"Ding! Congratulations on defeating your opponent once again in an official match. The Greedy Wolf talent has automatically extracted the following superior attributes from your opponent: Strength +1, Boxing Technique +2, Footwork +1, Explosiveness +2, Toughness +3, Jab Power +2, Cross Power +2, and Vitality +2. Keep up the good work and check your status promptly."
"Ding! Vitality levels detected as exceptionally high. Congratulations—Enhanced Senses has been activated! Your five senses have been strengthened! Recommended to continue cultivating and elevate your life form!"
Hiss!
As the system prompts echoed, it felt as if a thin veil had been lifted from Jason Luo's eyes. The world suddenly appeared brighter, clearer. His hearing sharpened too—in the noisy stadium, he could distinctly catch Raul's low muttering: "Gotta head downtown again sometime..."
The sensation was incredible. He could now focus his mind to filter out noise, choosing to hear only what he wanted within a certain range...
But there was no time to dwell on it. After Jason Luo's victory, St. Mary's Stadium erupted into chaos. His fans were ecstatic, while the British audience sank into frustration. Their anger quickly turned toward the referee, accusing him of poor officiating that led to Charlison's defeat.
In the midst of the uproar, Brown and Raul shielded Jason Luo as they made a quick exit, planning to leave the UK as soon as possible. Riots among British fans were notoriously troublesome—getting out fast was the smartest move...
The bloody fight in Southampton soon caught the attention of the entire boxing world. Media outlets swarmed to report on it. This time, no one dared to claim Jason Luo had relied on tricks or lacked strength. From start to finish, it had been a clash of raw power, and Jason Luo had beaten Charlison fair and square!
The landscape shifted overnight.
After Charlison's loss, Mr. Rod's office was flooded again—this time with faxes withdrawing challenge offers.
Who was Charlison? He was Britain's recognized rising star—a fierce, battle-tested fighter who had once gone the distance against the The Iceman York Forlan without a clear winner. Now he'd been knocked out of the ring in just four rounds by Jason Luo. Anyone with sense would reconsider.
Jason's dominant performance had also scared off many technically oriented fighters. Overnight, Rod's list of potential challengers had nearly vanished.
But Rod wasn't worried. "It's fine, Jason. This match gave us all the leverage we need. From now on, our goals go beyond the current rankings. Take a good rest. I'll head back to the company and secure every resource necessary to plan your rise to the top!"
Jason Luo's eyes widened. "The world title?"
Rod nodded. "First, we aim for the challenger slot. It might take some setup—it's complicated, with plenty of politics involved. Leave that part to me. All you need to do is be ready. I'll get you the opportunity—whether you seize it is up to you."
Jason nodded firmly. "I won't waste it. But Mr. Rod, summer break's coming up... my trip to China..."
Rod laughed. "Relax, Jason. You've made it! Now that you're on the top-tier roster, you can't expect to fight every couple of weeks. At this level, both sides are big names. Even after signing, just the pre-fight promotion takes at least a month. Once you reach world champion level, managing four or five fights a year already counts as high activity."
"Don't worry about your China trip. I've already spoken with our partners there—they're thrilled to host you. We'll discuss the details once Mr. Han and his team arrive."
That night, Han Libo and Meng Chengze paid a late visit.
"Congratulations, congratulations! Haha! Jason Luo, you've made us all so proud! To tell you the truth, Old Meng and I drank a bottle and a half of baijiu tonight—what a celebration!"
Editor Meng's face was flushed. "Exactly! Finally, we could breathe easy. Feels amazing! If we didn't have to visit you tonight, we'd still be drinking!"
Jason chuckled nervously. These two must have terrifying tolerance—they'd downed over half a liter and still weren't satisfied...
He quickly invited them to sit. Han Libo brought good news: "Our broadcast partnership back home was a huge success. Youku alone reported over thirty million dollars in revenue, with more to come later. A tremendous start!"
"Given that, we strongly invite Jason Luo to begin his commercial tour in China soon—to fill the gap in our professional boxing scene!"
Jason blinked. "Wait—China doesn't have professional boxing events?"
Editor Meng answered, "There's the China Open Boxing Championship, or COB Series. Zou Shiming started there. But it's limited to amateur boxing—training athletes for the Olympics and Asian Games. Professional boxing is basically blank domestically. Many excellent boxers give up pro careers for national honors, waiting for successors before going abroad. But by then, their prime is gone. So..."
Jason listened silently, a storm of emotions stirring in his chest.
"Jason Luo, you're one of the lucky few. Unique circumstances helped you create a miracle. No matter what, we're proud of you. Keep it up! If you reach the peak of professional boxing, you might reshape the entire mindset of Chinese boxing. The impact could be immeasurable."
Jason nodded, then asked, "Given that, what exactly can I do in China?"
"Don't worry," Meng replied. "Even though we lack professional boxing promotions, events like Martial Arts Wind and Kunlun Fight are ready to organize exhibition matches for you. You'll face top Asian APBA professional boxers to showcase real pro boxing."
That sparked Jason's interest. He turned to Rod, who grinned. "Exactly! And after that, we'll go on tour—Japan, Korea, Thailand, all the key countries. Haha, it's a gold rush, kid! Get ready to count your money!"
Everyone burst into laughter. Han Libo stood. "Alright, we'll leave you to rest. We'll discuss the details later. Jason, you've taken quite a beating—get some good rest."
With that, the two men left, and Rod personally saw them off.
...
That night, Jason finally had time to call Catherine as promised to share the good news. Coincidentally, she was with Coach Pedro. The two had grown close lately, getting along like family.
That warmed Jason's heart. The coach was in great health, and after hearing Jason's victory, he was overjoyed, insisting on a video call.
But when Catherine saw Jason's swollen face and bruises, she gasped. The old coach was silent for a long moment.
"Jason, you've worked hard. You're close to success now—but this is also the most dangerous stage. Let me give you one piece of advice: when you find a gold mine, be wary of everyone around you."
Jason nodded repeatedly but didn't take it too seriously. The people around him were family and loyal friends who'd gone through everything with him—betrayal was unthinkable. Still, he appreciated the old coach's concern. The man had seen it all.
Jason also told Catherine about his upcoming trip to China, saying he might not be able to visit Princeton soon. She immediately protested, demanding to come along!
But since the trip was a family one, bringing her wasn't convenient. Plus, Catherine had her own competitions and training commitments during the break—she couldn't just take off. In the end, she pouted, "Hmph! You're doing this on purpose to make me mad! I'm not talking to you anymore!"
Then she hung up.
Jason smiled helplessly. Girls were complicated. Still, knowing she was with Coach Pedro put his mind at ease. He'd find a chance to make it up to her later...
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
p@treon com / GhostParser