Chapter 78: Blood, Gore, and KO!

Chapter 78: Blood, Gore, and KO!

At that moment, the low overhead lights shimmered across the surface of her gold-rimmed glasses, casting a warm reflection. My blue eyes caught the glare off her lenses before her deep purple eyes locked right back onto me, sucking me into her presence completely.

"I am glad you invited me," I said softly, leaning into the space between us. "Also, I promise I will drive the exact way you want from now on, sorry about that."

Victoria offered a warm smile, placing her right elbow gently on the armrest before resting her chin against her closed hand in deep thought. "I did not want to seem too intrusive regarding your two wives, but how old are they exactly?"

"Mary is currently twenty-two and Hana is currently twenty-five years old," I explained, tracking her curious expression. "Both of their birthdays actually fall in the springtime, right in the same month."

Her perfectly shaped eyebrows raised in sudden surprise, her gaze widening as she processed the math. "You're only eighteen right now, meaning Hana is a full seven years older than you? Wow!"

I let out a genuine grin at her shock, shifting slightly to face her. "Hana and I are a very special case. She can normally only open up her heart to men who are structured exactly like her, and I just happened to check every single box. Neither she nor I mind the age difference at all because we just instinctively get each other. Honestly, having a mature wife really helps to ground my actions. Mary is mature too, but her deep emotional connection with me completely clouds her judgment of my flaws, so she lets me get away with far more than I truly deserve."

As the two of us continued sitting just a bit too close for a standard teacher and student, a highly annoying voice cut straight through the low music from behind.

"Ashley, maybe we should just pretend we don't see them looking at each other like they are on a hot date?"

Victoria blushed slightly at the sudden teasing, her posture instantly stiffening as she recognized James's voice coming from the next row up. I turned my head around sharply, spotting James and Ashley sitting there with their hands full of food and drinks, staring down at us like spectators at a comedy show. I pointed a warning finger directly at my dumbass friend.

"Jimbo, you do realize my bodyguard license allows me to carry real guns, right? I also happen to have a heavy revolver sitting at home. I can easily shoot rubber slugs at your legs for fun."

He maintained a completely naughty smile, shifting his popcorn bucket as he doubled down on the joke. "It would be totally worth it, man. That would just prove I was completely right and you are guilty as hell, ha-ha. Bring it on, Ricky, let's see if Mary won't scold you into next week for picking on me."

I rolled my eyes, turning my gaze toward Ashley, who looked entirely embarrassed by her date's loud mouth. "Hello, Ashley. I guess this counts as official date number two for you guys?"

"Y-Yes, it is," she stammered, her cheeks flushing pink.

"Great! Make sure you force him to apologize to Teacher Long right now, or he won't be around to see a third date, ha-ha!"

James, being a genuinely good guy at heart beneath the teasing, saw poor Victoria's face turning red and immediately leaned forward to make amends. "Sorry, Teacher Long. I was honestly only messing around with my buddy. I won't do it anymore, sorry!"

Vicky recovered her classic composure quickly, adjusting her glasses as she offered James a polite nod. "It is fine. I normally go to bed early on weekends and I was feeling a bit tired tonight, so that's why I was looking so spaced out."

Right on cue, Mei returned to our row carrying three large bags of buttered popcorn and a tray of medium beverages. She handed a container over to Victoria, who had never actually experienced standard arena popcorn before. Watching me throw a handful into my mouth, she hesitantly tried a piece of her own, her expression lighting up with pleasant happiness over the flavor.

Mei slid quietly into the empty seat to my right, completely ignoring the two eavesdroppers hovering directly behind us.

At exactly 11:30 pm, the arena lights dimmed further as the organizers launched a warm-up match to get the crowd ready for the midnight bout. It featured two professional MMA fighters trapped in a brutal rematch to determine the best of three fights over a bitter, year-long rivalry.

One fighter operated as a natural street brawler with zero formal training but possessed amazing reflexes and raw survival instincts. The other functioned as a classic wrestler boasting a rich grappling and joint-lock style. Both men turned out to be highly proficient boxers, giving the hungry audience a bloody, savage show.

As the referee finally waved off the contest and the bloody loser was stretchered off the octagon ring by paramedics, Victoria turned to me with a slight frown. "Why was this fight so entirely different from your matches? It was just so savage."

I leaned in close to her side, speaking directly into her ear to overcome the roar of the excited crowd. "The exciting matches for the public are structured exactly like this one. This is what a hungry crowd wishes to see—raw blood. My fights, and the official contender matches that will happen tonight, are precision-based encounters meant to end in a flash and not drag out over rounds."

"So your style of fighting is like an over-easy egg, and this match is like a scrambled egg?" she deduced cutely.

"That's about right."

Soon, the arena staff entered the cage, quickly mopping and cleaning the canvas from the lingering blood so the upcoming title match would have zero traction issues on the mat.

Almost ten minutes before the official midnight start, a very beautiful woman wearing a sexy red dress stepped out under the bright spotlights to announce the main event. I blinked in surprise, recognizing the celebrity figure as none other than the gorgeous Ana Zi.

But what I had completely failed to realize until tonight was the color of her eyes. During our previous encounter, her eyes had been a distinct brown, meaning she must utilize colored contacts to alter her look because right now, they were a striking green under the stadium lights. She waved gracefully to the crowd, bringing the microphone to her lips as her voice boomed through the loudspeakers.

[Hello! If you do not know me yet, I am Ana Zi from Star Entertainment Group, and I was asked to serve as your celebrity announcer tonight. Thanks for having me, everyone!]

The entire arena exploded into loud applause, cheering for her famous identity, her flawless speaking ability, or just her stunning looks. She might be a highly strange, calculated woman behind the camera, but she definitely possessed massive public talent. Spotting her corporate boss in the front rows, Ana offered a subtle wave toward Victoria before continuing her script.

[Tonight's match is part of the ongoing Feng Tournament for the hand of the second young miss, Tina Feng! For five long years, the contestants have been picked secretly and have privately done battle behind closed doors. But now, the final three matches to determine the absolute winner are out in the open for all to witness! Not many times in recent history has this ancient method of betrothal been utilized, but the Feng family believes strictly in raw strength. So, let's announce our fighters, yay!]

The wealthy crowd gave a polite golf clap to show they were paying attention, and she moved seamlessly into the roster.

[Four ranked fighters remain! First, that gentleman sitting over there, Number 1 Steven Woo of the Star City Police Department! Then, over in the opposite section, is Number 2 Rick Lee, a student in the Star University business course! Next is our first active combatant, Number 3 Alex Renaldo, CEO of Floppy Tech! And his opponent is Number 5, Danny Shu, also in his final year at Star University as a computer major. Now, let's greet numbers five and three!]

The crowd erupted again as both men stepped out of the corridors wearing their chosen attire. Alex was rocking a completely shirtless look, wearing nothing but black boxer shorts with his hands lightly wrapped in athletic tape. Danny Shu chose to wear his official grey Kung-Fu uniform from the university club.

Both fighters and the referee stepped into the steel enclosure alongside the actress, who immediately moved to center stage for the pre-fight interviews. [Alex Renaldo, before your match begins, would you like to say a few words to the audience?]

She held the microphone directly toward Alex. He used his wrapped hand to casually tuck a stray strand of hair behind his ear, flashing his most charming playboy smile before locking his eyes onto Tina Feng's section.

[Hello, everyone. I only wanted to state a few quick words. First, to my absolute love, Tina—I was your very first pick in this game, so I will easily win this entire competition for you, my dear. Just wait for me.]

Tina didn't wear her normal, charming public smile at his words. Instead, she maintained a completely emotionless expression. She rarely showed her inner thoughts to the crowd, but her sharp eyes suddenly darted across the rows until they met mine, her face softening into a genuine smile. Only the sharpest onlookers in the arena would catch that silent exchange, and Alex missed it completely due to the bright stadium lights beaming directly over his head.

[Also, to my good friend and sweetheart, Victoria Long—thanks so much for coming out to support me on this wonderful night!]

I couldn't help but chuckle inwardly. This guy's utter shamelessness really impressed me; no, seriously, his confidence was top-tier. Victoria, however, was not smiling one bit. In fact, she was actively glaring at me, raising her hand to try and cover my mouth because my face was visibly cracking into a massive smirk at Alex's bold behavior. Fuck, this playboy was hilarious. Alex then turned dramatically, pointing his wrapped finger straight at my seat.

[And Rick Lee, I am coming for you next, humph! You act like you are someone special in this city, but let me show the world that you're just a little kid.]

My smile broke out fully now. I stood up slightly from my seat, giving him a massive thumbs-up as I yelled back over the barrier. "HEY ALEX! I BET A MILLION DOLLARS ON YOU, SO DON'T BITE YOUR TONGUE OFF AND BLEED OUT IN THE FIRST ROUND!"

Mei instantly slammed her hand over her mouth, desperately trying not to laugh out loud, while Tina's smile widened at my childish taunt. Victoria covered her face with both hands in pure public embarrassment, and Alex just stood in the center of the ring, looking completely stupid as my words echoed across the cage. Ana, being the seasoned professional she was, quickly pivoted the microphone away from him, placing it right in front of Danny Shu to prompt his response.

[Hello, Miss Ana Zi," Danny began, trying to find his own confidence. "If I win this match tonight, will you go out on a real date with me?]

I shook my head, thinking that maybe Danny possessed a little bit of game after all, though it was a total shame his skills couldn't possibly win against Alex's Krav Maga. Ana, knowing exactly how to work the crowd in her favor, offered him a playful wink.

[Sure! But only if you win this match and manage to impress me, ufufu. Now, I will leave the octagon so the referee can officially begin. Good luck, gentlemen.]

She turned and sexily walked out of the enclosure, the heavy steel cage door sealing shut behind her as the referee stepped forward to go over the basic rules with both fighters. Ana walked down the steps, making a straight line toward our front-row seats to stand before me and Victoria.

"Boss, and Rick Lee, I am so incredibly sorry for that scene," Ana whispered quickly, her emerald eyes full of genuine apology. "I had absolutely no idea those two would say those ridiculous things on the microphone."

Victoria, immediately shifting into her cold corporate focus while talking to her employee, easily brushed the explanation aside. "Live events are structured exactly like that, Ana, and you did absolutely nothing wrong."

Ana offered a small, grateful nod. She reached inside her low-cut top, pulled out a crisp business card, and pressed it directly into my palms.

"Mr. Lee, I thoroughly enjoy your acting ability," Ana stated smoothly, her green eyes flashing under the dim row lights. "I would like to personally buy you dinner sometime soon so we can discuss some major movie roles together. Please give me a call whenever you have a free evening."

Both Victoria and James stared at the exchange with looks of total disbelief, entirely stunned that the famous celebrity actress was openly offering to buy a student dinner. I only offered Ana a polite smile and a brief nod without uttering a single word, watching her turn on her heel to walk back toward the steel cage to wait for the fight.

As soon as she was out of earshot, I turned and handed the card straight over to Victoria. She took the piece of paper blankly, her purple eyes locking onto mine with deep, questioning confusion.

"I don't want any negative rumors to start spreading about me and her," I explained immediately, making my stance perfectly transparent. "As your employee for the night, I am giving you the card to show I have absolutely no connection with her whatsoever."

James practically turned to stone in the row behind us from the pure shock of the rejection, while a completely bewildered Vicky adjusted her gold-rimmed glasses. "Why reject an invitation from her?"

"She is a much bigger player in this city than Alex," I countered, keeping my voice low over the ambient arena noise. "And I only like loyal women."

Mei chimed in playfully from my right side, a massive smirk spreading across her face. "That's exactly right!"

I turned my head slightly, offering my maid a teasing grin of my own. "You're still on your first month of probation, aren't you?"

She instantly pretended to be deeply hurt, drooping her shoulders and casting her eyes downward to look pathetic. Victoria watched our interaction closely, her expression turning incredibly thoughtful as she processed my words. "So then, deep personal loyalty is your number one criteria?"

"It should operate exactly the same way in the business world, right?"

I had already found out through our studies that Victoria constantly correlated high-society business strategies to her personal interactions. She said absolutely nothing else, her lips pressed into a tight line as the heavy arena lights focused on the center mat. The championship fight was finally starting.

The referee's hand dropped like a stone, and the two combatants immediately took their active positions, slowly circling the mat to feel out each other's reach. Alex stepped into a forward boxing stance, looking directly over his two raised fists as he waited for a reckless charge from his opponent.

Danny Shu took the exact opposite approach. He dropped low into a traditional, wide horse stance that most sport-based styles of Kung-Fu are universally known for.

Alex immediately threw out a venomous taunt to break the kid's concentration, his voice sharp. "You're nothing but a child for trying to ask out my girlfriend. I literally came straight from her house right before this match. In fact, she probably is leaking my baby-batter as we speak, retard."

Alex had indeed spent the evening at her place, but Ana still hadn't actually slept with him. Danny had absolutely no way of knowing the truth, and the vulgar provocation worked instantly. He charged forward blindly, throwing a heavy kick straight at Alex's midsection.

A sharp sneer touched Alex's lips at how easily the chump had been provoked. He rushed inside the strike, executing a rapid leg-catch to trap Danny's limb, preparing to sweep his remaining base leg just like I had done to the number seven contender back in the day.

Unexpectedly, Danny's Acrobatics were far better than I had calculated. Before Alex could take out his balance, Danny executed a flawless backflip right out of the leg hold, landing cleanly to establish distance across the canvas.

Danny immediately threw back a vicious taunt of his own to reclaim his pride. "That is fine, punk. I will just wait a week for all your dank sperm to be completely rid from her body, and then I will claim her for my own. While I am at it, I will marry Tina and think of your face every single night I ride her. Oh, and you like that teacher, Long? I will ride her too, punk bitch."

Fortunately, the stadium crowd was far too noisy for their graphic insults to be heard by anyone other than the referee and trained assassins. Alex remained entirely calm under the heavy vulgarity, merely twisting his wrist as he offered a cold smile. "You could tell me my own mother has a bigger dick than you, and I still won't be provoked by a child."

Danny charged back in, but this time he moved with far more caution, trying to utilize a tight knee and elbow strike so his long limbs couldn't be caught by a sweep. It was the exact strategic mistake I had predicted during my talk with Tony Feng. He was stepping right into Alex's sweet spot.

Danny swung his right elbow upward, aiming a heavy uppercut directly at Alex's chin. Flaunting a charming smile as if he had just caught his prey, Alex used his left hand to forcefully push the incoming elbow offline.

He spun his body clockwise in a rapid, fluid motion, delivering a brutal right elbow straight into the exposed side of Danny's head. With no arm left to block the path, the bone struck cleanly against Danny's skull with a sickening thud.

The front-row crowd erupted into a massive cheer at the precision strike. Danny was instantly knocked semi-unconscious, his eyes rolling back as he staggered two heavy steps to his left to keep from collapsing.

Now that the number five contender was strictly on the defensive, Alex didn't waste a second, stepping inside his guard to rain down heavy punches and sharp knees. The two men traded a rapid volley of blows, but Danny's brain was severely rattled from the head injury, causing his judgment to fail completely.

Alex tracked the sloppy movement, tricking Danny into a predictable rhythm before suddenly dropping his weight low. He executed a powerful forward leg sweep with his right leg, catching Danny completely off guard.

Danny crashed heavily against the canvas. Like a great white shark pinning its prey, Alex immediately fell on top of his chest, locking his knees hard into Danny's torso while raining a barrage of brutal punches directly into his face.

Danny tried to feebly block the incoming fists with his forearms, but his coordination was totally gone. Alex easily controlled his arms with his left hand, pounding away ruthlessly with his right until the referee rushed forward to pull him off, calling the match.

[Winner by knockout, Number 3, Alex Renaldo!]

The arena exploded into a deafening roar of cheers and applause. Most of the high-society crowd stood up from their VIP seats, showing their appreciation for the brilliant, dominant performance Alex had displayed inside the cage.

Victoria stood up immediately, her face completely expressionless as she looked over at my seat. I offered her a calm smile, standing up to join her side while Mei, James, and Ashley followed our lead.

Our small group started quietly heading toward the exit corridors, completely refusing to stay behind for Alex's loud showboating time. I could easily tell Victoria was thoroughly displeased with his behavior, likely because he had shamelessly called her his sweetheart in front of the entire tournament board. He had obviously forgotten that they were strictly corporate partners.

Alex waved dramatically toward Tina's section, but his face dropped the moment he noticed Victoria and me walking away without offering a single wave or smile. He looked incredibly disappointed by our departure, though he would probably slap himself tomorrow morning once he watched the official video replay of his offensive speech.

After parting ways with James and Ashley near the security gate, the three of us climbed straight back into Hana's sports car. As I drove slowly down the dark streets like a good boy, Victoria pulled out her smartphone with a cold, detached expression, dialing her assistant.

"Donna, it's me. Pay the full contract cancellation fee to Floppy Tech immediately and terminate our commercial agreement by morning. Yes, that's right. I want it finalized before business hours begin, that's all."

She shoved the smartphone back into her purse, turning her eyes toward the driver's seat after noticing I wasn't going to pry into her corporate choices. "You are entirely correct, Rick. In the business world, personal loyalty is the most important criteria. I will absolutely never do business with that man again."

I smiled quietly to myself, keeping my eyes fixed on the asphalt ahead. That hadn't been what I meant at all when I spoke about loyal women, but I realized the heavy relief I was feeling right now matched exactly what she must have felt when I rejected Ana Zi's calling card. Had she truly canceled a multi-million dollar contract for her own corporate pride, or had she done it for me?

Victoria frowned at the windshield after a few minutes, noticing the lack of weekend cars on the road while I continued to drive exactly at the legal speed limit. A defeated smile touched her lips, her posture relaxing against the leather seat. "How about you drive half-way between your earlier speed and my traditional style, and try that?"

I caught Mei's smug, I-told-you-so look through the rearview mirror, letting out a soft chuckle as I gripped the steering wheel tighter. "Men are usually terrible at reading mixed signals, Victoria, but I think I can meet that request perfectly. Hold on."

Even though I told her to hold on, I only pushed the Camaro ten miles over the official limit, constantly watching her body language to check for any signs of physical tension. Within a few blocks, I found Victoria's absolute sweet spot for driving.

Pulling the rumbly sports car up to the front doors of the Velvet Tower, Vicky sat in the passenger seat for a long moment, staring quietly at the entrance without saying a word. I kept the engine idling, waiting for her to move.

I had a brief, imaginative thought that she was about to invite me upstairs to her private apartment, but since Mei was sitting directly in the back seat, I threw that ridiculous idea straight out the window. Victoria finally turned to face me, her eyes softening behind her gold rims.

"Rick, next Friday evening after we finish grading the student workload, I am going to cook some easy finger foods at my place. I would like to get your raw opinion on the recipes, how does that sound?"

"Sure, that is completely fine with me," I agreed easily, offering her a warm nod. "Then Mei can just come and pick me up from your building whenever we are finished."

Victoria smiled beautifully at my quick agreement, offering a single nod before stepping out into the cool night air. She offered us a brief wave before walking past the glass doors of her tower, the building security tracking her path until she reached the elevator.

I shifted the Camaro into gear and pulled away from the curb, letting Mei slide straight into the front passenger seat now that we were alone. The entire way home at high speed, Mei did nothing but stare at my face with a massive, knowing grin until I finally couldn't handle the silent pressure anymore."What is it, Mei?"

"You genuinely like her," she stated flatly, her eyes twinkling.

I let out a heavy, defeated sigh, tapping my fingers against the steering wheel as the highway lines flew past. "Mei, your elite spy skills are truly top-notch to catch a detail like that. Anything else, Captain Obvious? It's only a small crush on my part, so drop it."

Mei looked sad, clearly disappointed that I hadn't made the conversation more fun and had just bluntly admitted it.

"She definitely likes you," she insisted, her voice dropping to a softer tone.

I reached across the console and gently patted her head, which made her look at me completely stupidly, though I just kept my eyes on the highway as I spoke. "Just focus on keeping me alive and ignore my love life, Mei. I already have more than enough on my plate right now. If things are meant to be with her, they will be, but if it's not, it's completely okay. I know you're only trying to help me with your constant observations, but... I really need to focus on getting stronger and living. The rest will fall into place, and besides, having a small crush is just healthy."

Mei turned her head to look out the side window, a soft smile touching her lips as she thought about how incredibly naive I could be about women.

Then, a completely absurd thought suddenly ran through her mind, catching her entirely off guard.

She quietly muttered a few words under her breath, her voice safely hidden by the loud, roaring rumble of the Camaro's engine. "Fuck, am I actually having feelings of jealousy?!"