Chapter 51

Chapter 51

Ao Tian: "It's a tiger!"

This club is utterly inhumane, stooping to such despicable acts.

The tiger clearly looked like it was regularly fed live chickens and ducks, exuding a predatory ferocity. After locking onto Chen Zui, it pounced without a moment's hesitation.

The arena wasn’t large; such a pounce could easily pin Chen Zui down, making him its next meal.

Chen Zui had no choice but to dodge immediately. Fortunately, his reflexes were quick and agile, allowing him to evade at the last second. He kept running in the opposite direction. The tiger, having hit the wall, turned and lunged at Chen Zui again, its maw gaping wide. It seemed capable of swallowing Chen Zui whole. Even before it got close, the putrid, bloody stench from its mouth assailed him.

Frowning, Chen Zui pressed against the wall and turned to dodge. Enormous tiger claws slammed against the wall one after another, leaving terrifying gouges. Debris from the wall sprayed onto Chen Zui’s body, leaving red marks on his bare skin.

The entire venue fell silent. Everyone watched with bated breath, aware that at any moment, this alpha could be reduced to a bloody pulp.

After dodging over a dozen times in succession, Chen Zui suddenly crouched low. As the tiger’s claw swiped over him, he reached into his boot and pulled out the item he had prepared in advance to guard against the Transmigration Bureau—a compact laser sword.

The tiger’s claws scraped down along the wall, each swipe capable of tearing a person apart.

At the same time, Chen Zui pressed the button on the laser sword. A blue laser beam shot out, plunging straight into the tiger’s belly. His body dodged to the side. The laser sword sank into the tiger’s stomach without any resistance, while Chen Zui was struck by the tiger’s claw and sent sprawling, blood splattering everywhere.

The tiger let out a roar filled with fury and pain.

Chen Zui tumbled twice on the ground before crashing into the wall and coming to a stop, leaving a trail of blood behind. Four ragged, deep wounds now marked his left shoulder and half of his back. If he hadn’t dodged in advance, his back would have been ripped open, and his heart gouged out.

Gasps of shock echoed from the audience.

On one hand, they were stunned that he had managed to injure the tiger so quickly. On the other, they were amazed by his take-no-prisoners ferocity—willing to inflict a thousand losses on the enemy at the cost of eight hundred of his own. There was no denying it: this alpha was a ruthless force to be reckoned with.

Chen Zui gripped the laser sword and stood up, allowing blood to drip from his wounds, staining half of his body crimson.

Battle-damaged and armed with a lightsaber, still masked.

It ticked all the boxes for many viewers' kinks. At this moment, the alpha was no different from a wild beast.

Chen Zui’s gaze fell on the pool of blood beneath the tiger’s belly.

Although the injured tiger had been sent into a greater rage, its sense of danger made it more cautious. Its eyes fixed on Chen Zui, it lowered its front body slightly, claws shifting slowly, ready to strike.

Lu Mingye took a large gulp of wine but still felt dry-mouthed. His eyes burned as he watched the alpha, whose back remained straight and unyielding.

Ao Tian was worried but dared not make a sound to disturb him. Even the fact that the favorability score had risen to 5% didn’t bring it any joy.

With another deafening roar, the tiger lunged at Chen Zui again, like a mountain crashing down on him. Chen Zui had to dodge. Even if he could stand his ground and thrust the laser sword straight into the tiger’s heart, the force and weight of its pounce would crush him, leaving him either maimed or killed.

He nimbly evaded, stopped, turned around, and thrust forward forcefully. There was no need to aim precisely. As long as he could inflict damage on the tiger each time, victory would eventually be his.

After thrusting, he arched backward fluidly. The tiger’s claws swept past with a gust of wind, barely grazing him.

Seizing the opportunity, Chen Zui relied on his incredibly strong core strength to spring up and retreat backward.

Although he had struck the tiger’s spine this time—a less critical wound compared to the belly—Chen Zui emerged unscathed. The tiger, injured once more, went into a frenzy, attacking wildly, nearly wrecking the arena.

Chen Zui alternated between dodging and attacking, his eyes calm as though he weren’t in a life-or-death situation or at a disadvantage.

An unconscious look of admiration flickered in Lu Mingye’s eyes.

As the battle dragged on, the tiger accumulated more and more wounds, and Chen Zui’s face grew increasingly pale. The entire arena was practically painted in blood. However, the crowd noticed clearly that the tiger’s movements had slowed down, while the alpha remained as agile as ever, as if he had boundless stamina.

Blood stained his white pants red.

Dodging the pouncing tiger, Chen Zui kicked off the wall and leaped into the air like a bird taking flight. Grabbing the fur on the back of the tiger’s neck, he flipped onto its back.

Many spectators jumped to their feet in excitement.

Lu Mingye’s grip on his wine glass tightened until his knuckles turned white.

Steadying himself by holding onto the tiger’s scruff, Chen Zui felt the tiger lift its head uncomfortably at the weight on its back. Before it could struggle to throw him off, Chen Zui pressed the laser sword against the side of its neck.

The alpha’s hand was steady, without the slightest tremor, even though it was completely stained with blood.

With near-perfect composure, he drove the laser sword in with force.

The tiger’s roar turned into a mournful cry…

After struggling only twice, the tiger began to convulse and then collapsed. On the tiger’s back, the alpha was now drenched in blood, resembling a devil from hell. Only the tech-enhanced mask on his head gleamed with a cold light.

After a moment of pin-drop silence, the arena erupted into thunderous cheers and screams.

Lu Mingye’s heart pounded wildly.

Even though he knew it was Chen Zui…

As Chen Zui climbed down from the tiger, he staggered slightly. The door leading to safety automatically opened. Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, he strode away with long steps, leaving a trail of bloody footprints, calm and composed.

Many people were nearly driven crazy by his badass demeanor, as if they had experienced a climax without physical touch, only a pure adrenaline rush.

—

Chen Zui entered the rest room and swayed unsteadily before collapsing into a seat. Excessive blood loss made his vision blur and darken intermittently.

Ao Tian: "Whatever you do, don’t fall asleep."

Chen Zui quirked his lips slightly. As he relaxed, his body grew heavy. Using what little strength he had left, he removed his mask, revealing a deathly pale face.

Boss Zhao arrived with medical personnel: "Hurry, hurry, hurry! Treat him quickly."

His feigned concern made it seem as though he hadn’t arranged or allowed any of this to happen. He rambled on: "You were absolutely amazing! I can make an exception and offer you a contract with a 70/30 split—70 for me, 30 for you. You should know that the standard here is 80/20. I have really big plans for you."

Chen Zui glanced at him, sat up to receive treatment, and didn’t respond.

The medical and technological advancements in this world were equally impressive. The doctor first cleaned his wounds: "This might hurt a bit."

In truth, half of Chen Zui’s shoulder had gone numb, and he couldn’t feel much. Besides, his tolerance for pain had always been high. Since childhood, he had suffered too many injuries and had grown accustomed to it.

Boss Zhao stared for a moment: "Fortunately, the bones weren’t damaged."

After cleaning the wounds, the doctor applied a powder that stimulated flesh regeneration and healing. Through the observation lens, one could clearly see the flesh rapidly closing up.

The doctor deftly applied a waterproof dressing to stop the bleeding: "It should heal in about 12 hours. During that time, just be a little careful to avoid re-injuring it."

Sensation quickly returned to Chen Zui’s shoulder, bringing with it an maddening itch that worsened his already foul mood.

The doctor: "Luckily, the gland wasn’t injured. That’s a silver lining in this misfortune."

Boss Zhao: "No worries. I have the most professional medical team here. We are fully committed to every fighter’s well-being. No matter how severe the injury, we can treat it."

He smiled at Chen Zui: "You made a killing this time. You wouldn’t have pulled in this much cash anywhere else. Making money here is the surest bet."

Chen Zui flexed his injured shoulder, stood up, and rolled his neck around.

Boss Zhao gazed eagerly at his future money tree: "I'll compensate you another hundred thousand..."

Before he could finish the word "thousand," a searing pain erupted in his abdomen. His expression twisted in agony as he looked down in disbelief.

The laser sword that had been plunged into the tiger’s belly was now buried in his own gut.

Drip... drip...

Blood dripped onto the floor, each drop echoing.

The nearby doctor let out a delayed scream.

"You have the most professional team here—you’ll pull through." Chen Zui smirked. "Consider today’s payment your medical fee." With a twist of his hand gripping the laser sword, he jerked it free.

Gushing blood stained his pants an even deeper red.

Boss Zhao stumbled and fell to one side. The doctor lunged to support him, but Boss Zhao, more concerned about his own survival, grabbed the doctor: "Save me..."

Chen Zui exited the lounge without resistance. Boss Zhao likely hadn’t brought bodyguards, assuming he was on home ground, and probably never expected Chen Zui to make a move so boldly.

The aircraft flew into the distance. Chen Zui had a cigarette dangling from his lips, convinced that Boss Zhao wasn’t solely behind this scheme. As his prized cash cow, there was no reason for Zhao to orchestrate such a thing.

It wasn’t hard to guess whose idea it really was.

He hadn’t expected Lu Mingye to see through his disguise so quickly.

He exhaled a cloud of smoke.

"Has the favorability rating increased?"

"It’s up to 7. Are you okay?"

"I’m fine. Don’t worry."

"This Boss Zhao is truly utterly vile," Ao Tian grumbled indignantly.

"It was probably Lu Mingye’s idea."

Ao Tian grew even angrier upon hearing this: "He’s such a devious bastard—so nasty, so underhanded."

Chen Zui chuckled. Wickedness made things interesting.

——

On his way back, Lu Mingye couldn’t stop reliving the moments of Chen Zui fighting desperately with the tiger. Every moment was worth savoring and revisiting. At one point, he’d even grown so excited he’d had a physical reaction.

The feral aura radiating from the alpha was like some kind of stimulant.

He pulled out a cigarette. But since Chen Zui was injured, the chances of killing him now had significantly increased. Without hesitation, Lu Mingye gave the command.

The men who’d ambushed him before at his home now headed toward his hotel.

When Lu Mingye arrived at his residence and stepped out of the aircraft, he passed through a courtyard bursting with flowers. The scent of blossoms lingered in the air, and under the moonlight, butterflies fluttered gracefully, catching his eye. Suddenly, a figure burst forth from among the flowers, sending petals scattering. Backlit by the moon, Lu Mingye could only make out a pair of eyes gleaming with a beast-like intensity.

For a moment, he was rooted to the spot.

Chen Zui: "Surprise~"

At the same time, Lu Mingye’s head was struck hard, and he sprawled into the flowers.

——

The men sent to the hotel had already breached the hotel’s system and confirmed that Chen Zui hadn’t checked out. Using prepared devices, they picked the lock and entered his room, hiding in various spots as they lay in wait like predators.

——

Cold.

Lu Mingye felt freezing, so cold that his lips trembled before he even opened his eyes. When he finally managed to lift his eyelids, his eyelashes felt stuck together, and frost settled on his skin.

The first thing he saw was a clear blue sky, leisurely white clouds, and some trees.

As Lu Mingye turned his head, his gaze fell on pristine white snow.

Snow?

Lu Mingye remembered seeing Chen Zui just before he was knocked out. He never expected the man to come straight for him immediately after such a brutal fight. Was this guy’s stamina and energy just superhuman?

Clutching his throbbing head, he sat up. The biting cold made him shiver uncontrollably. Before he could grasp his situation, he felt the snow beneath him trembling.

An earthquake?

His mind was still foggy from just waking up, but his ears picked up the snarl of a predator. Scrambling to his feet, he saw a large black bear charging toward him from not far away.

His pupils contracted sharply.

Shit!

Weaponless, Lu Mingye turned and ran for dear life. The terrain was anything but flat—fallen tree trunks littered the snowy ground, hindering his escape. The black bear roared, closing in rapidly.

Lu Mingye sprinted for his life, his breath forming continuous puffs of white mist. He leaped over tree trunks and ducked under low-hanging branches. The bear’s claws swiped behind him, shattering a branch into splinters.

Its destructive power was no less fearsome than the tiger’s.

Lu Mingye didn’t dare look back, pushing forward desperately. He jumped over another trunk but slipped upon landing, crashing hard into the snow. Panic surged through him, generating a flicker of warmth in his frozen body. Scrambling on all fours, he struggled forward.

The bear’s claws hooked his shoe, flinging him through the air. Blood droplets splattered across the snow. When Lu Mingye landed, deep gashes—bone-deep—lined his left leg, instantly dyeing the snow crimson.

He tried to get up but failed.

The bear’s blood-curdling roar felt right behind him. Propping himself up with his hands, he turned to see the beast opening its gaping maw.

Death had sent him an invitation.

Lu Mingye never imagined this would be how he died, but he refused to give up. He flung a handful of snow at the bear, scrambling backward. Something whizzed past his ear. Through his blurred, shaky vision, he spotted a tranquilizer dart embedded in the bear’s neck.

The bear, moments from tearing into him, wobbled dizzily.

Lu Mingye frantically pushed himself backward, ignoring the searing pain in his leg.

The unconscious bear crashed heavily right in front of him. Heart pounding, cold sweat dripping, Lu Mingye stared at the beast, stunned.

…He had almost died.

Footsteps sounded behind him. Lu Mingye turned stiffly. A tall figure approached, backlit, a long rifle tapping lightly against his leg with each step.

He moved with the ease of someone strolling through his own backyard.

He lifted his gaze upward as the other approached him, finally seeing that face looking down at him with a mix of mockery and mocking amusement.

The joy of surviving a near-death experience faded instantly. This kind of behavior couldn’t even be called "a slap on the wrist followed by a sweet treat"—it was more like breaking someone’s leg and then handing them a crutch.

What a bastard.

Ao Tian: "Favorability 8%."

Chen Zui watched the terrified, almost scared out of his wits man, pressed the barrel of the long gun in his hand against the wound on Lu Mingye’s leg, and Lu Mingye immediately furrowed his brows in pain.

"Don’t be afraid,"

"I’m here,"

Chen Zui’s tone was gentle, but he pressed harder, making the blood flow even faster from the wound.