“Big brother, who the hell are those guys?… Why do we have to run away as soon as we see them?” The long-haired man, now equally relieved, leaned weakly against the wall and asked Renner discontentedly.
“Hmph! What would you, Jim, the idiot, possibly understand?” Renner, though clearly exhausted from running such a long distance, still spoke with an irrepressible tone of pride.
“Big brother Renner, what exactly is going on? You’re really confusing me.” Jim, with a bitter face, kept complaining, “You haven’t borrowed money from those guys at high interest rates, have you? Are they chasing us for repayment?”
“Nonsense! Would I, Renner, ever borrow money at high interest? Those guys are our money gods! Money gods!” Renner forcefully patted Jim’s head, his eyes sparkling as if he could already see countless piles of imperial shields before him.
“Money gods? More like grim reapers to me. I almost ran myself to death just now.” Jim hugged his head, which was now sore from Renner’s slap, continuing to grumble.
“Hmph! What do you know, kid? If it weren’t for my extensive experience and broad knowledge, how could I recognize this opportunity to get rich?”
“Exactly what opportunity to get rich? Is it related to those people just now?”
“Hmph! Of course it is! Do you know who the leader of those people was just now? He’s one of the three-headed monsters of Casares—the Asura! In the southern arena, he’s a big shot whose mere footsteps could trigger an earthquake!”
“The three-headed monsters of Casares? What are they doing coming to the planet Fira with such a large group?”
“Idiot! Obviously, they’re here to challenge the arena! Otherwise, do you think they came here for a vacation?” Renner, frustrated at Jim’s lack of understanding, gave him another hard slap on the head.
“Hey! Big brother Renner, stop hitting me. You’ll make me even dumber!” Jim, helplessly rubbing his head, still wore a worried expression on his face. “But listen, big brother Renner, are you really sure about dealing with those people at the arena? Things aren’t like they used to be! I heard that lately, our arena has become extremely chaotic! The Dragon Tiger Gang and the Green Head Association fought another battle last month over a position for a system warrior! I heard that a certain branch of the mysterious organization called Mithril is also trying to get involved. Are you sure you really want to get mixed up with those people? Big brother Renner, I’m not trying to be a coward, but… I still have a little sister to take care of at home.”
“Enough! Do you think there’s anything you know that I don’t? Stop babbling! If you want to get rich, you have to take risks! If you die, I’ll take care of your sister! Hurry up! We have to get there before others do, or else those imperial shields will fly right out of our hands!” Renner slapped Jim again, took a deep breath, and sprinted off at a hundred-meter dash speed.
“I don’t need your help!” Jim quickly muttered a sarcastic remark but ultimately followed Renner reluctantly.
Through the narrow alleys they had long since memorized for escaping, Jim and Renner didn’t take much time before reaching their destination—the arena center building of the Kemal Arena.
Just like the Kemal Arena of Casares, the Kemal Arena of Babylon City also had a magnificent and spectacular arena. However, amidst the towering steel buildings of Babylon City, the Kemal Arena still stood out as one of the city’s most eye-catching landmark buildings.
When they arrived at the entrance of this thousand-meter-high steel building, Jim and Renner were stopped by the guards at the entrance of the Babylon Arena.
“Hey! Hey! Renner, Jim, why are you two guys here again! If you want to go in, show me your tickets first!” The guard extended his hand toward the two hooligans, watching them with a mocking smile on his face.
“This… tickets…” Jim and Renner exchanged glances. They were penniless hooligans who lived day by day, occasionally doing some temporary jobs on the street or extorting some unsuspecting passersby. Where would they find the extra money to buy tickets for the arena?
“Hmph! I knew it. You two can’t even afford tickets, yet you dare to sneak into the Kemal Arena to make money? The last two times you sneaked in, I got scolded badly by the bosses. I almost lost my job! Go on, go away! Otherwise, I won’t be polite!” The guard menacingly waved his psychokinetic gun in front of them as a warning.
“Burton, this time is different from before. I have some valuable information to sell to the bosses of the arena. If you delay our time, can you afford the consequences?” Driven by the temptation of getting rich, Renner stood up to the guard’s threat and shouted loudly, though anyone could see his bravado was just a facade.
“Ha ha! You have information to sell to the bosses of the arena?” The guards at the arena entrance couldn’t help but burst into laughter upon hearing Renner’s words. “Renner, next time you want to lie to trick people, remember to draft your story first. What kind of useful information could someone like you possibly have for the bosses of the arena? Get lost! Stop messing around here! If you keep wasting my time, I won’t mind giving you a few shots.” Burton showed a sinister face and coldly aimed his psychokinetic gun at the two hooligans.
Although the psychokinetic guns carried by the arena guards could only fire psychic bullets equivalent to a sixth-level psychic warrior’s normal attack, which posed almost no threat in the eyes of most slightly capable warriors, for hooligans like Jim and Renner, they were already extremely terrifying weapons. If they were hit by bullets of sixth-level psychic energy, they might very well have to stay in bed for several days to recover!
Seeing the psychokinetic gun’s barrel flashing with a sinister blue light, Jim immediately shrank his head and desperately pulled Renner backward without saying a word. “Tch!” Renner could only angrily spit on the ground and reluctantly follow Jim away.
However, after leaving the entrance of the arena, Renner and Jim didn’t go far. They had only turned halfway down the street when Renner suddenly grabbed Jim and stopped.
“Big brother Renner, forget about the arena. We can’t earn this money. You saw it yourself, Burton and the others won’t let us in at all.” Jim, with a gloomy face, kept urging Renner to give up.
“Big brother, who are those guys? Why do we have to run as soon as we see them?” The long-haired man, now calmed down, leaned weakly against the wall and asked Rena with dissatisfaction.
“Hmph! Jim, what do you, a fool, know?” Rena, though visibly exhausted from running half the day, still spoke with an unmistakable tone of pride.
“Brother Rena, what’s really going on? You’ve really confused me,” Jim complained with a bitter face. “You didn’t borrow money from those loan sharks and now they’re chasing you, did you?”
“Bullshit! Would I, Rena, borrow from loan sharks? Those guys are our fortune gods! Fortune gods!” Rena smacked Jim’s head hard, his eyes gleaming as if he saw piles of Imperial Shields before him.
“What fortune gods? They seem more like death gods to me. I almost died running just now,” Jim held his head where Rena had hit him, continuing to complain.
“Hmph! What do you know? If it weren’t for my vast experience, how could I have recognized this golden opportunity?”
“What golden opportunity? Is it related to those guys we just saw?”
“Of course! The leader of that group, do you know who he is? He’s Shura, one of the three monsters of Casares! In the southern arenas, he’s a big shot who can cause an earthquake just by stomping his foot!”
“The three monsters of Casares? What’s he doing here on Fila Planet with such a large group?”
“Idiot! They’re here to challenge the arena! What else? A vacation?” Rena smacked Jim’s head again in frustration.
“Ouch! Brother Rena, stop hitting me. I’ll get even dumber!” Jim rubbed his head helplessly, his face showing deep concern. “But Brother Rena, are you really sure about dealing with those arena guys? Things aren’t like they used to be! I’ve heard that recently, our local arena has been in chaos! The Dragon Tiger Gang and the Green Head Society fought last month over a position for a galactic fighter! And there’s talk that a branch of that mysterious organization, Mithril, is also trying to get involved. Are you really sure about dealing with those people? Brother Rena, it’s not that I’m scared, but… I have a sister to take care of.”
“Enough! Do you think there’s anything you know that I don’t? Stop the nonsense! If you want to get rich, you have to take risks! If you die, I’ll take care of your sister! Hurry up! We need to get ahead of others, or the Imperial Shields will slip through our fingers!” Rena slapped Jim again, took a deep breath, and sprinted off at full speed.
“I don’t need you to take care of her!” Jim muttered quickly, but eventually, he had no choice but to follow Rena.
Using the narrow alleys they had memorized from their usual escapes, Jim and Rena didn’t take long to reach their destination, the Kemal Arena’s central building.
Like the Kemal Arena in Casares, the Kemal Arena in Babylon City also boasted a magnificent coliseum. Even amidst the towering steel buildings of Babylon City, the Kemal Arena’s coliseum remained one of the city’s most iconic landmarks.
As they approached the entrance of the thousand-meter-high steel building, Jim and Rena were stopped by the guards at the Babylon Arena’s gate.
“Hey! Hey! Rena, Jim, it’s you two again! If you want to get in, show your tickets first!” The guard extended his hand towards the two small-time thugs, smirking mockingly.
“The tickets…” Jim and Rena exchanged glances. They were penniless thugs who survived on occasional odd jobs or extorting passersby. How could they afford arena tickets?
“Hmph! I knew it. You two can’t even afford tickets, yet you still want to sneak into the Kemal Arena to make money? The last two times you sneaked in, I got a severe scolding from the bosses. I almost lost my job! Get lost! Or I won’t be polite!” The guard waved his psychic gun threateningly at them.
“Borton, this time is different. I have a valuable piece of information to sell to the arena bosses. If you delay us, can you bear the responsibility?” Driven by his desire for wealth, Rena stood up to the guard’s threat, shouting bravely, though anyone could see his bravado was hollow.
“Ha! You have information to sell to the arena bosses?” The arena guards burst into laughter at Rena’s words. “Rena, next time you lie, remember to prepare a script. What useful information could someone like you possibly have for the arena bosses? Get lost! Don’t waste my time here! If you keep bothering me, I won’t mind giving you a few shots.” Borton sneered, pointing his psychic gun at the two thugs.
Although the psychic guns carried by the arena guards only fired psychic bullets equivalent to the ordinary attacks of a sixth-level psychic, they were still terrifying weapons to small-time thugs like Jim and Rena. Being hit by a sixth-level psychic bullet would likely leave them bedridden for days!
Seeing the eerie blue glow of the psychic gun’s muzzle, Jim immediately ducked his head and pulled Rena back without a word. “Tch!” Rena could only spit in frustration, reluctantly following Jim away.
However, Rena and Jim didn’t go far after leaving the arena entrance. After turning a corner, Rena grabbed Jim and stopped.
“Brother Rena, forget about the arena. We can’t make this money. You saw it yourself, Borton won’t let us in,” Jim pleaded with a mournful face, trying to convince Rena to give up.
“Hmph! Those snobbish bastards!” Rena spat fiercely in the direction of the guards. “The more they act like this, the more I’m determined! Once we sell the information to the organizations inside the arena, I’ll make Borton kneel and apologize!”
“Let it go, Brother Rena. If we force our way in, Borton will really shoot,” Jim shook his head fearfully.
“Bah!” Rena knocked Jim’s head again in frustration. “Do I look like someone who acts without thinking?”
“Then… what’s your plan?” Jim looked at Rena in confusion.
“We’ll do this…” Rena leaned in and whispered into Jim’s ear.
“Oh! That might actually work!” Jim’s eyes lit up.
Soon, the two thugs, now brimming with confidence, returned to the street in front of the Kemal Arena.
“Sir, want to get rich? If you can get us into the Kemal Arena, we’ll give you five hundred… no, a thousand Imperial Shields later?” The two thugs stopped every passerby, repeating this line.
Honestly, if the two thugs had dressed more professionally and added a bit of mysterious flair to their pitch, they might have convinced a few greedy passersby. Unfortunately, Rena and Jim were dressed like typical thugs. Expecting them to use sophisticated persuasion techniques was asking too much.
When they tried to appear mysterious, they looked more like they were extorting than helping someone get rich. And when they tried to act pitiful, it just seemed like a scam… So, after an entire morning, the two thugs were dizzy with hunger but hadn’t found a single person willing to help them.
“Damn it! Are people on Fila Planet so rich now? Such easy money, and not a single person is interested!”
The continuous failures wore down Rena’s fighting spirit. Under Jim’s persuasion, Rena could only vent his frustration and leave the street in front of the Kemal Arena, planning to find a way to get some lunch first.
Turning a corner, Rena suddenly stopped his aimless scanning of the crowd and yanked Jim to a halt.
“What’s wrong? Brother Rena?” Jim quickly looked up.
“Haha! Our lunch is secured!” Rena whispered excitedly, pointing across the street. “See that? That guy’s an outsider!”
“Ah!” Jim followed Rena’s finger and saw a young man in a blue and white jacket, holding a piece of paper and looking around.
Standing on the busiest street in Babylon City, Zhang Wen couldn’t help but laugh bitterly in his heart.
After leaving the inn, he carefully avoided the spies from the Temis Academy and Catherina, finally managing to slip quietly to the place where he had agreed to meet Shura.
When Zhang Wen met Shura, he was quietly discussing with several other bounty fighters. Naturally, their discussion revolved around the tasks the bounty fighters had to complete next.
Not fighting unprepared battles is a proverb from the Moso Empire. Although most of the bounty fighters present hadn’t read much and didn’t know the origin of this proverb, years or even decades of bounty fighting had deeply ingrained the wisdom of this proverb in them.
Even though Shura and his team were fully confident in their strength and believed they should give the fighters on Fila Planet ample time to prepare, that didn’t mean they would blindly charge in.
Giving the opponent enough time to prepare shows confidence—believing that even when facing the opponent’s strongest, they have the ability to win. But going into battle without knowing anything about the opponent isn’t confidence; it’s stupidity.
In Shura’s Casares Bounty Fighter team, Shura himself was the most familiar with the Kemal Arena on Fila Planet. However, the last time Shura fought in the arena on Fila Planet was three years ago.
Three years might not sound like a long time, but for the bounty fighters in the Kemal Arena, it was enough for a complete regime change. Shura wasn’t even sure if the four emperor fighters in the Babylon Arena were the same ones he had seen before.
Therefore, before challenging the Babylon Arena, it was essential to conduct a reconnaissance mission, which had become a consensus among all the bounty fighters.
However, before Zhang Wen arrived at the bounty fighters’ inn, Shura and the others had been struggling with who should go to the Babylon Arena for the reconnaissance.
Because the Casares Arena had sent the elite of the Casares Bounty Fighters to Fila Planet. Even the least experienced among them were well-known rising stars in the bounty fighter world. Any one of them entering the Kemal Arena in Babylon would undoubtedly be recognized immediately.
Although the Casares fighters present weren’t worried about the challenges they might face if recognized, the problem was that once their identities were exposed in the Babylon Arena, the effectiveness of the reconnaissance mission would be greatly diminished.
And just as the bounty fighters were most troubled, Zhang Wen walked into the inn. Seeing Zhang Wen, the bounty fighters immediately stopped their discussion, their sharp eyes all falling on him. Then, under Zhang Wen’s bewildered gaze, Shura briefly explained the situation and asked if he could help them go to the Babylon Arena.
As a member of the Casares “Hunting Team,” Zhang Wen naturally had no reason to refuse the responsibility of conducting the reconnaissance mission. So, taking the note with the address of the Babylon Arena from Shura, Zhang Wen left the inn again.
But Zhang Wen never expected that the address Shura had given him was the Babylon Arena’s address from three years ago! In those three years, the streets of Fila Planet had been renovated several times, and the street names had changed beyond recognition!
Zhang Wen wandered up and down the Garden Street several times but couldn’t find the location of 1078 as written on Shura’s note. Just as Zhang Wen finally realized there might be a problem with the address he had, he suddenly noticed two young men dressed as thugs approaching him with smiles on their faces.
Without a doubt, the two thugs approaching Zhang Wen were Rena and Jim, who had mistaken him for an “outsider ripe for the picking.”
“Hehe! Sir, are you from Casares?” The short-haired young man in front greeted Zhang Wen in a clumsy Casares accent.
“Give it up, big brother Renner. If we try to force our way in, Burton will really shoot.” Jim shook his head in fear.
“Phooey!” Renner irritably knocked on Jim’s head again. “Do I look like someone who acts recklessly without thinking?”
“Then… what are you planning to do?” Jim looked at Renner in confusion.
“We’ll do it like this…” Renner whispered something into Jim’s ear.
“Oh! This might just work!” Jim’s eyes lit up as well.
Soon, the two hooligans, now brimming with renewed confidence, returned to the street in front of the Kemal Arena.
“Sir, want to get rich? If you can get us inside the Kemal Arena, we’ll give you five hundred… no, a thousand imperial shields!” The two hooligans kept stopping every passerby, saying things like this.
Frankly speaking, if the two hooligans could change into more professional-looking outfits and add a bit of a mysterious tone to their speech, perhaps a few greedy passersby might be moved by them. Unfortunately, Renner and Jim were only dressed like typical hooligans. It seemed a bit too difficult for them to use advanced persuasive techniques.
When they tried to look mysterious, their expressions didn’t look like they were helping someone get rich; instead, they looked more like they were trying to extort money. And when they tried to smile and act pitiful to please people, it just made others feel like they were trying to con them… Thus, the entire morning passed, and the two hooligans were so hungry they were dizzy and saw stars, yet they couldn’t find a single person willing to help them.
“Damn it! Are the people on planet Fira all so rich now? Such an easy way to make money, yet not a single person is interested!”
Repeated failures gradually wore down Renner’s fighting spirit. Under Jim’s persuasion, Renner could only grumble in frustration, leaving the street in front of the Kemal Arena and planning to first find a way to get themselves a lunch.
Turning a corner, Renner suddenly stopped scanning the crowd aimlessly and pulled Jim hard.
“What’s wrong, big brother Renner?” Jim hurriedly looked up.
“Haha! Our lunch is sorted!” Renner whispered excitedly, pointing toward a direction across the street. “See that guy over there? He’s an outsider!”
“Ah!” Following Renner’s finger, Jim saw a young man dressed in a blue and white coat, holding a piece of paper and looking around the street.
Standing on the most prosperous Garden Street in Babylon City, Zhang Wen couldn’t help but bitterly smile inwardly.
After leaving the inn, he had carefully avoided the surveillance of both the Themis Academy and the Katerina faction, finally managing to sneak to the place where he had agreed to meet Asura.
When Zhang Wen met Asura, he was in the middle of a quiet discussion with several other bounty fighters about their next necessary tasks.
Never fight an unprepared battle. This is a proverb from the Meso Empire. Although most of the bounty fighters present had not received much education and were unfamiliar with the origin of this proverb, their years, even decades, of experience as bounty fighters had deeply ingrained the meaning of this proverb into their hearts.
Even though Asura and his team were fully confident in their strength and believed that they should give the fighters of planet Fira ample time to prepare, this did not mean they would charge in blindly without any knowledge of their opponents.
Giving the opponent ample time to prepare is a sign of confidence, indicating that one believes in their ability to defeat the opponent’s strongest fighters. However, if one enters the battlefield without any knowledge of the opponent, it is not confidence but sheer foolishness.
Among the Casares bounty fighters led by Asura, the one most familiar with the Kemal Arena on planet Fira was Asura himself. However, the last time Asura had fought in the Kemal Arena on planet Fira was three years ago.
Three years may not seem like a long time, but for the bounty fighters in the Kemal Arena, it was enough time for a complete turnover. Asura was not even sure anymore whether the four emperor fighters in the Babylon Arena were still the same ones he had met before.
Therefore, before challenging the Babylon Arena, it had already become a consensus among all the bounty fighters to first conduct a reconnaissance mission.
However, before Zhang Wen arrived at the inn where the bounty fighters were staying, Asura and the other bounty fighters had been troubled about who should go to the Babylon Arena for reconnaissance.
The reason was that the Casares Arena had sent only the best of their bounty fighters to planet Fira. Even the least experienced among them were already rising stars in the bounty fighter world. If any of them entered the Babylon Kemal Arena, they would undoubtedly be recognized immediately.
Although the Casares fighters present were not worried about the challenges they might face after being recognized, the problem was that once their identities were exposed in the Babylon Arena, the effectiveness of the reconnaissance mission would be greatly reduced.
Just when the bounty fighters were at their wits’ end, Zhang Wen walked into the inn. Upon seeing Zhang Wen’s figure, the bounty fighters immediately stopped their discussion in unison, their intense gazes all falling on Zhang Wen. Then, under Zhang Wen’s puzzled gaze, Asura briefly explained the situation and asked him if he could help by going to the Babylon Arena.
As a member of the Casares “Hunting Team,” it was naturally Zhang Wen’s responsibility to take on the important task of reconnaissance for everyone. Thus, after receiving the note with the address of the Babylon Arena from Asura’s hand, Zhang Wen left the inn again.
However, Zhang Wen never expected that the address written on the note given by Asura was actually the address of the Babylon Arena from three years ago! In the past three years, the streets of planet Fira had been renovated several times, and the street names had long been changed beyond recognition!
Zhang Wen walked around Garden Street several times but still couldn’t find where number 1078 on the note was. Just as Zhang Wen finally realized that there might be a problem with the address in his hand, he suddenly noticed two young men dressed like hooligans approaching him with smiles on their faces.
Without a doubt, the two hooligans walking toward Zhang Wen at this moment were none other than Renner and Jim, who had mistaken Zhang Wen for a “fat sheep from out of town.”
“Hehe! Sir, are you from Casares?” The young man with short hair, speaking in a clumsy Casares accent, greeted Zhang Wen as he walked ahead.
“Oh? How did you know I’m from Casares?” Zhang Wen raised his eyebrows in feigned surprise, while secretly scrutinizing the two young men before him. He soon realized they were just ordinary hooligans, nothing special.
“Hehe! Because I’m from Casares too! Well, I’ve been on Fira planet for several years now, and I can barely speak my hometown dialect fluently anymore. Sigh!” While shamelessly fabricating this enormous lie, Rena pretended to be remorseful, sighing repeatedly. Behind Rena, Jim wore a seemingly honest, friendly smile.
“So you’re from Casares too. What a pleasant coincidence. Gentlemen, did you come looking for me for a reason?” Zhang Wen smiled as well, while remaining secretly vigilant.
Although Zhang Wen had confirmed that the two before him were merely common hooligans, he still didn’t dare to relax his vigilance one bit. After all, there were simply too many people who had reasons—or even no reasons at all—to target him recently. In this unfamiliar place, Fira planet, he certainly didn’t want to accidentally fall into someone else’s trap.
“Of course we have a reason! Hehe! Sir, you must be here on Fira planet to watch the combat competitions, right?” Seeing that he had easily struck up a conversation with Zhang Wen, Rena was overjoyed. Laughing heartily, he continued to chatter enthusiastically, smiling as he edged closer to Zhang Wen.
“You even know that?”
“Of course! Haha! Sir, have you forgotten that I’m also from Casares? How could I not know that people from Casares love the arenas the most? Actually, meeting you here is our fate! My name is Rena, and I’ve worked at Kermel Arena in Babylon for several years. I know everything there is to know about arenas!”
“Oh? Really?” Although Rena’s words were casual, they stirred something within Zhang Wen’s cautious mind.
“Of course it’s true!” Rena patted his chest, appearing confident. At the same time, he subtly exchanged glances with Jim, feigning nonchalance.
Jim had worked with Rena for many years and was quite skilled at their routine. As soon as he caught Rena’s signal, he immediately stepped forward with his usual simple, friendly smile.
“It’s true! Sir, if you want to watch the matches at Babylon Arena, just find my big brother Rena, and you won’t go wrong.”
“That’s right! Sir, I’m also from Casares and know us Casares people best. You traveled three days by spaceship just to watch the combat competitions on Fira planet. Surely you wouldn’t want to sit in one of those terrible back rows where you can’t even see the fighters’ faces without the big screen, right? You don’t know how much the people on Fira planet look down on us Casares folks. As soon as they hear your Casares accent, they’ll sell you the worst seats possible. You can go try it yourself if you don’t believe me.” Rena waved his arms indignantly, feigning righteous anger.
However, although Rena outwardly encouraged Zhang Wen to “go try it,” he certainly wouldn’t allow Zhang Wen to actually go to Babylon Arena like that. No more than half a second after saying the previous sentence, Rena began his persuasive chatter again.
“Oh? How did you know I’m from Casares?” Zhang Wen feigned surprise, raising his eyebrows while secretly scrutinizing the two young men in front of him. He quickly realized they were just ordinary troublemakers, nothing special.
“Hehe! Because I’m from Casares too! Although, I’ve been on Planet Fira for several years now, and I’m not even fluent in my hometown dialect anymore. Sigh!” Lying through his teeth without batting an eye, Rena pretended to lament, sighing repeatedly. Behind him, Jim, with a seemingly honest smile, played along.
“So you’re from Casares too. What a coincidence. Is there something you need from me?” Zhang Wen smiled, though inwardly he remained cautious.
Although Zhang Wen had confirmed that the two were just ordinary thugs, he didn’t let his guard down. After all, there were plenty of people who had reasons—or even no reason at all—to target him. On Planet Fira, a place unfamiliar to him, Zhang Wen didn’t want to fall into anyone’s trap.
“Of course, there’s something! Hehe! Sir, you must be here to watch the gladiatorial matches, right?” Seeing how easily he had struck up a conversation with Zhang Wen, Rena laughed heartily, continuing to spin his tale as he moved closer to Zhang Wen with a grin.
“You even know that?”
“Of course! Haha! Don’t you remember? I’m from Casares too. How could I not know that we Casaresians love the arena? In fact, meeting you here is fate! My name’s Rena, and I’ve worked at the Kemal Arena in Babylon for several years. I know everything about the arena!”
“Oh? Is that true?” Though Rena’s words were casual, they struck a chord with Zhang Wen.
“Of course it’s true!” Rena puffed out his chest, exuding confidence, while subtly exchanging a glance with Jim.
Jim, having worked with Rena for years, was well-practiced. Seeing Rena’s signal, he immediately stepped forward with his seemingly honest smile.
“It’s true! Sir, if you want to watch a match at the Babylon Arena, my brother Rena is the man to go to.”
“Exactly! Sir, I’m also from Casares, so I understand our people best. You’ve traveled three days by spaceship to Planet Fira to watch the matches. Surely you don’t want to sit in the back rows, where you’d need a screen just to see the fighters, right? Those bastards on Fira look down on us Casaresians. When they hear your accent, they’ll sell you the worst seats. Go ahead and try if you don’t believe me.” Rena waved his arms indignantly, pretending to be outraged on Zhang Wen’s behalf.
But of course, Rena had no intention of letting Zhang Wen actually go to the Babylon Arena. Before even a second had passed, he continued his smooth talk.
“But since we’ve met by chance, I can’t let a fellow Casaresian suffer like that. With me around, I’ll make sure you get the best seats. Even if you want the front rows, as long as you’re willing to pay a bit extra, I’ve got the connections. If you’re interested, why don’t we head to the restaurant up ahead and chat over a meal? What do you say?”
“Hmm… that sounds interesting.” Zhang Wen nodded with a smile, casually gesturing for Rena to lead the way.
Yes! After all that effort, Rena had finally lured the “fat sheep” into his trap. He clenched his fist in triumph, silently cheering for himself, and quickly led Jim forward, afraid Zhang Wen might change his mind.
“As expected of Boss Rena, he’s really fallen for it!” Jim, pulled along by Rena, was equally excited. He lowered his voice and sneakily gave Rena a thumbs-up.
“Of course! Who do you think I am?” Rena smugly tilted his head.
“Right! But Boss Rena, since you’ve tricked him into treating us to a meal, why not go all the way and get him to buy us tickets to the Kemal Arena?” Jim, after admiring Rena for a while, suddenly voiced a doubt.
“Idiot! Don’t be too greedy! You’ve never been to Casares, so you don’t know Casaresians.” Rena glanced back at Zhang Wen and lowered his voice to a whisper only he and Jim could hear. “Casaresians are all country bumpkins. Even the nobles are stingy! Using the arena seats as bait to get him to treat us to a meal is already pushing it. If we get greedy and ask him to buy us tickets, he’ll turn around and leave without a second glance. Then we’d end up with no tickets and empty stomachs. Is that worth it? Besides, once we’ve filled our bellies, we can head to the arena in the afternoon. With my skills, do you think I can’t find another fat sheep to take us in?”
“Oh! Boss Rena, you’re amazing!” Jim looked at Rena with complete admiration.
“Of course! By the way, your acting today deserves praise too! Hahaha!” Rena quickly basked in the glory of being admired.
However, neither the “talented actor” Jim nor the “brilliant” Rena noticed that, while they were whispering, Zhang Wen, following behind them, had a faint smile playing on his lips.
“Oh… so that’s how it is.” After hearing the duo’s conversation, Zhang Wen felt much more at ease.
It seemed these two weren’t sent by someone to trap him but had simply targeted him as a “fat sheep,” hoping to scam a free meal.
Perhaps because he agreed with Rena’s “don’t be too greedy” philosophy, or perhaps because Zhang Wen’s predecessor, Gillet, had also been a street thug, Zhang Wen didn’t particularly dislike the duo.
But… scammers often get scammed. When Rena hoped to trick someone into buying him a meal, he should’ve been prepared to be used in return. Coincidentally, I’m not sure how to figure out the situation at the Babylon Arena in just half a day. Since this “fellow Casaresian” has come to me, it’d be a shame not to make good use of his hospitality.
Thinking this, Zhang Wen’s lips curled into a smile again.
Next, Zhang Wen pretended to know nothing and followed Rena and Jim into a classy, well-decorated restaurant, treating them to a hearty meal.
Just as Rena and Jim, satisfied and full, were brainstorming excuses to make a quick escape, Zhang Wen’s words left them stunned.
“Now that we’ve eaten, let’s head to the arena.”
“The… the arena?” Jim and Rena were almost scared into a heart attack by Zhang Wen’s question.
“What? Is there a problem?” Zhang Wen was nearly laughing inside but maintained a puzzled and suspicious expression.
“Ah! No problem, of course not!” Seeing Zhang Wen’s doubt, Rena quickly thumped his chest. “It’s just… the friends I know are all gladiators, and I don’t have any money on me right now. So… if we can’t find my friends, we can’t get good seats. But if you’re in a hurry, we can go back and get the money! Right, Jim?”
“Ah! Right! We can go back and get the money!” Jim hurriedly put on his honest smile, backing up Rena’s lie.
“No need, no need! You two are helping me out. Of course, I’ll cover the tickets. As long as you can get me good front-row seats, I’ll buy your tickets as a thank-you.” Zhang Wen put on the airs of a wealthy, generous landowner, waving his hand dismissively.
“Wh… what?” The moment Zhang Wen said those words, Rena and Jim felt as if they’d been hit by a pie falling from the sky.
“Hmm… sounds somewhat interesting.” Zhang Wen smiled and nodded, casually waving his hand to signal Rena to lead the way.
“Yes! After all that effort, Rena’s face literally blossomed with joy as he finally had the “fat sheep” in the bag. He clenched his fist tightly, silently cheering for himself, eager to lead Jim forward lest Zhang Wen change his mind.
“Truly worthy of being Big Brother Rena! That guy actually fell for it!” Jim, pulled along by Rena, also wore a face of excitement. He desperately lowered his voice and secretly gave Rena a thumbs-up.
“Of course! Just look at who I am!” Rena proudly lifted his head.
“True! But Big Brother Rena, since you managed to trick him into treating us to a meal, why not just go ahead and trick him into buying us tickets to Kermel Arena?” After admiring Rena for quite some time, Jim suddenly raised a question.
“Fool! One shouldn’t be too greedy! You’ve never been to Casares, so you don’t understand the people from Casares.” Rena stole a glance at Zhang Wen before lowering his voice again, speaking only loud enough for himself and Jim to hear, “People from Casares are all country bumpkins. Even the nobles are incredibly stingy! This time, using premium arena seats as bait to trick him into treating us to a meal is already the limit. If we push our luck and ask him to buy us arena tickets, he’ll definitely turn around and leave without even looking at us. Then, we won’t have gotten any tickets and will still be hungry. Do you think that’s worth it? Besides, as long as we fill our stomachs, we can go to the arena in the afternoon. With my skills, Rena, don’t you think I can still find another fat sheep willing to bring us in?”
“Oh! Truly worthy of being Big Brother Rena!” Jim looked at Rena with admiration, completely won over.
“That’s right! Talking about it, your acting today is also worth praise! Hahaha!” Rena quickly immersed himself in the joy of being admired.
However, neither the “excellent actor” Jim nor the “brilliant” Rena ever noticed that while they were whispering and muttering, Zhang Wen behind them had already unknowingly brought a faint, almost imperceptible smile to the corner of his mouth.
“Oh… so that’s how it is.” After listening to the pair of hooligans’ conversation, Zhang Wen felt mostly reassured.
It seemed that these two weren’t a trap set by someone to target him, but merely mistook Zhang Wen for an easy mark, hoping to get a free lunch out of him.
Perhaps because he agreed with Rena’s words about “not being too greedy,” or perhaps because Zhang Wen’s former body owner, Gille, had also been a street hooligan, Zhang Wen didn’t particularly dislike this pair of hooligans, Rena and Jim.
“Oh? How did you know I’m from Casares?” Zhang Wen feigned surprise, raising his eyebrows while secretly scrutinizing the two young men in front of him. He quickly realized they were just ordinary thugs, nothing special.
“Hehe! Because I’m from Casares too! Although, I’ve been on Planet Fira for several years now, and I’ve even started to stumble over my hometown dialect. Sigh!” Lying through his teeth without batting an eye, Rena pretended to lament with a sigh. Behind him, Jim, with a seemingly simple and honest demeanor, smiled along.
“So you’re from Casares too. What a coincidence. Do you need something from me?” Zhang Wen smiled, though he remained inwardly cautious.
Although Zhang Wen had confirmed that the two were just ordinary thugs, he didn’t dare let his guard down. After all, there were plenty of people who had reasons to deal with him—or even those who had no reason but simply wanted to cause him trouble. On Planet Fira, a place where he was unfamiliar, Zhang Wen didn’t want to fall into anyone’s trap.
“Need something? Of course, we do! Hehe! Sir, you must be here to watch the gladiatorial matches, right?” Seeing how easily he had struck up a conversation with Zhang Wen, Rena laughed heartily, continuing to spin his tale as he moved closer to Zhang Wen with a smile.
“You even know that?”
“Of course! Haha! Don’t you remember? I’m from Casares too. How could I not know that we Casares people love the arena? In fact, running into you here is fate! My name’s Rena, and I’ve worked at the Kemal Arena in Babylon for several years. I know everything about the arena!”
“Oh? Is that so?” Although Rena’s words were casual, they struck a chord with Zhang Wen, who couldn’t help but feel intrigued.
“Of course it’s true!” Rena thumped his chest confidently, all the while subtly exchanging a glance with Jim.
Jim, having worked with Rena for years, was well-versed in their routine. Seeing Rena’s signal, he immediately put on his simple and honest smile and stepped forward.
“It’s true! Sir, if you want to watch a match at the Babylon Arena, you can’t go wrong with my big brother Rena.”
“Exactly! Sir, I’m also from Casares, so I understand our people best. You’ve traveled three days by spaceship to Planet Fira to watch the gladiatorial matches. Surely, you wouldn’t want to sit in the back rows, where you’d need a big screen just to see the fighters, right? You know, the people on Planet Fira look down on us Casares folks. When they hear your accent, they’ll definitely sell you the worst seats. You can try it if you don’t believe me.” Rena put on an indignant expression, waving his arms at Zhang Wen.
However, while Rena suggested Zhang Wen “try it,” he certainly didn’t intend to let him actually go to the Babylon Arena. Before even half a second had passed, Rena was already spinning his tale again.
“But since we’ve run into each other, I can’t let a fellow Casares person suffer like that. With me around, I guarantee you’ll get the best seats. Even if you want the front two rows, as long as you’re willing to pay a little extra, I’ve got the connections. If you’re interested, why don’t we head to the restaurant up ahead and talk over a meal? What do you say?”
“Hmm… that does sound interesting.” Zhang Wen nodded with a smile, casually waving his hand to signal Rena to lead the way.
Yes! After all that effort, Rena finally had his “mark” in the bag. He clenched his fist tightly, cheering inwardly, and quickly led Jim forward, afraid Zhang Wen might change his mind.
“Rena, you’re amazing! He actually fell for it!” Jim, dragged along by Rena, was equally excited. He lowered his voice and secretly gave Rena a thumbs up.
“Of course! Who do you think I am?” Rena smugly tilted his head.
“Right! But Rena, since you’ve tricked him into buying us a meal, why not go all the way and get him to buy us tickets to the Kemal Arena?” After admiring Rena for a while, Jim suddenly voiced a question.
“Idiot! Don’t be too greedy! You’ve never been to Casares, so you don’t know Casares people.” Rena glanced back at Zhang Wen, then lowered his voice again, speaking only loud enough for Jim to hear. “Casares people are all country bumpkins. Even the nobles are stingy! Using the arena’s good seats as bait to trick him into buying us a meal is already the limit. If we push our luck and ask him to buy us arena tickets, he’ll turn around and leave without even looking at us. Then we’d end up with no tickets and still be hungry. Does that sound worth it? Besides, once we’ve filled our stomachs, we can head to the arena in the afternoon. With my skills, do you think I can’t find another mark to get us in?”
“Oh! Rena, you’re the best!” Jim looked at Rena with complete admiration.
“Of course! By the way, your acting today deserves praise too! Hahaha!” Rena quickly basked in the glory of being admired.
However, neither the “talented actor” Jim nor the “brilliant” Rena noticed that, while they were whispering, Zhang Wen, following behind them, had already begun to smile faintly.
“Oh… so that’s how it is.” After listening to the duo’s conversation, Zhang Wen felt much more at ease.
It seemed these two weren’t sent by someone to trap Zhang Wen but had simply mistaken him for a mark, hoping to scam a free meal out of him.
Perhaps because he agreed with Rena’s “don’t be too greedy” philosophy, or perhaps because Zhang Wen’s predecessor, Gillet, had also been a street thug, Zhang Wen didn’t particularly dislike the duo.
But… scammers often get scammed. When Rena hoped to trick someone into buying him a meal, he should have been prepared to be used in return. Coincidentally, I’m not sure how to figure out the situation at the Babylon Arena in just half a day. Since this “fellow Casares person” has come to me, wouldn’t it be a waste not to take advantage of his hospitality?
Zhang Wen thought to himself, his lips curling into a smile once more.
Next, Zhang Wen pretended to know nothing and followed Rena and Jim into a quiet, tastefully decorated restaurant, treating them to a hearty meal.
Just as Rena and Jim, satisfied and full, were racking their brains for an excuse to slip away, Zhang Wen’s words left them both stunned.
“Gentlemen, since we’ve finished eating, let’s head to the arena now.”
“The… the arena?” Jim and Rena were nearly scared out of their wits by Zhang Wen’s question.
“What? Is there a problem?” Zhang Wen was almost laughing inside but maintained a confused and suspicious expression on his face.
“Ah! No problem, of course not!” Seeing Zhang Wen’s doubt, Rena quickly thumped his chest again. “It’s just… the friends I know are all gladiators, and I don’t have any money on me right now. So… if we can’t find them, we won’t be able to get good seats. But if you’re in a hurry, we can go back and get the money now! Right, Jim?”
“Ah! Right! We can go back and get the money now!” Jim hurriedly put on his simple smile, backing up Rena’s lie.
“No need, no need! You two are helping me out, after all. I can’t let you pay for the arena tickets. As long as you can get me good front-row seats, I’ll buy your tickets as a thank-you.” Zhang Wen put on the air of a wealthy landowner, waving his right hand grandly.
“Wh… what?” The moment Zhang Wen said those words, Rena and Jim felt as if they’d been hit by a stroke of luck, like a pie falling from the sky.
Zhang Wen thought to himself, his mouth involuntarily curling upward again.
Next, Zhang Wen pretended to know nothing and followed Rena and Jim into a restaurant that was elegant and tastefully decorated, treating them to a hearty meal.
When Rena and Jim were satisfied after their filling meal and were once again racking their brains, trying to think of an excuse to make a quick getaway, Zhang Wen’s words left both of them stunned.
“Hey you two, now that we’ve eaten, let’s hurry and head to the arena.”
“The… the arena?” Rena and Jim nearly scared themselves into heart attacks.
“Is there a problem?” Zhang Wen was already laughing so hard inside that he felt his stomach aching, but outwardly he still wore a look of feigned innocence and suspicion.
“Oh! No problem, of course there’s no problem!” Seeing Zhang Wen’s doubt, Rena hurriedly puffed out his chest again, “It’s just that… well, my friends are all bounty fighters, and I just happen not to have any money on me right now. So… without finding my friends, we can’t get good seats. But if you’re in a hurry, we can go back to get money now! Right, Jim?”
“Yeah! We can go back now to get money!” Jim quickly joined in with his friendly smile, backing up Rena’s lie.
“Oh? How did you know I’m from Casares?” Zhang Wen feigned surprise, raising his eyebrows while secretly scrutinizing the two young men before him. He quickly realized they were just ordinary thugs, nothing special.
“Hehe! Because I’m from Casares too! It’s just that I’ve been on Planet Fira for several years now, and I’ve even started to lose fluency in my hometown dialect. Sigh!” Lying through his teeth without batting an eye, Rena pretended to lament while sighing repeatedly. Behind him, Jim, with a seemingly honest smile, played along.
“So you’re from Casares too. What a coincidence. Is there something you need from me?” Zhang Wen also smiled, though he remained inwardly cautious.
Although Zhang Wen had confirmed that the two were just ordinary thugs, he didn’t dare let his guard down. After all, there were plenty of people who had reasons to target him recently, or even those who had no reason but still wanted to cause him trouble. On Planet Fira, a place unfamiliar to him, Zhang Wen didn’t want to fall into anyone’s trap carelessly.
“Of course, there’s something! Hehe! Sir, you must be here to watch the gladiatorial matches, right?” Seeing how easily he had struck up a conversation with Zhang Wen, Rena laughed heartily, continuing to charm with his silver tongue as he moved closer to Zhang Wen.
“You even know that?”
“Of course! Haha! Have you forgotten? I’m from Casares too. How could I not know that we Casareans love the arena? In fact, meeting you here is fate! My name is Rena, and I’ve worked at the Kemal Arena in Babylon for several years. I know the arena inside and out!”
“Oh? Is that so?” Though Rena’s words were casual, they struck a chord with Zhang Wen, who couldn’t help but feel intrigued.
“Of course it’s true!” Rena thumped his chest, exuding confidence, while subtly exchanging a glance with Jim.
Jim, having worked with Rena for years, was well-versed in their routine. Seeing Rena’s signal, he immediately stepped forward with his seemingly honest smile.
“It’s true! Sir, if you want to watch a match at the Babylon Arena, you can’t go wrong with my big brother Rena.”
“Exactly! Sir, I’m also from Casares, so I understand our people best. You’ve traveled three days by spaceship to Planet Fira to watch the matches. Surely, you wouldn’t want to sit in the back rows, where you’d need a big screen just to see the fighters, right? You know, the people on Fira look down on us Casareans. When they hear your accent, they’ll definitely sell you the worst seats. You can try it if you don’t believe me.” Rena put on an indignant expression, waving his arms at Zhang Wen.
However, Rena certainly didn’t intend to let Zhang Wen actually go to the Babylon Arena. Before even half a second had passed, he continued with his silver tongue.
“But since we’ve met by chance, I can’t let a fellow Casarean suffer like that. With me around, I guarantee you’ll get the best seats. Even if you want the front rows, as long as you’re willing to pay a little extra, I have the connections. If you’re interested, why don’t we head to the restaurant up ahead and chat over a meal? What do you say?”
“Hmm… that does sound interesting.” Zhang Wen nodded with a smile, casually gesturing for Rena to lead the way.
Yes! After all that effort, Rena finally had his “mark” in the bag. He clenched his fist tightly, cheering inwardly, and quickly led Jim forward, afraid Zhang Wen might change his mind.
“Rena, you’re the best! That guy actually fell for it!” Jim, pulled along by Rena, was equally excited. He lowered his voice and secretly gave Rena a thumbs up.
“Of course! Who do you think I am?” Rena proudly tilted his head.
“Right! But Rena, since you managed to trick him into treating us to a meal, why not go all the way and get him to buy us tickets to the Kemal Arena?” After admiring Rena for a while, Jim suddenly voiced a question.
“Idiot! Don’t be too greedy! You’ve never been to Casares, so you don’t know Casareans.” Rena glanced back at Zhang Wen before lowering his voice again, speaking only loud enough for Jim to hear. “Casareans are all country bumpkins. Even the nobles are stingy! This time, using the arena seats as bait to get him to treat us to a meal is already the limit. If we push our luck and ask him to buy us arena tickets, he’ll turn around and leave without even looking at us. Then we’d end up with no tickets and still be hungry. Does that sound worth it? Besides, once we’ve filled our stomachs, we can head to the arena in the afternoon. With my skills, do you think I can’t find another mark to get us in?”
“Oh! Rena, you’re the best!” Jim looked at Rena with complete admiration.
“Of course! By the way, your acting today deserves praise too! Hahaha!” Rena quickly basked in the glory of being admired.
However, neither the “talented actor” Jim nor the “brilliant” Rena noticed that, while they were whispering, Zhang Wen, following behind them, had already begun to smile faintly.
“Oh… so that’s how it is.” After hearing the duo’s conversation, Zhang Wen felt much more at ease.
It seemed these two weren’t part of some trap set against him but simply saw him as a mark to scam a free meal out of.
Perhaps because he agreed with Rena’s statement about not being too greedy, or perhaps because Zhang Wen’s predecessor, Gillet, had also been a street thug, Zhang Wen didn’t particularly dislike the duo.
However… scammers often get scammed. When Rena hoped to trick someone into buying him a meal, he should have been prepared to be used in return. Coincidentally, I wasn’t sure how to quickly figure out the situation at the Babylon Arena. Since this “fellow Casarean” has come to me, wouldn’t it be a waste not to make good use of his hospitality?
Thinking this, Zhang Wen couldn’t help but smile again.
Next, Zhang Wen pretended to know nothing and followed Rena and Jim into a quiet, tastefully decorated restaurant, treating them to a hearty meal.
Just as Rena and Jim, satisfied and full, were racking their brains for an excuse to make a quick escape, Zhang Wen’s words left them stunned.
“Alright, since we’ve eaten, let’s head to the arena now.”
“The… the arena?” Jim and Rena were nearly scared out of their wits by Zhang Wen’s question.
“What? Is there a problem?” Zhang Wen was almost laughing inside but maintained a puzzled and suspicious expression.
“Ah! No problem, of course not!” Seeing Zhang Wen’s doubt, Rena quickly thumped his chest again. “It’s just… the friends I know are all gladiators, and I don’t have any money on me right now. So… if we can’t find my friends, we won’t be able to get good seats. But if you’re in a hurry, we can go back and get the money now! Right, Jim?”
“Ah! Right! We can go back and get the money now!” Jim hurriedly put on his honest smile, backing up Rena’s lie.
“No need, no need! You two are helping me out. Of course, I can’t let you pay for the arena tickets. As long as you can get me good front-row seats, I’ll buy your tickets as a thank-you.” Zhang Wen put on the airs of a wealthy landowner, waving his right hand grandly.
“Wh… what?” The moment Zhang Wen said those words, Rena and Jim felt as if they’d been hit by a stroke of luck, like a pie falling from the sky.
“What… what?” At the moment Zhang Wen spoke those words, Rena and Jim instantly experienced the joy of being hit on the head by a falling pie from the sky.
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