What a Pity

At the counter, Zhou Fu looked at the friendly-faced young lady behind it and politely said, "Hello, could you please check the competition schedule for the student named 'High School Student Beats Up Martial Artist' after today?"

Chen Xiaoke looked confused. Although the Martial Arts Hall had millions of registered members, this name was definitely the most memorable for her.

How could she forget that handsome high school student who was overconfident and didn't listen to advice?

Just three hours ago, she was the one who registered Lin Feng as a member. She just didn't understand why this fat man in front of her was asking this.

Could a high school student even have a specific match?

Did he think he was a contracted martial artist of the Martial Arts Hall?

Besides, what excitement could a high school student's match possibly have?

At this moment, Chen Xiaoke was completely bewildered. Her delicate and cute little face was clearly a bit lost. The service counter was far from the arena, so she didn't know what had happened in the ring.

She also didn't know that Lin Feng, whom she looked down on, had already caused a sensation in the Martial Arts Hall.

"Hello, sir. That high school student registered at the Martial Arts Hall for the first time today and is also participating for the first time. He doesn't have a fixed match."

Despite her confusion, Chen Xiaoke's good professional demeanor allowed her to explain patiently.

Zhou Fu naturally knew this. He said this just to lead into the next topic, so he continued to ask, "Then could you please check the information for this high school student? I'd like to know more about him."

"Sir, I'm sorry, but the Martial Arts Hall has regulations that prohibit the disclosure of customer information."

"Help me out a little, it's just a small token." Zhou Fu took out a membership card from his hand, with a brown envelope placed underneath it. He calmly and quickly put it into the counter and said with a smile, "Just a small favor, a little token of appreciation."

Modern technology was advanced, and money transfers were fast and convenient. However, as a businessman, it was a good habit to carry some cash.

"This..."

The young lady at the counter was startled. After the initial surprise, she doubted herself.

She was being bribed!

Since when did she qualify to be bribed?

This was the first time in her three years here.

Looking at the thickness of the envelope, it probably contained ten thousand New Dollars!

This middle-aged fat man was quite generous; this was almost three months' salary.

It would be a lie to say she wasn't tempted!

If it were a hundred thousand New Dollars, she might have hesitated before agreeing, as it was just a small favor. But for ten thousand, risking being fired would not be worth it.

Although the counter staff at the Thunder Martial Arts Hall didn't have a high salary, their jobs were stable. The working environment and benefits were very good.

Three years ago, only three people were hired for this position. Even though the requirements were high, over ten thousand people applied. It was incredibly difficult for her to be hired. Leaning on the big tree that was the Thunder Martial Arts Hall, even though she was just a counter staff, ordinary people wouldn't dare to bully her.

Not only that, but even her family's safety was guaranteed, so Chen Xiaoke cherished this job very much.

"Sir, please don't joke. These are the rules of the Martial Arts Hall."

Chen Xiaoke's small face drooped slightly, and she said sternly.

As she spoke, her eyes couldn't help but glance at the nearby surveillance cameras.

"It's okay, then I'll wait for you to get off work and treat you to a meal."

Zhou Fu caught the counter girl's glance, smiled, took back the card and envelope, and put them in his pocket.

In his opinion, this young lady was clearly a bit timid. After she got off work, he would directly show her the money, and he didn't believe she wouldn't be tempted.

If that didn't work, he could probably offer a few more tens of thousands.

Of course, he could also go directly to Lin Feng. However, as a businessman, he wanted to be well-prepared and understand the situation before taking action. Ideally, he wanted to finalize everything during his first interaction with Lin Feng.

Negotiations shouldn't drag on for too long; this was his many years of business experience.

"Sir, I'm truly sorry, these are the rules. Even after work, the result will be the same."

There was a follow-up?

She couldn't refuse even if she didn't want to?

Chen Xiaoke was a little tempted, but she still maintained a serious demeanor and refused righteously.

"Alright, then I'm leaving!"

Zhou Fu waved his hand and pretended to leave with regret.

Not long after Zhou Fu left, before Chen Xiaoke could recover, someone else came to inquire about Lin Feng's situation.

However, this time, there was no bribe, so she resolutely and sternly refused.

"I want to see what's so special about you."

After dealing with the inquiry, Chen Xiaoke accessed Lin Feng's information from the backend. Soon, Lin Feng's updated information appeared before her.

"Nine wins and zero losses? He even defeated Gao Tong, who is at the Body Cultivation Ninth Stage and has such a strong record."

At this moment, Chen Xiaoke finally understood why so many people were inquiring about Lin Feng.

"180,000?"

Chen Xiaoke's small mouth parted, clearly shocked. Lin Feng's initial bet of eight hundred had now ballooned to 180,000.

This was also because Lin Feng's authority was too low, with a maximum bet limit of only ten thousand. Otherwise, it would have likely soared to a million.

Even 180,000 was money he couldn't earn in several years!

A high school student earned it all in less than an afternoon.

Chen Xiaoke was so shocked she couldn't snap out of it for a long time.

In a room within the Martial Arts Hall, simply decorated yet exuding luxury, seven figures watched a holographic projection on the wall.

"What do you think?"

The speaker was a middle-aged man, Lin Xuan, the vice-director of the Thunder Martial Arts Hall.

Lin Xuan was a seventh-rank Martial Artist who had refined a fifth-rank Ripping Mad Wolf. As a Demon Spirit Master, his strength was formidable. He wasn't originally at the Martial Arts Hall, but a subordinate called to say they'd found a promising talent, prompting his hurried return.

He was somewhat curious about a high school student causing such a stir at the Martial Arts Hall.

"Reaching Body Cultivation Seventh Stage in his third year of high school is quite good. According to the address on his identification, he's clearly not from a prominent family and doesn't have many resources to aid his cultivation. Therefore, his Martial Arts talent should be considered excellent. However, he didn't refine a Demon Spirit on Awakening Day, so he lacks the talent to become a Demon Spirit Master," a woman stated calmly.

"Without the talent to become a Demon Spirit Master, he's destined to have no value for further development. He might be the strongest in the Body Cultivation realm, but when facing a Demon Spirit Master as a Martial Artist, no matter how strong his combat skills are, they'll be useless."

"What a shame. If he could become a Demon Spirit Master, even with a mid-grade Demon Spirit, his skills would definitely warrant a recommendation to the club."

"Indeed, at least a B-class contract." Many people expressed regret.

As high-level personnel of the Thunder Martial Arts Hall, the club they referred to was naturally the Thunder Club.

The Thunder Martial Arts Hall, as an industry of the Thunder Club, had a duty to recommend talented individuals to the club.

As long as a member displayed Martial Arts talent, after their evaluation, if they were deemed qualified and the member agreed, the Martial Arts Hall would recommend them to the club. A B-class contract wasn't low; it was on the same level as the contract Yage signed with Ju Xing.

Lin Feng's combat skills surprised everyone. His clean and decisive movements, though simple, possessed a certain aesthetic.

Unflashy, simple, yet effective—this already far surpassed the standards of combat techniques, bordering on killing techniques.

Killing techniques were skills that could only be mastered through countless life-or-death battles.

It was truly incredible that a high school student, without experiencing war or hunting Demonic Beasts, could achieve this.

Remember, Lin Feng was only sixteen. Such formidable combat talent was extremely rare.

In the Body Cultivation realm, Lin Feng would likely find it hard to find an opponent.

"It's a shame, a great shame."

Lin Xuan watched Lin Feng's movements on the screen, and even he felt it was a pity.

This combat talent far surpassed the benchmarks for high school and university students; even many Martial Artists didn't possess such skills.

This also indicated how exceptionally talented Lin Feng was in terms of combat prowess.

He had seen many geniuses, those with outstanding Martial Arts talent, even geniuses who refined Earth Ranking Demon Spirits, but he had never encountered a high school student with such combat talent.

Unfortunately, he lacked the talent to become a Demon Spirit Master. If he had it, paired with an all-out offensive Demon Spirit, combined with that combat talent, he would be a nightmare for enemies.

"What a pity."

A long sigh conveyed endless regret.

On the stage, Lin Feng was the center of everyone's attention.

"Damn kid, how dare you trick us! You made me lose ninety thousand New Dollars."

"High school student, keep it up! I bet on you to win."

"Kid, I'm gonna beat you up."

The audience couldn't help but shout, and this time, there were more curses.

Even Gao Tong, a Body Cultivation Ninth Stage, had been brutally defeated, yet he fought dozens of rounds against a Body Cultivation Eighth Stage opponent. Now, even the slowest person understood that Lin Feng had been playing the fool to hide his strength.

"Stop."

During the break, Lin Feng raised his hand, signaling the referee to halt further challenges.

His stamina was somewhat depleted. It would be fine if he encountered someone in the Body Cultivation realm, but if he were unlucky enough to face a First-Rank Martial Artist, it would be quite dangerous.

Therefore, he had no intention of continuing to challenge this time.

He had already caused a sensation. Knowing when to stop would maximize the GG effect.

"I'll be back tomorrow night. I'll directly challenge a First-Rank Martial Artist."

Lin Feng stood in the center of the stage, his voice cold. He gestured, and his figure slowly disappeared as the stage descended, leaving behind waves of cheers.