Tomio was already out cold, so the official result was clear—Jason Luo won by KO! Coach Brown and Raul rushed into the ring, wrapping him in a wild embrace as they celebrated. But the crowd's reaction was lukewarm. Everyone had a hundred questions they wanted to ask Jason, yet no chance to speak.
Then, a nosy host seized the moment. He stepped forward and conducted a live interview. "Jason Luo, congratulations on defending your Intercontinental Champion title. We all know you're aiming for the world title next, but to be honest, your performance today was rather underwhelming. If I may speak for everyone here—what happened out there? What caused you to be in such a state?"
"Well…" Jason hesitated, clearly at a loss for words.
The audience grew even more curious. Could it really be that this kid overindulged before the match?
At that moment, Coach Brown suddenly grabbed the microphone, his voice full of emotion. "Allow me to explain! I know everyone was disappointed in Jason's performance today, but as his coach, I couldn't be prouder of him. You have no idea what kind of unfair treatment we were subjected to before the match!"
"Just ten minutes before the fight was set to begin, VADA officials barged into our locker room and accused Jason of using banned substances, demanding an immediate blood test! To clear our name, we had to interrupt our pre-fight strategy session and fully cooperate. After the first test came back clean, they still refused to stop and ordered a second blood test after intense physical activity. We did as they asked—and that test came back clean as well! They offered no explanation, just muttered an apology, claiming it might've been a mistake…"
"By then, the fight time had already arrived. My fighter—after having blood drawn twice and losing precious energy—was forced into the ring without tactical preparation, carrying the weight of a false accusation. He's only 19 years old! I ask you all—how many fighters in the world could perform under such circumstances? Why must we endure such injustice?"
"I know today's performance disappointed the fans who've supported Jason Luo all along. For that… we sincerely apologize!"
Unable to continue, Brown pulled Jason by the arm and bowed to the audience. And in that moment, Jason finally understood what it meant to give a truly champion-level performance.
The impact was explosive—like a small nuclear blast going off in the arena. No one had imagined such a thing could've happened before the fight. The entire venue erupted in outrage. Fans, fueled by fury, shouted from every corner:
"This is outrageous! A disgrace to boxing! Where are those VADA people? Get out here! How dare you interfere without evidence?"
"Exactly! Why target only Jason Luo? If you're testing, then test everyone! This is discrimination, plain and simple! We want an explanation today, or this isn't over!"
"No wonder Jason was drained after three rounds—they tortured him before the fight! What the hell is this?!"
"Man, that's brutal. Under all that pressure, Jason still managed to win… and we doubted him? Damn…"
...
When tens of thousands of angry fans roar together, the effect is terrifying.
The VADA officials were completely stunned. They'd finally relaxed after Jason's victory, only to find themselves in deeper trouble the very next moment. With the entire crowd glaring at them, none of them dared step forward to argue. And truth be told, everything Brown had said was technically true—they had no defense. Realizing how bad things had gotten, they fled backstage under security escort.
That silent retreat only made Coach Brown's words sound even more convincing. The crowd grew even more restless, and the organizers, seeing things spiraling out of control, hurriedly pulled Jason and his team off the stage. If things continued, a full-blown riot could break out.
...
Once back in the locker room with the door shut, the four exchanged knowing smiles. Raul gave a thumbs-up. "Brilliant! Those bastards are in for it now!"
Brown immediately hushed him. "Shh! Not here. I'm thinking about two other things right now."
"First, VADA wouldn't target you without a reason. We got lucky today, but we can't get careless. From now on, every detail of Jason's diet must be strictly checked and monitored. We can't afford a single slip."
Everyone nodded seriously. This was no joke—Coach Pedro's protégé had once ruined his entire career over something like this.
"The other thing," Brown continued, "is that all this trouble we went through was mainly to bait David Morell. Now it's up to him—let's see how he reacts."
Raul frowned. "After this chaos, he'll know Jason's performance today had a reason. Why would he still accept a fight?"
Brown smiled faintly. "That depends on whether he can find opportunity in all this."
"Find an opportunity? I don't get it…" Raul muttered.
Rod chuckled knowingly. "Ha, you'll figure it out soon enough. If Morell's half as smart as I think, he'll make a move before long."
Coach Brown waved off the discussion. "Alright, enough for now. We'll talk once we're back. This place is too hot right now—we shouldn't stay any longer. Let's head back to Chicago and see how things play out."
That very night, they boarded a flight back to Chicago.
...
The next day, major sports media outlets exploded with coverage of the incident. VADA became the target of public outrage. Even prominent figures in the boxing world condemned the organization's handling of the situation—after all, no one wanted to live under constant suspicion.
Jason Luo's experience earned him widespread sympathy. His personal page was flooded with supportive messages, and his follower count shot past two million and kept climbing.
At the training gym, the coaches carefully examined every detail of Jason's meals and supplements, determined to uncover what had triggered the incident.
Coach Brown repeatedly questioned Jason, trying to confirm if anything he'd eaten at home could've caused a problem. Jason thought back to the meal at Tony's place but didn't suspect him at all. He shook his head firmly, insisting that everything at home was completely safe.
But barely ten minutes later, his phone rang—it was his father.
"Jay, something's happened to Tony! His father just got a call from a casino in Atlantic City. Tony's in their hands—they're demanding repayment of a four-hundred-thousand-dollar gambling debt within three days. You'd better come back right away…"
Jason's mind went blank. He couldn't believe Tony had done something like this. Coach Brown and Raul saw the color drain from his face and rushed over to ask what was wrong, but Jason didn't say a word—he simply turned and walked out.
Deep down, he already understood everything.
But of all the mistakes Tony could've made—gambling was the worst.
Jason's heart ached—for his brother, and for Grace. The hope he'd carried, that Tony would one day take care of her, shattered completely in that moment.