Underground Boxing Ring

The underground boxing arena.

Two men wearing boxing gloves exchanged heavy blows, their movements fierce and powerful.

Under the spotlight, their muscular bodies glistened with oil and sweat, mixed with blood, exuding a wild, primal scent of testosterone.

The crowd roared, their voices a deafening cacophony.

"Hit him! Hit him!"

"Beat him to death!"

"What the hell are you doing? Can't even dodge that? Trash, absolute trash!"

Amid the frenzy, the deepest, darkest facets of human nature gradually surfaced.

Qiu Xu reclined in his custom-made seat, his neck supported by a bandage to ease the strain on his fractured jaw.

Two scantily clad, seductive women pressed close to him, uncorking a bottle of champagne with practiced ease. "Young Master Qiu, your drink."

"Feed me!"

Despite his broken jaw, Qiu Xu still managed a cocky smirk.

One of the women giggled flirtatiously, lifting the champagne to his lips with delicate fingers.

Meanwhile, Qiu Xu’s hands were busy elsewhere, a blatant display of the allure of wealth.

"Peanuts, chips, cookies, spicy strips, chicken feet, sachima..."

"Anyone want some?"

"If not, I’ll ask again."

Amid the raucous energy of the arena, an oddly out-of-place voice rang out from the sidelines.

Qiu Xu frowned.

What idiot would sell cheap snacks in an underground boxing ring?

He glanced toward the source of the voice—and promptly spat out his champagne, splattering the woman beside him.

An Yi?!

What the hell was he doing here?!

Indeed, the handsome young man peddling snacks in the underground boxing ring was none other than An Yi.

Anger.

It was An Yi’s greatest motivator.

And also the emotion most likely to make him lose his damn mind.

After some taunting from Shen Muxuan, he’d snapped and declared he’d go out and find a job!

An Yi was never one to keep his word, but faced with Shen Muxuan’s skepticism, he’d finally had enough.

He knew how to pick locks, but locksmith companies wouldn’t take him.

Going solo? No client base, at least not immediately.

He could treat illnesses, but without a medical license, diagnosing strangers on the street would land him in jail—and he sure as hell didn’t want to see Yan Zhi again!

After much deliberation, An Yi decided to take on odd jobs.

But lately, his notoriety had skyrocketed—he was practically an internet celebrity. The moment he showed his ID, potential employers would recoil in horror.

Left with no other options, he’d resorted to running his own little business.

Where’d the snacks come from?

Please. The building below him housed the flagship store of Chuanfang International Supermarket.

As Aunt Zhou’s loyal tenant, what was wrong with taking a few snacks to sell? Huh?!

"Kid, you out of your mind? Selling snacks here?"

Someone who recognized An Yi stared at him in disbelief.

An Yi couldn’t be bothered with small talk. "Just tell me if you want any or not."

The man eyed the assortment of snacks in An Yi’s basket, swallowing hard. "Well… gimme two spicy chicken feet, two packs of spicy strips, a bag of peanuts, some chips, popcorn… and a cola."

Was there anything better than munching on snacks, sipping soda, and watching an illegal fight?

"A hundred."

"That’s robbery! This stuff costs fifty at most!"

"Champagne that’s worth a hundred sells for over two grand here. Why can’t my snacks go for a hundred?"

"That champagne’s for scamming idiots! Who actually buys it?!"

Nearby, Qiu Xu—who’d overheard the exchange—suddenly found his champagne tasting bitter.

"Why the hell is that brat here?" Qiu Xu muttered to the woman beside him.

She smirked, her tone half-warning, half-teasing. "No idea. But this is Boss Nie’s turf. Best not interfere."

At that, Qiu Xu swallowed his anger.

His family was wealthy, influential in Jiangbei City—but outside of it, nobody knew him.

Boss Nie, however? A heavyweight whose mere presence could shake the entire southeastern province.

This underground arena was his domain.

An Yi checked his phone, grinning at the day’s earnings.

Over four hundred already!

Selling in crowded places really was the way to go.

With summer break approaching, foot traffic during the day was sparse. Peddling to random passersby? Nearly impossible.

The only packed spots were supermarkets—thanks to people escaping the heat.

But An Yi figured selling inside a supermarket might be… inappropriate.

So he’d wandered around, slipped past security, and stumbled into this underground boxing ring.

Crowds, air conditioning, and free entertainment? It was like picking money off the ground.

After covering Aunt Zhou’s costs, he’d still have enough left to buy Shen Muxuan a new dress and treat her to a nice meal.

A few more days of this, and he might even save up for an air conditioner!

The future was looking bright.

"You seem bothered by that kid, Young Master Qiu," the woman cooed.

Qiu Xu gritted his teeth. "If it weren’t for him, my best bodyguard wouldn’t still be locked up!"

He had no idea why—they’d both been in the same fight, yet An Yi walked free the same day while Fu remained detained.

After one visit, Qiu Xu had given up hope. Hence, his trip to the underground arena to recruit a new bodyguard.

This place was a goldmine.

Countless skilled fighters lurked in its shadows, drawn by the promise of quick cash.

In this "harmonious society," it was one of the few places where fists could still make you rich overnight.

"Damn it. Fu was useless. I’ll hire two new bodyguards—see if that brat can handle them!" Qiu Xu glared at An Yi, seething.

This place was crawling with talent. Finding a couple of skilled fighters would be a cakewalk.

"Young Master Qiu, your champagne!" The woman giggled, reaching for another bottle.

Qiu Xu coldly pushed her hand away. "No more champagne. Get me something else."

The woman blinked. "…Huh?"

Amid the audience, a group of garishly dressed, punkish delinquents stood out.

Their leader—a long-haired youth puffing on a thick cigar while clutching a carton of Wangzai Milk—looked like a complete lunatic.

"Is that… Ding Renfeng?!"

Qiu Xu’s eyes lit up.

Perfect. Just the crowd he needed.

An Yi was here too—this was fate!

As the saying went, even a tiger couldn’t fight off a pack of wolves.

These thugs might be small-time, but they had numbers. And many were trained fighters. Back when his father handled demolitions, he’d often hired Hou Long’s gang for dirty work.

"An Yi, I’m gonna knock your teeth out today," Qiu Xu muttered, a vicious grin spreading across his face.

"Young Master Qiu, your cola~"

Another woman sidled up to him, offering a glass with a sugary smile.

Qiu Xu took a sip, smacked his lips, and said, "Where did you get this cola? You said they didn’t have it before!"

"I bought it from the snack vendor guy," the woman replied in a sweet, coquettish voice.

The scene stirred something in Qiu Xu, making him feel a sudden unease in his rear!

"Who the hell told you to buy it?!"