On the fourth day, Catherine called. The two boxers had chosen to spend two extra years in prison rather than reveal the mastermind behind them. Clearly, the forces pulling the strings were no small matter. She urged Jason Luo to stay alert and be cautious.
Jason Luo knew Catherine had done everything she could. Deep down, he already had a few suspicions. He hadn't been in society long and hadn't offended many people—just the socialite Rebella and Tutkason. If Rebella was the one scheming, then the danger wasn't too great. Their clash had been little more than a heated exchange.
Tutkason, though, was another story. His identity was special, and his hatred toward Jason ran deep—something that couldn't be taken lightly.
Jason himself wasn't afraid, but he worried about dragging his family into trouble, especially Grace. He needed to take precautions early. To keep them from worrying, he told them that he wanted Grace to experience campus life and planned to send her to a private middle school for a year of prep classes before taking the college entrance exam.
His father immediately agreed, while Grace hesitated. She had missed too much coursework and feared she wouldn't be able to catch up.
"It's okay, Grace. If you can make it after a year of review, great. If not, we'll just go for a regular private university."
"Huh? But, brother, private universities are so expensive! I'm not going!"
Jason Luo rubbed her head. "Don't worry, I can afford it! Besides, if our Grace works hard, there's still a good chance of getting into a public university. Right, Dad?"
"Exactly! Then my two kids—one with brains and one with brawn—ah, I'd have no regrets left..."
Grace had always longed for campus life. Seeing her family's support, her eyes turned red. "Dad, Brother, thank you. I'll study hard and do my best to get good grades."
Once they'd made the decision, Jason quickly contacted several teachers among the boxing fans to help him find a school. Private schools weren't hard to get into—money made things easier—and soon, he found one with a great environment and solid academics. The tuition was steep, but Jason didn't care. The pricier the school, the safer it would be.
Grace soon completed her enrollment and officially became a student again.
The news of Grace returning to school threw one person into a panic—Tony Huo.
"Whoa! Jason, that's so sneaky of you! Sending Grace back to school—what about me?"
"Get lost! Grace is still young. I'm warning you—this concerns her entire future. Until she takes the college entrance exam next year, don't you dare distract her from studying, or we're done being friends!"
Tony pulled a face. "Fine, fine... I'd love to study with her, but my foundation's way too weak."
Jason chuckled. "At least you know yourself. We're both in the same boat... Ha! Oh, right—what about the thing I asked you to look into?"
"Oh, that. Jeff's little gang has scattered, and he's been missing for a while. There's no trace of him anywhere."
Jason fell silent. Everything pointed to a powerful, methodical hand behind the scenes. Whoever they were, they'd failed this time—but they wouldn't give up easily.
After thinking for a while, Jason gave Tony two new tasks. First, get his father two big guard dogs—the fiercer, the better. Second, start having meals at their place, and when Jason wasn't home, keep his dad company and chat with him.
Tony agreed immediately. For him, this was perfect—Grace would be home for meals too.
After setting things up at home, Jason finally felt a little more at ease. As long as his family was safe, he could handle whatever came next. Who knew what tricks the enemy might try next?
The exhibition match was settled. His opponent was a 33-year-old boxer named Laurent. The weigh-in would be held the next day.
But just as that match was confirmed, Mr. Rod received a special fax—an official challenge letter from Zack Bruzz, currently ranked 311th in the WBA super middleweight division!
That was completely unexpected.
Jason was ranked outside the top 500. Normally, a ranking gap like that would make such a match impossible—unless Jason had major commercial appeal.
But his popularity had cooled off. So what was the opponent's goal?
Still, Rod couldn't just refuse. The offer was tempting. For Jason, it was a huge opportunity. If he could win, it would push him one major step closer to the world championship.
Yet after Rod and Brown examined the case in detail, they were completely torn.
Zack Bruzz was a formidable fighter—technically sound, brutally aggressive, and with a knockout rate of 78.3%. He'd beaten several elite opponents and was often compared to the legendary Marquez. Even when knocked down, he recovered at an incredible pace. Fans had begun calling him "Little Marquez." Facing someone like that? Honestly, neither Rod nor Brown felt confident.
They had no choice but to discuss it with Jason. Accepting the match would be extremely risky, but turning it down felt like a wasted chance. If they could pull off an upset, it would skyrocket Jason's career and reignite his media buzz.
Jason hesitated. "Mr. Rod, we already have the exhibition bout lined up. If we take this one too, won't the timing clash?"
Rod shook his head. "Don't worry. I've talked to their side—they're fine waiting an extra ten days. They even offered to hold the fight in a neutral city to keep things fair."
"Huh, that's quite generous..." Jason muttered, suspicion rising.
Brown frowned. "I checked—Zack's already fought three matches this year. He's completed his WBA requirements. There's no reason for him to risk his record against you... So what's he really after?"
Jason thought it through. Whatever the reason, it was a rare chance. Another match before the official fight would boost his stats—he might as well take the gamble.
Even if this could be a trap, it was still an officially sanctioned bout in a neutral city. He couldn't just hide forever.
"Let's do it, Mr. Rod. I've decided! Sooner or later, these battles will come. Facing strong opponents is the only way to grow fast. I'll take on this Little Marquez—and see how I really measure up."
Rod and Brown exchanged a look. "Alright, I'll push the schedule back a bit. You'll need time to recover after the exhibition match anyway, and this gives us more time for focused training."
Brown grinned, fired up. "Exactly! We'll only fight when we're fully prepared. Kid, if you pull this one off, you'll really make a name for yourself. Let's give it everything we've got—go for it!"
"Go for it!"
The three clasped hands and shouted together, the tension of battle already in the air. Jason Luo had set out on his journey to break the ice!
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
p@treon com / GhostParser