Chapter 162: The Little Fox's Smile! Xu Ping'an's Debut!
Shen Anyu sent Liu Mi back to the university dorms, watching her sashay away with a satisfied smile.
After dealing with the beauties, he sat in his car, leisurely scrolling through his phone. He replied to various messages from his business subordinates regarding the acquisition of the War God Alliance assets and gave detailed instructions on how to proceed with the dismantling of the Xu Family's business empire.
"Huh..."
Just then, through the holographic feed projected by the [Nanometer Monitoring Robot] onto his retinal display, Shen Anyu noticed something interesting.
"Xu Ping'an actually skipped class? On a Monday morning?"
A playful, predatory look flashed in his eyes as he watched the dot representing Xu Ping'an move towards a seedy part of the city.
"He's quite proactive for a deposed young master. He didn't wallow in self-pity for long."
Shen Anyu tapped the screen, zooming in on the location.
"The Black Dragon Bar? Underground boxing? Heh... predictable."
"He thinks he found a shortcut to wealth. But unfortunately... he won't have a chance to rise! I own the ladder he's trying to climb."
...
[Location: Shanghai - Black Dragon Bar (Underground Level)]
In the bustling metropolis of Shanghai, there were places where the neon lights didn't reach. The famous Black Dragon Bar was one of them. Though located in a secluded, industrial area, it had numerous customers and extremely high prices for its cheap alcohol.
Few people knew—or dared to speak of—the fact that the basement of this Black Dragon Bar had been hollowed out into a massive concrete cavern.
Here, the air was thick with the stench of stale beer, unwashed bodies, cheap tobacco, and the metallic tang of fresh blood.
The ventilation fans rattled overhead, struggling to clear the smoke as the roar of the crowd shook the floorboards above.
This was the Underground Arena.
One after another, brutal, unregulated bare-knuckle fights were held here. There were no referees, no rounds, and no mercy. Only the sound of punches connecting with wet thuds, the snapping of bones, men's guttural cheers, women's shrill screams, and bets involving large sums of black money changing hands.
An underground boxing match here could involve prize pools ranging from several million to over a hundred million Yuan for high-stakes death matches. It was a place where desperate men came to get rich overnight or die trying.
This is an absolute gray area, the dark, festering underbelly of the bustling metropolis.
Even though the underground arena typically peaked at night, there was already a match going on this morning to satisfy the gambling addicts.
Men in expensive suits stood next to thugs in tank tops, both clutching beer bottles, their eyes bloodshot with gambling fever. They threw bundles of cash into the ring, cheering excitedly as two fighters bludgeoned each other.
"Kill him! Kill him! Tear his throat out!"
"I bet two hundred thousand on you, Black Bear! If you lose, I'll break your legs myself!"
"Damn it! Your punches are weak! Did you not eat? Hit harder! A right hook to his jaw! To his eyes! Gouge them out! Damn it, hit hard!!"
"Poisonous Spider! Get up! If you dare to lose, I'll find someone to kill your family! I bet a million on you, how dare you lose?!"
"..."
Xu Ping'an walked through this crazy, chaotic environment. He clutched his cheap backpack tight against his chest.
The noise was deafening. The violence was visceral. He saw a fighter get his nose smashed flat, blood spraying onto the front row spectators who cheered even louder.
But instead of fear, Xu Ping'an's eyes filled with excitement!
"This... this is it! This is where a man should be! It's even more exciting than the World Cup final!"
He had spent a sleepless night in his mother's cramped rental apartment, listening to the rats in the walls, thinking about how to make money fast. How to make a comeback. How to slap Shen Anyu's face with stacks of cash.
He finally decided to start with underground bare-knuckle boxing.
Xu Ping'an had heard rumors before in his wealthy circles. A legendary boxing champion nicknamed "The Destroyer" started from this very underground arena. In a Peak century battle, two people split a sky-high prize pool of three hundred million US dollars in one match!
Three hundred million!
This was faster than a money printing machine! It was faster than robbing a bank!
He had also come to the underground arena of this Black Dragon Bar with his rich friends before as a spectator, betting on lives for fun. He knew the rules. If he could win consecutive matches, earning several million or tens of millions would not be difficult.
Although Xu Ping'an was physically a weakling—a "Combat Scum" with thin arms and no stamina—and hadn't practiced any martial arts...
He had a cheat. He had the [Damage Reflection Aura].
"Heh heh... you mortals are nothing compared to a Protagonist like me with a Golden Finger!"
"You train your muscles? I reflect your damage! Punch me, and you break your own hand! It's invincible!"
Thinking this, Xu Ping'an raised his chin. His eyes were full of unearned confidence and arrogance. He strode to the registration desk located near the cage entrance.
A scar-faced man sat there, counting money.
"I want to sign up. For the next fight."
The scar-faced man looked up. He looked at Xu Ping'an's scrawny frame, his pale student face, and his shaking hands.
"Kid, are you out of your mind? Did you get lost on your way to the library?"
He laughed mockingly, his face full of disdain.
"With those scrawny arms and legs, you want to go up to the underground arena? You're looking for death, aren't you? Or do you have a death wish because your girlfriend dumped you?"
The people next to him—fighters waiting for their turn, covered in tattoos and scars—turned their heads to look at Xu Ping'an. They burst into raucous laughter.
"Hahaha! Look at this fresh meat! This kid must be a student! A newborn calf not afraid of a tiger!"
"Actually wanting to fight bare-knuckle in the arena? He probably can't even take one punch! A slap would kill him!"
"No need to say, if someone punches him, the doctor probably won't even need to come. Just bring a shovel and a bucket."
"Overestimating himself! Go home and drink milk, boy!"
"..."
The surrounding crowd, looking at the slender-limbed, delicate-faced, and clearly inexperienced Xu Ping'an, all mocked him with disdain. Their laughter was sharp and cruel.
Xu Ping'an's face turned ashen with anger. His fists clenched at his sides.
'These ants... how dare they mock me? I am the Son of Destiny!'
He slammed his hand on the desk.
"Shut up! I need money! And none of you can beat me! I am the King of Fighters!"
When these words fell, the room went silent for a second. Everyone looked at each other, bewildered by the audacity.
Then, the laughter exploded even louder than before.
"Bwahahaha! King of Fighters? Did you hear that?"
A muscular man, nearly two meters tall, laughed so hard he bent over, tears streaming from his eyes. He walked over and put his big, heavy hand on Xu Ping'an's shoulder, squeezing it painfully.
"Hahaha, kid, you're quite amusing. You're killing me."
He leaned down, his breath smelling of garlic and rot. He looked Xu Ping'an up and down with a lecherous gaze.
"Tsk tsk... so fair and tender. Little brat, if you need money that badly... why don't you spend a few nights with me instead of fighting? I definitely won't mistreat you! I like pretty boys."
A sharp, murderous glint flashed in Xu Ping'an's eyes.
His background being exposed... being kicked out of the Shanghai Xu Family... losing his identity... losing Jiang Linlin...
He had already been left extremely aggrieved, falling from being the pampered young master to a street rat.
And now, this piece of trash actually treated him like a prostitute?
"Die!"
Without warning, Xu Ping'an hardened his heart. He didn't use a punch. He used the dirtiest trick in the book.
He directly drove his knee upward with all his strength, aiming for the muscular man's groin!
CRUNCH!
The sound of soft tissue being crushed was sickeningly audible.
In an instant, chaos ensued!
A piercing, high-pitched scream echoed through the basement, silencing the crowd!
"AAAAHHH!!! MY BALLS!!!"
The muscular man, caught off guard by the sudden and vicious critical hit, immediately collapsed. He clutched his crotch, rolling on the floor, screaming and wailing like a banshee. Tears and snot splattered on the concrete.
He roared hysterically, his face purple with agony:
"Kill him! This kid is looking for death! Brothers! Beat him to death for me!!!"
In an instant, the atmosphere shifted from mockery to murder.
Several companions of the muscular man—equally burly, tattooed thugs—lunged fiercely at Xu Ping'an. They moved with powerful force, their fists raised like sledgehammers.
They came in a rage, clearly using deadly force!
"Die, you little shit!"
Xu Ping'an's face turned pale instantly. He closed his eyes in fear, flinching away.
Although he knew he had awakened the [Damage Reflection Aura], he had never experienced such a situation before. A real gang beating!
He braced himself for pain.
BAM! BAM! WHACK!
The punches and kicks landed.
A fist hit his jaw. A boot kicked his ribs. Another fist smashed into his nose.
However...
Xu Ping'an felt the impact, but he felt no pain at all. It was as if they were hitting him with pillows.
But the attackers?
"ARGH!"
"MY HAND!"
"MY LEG!"
One by one, the thugs screamed.
The man who punched Xu Ping'an's jaw howled, clutching his hand. His knuckles were shattered, bones protruding from the skin.
The man who kicked Xu Ping'an's ribs fell to the ground, clutching his own shin, which was bent at an unnatural angle. It was as if he had kicked a steel pillar.
The man who punched his nose stumbled back, blood gushing from his own nose, mirroring the damage he intended to inflict.
Within seconds, five burly men were writhing on the floor around Xu Ping'an, groaning in agony.
Xu Ping'an opened his eyes slowly. He touched his face. No blood. No bruise.
He looked at the fallen men.
His eyes immediately lit up with a wild, manic light. His fear vanished, replaced by an intoxicating sense of power.
"Hahaha! It works! It really works!"
He stood tall, looking down at them with contempt. He became smug, arrogant, and untouchable.
He pointed at the groaning men, then swept his finger across the stunned crowd in the arena.
"Trash! All of you are trash!"
"I'm not talking about just one of you... All of you! Every single one here! You are all trash!"
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