Chapter 408: The Challenge
Chapter 408: The Challenge
Old Lao Bian sat with a stern expression for a moment before turning to his apprentice, who was standing nearby, and asked, "Have you found out anything about that kid?"
The apprentice quickly replied, "Master, I've found out that the person who came is from the Upper City Processing Bureau."
"Someone from the Processing Bureau?" Lao Bian was surprised. He furrowed his brows and asked, "Did you find out so quickly? Is this information accurate?"
Although Tier Three Combatants weren't without connections, verifying their identities would still take some time, especially for someone from the Upper City. Their information wasn't written on their foreheads, and it would require some effort. How much time had passed since the incident? When had this foolish apprentice become so efficient?
"It's true!"
Seeing that Lao Bian still looked doubtful, the apprentice hurriedly said, "No, Master, look at this..." He quickly tapped on his Boundary Token and sent a video clip to Lao Bian.
"The person in this video is him, and the other one is Wei Wusheng from the Heaven Forgive Gang, the one Master mentioned before."
"Wei Wusheng? Heaven Forgive Gang's Yu Hongming's apprentice?"
Lao Bian was surprised as he watched the video. Wei Wusheng had quite a reputation, especially for his age. Heaven Forgive Gang's Yu Hongming was a hurdle that even his master and grandmaster couldn't surpass.
Wei Wusheng was known as Yu Hongming's most accomplished student in nearly thirty years, so Lao Bian had paid some attention to him and often used this example to admonish his apprentice.
Then he saw the scene where Chen Chuan pinned Wei Wusheng to the ground and mercilessly beat him. Lao Bian's eyes widened, especially when Chen Chuan struck Wei Wusheng's chest with a palm, displaying incredible strength and speed. When he imagined himself in that situation, his blood rushed, his breathing quickened, and his body tensed up involuntarily.
The apprentice, unaware of his master's expression, continued proudly, "Master, and there's this other part..." He sent another video clip.
This clip showed Chen Chuan lifting the head of Viper Team's leader, Xu Xian Wen, out of the water. The person filming had excellent skills, capturing the scenery, lighting, and characters in perfect harmony. It was quite impactful for ordinary people, but for Lao Bian, it wasn't as straightforward as the previous one.
Lao Bian asked calmly, "Whose head is he holding?"
"Master, I heard it's Xu Xian Wen's."
"Xu Xian Wen..."
Lao Bian furrowed his brows. He felt like he had heard the name somewhere, and as a Tier Three Combatant, he could remember even his childhood memories. However, he usually didn't bother with irrelevant details.
Before he could recall, his thoughtful apprentice had already sent over Xu Xian Wen's information, along with the details of every member of Viper Team. Then he fell silent.
The apprentice boasted, "Master, I was quick and thorough in finding this information, wasn't I?"
Lao Bian's jaw twitched slightly, and he said, "Good job, very thoughtful."
The apprentice, full of anticipation, asked, "Master, when are you going to teach that kid a lesson? I'll call the other disciples to come and support you."
Lao Bian frowned and scolded, "When did I say I was going to teach him a lesson? We should not be heartless. Don't you remember what I told you? Fighting and killing won't solve the problem."
The apprentice was confused. Wasn't that what Master meant just now? But it was true that Master had rarely taken action in recent years. His past reputation alone was enough to make opponents surrender.
He asked again, "Master, what should we do then?"
Lao Bian's brows remained furrowed. He had heard that the visitor was a Tier Three Combatant under the age of twenty, and he believed he had a good chance against him.
But after witnessing Chen Chuan's combat scene, he couldn't help but feel intimidated. Even in his prime, he doubted he could withstand such power.
He had long lost his youthful vigor and had been hiding here for years without taking action, which had worn down his willpower. He just wanted to live a peaceful retirement and make as much as he could. In recent years, he had relied solely on his past reputation to intimidate others.
However, he couldn't tolerate the current situation. He could choose to leave, but he couldn't let others kick him out!
He said sternly, "Tell Lu Tong Express that I've found a Tier Three Combatant for them. Tell them I don't want to get involved, so they found someone else."
"Master, should we send the information we found to Venom Ant Express?"
"No need."
Lao Bian said, "You worked hard to find this information. Let them do their own research."
"Master is right. Let them do their own research."
Lao Bian smirked inwardly. If they gave Chen Chuan's information to Venom Ant Express and they backed down, what would happen? His plan would be completely ruined.
It was better to let the two sides fight.
If Chen Chuan lost, he believed that Lu Tong Express would still ask him to clean up the mess in the end.
If Venom Ant lost, it wouldn't matter. He didn't believe that Lu Tong winning this battle would solve all their problems.
The Moss Gang, backing Venom Ant Express, would never give up. Even if they had a deterrent while their leader was present, once he left, Lu Tong would be unable to withstand the pressure. Eventually, they would have to bring Lao Bian back, and by then, the price would be much higher.
Of course, he wasn't entirely heartless either, and he would leave some of the soup and water for the Lu Tong people. If this group couldn't survive, he would feel pity for them.
Lan Shenan was quick to act. Since some of the Lu Tong Logistics personnel had already defected to Venom Ant Express, there were still some communication channels between the two sides. Within two hours, Chen Chuan obtained information about the fighter across the street.
The man's name was Gai Er, 35 years old. In the photo, he had a fierce look in his eyes, wearing a martial arts uniform, a thick waist belt, and standing barefoot. He exuded an indescribable murderous aura, and in his hand, he held a metal three-section staff.
According to the information, this person was from a martial arts academy, but due to his outstanding talent, he quickly stood out and was even taken as a son-in-law by the academy's master.
However, not long after, because a competitor offered better conditions, he abandoned his wife and child. But after a few years, he helped a gang take over the academy, and since then, he specialized in doing dirty work for various gangs and even became an underground assassin. He had attacked government officials and killed corporate executives.
Due to his numerous crimes, he was wanted and had bounties placed on him by companies, the government, and even gangs. In the end, he could only hide in the underground city district.
A Tier Three Fighter, if not for his crimes, would have a place wherever he went. But to be despised by multiple parties, he was indeed a talented individual.
On the surface, this man seemed like a complete scumbag and a lunatic, but Chen Chuan knew that character had nothing to do with strength. He could sense that at the Tier Three stage, one's mental state was highly valued.
This consistent attitude of being an evil person from beginning to end actually indicated that this man had a firm mental state and had never wavered due to external circumstances.
In the 69th chapter of 'A Book of Errors and Omissions', it is stated that such a person might possess formidable strength, as evidenced by the fact that he had so many enemies yet managed to survive and thrive until now.
After that, he looked at Lao Bian's information. This man was already 69 years old, and the records detailed his achievements when he was younger. At that time, he was known as the 'Fierce Bear', and in his youth, he was a towering, robust man over two meters tall. Now, he had shrunk a bit but still stood at around 1.9 meters.
However, in the past seven or eight years, this man had no notable achievements. It seemed that during this period, he hadn't fought anyone.
If a martial arts expert doesn't spar with others of the same level for a long time, their skills will deteriorate. Not to mention seven or eight years; even a few days without practice could lead to a decline in their condition if they lack the necessary talent.
But it was also possible that he intentionally hid his achievements, so one should remain cautious.
After reading, Chen Chuan asked Lan Shenan, "I've just arrived in the Lower City District, and I'm not familiar with how you handle problems here. If I want to challenge that person to a fight, what should I do?"
Lan Shenan replied, "The common practice is that when there's a conflict between two organizations, they usually ask a Tier Three Fighter to mediate. If mediation fails, they won't take action themselves but will let their subordinates handle it. I heard from the old captain that this is an unspoken rule among Tier Three Fighters in the Lower City District."
"Is that so..."
Chen Chuan thought about it and understood. Most fighters who train to become powerful don't do so to risk their lives in battles; they do it to gain more enjoyment. Fighting endlessly might not bring them more benefits and could even put them at a disadvantage. So, this rule benefits all Tier Three Fighters.
Lan Shenan continued, "If the conflict between the two sides is irreconcilable, or if one side refuses to back down, they will fight face-to-face. Lao Bian is using this as an excuse to ask for two-tenths of the resources."
Chen Chuan said, "Since there's this method, Lan Captain, please arrange a fight with Venom Ant Express on my behalf."
"Okay!" Lan Shenan agreed. "But if they find out that we replaced Lao Bian and also learn about your situation, Chen Xiao Ge, they might respond insincerely while trying to stall for time."
After all, Chen Chuan wasn't from the Lower City District, and he couldn't stay there for long. If Venom Ant Express was smart, they wouldn't need to fight; they just had to stall until Chen Chuan left.
This was her biggest concern.
However, Chen Chuan remained calm and said, "That's fine too. I just checked, and Venom Ant Express has a base here. If they're unwilling, I'll just go straight to their base."
Lan Shenan couldn't help but nod. The other party would never back down from such an aggressive approach.
Even if the decision-makers didn't care about their base, they would still worry about Chen Chuan leading his men to attack their subordinates. In that case, they would have to give up the territory and business they had seized, which was intolerable for the entire team.
She said, "I'll send out the challenge to Venom Ant Express right now." As she spoke, she immediately arranged for the challenge.
However, Lan Shenan's worries were unfounded. Venom Ant Express clearly had no intention of avoiding the fight. Within just half an hour of her sending the challenge signal, they responded with a clear answer. After both sides confirmed, the fight was scheduled for the next morning.
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(End of Chapter)
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