Chương 27: It would be best if you found me a junior sister

It wasn't that Zhao Rui was afraid of these thugs, but rather that he didn't want to cause trouble, especially considering his most famous line from his previous life: "What are you looking at!"

Isn't that the perfect excuse for thugs to get into a fight and show off?

Following Brother Hong through the crowd, we entered several long corridors and arrived at an old, quaint house.

Two burly men with fierce faces stood in front of the house, dressed in tight-fitting clothes. When they saw the two men arrive, they immediately reached out to block their way and scanned the two men warily.

"People from Hongtai!"

Hong took out a mobile phone, opened an app, and displayed a special QR code.

"Go inside!"

Hong Ge gave a curt reply with a cold, unsmiling expression, and then led Zhao Rui inside.

The house has an antique feel, but it is not made of wood; instead, it is cast using modern materials such as cement.

There were still guards at the entrance. After verifying their information, one of the guards led the two into the inner courtyard.

The inner courtyard was completely different from the antique style seen from the outside; it was a huge arena.

A huge arena stands in the middle, surrounded by spectator seats of varying heights, where a few people are currently sitting sparsely.

Hong glanced around, his gaze lingering briefly on the southwest corner, before he led Zhao Rui there.

"Krai!"

When Brother Hong arrived, he bowed slightly and called out to a large, rugged-looking man.

"Hmm, are you confident about the match?"

"Don't worry, Kratos!"

A respectful smile appeared on Hong Fei's ugly, scarred face.

"That's good. You're still young, and you have a long road of fighting ahead of you, so don't be impatient! I'm counting on you guys to make money!"

After Kratos finished speaking, he laughed and turned to look at the others beside him.

These people, just like Kratos, sat upright on the sofa, each with a cigar in their mouth and their legs crossed, clearly all underworld leaders.

"It's all thanks to Kratos's generosity!"

Hong Fei offered a flattering remark, then casually added to Master Kui, "It's a cousin of mine who's come to broaden his horizons!"

Kratos sized Zhao Rui up and down, then said expressionlessly, "Student, what's the point of going to school? How much money can you make? Go on!"

After saying that, Kui ignored Hong Fei and the other man and turned to talk to the big boss next to him.

"Damn it, if I had listened to my father and read those damn books, I don't know where I'd be begging now!"

"In this world, money is king."

Hearing the unrestrained voices of several people nearby, Zhao Rui had already followed Scarface Hong Fei to an empty spot next to the arena.

"You stay here, I'll go backstage to get ready. The boxing match starts at nine, I'm the first one, then I can call it a day!"

After giving some instructions, Hong Fei followed the two men who came to greet him and headed backstage.

Zhao Rui looked around, feeling the oppressive darkness of the entire arena, and watching people who looked like gangsters, rarely seen in normal times, walk through it.

That sense of temporal and spatial dislocation gave Zhao Rui a feeling of unreality.

He requested to come and watch Hong Fei compete.

Zhao Rui and Hong Fei became acquainted through a misunderstanding. After serving as sparring partners for half a month, they became quite familiar with each other. When Zhao Rui wanted to see what he could do, Hong Fei didn't refuse.

So the two of them agreed to come and watch his match today.

Zhao Rui remained in his seat for about twenty minutes before people began to arrive around him.

There are well-dressed urban white-collar workers, rude street thugs, and even big shots surrounded by thugs.

The entire venue was a mixed bag, with all sorts of strange and unsavory characters.

After all, this is an arena where the customer is king. The more people come, the more people will participate in the competition and place bets.

After a short while, the lights in the venue suddenly spun, neon lights shone brightly, and loud music roared in.

Then several young women, dressed in bikinis and high heels, swayed into the arena and began to pose around the elastic safety railings surrounding the ring.

Zhao Rui couldn't help but glance at the group of women; they were indeed quite beautiful and had graceful figures.

A commotion immediately erupted from the audience.

It smells like that!

How could such an occasion be complete without women?

A moment later, a bald man jumped onto the ring, read out the rules of the competition, and started shouting to liven up the atmosphere.

Zhao Rui sat in the spot reserved for the boxers. Soon after, Brother Hong arrived, accompanied by his gang members.

The two exchanged a glance without speaking. Hong Fei sat down in the chair, rubbing his body with his hands, his gaze deep, as if the things around him were irrelevant.

"Match 1: Hongtai Hongfei vs. Ninghai Yu Hongle!"

As the host announced the announcement, Hong Fei twisted his neck, stood up, and with a leap, soared ten feet into the air, flipping and jumping into the ring.

On the other side, a lean man slowly jumped onto the ring.

Although Zhao Rui had never seen underground boxing matches, he had participated in martial arts competitions on a regular basis.

Although the atmosphere was different, the process was roughly the same, so I didn't pay much attention to it.

It wasn't until the match began and the two sides started fighting that Zhao Rui realized what underground boxing was.

The rules of this arena are that there are no rules, life and death are irrelevant, and the fight continues until one side surrenders or loses the ability to fight.

As the two clashed on the stage, their strength erupted, and their punches and kicks, imbued with internal energy, were unleashed without restraint.

Both men were skilled in hard-hitting martial arts, and before long, they were covered in blood and looked disheveled.

Zhao Rui's previously calm expression instantly turned serious.

This man is no less capable than Hong Fei; they're evenly matched.

There are probably too many variables in determining the outcome.

Just then, the situation on the stage suddenly changed. Hong Fei, who had been going head-to-head with his opponent, suddenly did a somersault, pulled and pushed his opponent's wrist with his palm, and then bent down and stepped forward to elbow him.

He instantly sent his opponent flying backward.

Before the opponent could land, Hong Fei had already moved up and delivered a heavy blow to the opponent's temple!

While still in the air, the opponent was struck again, and by the time he landed, he was on the verge of death and had no power to resist.

"Hongtai wins!"

After the referee counted down the seconds, he raised Hong Fei's hand and announced the victory of the match.

Immediately, the entire venue erupted in a cacophony of noise, with cheers and curses filling the air.

A familiar voice, tinged with amusement, came from not far from Zhao Rui's side: "That kid Hong Fei is ruthless and clever. I like him. Go tell him later that his appearance fee will be increased by 20, 000."

"It's good that Kratos appreciates him. This kid is brave and daring, he's really quite good."

As the voices of the people around him faded into the distance, Zhao Rui couldn't help but look up at the emaciated man on the arena, whose face was unrecognizable and who was barely breathing. He felt a pang of sympathy.

Congratulations, Brother Hong!

Seeing Hong Fei walk over surrounded by people, Zhao Rui stood up and congratulated him!

"Um!"

A faint smile appeared on Hong Fei's swollen face. He wiped the blood that was seeping from the corner of his lips and said, "Let me rest for a while before we meet again."

After saying that, he staggered towards the backstage dressing room.

Looking at him, Zhao Rui realized that although he had won the fight, he wasn't in much better shape.

Seeing Hong Fei leave, Zhao Rui didn't dare to move and remained in his seat, waiting quietly.

Nearly an hour later, Hong Fei, having finished treating his wounds, finally walked over with a frown.

"Are you alright?"

Zhao Rui stood up and went to greet him, asking a question.

"It's nothing, just two broken ribs and some internal injuries. I'll be fine after some rest."

Hong Fei spoke very casually.

"Let's go! I'll take you away from here!"

After Hong Fei finished speaking, he took the lead and led Zhao Rui out of the house.

Stepping out of the gate, Zhao Rui felt a sense of openness and brightness; even the pitch-black night seemed to have become radiant.

The two didn't exchange many words. Only after leaving the market where the vendors gathered did Hong Fei say, "Go back. Don't come back again. This place isn't for you!"

Zhao Rui smiled faintly and said, "I understand. Thank you for bringing me here today."

"You're welcome. If one day... well, summer vacation ends, and you'll have to go back to school. Good luck, student!"

After Hong Fei finished speaking, he turned around, waved his hand, and walked towards another fork in the road without looking back.

Zhao Rui looked at his slightly unsteady back. Although his back was straight, there was always a hint of desolation in his expression.

After watching the other person leave, Zhao Rui turned and entered the alley, weaving through the dark area until he arrived at the brightly lit, bustling city center.

You won't gain knowledge without experiencing things.

In the dark corners of the world, human life is cheap as grass, and under the influence of money and power, ordinary people are nothing but ants.

This life is already an extra one, and I possess an incredible cheat code, so why not roam freely and enjoy this wonderful world of martial arts?

Whether it's darkness or light, wherever I am, I shall enjoy all its splendor!

Zhao Rui paused for a moment, then quickly left the area.

……

Time flies like water, never lingering for anyone!

Another half month passed in the blink of an eye, and Zhao Rui was still working as a sparring partner at the martial arts gym.

However, with the arrival of the martial arts school's holiday, there were many more students, which made Zhao Rui's "business" much better.

Naturally, the amount of money earned increased.

In just over a month, he earned more than 5, 000 yuan.

It's about the same as what my dad earns in a month.

This is definitely my secret stash of money!

After the college entrance examination, Zhao Rui worked at Wende Martial Arts School and spent most of his time honing his internal energy and techniques, rarely going to Jimin Pharmacy.

As time went on, Li Da Nao Nao developed a temper and often complained to his senior brothers and sisters.

This morning, the eldest brother relayed a message to Zhao Rui on behalf of their master, saying that he would be tested on Zhao Rui's studies that evening.

See if you've become complacent because of graduation.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Rui felt helpless. He still had two sparring sessions that night, and now he was going to lose several hundred yuan.

However, he dared not disobey his master's orders, so he immediately asked the instructor of Wende Martial Arts School for leave and rushed to Jimin Pharmacy.

Pushing open the familiar wooden gate, one is greeted by shouts coming from inside the house.

Under the hazy night sky, two large lights illuminated the courtyard.

A dozen or so teenagers were punching and kicking in unison in the yard, creating a gust of wind.

Seeing Zhao Rui arrive, the second senior brother, who was standing on the front stone steps supervising the martial arts practice, smiled and said, "The college student has arrived!"

"Second Brother, you're making fun of me again!"

Zhao Rui strode over.

"Senior brother, you're here! You did so well on the exam! Master has been praising you a lot lately!"

"Yes, Master is stricter with us now, sigh!"

"Senior, when are you going to university? Is university good?"

The junior disciples who were listening to the conversation stopped what they were doing and looked at Zhao Rui, chattering away and asking questions.

"Let me go see my master first, then I'll talk to you!"

Zhao Rui patted the heads of the little ones, said something to his second senior brother, and then followed the long corridor under the eaves into the inner courtyard.

Pushing open the old-fashioned wooden folding fan door, Zhao Rui immediately saw his master, Li Cunxin, sitting lazily in a recliner with his eyes closed, fanning himself with a folding fan.

"Master!"

Zhao Rui stepped forward and called out.

Li Cunxin slowly opened his right eye a crack, glanced at Zhao Rui, and then said slowly and deliberately, "Whose child is this? He's come to the wrong house!"

Zhao Rui was speechless. At his age, he was still acting like a child, always being stubborn.

"Master, I haven't been idle lately; I've been practicing martial arts every single day!"

"Hey, is our pharmacy too small? Is there nowhere for you to practice your skills?"

Li Cunxin stopped pretending to be asleep, opened his eyes, and kicked at Zhao Rui.

"Look at what you're saying! Your disciple just started a job, working day and night to earn money! How about you pay for my university tuition, Master?"

Zhao Rui's brows relaxed slightly, and a smug smile appeared in his eyes.

"Hey kid, do you know how hard it is for me to support this whole family? Where am I going to get money for you? Let your parents earn it for you!"

The mention of money immediately roused Li Cunxin, who abandoned all pretense and sat up straight. He sized up Zhao Rui, frowned, and said, "I noticed your inner strength is greatly improved, with a restrained aura and deep, even breathing. Could it be that your internal energy has made significant progress?"

"Master, I've told you, I've been diligently studying and practicing!"

"What a pity!" Li Da Nao scratched his head, looking at Zhao Rui with a hint of disappointment, and said, "If you had broken through a month earlier, you would definitely have had a chance to make it into the top fifty, and I wouldn't have lost..."

"What are you going to lose?"

Zhao Rui was taken aback, and his eyes immediately narrowed.

"It's nothing, it's nothing, go ahead and do your thing! Don't forget to let me know when you're having the banquet."

"Understood, Master!"

Zhao Rui chuckled and hurried to the main hall of the inner courtyard to pay his respects to his teacher's wife.

The pharmacy was usually inhabited only by Li Cunxin and his wife. During the day and evening, their apprentice would keep them company, but at night, the elderly couple would be alone in their empty house.

When Zhao Rui first entered junior high school, he would sometimes practice martial arts late into the night, so he would stay at the pharmacy.

His wife would even wash his feet with the water he used to soak his feet for medicine, treating him completely like her own grandson.

Therefore, Zhao Rui could enter and leave the inner quarters as if he were going home.

After chatting with his teacher's wife for a while, Zhao Rui leisurely left the inner courtyard.

"When you have time, tell your junior brothers and sisters how to study. If our pharmacy produces a few more students who get into top universities, it'll be easier for me to recruit students in the future!"

Li Cunxin said in a "meaningful" tone.

"I understand, Master. Once I start earning money, I promise I won't let you work so hard!"

"Listen to you, and we've ruined the New Year! You guys are being kind to me, I'm lucky if you don't bother me. Tomorrow, I'll have to find another apprentice..."

"Go ahead, go ahead, and you'd better find me a junior sister, I don't even have a girlfriend yet!"

"Get out, get out, get out!"

Zhao Rui chuckled and ran away from the front hall of the inner courtyard.

(End of this chapter)