Utterly Disgraced

The place known as the Beast Arena in Jinling City was actually once an unfinished housing development.

Some buildings have a third floor of walls, but no third floor of roof.

In some places, a large foundation has just been erected, with the Zongheng steel bars still exposed.

After the disaster, of course no one was willing to take over and renovate this place.

However, a group of fierce individuals took a liking to this place and decided to use it as Beast Arena arena.

They drove away the scavengers who had originally lived there, and built several layers of defensive fortifications around the area, erecting pillars and installing iron netting.

In the wasteland era, a distorted industry took shape and has thrived ever since.

The sky was overcast, a cold wind was blowing, and there was occasional light rain.

The cool air made the audience feel comfortable, and they gathered on different floors to watch the battle between humans and beasts in the arena below.

Elderly people and children selling cigarettes, alcohol, and melon seeds pushed their carts around, glancing down from time to time amidst the lively atmosphere.

On the second floor from the east, there were fewer people, and the place was furnished with genuine leather sofas, coffee tables, and fruit, clearly a VIP area.

Mao Shanwei, the manager of the Beast Arena, sat on one of the sofas, facing outwards.

This man, who is always referred to as "Master Mao," looks to be in his fifties, with gray, thinning hair and a rather low hairline.

He had a square face but was thin, wore frameless glasses, had a clean-shaven beard, and wore a white knit sweater, loose black trousers, and cloth shoes.

The atmosphere around him was lively, but he remained quiet, simply sipping his tea.

"Master Mao, something terrible has happened!"

The Beast Arena's security captain approached and spoke in a low voice.

"Those who believe 'Food Is Heaven' and 'South Wind' are now declaring that a large portion of the New Energy Association's top officials are secretly conducting various human experiments."

"Chairman Song Changle has been arrested, and those two companies have taken over all the association's key businesses."

"I heard that no one escaped from the association headquarters, but quite a few people are still trying to escape from the various branches."

Master Mao was taken aback.

"The New Energy Association is in trouble..."

He looked down at his teacup, remaining silent for a moment.

The security captain clicked his tongue and said, "I clearly heard before that Food Is Heaven and South Wind were at odds, so why did they suddenly join forces to attack the New Energy Association?"

"Master Mao, how true do you think this charge is? Chairman Song was an official before the disaster. Everyone often mistakes the New Energy Association for the city's top official. Would the association really be so unscrupulous in its operations?"

Master Mao took a sip of tea and savored its flavor for a few seconds.

"Perhaps it's because they were in power before the catastrophe that they knew the taste of power so well."

Mao Shanwei said leisurely, "For greater power and a higher position, such a person would do anything; it's only human nature and common sense."

The security captain scoffed, "That kind of person is truly inhuman."

"It's been over twenty years. People's lives aren't as stressful anymore, and there are many other ways to develop new technologies. Why insist on conducting large-scale human experiments? They have no conscience at all."

He picked up the teapot and poured himself a cup.

"Master Mao, shall we follow the advice of those two organizations and screen them out, not allowing people from the New Energy Association to come in and hide?"

Master Mao pondered for a moment and nodded.

"Our group was originally recruited by those three companies to manage the Beast Arena. To avoid suspicion at the time, the three companies didn't directly bring their own people in, but now it's convenient for them."

The security captain laughed and said, "We're here to apply for the job, Master Mao. You were invited here, sir."

Although Mao Shanwei's name contains the characters "Mount Mao," he is not a successor of the Mount Mao Sect.

He was a family heirloom spirit medium, somewhat similar to an animal tamer. The visualization he practiced since childhood was the "Tiger-Subduing Sacred Might Diagram".

His parents named him "Shanwei," which originally meant the majesty of Shanjun. However, because it was combined with his family name, people often mistakenly thought he was from the Mount Mao Sect.

Among the scriptures accompanying the "Tiger-Subduing Sacred Might Diagram," the most powerful offensive technique is the Tiger-Subduing Divine Sha.

However, this method of cultivation requires absorbing the spirit Sha Qi of a tiger, which is similar to the most profound method of the "Suea Ying Tiger Amulet" worshipped in Southeast Asia.

Before the catastrophe, tigers were protected animals and not very common.

Mao Shanwei didn't particularly enjoy venturing out, and his cultivation in this area wasn't high. He wasn't good at fighting with others, so he opened a pet shop.

Thanks to his family's expertise in cat and dog breeding, he became quite well-known in Jinling at a young age and lived a comfortable life.

But after the cataclysm, his relatives turned into zombies, the shop was destroyed, and he fled in panic.

His more than ten years in the wasteland, while causing him all sorts of hardships, also allowed his cultivation to advance by leaps and bounds.

By utilizing the tiger-like souls of Borderland Species and even monsters from the Spirit Realm, he cultivated the Tiger-Subduing Divine Sha to its zenith.

While its lethality in combat with humans may not be top-tier, its deterrent effect is indeed extremely high.

A sharp shout sent poisonous insects fleeing; a long howl terrified all beasts.

Ten years ago, when he returned to Jinling to settle down, the Jinling was a chaotic place with hundreds of plots of land, large and small, constantly embroiled in disputes.

While it's relatively easy to deal with birds of prey wandering into settlements, it's much harder to guard against various poisonous insects and flying ants.

Mao Shanwei was an expert in this field, and back then, he was willing to help any organization that invited him.

Although the Food Is Heaven, South Wind, and New Energy Association each had their own methods for preventing poisonous insects, they saved a lot of costs after incorporating the formula he provided.

His reputation in Jinling was somewhat similar to that of the "Divine Physician Yannian" in the surrounding communities.

Although Yannian delayed his arrival in Jinling, he had already settled Jinling and enjoyed a much higher reputation among the locals than Yannian.

In previous years, in order to reform the Beast Arena, the three parties joined forces to besiege the original high-ranking officials of the Beast Arena.

Given the circumstances, the Beast Arena still needed to exist, so after discussions among the various factions, they took the initiative to invite Mao Shanwei to take charge of it.

There is a separate tax law governing the Beast Arena.

Over the years, Mao Shanwei and his group have paid their taxes normally and have prevented any more serious incidents from happening at the Beast Arena.

Unbeknownst to many, Mao Shanwei's prestige here had become deeply entrenched.

Aside from the bloodthirsty spectators, the local residents' views on the Beast Arena also changed drastically.

Moreover, Mao Shanwei was unpretentious; after each event, he would go home to buy groceries and cook for himself. The neighbors all spoke highly of him.

Many people, despite seeing him as an old man, still tried to play matchmaker for him, leaving him both amused and exasperated.

The wife of the security captain next to me is incredibly enthusiastic.

"Master, how about we get together at my place again today? We're having a get-together today..."

"Never mind, never mind."

Mao Shanwei interrupted the security captain, "If you have enough manpower, go out and help catch the people from the New Energy Association who have absconded."

"Life is hard for everyone, let's not let them cause any trouble."

The security captain stood at attention and said, "Understood."

The rat in the field, which was almost as big as a calf, was finally beheaded.

The audience erupted in cheers.

The gladiators, basking in the cheers, were taken away for disinfection; it was time for the show to end.

Mao Shanwei went out and returned home. He passed by the vegetable market and only bought one head of cabbage and half a pound of pork belly.

The stall owner knew him well and helped him slice the meat.

Mao Shanwei glanced around and asked, "Why are quite a few vendors absent today?"

"They didn't not come; they just left."

The stall owner said, "Those bastards from the New Energy Association, they usually act all respectable, but once they're exposed, some of them actually tried to blow up the power plant. Luckily, they were stopped."

"Once the order came down, everyone went out to help arrest people."

The stall owner broke his leg a few years ago and still has a prosthesis on his right leg; otherwise, judging from his indignant expression, he probably would have already rushed out.

Once he brought this up, many meat buyers came to ask him about it, and other stall owners also revealed what they knew.

The discussions grew louder and louder, mostly criticizing Song Changle.

Mao Shanwei returned home, hung the groceries behind the door, and sat in the living room for a few minutes.

"President Song, you've completely ruined your reputation."

He muttered to himself and sighed deeply.

If it were a false accusation, perhaps there would be a way to prove one's innocence to Heaven and Earth, but Song Changle, he really did those things!

Mao Shanwei was well aware of this.

His ears twitched slightly. He walked to the bedside table, pulled open a hidden compartment, took out his phone, and entered the password.

Sure enough, a Tongxin icon was displayed above.

Mao Shanwei answered the call and whispered in his ear, "Yes, the New Energy Association has been completely exposed."

"I'm not entirely clear on Song Changle's specifics... I strictly adhere to the principle of unilateral supervision, and he doesn't know my true identity..."

"Chief, you're coming in person?!"

Mao Shanwei's expression changed slightly. He had been answering questions one by one, but now he took the initiative to speak.

"Although the New Energy Association has run into problems, my reputation in Jinling remains excellent. I might be able to gradually take over affairs in Jinling. I've also mastered the Soul-Locking Art of the Forerunner of Ghosts and Gods..."

The other end asked a question, Mao Shanwei suddenly fell silent.

"Most of those bases will be discovered eventually, and I can't protect them."

The other party's voice, faintly coming through the microphone, said, "That's it. You can't protect it, but Jinling is the number one city in the south, and control over it is crucial. We can't let it fall into disrepair."

"Moreover, the information I received indicates that the Spirit Realm creature on Jinling No. 7, which has not yet transformed into a precursor, already possesses Taboo strength. How could you possibly lock its soul, given such an anomaly?"

Mao Shanwei admitted his mistake, saying, "I was being presumptuous."

"Yes, we'll be in Jinling soon. Just wait and cooperate."

The voice on the other end said, "There's one more thing you need to prepare in advance..."

Mao Shanwei nodded repeatedly in response until the communication was disconnected.

He sat back on the sofa, his brow furrowed as he thought about the plan he had just overheard.

"To be utterly disgraced, but if one succeeds, one's reputation will remain intact."

His expression hardened, and he habitually turned on the radio to cook.

In the wasteland era, the first thing Jinling restored was not television programs, but radio programs.

The New Energy Association's major announcements were, as expected, broadcast on the radio today.

Besides once again vehemently criticizing Song Changle and others, the radio broadcast also mentioned another group of people, showering them with praise.

"Chu Tianshu?"

Mao Shanwei glanced back from the kitchen.

"Chu Yannian's bodyguard? I wonder where he found such a skilled fighter. He's certainly made a name for himself now, a good one at that..."

He listened to the radio host's unusually enthusiastic voice, and unconsciously stopped chopping vegetables, staring out the window.

It wasn't until the radio program ended that Mao Shanwei suddenly realized the moon had already risen. Frustrated, he threw down the kitchen knife and decided not to cook that night.

A few minutes later, he went out as if possessed.

(End of this chapter)