On the top floor of the Thunder Dragon Bar, in Zhou Hu's private box, which also served as his office.
Yu Feng pushed the door open and saw Zhou Hu turn his office chair halfway around, shifting his gaze from the window to him.
"Coach Yu, what brings you here?"
Yu Feng glanced at him without answering, then walked to the window and looked down at the two fighters stepping into the ring.
"So it's Li Jun."
He said it evenly.
Zhou Hu came over too, then dropped onto the sofa.
He picked up a bottle of liquor and poured some into a crystal glass. Taking a casual sip, he smacked his lips.
"It is. He wants to sign a contract, so I'm checking him out."
"You're having the new guy do it?"
Yu Feng raised an eyebrow.
Zhou Hu gave him a couple of measured looks and smiled.
"Coach Yu, don't you have faith in the rookie you're training?"
Yu Feng looked back at him and spoke slowly.
"I just think there's too much of a gap between them to show what Li Jun can do."
Zhou Hu looked at him for a moment, noncommittal.
"Is that so? Who knows? I think the kid might have some skill."
He swirled the liquor in his glass, watching the orange-yellow liquid form a whirlpool. A trace of fascination flickered in his eyes.
"If you don't push him a little, how can you tell whether he's the right man for the job?"
Yu Feng's brow twitched.
"Push him too hard, and you might crush him."
"If he can't handle even that, then he can die for all I care."
The scar on Zhou Hu's face twisted. He tipped his head back and downed the liquor in one gulp.
In the ring.
Chen Chong wore a black, tight-fitting T-shirt, matching athletic shorts, and white sneakers.
His opponent, a burly man, wore only a pair of white shorts. His upper body was completely bare, revealing a blue dragon tattoo winding across his shoulders and back, along with several scars and even bullet marks.
He wasn't especially tall, barely reaching 1.8 meters. His muscles weren't as bulky as Zhang Yao's or as powerfully built as Yu Feng's, but they looked exceptionally dense and strong.
His hard features were shadowed by a grim expression. A messy crop of hair bounced with each light hop, swaying like wild grass.
Li Jun looked restless, gloomy, and vicious.
He stared at Chen Chong and said coolly,
"Can't tell how you managed to kill Zhang Yao."
Chen Chong felt the dangerous aura coming off his opponent, but his expression didn't change.
"No problem. You can ask him later."
The crowd erupted in an uproar, watching the ring in excitement.
They hadn't expected the notorious Li Jun to be the first one threatened with death!
Li Jun might not put on as much of a show as Zhang Yao, but he was just as popular with the spectators because whenever he struck, blood was sure to flow.
No wonder the guy had killed Zhang Yao in such a brutal fashion in his last fight... As soon as word got out that Chen Chong would be stepping into the ring today, the bar's crowd had been noticeably bigger than usual.
Li Jun's face darkened at once. He said viciously,
"Cocky little punk. I'll make you regret it soon enough. I'll kill you, then take my shot at becoming a contracted fighter next time!"
"Then it looks like you won't get the chance to sign."
Chen Chong smiled at him.
The referee judged that they'd exchanged enough words. He motioned for them to step apart, gestured between them, then abruptly waved his hand.
As he quickly retreated to the edge of the ring, Chen Chong and Li Jun both raised their guards. Li Jun's stance was looser, though.
That didn't mean he was leaving an opening.
Wang Li had spent a long time explaining the traits of gangster fighters to Chen Chong. Li Jun was a typical example.
Their fighting techniques were far from textbook. Many of them were downright unorthodox, but most had been forged in countless bloody street fights. They were practical, without a doubt.
And besides standard fighting techniques, their arsenals included plenty of dirty tricks. The groin, throat, and eyes were always prime targets.
Someone had once counted that Li Jun had gouged more eyes and crushed more balls in the ring than all the other official fighters combined.
Chen Chong watched Li Jun's aggressive gaze and stance, moving slowly on his feet.
Li Jun kept changing position. His upper body repeatedly dipped forward in feints as he tossed out a series of "heys" and "hahs," making as if to launch an attack.
But after a long while, he still hadn't gone beyond testing the waters. The spectators looked puzzled.
Since when had Li Jun, famous for his aggression and ruthlessness, become so cautious?
He looked like a monkey hopping around in place.
Li Jun himself was growing more cautious by the moment.
To survive on the streets and dominate among the official fighters, he couldn't be some brainless brute.
He'd tried to draw a reaction out of his opponent so many times, and the other man hadn't taken the bait once.
Either his eyes were exceptionally sharp, or his nerves were rock-steady—or both.
Whatever the case, it spoke to solid fundamentals. The guy had to have at least five years of systematic training... Given how young he looked, he might have been boxing since childhood.
Li Jun snorted, but showed no concern.
He'd killed plenty of fighters like this.
There was only one way to deal with them quickly: overwhelm them head-on!
Li Jun was good at dirty tricks, but he could also throw heavy punches with devastating force.
With his Beam Setting nearly at Great Mastery, few official fighters could withstand his onslaught!
Once he'd sized up the situation, a gleam flashed in Li Jun's eyes. With a strange cry, he lunged forward!
Seeing Li Jun finally make his move, Chen Chong narrowed his eyes.
No wonder Li Jun had a reputation. He was as fast as lightning, covering the distance in an instant.
Chen Chong saw the jab shoot straight toward his face like a spear. He instinctively activated the Breathing Method, turning his head to dodge, then slapped at Li Jun's other fist, which had been held in reserve.
Fist and palm collided. Chen Chong's arm shuddered; it felt like a hammer had slammed into it.
The blow was far stronger than Zhang Yao's, but at least it didn't hurt much.
He seized for Li Jun's wrist, while his other hand came around, ready to use the Grappling Style from his Combat Drill.
Li Jun was still surprised that Chen Chong's palm strike had felt impossible to budge, but his body reacted instinctively when he sensed the move. His left hand slipped back like a loach, and his right fist, having missed, swiftly pulled inward to grab Chen Chong's ear.
The instant Chen Chong's hand missed, he felt a gust of wind behind his head. He exhaled in rhythm and quickly took a big step back, just dodging Li Jun's right hand and opening up some distance between them.
Before he'd even planted his feet, Chen Chong went with the momentum of his retreat and spun into a back kick, sweeping at Li Jun's ear!
Li Jun was fast, but even he couldn't dodge Chen Chong's clever follow-up kick. He had no choice but to brace both arms beside his head and take the blow head-on.
He stumbled, then rolled across the ground, perfectly dispersing the force. He wasn't hurt, but when he got back to his feet, he watched Chen Chong warily, his face grim.
"Holy crap, Li Jun just got kicked flying!"
"Who exactly is Chen Chong? Is he going to kill Li Jun after killing Zhang Yao?"
"Li Jun's trying to get signed! If this guy beats him, does that mean he'll go from a warm-up match to an official fight, then get signed after just one more?"
"No way! I bet big today! Hey, server, bring me a Green Mood!"
"Relax, Li Jun only looks like he's in trouble. He's still testing the waters. Once he shows what he can really do, the young guy won't be able to take it."
In the box, Zhou Hu watched the ring and chuckled.
"See? I told you he had something!"
Yu Feng didn't answer. He just stared at Chen Chong, an unusual look in his eyes.
In the ring.
Li Jun brushed the dust off himself and said with a dark expression,
"You've got decent skills."
Chen Chong smiled faintly.
"Thanks. Want to give up?"
"Hmph. I'm telling you, it ends here."
Li Jun's eyes flashed.
"There's no way your level is higher than mine, and your experience is nowhere near mine. You have no idea how many life-or-death fights it took me to get where I am. But you'll soon find out just how big the gap between us is!"
When he finished, he charged forward in two quick steps and launched a flying kick straight at Chen Chong's chest!
A glint appeared in Chen Chong's eyes. He gave up on the idea of grabbing Li Jun's leg and ending the fight in front of everyone.
He dodged with a quick sidestep and turned around, just in time to see Li Jun back on his feet, chopping a palm toward him!
Chen Chong didn't flinch. His left hand went to chop at Li Jun's right wrist, while his right fist shot toward Li Jun's face.
This time, though, Li Jun changed tactics. He ignored Chen Chong's attacks, glaring and letting out a strange cry as he thrust the index and middle fingers of his left hand toward Chen Chong's eyes!
Chen Chong frowned. He wasn't sure whether his Taotie form could make his eyes resistant to a fierce attack, so he pulled back his right fist and raised his palm to block Li Jun's Two Dragons Playing with a Pearl.
That half-beat delay gave Li Jun the upper hand. He attacked like a madman, shouting as he threw both hands at Chen Chong's head, face, throat, chest, and stomach, without regard for his own safety.
Every strike was precise, taking the best route to a vital point. His hands moved so fast that the spectators could barely see more than a blur.
Chen Chong focused entirely on defense, needing all his concentration to block every attack. Fortunately, his fighting skills and Breathing Method had both reached a high level. He could keep pace with Li Jun and even launch a few fierce counterattacks.
But Li Jun was like a madman. He paid no attention to Chen Chong's attacks. Whenever Chen Chong had a hand free to strike back, Li Jun immediately escalated, targeting his vital points with even more vicious moves, even if it meant they both got hurt. Several times, Chen Chong had been forced to pull back his attacks by the same tactic. He soon found himself completely on the defensive.
Watching the style of trading blows and relentlessly attacking vital points, the spectators were so caught up in the knife-edge tension that they held their breath;
Li Jun, for his part, stared wide-eyed, radiating menace and utter confidence.
He believed that even among these underground fighters, nobody could match his ferocity. He'd come up through the streets, starting as a low-level gang member. He'd fought countless times and made his name through sheer ruthlessness to become a leader. Then, after a betrayal, he'd fled to the Wasteland, becoming a Thunder Dragon fighter who could never escape.
He was cruel to his enemies, but even crueler to himself. He truly didn't care if he got hurt.
Once, in the ring, he'd faced an opponent who was even stronger than he was. He couldn't beat him at first, so he'd used the same suicidal tactics, gradually making the other man lose his nerve. Despite having the advantage, the opponent had ended up beaten to death, blow by blow. By the time the referee raised Li Jun's arm, he was drenched in blood and could barely stay on his feet without leaning against the referee. Yet that fight had earned him thunderous applause from Zhou Hu in the box, as well as a wildly cheering crowd.
This time, Li Jun planned to use the same method to beat Chen Chong to death.
That alone showed how difficult Chen Chong was to handle. When Li Jun fought this way, most opponents couldn't hold out for long.
But Chen Chong had already been standing his ground for a while. Even on the defensive, he kept fighting steadily.
And gradually, he began to trade blows with Li Jun, just as Li Jun did with him.
Chen Chong had clearly had enough of the fuss and formalities of a normal fight.
Once he'd gotten used to his opponent's rhythm, he ignored any attacks that weren't aimed directly at his eyes, throat, or other vital spots, and threw a punch back.
Li Jun sneered.
Just as he'd thought: Chen Chong was losing his nerve.
As for who was tougher? Nobody could beat him!
As for who could take more punishment? Among the official fighters, nobody had a higher level than he did!
If they used the same tactics, he'd be the only one to win!
He punched Chen Chong in return. Chen Chong jerked from the blow, while Li Jun's body shuddered.
But he didn't flinch. He just rained punches down on Chen Chong.
That naive young man across from him did the same. Both of them had abandoned defense and were unleashing their attacks on each other.
The direct, violent exchange sent the spectators into a frenzy. Their faces flushed as they cheered loud enough to shake the rafters!
They shouted both fighters' names and urged them on, calling for them to beat the other man senseless and stay on their feet!
It was clear, though, that Li Jun had far more supporters than Chen Chong.
But amid the crowd's cheers, Li Jun gradually sensed that something was wrong.
How could the other guy's bones be so damn hard?
Blood was slowly seeping from the corner of Li Jun's mouth. He was only holding back the urge to spit it out. Chen Chong, by contrast, was full of energy, his expression calm, as if Li Jun's fists weren't even hitting him!
Li Jun was bewildered. He was already spitting blood. How could Chen Chong show no reaction at all?
Was he pretending? But his punches still had force, while Li Jun could only manage six or seven tenths of his strength.
Should he keep going a little longer? He was already nearing his limit...
No! Nobody could be tougher than him.
Gritting his teeth, Li Jun held on. Blood seeped from the corner of his mouth, staining his chin, his chest, and the ring beneath his feet.
After a few more exchanges, Li Jun saw that Chen Chong's expression was still calm.
He looked closely and saw Chen Chong's eyes, as tranquil as a lake, reflecting his own battered appearance.
Something was wrong...
By the time he finally noticed, it was already too late.
Li Jun abruptly backed away a few steps, clutching his chest, his mouth full of blood.
"You?! You... cough, cough... You can't feel pain?"
Chen Chong lowered his hands and slowly advanced on Li Jun.
"I'm a pretty tough guy."
As Chen Chong drew closer, Li Jun backed away in fear, step by step. His earlier arrogance was gone.
The referee showed no sign of calling the fight early. Li Jun had never surrendered before, and he found it hard to bring himself to do so now. He also had no idea whether it would do any good against Chen Chong, who had stamped Zhang Yao's head to pieces.
As Chen Chong steadily advanced, Li Jun grew more and more anxious.
Suddenly, he felt something behind him. He'd backed right up against the ropes.
There was nowhere left to retreat.
His heart leapt into his throat. Facing Chen Chong, Li Jun tensed every muscle, his eyes darting frantically.
Chen Chong's reflection in his eyes grew bigger, clearer. He kept walking, slowly drawing closer, closer and closer, approaching Li Jun as he backed into the corner—and still coming...
It was only a few steps, but to Li Jun, they seemed endless.
Then Chen Chong took another step, pushing Li Jun past his breaking point.
At last, he couldn't take it anymore—
He rolled his eyes back, went limp, and toppled to the ground.
By sheer bad luck, when he passed out, he landed on the bottom rope and rolled right out of the ring.
As the entire crowd watched in silence, Li Jun rolled several times and smoothly continued straight into the passageway.
Before you continue