Exhibition Match

Situ Changtian brought Zhang Shuai and Huang Tianli into the private room to wait for a moment. Soon, as the bar's noisy music ceased, the host's voice came over the microphone, signaling that the first match of the day had officially begun.

The first to enter the ring was Joseph, a Black fighter from the Beautiful Country. Judging by the waves of cheers from the audience, Joseph was quite popular. When the host announced that Zhang Shuai from the Dragon Kingdom was entering, the cheers from the crowd were just as strong; it seemed Zhang Shuai had gained quite a few fans from his previous match.

Joseph's skin was very dark—well, Black people naturally have dark skin, but Joseph's was among the darkest of the dark. It was smooth, shiny, and as black as charcoal, appearing even darker than the many other Black people in the bar. Perhaps his lineage was simply more pure.

Joseph stood about one meter seventy-eight, just a little taller than Zhang Shuai. He wore his hair in a buzz cut and was shirtless, his body covered in bulging muscles, with his abdominal muscles clearly defined in blocks. At a glance, he was clearly a power-based fighter.

The iron gate of the octagon was locked, and Joseph and Zhang Shuai stood in the arena, staring at each other from a distance of three meters.

Zhang Shuai looked at this pitch-black fellow and thought he looked just like a chimpanzee; he was truly hideous.

Joseph's expression was grave. Although Zhang Shuai looked smaller in both height and build, Joseph dared not underestimate him in the slightest. Yesterday, Mikhail had suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of Zhang Shuai, ending up in a miserable state with his face completely disfigured; he would likely be in the hospital for months before he could recover.

There was no such thing as luck for the winner of an underground boxing match; it was the truest reflection of strength. If Zhang Shuai could defeat Mikhail, he must possess extraordinary power. Furthermore, he had heard that this young man from the Dragon Kingdom knew kung fu. Dragon Kingdom kung fu was world-famous, and Joseph had certainly watched its movies. Nowadays, there were two superpowers on Blue Star: one was the Beautiful Country, and the other was the Dragon Kingdom from the East!

The modern Dragon Kingdom was not a bit weaker than the Beautiful Country in terms of economy, technology, or military strength. The status of the Beautiful Country, once the sole hegemon of Blue Star, had gradually declined, replaced by the rising international influence of the Dragon Kingdom. In recent years, the entire world had begun to understand and study the civilization of the Eastern Dragon Kingdom.

In the eyes of the Western elite, the Dragon Kingdom was the only ancient civilization that had survived to this day. Its unique characters were the most wondrous and difficult to learn in the world, yet every Western linguistic expert admitted that the Dragon Kingdom's writing was the most advanced in existence. It was more efficient and accurate than any other language, while also possessing greater artistry and imagery.

Joseph was currently learning the Dragon Kingdom's language. He was obsessed with its culture. To him, the Eastern Dragon Kingdom was mysterious and incredibly beautiful. The reason he fought in these matches was his desire to earn enough money to travel there, to see the magnificent landscapes and experience the customs and people of the Dragon Kingdom for himself.

Therefore, seeing Zhang Shuai standing in the ring with such a calm and composed air, Joseph took the initiative to greet him in a friendly manner.

"Hello! Friend from the Dragon Kingdom, I really like your culture. So, if you feel you can't beat me later, you can tell me, and I will go easy on you!"

Zhang Shuai, who had been wearing an indifferent expression, widened his eyes in surprise when Joseph suddenly spoke in the Dragon Kingdom's tongue.

A pitch-black man could actually speak the language? Although it wasn't very standard and sounded a bit thick-tongued and awkward, Zhang Shuai understood it nonetheless.

Hearing the Dragon Kingdom's language from the mouth of a Black man in this foreign land, Zhang Shuai felt an inexplicable sense of warmth. Looking at Joseph again, he thought, Hmm, he doesn't seem quite so ugly anymore!

Aside from his skin being black, he still looked quite human; he definitely shouldn't be called a chimpanzee!

Moreover, this man was clearly showing goodwill and said he liked the culture—a claim Zhang Shuai believed, as the fact that he could learn the language proved his genuine interest.

Given this, Zhang Shuai decided to pull his punches a bit later and try not to hurt the man.

"Hello, my Black friend. I didn't expect you to speak our language. Tell you what, since you like our culture, I'll go easy on you later so you don't lose too badly."

Joseph said with dissatisfaction, "Friend, don't brag. Although Dragon Kingdom kung fu is very powerful, I am also very strong. You..."

Before Joseph could finish his sentence, the host outside the ring had already blown the whistle to start the match.

As soon as the whistle blew, Joseph stopped talking. He immediately entered a combat state, circling Zhang Shuai while looking for an opening to attack.

Zhang Shuai was happy to stall for time, moving his body unhurriedly in sync with Joseph's movements, waiting for him to strike.

The two circled each other for nearly a minute, and the audience began to grow impatient. Boos erupted, and many even shouted insults; they had paid for tickets to see intense, bloody fighting, not to watch two men walk in circles.

Joseph was clearly affected by the crowd's mood. Seeing that Zhang Shuai wouldn't take the initiative, he could no longer hold back. He stomped his foot and lunged forward, charging at Zhang Shuai like a black panther.

Zhang Shuai stood motionless, waiting for Joseph to rush in. As he saw Joseph swing his right arm, throwing a punch toward his chest, he braced himself.

The punch was like the wind. Zhang Shuai's ears were incredibly sharp, and he could clearly hear the sound of the fist breaking through the air. Just by the momentum of the strike, Zhang Shuai could tell that Joseph was stronger than Mikhail.

For the sake of the match's spectacle, Zhang Shuai chose not to dodge this time. Just as Joseph's fist was about to land on his chest, Zhang Shuai took a half-step back and threw a punch of his own.

The two fists collided in mid-air.

Joseph felt an irresistible, massive force surge through him. He stumbled back several steps, slamming heavily into the wire mesh, which shook violently from the impact. He barely managed to keep his footing.

After finally steadying himself, Joseph realized his entire right hand had gone numb and limp. The pain in his knuckles was piercing, as if he had punched a thick steel plate.

Joseph looked at Zhang Shuai in horror. This young man from the Dragon Kingdom didn't look particularly strong, so how could he possess such terrifying explosive power? His fist felt like iron—was he even human?

After just one exchange, Joseph knew he was no match for Zhang Shuai. However, the rules of the underground ring forbade surrender; the fight could only end when someone was knocked down and lost the ability to continue.

Joseph felt a sense of relief. Fortunately, Zhang Shuai had said he would go easy on him. If he had used his full strength, Joseph figured he would be dead or severely injured.

In truth, Joseph did not know that Zhang Shuai had used less than ten percent of his strength in that punch. If he had gone all out, no normal human could have withstood it.