Chapter 329: You Can Leave

The burly man had a buzz cut and a long, narrow scar running from the base of his ear to the corner of his mouth, giving his face a fierce and menacing look.

Another short and stocky man with a highly developed upper body also voiced his dissatisfaction. “Old Jin, what’s the meaning of this? You called us all here, but kept us waiting forever. Are you messing with us?”

Old Jin laughed heartily and strode into the room. “Apologies for the wait, everyone. Let’s get down to business.”

Lin Xiao followed silently behind Old Jin, his gaze sweeping over the four men in the room. In an instant, he had gauged their strength.

On the way here, Old Jin had already introduced them.

The tall, scar-faced man was Jiang Changlong. The short, muscular one was Shi Guangtai. The pale, sharp-eyed man who looked to be in his twenties was Tian Yu. The last one, thin and hunched in the corner with his head down, was Ding Hong.

All of them were fighters Old Jin had hired for the underground tournament.

Jiang Changlong sneered. “Old Jin, don’t think I don’t know what you’re up to. You want us to fight in the underground tournament for you, don’t you? Let’s be clear, if you want us to risk our necks, the price has to be right.”

The other three, though not allied with Jiang Changlong, all nodded in agreement.

“Don’t worry, you’ll be paid well,” Old Jin assured them with a sweeping gesture. “But I need to test your skills first. I can’t afford any mistakes in this tournament. I have to win.”

“Test?”

A glint of malice flashed across Jiang Changlong’s face. He suddenly raised his hand and slammed it down onto the nearby coffee table.

With a loud bang, the solid pearwood table shattered into pieces.

“How’s that for a test?” Jiang Changlong smirked at Old Jin.

Shi Guangtai and Tian Yu’s eyes flickered with seriousness as they witnessed the raw power of Jiang Changlong’s strike. They instantly regarded him as a formidable opponent.

“What’s there to test? Haven’t you already looked into my abilities?”

At that moment, Tian Yu, who had been silent, spoke coldly. “The tournament may be full of strong fighters, but don’t worry, I’m confident I’ll win.”

“You? Confident to win? What a joke!” Before Old Jin could respond, Shi Guangtai sneered. “With that scrawny body of yours? Do you even know who you’ll be facing? The best fighters in Jiangnan’s underground scene. You won’t even make it past the first round.”

“What did you just say?!” Tian Yu spun around, his eyes brimming with cold killing intent. “You short bastard, I’ve had enough of you. Want to fight me right now?”

Hearing himself called a short bastard, Shi Guangtai’s face darkened instantly. He let out a low growl.

“Bring it on! Let’s see what you’ve got!”

Just as the two were about to clash, Old Jin’s face hardened. “Both of you, don’t forget whose place this is. If you want to fight, do it outside.”

Despite their anger, Old Jin’s words carried weight. Tian Yu and Shi Guangtai glared at each other like two roosters about to brawl, but ultimately held back.

“All four of you may have skill, but only one of you can enter the tournament.”

Old Jin raised a single finger. “Whoever participates will receive five million, no matter the outcome. If you win, I’ll add another ten million.”

As he spoke, an underling entered the room and placed a black suitcase filled with cash on the table.

The moment they saw the money, Jiang Changlong and the others’ eyes lit up, their excitement barely contained. Their breathing grew heavier.

“Generous!” Jiang Changlong grinned, giving Old Jin a thumbs-up. “Alright, how do we determine the winner? That money is mine!”

He scanned the room, his eyes filled with aggression.

Seeing Jiang Changlong’s threatening gaze, Tian Yu and Shi Guangtai merely sneered without speaking. Meanwhile, Ding Hong, still standing quietly in the corner, remained unnoticed.

“Boss Lin, I’ll leave this to you,” Old Jin said, stepping back slightly and bowing respectfully to Lin Xiao.

Lin Xiao said nothing, simply nodding expressionlessly.

It was only then that Jiang Changlong and the others finally noticed Lin Xiao, their faces filled with confusion.

Lin Xiao was dressed plainly, with an average build, no particularly striking features, and absolutely no aura of a skilled fighter. If he stood in a crowd, he would be utterly unremarkable.

Until now, Jiang Changlong and the others had assumed he was just one of Old Jin’s subordinates and had completely ignored him. But seeing Old Jin treat him with such deference—almost subservience—they were suddenly at a loss.

“Old Jin, you’re joking, right? You want him to test us?” Jiang Changlong pointed at himself, looking incredulous.

“This guy looks like a regular nobody. I could take him down with one finger. What right does he have to test us?” Shi Guangtai scoffed.

Old Jin merely smiled mysteriously and said nothing.

“You, you, and you leave.”

Lin Xiao didn’t bother explaining. He simply extended a finger, casually pointing at Jiang Changlong, Tian Yu, and Shi Guangtai.

His tone was indifferent, almost dismissive.

“What do you mean by that?” Jiang Changlong took several seconds to snap out of his shock. He clenched his fists, his expression darkening.

“Yeah, why should we leave?” Shi Guangtai took a step forward, glaring at Lin Xiao.

Tian Yu remained silent, but the smirk at the corner of his lips made his stance clear.

“It’s simple, you three are eliminated.” Lin Xiao’s voice was calm, devoid of any emotion. “As for you, you’re decent. You stay.”

The last part was directed at Ding Hong.

Jiang Changlong and the others exchanged bewildered glances, a strong sense of absurdity rising in their hearts.

They had never even considered Ding Hong a competitor. Yet now, they were eliminated, and he was chosen?

Could there be anything more ridiculous?

And this guy—who was he to decide?

Jiang Changlong took a deep breath, his scarred face twitching. Suppressing his fury, he turned to Old Jin. “You’re just going to let this guy make a fool of us?”

Old Jin’s expression darkened. As the underground boss of Jinghai City, when he put on a serious face, he was still quite intimidating. “Boss Lin’s words are my words. You three can leave. But don’t worry, you won’t walk away empty-handed. I’ll give each of you ten thousand as a consolation prize.”