After three or four days of rest, Jason Luo finally felt his body return to normal. To his surprise, despite the agony of the dehydration and weight-cutting process, the system notified him that his Recovery had increased by two points!
It was the first time Jason had found a way to boost his Recovery outside the ring. Could this Attribute really improve through sheer self-inflicted suffering?
On top of that, his Reaction had risen by one point thanks to his grueling training. However, progress in other areas had stalled. The deeper his training advanced, the smaller the attribute gains became. Still, mastering Boxing Technique and maintaining top physical condition required continuous practice—there was no shortcut to success.
With only two days left before the match, Jason went home to coordinate the trip with his father.
"Dad, you and Grace should come with me this time," he said. "You can do some sightseeing in Las Vegas. After the match, I plan to visit Coach Pedro directly—it'll save me an extra trip."
Henry Luo shook his head, glancing toward Grace, who was busy washing clothes. "I'm not going. What's there to see in Las Vegas? That city's nothing but trouble. Jay, I'm warning you—stay away from gambling, drugs, and all that filth. Get involved with any of it, and you're finished."
Jason nodded. "Don't worry, Dad. I'm not that kind of person. But if neither of you goes, I'll have to visit Coach Pedro alone?"
"Let Grace go with you," Henry said. "She can keep an eye on you while you're there, and I'll feel more at ease at home."
Grace quickly waved her hands. "No way. I'm not going to a place like that. Besides, I can't take that many days off work."
Jason tried again, smiling. "Come on, Grace. Getting out to see more of the world is a good thing. And I really want to take you to see Princeton University. You've always been curious about college life, right?"
That caught her attention for a moment, but she soon shook her head again. "It's still not possible. The pharmacy is short on staff, and I can't rearrange shifts. I can't leave Dr. Miao in a bind. Maybe if it were just for a day or two…"
Jason sighed in defeat. "Alright then. When I'm back, I'll take you to Princeton for sure. Deal?"
That made Grace smile. "Deal."
...
On May 9th, Jason Luo and his team arrived in Las Vegas a day early.
Las Vegas—the largest city in Nevada—was one of the world's four major gambling capitals. But beyond that, it was also a world-class resort destination, known as both the Entertainment Capital of the World and the Wedding Capital.
Luxury hotels, gourmet food, endless shopping, and entertainment—the city had everything. But it was also a den of gold and vice: if you had money, there was nothing you couldn't find.
After landing and checking into their hotel, Mr. Rod reminded Jason of the usual pre-fight rule. "Today's your free day. The company won't interfere in your personal time—but drugs are absolutely forbidden. Gambling is legal here, so that's your own choice."
Coach Brown patted Jason on the shoulder. "Luo, life's all about choices. It's fine to play a little for fun once in a while, but don't ever get hooked."
Jason gave a weary grin. "Coach, don't worry. I'm not interested in that stuff at all. Actually, if you don't mind, I'd rather do some light training to stay sharp."
Brown laughed. "Good lad! Pedro sure had an eye for you. But forget training—you've just recovered, and the match is tomorrow. You should relax a bit. Boxers are human too—pull the string too tight, and it snaps. Tell you what, I'll take you out to look around. I know this city well."
Jason didn't object—he was curious about Las Vegas anyway. With Coach Brown as his guide, they sampled local food and visited a few famous landmarks. When it came to the lavish casinos, though, Jason only looked from the outside, refusing to step in. Brown silently nodded in approval.
After a while, Brown chuckled. "Just walking around gets boring. Let's go check out one of the big shopping plazas."
"Shopping?" Jason raised an eyebrow.
"You'll see," Brown said. "Prices here can actually be quite good. Many gamblers, after losing big, pawn off high-value items at low prices. The casinos can't keep everything, so they sell them back to the public with a small markup. That's why so many people come here every year—you can find luxury goods for half their normal price."
Jason's interest was piqued. "So you can actually find good deals here?"
"Plenty," Brown grinned.
But after wandering through a few stores, Jason's enthusiasm quickly faded. The place was filled with nothing but luxury items—gold watches, designer handbags, fine paintings, and jewelry. Jason neither understood nor cared for such things. He had no use for them. Brown, however, ended up buying a watch.
"Huh? Jason, why didn't you buy anything? Forgot your card? You can use mine."
Jason shook his head quickly. "No, it's not that. I just don't like this kind of stuff. It's not practical. I'm always training—when would I even wear a watch?"
Brown laughed. "You really are a simple guy. Still, some of these things can appreciate in value—they're decent investments. And they make great gifts too, for family, maybe?"
That struck a thought in Jason's mind. He really should get something for his dad and Grace. "You're right, Coach. I'm not good at picking this kind of thing though—could you help me choose a watch for my father?"
With Brown's help, Jason picked out a Rolex Submariner. According to the coach, the same model would cost over twenty thousand dollars at a boutique in Chicago, but here it was less than half that price. Jason swiped his card with a grimace—the most he'd ever spent in his life.
Now that his father had a gift, he needed something for Grace too. But what?
It was Jason's first time buying a gift for a girl. Grace wasn't into jewelry or fashion; necklaces and earrings probably wouldn't suit her. He thought designer handbags were just status symbols for fools, though jewelry at least held some real value.
After thinking it over, he finally chose a ruby ring set in white gold. The vivid pigeon-blood red stone looked bright and elegant—youthful but not flashy. Jason felt satisfied with the choice.
The jewelry discounts were massive, but even then, the ring cost over six thousand dollars—enough to make Jason wince.
After that, he begged Coach Brown to take him back to the hotel. He didn't want to see another store.
Man, money disappeared fast in this city. It was like it was slipping straight out of his pockets. Better to get some rest before he lost any more of it.
Brown laughed heartily. "You're really something, Jason. Didn't you make over twenty grand last month? You've even got savings! Why so stingy? Everyone else here spends on credit."
Jason shook his head seriously. "Other people can do what they want. I'll never forget the days when I couldn't even scrape together eight thousand for hospital bills. Besides, I'm just a boxer. Even if I do make good money one day, I'll spend it on things that actually matter."
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
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