Madman!

Chapter 72: The Gambling Match Begins

On April 20th, the day of Tin Hau's Birthday, the sound of gongs and drums filled the air early in the morning. A long dragon dance procession snaked through the Walled City, carrying the statue of Tin Hau accompanied by traditional eight-tone music.

In front of the Tin Hau Temple, members of the Welfare Association had set up offerings on altar tables, displaying roast pigs and piles of fruit. A large incense burner stood before them, where residents of the Walled City continuously arrived to burn incense and pray for a year of good fortune.

At seven in the evening, Chen Wujun came downstairs dressed in suit trousers and a dark blue shirt.

"Brother Jun!" Ah Fei, waiting downstairs with a few men, called out. As soon as he saw Chen Wujun, he felt an imposing pressure radiating from him.

It was like facing a starving tiger, fresh out of its cage and ready to devour human flesh.

The group hadn't walked far from the Walled City when they spotted a row of vehicles parked by the roadside.

Chen Wujun got into Shark Jiu's car, and the convoy set off for the Red Incense Burner Bay Industrial Zone.

"I just received word that Yu Wei's five senses are far beyond those of a normal person," Shark Jiu said from her seat.

She had astutely deduced this from the report delivered by the two women she had sent to Yu Wei's side.

Chen Wujun nodded slightly, knowing this was a sign of reaching a higher level within the Resonance Phase of New Arts."By how much?"

"I'm not sure, but make sure you're careful!" Shark Jiu replied. "However, even if his senses exceed the norm, it just means he's sharper. Without specialized training, he can't instantly convert all that sensory input into useful information."

For instance, if there were hundreds of ants in a bottle, a normal person would see them at a glance and know there was a swarm, but they wouldn't know the exact number.

But the eye training of his lineage was different. From the very beginning, Chen Wujun had to memorize the number of tiles on a roof at a single glance, and later, the number of bricks on a wall.

Taking it a step further, if a handful of red and black beans were scattered on a table, he had to know the exact count of each color with just one look.

Therefore, when it came to vision, Chen Wujun still held the advantage.

Chen Wujun calculated inwardly. He possessed advantages in vision and 'Listening Force'. The ring was only so big; no matter how good the opponent's eyesight was, it wouldn't grant much of an edge in such a confined space.

The opponent, however, had the upper hand in smell and hearing.

Meanwhile, at the Red Incense Burner Bay Industrial Zone, car after car drove into a factory compound.

Even the Federal Police had been alerted.

"What are all these yellow-skinned gangs doing gathering here?" sneered a man in a Federal Police uniform with a hooked nose and blue eyes, sitting in his patrol car. His eyes were filled with deep contempt and disgust.

"I don't know, higher-ups just told us to monitor. That car just now belonged to Tan Cheng, the boss of Four Stripes... His subordinate Li Yong took some men inside twenty minutes ago," another foreign Federal officer beside him said.

Their vehicle was parked by the roadside, keeping watch over the factory's main entrance ahead.

As the two spoke, three more cars roared past them and entered the factory gates.

"It's the Fuyi Society. It's all those yellow-skinned gangs!" another officer in the back seat commented while checking license plates.

So far, more than forty vehicles had entered, representing over seven different gangs.

Although the three Federal Police officers viewed the locals with contempt and disgust, seeing so many gang vehicles enter the factory still made their scalps tingle with nervous tension.

They knew that among these gangs, there were quite a few New Arts martial artists.

If these people decided to start trouble, the police wouldn't be able to stop them.

The Federal officers continued to identify and record the gang information. The hook-nosed officer pulled out his phone to make a call, only to hang up moments later in annoyance.

"The Special Task Department isn't sending backup. We're just supposed to watch from here. Don't go inside. As long as we make sure they don't cause a major scene, that's enough."

They were just ordinary Federal Police. The members of the Special Task Department, on the other hand, were all New Arts martial artists. The minimum requirement to enter that department was reaching the Initial Construction Phase of New Arts with an Enhancement Reconstruction Magnetic Field exceeding 25%.

The elites of the Special Task Department had an Enhancement Reconstruction Magnetic Field exceeding 40%.

These elite experts possessed senses far superior to ordinary humans. Combined with firearms capable of piercing steel plates, even the strongest New Arts experts from the gangs would have to surrender or be shot dead on the spot if surrounded.

Yet, seeing so many gangs gathering here, the higher-ups showed no intention of deploying the Special Task Department for support.

They simply left a few ordinary officers to keep watch.

Meanwhile, at the factory's rear entrance, several luxury cars slowly drove in.

In addition to the various gangs, a number of invited wealthy tycoons had come to watch the boxing match.

...

Shark Jiu, Chen Wujun, and their group got out of the car and entered the Warehouse. It was cavernous inside, with a boxing ring erected in the center of the floor, surrounded only by a circle of chain-link fencing.

Surrounding the ring was a perimeter of shipping containers, atop which sat at least several hundred people.

These individuals, diverse in dress and demeanor, were the core members of the major gangs.

Above the containers, circling the walls, was a row of rooms—the designated spots for the wealthy tycoons.

As soon as Chen Wujun entered, he felt countless sharp gazes land on him, looking him up and down.

"Is that Shark Jiu's new horse?"

"He looks decent enough, but against Yu Wei... that's hard to say."

"I don't know why Shark Jiu is letting him take the stage..."

"He's the one who caused this mess. If he doesn't go up, are you going to take his place?"

On the surrounding containers, members of the various gangs whispered amongst themselves.

"His Mud-Wading Step shows some real skill. Turtle back, crane form—his Old Arts training is solid. I heard he's been training for less than a year. He's a good seedling... though I don't know if he'll make it off the stage alive," Tan Cheng, the Dragon Head of Four Stripes, said, turning his head to speak to Master Xin.

Tan Cheng came from an Old Arts background himself; he knew the discipline well and had a keen eye.

To reach this level in less than a year... he truly felt it was a pity to waste such talent.

What a shame.

Only one who can walk off the boxing ring alive is truly a good seedling.

"I have confidence in my people!" Master Xin said with a smile.

Tan Cheng laughed heartily.

That old fox Xin, of course he would say that.

Chen Wujun scanned the entire venue. Because they were backlit, he couldn't see most people's faces clearly, only their silhouettes.

Many of them had massive physiques, their entire bodies radiating explosive power.

This was the most typical characteristic of New Arts experts.

"The waiting room is this way." A subordinate led the way, guiding Chen Wujun to a temporary room of about thirty square meters.

Shark Jiu, meanwhile, went up to one of the shipping containers.

"Shark Jiu, is your man up to the task? I bet two million on him," Guan Laosan drawled from a nearby container. "Don't make me lose my money!"

Guan Laosan held a glamorous woman in his arms, who was subtly swaying her body.

"You're the one who wanted to bet; I didn't force you!" Shark Jiu scoffed, sitting on the sofa with her legs crossed.

"My man is certainly not a problem!"

After saying this, she turned to ask Karen beside her, "How many times did that guy go at it last night?"

"Six times," Karen replied.

Shark Jiu nodded. "We must keep our word. Transfer the money to them."

A New Arts martial artist like Yu Wei had a physical constitution several times that of a normal person. Six times wouldn't affect him too much; at the very least, his legs wouldn't be weak.

But even a tiny impact was enough.

In a life-and-death struggle on the ring, a single moment of error would cost a man his life.

After giving her instructions, Shark Jiu suddenly looked up toward the room above.

Inside the room, Uncle Wu was looking down at the scene below.

"Uncle Wu, that woman is Shark Jiu! The code of the underworld says not to involve wives and children. She had no deep vendetta with Master Bing, yet killing him wasn't enough—she tortured his wife and child to death." Cleft Lip Snake stared at Shark Jiu below with eyes full of hatred.

Uncle Wu took a long, deep look at Shark Jiu.

He had people investigate. Old Ghost Bing's home had been forcibly broken into that day, the interior left in a shambles.

If it had been Cleft Lip Snake, he wouldn't have needed to break the door down.

Based on the timing, it could only have been Shark Jiu's people. It couldn't have been anyone else.

Shark Jiu suddenly looked up, her gaze meeting Uncle Wu's. A fierce light seemed to erupt in her eyes, causing Uncle Wu to instinctively look away. Immediately ashamed and angry, he forced his gaze back onto Shark Jiu.

Shark Jiu grinned, revealing a row of sharp teeth, her smile brimming with wicked intent.

As time passed, the atmosphere in the arena began to boil over.

Chen Wujun heard the shouting coming from outside.

"Brother Jun, the house arranged two warm-up matches..." Ah Fei said after glancing out the door.

Chen Wujun leaned his head back, remaining silent.

With the roar of the crowd outside, he felt his own blood begin to boil.

Every cell in his body was trembling.

It was excitement pushed to the ultimate limit.

He had been saving his strength for days and could effortlessly wait no longer.

More than half an hour passed before the noise outside suddenly died down.

Someone came to notify them, and Ah Fei turned to say, "Brother Jun, it's your turn."

Chen Wujun stood up, wearing only a pair of shorts. He moved his body slightly, his muscles bulging one by one.

"Next up is today's main event! The dispute between Hetu and Lidong will be settled right here on this ring! Both sides have signed life-and-death contracts; no grievances in death!"

"Just start already, quit with the bullshit!" Mad Dog from Heyong yelled while picking his nose.

He casually wiped the booger onto the pants of a subordinate standing next to him.

Chen Wujun walked into the arena along the designated pathway, the lights falling upon him.

Chen Wujun spread his arms, tilting his head back and squinting his eyes.

He could feel everyone's gaze on him. He loved it.

The onlookers were also sizing up this new horse of Shark Jiu's. He stood about 1.75 meters tall, with an extremely thick waist and thighs. The muscles on his back were broad and heavy, and his arms were noticeably longer than a normal person's—at least a fist and a half longer.

Then, with a few quick steps, he launched his body directly up onto the ring.

"Hetu, Chen Wujun!"

A ripple of murmurs ran through the venue.

"Lidong, Yu Wei!"

Yu Wei emerged from the darkness and likewise leaped onto the ring, staring coldly at Chen Wujun. "Kid, finished writing your will?"

Chen Wujun grinned at him, revealing a savage smile.

He had no interest in trading barbs right now; he was already thirsting for the fight.

'Three seconds... fifteen seconds... thirty seconds...' several timeframes flashed quickly through Chen Wujun's mind.

These were the key points of Cold Steel Combat Arts.

Life and death are decided in the opening three seconds; the outcome is clear within fifteen...

Therefore, Yu Wei was bound to launch an explosive surprise attack in the first three seconds. The first fifteen seconds would be a highly oppressive onslaught, aiming to destroy the opponent through relentless offense.

As long as the fight dragged past thirty seconds, it would go beyond the rhythm Yu Wei could control.

"Clang!" A subordinate struck the gong hard, the sound resounding through the entire warehouse.

Almost the instant the wooden mallet descended, Chen Wujun saw Yu Wei's legs suddenly thicken.

Chen Wujun's body also instantly arched. His bones, muscles, and fascia compressed, then erupted like a volcano.

Both men stomped down violently, generating a simultaneous explosive boom. The entire floor shook as they charged toward the center like bolts of lightning.

Chen Wujun delivered a chopping palm, striking like a tiger descending the mountain. Yu Wei felt the gale force against his face, causing his eyelids to twitch as a savage grin curled his lips.

'What powerful momentum. But this kid wants to trade blows with me? Watch me smash you to pieces!'

At this moment, Yu Wei, clad in combat shorts, moved with lightning speed. His muscles and veins bulged like great pythons and small snakes, and his entire being carried a bloody gale as he lunged straight for Chen Wujun's centerline.

His right hand shot out like a cannonball, aiming straight for Chen Wujun's face. His left hand guarded the centerline—a feint for defense, but in reality, a setup for a follow-up strike.

This was the typical "Three-Point Defense Breaker" opening of Cold Steel Combat Arts.

Both moved with incredible speed; the ordinary subordinates saw only a blur of figures.

Bang!

Their arms collided with a deafening sound, like steel crashing against steel.