Third floor of High Spirits Bar.

This wasn’t a place for customers to drink and dance, but an underground fight arena.

Two men were locked in a fierce fight on the ring.

One was a burly young man in his early twenties, muscles knotted all over his body, a Japanese warrior headband tied around his forehead.

The other was a fairly tall but thin man in his early thirties.

Up in the stands above the ring, a bald man with his upper body bare and a black panther tattooed across his back stood beside a refined-looking middle-aged man in casual clothes, both of them looking down at the fight below.

The bald man was none other than Black Panther, a notorious name in Wuling’s underworld.

Black Panther was thirty-eight this year. He had a lot of businesses under his name, though most of them couldn’t stand the light of day—prostitution, gambling, drugs, loan sharking, and the like.

The elegant-looking man beside him was Zhang Mingsheng, forty-five this year, fifth in his family, known in the underworld as Fifth Master Zhang.

Back when he was young, Zhang Mingsheng had made his fortune off gambling machines. Later, he gradually cleaned up his gray-market business. Now he was involved in all kinds of ventures, mainly entertainment, but also real estate and clothing.

The biggest bar in Wuling City right now, Sleepless City, belonged to his entertainment company.

So he and Black Panther could be considered rivals.

Bang...

On the ring, the Japanese fighter was surging with momentum, overwhelmingly powerful, toying with his opponent like an eagle tormenting a chick.

The skinny man was quick and agile, but the Japanese fighter’s body was simply too tough, like he was wearing a layer of armor. Every blow the skinny man landed felt like hitting steel, no more than a tickle to the other side.

Before long, the skinny man had already been beaten until he was coughing up blood and badly injured.

The Japanese fighter, meanwhile, was growing more excited the longer he fought, occasionally letting out beastlike roars.

“Old Zhang, my fighter’s strong enough, isn’t he?” Black Panther said smugly. “I spent a fortune to hire this karate expert from Japan.”

“This Japanese fighter’s body is unbelievably tough, like he’s wearing a suit of steel armor. He’s practically ignoring all physical attacks,” Zhang Mingsheng said with open admiration.

“In two months, when the Black Market Fight Tournament starts, I’m definitely taking first place. By then, my name, Black Panther, won’t just be known in Wuling—even the surrounding cities will know who I am.” Black Panther burst into loud laughter.

“Black Panther, that skinny fighter in the ring is done for. Tell your man from Japan to stop, or if this keeps going, someone’s going to die,” Zhang Mingsheng reminded him.

“So what if he dies? That bastard owes me over a million and can’t pay it back anyway. If the worthless son of a bitch dies, then let his cheap life count as repayment.” Black Panther cursed as he looked down at the ring.

“Old Zhang, the Black Market Fight Tournament starts in just two months. Have you found any decent fighters yet? This tournament, held once every two years, is the biggest event in Wuling City’s underground world. If you show up all alone with no one under your banner, all the big bosses will laugh at you.” Black Panther laughed.

It sounded like concern, but it was really mockery.

“I’ve never cared much for fame or profit,” Zhang Mingsheng said with a smile. “As far as the Black Market Fight Tournament goes, participating is enough for me. As for ranking, I’ll leave that to fate.”

“So that means you’ve found a fighter?” Black Panther looked at Zhang Mingsheng with amusement, his tone openly provocative. “If you don’t mind, why not call him up here and let him test himself against this Japanese karate master?”

Zhang Mingsheng waved a hand. “No need.”

Seeing that Black Panther still wanted to keep provoking him, Zhang Mingsheng changed the subject. “Black Panther, as a friend, let me offer you a piece of advice. Things are getting tighter these days. You should stay away from drugs.”

“Have I touched drugs?” Black Panther first looked startled, then started cursing. “Which bastard’s been flapping his rotten mouth and framing me for dealing drugs? If I find out who it is, I’ll tear his mouth off!”

Zhang Mingsheng wasn’t stupid. It was obvious Black Panther was cursing him by way of someone else. His expression darkened, but he didn’t flare up.

………………

The door opened, and one of Black Panther’s underlings walked in. Leaning close to his ear, he said softly, “Brother Panther, Sun Lei’s sister is here.”

“Who’s Sun Lei?” Black Panther asked.

“The pale-skinned young guy who borrowed money from you and didn’t pay it back. Two hours ago, you had someone lock him up,” the underling reminded him.

Black Panther immediately understood. “Let them in.”

The underling nodded and pulled out his phone to make a call.

Not long after, Jiang Hao and the other two pushed the door open and entered.

As soon as he stepped in and saw Zhang Mingsheng in the room too, Zhang Kui froze for a moment, then quickly bent at the waist and called out, “Greetings, Brother Panther. Greetings, Fifth Master Zhang.”

“This is Brother Panther, and the one next to him is Fifth Master Zhang. Hurry up and greet them,” Zhang Kui introduced them, then, seeing that Jiang Hao and Sun Xin hadn’t moved, hurriedly prompted them.

“Greetings, Brother Panther, Fifth Master!” Sun Xin copied Zhang Kui and bent over as she spoke.

Jiang Hao still didn’t move. He simply stared at Black Panther expressionlessly.

Jiang Hao’s behavior made Black Panther visibly displeased, though he didn’t dwell on it.

“You’re here to repay the debt, right?” Black Panther swept his gaze over the three of them, then asked the underling beside him, “How much do they owe?”

“Principal plus interest comes to one million two hundred fifteen thousand eight hundred,” the underling answered.

“I, Brother Panther, am generous. Forget the loose change. Just pay back one million two hundred thousand.” Black Panther looked at the three of them, his voice icy.

“Brother Panther, I really can’t come up with that much money. Could you release my brother first and give my family a few more days?” Sun Xin said in a low voice.

“Brother Panther already saw your family was in trouble and gave you extra time, but what did you do? You sold your house and tried to run away as a whole family. And now you’ve come back asking for more time. Do you think Brother Panther is easy to bully?” the underling beside him shouted.

Seeing things turning bad, Zhang Kui quickly cut in. “Brother Panther, do you remember me?”

“I don’t,” Black Panther replied cleanly and decisively.

Zhang Kui’s face immediately turned awkward.

“My name’s Zhang Kui. I work under Brother Eagle. Last time at Tianfu Grand Hotel, I even toasted you with a drink. Do you remember now?” Zhang Kui said obsequiously.

The moment Black Panther heard that, he exploded. Pointing at Zhang Kui, he cursed, “I don’t even put Eagle in my eyes, and you’re just some dogshit little lackey under him. You think I’d remember you?”

Zhang Kui immediately said in a trembling voice, “Brother Panther, please don’t be angry. I was wrong!”

Only then did some of the anger on Black Panther’s face ease. He pointed at Sun Xin and asked Zhang Kui, “Say it straight. Why did you come here with them today?”

After hesitating for a moment and swallowing hard, Zhang Kui said carefully, “Sun Lei is my friend. Brother Panther, for the sake of that drink I offered you last time, please don’t cut the tendons in Sun Lei’s hands and feet.”

“For your sake? What the hell are you supposed to be?” Black Panther’s face instantly darkened, killing intent surging in his eyes. “Have I, Black Panther, become too merciful these days? Now every stray cat and dog comes to me asking for face?”

Zhang Kui quickly bent over and apologized in panic, “Brother Panther, you misunderstand. That’s not what I meant. Please be magnanimous and don’t stoop to my level.”

“You think an apology ends it?” Black Panther shot a glance at the underling beside him.

The underling immediately got the message. He pulled a dagger from his waist and walked toward Zhang Kui.

Zhang Kui was trembling all over from fright.

Sun Xin stepped sideways and blocked herself in front of Zhang Kui, forcing herself to stay calm as she looked at the underling closing in.

Zhang Kui had come to plead for her younger brother. She couldn’t just stand there and watch him get hurt.

“Panther, we came here to settle the loan issue, not to start killing and maiming people,” Jiang Hao suddenly said.

The moment he spoke, everyone was stunned, including Zhang Mingsheng at the side.

Panther.

In all of Wuling City, aside from the underworld giant Master Lei and a few officials, there was probably no one who dared address Black Panther like that.

Even Zhang Mingsheng wouldn’t dare call him so casually.

Zhang Kui and Sun Xin were so scared their faces drained white, as if they might collapse on the spot.

It’s over. We’re all getting carried out of here as corpses.

The exact same thought flashed through both their minds.

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“You little bastard, are you tired of living? How dare you address Brother Panther like that!”

The underling was furious and stepped forward to cripple Jiang Hao on the spot.

“Wait!” Black Panther barked.

“Brother Panther?” The underling looked confused.

“Go on then. Tell me how you plan to solve this,” Black Panther said, fixing Jiang Hao with a deathly stare. “If what you say today doesn’t satisfy me, your ending will be very ugly.”

Jiang Hao nodded and looked at Black Panther. “The loan Sun Lei took out was three hundred thousand, right?”

Black Panther glanced at the underling beside him.

The underling quickly nodded. “That’s right, three hundred thousand. What about it?”

“And afterward, Sun Lei’s family should have repaid more than three hundred thousand bit by bit, right?”

“That’s right!” the underling continued nodding.

“And now you’re saying Sun Lei still owes you over a million. Doesn’t that math seem a little off? National law clearly states that annual interest rates cannot exceed thirty-six percent. You lent out three hundred thousand, and in just a little over a year it somehow snowballed into over a million. That interest is way too high.” After Jiang Hao finished speaking, he turned to Sun Xin and said, “Give me the money I gave you earlier.”

Not understanding why, Sun Xin took out the money she had on her and handed it to Jiang Hao.

That money included the sixty thousand Jiang Hao had given her, as well as the thirty thousand she had saved herself. She had brought the full ninety thousand here to give to Black Panther in hopes of getting him to release Sun Lei for the time being.

Jiang Hao began counting out the bills one by one.

Black Panther didn’t interrupt him. He merely watched coldly as Jiang Hao counted. Even when the underling beside him, still worked up over Jiang Hao’s earlier words, wanted to step forward and teach him a lesson, Black Panther stopped him.

Black Panther wasn’t worried. These people were already trapped. If Jiang Hao’s proposal didn’t satisfy him, he had already decided exactly how he was going to kill him.

Jiang Hao counted out a total of fifty thousand. Then he handed the remaining forty thousand back to Sun Xin. “Keep this.”

“Brother Jiang, we can’t... be reckless like this!”

Sun Xin had already vaguely guessed what Jiang Hao was planning, and intense anxiety appeared on her pale face.

Seeing that she didn’t take the money, Jiang Hao forced the forty thousand into her hands.

Then, under Sun Xin’s baffled gaze, he said to Black Panther, “The one million plus you’re asking for is obviously not legal. So let’s do this—I’ll take a middle-ground approach. I’ll give you another fifty thousand, and the entire debt is wiped clean.”

“As for the matter of you kidnapping Sun Lei, later on you can just apologize to him and that’ll be the end of it. We won’t even bother pursuing compensation for emotional distress.”