It was only then that I realized how many mistakes I had made that day!

On July 15th, I got up very early. Today was the day I was scheduled to duel with Tyson Ford, so I was especially nervous. For the past two days, I hadn’t slept well; even when I did fall asleep, I would wake up easily.

There is an underground arena in Chek Lap Kok, a place where prisoners settle personal grudges. Ever since Carter took office, he strictly forbade fights between prisoners, unless both parties signed a life-and-death agreement and fought one-on-one under the guards’ supervision. Later, these duels became one of the few entertainments on the island, and every duel would attract the attention of everyone on the island.

The underground arena was built on a protruding rock on the west side of Chek Lap Kok, a hundred meters long and wide. This rock is the flattest place on the island, its black surface smoothed by the sea, with faint traces of blood still visible on the stone.

Just after eight o’clock, accompanied by Smart Alec, Morgan Wolf, and others, I arrived at the arena. The small place was already crowded with people early in the morning; the island’s prisoners had come to the arena and sat together. They sat in a strange way—there was a large empty space on the right, but not a single person sat there. Instead, two hundred people squeezed into a cramped space on the left, whispering among themselves. Under the parasol at the front of the arena, there was a large chair, with a row of benches behind it.

As soon as I walked over, the whispering stopped abruptly, and in an instant, I became the focus of everyone’s attention. Puzzled, I asked Smart Alec, who was right beside me, “What are they doing? There’s such a big space on the right, why is no one sitting there? Why did everyone crowd to the left?”

“Xiao Hei, you still don’t know? Because of your match, the whole Chek Lap Kok is betting on whether you’ll be killed by Tyson Ford in a single round!”

“What!” I was instantly furious when I heard this, glaring fiercely at Smart Alec and gritting my teeth, “They really look down on me! No matter what, I’ll last at least three rounds!”

The six of them, including Smart Alec, all nodded at once, making me feel a bit uneasy. After a long while, I asked in a low voice, “Honestly, how long did you bet on? Tell the truth, I won’t be mad.”

“What are you saying? You’re our brother, of course we bet on you to win. Xiao Hei, do your best, I bet three days’ rations on you.” Morgan Wolf said angrily.

“I bet three days too!” Charles Young and the three from The Moon Family spoke up at the same time.

“You guys are real friends! Thank you for your trust!” I was so moved that I almost cried.

“Yeah, that’s right, you all bet three days, but it seems you put the rest of this month’s rations on Tyson Ford!” Smart Alec said coldly. Then he turned to me with a smile and said, “Xiao Hei, I’m different. I bet this whole month’s rations on you.”

I didn’t expect this old guy to be so loyal, so I immediately hugged him. But before I could thank him, Charles Young, whom I had looked down on countless times in my heart, suddenly said, “Old man, didn’t you actually bet all your belongings on Tyson Ford?”

Pah! Without hesitation, I shoved Smart Alec away, glared at the six of them, and said fiercely, “You heartless bunch!”

“Tian Feng!” Just as I was about to explode with anger, Carter’s voice suddenly rang in my ear.

Taking the opportunity as I turned my head, the six of them, including Smart Alec, slunk off to the left side and were instantly swallowed up by the crowd. I had no mood to bother with those six shameless scoundrels, so I turned to Carter and said, “Good morning, sir!”

Still in that neat military uniform, even though it was July, Carter’s collar was buttoned up tight. Not just him, but even the guards behind him were all in perfect order. Seeing me salute, Carter nodded and turned to the guards behind him, saying, “Go, place ten taels of silver on Tian Feng for me.”

With just that simple sentence, my heart surged with emotion, and I was moved to tears, whispering, “Thank you for your trust, sir.”

“Heh, since you call me master, you’re my disciple. If I don’t bet on you to win, should I bet on an outsider?” Carter said lightly, but his next sentence nearly made me faint on the spot.

“Also, place fifty taels on Tyson Ford!”

“Sir!” I was so angry my head was spinning, and I growled in a low voice.

Ignoring my twisted, furious face, Carter remained as cold as ever and said in a deep voice, “I bet on you because you’re my disciple—emotionally, I have to. But logically, of course I favor Tyson Ford. After all, he’s opened nineteen qi meridian points; his strength is far beyond yours.”

“Wasn’t it eighteen?” I asked in surprise.

“Yeah, it was eighteen two days ago, but last night, under the full moon, he managed to unlock the nineteenth seal. So you… sigh, take care of yourself!” Carter didn’t say any more, but the meaning in his words was perfectly clear.

Damn, is he a monster? He opened another one in just two days? I stood there in a daze, a fear I had never felt before rising in my heart.