Chapter 331: The Beautiful Young Female Boxer
Three days passed in a flash.
Less than 48 hours remained until the expeditionary fleet reached the X13 black hole cluster.
Ye Xing had finally completed his modifications and could now perfectly mimic Ding Chui's appearance, voice, and movements.
On the other side, Guo Li Cheng, dressed in a simple casual outfit, arrived on the street in front of the branch office.
Screech!
A 'human-powered' rickshaw, booked by her on the Paradise Island network, stopped in front of her.
This single-person vehicle, powered by humanoid robots, could reach a maximum speed of 40 kilometers per hour, which was sufficient for Paradise Island's intricate and narrow streets.
Moreover, because the robots' legs were equipped with kinetic energy recovery devices and the carriage was relatively light, this cyber-rickshaw's energy efficiency was no lower than an electric vehicle's, and its steering was more flexible.
More importantly, when transportation demand was low, these robot drivers could be called upon for other tasks.
"Please confirm your destination."
"To the Inverted Cross Square. I heard there's a gladiatorial selection competition there. Drop me off next to the arena."
"Understood. Would you like a chat service along the way?"
"Yes, tell me about Paradise Island's gladiatorial event classification system."
"Understood."
Half an hour later, Guo Li Cheng arrived at her destination, a city square surrounded by numerous giant apartment buildings.
The entire area was about forty to fifty thousand square meters, and like other parts of the Blade District, it had no greenery; the only colorful things were people's clothes and graffiti on the walls.
Ultra-bright stadium high-mast lights illuminated the entire venue.
The ground floor of the square housed relatively prosperous commercial shops, which were doing excellent business tonight due to the competition; higher up, the outdoor platforms and connecting corridors of the apartment buildings were already packed with residents watching the matches.
Because there was a fixed gladiatorial competition venue here, which could be watched for free from above, apartment rents were three-tenths higher than in the surrounding areas.
If one ignored the rocky sky above, this place actually resembled cities on Earth more than New Hope.
"It feels quite familiar, actually."
Guo Li Cheng murmured to herself, walking towards the small house next to the ring that offered registration services.
"I'd like to sign up for the competition."
"5000 star alliance credit points."
The arena owner looked up at Guo Li Cheng.
Heh!
A good dish has arrived!
This was the type of contestant he most hoped to see in the ring.
Because her face and figure were beautiful enough, regardless of how quickly she might be defeated once she entered the arena, as long as her photo appeared on the roster, ticket sales for that night would surely soar.
"Have you participated in competitions before?"
"No."
"This is a preliminary selection match. The rules are free combat, no weight classes, no protective gear, no weapons, and no weapon-grade prosthetics. The event is not responsible for any injuries, disabilities, or deaths caused by the competition. Do you understand?"
As the competition level increased, various weapons, including power armor, would be unlocked, and the events would become increasingly bloody and exciting.
"No problem."
"Good! Then be here on time at this hour one week from now for the match!"
The owner accepted Guo Li Cheng's paper money.
5000 star alliance credit points was a month and a half's salary even for a New Hope citizen, and for a Paradise Island resident, it would take at least half a year to save up.
Bottom-tier citizens who weren't involved with gangs might never accumulate such a large sum in their lifetime, and to register, they could only borrow high-interest loans from gang-controlled money lenders.
Such a high registration fee prevented just anyone from showing up to join the fun or try their luck.
"Can't I go on tonight?" Guo Li Cheng asked.
"Of course not! Tonight's schedule is already full."
Guo Li Cheng was prepared for this and subtly handed over another 10,000 Credit Points.
"Please trouble yourself to arrange it."
The owner looked around to ensure no one was watching, then deftly pocketed the stack of large bills.
"It seems she's a rich young lady." He re-examined her with interest.
"Hmm, then I have even more reason to ask clearly: do you have prosthetics installed?"
"For fighting, which types of prosthetics are usually needed?"
"Huh? You haven't even figured that out and you dare to sign up? Generally, you at least need a circulatory system prosthetic to ensure stamina, then reinforced subdermal tissue for impact resistance, brain buffers, and also titanium alloy jawbones, artificial tendons, artificial joints, and so on; the more, the better."
"In that case, just assume I have them."
"Good! You said it, and I have it all recorded here! Also, besides injuries caused by normal strikes, given your appearance, your opponent might very well humiliate you in the arena."
"Especially those female contestants who are bulkier than you but not as good-looking. They might first strip off your clothes, then grab your hair and rub your face against the ground repeatedly, and finally, get on top of you and knock out all your teeth. Is that still okay?"
"No problem."
Hmm...
After some conversation with Guo Li Cheng,
the owner gradually realized the 'problem'.
Although her figure, compared to male contestants of the same height, could be described as slender, it was also clear that she had some muscle training.
And the constant smile on her face sent shivers down one's spine.
Due to his profession, the arena owner had seen many tough characters, but such an overtly sharp killing intent was truly rare.
He pondered for a moment and suggested, "How about this? After the regular matches are over, I'll arrange an exhibition match between you and tonight's champion!"
"If you can win, I guarantee I'll send you to a higher-level competition, and you'll definitely be noticed by excellent coaches and agents!"
"Alright," Guo Li Cheng agreed without thinking.
"Excellent!"
The owner pushed open the small door and walked towards tonight's seeded contestant, Dong Xin, nicknamed 'Wolf Fang'.
Dong Xin was 191 cm tall, weighed 98 kg, and had a prosthetic modification rate of 34%.
Compared to large-bodied contestants who abused drugs, Dong Xin's muscles weren't particularly exaggerated, but every single one was built for combat.
"Wolf Fang, after your match tonight, there'll be an extra bout."
The owner pulled out three thousand-yuan bills, slipped them into Dong Xin's hand, and pointed back at Guo Li Cheng.
"See! The particularly beautiful one there, help me deal with this—newbie!"
He had originally intended to say 'ignorant newbie,' but for some reason, the words caught in his throat and he swallowed them back.
Dong Xin didn't rush to take the money.
"Do you want her killed directly? You know I don't do that in the arena unless the opponent is utterly evil."
"No! No need! Just let her know this line of work isn't as easy as she imagines. You can humiliate her a bit verbally to help boost the popularity of my venue! She's a rich young lady, and I don't want to get into trouble, you understand?"
"So, she's still a rich person—"
Alright then!
Rich people on Paradise Island had only one source of wealth.
Crime!
Dong Xin returned 300.
"I can't fulfill the request for verbal humiliation. I don't really like to talk when I fight."
Amidst the cheers of over 2000 paid spectators and even more free viewers in the apartment buildings, the event officially began.
Contestants continuously entered the ring, using various styles and moves to finish their opponents. Soon, the round of 16 became the round of 8, and the round of 8 became the round of 4.
Guo Li Cheng was arranged by the owner in a special viewing seat in the first row, observing meticulously throughout.
Ah...
I shouldn't have underestimated Ye Xing's set of bio-prosthetics, she thought.
If she had also installed a reinforced brain-computer interface, with her exceptionally strong learning and imitation abilities, she could have already successfully learned dozens, even hundreds, of fighting techniques.
Fortunately, the prosthetic surgery pods were universal. After tonight's match, she would just hurry back and ask A Xue to install it.
At midnight, Dong Xin, as expected, smoothly won the final, earning a 20,000 star alliance credit points prize. He was skilled in standing striking techniques, with a fierce offense and moves that carried traces of ancient Earth Muay Thai.
"What a beautiful fight!"
The owner climbed into the ring, raised Dong Xin's fist high, and declared his victory.
"But friends, to thank you for your love for the Inverted Cross Square, tonight, there's an additional exciting performance waiting for everyone! Don't rush to leave!"
"Please welcome, the mysterious challenger, to the stage~~~"
The spotlight shone on Guo Li Cheng.
"Hello, everyone!"
She stood up, a brilliant smile on her face, confidently and cheerfully presenting herself and greeting the surrounding audience.
Although I can't wear the bunny-eared power armor tonight, I must work hard to change my image!
"Oh oh oh oh!!!!"
A chorus of cheers and whistles erupted throughout the venue.
Everyone, male and female alike, was amazed by Guo Li Cheng's appearance.
"Go, Wolf Fang! Finish her!" The only ones hostile towards Guo Li Cheng were Dong Xin's die-hard fans in the front row. Their ages ranged from 15 to 25, mostly Dong Xin's neighbors or co-workers.
Dong Xin on stage waved his hand, indicating it was a piece of cake.
Guo Li Cheng bounced in place, beginning her warm-up.
She had taken combat classes in reality, but she was a beginner who hadn't even entered the door.
However, when it came to fighting, brute force often worked wonders.
Guo Li Cheng was currently level 30, with 82 Strength, capable of bench pressing over 900 kg, squatting over three tons, and an astonishing 113 Agility. Her body's coordination, balance, and reaction speed were extraordinarily beyond normal, and she also had a powerful skill build centered around close-quarters combat output.
With Active Adrenaline and Charged Muscles activated, her instantaneous explosive power directly aimed for 200. Even if her striking movements were imperfect due to lack of training, her punching power was at least equivalent to that of a tiger or a brown bear.
It was no exaggeration to say that if such a person were returned to Earth in reality, she could kill a heavyweight boxing champion just by doing calisthenics, truly a combat terrorist.
When the match level increased and weapons and power armor were allowed, that would be her comfort zone.
"Ah Xin, be careful! Don't underestimate her!"
Just from the simple warm-up movements, Dong Xin's coach already sensed something was off about his opponent.
This was definitely someone who had trained!
But the audience and fans were still oblivious, laughing and pulling out their smart phones, ready to record this unusual match.
In their eyes, the outcome of this match was a foregone conclusion, but the excitement lay in the process, in the methods and details of beating up a peerless beauty.
Tsk, tsk, just thinking about it made their blood boil.
After all, such a beautiful female contestant was rarer than antimatter zero element in the fighting world. If they could film it well, the likes would surely skyrocket!
Paradise Island's social networks were also controlled by gangs. These companies encouraged users to post bloody and bizarre content, and offered generous rewards for the top ten daily posts.
"Go, Wolf Fang! Don't hold back!!!"
"Hmm—this figure is beautiful, but it probably can't take a hit, right?"
"Nonsense! Of course not! They said it's an exhibition match, so she'll definitely be pinned to the ground in a few moves, and then, hehe, hehehe!"
"Can you hit her in the stomach? Can you choke her?"
"Can you tickle her feet!?"
"Tsk! You guys are truly perverts! You're even ordering dishes, aren't you?"
"Hahahaha!"
"Wrestling! Wrestling!! Wolf Fang, this time we don't want to see your kickboxing, we want to see ground grappling~~~"
Oh, they like wrestling?
Guo Li Cheng tilted her head and looked at the screaming, jeering crowd.
"Very well! I'll satisfy you all in a bit!"
"Roar roar roar roar!!!! The beauty is exciting!"
The audience let out excited roars like primeval jungle gorillas.
Charge... Jump!
Suddenly, Guo Li Cheng, with a charged leap, directly flipped over the nearly three-meter-high octagonal cage fence, landing lightly in the ring.
All the shouts stopped abruptly. A second later, an even louder wave of cheers erupted.
"Holy crap, so she's not just a pretty face??"
"That's even more exciting!!"
The arena owner and Dong Xin's fans were all silent.
What was going on?
Was some big shot bored and came to a beginner's arena to 'fish'?
But they had never heard of such a master!
"Be careful!" the coach shouted again, reminding him, "Probe first! Protect yourself!"
"It's just expensive leg prosthetics! No big deal!"
Dong Xin expressed his disagreement.
Damn rich girl—
The two stepped forward to touch gloves, then the match officially began.
Dong Xin moved his feet, adjusted his center of gravity and distance, and sought a rhythm.
Sure enough, full of openings, a newbie!
He maintained a guarded stance with his heavy hand in the back, throwing continuous front-hand jabs as a probe.
The speed and frequency of these movements would be difficult for an ordinary person to contend with, but for Guo Li Cheng, who had activated Active Adrenaline, it was like a slow-motion replay in a sports match.
She deliberately feigned slow defense, taking one of the punches directly to her face.
Through the glove, Dong Xin failed to notice her unusually hard bones, and his confidence soared simply because he scored a point.
He smiled and delivered a low kick, preparing to take his opponent down directly, then follow up with ground punches for a KO.
I sweep!
Then, he found Guo Li Cheng was gone.
In an instant, she dodged the sweep kick's path with a Z-shaped footwork, appearing in front of him, her center of gravity lowered.
So fast!
This was a typical double-leg takedown. He needed to defend against the takedown!
"Don't assume anything!!!"
The coach roared.
Guo Li Cheng did not grant his wish. With a graceful turn, she moved behind Dong Xin, locked his upper arms with both hands, and lifted him high as if carrying a child.
Then, an astonishing scene that no one had expected occurred.
Guo Li Cheng, holding Dong Xin, leaped high, tracing a beautiful arc at least 6 meters in the air, then plummeted headfirst.
Earth Throw!
A mere one-third prosthetic modification was still too naive to contend with the results of gene ascension modification from humanity's golden age!
Thud!
Amidst the silence of the arena, a loud thud.
Dong Xin landed first.
His vision went black.
When he regained some consciousness, he found the referee counting him out.
As the ringing in his ears subsided a bit, he heard what sounded like spaceship engines blasting around him!
It turned out that those were the roaring cheers of the audience.
At this moment, even the surrounding apartment buildings were buzzing, with all residents flocking to their windows and platforms.
"Seven! Eight! Nine—Good! Continue the match!"
Dong Xin stood up.
He was surprised to find that, compared to the height of the flight, the damage from that impact was actually less than expected, and he could barely endure it.
Logically, with that kind of impact force, even a reinforced skull and brain buffer couldn't possibly dissipate it.
What did this mean?
It meant that his opponent held back at the end, showing martial ethics!
"To be toyed with like this by a rich young lady! It's a total disgrace!"
Dong Xin could feel his body giving out, but for his dignity, he still advanced with ancient Muay Thai footwork, guarding himself.
Guo Li Cheng stood straight, her left hand behind her back, her right-hand jab flashing out like lightning.
This punch didn't land squarely; the front of her knuckles merely grazed Dong Xin's chin.
"Hmph—"
However, with just that light graze, Dong Xin felt a dizzying sensation, his legs went weak, and he knelt in the ring.
"Stop the match!!!"
The coach threw in the towel, signaling surrender.
"No! I can still fight!"
Amidst the applause, Dong Xin struggled to his feet, making a taunting gesture at Guo Li Cheng.
"Come on! Come on again!!!"
"Alright!"
Guo Li Cheng launched a wild, looping uppercut. Perhaps 'windmill punch' would be a more fitting description.
The punch was incredibly fast. Dong Xin predicted the trajectory correctly, and his preemptive guard was also well-placed, but it was utterly useless.
His defense was directly breached.
His arm was pushed aside by Guo Li Cheng's not-so-large fist, and his chin took the full brunt of the damage.
Dong Xin flew upwards 15 centimeters, then crashed heavily onto the ring, his entire body rigid and twitching uncontrollably.