The Silence

This was the third fanfic. If you liked it, please bookmark it.

Wherever there was light, there would be darkness...

The dazzling neon lights dazzled people's eyes. Beneath the splendor of this intoxicating city, desires continued to multiply and grow.

Ye Zi stood silently at the alley entrance, his cold gaze sweeping across the people passing beneath the shrouding lights. His tall body blocked the darkness behind him. If he listened carefully, he could sometimes hear the pained cries from deep within the alley, along with the dull thuds of fists striking flesh.

Half an hour ago, at Boss's signal, he had intercepted several slightly drunk men and dragged them straight into the depths of the alley.

Naturally, the purpose was to extort some money from these well-dressed men.

This prosperous metropolis could satisfy every human desire, while the darkness it spawned could destroy any meaningless fantasy. Those drawn here by its splendor would either be lucky or miserable...

"Ye Zi, Boss wants you over there. I'll keep watch here." After a long while, a red-haired young man with a rebellious look on his face walked up behind Ye Zi and patted him on the shoulder.

Ye Zi turned his head and glanced at him, then nodded slightly. Without saying a word, he walked into the alley.

The red-haired young man watched Ye Zi go in from the corner of his eye, disdain flashing through his gaze.

"A guy who crawled out of that place wants to fight?"

He withdrew his gaze from Ye Zi's back and looked toward the streets beneath the bright lights. He muttered coldly, "What a pity. There'll be one less cannon fodder charging ahead from now on."

It seemed he had already foreseen Ye Zi's fate—not crippling... but death.

After walking only a short distance, Ye Zi could hear the laughter coming from deeper inside, as well as the painful cries of a man being struck. He frowned slightly and quickened his pace.

Low-wattage lamps dotted the walls inside the alley. Their dim yellow light was enough to illuminate the murky ground. The visibility was not too bad, so Ye Zi would not trip over anything unseen.

After passing a corner, the pleading cries laced with pain became unmistakably clear.

A sturdy man with a scar across his face sat smoking atop a pile of debris. Not far before him, three men in long shirts and suit pants were cornered against a wall by a group of people, periodically receiving a punch or kick.

Through the dim yellow light, Ye Zi's cold gaze clearly saw one of his companions holding three bulging wallets, along with several watches and gold chains. Yet even after getting what they wanted, they still did not let the men go. Presumably, they simply wanted to indulge in the meaningless pleasure of beating people.

When he walked in, Ye Zi had already anticipated this outcome. He was used to his companions causing extra trouble even after accomplishing their goal. He did not approve of this behavior, but even less did he dare voice his opinion.

Ultimately, what did these three men have to do with him?

After watching for only a moment, Ye Zi withdrew his gaze and walked toward the man sitting on the pile of debris. "Boss, you called for me?"

"You want to fight?" The man spat out the cigarette in his mouth and looked at him indifferently.

"Yes." Meeting the man's calm gaze, Ye Zi nodded firmly.

The corner of the man's mouth twitched slightly. He subconsciously touched the savage scar on his chest and said flatly, "Even I might not be able to beat a single opponent once I stepped into the ring."

"I have to go," Ye Zi said with certainty.

His firm tone made the man pause. After a moment, he said, "Tomorrow, I'll recommend you. The day after that, you'll have to fight."

After a pause, the man's gaze suddenly turned icy. "If you dare to lose your nerve after I recommend you, I'll make you wish you were dead."

Ye Zi's heart tightened. He nodded heavily to show that he understood.

Seeing this, the man's cold gaze gradually returned to normal.

"Once you step into the ring, one of you has to die. I hope it won't be you."

Ye Zi clenched his fists involuntarily and forced a muffled sound from his nose. He knew the rules here. This was not an underground boxing match, but a death match put on for people's entertainment. Once you entered the ring, lacking the ability meant death. There was no room for luck.

If he could, he truly did not want to go to that wretched place. But he had to, because he needed a great deal of money—or rather... a great deal of medical expenses.

If he wanted to gather a large sum of money in a short time, this was currently his only choice.

"Wait for me... Little Rui," Ye Zi silently said in his heart.

Two days later, the much-anticipated Death Match was held as scheduled beneath the largest entertainment venue in the city.

The arena was a steel-enclosed ring. Bright lights illuminated every detail of it, making it look like a massive, cold birdcage.

The ring was brightly lit, while the spectator stands were shrouded in darkness, with only the faint outlines of people visible.

Suddenly, passionate music rang throughout the venue, instantly igniting the crowd's fervor. Wave after wave of cheers rose and overlapped with the music because... the Death Match was about to begin.

As usual, the announcer gave the popular fighters an impassioned and lengthy introduction. Whenever he reached an important point, the audience would roar excitedly.

Everyone who could sit here was either rich or powerful. At this moment, they sat in the dim corners, venting the darker side of human nature to their hearts' content.

When the announcer introduced Ye Zi, he deliberately let out a unique mocking laugh.

"Tsk, tsk. Let's see if a sixteen-year-old Little Pudding can even reach Ghost Bear's adorable face, shall we?"

"Hahaha..."

A burst of laughter immediately erupted throughout the venue.

"All right, enough nonsense. Let's welcome the two fighters!"

Creak...

The iron gates on both sides of the ring slowly rose, revealing entrances large enough for people to pass through.

Ye Zi emerged from the passage and stepped heavily into the steel-enclosed birdcage. Looking straight ahead, he saw a brawny man over two meters tall bend down as he passed through the entrance and stepped into the ring.

Judging by their physiques alone, this was already a completely one-sided battle. To the audience, it was nothing more than an appetizer.

Suppressed anger filled Ye Zi's eyes. Only when he was about to enter the ring did he realize he had been set up. He was new here, so the fighter standing across from him should not have been a seasoned victor. But even knowing he had been cheated, he had no other choice.

If he stepped into the ring, he would die.

If he turned and ran, he would die as well.

This place was utterly lawless, just like the place he had struggled so hard to escape from. The difference was that this was a city of luxury and indulgence, while that place was a Slums tied to every kind of filth.

Ghost Bear stared coldly at Ye Zi. The moment the bell signaling the start of the match rang, he would tear Ye Zi apart as quickly as possible. This was his warm-up, as well as an appetizer for the audience.

Ye Zi also stared solemnly at Ghost Bear. That tall, muscular body brought him immense pressure.

Against an opponent like this, he could only use his speed to keep moving, then look for a chance to attack a vulnerable spot. That might give him a chance of winning.

Ding!

The announcer had not announced the start of the match. The bell suddenly rang instead.

Ghost Bear was already accustomed to this. The instant the bell rang, he lunged toward Ye Zi like a pouncing tiger.

Ye Zi, on the other hand, froze for a moment before quickly reacting. By then, Ghost Bear was already close, his huge hand tearing through the air as it slapped toward Ye Zi's head.

The shrill whistle of the air made it impossible to doubt that Ghost Bear could flatten the little brat's head with one palm. In an instant, the first wave of explosive cheers swept through the arena.

A vicious gust struck him. Ye Zi's eyes narrowed slightly, and he abruptly lowered his body, barely avoiding the blow. Taking advantage of the difference in their builds, he moved forward instead and punched toward Ghost Bear's groin.

Ghost Bear had not expected Ye Zi to be so fast. Caught off guard, he had no time to defend.

Bang!

With a muffled thud, Ye Zi's fist slammed solidly into Ghost Bear's vulnerable lower body. The male spectators' cheers instantly died down.

Tearing pain surged from below. Ghost Bear let out a scream, his eyes instantly turning blood-red. If an ordinary person had taken such a heavy blow, the pain would have left him unable to function. But anyone who had survived in the ring for so long possessed extraordinary resistance to blows. Ghost Bear did not lose his fighting ability because of that punch.

"Looking for death!"

The viciousness of the attack made Ghost Bear roar. He drew both arms inward and pulled Ye Zi forcefully into his embrace.

"Oh no..."

Ye Zi had not expected Ghost Bear to counterattack so quickly even after suffering a heavy blow there. His expression changed, and just as he was about to act, an intense impact struck his back.

"Pfft!"

The tremendous force jolted Ye Zi's organs out of place. A mouthful of blood sprayed out, splashing across Ghost Bear's abdomen as Ye Zi's entire face pressed against it.

"Oh! After delivering an astonishing hammer blow to the lower body, adorable Little Pudding has thrown himself into Ghost Bear's loving embrace without the slightest ability to resist. It looks like Little Pudding won't last even a minute."

The ringing in his ears drowned out the sounds of the arena, and his blurred vision was meaningless now. Pressed tightly against muscles hard as rock, he could not open his eyes even a sliver.

Ye Zi suddenly felt fear and cold spreading throughout his body... That sensation was even more terrifying than the intense pain he was suffering.

I'm going to die...

Those three cold, heartless words surfaced in his mind.

If I die here... what will happen to Little Rui?

His body suddenly began to tremble violently, as if ignoring Ghost Bear's immense strength.

"Hm?"

Ghost Bear noticed Ye Zi's final struggle and sneered coldly before increasing his strength. The body struggling in his arms instantly went still.

Endless darkness slowly swallowed Ye Zi...

At the very end... he saw a girl sitting against a hospital bed, a huge smile on her face.

"Big Brother, when I get better, I want to eat lots and lots of snacks."

"Yeah."

Splash...

A cold sensation spread from his cheeks through his entire body.

Ye Zi forced open his heavy eyelids. The gloomy sky and dense curtain of rain entered his vision.

"I'm still alive?"

His faint, pleasantly surprised voice was instantly drowned out by the sound of pouring rain. The pain caused by raindrops falling into his eyes made him close them again.

Once he realized he was still alive, Ye Zi felt aches in every part of his body. Even so, he was incredibly grateful. He did not understand why he was still alive after losing, but as long as he lived, that was enough...

Enduring the pain throughout his body, he laboriously raised an arm to shield himself from the cold rain pouring endlessly from the sky. Then he slowly opened his eyes. When he saw that his arm was thin as a bamboo stalk, he froze.

"What is this..."

Ye Zi stared blankly at the arm, his eyes widening as his mind failed to process what he was seeing.

This was not his arm...!

Ignoring the pain, he struggled to his feet in the cold rain and immediately examined his body. A moment later, he stood stupidly in the rain, allowing the icy water to seep bit by bit into his bones. Slowly, even the last trace of warmth in his heart vanished.

He had become a child—a child so severely malnourished that his body had become skin and bones. He could not even tell how old he was now.

This might have shocked him and left him unable to believe it. He might even have thought it was all a dream. But what he thought of more than anything was a single name—Ye Rui.

"Where is this? Where is this...?"

Ye Zi stood blankly in the rain, muttering to himself. His mind was as muddled as if it had been stuffed with paste. The tangible aches throughout his body, along with the sting and chill of the rain striking him, constantly reminded him that this was not a dream. This was reality.

The sky was frighteningly gloomy, and the rain fell endlessly upon the earth. The air was thick with moisture, making it clear that the rain would not stop anytime soon. In Ye Zi's current condition, continuing to stand in the rain would inevitably kill him within a day.

Fortunately, Ye Zi had a strong will. After realizing how dangerous his situation was, he put survival first and glanced around.

This was a small village. The buildings were arranged in great disorder, with relatively wide gaps between them.

He could not tell where he was, but seeing human buildings reassured him somewhat. After looking up at the sky, he dragged his weak, aching legs toward the extended eaves of a building and finally escaped the bone-chilling rain.

Sitting against the equally cold wall, Ye Zi gazed blankly at the world beyond the eaves. He discovered that the eaves here generally extended outward, and the gutters on them were very wide. It was clear that this place often rained, and that the rain was never light.

As he silently observed the village, where only the sound of rain could be heard, Ye Zi suddenly felt his mouth grow dry. Hunger also came in waves from his stomach. More unbearable than either of these was the bone-deep chill.

He held out his small palm, caught some rainwater, and stuffed it into his mouth, easing the dryness.

"This won't do. I need food."

Ye Zi endured the pain constantly as his gaze wandered over the street, searching for some way to find food.

Having come from the Slums, he had never considered relying on anyone else, even though this body was frighteningly weak.

While thinking about how to get food, he failed to notice the strange incongruity in the village. It was not until night fell that he realized what was strange about it.

There were no lights!

After night descended, this small village, which was not particularly large, became frighteningly quiet. Not a single light appeared.

The moon was hidden behind thick clouds, leaving the world pitch-black. Only the unceasing sounds of wind and rain could be heard.

Looking at the endless darkness before him, Ye Zi used what little strength remained to rub his arms together. At last, he felt fear.