Nanya Secondary School
Even Wu Shi herself found it outrageous! She could still peacefully eat, sleep, and study at home, experiencing the ordinary, unpretentious, and hard-working daily life of an ordinary high school student. Was this the wrong script? Where was the promised □□ hunting order? Where was the promised exile?
"System," Wu Shi slumped on the sofa, scrolling through her tablet, a mouthful of potato chips in her mouth, enjoying the ultimate secret of being a stay-at-home girl on her monthly vacation. She questioned the AI in her head, "Are all those in the entertainment industry so indifferent these days? Their efficiency is touching! Is my home address hidden in a black hole? I went to so much trouble to trick those aunts and uncles into going on a trip, just waiting to play the 'catch the turtle in the jar'... No, it was the 'close the door and beat the dog' trick, but in the end, the turtle didn't show up, and the dog was nowhere to be seen! My acting skills were wasted!" She stretched comfortably, "But... I'm finally back to modern society! Mobile phones and computers! Internet data! Takeout delivery! Ah - I, Chen Ye, finally live the decadent and decadent life of a otaku I've always dreamed of! This is the correct way to be a time traveler!"
Ding Dong! Ding Dong! Ding Dong Ding Dong! The phone suddenly vibrated like crazy, and the three words "Xiao Qingqiu" flashed wildly on the screen, accompanied by a series of fatal messages.
Wu Shi rolled his eyes and nearly choked on his potato chips. "Ahem... System! Look! The hero of this world is adding more scenes to his role again! He comes to mess with me whenever I'm enjoying myself?"
The system responded quietly, "Host, is there a possibility that he was originally the male lead? His role came pre-installed."
Wu Shi clicked on the message. Xiao Qingqiu had sent a notice from the boxing club: "Wu Shi, your application has been accepted. Tomorrow night, you will fight Xia Ziran. Rules: You cannot bring your precious sword. It will be a purely hand-to-hand fight. Understand?"
"Xia Ziran? Xia of Xia Tian? Underground boxing ring?!!!" Wu Shi's tone instantly rose eight octaves, forgetting even to chew his potato chips. "Go, go, go! System! Did you see that? The plot train has finally plopped back onto the main track! The Xia family! The Xia family! Another legendary tycoon! Isn't this where my diplomatic ticket is?!"
System: "...Host, let me remind you that our core mission isn't 'eliminating violence and upholding justice,' but rather resolving the bullying and tuition issues facing Miss Yu Mian! You've just completed the first mission in the Novice Village (resolving the bullying), and now you're shifting your strategic focus from the 'female protagonist scenario' to the 'underground boxing championship'? Your trajectory is quite outrageous, you're practically flying out of the solar system!"
Wu Shi waved his hand, his voice filled with pride and confidence: "Don't worry! After this fight, I'll immediately retire from the world... Ugh, I'll transfer to another school immediately! I'll go back and be Miss Yu Mian's most loyal lackey! I'll serve her like a sly, serving her tea and water, and I'll make sure she successfully gets into a prestigious school and reaches the pinnacle of her life! Now... let me go meet this classmate Xia first!"
System: "...Host, you are truly a skilled martial artist (and have a clear goal)!"
Chen Mo had been busy serving Xia Ziran in the infirmary for the past few days, handing him water and medicine, peeling fruit and towels, and practically reading him a bedtime story. He was skeptical: given Xia Ziran's usual relentless drive, who "stayed on the front lines even with minor injuries and died immediately afterward with serious ones," this minor injury would have sent him rushing to the boxing gym. But this time, something strange had happened: Xia Ziran had remained quietly in the infirmary, spending most of his time, aside from necessary rehabilitation, staring at a tablet computer with a frighteningly bright look in his eyes.
The screen played repeatedly the surveillance footage of Wu Shi dodging and counterattacking like a ghost in the alley that day, finally knocking down the boxing thug with a flying kick. The pixels were low, and the picture was shaky, but it was enough to capture the key action.
Xia Ziran watched with such concentration that he would even use his slender fingers to pause, slow down, and replay the video, especially fixated on the incredible moments of Wu Shi's wall-pushing and mid-air twists. As Chen Mo came over with the freshly peeled, juicy apple slices, he heard Xia Ziran exclaim with heartfelt admiration for the nth time. His tone was like that of a gold digger who had discovered a nugget of gold:
"Wow! Amazing! Look at the explosive power of this jump, it's like it was equipped with a spring! And the speed of turning back and changing direction... It's so fast that the monitoring almost dropped frames! This core strength, this nerve reaction... It's like God is chasing and feeding him!" Xia Ziran's eyes were glued to the screen, his fingers tapping the edge of the bed unconsciously, with the excitement of discovering a treasure.
Chen Mo carefully placed the fruit plate next to him, put on a very amiable and service-oriented smile on his face, and said tentatively: "Mr. Xia, the apples are ready, crisp and sweet... Well, you see this girl is so... um, 'gifted', are you planning to go down and compete with her yourself?" He deliberately swallowed the word "dangerous" and replaced it with the more neutral "gifted".
Xia Ziran was finally willing to take his eyes off the tablet for a moment, picked up a slice of apple, took a bite, the light in his eyes did not diminish at all, but became even brighter: "Of course!" He chewed the apple, but his voice was unusually clear and firm, "It is fate to meet a combat master of this level! Wouldn't it be a waste of talent if you don't come down and ask for advice in person? Reading about military operations on paper a hundred times is not as satisfying as a real fight!" The tone of his voice seemed to treat the upcoming bloody boxing match as a friendly exchange meeting between top fighters.
Xia Ziran's smile almost couldn't be held back. He rubbed his hands, leaned forward slightly, lowered his voice, and tried to lead the conversation to "business": "Boss, I understand your love for talent! But... shouldn't we also consider the practical aspects? I've asked around about this girl. She just dealt with Xu family's darling Xu Man, and also slapped the Xu family in the face. Now she's a walking source of trouble! If we recruit her now, wouldn't it be obvious that we are telling the Xu family, 'I'm protecting her, come at me if you have the guts'? This... is just adding fuel to the fire!" He tried to make his tone sound full of "overall view" and "sense of crisis."
Xia Ziran leisurely finished his apple slice, tapping the edge of his tablet with his fingertips. The screen froze on a close-up of Wu Shi's cold, slightly feral expression after he landed. He raised his gaze to Chen Mo, the martial arts fanaticism in his eyes slightly subsiding, revealing a bit of the calmness of a superior: "It's a problem." He paused, then changed the subject, "But troubles aside, don't you think... our family is currently in need of this kind of 'talent' who can fight, dares to fight, and doesn't play by the rules?" He deliberately emphasized the word "talent", and a meaningful smile curved his lips.
Chen Mo choked at the "lack of talent" excuse. The boss's line of thought... was truly unconventional! He opened his mouth, wanting to offer further advice, like, "Talent also depends on background," "Too much trouble can easily backfire."
Xia Ziran seemed to see through his thoughts, and before he could even begin, he raised his hand to stop him from saying anything. He returned his gaze to the frozen figure on the screen, his eyes sharp as a hawk. The previous excitement and the current calmness strangely blended together, ultimately transforming into a heavy scrutiny:
"Convincing her is a matter for another time. Now..." His voice dropped to a low note, carrying with it an unquestionable determination, "Let's first see her true strength. Tomorrow night's competition will be the best litmus test. Whether she's a dragon or a worm, we'll know after the fight."
Chen Mo looked at his boss's complex expression, one of eagerness yet also assessment, and knew it was futile to persuade him. He could only sigh silently, resignedly picking up his fruit knife and preparing to peel another apple—to calm him down and add a touch of...fruity flavor to the upcoming "Talent Assessment Conference"?
Night fell at the entrance of the legendary underground boxing club. Wu Shi and Xiao Qingqiu, a temporary duo, especially Xiao Qingqiu who had come with them, stood before the rusted iron gates for the first time. Wu Shi had originally envisioned a cool situation: a lone hero, deep in the depths of the tiger's lair, leaving his achievements and fame behind after his mission was accomplished. But...
"Hey, classmate Xiao," Wu Shi said helplessly, looking at Xiao Qingqiu, who had a look on his face that said, "I'm here to see the world." "What are you, a weak man with no power, doing here in such a bloody and violent place that's not suitable for children? Being a cheerleader?"
Xiao Qingqiu patted his chest with a righteous look on his face. "That's wrong! I'm providing strategic support! Look," he took out his phone and shook it, revealing a large "120" shortcut key on the screen. "My hands are incredibly fast! Just in case... I mean just in case, you need emergency medical assistance, I guarantee I'll connect you within three seconds! Professional logistics, mission accomplished!"
Wu Shi's mouth twitched. "...Thank you so much! Can you please hope for me to be alright?" She looked at Xiao Qingqiu's earnest, "I'm super useful" expression and sighed. Okay, carrying a "human emergency call device" is better than carrying a burden? Maybe...
The two took a deep breath and pushed open the heavy iron door. It was as if they hadn't entered a place, but rather a melting pot filled with primal desire. The air was so thick that it could almost squeeze out water, mixed with the strong stench of sweat, the sour smell of cheap beer, the fishy smell of rust, and an even more disturbing sweet smell - that of blood that hadn't completely dried.
There were no bright overhead lights, only a few powerful yet cunningly angled spotlights, like searchlights, slicing through the thick darkness. The square arena was bathed in a glaring, pale light, like a stripped specimen on a dissecting table.
Sound truly reigned supreme here. Whenever any movement occurred on the ring, even a tentative one, the buzzing sound would instantly ignite, rise, and rip! Cheers, roars, curses, the muffled thud of chair slaps, the thud of stomping feet... all the sounds blended together frantically, forming a torrent of sound waves that almost had the power to actually impact.
Some waved crumpled banknotes, others excitedly pounded their companions' shoulders, while many more stared intently at the center of the ring, their bodies leaning forward as if drawn by invisible strings, their faces bare expression of bloodlust. There was no reason here, only the most primal frenzy unleashed by extreme repression.
In the center of this hell composed of darkness, noise, sweat and madness, in the center of the ring where the pale light beams were mercilessly focused, stood a man.
He seemed to be an absolute still point separated from the hustle and bustle.
Xia Ziran.
He stood there casually, even looking a little relaxed. Compared to the convulsive excitement of the audience around him, he was as calm as a bottomless pool of cold water. Pale light poured down from above his head, outlining his tall and slender features and casting deep shadows on his face, making it difficult to see his specific expression. One could only feel a penetrating, almost indifferent calm. There was no warm-up, no pretentious intimidation, and no trace of being infected by the fanatical atmosphere. He simply stood there, his arms hanging naturally, his eyes fixed in the direction of the entrance where Wu Shi was about to approach, as if waiting for an insignificant appointment rather than an impending, bloody battle.
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