Peggy studied the team profiles. She pointed a manicured finger at one of the sheets and said, "Boxers and fitness coaches, perfect. Let them teach those Asians a lesson. My Sacramento money isn't that easy to win."
"The honorable Miss Peggy has chosen your opponents," the host announced, his voice booming through the overhead speakers and echoing off the concrete walls. "The match will begin in twenty minutes. Both teams, please enter the arena and warm up."
Not long after, the opposing team appeared before Jing Shu's group. Every single one of them was tall and heavily muscled. There were six huge Black men clad in thick leather armor or sturdy bulletproof vests. Just standing there, they radiated an oppressive, physical aura that seemed to shrink the space around them.
Then, one of the Chinese spectators from the corner walked over. "As your fellow countryman, even though you didn't buy the data, I have got to warn you. That team is B-rank too. Two pro boxers, two fitness coaches, and two retired soldiers. You would better be careful."
"Thanks," Jing Shu replied.
She and her teammates were soon led to the center of the dusty arena. The speakers blasted rapid, loud English commentary that rattled the floorboards, explaining the match setup. The crowd grew rowdy with raw excitement. As the first team battle of the day, everyone was looking forward to the spectacle.
The arena could hold thousands of people. Every seat was already packed with bodies. Those without tickets stood at the iron gates, craning their necks for a glimpse of the floor. In the second zone, a pet battle was still underway. A hyena was fighting a leopard. The leopard was stronger, but the hyena had grim patience. Known as the king of dogs, it feared no one but lions out on the African plains.
The hyena's brutal habit of attacking from behind was infamous. Once it found a small opening, it lunged and tore its enemy apart with its powerful jaws. Sure enough, the hyena won. It began killing and devouring the leopard completely while it was still warm. The crowd erupted in a chorus of groans and curses. These were probably the people who had just lost a pile of black market coins on the match.
Jing Shu kicked the dozing Xiao Dou. The fat hen just ruffled her feathers and stayed tucked against the dirt. She then glanced at Monkey's dog, Ah Huang. The dog was baring its teeth nervously at the scent of blood. Even the dog could sense the danger in the air, so why was Xiao Dou still sleeping? She wondered how things would turn out if her hen fought that hyena. She even caught herself thinking about how much she could win if she bet on her own chicken next time.
Still, she knew it wouldn't be easy to pull that trick twice. It was better to save up some cash first before making Xiao Dou fight again.
At last, the tug-of-war match began. The stage in Zone One was set up quickly by workers in grey jumpsuits. In the center was a pit about two meters wide and three or four meters deep. Two giant pythons were chained inside. From the elevated seats, the audience could clearly see them writhing against the floor below. These weren't normal pythons either. They were black mambas, famous for their lethal speed.
Their entire bodies were pitch black, sleek, and long. They weren't as pretty as patterned pythons, but their venom could kill a healthy person in half an hour. Among venomous snakes, they ranked fifth in the world.
"The meat isn't good," Jing Shu mused as she looked down into the pit, the smell of damp reptile scales rising to meet her. "But it might work for medicinal wine. It's still not as effective as the five-step snake, though. Maybe I should steal a few eggs later."
The announcer kept talking. He explained the rules while both sides were given their heavy tug-of-war gear. Xiao Hei grumbled beside her. He translated the words as he went. "Hey, that damned host just said each of these ugly black snakes only eats one person to get full, so we don't have to worry about everyone dying. And see these ropes? They're tied to our wrists and locked tight. There's no running away."
Tank frowned. "So the person up front is the most dangerous?"
"Yeah, looks like it," Xiao Hei said quickly. "And just so you know, I may look big, but I'm not that strong. I'm taking the last spot just to anchor the line, alright?"
"Fine," Tank said. "I will take the lead. Snake Spirit is second, Monkey is third, Mirror is fourth, Ling Ling is fifth, and Xiao Hei is sixth." After arranging the order, Tank snapped his heavy metal cuffs onto the rope first. No one else objected. Xiao Hei didn't know what he had gotten into, but the rest understood. They had Tank and Jing Shu. Both had trained at national-level strength. That alone was enough to carry several people's worth of power.
Even Ling Ling, who carried two heavy guns every day, had far more strength than the average person.
"Damn it, look at those bastards," Xiao Hei cursed, his eyes on the opponents. "They're wearing heavy armor and bulletproof vests. That's going to make this way harder for us."
Nobody bothered responding to him.
Both teams took their positions on the arena floor. There were twelve people in total, pulling on the same thick rope in opposite directions. The losers would fall into the dark pit and get eaten alive.
The audience roared as one. The real show was about to begin.
"Ladies and gentlemen," the host called out, "let's welcome the lovely Miss Peggy to announce the start of the match! Let's see which team will emerge victorious! But before we begin, may I ask, have you placed your bets yet? Who are you betting on?"
The arena was shaped like an inverted bowl. The fighting pit sat in the very center. The first tier was crammed with commoners stacked row upon row. The second tier was smaller but far more lavish. This was where the nobles sat. They were lounging on soft sofas, sipping dark red wine and chatting idly about which team would win.
Peggy took the silver microphone and smiled. Xiao Hei translated her words on the spot. "She says she is rooting for the team with the boxers and fitness coaches. She is also acting as the banker for this round. Most nobles bet on the boxers' team, so she might lose a lot of black market coins if they fail. But as she says, as long as everyone is having fun, money is just a number."
"Thank you, Miss Peggy. Now please, give us the signal."
"Alright then. One, two, three, go!"
"Go, go, go!" Xiao Hei shouted. He pulled hard on the rope. His life literally depended on it, and there was no way he would slack off now.
Across from them, Tank turned his head slightly toward Snake Spirit.
The rope was long and designed to stretch the battle out. To pull a team into the pit, they would need to drag them more than ten meters across the dirt. This was more than just raw strength. It was endurance too.
The match had only just started, yet Tank alone managed to stabilize the whole line. The six men opposite him shouted in a rhythmic grunt. They were like men chanting "pull the radish, pull the radish" as they heaved together. But no matter how hard they pulled, Tank stood unmoved. He was like a solid tree rooted into the arena floor.
Xiao Hei tugged at his section of the rope and blinked. "Wait, what the hell? I haven't even used my strength yet. Did they forget to eat breakfast or something?"
Snake Spirit sighed. "So… what is our goal here?"
Tank grinned, his teeth showing. "To win this damn match, of course."