Hello, Thank You, Soup Dumplings

True to her professional standards as an underground fighter, Li Youba let out her signature growl even though she was exhausted, announcing her victory to the audience.

The rest went as usual: she got her injuries treated, then collected her appearance fee and winnings.

"That was close. If I'd lost because I was hungry, my reputation would've been ruined..."

Clutching her stomach, Li Youba searched for the man who had called out to warn her, but couldn't find him anywhere.

"The guy who spoke up... he must be a 'professional,' right? I'll have to thank him properly if I get the chance..."

"Anyway, food first!"

Li Youba changed into her regular clothes in the locker room and left in a daze.

Meanwhile, two streets away, at a roadside oden stall.

Shiraki Uke and the woman named Nozomi Tenma sat side by side at the stall, having a light late-night snack and chatting on and off.

"Hey, you wandered into the venue by mistake earlier, didn't you? Are you interested in underground women's fighting?"

Chewing on a fish ball, Nozomi Tenma explained:

"The people who organized that event are called 'Underdog Fighting.' They're at the very bottom of the underground fighting scene, and their matches aren't much good."

"Man, I don't know what kind of dumb luck that cheapskate boss had to land Li Youba and Tojo Ran. Maybe it has something to do with the recent upheaval in the yakuza?"

"But I'm not in that world, so I don't really know the details..."

"By the way, what do you do for a living?"

As they chatted, the two opened up.

After Shiraki Uke briefly introduced himself, Nozomi Tenma let out a long sigh, her expression saying, "I know how you feel."

"Oh? So you really are an underground fighter, but you don't belong to an organization yet? That's rough... You can't make much money that way."

"Me? Haha... I'm not doing much better myself..."

Getting carried away, Nozomi Tenma ordered them each a big mug of beer.

"As for me, I'm a decent enough fighter. I wanted to make a name for myself in the legitimate scene, but then I was diagnosed with a detached retina, so I had no choice but to fight 'underground.'"

"After moving through a few organizations, I ended up at Underdog Fighting and got the 'great record' of three wins in three matches."

"...I thought the audience would love me."

"But Underdog Fighting's cheapskate boss said my fighting style was neither bloody nor sexy, so the audience wasn't buying it. Then he told me to pack my bags and get lost!"

"What the hell? Winning by grappling is still winning. If they want a show, they should go watch pro wrestling..."

"..."

Nozomi Tenma tilted her head back and chugged the entire mug of beer. Then she let out a burp, her face flushed with drunkenness, and threw caution to the wind.

"Uh~ So, Nozomi Tenma, age twenty-six, has officially joined the ranks of the unemployed! Another drink to freedom~!"

"Hahahaha..."

Shiraki Uke was in the business too, so he understood everything she said, and Nozomi Tenma needed someone to complain to. She rattled on and on, already treating him as a drinking buddy.

"You're a few years younger than me, aren't you? Just call me 'Xiaoxi,' though. It makes me sound younger~!"

Xiaoxi raised her glass and slung an arm around Shiraki Uke's shoulders.

"Oh, right—why are you out wandering around alone? This late at night... Are you looking for a sex shop? I know someone..."

"..."

Several rounds of drinks later, even the food had lost its flavor.

The two chatted about all sorts of things, and even occasionally traded a few pointers from their experience in the ring.

All the while, Shiraki Uke kept thinking about that "key" from earlier.

—Disrupting his opponent's rhythm.

The purpose of a so-called "deft" move was often not to defeat an opponent in a single blow, but rather to disrupt their rhythm and let one's own "melody" gain the upper hand.

The principle was the same.

The feeling was somewhat similar to the "performance" in women's fighting.

When facing an opponent with a stronger physique, making his own "performance" more dominant and forcibly dragging his opponent into his rhythm was another way to win!

"..."

They drank several more mugs of beer.

Suddenly, Nozomi Tenma got a phone call. She exchanged a few words with a laugh, then hung up.

"Check, please!"

Nozomi Tenma paid for the oden, then grabbed Shiraki Uke and wouldn't let him leave.

"It's rare to hit it off this well, and the night's still young. Let's go somewhere else!"

When he asked, it turned out Nozomi Tenma had two friends who knew she'd lost her job—and received a hefty severance payment—so they were clamoring for her to treat them.

With the drinks going to her head, Nozomi Tenma decided to bring Shiraki Uke along.

Unable to turn her down, and still a little hungry himself, Shiraki Uke went with her.

A Chinese restaurant on the shopping street.

Shiraki Uke, Nozomi Tenma, and two other women sat around a table with beer and food ordered, the atmosphere quite relaxed.

Shiraki Uke rather liked the feeling.

A few friends gathered together, drinking beer and chatting, complaining about their lives and then comforting one another. There was something undeniably real about it.

"..."

Nozomi Tenma told the story of losing her job again. Thoroughly drunk, she grew even more reckless, and the others could only raise their glasses to console her.

Taking the opportunity, Nozomi Tenma introduced everyone to one another.

"The one with the cowlick and shark teeth is Iori Ichika. She's been a bad influence on me since we were kids. She's a cop, and she has a terrible temper."

"She used to be a detective in the Organized Crime Countermeasures Division, but she beat up her incompetent boss and got transferred to the Juvenile Division. Basically, she was forced out! Now she can only make a little money doing shady side work..."

"..."

Nozomi Tenma turned to the other woman.

The woman, who wore a kimono and had long black hair, introduced herself. "Mitani Kana—head of the Jingūji-gumi."

Nozomi Tenma added, "She's the head of a yakuza group."

Hana waved her hands, telling Shiraki Uke not to worry too much about it. "The Jingūji-gumi is very small. We have to rely on other, larger organizations. Even the yakuza can't make money these days. Our expenses exceed our income, and life is hard!"

"..."

"And that's everyone."

Nozomi Tenma spread her hands and looked at Shiraki Uke. "A penniless yakuza, a neglectful cop, and an unemployed bum like me—tonight is relaxation time for us losers!"

Hana couldn't help putting a hand to her forehead. "Xiaoxi, you shouldn't say that. Mr. Bai Mu won't be happy..."

Shiraki Uke shook his head and let out a long sigh. "No, to be honest, I've been worried about something lately too."

"See? See? Who doesn't have problems these days? Life just won't let us off the hook..."

Nozomi Tenma had expected as much and pressed him for the gossip. "Come on, Bai Mu, tell us! You'll feel better if you talk about what's bothering you!"

"Yeah."

Shiraki Uke thought she had a point. He leaned back in his chair and answered seriously, "I have ten million in cash, but I don't know how to spend it."

The three casually teased him. "Haha, sure enough, you have it rough too... Huh?"

Six eyes went wide at once.

Chapter 44: Hello, Thank You, Soup Dumplings

"Huh?!"

"No, wait, whaaat??!!"

The three at the table drew out their cries, eyes wide and faces full of disbelief.

What had they just heard?

What did he mean, "I have ten million in cash, but I don't know how to spend it"?

Was that supposed to be a rich person's problem?

What happened to their "losers' get-together"? How had a traitor ended up among them?!

"Hiss..."

Iori Ichika spread her arms and pulled Nozomi Tenma and Mitani Kana close. The three began whispering.

"Hey, what's the deal with this Shiraki Uke guy?" Ichika stared at Nozomi in surprise. "Where did you meet him?"

"At an Underdog Fighting event..."

Most of Nozomi's drunkenness had worn off. She rubbed her brow and said, "He's an underground fighter too. He should be pretty skilled, but apparently he doesn't belong to any organization."

"He's a strong fighter, but he doesn't belong to an organization—doesn't that make him a free agent? Someone like that must have quite a background!"

Ichika tried to work it out. "I've heard that in the top underground fighting organizations—like the Kengan Association and Purgatory—some fighters don't sign contracts, because there's no need. They usually accept any match that comes their way."

Hana's eyes went wide. "Wait, you're saying he's a fighter from one of those 'cloud-tier' organizations?"

"Could be. There are plenty of weirdos among the top fighters..."