Compensation for Lost Time (Please Read On)

Aah!

Sims curled up on the floor, screaming in agony.

"Don't... I yield... I yield... I was wrong, Brother Qi... Don't hit me anymore!"

Seeing Hu Qi still about to step forward, Sims hastily stopped screaming and began begging for mercy.

A dark red shoeprint was stamped across his face, leaving him in a miserable state.

But he could not afford to care about that. He was terrified that if he spoke too slowly, the other man would kick him again.

He was truly afraid.

The other man's strength was immense. A single blow felt like being struck by an electric scooter speeding at fifty or sixty miles per hour.

His bones felt as though they were about to fall apart. He truly feared that if he spoke a moment too late, the other man would beat him to death.

The sight left the remaining three staring dumbfounded.

They could hardly imagine that Sims, who had always been so domineering and loved bullying others, would actually be beaten to tears.

"Since you know you were wrong, I'll forgive you."

Hu Qi smiled. He was not surprised by this in the slightest.

Most so-called ferocity and dominance in this world existed only because someone had something to rely on—a backer, or formidable strength. But once those things lost their effect,

the fragile heart they had kept hidden would be exposed.

Like an egg stripped of its shell, unbearably fragile.

The Sims before him was clearly that kind of person.

The only reason he had been so arrogant was because his strength far surpassed that of ordinary trainees.

Once the thing he took pride in had been ruthlessly shattered by Hu Qi, he naturally no longer had his previous swagger.

"Look at how long you've delayed me. Shouldn't you compensate me a little for my lost time?"

Hu Qi suddenly changed the subject.

"...Uh, you're right. Yes, that's only proper. But I can't get up right now. Could I trouble you to help me get my phone?"

Sims cursed inwardly, but still forced a smile onto his face.

He did not dare show the slightest hint of displeasure, afraid Hu Qi would kick him again. He pointed at the phone placed nearby.

As an exemplary young man, helping a classmate with limited mobility pick up his phone

was merely a simple favor for Hu Qi.

Naturally, he had no reason to refuse.

Before long.

Ding-dong!

'Dear user, your savings card account ending in 5969 has received a deposit of 20,000 yuan...'

Hu Qi looked at the transfer record on his phone and nodded in satisfaction.

No wonder everyone said money was a good thing. For example, right now.

Looking at Sims's head, swollen into a pig's face, he found it adorable no matter how he looked at it.

"Oh, right. If you want to spar again next time, you can come find me anytime."

Hu Qi reached the doorway, then turned back and gave him the reminder with a smile.

Sims:...

"Hu Qi has gone too far. We are all trainees of the same club, yet he struck with such brutality. If he ever becomes accomplished, he will inevitably bring unrest to society. I suggest revoking this man's Core Class qualification..."

Inside a surveillance room at Red Scale Club, several coaches had gathered to watch the footage playing on the monitors.

Especially when they saw the once-unbeatable Sims being knocked flat by Hu Qi in a few moves, everyone wore different expressions.

Of them all, Chen Wu was the happiest. Although he said nothing,

the corners of his mouth, nearly stretched to his ears, made it obvious that he was in an excellent mood.

However, at that moment, a voice suppressing its anger rang out.

Following the sound, the speaker was a long-haired man with a thin build and a sinister face.

It was He Chi, the coach of Class Three, where Sims belonged.

At this moment, unlike Chen Wu, his face was so gloomy it seemed capable of dripping water.

He had always believed that with Sims and Kaita, he would surely suppress Chen Wu and the other coaches.

Yet he had never expected the result to slap him viciously across the face.

Kaita had lost directly to Hu Qi, leaving only Sims from their class to advance.

And now, even Sims had been defeated.

But after he spoke, he discovered that everyone was looking at him as though he were an idiot.

Chen Wu even sneered.

"Everyone saw it just now. Sims was clearly the one who started provoking him. Hu Qi was forced to act."

"When Sims was beating up other trainees before, why didn't I hear you say that? And with your status, don't you have any idea what you are? What right do you have to revoke a Core Class trainee's qualification?"

Chen Wu's words left He Chi's face flushed red.

Just as he was about to say something.

"Enough."

At that moment, Lin Tong, seated to the side, spoke faintly and interrupted them.

He raised his head, swept his gaze over everyone, then finally let it settle on He Chi.

"You're an old hand too. Don't you understand why Red Scale Fighting Club was established? What we need are true experts who dare to fight and kill, not a bunch of cowards and trash."

The meaning behind his words was very clear.

He Chi's body trembled, and his face turned a shade paler.

Blinded by rage just now, he had forgotten the identity of the man before him.

"Brother Lin... you're right. I let appearances cloud my judgment. I'll definitely be more careful in the future."

Lin Tong said nothing. He merely waved his hand, telling everyone to leave.

Seeing this, He Chi's face turned even paler. As he headed out, his body swayed slightly.

As a Silver Fist Class fighting expert, such a thing should clearly have been impossible for him.

But Lin Tong's status was there.

As long as he spoke a single word,

it would be enough to cast He Chi into the abyss.

After everyone had left,

Lin Tong looked at the surveillance screen. Recalling something he had noticed earlier, he felt strange.

"This person's displayed strength is already infinitely close to the limits of the human body.

Not only that, his perception seems exceptionally keen. He should have discovered that he was being watched. Interesting..."

Crash!

An exquisite jade teacup was smashed forcefully onto the floor. Tea and shards scattered in all directions, staining the carpet with a patch of deep black.

"Useless trash! What am I keeping you for? You had a target, and a whole week has passed, yet you still can't find the murderer?"

Lu Mingzhong's face was as dark as water.

Though he was already over fifty, he had maintained himself exceptionally well. He wore a neat suit, and his black hair, without a single strand of gray, was groomed meticulously.

Having held a high position for many years, and having once been a ruthless man in his youth who dared to fight and kill, he had built his current fortune with his own hands.

As time passed, that imposing presence had merely been restrained, not disappeared.

Now, it erupted in full.

It made the two tattooed young men kneeling before him go pale. Even their faces had been cut by flying teacup shards, leaving several bleeding wounds.

Yet neither dared make the slightest move to wipe themselves clean. They remained obediently prostrate on the floor, not daring to utter a single word.

After smashing another cup,

Lu Mingzhong finally vented the rage that had built up in his heart, and his expression eased somewhat.