What a Pity

At the counter, Zhou Fu looked at the friendly, smiling clerk and said politely, "Hello, could you help me check the matches that student named 'High School Student Beats Up Martial Artist' has after today?"

Chen Xiaoke looked utterly puzzled. Though the martial arts hall had millions of registered members, that name was definitely the one that had left the deepest impression on her.

How could she forget that handsome high school student who had overestimated himself and refused to listen to advice?

Just three hours ago, she had been the one to register Lin Feng's membership card. She simply did not understand why this fat man was asking about him.

Could a high school student even have designated matches?

Did he think he was a contracted martial artist of the martial arts hall?

Besides, what could possibly be exciting about a high school student's matches?

Chen Xiaoke was completely dumbfounded. Her delicate, adorable face was plainly bewildered. The service counter was far from the arena, so she had no idea what had happened over there.

Nor did she know that Lin Feng, whom she had looked down on, had already caused a sensation in the martial arts hall.

"Hello, sir. That high school student registered with the martial arts hall for the first time today, and this is also his first competition. He doesn't have any fixed matches."

Though puzzled, Chen Xiaoke's professional standards still made her explain patiently.

Zhou Fu naturally knew all this. He had only said it to lead into what came next, so he continued, "Then help me look up that high school student's information. I'd like to know more about him."

"Sorry, sir. The martial arts hall has regulations. Customer information cannot be disclosed."

"Help me out. Just a little token." Zhou Fu took out a membership card, with a kraft paper envelope tucked beneath it. Calmly and swiftly, he slipped both into the counter, smiling as he said, "Just a small favor, a little token of appreciation."

Modern technology was highly advanced, and transfers were quick and convenient. Still, as a businessman, keeping some cash on hand was a good habit.

"Th-this..."

The clerk was startled. Once her initial shock passed, she began to doubt herself.

Someone had actually tried to bribe her!

Since when had she become important enough to be bribed?

This was the first time in her three years on the job.

Judging by the thickness of that envelope, there had to be ten thousand New Dollars inside!

This middle-aged fat man was certainly generous. That was three months of her salary.

It would be a lie to say she was not tempted!

If it had been a hundred thousand New Dollars, she might have agreed after only a little hesitation. It was just a small favor, after all. But risking dismissal for ten thousand? The loss would outweigh the gain.

The counter clerks at Thunder Martial Arts Hall did not earn particularly high salaries, but their jobs were secure through drought and flood alike, with excellent working conditions and benefits.

Three years ago, only three people had been recruited for this position. Although the requirements had been demanding, more than ten thousand people had applied. For her to be selected had been like choosing one from ten thousand—not easy at all. With Thunder Martial Arts Hall as the great tree behind her, even if she was only a counter clerk, ordinary people truly did not dare bully her.

Not only that, even her family's safety was guaranteed. That was why Chen Xiaoke treasured this job so dearly.

"Sir, please do not joke around. These are the martial arts hall's regulations."

Chen Xiaoke's little face fell slightly as she spoke in a stern tone.

As she spoke, her gaze involuntarily drifted toward the surveillance cameras nearby.

"It's fine. Then I'll wait until you get off work and treat you to dinner."

Zhou Fu caught the clerk's glance and smiled as he took back the card and envelope, slipping them into his pocket.

In his view, this little clerk was clearly just timid. Once she got off work, he would place the money right in front of her and see if she could still resist.

If that did not work, a few more tens of thousands would probably settle it.

Of course, he could have gone directly to Lin Feng. But as a businessman, he preferred to be fully prepared, to understand everything clearly before making a move. Best of all, he wanted to make a decision upon his first contact with Lin Feng.

Never drag negotiations out too long. That was business experience accumulated over many years.

"Sir, I'm truly sorry. Those are the regulations. The result would be the same even after I get off work."

There was more to come?

She could not refuse even if she wanted to?

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

"Fine, then. I'm leaving!"

Zhou Fu waved his hand and left with feigned regret.

Not long after Zhou Fu left, before Chen Xiaoke had even recovered her wits, someone else actually came to inquire about Lin Feng.

This time, however, there was no bribe, so she rejected them decisively and sternly.

"I'd like to see what makes you so different."

After dealing with them, Chen Xiaoke pulled up Lin Feng's information from the back end. Soon, his updated records appeared before her eyes.

"Nine matches, nine victories? He even defeated Gao Tong, a Body Cultivation Ninth Stage fighter with such a strong record."

Only then did Chen Xiaoke understand why so many people had come asking about Lin Feng.

"Eighteen hundred thousand?"

Chen Xiaoke's little mouth fell open. She was clearly shocked. Lin Feng's eight-hundred-New-Dollar wager had already surged to 180,000.

That was only because Lin Feng's permissions were too low, with a maximum wager limit of just ten thousand. Otherwise, it would probably have soared past a million.

Even 180,000 was money she could not earn in several years!

Yet a high school student had earned it in less than one afternoon.

Chen Xiaoke sank into shock and could not regain her senses for a long time.

In a simply decorated yet luxurious room within the martial arts hall, seven figures watched the holographic projection on the wall.

"What do you all think?"

The speaker was a middle-aged man, Lin Xuan, deputy hall master of Thunder Martial Arts Hall.

Lin Xuan was a Seventh-Rank Martial Artist. He had refined a fifth-rank Ripping Mad Wolf, and as a Demon Spirit Master, his strength was formidable. He had not originally been at the martial arts hall, but after a subordinate called to say they had found a promising prospect, he hurried back.

He was also curious that a high school student could cause such a stir in the martial arts hall.

"A high school senior reaching the Body Cultivation Seventh Stage means his strength is fairly good. Judging from the address in his identity information, he clearly is not the child of a major lineage and has not had many resources to aid his cultivation. Therefore, his martial arts talent can be considered excellent. However, he did not refine a demon spirit on yesterday's Awakening Day, so he does not have the talent to become a Demon Spirit Master," a woman said calmly.

"Unable to become a Demon Spirit Master, he is destined to have no value for cultivation. In the Body Cultivation Realm, he may be the strongest, but once he becomes a martial artist and faces a Demon Spirit Master, no matter how strong his fighting techniques are, they will be useless."

"What a pity. If he could become a Demon Spirit Master, even with only a mid-rank demon spirit, his skills would absolutely qualify him for recommendation to the club."

"Indeed. At the very least, he'd receive a B-class contract." Quite a few people showed regret.

As the upper management of Thunder Martial Arts Hall, the club they spoke of was naturally Thunder Club.

As an industry under Thunder Club, Thunder Martial Arts Hall had one responsibility: recommending promising talents to the club.

As long as a member displayed martial arts talent, after their evaluation, if the member qualified and agreed, the martial arts hall would recommend them to the club. A B-class contract was not low-level; it was the same grade as the contract Yage had signed with Juxing.

Lin Feng's fighting techniques had exceeded everyone's expectations. Those clean, decisive movements were simple, yet carried a certain aesthetic beauty.

Not flashy—simple, yet effective. This had already far surpassed the standards of fighting arts and bore some resemblance to killing techniques.

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

For a high school student who had never experienced war or hunted demon beasts to reach this level was simply unbelievable.

Lin Feng was only sixteen years old, yet such powerful combat talent was exceedingly rare.

Within the Body Cultivation Realm, Lin Feng would likely find it difficult to encounter an opponent.

"It is a pity. A tremendous pity."

Lin Xuan watched Lin Feng's movements on the screen. Even he found it regrettable.

This kind of combat talent had already far surpassed the benchmarks for high school and university students. Even many martial artists did not possess such skill.

It also showed just how extraordinarily gifted Lin Feng was in combat.

He had seen many geniuses—geniuses with exceptional martial arts talent, geniuses who had refined Earth Ranking Demon Spirits—but he had never seen a high school student with such combat talent.

What a pity. He had no talent for becoming a Demon Spirit Master. If he did, then choosing a fully offensive demon spirit and pairing it with that combat talent would make him the enemy's nightmare.

"What a pity."

A long sigh carried endless regret.

On the arena, Lin Feng was the focus of ten thousand eyes.

"Damn brat, you actually dared to deceive us! You made me lose ninety thousand New Dollars!"

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

"Brat, I'm going to beat you flat!"

The audience could not help shouting loudly. This time, there were even more curses.

Even Gao Tong, at the Body Cultivation Ninth Stage, had been utterly crushed, yet Lin Feng had fought dozens of exchanges against a Body Cultivation Eighth Stage opponent. By now, even the dumbest people understood that Lin Feng had been playing the pig to eat the tiger all along.

"Stop."

During the break, Lin Feng raised a hand to signal the referee to stop arranging further challenges.

His stamina was somewhat depleted. If he encountered someone in the Body Cultivation Realm, it would not matter, but if his luck was bad and he met a First-Rank Martial Artist, things would become dangerous.

So this time, he had no intention of continuing the challenge.

He had already caused a sensation. Knowing when to stop was the only way to maximize the advertising effect.

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

Lin Feng stood in the center of the arena and spoke in an indifferent tone. He raised a hand in a brief gesture, and as the arena slowly descended, his figure gradually vanished, leaving behind wave after wave of roaring voices.