Evolution - Chapter 86
Chapter 86
In the end, Ji Changqing fought all ten matches.
She staggered off the ring, swaying on her feet but alive.
Du Zhong excitedly rushed to the exit of the passage and eagerly supported her.
Ji Changqing lowered her voice and instructed him, “Contact them. Have twenty or thirty people come over.”
Du Zhong gave a barely perceptible nod.
After winning ten consecutive matches, she could meet the person she had planned to see, but that objective was no longer the most important thing. The real issue was the enormous sum of prize money.
For every match, he had bet all the winnings from the previous one on Ji Changqing to win again. That alone had yielded a considerable fortune. And that wasn't even counting Ji Changqing's doubled share of the prize money from the ring.
It was better to call more people over for a show of force. After all, wealth tempts the heart.
As soon as they left the ring area, people from the boxing ring came up to them. “First aid first?” one asked with practiced ease.
Ji Changqing grunted in affirmation. “First aid. Please trouble A Si and your manager to come see me. I have some business to discuss.”
The staff from the ring enthusiastically led them to a private, luxurious medical room that came with its own reception area.
Everyone was familiar with these procedures. The moment Ji Changqing stepped into the medical room, doctors began methodically treating her external wounds and soothing her internal injuries.
Before long, A Si and the ring's manager entered together.
The manager immediately began to shower Ji Changqing with all sorts of praise. They had made a killing tonight, so naturally, he was all smiles for the God of Wealth who had generated so much revenue for the ring.
“Your share of the prize money has been calculated. What are your thoughts?” The manager looked at her, asking a silent question. How do you plan to take it with you?
“I’d rather not take this business elsewhere. I want to spend all the money here,” Ji Changqing said, her expression unchanging as she endured the aching pain from the medical treatment.
The manager raised an eyebrow, and even A Si couldn't help but give her a second look.
This was truly an astute person.
Under most circumstances, money was very useful. But in these chaotic times, having money didn't mean much. Sometimes, it could even bring disaster.
“Of course. What would you like to exchange it for?” The manager did a quick calculation on his mental abacus. Many of the ring's goods were hot commodities that couldn't see the light of day, and the prices… well, they were quite favorable to the seller.
“Firearms, ammunition, food, and medicine.”
At this, even A Si, who had maintained his stoic persona, felt the corner of his mouth twitch.
You're planning to stir up some trouble, aren't you!
“How much are you looking for?” The manager, a man who had seen the world, recovered his business-like demeanor after a moment of surprise. The thought of earning back all of Ji Changqing's substantial winnings put him in an even better mood.
Ji Changqing glanced at them coolly and pondered for a moment. “We’ve gathered together for self-preservation, about a thousand of us. But since many have families, we might need a bit more in terms of food and supplies.”
Her statement revealed three pieces of information.
First, she was part of a group of over a thousand people—not a massive force, but not a small one either.
Second, they were law-abiding citizens merely trying to defend their homes and survive in these chaotic times. They weren't interested in joining a larger power and had no great ambitions.
Third, they had families to support. Setting aside firearms and ammunition, they would definitely need food and medicine in the future, making them long-term customers. Most importantly, they were willing to spend, and they could afford it!
The worldly manager's eyes glazed over slightly.
You're already leading a group of over a thousand people, yet you're still fighting in the ring? And what kind of bizarre group is this, where the leader has to support the entire team alone?
He fiddled with the prayer beads on his wrist, dismissing some of the less savory ideas he'd been entertaining.
This was a formidable person, and she had a whole group behind her. It was best to just do business.
After a round of haggling, the seemingly astronomical prize money was exchanged for enough firearms and ammunition to equip over a hundred people, food to feed a thousand for half a month, and a batch of common medicines and special wound salves.
The price was several times higher than normal—so expensive that even though it was just money from a game scenario, both Ji Changqing and Du Zhong felt their hearts bleed.
“What about the six men?” Ji Changqing was asking about the six opponents she had defeated but not killed.
The smile on the manager's face froze for a second. None of the six were crippled. With advanced medical technology, broken limbs and shattered jaws were minor issues. They could be mostly healed in half a day and would just need some time to recuperate afterward.
Six money trees, gone just like that.
He was about to try and negotiate with Ji Changqing, to see if they could keep the six men.
Ji Changqing shot him a cool glance.
A chill ran down the manager's spine, and he suddenly saw things clearly. If she hadn't considered them her property, those six men would be six corpses. What money trees would be left then?
“Four of them are almost recovered. The other two still need a little more time.”
As for the treatment costs, they always collected payment before providing care.
With the business concluded, the manager and A Si took their leave. Ji Changqing still needed another two hours for her treatment and recovery, which was just enough time for the ring to prepare the goods. The exchange would happen on the spot, goods for payment, all accounts settled.
The manager glanced at the closed door of the medical room and asked A Si in a low voice, “A Si, do you think she's really exhausted?”
A Si shot him a sideways glance. “How would I know?”
“Even you can't tell?” The manager found that hard to believe.
“At the beginning, I thought someone else would be the one fighting in the ring.”
This was an admission that he had indeed misjudged, that he couldn't gauge Ji Changqing's true depth.
“A Si, if it's true…”
A Si let out a soft “hmph,” clearly displeased that the man kept rubbing his misjudgment in his face. “If? What if? Everyone who fought tonight thought the same way you do, as did everyone who placed bets. And how did that turn out for them?”
The manager's face fell.
Anyone who had held such thoughts tonight had ended up miserable, that was for sure.
A Si, however, seemed intrigued and goaded him, “Why don't you go and test her?”
The manager glared at him. Easy for him to say. If Ji Changqing was deliberately feigning weakness, it wouldn't be A Si who ended up dead.
“I just find her actions a bit strange, not very logical.”
“What logic is there in the world today? Think about what her actions would mean two or three years ago.”
The manager had a sudden realization.
In peaceful times, Ji Changqing's actions would be like a broke entrepreneur trying to raise startup capital to build a team.
But in the current world, that logic was reversed. The weak would actively seek out the strong for survival and were willing to pay the price—as long as the strong were willing to protect them, they would do everything in their power to support the strong.
That was why Ji Changqing risking her life in the ring to support her subordinates seemed so bizarre.
The military academy students arrived much faster than the ring could prepare the goods.
Before Ji Changqing had even left the medical room, thirty able-bodied young men appeared at the entrance of the boxing ring. The doorman thought they were there to trash the place and quickly ran inside to find the bouncers.
The oblivious students politely asked the one and only remaining doorman, “How do we get to the private medical room on the 11th floor?”
The doorman pointed timidly at the private elevator. “You need permission from upstairs to go up.”
The student at the front thanked him casually and, with a wave of his hand, led the thirty men toward the private elevator.
Just as they reached the elevator lobby, a large group of burly men swarmed out from inside the ring.
“Where are they? Who’s got a death wish, daring to cause trouble at our place?!” they yelled.
The students glanced over curiously before quickly looking away. They were here to find Ji Changqing, not to be spectators in some drama.
They could watch drama anytime; right now, completing their mission was their life!
But with a great clamor, the burly men rushed forward and surrounded them. “Hey, kids, are you the ones here to make trouble?”
They didn't want to be spectators, but now they were the main event?
The student in the lead quieted his restless comrades. “We're here to find someone.”
“Find who? You bring dozens of men to find someone? Anyone who enters our ring is our business. It's not your place to come looking for trouble. Still say you're not here to trash the place?! Brothers, throw them out!”
The men from the ring let out a cheer and rushed forward to attack!
Forced to defend themselves, the students grew frantic. “We're looking for our own person! What trouble? Ji Changqing told us to meet her in the medical room on the eleventh floor!”
The pushing and shoving came to an abrupt halt.
The leader of the group blinked and swallowed hard. As if he hadn't heard correctly, he asked hesitantly, “Ji Changqing?”
Holy crap. The Ji Changqing who had won ten matches in a row and had just become one of the ring's biggest clients.
They had just beaten up the big client's people?
The leader was remarkably adaptable. In an instant, he switched from arrogant and aggressive to deferential, leading his underlings to straighten the somewhat disheveled students' clothes and collars. “A misunderstanding, a misunderstanding. Our sincerest apologies. This is a case of family fighting family.”
He turned and glared at the doorman who had sounded the alarm. Look what your false report has caused! If we hurt Ji Changqing's people and she gets angry, you'll be the one to pay the price!
The doorman was quick-witted. He squeezed out of the crowd, bowing and scraping. “Oh, you're looking for Ji Changqing! This way, please, this way!”
He then launched into a litany of complaints about how difficult his life was.
His tale was so convincing that the students, who had gone from furious to bewildered, began to feel a pang of pity.
They were about to magnanimously forgive him when a thought struck them. They remembered their own desperate situation, how they even had to scrounge for food.
And besides, these people seemed terrified of Ji Changqing…
In that case…
The students at the front exchanged glances, nodding frequently in agreement. They lamented how hard it was to make a living these days, how they didn't even have money for food, and now they'd been beaten up for no reason with no money for treatment!
They also made a point of envying the ring workers for their high-paying jobs. People with jobs were amazing, so much better off than them!
The faces of the ring's men turned ashen.
Finally, their leader stepped forward, forcing a smile. “It's not like that. We're just trying to get by. Brothers, how about this? We'll all chip in some money for you. It won't be much, but it should be enough for treatment and a good meal to help you recover.”
The corners of the students' mouths twitched upward as they feigned innocence. “You work here. Shouldn't the ring be responsible for this?”
The bouncer leader's eye twitched. Are you trying to extort the ring?
“It was our mistake. I imagine you brothers will need to rest well for a couple of days. So… we'll tighten our belts and add a little something for your lost wages?”
The students, who had been barely maintaining a dignified posture, quickly replied, “Now, now. If we don't accept, will the ring think we haven't forgiven you? In that case, we'll let you go to the expense!”
Necessity is the mother of invention, after all! They had genuinely been beaten up; this wasn't an extortion attempt!
Watching this farce unfold on the surveillance monitors, the manager and A Si were both rather speechless.
The manager sighed. “No wonder Ji Changqing has to risk her life fighting in the ring. They really do seem desperate for money.”
“Quite interesting.” A Si's focus, however, wasn't on the extortion but on the discipline and combat awareness this group had displayed during the brief conflict. “From now on, give Ji Changqing a twenty percent discount on her goods. Tell her it's a gesture of friendship.”
Although the manager didn't understand the reason for this sudden directive, he instinctively replied, “Yes, A Si!”
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