

"So, you are not going to sit with me during the fight then? Well, I have you right now, so it's fine. Let's go over to my seat for a bit."

I waved a quick goodbye to the two future Crouching Tiger leaders before letting myself get dragged down the aisle by an aggressive Helen.

Naturally, as we reached the row where Helen, Scott, and his wives were sitting, I caught the eyes of my twins, offering them a brief look and a subtle wink. Nichole played it perfectly cool, pretending not to notice my presence to protect our cover, but Nadia went all out.

She not only returned the wink but bit her lower lip seductively, a clear signal that I was going to be incredibly late for Monday's computer class. Her pregnancy had apparently made her even more aggressively horny than Hana, to the point where she had almost made out with me right in the middle of the open campus hallway earlier this week.

Helen pulled me down into the empty seat beside her, leaning in close. "Rick, there is something I need to tell you about. Father said something very concerning regarding you."

I figured she was about to spill the news regarding the trust issues I had already overheard through my deep-web network tracking, but she shouldn't be compromising her family loyalty over it. Before she could say another word, I pulled a small USB drive from my pocket and pressed it firmly into her palms.

"Before any of that, cousin, take this and let me email some encrypted files to your phone. I was given most of this news by an assassin I did battle with and barely survived."

I deliberately omitted the fact that the life-or-death battle had actually been an intense physical encounter, and that I had another match scheduled with her tomorrow. Instead, I focused her attention on the data, sending the shortened, heavily edited files detailing Scott, his corrupt mother, and their underhanded dealings with the Song clan.

I also included the raw audio files of Scott personally setting up and financing the hit on my life. Helen slipped a Bluetooth earpiece into her ear, her face turning completely pale as she listened to the ten-minute audio compilation.

When the recording finally cut out, her fingers gripped my arm with terrifying force, her eyes filled with absolute worry. "Rick, what about Blood Demon? Are you alright? Did he hurt you?"

I patted her hands gently, easing the tight grip since I knew this kind of betrayal was terrible news for a loyal family member to process. "I had a duel with Blood Demon and walked away safely. Don't worry, Blood Demon won't be taking my life after our match is finished. But I absolutely wanted you to see the clues regarding what I am truly facing with Scott, Debby, and the Song family."

I felt a strange, conflicting emotion rising in my chest as I spoke. It forcefully reminded me that I was currently wielding the exact kind of heavy clan power I had spent my entire life hating from the dirt.

But when you're the one pulling the strings for the right reasons, the perspective changes completely. I realized my past views on the nobility had been deeply prejudiced; not all high-born people were inherently evil, and I just needed to learn how to utilize the good side of their influence to protect my people.

The only reason I was routing this exposure through Helen was to protect my true hacking capabilities and shield my elite Yellow Emperor identity from public tracking. I wasn't trying to destroy Helen or Uncle Anthony, I was simply cutting out the rotting flesh inside the Tang clan, even if some traditionalists might consider me a piece of rot too.

Helen turned her gaze toward Scott's smiling face a few seats down, her eyes growing entirely cold and indifferent as she came to a final decision in her heart. She took a deep, steadying breath.

"Rick, if there was a legitimate chance for us to be cousins officially, would you be willing to join our family openly?"

I already knew exactly what my answer was, though I had honestly expected the offer to come directly from my uncle first. Hearing it from Helen made the request feel incredibly personal, so I offered her a genuine smile.

"Family with you, Helen? Then yes, absolutely. But I will never accept a bond with Scott. As far as I'm concerned, he is nothing but matching DNA, not someone I would ever trust around my family."

She nodded slowly, accepting my terms without a single argument. "It is too late to change things tonight, but tomorrow morning I will show father these files. Is that fine with you, Rick?"

I smiled back at the deeply caring woman, wondering why the hell all nobles couldn't be exactly like her. She possessed the exact same fierce loyalty my mother must have had, the kind of gravity that made my father abandon his entire lineage just to be with her.

"You're the one who knows the clan best, so I leave the ultimate decision completely to you, cousin."

Helen stood up from her seat, smoothing out her attire. "Take care and be careful, Rick. I am going to leave the arena early because I need to arrange several logistics immediately. Hopefully, I can give you a positive response tomorrow. Here, give me one more hug for the road. Bye, cousin."

She pulled me up into a tight, lingering embrace, then turned a sharp glare toward Scott, her eyes looking at him as if he were nothing but absolute trash and a walking betrayal. Without uttering a single word to the rest of the row, she and her maid turned and exited the VIP section.

Scott and his wives watched her cold departure with a sudden wave of unease, a bad feeling settling over them as they all turned their heads to stare directly at me. As I walked slowly past Scott's seat to head back to the western section, I paused, letting a razor-sharp smile spread across my lips.

"Don't worry, Scott. I only have three more gifts left to give you, and then my revenge will be completely finished. After that, our slate will be entirely clean. Well... at least until you do something stupid that forces me to kill you. Bye, cousin."

What were the three gifts? His absolute removal from the Tang clan, followed by the freedom of Nadia and Nichole.

Yes, this is more than enough for my heart. If this does not make him cry, then he is simply too manly to keep messing with.

Scott saw my truly happy smile and the promise behind it. For the very first time in his life, my expression made him feel a cold fear for the unknown.

Sure, in his eyes I was supposed to be nothing but street trash, but he recognized one thing more than anyone else in this world—those exact eyes looking at trash. It was the very same gaze I gave him during our very first beating when I met Tina.

Scott was the only living person in the world to face the raw gaze of the Immortal Imperial Dragon. My eyes gave him terrifying nightmares until he would beat me, which was the only way he could find sleep again. Even now over the last three months, he had been constantly plagued by my gaze in his sleep.

Nadia and Nichole felt their hearts race hearing me threaten him so openly, holding their breath in anticipation for the day we could finally all be together as one. When I mentioned the three revenges, they saw my eyes lock right onto them in that exact moment.

I did happen to spot the Song family on my way over to the Feng section. Hope gave me a disgusted look like I was nothing but trash, so I only offered her a calm smile. She was sitting with a maid-bodyguard, attending purely to watch Alex fight tonight. She was only mad because I chose Victoria over her during last night's encounter.

She wanted to rub the victory right in Victoria's face if she had successfully invited me, even if she didn't actually like me. Oh, did I happen to forget to mention that I invested my entire cool one million on this fight?

Sure, there is a strict ten-thousand-dollar betting limit per person, but I utilized my Master level Computer Use to set up one hundred different bank accounts to each place the max bet for me. Just like that, I will turn one million into two million. Well, unless Alex fails to show up for the fight or simply gives up.

Alex just possesses way more raw martial skill than the number five contender. I confirmed this easily with my hardwired knowledge of Kung-Fu. Now, if the fight were between Woo and Alex, I wouldn't be quite as sure of the outcome.

As I finally made it to the main Feng family area, I saw that Tina was sitting directly between her mother and father, probably to keep the surrounding wolves from harassing her about being the main prize of the tournament. But Jill saw me approaching, letting out a sharp grin as she stood up to snag my left arm. Her sudden movement made Tina's eyebrow twitch in pure annoyance.

"Oh my Rick, did you come for me?"

Like a good older sister should, she was just messing with her little sister where Tina couldn't possibly retaliate in front of their parents.

"I came to say hello to all of you," I answered, keeping my posture respectful. "Hello Mr. and Mrs. Feng, and you as well, Miss Tina."

Tony Feng offered a warm smile, shifting in his seat. "Hello Rick, and who do you think will win tonight? Oh, and Jill... We are in public, so let go of Number 2, sigh."

Jill, deeply upset that her fun was cut short, only sulked and sat back down, leaving me to answer his question. "I put a million on Alex."

Lane Feng covered her mouth in surprise, her eyes wide. "Are you so sure about that kind of gamble?"

I nodded my head confidently, shifting my balance as I explained the match. "His Krav Maga will have a really good advantage, plus his street experience is better. Alex may be a playboy, but his martial arts are as good as his pickup lines."

Then Tony asked about the capabilities of Number 5. "Danny Shu's martial arts should fall victim to it then?"

I nodded and immediately broke down the strategy. "Although Danny Shu is good at his classic Kung-Fu, it is a basic style built for sport and not as much for the street. For his age, he is not too bad, but Alex has raw talent. Number 5 will fall to close range and only stand a chance at longer kicking reach. But he does not know this limitation and will aggressively go close."

Tony Feng, knowing my true identity and hardwired martial mastery, believed my words instantly. Then Lane leaned forward to ask me another hypothetical. "Then if Alex beats 5 and challenges you instead of Woo, who will win?"

"Naturally, I will win. I will use my favorite style against his Krav Maga, Wing Chun Kung-Fu. Both forms fight in the exact same range, and he will naturally be the aggressor after I taunt him a bit. Then I will counter and strike. It should be an exciting and rapid exchange."

Then Tony asked me another question, steering the conversation toward the apex of the tournament. "And assuming everything goes as you predict, what about Woo?"

Just as I was going to answer, I heard a arrogant voice I usually only encounter during his occasional phone taps. Steve Woo chimed in as he walked up to our row. "Listen to that Cat. Even though Rick Lee has never seen me fight, he has analyzed me. So cute. Hello Mr. and Mrs. Feng, and my soon-to-be wife, Tina."

Lane smiled politely but said nothing, and out of respect due to Steve being his top choice in the past, Tony spoke up. "How have you been, Steve? Well, the game is finally nearing its end after five long years. You should be expecting your fight to come in the next couple of months or less."

Steve smiled broadly, turning his challenging eyes directly toward me. "So? How is your assessment of my secret style? I have not used it in public before, so how could you possibly know?"

I threw out a quick lie, refusing to admit to knowing every single global form and style through my system hardwiring. Instead, I pointed a finger toward his companion and shamed his behavior. "I learned your style and skill level based entirely on the strikes used on your wife. I observed how parts of her body have had hidden strikes, and how she instinctively avoids letting others touch the tender and vital locations during Kung-Fu Club. Your style comes from a master from the Japan Empire, a long-time hidden art practiced by an elite hidden clan. Your style is called... Kyusho Jitsu."

Both of the Woos looked completely stunned, and Cat looked terrified. She knew damn well she had never had a single spar with me, leaving her wondering how I could have noticed the pattern. "Cat! Did you tell my secrets? How could you know that?!"

I used my pinky to pretend to clean my ear, shrugging my shoulders indifferently. "Honestly, it does not take a police detective to figure easy things out. You're not a special genius that the heavens blessed or anything, but a man that practices a basic art of simplistic strikes at the right nerves. It's not a big deal, really. So when you and I fight... Don't blink!"

I turned and waved a final goodbye to the Feng family, turning my back on the stunned challenger as I returned to my teacher and my maid...

Victoria, who had been watching my movements across the arena as much as possible, asked a question the moment I slid into the middle seat between the two women. "Is everything alright? You seem a bit agitated."

I leaned back comfortably in my seat, letting my shoulders drop. "Got some payback, made some friends, and pissed off some foes, so I think I am good. Now I can watch two assholes fight, so my night will be a net-plus."

Mei shifted beside me, smoothing out her apron. "Master Lee, should this maid go and get popcorn and soda for you?"

"I would love that, Mei. Here's some money."

After Mei left the row to head up the concrete stairs, Victoria leaned in a bit closer to my side, her floral scent filling the space between us. "Rick, I am happy you came with me tonight."

Fuck. My heart skipped a massive beat right then and there.