As soon as Rebella left, Grace's eyes widened. "Who was she?"
"Some crazy woman. Don't bother with her," Jason Luo replied irritably.
Seeing Jason Luo had no intention of explaining, Tony Huo quickly cut in to change the subject. "Haha, posting the news about your fight online yesterday really worked. Look how many people are already waiting for this match..."
Jason Luo glanced at the scrolling comments on the public screen:
"Go for it, you'll win!"
"I'll put up a hundred bucks to support!"
"Me too!"
"Send that guy home!"
"Jason Luo, fight hard! Show them what you've got! Knock him out!"
Reading these messages stirred Jason Luo's emotions. After Tony turned on the camera, he said, "Thanks, everyone. I see all your support. I'll give this fight my absolute best and won't let you down..."
After a short chat with the viewers, Dr. Miao arrived with a large group. "Wow, so many people here today! Jay, these are my friends and colleagues. They heard you're facing a tough opponent today and all came to cheer you on. Fight well—we're all behind you!"
Jason Luo quickly stepped forward and bowed respectfully. "Thank you, thank you all for your support. I may not have been boxing long, but I promise I won't let you down this match. Victory is certain!"
"Good!"
"That's the spirit!"
Applause erupted, drawing curious glances from nearby spectators.
Dr. Miao checked his wound again, applied disinfectant, and reinforced it with waterproof tape, reminding him to protect it carefully once in the ring.
After watching the ongoing match, Raul ran over. "Get ready—the bout's about to end..."
As they began preparations, their opponent appeared: the Japanese boxer Sasaki Ichiro. Once he shed his outer layer, his build revealed a typical technical fighter's frame—muscle distribution and shape completely different from that of a power-type boxer.
His upper arms weren't bulky, but his forearms were long and lean. The sternocleidomastoid muscles barely showed. With little body fat, Sasaki looked somewhat thin, yet he bounced lightly in place, a clear sign his Footwork was extremely agile.
Catching Jason Luo's gaze, Sasaki also sized him up. Then, stretching out his fist, he raised his thumb—only to slowly rotate it downward into a thumbs-down.
A textbook insult.
Jason Luo's temper flared instantly. Many saw it, and the crowd erupted in angry shouts...
The coach and Brown both caught it too. "Luo, looks like this guy's pretty confident. Test the waters first when you step in. Watch out for any tricks he might pull. Don't get impulsive—winning is what matters most."
Jason Luo gritted his teeth. "Got it. Strategically, despise the enemy. Tactically, respect the enemy."
With Sasaki provoking him like that, the air around the ring was already charged with tension before the fight even began.
The previous match finally ended. Without needing the referee's call, Jason Luo and Sasaki Ichiro stepped straight into the ring.
The referee came forward to confirm their identities—better safe than having the wrong fighters after the bell, which had happened before. Then came the glove and gear check. Once everything was cleared, the stopwatch was set and the first round began.
From the opening exchange, Sasaki Ichiro's style was unusual. His front-hand punch stayed extended, glove circling lightly in front of Jason Luo. Jason had never faced this before.
That outstretched hand blocked his vision, making it hard to track Sasaki's rear hand, while also creating a psychological barrier in the striking range.
But since the referee allowed it, Jason Luo knew it had to be a legitimate tactic.
Alright, let's just see how this plays out first...
After a few seconds of stalemate, Sasaki saw Jason Luo standing firm, showing no intent to attack, yet holding the center of the ring and restricting his movement. Forced to act first, Sasaki struck.
His lead hand snapped back from the elbow, then flicked forward with a slight shoulder thrust toward Jason Luo's head. The speed was shockingly fast—almost impossible to read!
Fortunately, Jason Luo's Reaction was sharp. He ducked just enough to avoid a hit on his eyebrow wound. The jab landed on his skull instead—like a girl's playful punch, not painful, just a little ticklish.
Hmph. That's it?
Relief washed over Jason Luo. Speed without Strength couldn't stop his advance.
But then Sasaki's rear hand shot out—a straight punch, just as fast.
Having just dodged the jab, Jason had no time to evade. He parried downward with his own rear hand, deflecting the punch to his chest, then immediately prepared to counter.
Yet to his surprise, the force wasn't light at all. While it didn't exceed his Toughness, it was enough to slow his forward momentum.
So this guy's front-hand punch and rear-hand punch had that much of a power gap? Jason pulled back his counter and reassessed.
After a few more exchanges, Jason noticed Sasaki's style wasn't like others'. His lead punches were incredibly quick, not thrown singly but often as rapid-fire jabs. The damage was minimal, but they seriously disrupted vision.
Under that cover, his rear straight became much harder to anticipate. After several rounds, Jason had only dodged one—and that was because it had targeted his eyebrow wound.
If that was the extent of Sasaki's strength, Jason only needed to guard the wound and he wouldn't have much to worry about.
After sizing him up, Jason moved to attack.
Seizing a chance when Sasaki's rear straight landed, Jason mimicked the tactic: leading with a front-hand punch to clear space, charging forward with his rear hand coiled for a heavy hook to the gut the moment Sasaki blocked.
But to his shock, Sasaki reacted as if he'd expected it. He quickly retreated, extending his front hand against Jason's chest, turning Jason's forward drive into extra backward momentum.
Jason froze. Was that even legal?
He glanced at the referee, who didn't budge, then at Pedro, who looked just as surprised. Meeting Jason's eyes, the old coach slowly shook his head.
So it wasn't considered a foul. Damn, this guy really knew how to exploit loopholes! This was going to be tricky.
Quick punches, nimble Footwork, and that lead hand constantly blocking the center—how was Jason supposed to close the distance?
Sasaki, having stopped Jason's rush, was delighted. He grinned, spread both fists, and wiggled his hips, as if to say, "Well? Can't catch me, can you? Annoying, isn't it?"
"Damn it, you bastard!"
Jason's chest heaved with anger, but no good solution came to mind. He couldn't help but worry. He'd talked big before the fight, only to face this bizarre style once inside the ring. What the hell was he supposed to do now?
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
p@treon com / GhostParser