“Chu Yao, you’re awesome!”
Under the dim lights, the sight of bulging veins and swinging fists had the whole crowd fired up.
SSL was the biggest MMA competition in the country, with a top prize of six figures.
Inside the octagon cage, the referee kept his eyes and feet locked on the two fighters, not daring to let his guard down for a second.
Chu Yao was a rising star who had made a name for himself in recent years. Exceptionally talented, he was also one of the more unconventional fighters in the sport: undefeated, and unwilling to compete for less than five figures.
Short on money and strong as an ox. Those were the words that defined him.
Smack! The middle-aged man’s head rang from the blow. He stumbled backward, swaying on his feet.
Chu Yao followed without giving him a moment to recover, driving an elbow into him.
Thud! The once-arrogant middle-aged man’s head snapped to the side. Then he crumpled to the ground like a rag doll.
The referee lunged in, bracing one hand against the floor as he forced himself between them.
The crowd’s excitement peaked.
“Holy shit, beautiful!”
Chu Yao had knocked out his opponent in all three matches, each in very little time.
That was fucking incredible.
The club owner and coach who had brought him here leaped into the ring almost simultaneously and threw their arms around Chu Yao.
“Our club’s going to be famous!”
“Not ‘our.’” Chu Yao calmly pushed away the two burly men, who were beside themselves with excitement. “I’m only here in name.”
He had signed the contract only because it made it easier to compete in official matches.
“Why split hairs?” Chen Hongyang said. Even as he beamed, he glanced over at the middle-aged man being carried away on a stretcher. “Still, nobody wins forever in this business.”
He had known Chu Yao for a long time, from back when the boy was struggling and still finding his feet. There hadn’t been many options then, and Chu Yao had often been beaten black and blue just to earn a few hundred yuan.
He was resilient and clever. Though he had never received professional training, he could quickly disrupt an opponent’s rhythm and find their weaknesses.
Chen Hongyang had been overjoyed when he discovered such a promising talent.
But his excitement hadn’t lasted long. No matter how hard he tried to persuade him, Chu Yao refused to become a full-time fighter.
Unable to understand why, and unwilling to let such talent go to waste, Chen Hongyang had quietly tracked down Chu Yao’s home, planning to speak with his parents.
That visit had only left him heartbroken.
The boy was only thirteen, despite being a mature-looking five-foot-seven. He wasn’t old enough to sign a binding contract.
Over time, Chen Hongyang also learned from the neighbors that Chu Yao’s father had died in a car accident when Chu Yao was twelve. The driver couldn’t afford to pay compensation, and Chu Yao’s mother had suffered a mental breakdown from the shock. For a while, the family couldn’t even afford rice.
Chu Yao had no paternal grandparents. His maternal grandparents wanted to help, but his maternal uncle stood in the way, so there was little they could do.
After they brought rice over twice, his uncle flat-out warned them that if they did it again, they needn’t come back to his house.
After that, Chu Yao’s grandparents, guilty as they felt, didn’t dare visit again.
Chu Yao let nothing show at the time.
But the experience had shown him how fickle people could be and how cold the world was. From then on, he stopped expecting much from the world’s affections, and refused to waste time on people and things that didn’t matter.
That was why, even when things were at their worst, Chu Yao relied on himself. He wouldn’t let anyone share his misfortune or hardship.
“How’s your mother been lately?” Chen Hongyang came back to himself, unscrewed a bottle of water, and held it out to Chu Yao. “After this championship, there’s no way you can dodge the international competition.”
Chu Yao wasn’t used to being fed, so he took off his gloves, took the bottle himself, and had a drink.
“I’ll make arrangements.”
“I heard the international competition is offering an eight-figure prize.” Chu Yao screwed the cap back on and handed the bottle back.
Chen Hongyang accepted it easily.
“But those are world-class fighters. Chu Yao, you’d better be prepared.”
He wanted Chu Yao to make the club even more famous, but after all these years, they were practically family.
So Chen Hongyang truly wanted him to stay safe.
“I’ll study them carefully.” Chu Yao nodded to him, then went to complete the next round of procedures with the SSL staff.
As Chen Hongyang turned to leave the ring, he glanced at the heated gazes fixed on Chu Yao.
“Young people sure are popular.”
The person being watched, however, didn’t react at all.
“Xiao Chu was the heartthrob at university, too.” As a fight coach, Chen Hongyang wasn’t entirely satisfied with Chu Yao’s physique.
But setting aside his professional eye, Chu Yao’s looks and build were truly exceptional, the kind women loved and men envied. Handsome, with plenty of masculine appeal.
At 196 centimeters tall, he had broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and a beautifully streamlined physique. His muscles were evenly distributed, never overdone. He was the perfect combination of strength and allure.
His calm, ascetic air only made people go crazier for him.
That was why so many gay men and rich women came to watch whenever Chu Yao competed.
But for an MMA fighter, his build put him at a disadvantage in the ring. A lightweight fighter’s full-force punch might be only about three-tenths as powerful as a heavyweight’s. That was why fighters were divided into weight classes.
Chu Yao was an exception. He had a natural gift for both strength and speed, which made up for that shortcoming.
After all, young people didn’t like men built like bears.
“He’d make more money as a celebrity than as a fighter,” Chen Hongyang said, only daring to say it behind Chu Yao’s back.
The coach agreed. “That’s what makes him a good kid. He hasn’t even thought about taking the easy way out.”
As he spoke, he glanced at the group of wealthy women below.
“People take after the company they keep. Look how down-to-earth we are.” Chen Hongyang was in his early forties, with a son and a daughter, and a happy family.
The coach nodded. “Fair point.”
As they congratulated themselves, a man in a ringside VIP seat spoke in a measured voice.
“Have you heard of Mengyi Club?”
His voice was calm, but carried a trace of authority.
“They’re probably a middle-tier club. Not very big, but their facilities and other resources are decent.” As Zhu Yanci spoke, he sent over information about Mengyi Club.
Xie Jingmo was now the head of Xie Group. At thirty-five, he wore nothing but neat, sharply tailored trousers and a shirt, yet still exuded an overwhelming presence and formidable authority.
He was a highly disciplined man, and a shrewd one.
“How much do you know about Chu Yao?” Xie Jingmo took the tablet from his special assistant and casually browsed the information on Mengyi Club.
Zhu Yanci glanced at him, but thought nothing of it.
“He fights for money, not fame. Keeps a low profile.”
Author’s note: