Chapter 31: The Desolate Mountain Hunting Ground

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Inside the villa, Guo Can’s act of smashing his glass drew the attention of the others.

Liu Jinxiong gave a soft laugh and said, seemingly to soothe him, “Mr. Guo, why lose your temper?”

“It’s only a death-row slot. You still have two capable men.”

“Come now, calm down. Anger is bad for your health.”

Luo Youyi leisurely clipped both ends of his cigar with a cigar cutter, then settled comfortably into a single armchair.

Yawning, he said languidly, “If I’d known something this interesting was happening in there, I would have had a camera installed in the container as well.”

Xu Jiaqi gently swirled his red wine and clicked his tongue. “Indeed. His entire back was beaten to pieces.”

“And it was probably done bare-handed. Just imagining it is frightening enough.”

“I must say, Miss Zhu, you have excellent luck.”

“You picked such a promising fighter at once.”

Zhu Bao’er smiled faintly.

She came from an exalted family, was naturally beautiful, and possessed a graceful, willowy figure.

When she raised a hand to cover her smile, she appeared gentle and charming. “Is that so? This is my first time here as well.”

Nearby, the young and beautiful tycoon Tong Peipei cast her a sidelong glance. “Bao’er, I’ll pay double and have this man’s slot transferred to me. How about it?”

Zhu Bao’er shook her head. “Sister Peipei, you’re joking. It’s my first time here, and I was simply lucky enough to choose someone I rather like.”

Tong Peipei said no more. After all, the event had only just begun.

Silence settled over the villa once more.

Of the six people present, Liu Jinxiong and Luo Youyi had come merely to watch the spectacle. The other four were there to support their chosen fighters.

Each of them had purchased a death-row inmate from Red Pillar Prison.

The Appliance King, Guo Can, was backing Xu Shao.

The property magnate Xu Jiaqi was backing Du Youbang of the Righteous Brotherhood.

The young and beautiful tycoon Tong Peipei was backing the burly Lu Zhengyang.

And Zhu Bao’er, the daughter of Sir Zhu who had returned from studying abroad, had chosen Song Ren.

Because of the special status of death-row inmates, they could not be allowed to fight their way upward from the middle or lower tiers of the boxing arena.

There were simply too many spectators in those tiers, and unexpected complications might easily arise.

Thus, death-row inmates from Red Pillar Prison were usually screened directly for a place at the very top.

…

At the same time, the surveillance feed projected on the wall switched precisely to the scene in question.

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A barren mountain was entirely enclosed by wire fencing.

At the entrance, after the driver brought Song Ren and the other two men over, he briefly explained the rules of the assessment.

The three of them had to remain in the barren mountain for at least six hours.

After six hours, anyone who successfully made it out would receive a pass granting direct entry to the top tier of the boxing arena.

Bathed in the bright moonlight, Song Ren raised his head and studied the sparsely vegetated mountain.

Its summit was almost visible at a glance. Yet beneath the night sky, the entire mountain appeared somewhat sinister.

But that was all.

If all they had to do was remain here for six hours, it would be far too easy.

Clearly, the assessment could not be that simple.

Lu Zhengyang and Du Youbang also looked around before quickly turning their gazes back.

Du Youbang’s expression darkened. “What’s up there?”

Anyone could guess that since this was an assessment, it could not possibly be without difficulty.

The driver gave the three of them an amused look before saying, “Tigers, leopards, lions, and bears.”

With each word he uttered, Lu Zhengyang’s expression changed dramatically.

Du Youbang’s face darkened as well.

Bare-handed against large predators? Did they think he was Wu Song from some old tale, so eager to die that he had grown tired of living?

But then the driver suddenly burst out laughing. “Sorry. Just a joke.”

“How could there possibly be beasts of that level?”

Only after hearing this did they relax slightly.

Even so, their looks toward the driver now held a hint of contempt.

The man had clearly been toying with them.

The driver changed tack. “Still, although there won’t be any large predators, the situation may not be much better.”

“Once you officially enter the mountain, you’ll have half an hour to prepare. After that, we’ll send in specially trained attack dogs. Using the personal belongings you brought with you, they’ll track you down.”

“Use any method you like. As long as you remain safe for those six hours and successfully make your way down, you’ll receive your pass to the top tier of the boxing arena.”

“If you fail to evade them, or if anything else happens, then all I can say is—my apologies.”

Lu Zhengyang’s brows drew tightly together as he asked the crucial question: “How many?”

The driver glanced at him, paused for a moment, and replied, “Two for each of you, as a small welcome.”

“…”

Lu Zhengyang’s expression immediately grew uglier.

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Facing attack dogs bare-handed was manageable if there were only one.

But if two well-trained attack dogs acted together, it would be nearly impossible for a single person to escape unscathed.

Du Youbang asked calmly, “Will we be given weapons?”

Fighting bare-handed and fighting with a weapon were two entirely different matters. If he had to face two attack dogs with nothing but his hands on a barren mountain with scarcely any cover, then even if he won, he would likely suffer serious injuries.

With a weapon, however, the outcome would be different.

The driver said nothing. Instead, he reached into his coat and took out three black karambit knives.

Song Ren and the others could not help frowning.

Karambits were highly popular among close-combat weapons.

Their main advantages were their small size and ease of concealment and transport.

Their curved blades also made them far more effective for cutting and slashing than ordinary daggers.

They were primarily designed to target vulnerable areas of the human body, such as the neck and arteries.

Their effectiveness in actual combat was terrifying, especially when used to cut a throat.

But their weaknesses were equally obvious. Because the blade was short and broad, and because of its curved design, it was extremely ineffective for thrusting or piercing.

Adult attack dogs were generally thick-skinned and heavily built. Fighting one at close quarters with a karambit was scarcely safer than fighting bare-handed.

Clearly, the organizers simply wanted to see bloodshed.

Song Ren said nothing. They had no choice in the matter.

He casually picked up one of the karambits, then raised his head. “Could you tell us what breed of dogs we’ll be facing?”

The driver nodded. “Certainly. They’re Dob—”

He stopped abruptly, pressed a finger to the Bluetooth earpiece at his ear, and then looked up at Song Ren with a strange expression.

“The other two will be facing adult Dobermans.”

“As for you, because you killed Mr. Guo’s man, he temporarily raised the stakes and changed your opponents to adult pit bulls.”

“Ah, and the number has increased by one as well. You’ll be facing three.”

“In return, if you come through unharmed, you’ll receive not only the guaranteed pass, but also an additional prize of one million.”

Song Ren said nothing. He merely glanced in the direction of the detached villa.

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