The laughter of the crowd came to an abrupt halt. Those familiar with Brian Carter began to wonder if his account had been hacked. Was the person using his ID now not actually Brian Carter? After all, every time Brian Carter showed up, he always used the system’s privacy options to conceal his real appearance.

Brian Carter himself was stunned. How could he have agreed so readily? And to make such a big bet—fifty dollars at once!

What was going on today? Brian Carter shook his head hard. First, he thought the two-star experts below looked like children playing, and now he actually agreed to a gamble?

“Fifty dollars? Tch! After all that, I thought you’d bet a lot more.”

“Exactly! I’ll put fifty on Six Yang Palm to win.”

“I’m betting on Six Yang Palm too!”

“Count me in…”

Many people here had been critiqued by Brian Carter in battle commentary before. Now, finally catching a chance, they all started placing bets. How much could they win? It didn’t matter! The important thing was to make this somewhat rustic-looking man lose face—big time!

“I…”

Another person about to place a bet had just opened his mouth when the system announced: “Battle Angel wins by technical knockout…”

Chapter 2: The First Glimmer of Brilliance (Part 1)

Battle Angel wins by technical knockout… The electronically mixed voice of a beautiful announcer gently reached the ears of every spectator.

Everyone was stunned. Just a moment ago, Six Yang Palm had a slight upper hand—how did Battle Angel manage a technical knockout in the blink of an eye?

Luck! This “verbal expert” must have won by luck! Several of the gamblers glanced sideways at Brian Carter, whose eyes also flashed with surprise, confirming their earlier suspicions.

Brian Carter’s eyes widened as he looked in disbelief at the two fighters in the arena. The timing of Six Yang Palm’s defeat and the way Battle Angel won were exactly as he had predicted—down to the last detail!

The $150 bet on the system, after a $15 commission, left $135, all of which went into Brian Carter’s personal account on the Sky Martial Arts Network.

One hundred and thirty-five dollars! Brian Carter’s hands trembled with excitement. Not only had he made up for today’s lost wages, he’d earned far, far more!

“Thank you, thank you.” Brian Carter thanked them as he transferred the $135 from his Sky Martial Arts Network account to his bank account.

Only money that made it into his bank card was truly his! That’s what Brian Carter always believed.

Thank you? The people who lost money found this sincere thank-you grating to the ear. Was he taunting them?

The first person who had challenged Brian Carter to a bet slowly furrowed his brows. Losing to anyone here wasn’t shameful—except losing to this coward who didn’t even dare to fight in the ring. That was truly humiliating.

The other losers also looked displeased. The one they usually teased had just beaten them at gambling with a laugh and a joke.

After transferring the funds, Brian Carter waited seriously for the next match to begin. One fight’s commentary wasn’t enough to write an article for payment—he needed to wait for the next one.

“Verbal expert! I’ll bet you again!” The first loser’s tone was full of anger.

“Still fifty dollars?” Brian Carter was tempted. With $135 in winnings as a cushion, no matter how the next bet went, he wouldn’t really lose—and maybe he’d win even more.

“Bet!” Losing money was nothing—losing face was everything! The earlier loser agreed without hesitation.

“Are you all betting too?” Brian Carter asked the others. Betting fifty to win several fifties—this was an opportunity not to be missed.

“Bet!”

“I’m in too!”

“Let’s do it!”

To be challenged by the “verbal expert” who was always easy to bully—if they didn’t respond today, they’d lose all face.

Seeing three more people place bets, Brian Carter got excited again. If he won, that would be $200! After commission, that was still $180—over 1,200 yuan!

One second, ten seconds, thirty seconds, two minutes…

Usually, as soon as one match ended, another would begin in the arena. But today, it was unusually quiet. After waiting five minutes, still no one entered the ring. The gamblers were getting restless.

Ten minutes passed, and something strange happened. The arena, which had never been idle for more than five minutes, was now empty for ten.

“No one?” Brian Carter was a bit disappointed. “Then I’ll log off for now. I have things to do tomorrow…”

“Wait! If no one’s fighting, I’ll fight you myself!” The first gambler suddenly shouted in the arena’s public channel, “Verbal expert! If you’re a man, don’t run—fight me!”

“No.” Brian Carter’s refusal was as firm as ever when these people challenged him. Stamina was a precious resource—he needed it for work, school, and martial arts training. How could he waste it on fights that brought no reward?

“You!” the first gambler said angrily. “What’s wrong? Scared?”