Almighty Coach

by Stayrr

How could a poor graduate student without any background or connections become successful? With a coaching system? An upgrade? This is not a computer game, but real life we’re talking about! This will be a fantasy based on reality. Dai Li will fight back against all those who would mock and humiliate him with his astonishing and awe-inspiring training skills. From a nobody he’ll t

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Chapter 381: Tricked

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

The staff member was at a loss after he reviewed the registration form. He had never encountered a situation like this. According to the information on the registration form, the personal best for the athlete in front of him was recorded in an elite track and field para-athletics competition.

Elite track and field para-athletics competition? What is this competition? As he thought this, he lifted his head and looked at Phillip before pointing at the portion of the form that had "Portland Elite Track and Field Para-athletics Competition" written on it. He asked, "Did you make a mistake here?"

Phillip lowered his head to check and said, "It's correct."

"This race should only be open to disabled people, right?" the staff member checked.

"That's right, only disabled people can participate in the race," Phillip answered.

"Then, you are a disabled person?" the staffer asked cautiously.

"Yes, I'm disabled. I've lost both my legs and I use a prosthesis to walk," Phillip answered honestly.

"You have no legs?" Despite knowing that it was insulting, he still lowered his head to look at Phillip's legs. After which, he returned his gaze towards the registration form.

Barron Phillip. Lost both legs. I remember. I remember who he is! The staff lifted his head quickly and said with a stunned expression, "You are the blade warrior of Los Angeles!"

"I do have a nickname like that," Phillip replied.

"It's really you!" The shocked expression on his face grew more apparent by the second after he confirmed Phillip's identity. He asked, "You're really here to register? Are you sure you want to participate? This is not a race for disabled people!"

"I know. This is the selection for the world championship in athletics, that's why I want to participate," Phillip said seriously.

"Crazy! This is madness!" the staff mumbled to himself.

"What's wrong? Is there a problem with my registration?" Phillip asked.

"This… I don't know, I really don't know. I've never encountered something like this before. Sorry, Mr. Phillip. About your registration, I have to ask for instructions from my superiors!" After he finished, the staffer grabbed Phillip's registration form and walked outside. As he walked, he continued mumbling, "Madness, the world is way too crazy!"The look on the face of the competition committee officer, Lopez, became distorted as he reviewed the registration form.

"A para-athlete? What is the meaning of this? Is he treating us as the Paralympics?" Lopez snorted coldly before putting down the form in his hand. He then said, "He is just trying to make trouble, pure and simple!"

"Mr. Lopez, do we accept his entry?" asked the staffer.

"Are you kidding me? This is the selection of the world championship; it is the highest level track and field competition in the US. Do you want to treat this like the Paralympics? Do you really want America's best athletes, such as the "flying man," to compete on the same platform as a para-athlete?" Lopez answered firmly, "Reject his registration!"

"Okay sir, but what reason should I tell him for rejecting him?" asked the staffer self-consciously.

Lopez curled his lips in contempt and said, "Any reason would do. It doesn't matter. We are the organizers of this competition, and we have the right to reject the participation of any athlete!""Mr. Phillip, I'm really sorry. You can't participate in our competition." The staffer returned the registration form to Phillip.

"Why?" Phillip accepted the registration form. "Did I make a mistake in filling in the form? I can change it now."

"It's not a problem with the form, it's just that you do not meet the requirements for signing up," replied the staffer coldly.

"Which part of me does not meet the requirements? My result has met the minimum requirements for registering for the qualifiers! Or are you saying that my result is suspicious? You can go ahead and check. My result is definitely authentic," Phillip said.

"It's not about the result either." The man shook his head.

"Then what exactly is the reason? Could it be because I am a disabled person? But your rules did not state that a disabled person cannot register!" Phillip looked a little exasperated.

The staffer did not answer him directly as he was afraid of saying something wrong and later taking the blame for it. So, he merely said, "Mr. Phillip, you do not meet the requirements for signing up. It is the decision of the competition committee. If you have any questions or problems, please direct it to the competition committee."

Phillip just shook his head in disgust. He grabbed the registration form and turned towards the exit.

Sitting by a French window in a cafe not far away, Dai Li saw a disgruntled Phillip heading towards the cafe.

Phillip entered the cafe and sat in front of Dai Li. He slammed the registration form on the table in anger and exclaimed, "They really rejected my registration!"

"Was it because you were disabled?" Dai Li asked calmly.

"They didn't say it clearly." Phillip took in several deep breaths in an attempt to calm himself.

"It doesn't matter if they were clear or not. If they don't allow you to register, we'll have to ask Stephen to do his thing. Anyway, as an agent, Stephen is actually quite responsible," Dai Li said, taking out his phone and lowering his head. He then began searching for Stephen's number. As he searched, he said, "I'm going to give Stephen a call. I'll ask him to contact the media as well as the protection agency for disabled persons. You should also quickly go and make a tweet on Twitter. I believe your supporters would like to be the first to know that you have encountered unfair treatment.""Hey Marshall, it's Stephen. How have you been... You've heard of the 'blade warrior,' Barron Phillip before, right? Yeah, the para-athlete who lost both his legs. I have news related to him, I'm sure you'll be interested! He intends to participate in a competition for normal people! Yes, a disabled person is going to take part in a normal competition!"

"What? This news isn't impressive enough? Marshall, don't be hasty, let me finish. Phillip wants to take part in normal competitions, and he's already met the requirements for signing up, but he was denied participation by the organizers!"

"Of course it's because he is a disabled person! No, no, no. The rules of participation do not limit the participation of disabled people. Isn't it ironic? A disabled person who has worked so hard to be normal was mistreated. That's why Phillip needs you, Marshall. We need a journalist like you who has a sense of justice…"

Stephen ended the call with the journalist. He then started another call with the protection agency for disabled persons.

"Mr. Powell, what I'm telling you is nothing but the truth. The organizers really did reject Phillip's request to participate in the competition. This is discrimination against people with disabilities! We need people like you who have a sense of justice to help us. And if you are willing to help us, it would be beneficial to you as well. From what I know, in your constituency, one-fifth of the population are people with disabilities, they would definitely vote for the candidate who was willing to lend a hand to a disabled person…"

Stephen made more than a dozen phone calls, then let out a long sigh.

"Hurry up and make some noise. The noisier, the better. It would be best if the whole world knew. Then, there might be more advertisement endorsements later!"Two university students from California State University walked towards their classroom.

"The stadium sure looks lively, so many people are gathered there," one of the students said.

"I heard there's a competition. It's the qualifier for the selection of the world championship in athletics. A lot of big-name athletes came to participate," the other person said.

"No wonder so many people gathered there. Look, it seems like they are holding up posters and banners. Are they here to support an athlete?"

"Eh? There really are posters and banners. But the competition starts tomorrow. Why are the supporters already here? Whoever they're supporting, they sure are passionate. If I didn't know any better, I'd have thought that some organizations were having a protest!"

"A protest huh? It does look like a protest… Wait, look closely, they are having a protest!"

It wasn't all that difficult to differentiate between a protest and a group of fans following their idols. As soon as the two of them looked closer, they were able to discern that the group gathered in front of the stadium was indeed a protest group.

"Let's go and have a look, see what they are protesting!" They edged closer to the group of protesters as they spoke.

As they moved closer, they discovered that within the group of protesters, many were people with disabilities.

"Protest against disability discrimination!"

"People with disabilities should not be mistreated!"

"Protect the rights of the disabled!"

The eye-catching banners appeared before their eyes one after another.When a large group of people in wheelchairs and on crutches held up signs to protest, it was natural that they would attract attention. Disabled people would always be regarded as a vulnerable group, no matter where they went. When a person decided to leave their amputated arms or legs exposed in the open, he might not even need to do anything for the people around him to feel sympathy for him.

Beside the window, Lopez opened a small gap between his shutters to look at the group of people protesting outside.

What is this? I refused to let that "blade warrior" take part just this morning, and now there's already someone here to protest in the afternoon. It must have been planned in advance! By then, Lopez's mood had already plummeted.

Suddenly, Lopez saw a few men carrying cameras, and a man holding a microphone in his hand appeared within the group of people.

It's the journalists! The protesters only just arrived half an hour ago, how are the journalists already here? When did journalists become so efficient! Things will definitely become trickier once journalists become involved.

As Lopez began thinking, he saw a black car coming from afar. It stopped near the group of people, and a blonde man stepped out of the vehicle.

That man is the Republican candidate, Damon! I heard he's running for city councilman, why is he here… Damn! Lopez suddenly realized something.

"I think I've been tricked by that 'blade warrior!'" Lopez mumbled to himself.

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Chapter 382: Group of Death

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

"Mr. Lopez, there's a big group of protesters outside. What should we do?" a staff member asked cautiously.

"There's no need to pay attention to them. Let them stay outside! Once they're tired, they'll disperse on their own," Lopez grunted coldly.

In the US, protests were nothing new. Anything could become a cause for protest. It could even be said that no matter the decision, someone would surely turn up to protest.

If the candidate of the Republican party were elected president, the Democrats would protest; if the candidate of the Democratic party were elected president, the Republicans would protest. If the government wanted to increase taxes, the rich would protest; if the government wanted to decrease taxes, the poor who lived at the bottom of society would protest. If the government wanted to implement medical insurance for the entire population, the people who could afford business insurance would protest. If they granted refugees entry to the country, people who believed that it would bring about safety issues would protest; if they denied entry for refugees, it would bring about the protests from human rights organizations.

And those were only important policy issues. More protests were only related to personal preferences. For example, someone might feel that juvenile detention centers should not exist, so they would protest. Others might be dissatisfied that McDonald's had just removed a hamburger that they liked from the menu, so they would protest. A supermarket owner might feel that the operating hours of his rival were too long, hence taking away his business, so he would protest as well. A shopper failed to buy something he wanted during "Black Friday," so he would protest…

It could be said that Americans have fully put into practice the saying, "It's every man for himself," through protests. If something were not beneficial to them, or it would incur a loss for them, or if it were something that they disagreed with... it didn't matter if it was right or wrong, staging a protest was the way to go.

However, the reality was that a "complete win" situation has never existed in the real world. For four people playing Mahjong on a table, it isn't possible for everyone to win, and achieving a "Yi Pao San Xiang" situation is already extremely difficult. Every change in the world benefits some while others suffer. It was inevitable that the ones who suffered went to protest.

However, protesting was simply letting one's voice be heard. Whether the protest brought about change was an entirely different matter. There were often protests against the president that involved tens of thousands of people. However, the president would still remain firmly in his seat. The crowd of people who demanded the resignation of the president would be powerful and massive as they moved from Congress all the way to the White House. However, on the second day after the protest, the protesters would all return to their homes, and the president would still be the president, still seated in his Oval Office in the White House drinking coke and watching television. Apart from giving journalists content to report on, the effects were minimal.

At the end of the day, legal proceedings were what decided things. For example, legal impeachment proceedings were required for the president to step down, not protests on the streets. In a presidential impeachment case, the case had to first pass through the House of Representatives before going to the Senate. Once it passed Senate, a trial would be overseen by the chief justice, where two-thirds of the senators needed to agree for the president to be impeached. If law and systems were not considered and the government only listened to the side with more protesters or the side that was louder, not following proper procedures in doing things, it would just have been populism. The door of populism must not be opened. Once opened, it would be unstoppable. The elites in the US were not dumb; they would never support populism.

There was a saying that once a person's body was full of lice, he would stop feeling itchy. The number of protests in the US had become so high that people had grown used to seeing them. That was why Lopez did not seem to be bothered by the protesters outside. Even the arrival of Councilman Damon would not affect Lopez's authority over the competition committee.

From a different perspective, if Lopez were to compromise, to alter his decision just because someone protested, then he would lose all credibility, and it would be tough to continue in his work. So, Lopez would not easily change his decision.

The protesters outside annoyed Lopez. He laid back on his chair and reached for a cup of coffee. A mouthful of richly flavored coffee passed through his throat. The caffeine helped calm him down a lot.

At that moment, Lopez's phone rang.

It's the CEO of the Track and Field Association, Mr. Williams! Lopez quickly answered the call.

The American Track and Field Association was not an official government organization; instead, it was a non-governmental or non-profit organization, so the head of the association was the CEO, similar to the CEO of the NBA.

"Lopez, you rejected the registration of a para-athlete called Phillip, who is nicknamed 'blade warrior,' is that correct?" Williams asked through the phone.

"Yes sir." Lopez's chest tightened as he discovered that Williams was indeed contacting him because of that incident.

"Does he meet the minimum requirements for entry?" Williams asked.

"He doesn't have legs, and he's a disabled person. He should take part in para-athletic games and not come here to our competition." Lopez had already prepared his excuse. He continued, "As a disabled person, there is no way for Phillip to compete against normal athletes. That's why I believe that he's only trying to use this competition as an opportunity to boost his fame! He's not here to really compete."

"I know that he's disabled, and I'm not interested in his purpose for participating. I'm asking you if he fulfills the requirements for entry, which is to say, is there an actual rule that prohibits him from entering the competition?" Williams had become serious.

"Well… Perhaps not…" Lopez's voice had lost its previous strength.

Williams took a deep breath and continued in a strict tone, "Lopez, we are too passive!"

"Sir, I don't think you should worry too much. Although there are a few protesters, these are all fairly common. We don't have to pay attention to them. They will disperse after one or two days. Even if some journalist were to make a news report, saying that we were discriminating against disabled people, we just have to directly deny their accusations. We are also the organizers; we have the authority to make the final decision," Lopez stated.

"You think I'm worried about the protesters or the journalists? I'm worried about our sponsors!" Williams said directly. "Some sponsors have already called to ask. They don't want to be affected negatively."

Lopez's brow suddenly furrowed together. After all his detailed calculations, he had forgotten about the sponsors.

The American Track and Field Association was not a government organization, so their primary source of income was sponsors. Under normal circumstances, the American Track and Field Association would have around 15 to 20 sponsors at a time, and sometimes they would even make deals with different brands in the same industry. For example, they would first sign with Kentucky Fried Chicken before signing with McDonald's. These sponsors would help the American Track and Field Association bring in over 30 million dollars' worth of annual income. If it were the year of the Olympics, the sponsorship income would be higher.

As a sponsor, it was natural to require that the sponsored subject or entity did not become entangled with any negative news. And a thing such as discriminating against disabled people was one of the untouchable taboos in American society; the consequence would be moral condemnation. Although realistically speaking, many discriminated against disabled people, when it was time for one to publicly declare their position, one had to be just. One might even have to claim that he had volunteered in helping people with disabilities because it was politically correct!

On the other side of the line, Williams continued speaking, "Lopez, listen carefully. I don't want trouble, so you don't go and create trouble for me! That 'blade warrior' only wants a place in the qualifier. You just give him that damned place, and let him compete. Regardless of whether he wants to really compete or he simply wants to hype himself up, it's got nothing to do with us. I don't want this thing to continue! I don't want to get another call from our sponsors!"

"Yes, sir. I'll get to it immediately. That para-athlete will definitely get a place in the qualifiers." Lopez immediately agreed as soon as he received instructions from his boss."Mr. Lopez, everything you ordered has been completed. I've just received Barron Phillip's registration form. He'll be able to take part in the 400m qualifiers tomorrow," the staffer reported.

"Noted." Lopez nodded as he stood beside the window. He could see Phillip leaving the establishment through the gaps of the shutter.

I was completely played. This is so aggravating! Lopez clenched his fist tightly.

That damned cripple! You don't even have legs, what's the point of joining this competition? Even on the off chance that you make it into the official race, when faced against so many world-class athletes, there's no way you can get a place, not to mention going to the world championship! You're definitely just trying to use this opportunity to boost your reputation.

In the next second, Lopez suddenly had an idea.

You want to increase your reputation, huh? I won't let you get what you want. You'll have to get through the qualifiers first if you want to participate in the official race! I'll place the seven strongest contestants in your group. Let's see how you advance through the qualifiers!

As Lopez reached this conclusion, he waved towards the staff. "After the registration deadline, bring the list of names of athletes taking part in the men's 400m sprint to my office. I'll group them myself.""The grouping for the qualifiers sure is unfavorable for you!" Dai Li said as he sat in front of the computer. He keyed in name after name on the website.

"Jim Oliver, 28 years old, his personal best in the past year is 44.92 seconds."

"Joe Christian, 21 years old, his personal best in the past year is 45.05 seconds."

"Marcus Garcia, 25 years old, his personal best in the past year is 44.98 seconds. Another one that did it in 45 seconds."

"Sam Scott, 25 years old, his personal best in the past year is 45.11 seconds."

"Rudy Jackson, 23 years old, his personal best in the past year is 44.86 seconds. That's the third one who finished in 45 seconds."

"Lester Rogge, 26 years old…"

Dai Li had found the results of all seven of the other athletes in Phillip's group, and every single one of them had a result that was better than the result Phillip submitted, 45.51 seconds. The gap wasn't all that small, either.

"Their results are too good. Even if it were the Olympics, their personal best would be enough to get them through to the semifinals. How is it possible that all the athletes with the best results ended up in the same group in the qualifiers?" Dai Li said with a powerless expression. "Phillip, it looks like someone's targeting us! This is the group of death."

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Chapter 383: Qualifier

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

On the main stands, Lopez tapped his knee lightly with his fingers.

400m qualifiers. A total of 39 registered contestants, divided into five groups. Only 12 people can advance to the next round. The top two of each group and two third-placed contestants from the two best-performing groups.

Lopez's lips curled upwards inadvertently as he thought of this, a proud look appearing on his face.

Blade warrior? Heh, your group consists of the strongest seven athletes in the qualifier. You've already been eliminated! In a moment, you'll look like a stooge, left far behind everyone else. Bullsh*t blade warrior, go and become the stooge warrior that you should be!

At that moment, the athletes participating in the 400m sprint appeared from the exit tunnel and moved onto the field.

"Scott, we've been put in the group of death this time. Jim Oliver and Rudy Jackson are both in our group. I'm afraid it's the end for me," said the contestant Marcus Garcia with a short sigh.

"Garcia, if you perform well, making it through shouldn't be a problem. As for me, I'm probably the weakest in the group! I might seriously get last place," another contestant, Sam Scott said.

"That's impossible. Don't be too pessimistic, and don't you forget, there's still the blade warrior in our group!" Garcia said with a laugh.

"Who's the blade warrior?" Scott did not immediately get what he meant.

"It's that guy called Barron Phillip, don't you know him? He's a para-athlete, no legs, wears a prosthesis to run. He's also the world record holder for three separate events in his disability class," Garcia explained.

Scott showed an expression of sudden realization. "Now that you mention it, I do know him. I've heard of him on the news. There was a 'Barron Phillip' in the contestant name list of our group, is that him? But he has no legs, is he seriously going to participate in a race for normal people?"

"I know, right?" Garcia grinned. "I didn't think of it when I first saw his name too. I thought it was a new contestant. It was only later, after checking, that I found out he was the 'blade warrior' of Los Angeles!"

Garcia suddenly lowered his voice to a whisper. "And I heard that several contestants in our group don't have a good impression of this blade warrior!"

"Well, of course, I don't want to compete against a disabled person either!" Scott said with a hint of fury. "Although I have nothing against disabled people, to compete against him on the same field, I feel ridiculed. I am a professional athlete!"

"That's right! To win against a disabled person brings no sense of achievement, and it might even seem like bullying. However, if we lose, it would be a huge disgrace… Heh heh, I'm ridiculous, how could we lose to a disabled person!" Garcia said with a scowl.Phillip left the athlete's tunnel. His black-colored Flex-Foot Cheetah prosthesis immediately attracted the attention of many onlookers.

"What is that man wearing? Is that a sports prosthesis? It really is a sports prosthesis. That man hasn't got any legs. Oh my God, that's a disabled person, is he here to participate?"

"How is that possible? This is a race for able-bodied people, why is there a disabled person in it!"

"I recognize that guy. He's the 'blade warrior' from Los Angeles. The world's fastest disabled person."

"Blade warrior? So he's that blade warrior! I saw a news report about him. Is he here to compete?"

"He's disabled, how is it possible for him to compete in a competition for normal people? You think too much."

"But he's got his sportswear on, and there's even a number on his back! Only contestants have a number. He's really here to compete."

It was just a qualifier, so the number of spectators was limited. However, the moment Phillip appeared, the sound of discussions sounded throughout the stadium.

The eight contestants of the first group each headed towards the field. After around a minute of preparation, they dashed forward upon the sound of the gunshot.

Running 400 meters only took around 45 seconds. Including the time used for pre-match preparation and post-match statistics, the total time for a group race was only around three minutes. And because all the strongest contestants had been put into Phillip's group, the standard of the other groups had become weaker. So, after the first group finished, the result was not that great.

The same thing happened in the second and third group. The results of the athletes were all beyond 45 seconds. After three groups, with a total of 24 contestants had finished their races, no one had finished the race in 45 seconds.

From the 24 athletes, six had advanced to the official match. According to the rules, the top two of each group could advance, and apart from that, the top three from the two best-performing groups would also advance.

When the contestants of the fourth group appeared, Phillip was also standing on the track.

"It's finally the fourth group's turn. In the 400m sprint qualifier today, group four is the one with the most prospect. This is the group of death; I reckon the third-placed contestant will also advance."

"Jim Oliver, Rudy Jackson, Marcus Garcia, Sam Scott, Joe Christian… If they were in the other groups, they would have surely advanced. What a shame to have all of them together. Some of them are fated to be eliminated."

"Look, guys, that 'blade warrior' from Los Angeles is also in the group!"

"Where did he find this sort of courage, to actually participate in a competition for normal people. And he sure has bad luck, being put in this group of death. I hope that his self-esteem doesn't get crushed in the race!"

The few athletes who had successfully qualified huddled together and discussed in a low voice.

On the race track, Jim Oliver was put on track number three. For a 400m race, it was a decent track position.

As he warmed up his joints, he looked around and thought about how there were no new faces within the group. Everyone was a veteran of the 400m sprint. For Oliver, every face was a familiar one.

All except Phillip, who was assigned to the outermost track.

Upon looking at Phillip and his black-colored sports prosthesis, Oliver grew more and more annoyed.

I really don't understand why he wants to come here to show his ignorance. A disabled person should just compete in a competition for disabled people, he shouldn't come here to blend in. Oliver sighed with a face full of disdain. Then, he prepared himself for the start of the race.

Oliver was very strong. Even with all the athletes in the qualifier, he was among the best. Since he was put in the group of death, though, he did not dare to take things lightly.

However, Oliver was not willing to waste any attention on a disabled person like Phillip.

The other contestants within the group also took Phillip lightly. To them, Phillip was something else, something not worthy of their recognition. Every contestant, heck, every athlete within the stadium felt that Phillip, who was placed on the outermost track, would be left behind very quickly.

The outermost track was a very bad track for a 400m sprint. In a 400m race, the further out an athlete was, the further front he was as well. That meant it was difficult for the athlete to observe the positions of his opponents. In contrast, the athlete on the innermost track would be the furthest back; this athlete would easily know the positions of all his opponents just by looking right. For this reason, in a 400m sprint, the second and third tracks were considered the best tracks, since the athletes could easily observe their opponents.

The other seven contestants could observe Phillip's situation during the race. On the other hand, Phillip could barely observe the opponent situated beside him, while the athletes on the inner tracks were completely out of his field of vision.The starter signaled for everyone to get ready. Following that, he lifted the starter pistol in his hand.

All the other contestants were in a crouch start position; only Phillip was in a standing start position. Since he was wearing a prosthesis on each leg, there was no way for him to be in a crouch start position.

Bang!

The gunshot that signaled the start of the race rang. Everyone dashed forward at the same time.

The sporadic cheers from the stands were a reminder to everyone that the race was only a qualifier. The commentator also did a poor job, as there was no excitement in the narration. The atmosphere of the race was a tad bit cold.

In the first 100 meter bend, Phillip was still somewhat in a leading position, and in the track on his left, which was the second outermost track, was the athlete called Sam Scott.

In this group of death, Scott did not have that much advantage when it came to capability. However, he was in great form that day. After the race started, he immediately got into the zone.

Blade warrior, your start was way too slow, looks like I'll be able to surpass you in this first bend! Scott looked towards Phillip, who was in front of him. He could clearly feel that the distance between the two of them was getting shorter.

For the spectators, the act of surpassing another contestant was the most exciting and most entertaining part of a sports race. For an athlete, passing an opponent was also an exciting and enjoyable act, one that brought a great sense of achievement. The essence of a sports race was to surpass everyone else, to rush, and be at the front.

In the 400m sprint, because the starting positions of the contestants were different, even if one were to keep his pace with the opponent on his right, it would still mean that he was in a leading position.

Closer. Even closer. I'll be passing you soon! Scott was getting impatient, since he was very eager to catch up and run beside Phillip, and savor the surprised look on Phillip's face.

On the stands, Lopez tilted his legs, looking contented.

Already almost caught by his opponent in the first bend. Such a big gap. That's the first time in today's race! The result was already decided, and you still made so much trouble. Heh, so what if I let you compete in the qualifiers; you'll still get last place!

Lopez couldn't help but laugh in contempt as he thought of that.I'll be caught up soon! This thought had bloomed inside Scott's mind.

However, as Scott went into the straight track, Phillip was still in front of him. Only then did Scott realize that the distance between Phillip and himself was not continuing to decrease.

What's going on? Why can't I catch up to him? It can't be that this cripple is running as fast as me? Scott finally realized.

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Chapter 384: Advancement

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Phillip had finally found his running rhythm.

The disadvantage brought about by the prosthesis at the start of the race was too great.

The mere difference between starting positions, the crouching start and the standing start, had induced a gap of a few tenths of a second. Not to mention the initial acceleration phase after the start. Phillip had close to zero extra force generated from stomping the ground. That was why Phillip had lagged behind at the start.

However, after the initial stage of the race, Phillip gradually found his running rhythm, and his pace was not inferior to any other athlete on the field.

The contestants had all entered the first 100 meters of straight track. Upon reaching the straight track, and after the acceleration at the start of the race, their speed had reached a considerably high level.

In the 400m race, the second 100 meters used up the least time. Because it was a straight track, athletes did not need any additional power to counter the centripetal force of a turn, so their pace was definitely faster than their pace at the bend. The athletes still had plenty of stored energy, so the lactate produced during anaerobic exercise was still dormant, and muscle fatigue was not a problem yet. These factors were all beneficial to an increase in pace.

In truth, it was difficult for athletes of similar standards to widen the gap during this phase. Phillip was also not behind anyone. He didn't have legs, so he could not generate a significant amount of force by stomping the ground. However, his carbon fiber prosthesis, the Flex-Foot Cheetah, could provide him with an extra spring. It made up for the lack of power from the start of the race.

However, that only helped him avoid getting left behind, and even after putting his all into running, he could only maintain his pace to keep the others from catching up.The weird feeling is back again! A very hard to notice light flashed within Phillip's eyes, and it was hard to tell if it was sadness or happiness.

Phillip was once again having an illusion; he felt that he had not lost his legs. In the last two weeks, Phillip had been experiencing this illusion almost every day, especially after he found his running rhythm. He would always feel that he was running with his legs, not his prosthesis.

That feeling made Phillip feel comfortable and happy. It was like he was one with his prosthesis. All those layers of carbon fiber were his legs!

A voice appeared in Phillip's mind, screaming from deep within his heart.

Run!

At that moment, he threw away all his anxieties, and he forgot that he was a disabled person who had lost both his legs. In his mind, there was only one desire; it was to run happily.Oliver shifted his gaze in an attempt to gauge the positions of the other athletes. His focus finally stopped at the rightmost position, which was also the shadow of the one who was furthest in front, as well as a pair of black-colored prosthesis.

Although it was made up of 80 layers of carbon fiber, the prosthesis was not thick, hence the description of "blade." Under the sunshine, the light reflected from the pair of prosthesis was really like a pair of razor sharp blades!

It's really like a blade, was that how he got the nickname "blade warrior"? The question suddenly flashed through Oliver's mind.

I'm in the middle of a race, what am I thinking! Damn that prosthesis, who cares about it, I should be focused on the position of the other contestants! Oliver forced himself to focus. It was then that he finally realized that Phillip seemed to be just as fast as the others.

I originally thought that he would get left behind from the start. Who would have thought that his pace wasn't that much slower than us able-bodied athletes? From the corner of his eye, Oliver noticed that Phillip was once again heading into another bend.

The third 100 meters, which was also the toughest part of the 400m sprint.

Reaching this stage, athletes would have spent half of their stored energy, anaerobic exercise would have started to provide energy to the body. At the same time, the lactate produced in the previous 200 meters would have begun affecting the body, making the runners feel fatigued. At this stage, the human body would start to feel the agony brought about by a lack of oxygen, and some people might even feel suffocated, and would want to stop to take a deep breath. That feeling was comparable to being tortured. It was regarded as the toughest stage of the 400m race, one that any sprinter around the world would find difficult. Runners had to clench their teeth and persevere to make it through.

The limits of human physiology would force an athlete to slow down so that he could adjust the state of his body. Using aerobic exercise to obtain energy, and at the same time, trying to accumulate as much energy as possible to prepare for the final 100 meter dash. So, athletes spent the most time during the second bend in the 400m sprint.

Phillip's pace was as quick as ever. The second part of the 400m sprint was the most advantageous for Phillip. He used less energy as he ran, and less lactate was produced in his muscles. As the others began to adjust, slow down, and accumulate energy, Phillip continued running while maintaining his previous rhythm and speed.

However, nobody paid any particular attention to him. He was located at the outermost track, which was also the track that was least attractive. He was a disabled person, so he was naturally ignored. Everyone was focused on Oliver, Garcia, and other strong contestants.

On the field, the competition between athletes reached its peak during this bend. The spectators would elongate their necks, widen their eyes, and wait for the moment the athletes entered the final straight.

Starting positions varied in a 400m sprint, as some started in front while others were at the back. Because of this, spectators would only be able to tell who was in the lead and who was in last place after the athletes made it onto the final stretch of straight track in the race.

"The last 100m dash, who will lead?" someone asked. Immediately after, the first runner made it into the final stretch.

The first leg that went past the line that signified the start of the last stretch was not a leg, it was a black-colored blade with the sole of a sneaker beneath it!

"It's the blade warrior!" came a deafening shout.

Only then did everyone discover that the runner in the lead was actually Phillip!

Phillip was placed on the outermost track, and he had to run a huge circle, so his starting position was further forward. So, in the race, Phillip's position was always in front

However, now that they had entered the final stretch of straight track, if Phillip was still in the lead, then it could only mean one thing. He was the fastest among them all!

Many spectators looked on in disbelief. In the race of the "group of death," the fastest person was actually a disabled person who had lost both his legs! No one would have believed it if they were not witnessing it themselves.

"Oh my God, what did I just see!"The last 100 meters. Get ready to dash! Oliver worked hard to adjust his breathing rhythm. He was going to enter the final stretch of straight track. He had made his preparations for the dash, and he was about to release all the energy that he had stored.

Go! I'm going to advance as the number one of the group! Oliver stole a glance at the track on his left as he thought about that.

On Oliver's left was a young man named Rudy Jackson. His personal best was 0.06 seconds faster than Oliver's, and he was younger than Oliver. He could be said to be Oliver's biggest rival.

However, Jackson had also turned his head sideways. He was looking to the right, though the expression on his face looked like he had just seen a ghost.

We're in the middle of a race and this guy still has time to make faces! Oliver was a little irritated, but he instantly sensed that Jackson was not looking at him.

Oliver subconsciously moved his eyeballs to the right.

On the left in front of him, a cold channel of lights reflected from Phillip's black-colored "blades."

Why is that disabled person in front of me! The expression on Oliver's face was even worse than Jackson's.Lopez, the competition committee officer, rose from his seat. He had lost all his previous calm and cool.

Why is he in the lead? How is a disabled person running faster than a normal person? Impossible! He must be cheating! Lopez shouted in his mind.

However, Lopez knew that there was no way to cheat. Since the start of the race, Lopez's gaze had not once strayed from the tracks, so there was simply no way for anyone to cheat under his surveillance. Even if Lopez had missed something, there were hundreds of other eyes all around him.

It can't be, this disabled person is going to advance!

Lopez felt like scolding someone. He had put Phillip in the "group of death" because he wanted to prevent Phillip from advancing into the official races. However, reality had cruelly slapped him in the face!

Those seven idiots! They can't even beat a disabled person! Lopez had begun cursing in his heart; however, cursing was all he could do. He could only stare in disbelief as Phillip ran past the finish line, advancing through to the official races on the next day.The last 80 meters. The frequency of their steps increased, and they went into a sprint.

The last 60 meters. The gap widened, and the ones in the lead were still struggling and battling against each other.

The last 40 meters. Some of them slowed down, having used up most of their stored energy.

The last 20 meters. Every step demanded tremendous determination and strength. At this stage, almost everyone relied on inertia to push themselves forward.

Like everyone else, Phillip persevered. He had also used up all his energy, however, unlike the others, he had to bear an additional pain.

400 meters of high-intensity running. His knee bore a considerable amount of stress. His knee was where he fixed his prosthesis, and so it had to withstand even more compression and friction, while supporting the weight of his entire body.

However, Phillip was already used to it. He was used to the feeling of compression and friction. He was used to continuing his run under such pain and duress.

For him, as long as his pain would bring him success, it was worth it.

Phillip ran in front, his eyes staring straight ahead. That was the finish line!

And then, the finish line was in front of him!

He stepped onto the white finish line without hesitation. He was the first to run past the finish line…

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Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Everyone in the stadium looked aghast. What had happened that day was something they had never thought possible.

The person who emerged victorious from the 400m sprint's "group of death" was a para-athlete who had lost both his legs!

"Is something wrong with my eyes? Was the first person who ran past the finish line the 'blade warrior?' But he's disabled! He doesn't have legs, and he only has a small part of his calves. A person without legs ran faster than people with legs?"

"What's going on? Isn't this the 'group of death?' Why is a disabled person in first place? What were the other seven contestants doing? Were they imitating a tortoise? Why would they let a disabled person get first place?"

"Fixed race. This must be a fixed race! How else can a disabled person top the group! The other seven contestants must have been bought!" announced a person who had read a lot of mystery novels.

At this moment, the results of the contestants appeared on the electronic display.

There was no doubt it was the "group of death"; every athlete was capable of advancing through to the official race, and as such, their results were at the standard of the official race. Many finished close to 45 seconds, and there were even some who made it within 45 seconds. Compared to this group, the results of the previous three groups were miserable. Judging by the standards of the world championship qualifier, these sort of results would only appear in the US.

And ranked first was Phillip. His time was 44.72 seconds!

"44.72 seconds, he actually managed to produce this kind of result! And the results of the other athletes are actually really good. It's not that the other athletes made concessions, or that the race was fixed... That 'blade warrior' is really fast."

"I remember in the last Olympic Games, the worst result that made it into the finals was 44.79 seconds. Doesn't that mean the 'blade warrior' has the ability to make it into the finals of the Olympics?"

"Now, all I want to know is how fast this 'blade warrior' can run! Is his performance today his limit?"

"You would know just by coming to watch the race tomorrow. He's in the first place, so he has already advanced through to the official race tomorrow!"Oliver was the second runner to cross the finish line. However, his expression was filled with regret and disappointment.

I've actually lost to a disabled person! At that moment, it was like Oliver had lost his soul. He looked like a zombie who had no thought.

It wasn't just Oliver; Rudy Jackson, Marcus Garcia, Joe Christian… The other contestants in the group all had the same desolate expression.

They were all professional athletes, and they were the superior members of the bunch. Although losing races was a common occurrence for them, losing to a para-athlete was completely unacceptable.

44.72 seconds! How is he so fast? He's so fast even without legs! Oliver finally saw Phillip's result.

44.72 seconds. Oliver only managed to achieve that during training. In official matches, Oliver had never achieved such a result before.

At that moment, the contempt that Oliver had felt gradually turned into fear. Oliver looked at Phillip like he had seen a "demon lord."Lopez paced back and forth in his office, looking as though he was struggling internally.

Finally, Lopez made a decision. He grabbed his phone and dialed the number of Williams, the CEO of the American Track and Field Association.

"Hello sir, it's me, Lopez. There's something I need to report to you. Do you remember a Barron Phillip? That 'blade warrior.'"

Before Lopez could finish, Williams asked, "You still haven't settled things with that guy?"

"No, no. We accepted his registration promptly after your instructions yesterday, and he also came and took part in the competition," Lopez answered.

"Alright, noted. You don't have to tell me how you actually did it. As long as he stops causing us problems," Williams said impatiently.

"Yes, sir. I am not sure if this is him causing trouble for us, that's why I am reporting this to you." Lopez paused and then continued. "He's advanced. That disabled person actually made it through the qualifiers!"

"What did you just say? Advanced? He's a disabled person, he doesn't have legs! He's advanced despite that?" Williams asked in a peculiar tone.

"And he has actually advanced as the first place of the group. That is why I'm asking you for instructions. Should we let him participate in the race tomorrow? He is a disabled person after all. We could let it slide if it were just the qualifiers, but tomorrow's race is the actual selection for the World Championship in Athletics. There's even a live broadcast. Are we going to allow him to get on the field and compete against our country's best athletes?"

"Lopez, couldn't you have just assigned him to a tougher group?" Williams had instead started to assign blame.

"Sir, I already put him in a 'group of death,' but he still made it through. His time was 44.72 seconds. Based on past results, if this result were in an official race, it would be enough to get him into the final."

"You mean to say that there's a chance we'll see him in the finals?" William asked in disbelief.

"If he maintains this kind of form, we can't exclude the possibility!" Lopez answered honestly.

"To h*ll with this! Lopez, why don't you just tell it straight to my face that he can get into the top three and book a spot to the world championship. He would then represent the United States of America in the upcoming World Championship in Athletics! What would the world say? They would say, 'Oh, look, the almighty United States, number one in track and field, could only send a cripple to participate in the race'!" Williams said anxiously.

"Sorry sir," Lopez said. "Should we just deny him the right to compete in tomorrow's race?"

"Deny him the right to compete? Is your brain rusty?" Williams demanded. "A disabled person successfully advancing through to tomorrow's official race, do you think that the journalists will let something as rare as this slide? Who knows, that 'blade warrior' might be in an interview with them now! If you don't let him compete, how will the public view us?"

"Then what should we do?" Lopez asked.

"By now, we can only react by not responding," Williams said helplessly.Just as Williams had predicted, Phillip was indeed in a special interview with journalists.

At a location not far away, Dai Li and Stephen sat together. Dai Li held a coffee cup in his hand, and Stephen was scarfing down a piece of takeout pizza.

"It sure is tough for you guys in this business. To delay your meal by so much, just so you could get in touch with these journalists," Dai Li said.

"Many people think that agents are like vampires, sucking off the blood of athletes just so we can live in luxury. But where in the world can you find a job where you only count your money at home?" Stephen laughed in a self-mocking manner. "The competitiveness between agents in the US is very high. There's always someone new joining the industry, and at the same time, there are also people that change their industry. The truth is, the market is only so big. It's just like the pizza in my hand; if I eat another piece, someone else will have one piece less, and those who don't get any will starve."

"As long as Phillip maintains his current form, I don't think you'll have to worry about starving again." Dai Li inadvertently looked at Phillip, who was in the middle of an interview.

Stephen nodded. "Yeah, I've already decided to leave the apartment I'm currently renting so that I can purchase a house of my own. To tell you the truth, I'm really starting to regret it now."

"Regret what?" Dai Li asked.

"Regret that five percent!" Stephen sighed helplessly. "Looking at the current situation, Phillip's endorsement income from this year's advertisements alone could exceed a million dollars, and for everything that exceeds 500,000 dollars, I have to give you 5%. I will be losing tens of thousands of dollars to you just like that. Did you know that this day would come?"

Dai Li did not deny it. He nodded and said, "That's right, I knew that Phillip could compete against normal athletes. It was only that his potential hadn't been developed."

"Your prediction was spot on." Stephen swallowed a bite of pizza and said, "So, for tomorrow's race, do you think that he will make it through?"

"The official race is separated into the preliminary race and the final race. You are asking if he can make it into the final, or obtain a spot in the world championship?" Dai Li asked.

"I want to know both answers," Stephen said as he wiped the pizza sauce off his face.

"24 contestants will take part in the preliminary race. Excluding the 12 athletes who advanced through the qualifiers today, there are another 12 seeded contestants. These 12 seeds are the top athletes of the US, and among them are past world championship contestants as well as past Olympic contestants. There are also contestants of the diamond league. These 24 contestants will be vying for the final eight spots. According to the rules, the top two of each group and the top three of the two best-performing groups will advance to the final race."

Dai Li looked towards Phillip, who was seated not far away, as he spoke. "If the grouping isn't too bad, I don't believe Phillip will have too much problem advancing into the final race. However, when it comes to going to the world championship..."

"The possibility isn't high, right?" Stephen asked.

Dai Li nodded. "Only the top three are allowed to participate in the individual events, and the fourth-placed athlete is allowed to take part in the 4x400m relay race. That means that among the eight contestants in the final, half of them will appear on the stage of the world championship. The probability looks to be rather high, but for Phillip, it will be really hard; the opponents are too strong."

As he said this, Dai Li couldn't help but sigh. "Among the 12 seeded contestants, two of them can run within 44 seconds. Those two have technically already taken up two spots. Another three of them can run within 44.5 seconds. The rest of them are no less capable than Phillip. It is impossible for Phillip to stand out in the race. Unless he creates a miracle!"

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Chapter 386: The Meaning of Running

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

"In the selection of the World Championship in Athletics that ended today, the 'blade warrior,' Barron Phillip, who participated in a race for normal people for the very first time, has obtained the second place in his group. He has successfully advanced to tomorrow's final."

Accompanied by the sweet voice of the news anchor, a photograph of Phillip running appeared on the upper right side of the television screen.

It was a very brief sports news broadcast. A simple statement paired with a blurry photography. In fact, there wasn't even a second of video recording.

Time on live television was precious. The US had a great variety of sports games and matches, and there was never a lack of programs to broadcast. In comparison, the public was obviously less interested in sports news. Sports news was only the results, which was never as exciting and enjoyable as a live game. As such, on television, sports news was always as short and straightforward as possible. Broadcasting games and matches were the principal methods of increasing television ratings.

However, when it came to online media, they were much more generous. Text articles, pictures, and even a video of a few minutes—it was only a short string of data on the server. They didn't need to pursue excellence like on television media; on the contrary, the more internet content there was, the better.

News of Phillip advancing to the finals had become viral on the internet. The US had always been a country that advocated personal heroism with characters such as Superman, Captain America, Iron Man, etc., who were all loved by the American people. And in the eye of the general public, Phillip had somehow become the "Broken Leg Man."

When a person whose legs had been amputated competed against an able-bodied person, it was always going to be new and exciting, not to mention that Phillip had made it to the finals with his strength.

As a disabled person, he would already have gained extra sympathy under normal circumstances, and in any country, a disabled person who strived for improvement and never gave up would be seen as a role model.

An able-bodied person might sympathize with Phillip and give him encouraging applause, but a disabled person would identify with Phillip and idolize him.

When Phillip made his appearance on the field during the finals, the most enthusiastic and passionate cheers suddenly erupted from all over the stadium.

"Blade warrior! Blade warrior! Blade warrior!" the crowd shouted in unison.

There were even people who held and waved around giant banners or photographs of Phillip in the stands. The competition hadn't started, but the stadium had already reached its boiling point, as people shouted and cheered for Phillip.

Phillip sat down and did some simple warm-ups. He raised his legs and stretched his waist, looking a little nervous. Even when the commentator announced his name and the camera closed in on him for a close-up, he only smiled shyly.

However, when Phillip's smile appeared on the big screen, the most passionate of cheers reverberated within the stadium.

Phillip was dumbfounded. He had never felt so much applause, not to mention the cheers that he was hearing. At that moment, Phillip suddenly felt that he was surrounded by happiness.

This applause, these cheers, they're all for me? Phillip looked around. He saw the people holding his photograph, as well as the people who lifted huge banners. Unconsciously, Phillip raised both his arms above his head and waved them around to pay tribute to all who supported him.

They've recognized me! Phillip suddenly realized.

Phillip wrinkled his nose as tears formed in his eyes. He really needed this feeling of acceptance!

Phillip looked around.

In the stands right in front of him, a young man in a wheelchair was shouting at the top of his lungs.

In the stands far behind him, a man on crutches held a big banner with the words 'Blade Warrior' written on it.

And in the first row of the stands closest to him, a frail-looking man with red hair looked at him with a face full of expectation.

That's Jonny! Phillip recognized that person. He had been Phillip's comrade during the war, the ex-Army Sergeant, Jonny. He became addicted to drugs after returning to the country, and had since become a homeless person.

Jonny also noticed that Phillip had seen him. He smiled at Phillip and held out his hand at the same time, encouraging Phillip with a big thumbs up.

At that moment, Phillip felt that he had an additional purpose, and it was not heavy but full of hope.

I finally understand the meaning of me continuing to run! It's not so that I can gain recognition, it's not about getting equal respect, it is to give hope to those who were in despair, to tell them to not give up on life!

Phillip lowered his head to look at the prosthesis that had accompanied him for many years. Although he had lost both his legs, he had never given up hope.

Phillip's eyes suddenly became clear; he now had an objective, a clear purpose that would support him to continue running.

He completed his preparation and awaited the signal that would start the race.The sound of a gunshot. Phillip dashed forward, away from the starting line like a runaway stallion.

"Eh?" Dai Li uttered curiously. He was the first to notice that something had changed in Phillip's body.

Dai Li had been with Phillip for a very long time, and so he knew Phillip from the inside out. At that moment, Dai Li saw something he had never seen before in Phillip.

Dai Li could see that Phillip was, at that moment, very focused and resilient. However, Dai Li could not put into words the transformation that Phillip had undergone.

It was belief. It could not easily be put into words; however, it brought with it courage and an unyielding spirit.

As Phillip ran, passionate cheers reverberated from the stands that he passed. People were shouting "blade warrior," and no one could keep their eyes off him. He had undoubtedly become the focus of the entire stadium.On the main stands, the CEO of the American Track and Field Association, Williams, was seated in the middle, maintaining his calm and collected composure.

However, the wild cheers surrounding him continued to stir his heart.

He gazed at the race track and looked at the legless athlete who was running with a pair of prosthesis.

"Blade warrior…" Williams kept repeating the name in a whisper. A mysterious sense of affection rose from deep within his heart.

He lost both his legs, but he's still putting so much effort into running. His belief must be firm to have persevered to this point! Williams thought with a deep breath. In his mind, he had already rejected all of Lopez's previous opinions.

If he only wanted to boost his fame using this competition, he didn't need to go this far. This "blade warrior" ran for his dreams… Williams suddenly felt that letting Phillips participate in the competition might have been the right thing to do.It was the second half of the race. The pace of the other contestants had fallen, but Phillip's advantage had only just begun taking effect; not only did he maintain his speed, he had somehow increased it a bit.

Dai Li quickly took a glance at the stopwatch in his hand. He had already realized that the Phillip of that day was much faster than usual.

He is outdoing himself today! Dai Li realized that, but he did not know what the cause of his fantastic form was.

Perhaps he was always this type of contender. In an official race, the stress that comes from all around him further unleashes his potential. Dai continued glancing at his stopwatch as he kept thinking.The 200m to 300m bend was the hardest part to endure for many athletes, but for Phillip, this was the part where he gained a significant advantage.

In the blink of an eye, the contestants would enter the final straight track and make their final dash.

"We're going into the final stretch of straight track. Brown is in the lead, behind him is Andrew, and then following him is Francesco. Oh, it looks like the blade warrior is catching up! He is close behind Francesco, can he get past him?"

The voice of the commentator rang powerfully across the stadium. The crowds in the stands had all stood up.

Brown, who was leading in the first place, was the best when it came to the 400m sprint. He had won the silver medal for the Olympics and the world championship, as well as the 4x100m relay gold medal. Among the active athletes at the time, he dominated the 400m sprint event. If he was in good form, he could finish the race in 44 seconds. Getting crowned champion in this sort of competition was a given.

Andrew, who was in second place, also had a personal best that neared 44 seconds. In terms of strength, he was only second to Brown, and since he was slightly stronger than the other athletes, getting second place wasn't much of a problem.

The key was the fight for third place, because it was the last ticket to the 400m sprint event in the world championships.

At that moment, the third-ranked Francesco had already sensed that someone was getting close to him. He squinted from the corner of his eye and saw a person he recognized immediately. It was Phillip.

The "blade warrior" of Los Angeles! I never would have thought that he would be the one behind me, chasing me, and intending to pass me! It's actually a person who doesn't even have legs! That is why I cannot lose!"

Francesco did not want to lose to Phillip. It wasn't only about winning or losing, heck, winning third place and getting into the world championship wasn't even all that important. What was more important was the dignity of an athlete. He could be defeated, but definitely not by a disabled person!

Francesco looked forward and saw that there was only about 50 meters left until the finish line.

Fight! Francesco focused all his strength in both his legs, working hard to increase the gap in between his steps. He wanted to increase his step frequency and to stomp harder on the ground. He wanted to do all those just so he could widen the gap between Phillip and himself, even if just slightly.

However, Phillip did not give him that chance. As Francesco worked hard, Phillip was also working hard.

The cheers within the stadium had reached their climax. Many people had surely shouted until they lost their voices, yet they continued shouting. These cheers were mixed together with the sound of the wind, and as it flowed into Phillip's ear, it was like the sound of a war-drum.

Phillip dashed. The distance between him and the finish line was a mere 40 meters; however, he had still not yet caught up to Francesco.

Francesco was determined, and it did not seem like he was going to slow down.

Into the last 30 meters. One was still in front while the other was behind, and perhaps the race would continue like that until the end.

Can I really not pass him? Phillip started to become anxious as he had put all his effort into his dash, but he still couldn't catch up to Francesco.

No. I'm not at the finish line yet, I can't give up! This is a race, but it is also life, and that's why there's always hope! Persevere, there's definitely going to be a chance!

Phillip entered the last 20 meters with this belief.

And at that moment, Francesco slowed down. He had exhausted all the energy stored in his body.

Fatigue was like pitch black darkness. It attacked and lingered. Francesco felt as if he had lost control of both his legs. However, the belief and conviction in his mind made it possible to continue striding forward.

Come on, just a little more, the last 20 meters, hold on!

Francesco did not give up fighting, he continued encouraging and pushing himself. However, the clearness of his mind could not prevent his legs from slowing down.

At the same time, Phillip had finally made it to his side, running side by side with him.

He's caught up! Francesco noticed.

I can't lose, I will definitely not lose to a disabled person! Francesco clenched his teeth. Immediately, he had once again regained control of both his legs, and he then exhausted his strength to dash towards the finish line.

Only 10 meters left; the next second was the moment the victor would be decided!I've caught up to him! Phillip could feel that he was running side by side with Francesco. He also knew that in the next second, they would reach the finish line.

I will win! Phillip began leaning his body forward, and then he made a lunging gesture.

This gesture was extremely difficult for Phillip because he was wearing a pair of prosthesis. He did not have the Achilles Tendon that could twist and turn. As his prosthesis was fixed on his knee, his knee also could not move around easily. The Flex-Foot Cheetah prosthesis could never support a person as perfectly as a pair of legs. So, the same lunging gesture meant that Phillip could not maintain his center of gravity and keep his body balanced like a normal person.

He gave up balancing his body.

He had only one belief, and that was to dash past the finish line first.

Whoosh!

Phillip rushed to the front like a dolphin plunging out of the sea.

He was really flying. His prosthesis had left the ground. Under the influence of inertia, he flew past the finish line, and then his body crashed into the ground and slid forward. The highly durable carbon fiber prosthesis left definite marks on the rubber tracks.

The cheers around the stadium ceased. The scene had happened too quickly, and not even the people who were closest to the finish line managed to see it clearly. Phillip and Francesco, who went past the finish line first? Everyone looked anxiously at the electronic display and waited for the photo finish system to give them the final answer.

Did I win? Phillip had not risen from the ground. Crashing into the ground at that kind of speed made him feel as though his bones were going to shatter. He only turned his head towards the big screen at the side of the stadium.

On the big screen, a still image of the scene was finally shown. The person who dashed past the finish line first, his leg raised, the black blade-like prosthesis particularly apparent.

I've won!

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Chapter 387: New Rewards for Leveling Up

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Although Phillip had only placed third, Stephen's reaction was like he had won a championship.

"Third place! A ticket to the world championship, we've got a ticket to the world championship!" Stephen shouted in excitement. That was also the reason for his enthusiasm.

Phillip only had a little fame in the US at that moment, but if he could participate in the world championship, he would undoubtedly become a world-famous sports star. Phillip would have an inestimable commercial value by then. For an agent, that meant a lot of moolah.

Dai Li was also feeling happy. He was delighted not only because Phillip had obtained a ticket to the world championship, but also because Dai Li himself had just been upgraded to the senior phase of famous coach.

Dai Li had initially thought that he would be stuck for a long time at the intermediate phase of the famous coach, especially after arriving in the US. Everything had to be started from scratch, and the number of athletes in his hand was also limited, so the speed at which he gained experience was rather slow.

But then Dai Li met Phillip. Phillip successively broke several world records in para-athletics, which brought Dai Li a considerable amount of experience.

Even more important was the third place in the selection of the world championship that day. The amount of experience Dai Li gained that day was greater than the experience he had gained from Phillip breaking those world records.

"A disabled person participating in a competition for normal people, it belongs to a cross-level challenge. The difficulty for achieving results increased substantially, so the experience you receive is several times more than normal," the system explained.

"Does that mean that every cross-level challenge would provide bonus experience?" Dai Li asked immediately.

"Yes. However, the exact amount added depends on the difficulty of the cross-level challenge. For example, in a boxing match, a middleweight challenging a heavyweight, and a light heavyweight challenging a heavyweight; although both are cross-level challenges, the latter is more difficult, so the bonus experience will also be higher," the system answered.

"I understand. Looks like I've found a new method of leveling up quickly." Dai Li nodded and looked at the experience required to level up. It used millions as a unit, and his heart wanted to request the song "Liangliang" for himself.

Now that I'm at the senior phase of the famous coach, I should level up to become a celebrated coach next, but with the amount of experience required to level up, who knows when I will be able to achieve that!

Dai Li adjusted his mood and told the system, "Hurry up and let me see the rewards for leveling up! Let's hope you give me something useful."

The system brought out both of the rewards for leveling up. On the left was a pen and a stack of cards, and on the right was a model of a pyramid.

As soon as he saw the cards, Dai Li couldn't help but think about the "copy cards." However, the style and pattern of these cards were completely different from the copy cards.

"What are these cards, and they come with a pen, too. Is it used for writing?" Dai Li asked.

"This is an age-reduction card. Used on athletes, it can return the body condition of athletes to when they were young. For example, you could use the age-reduction card on a 35 year old athlete and return his body to its condition at 25," the system stated.

Upon hearing the effects, Dai Li felt a sudden sense of joy in his heart.

Age and injury were the two worst enemies of an athlete. In particular, age was scarier than injury since most injuries could be healed, while age was an irreversible process. After an injury, as long as rehabilitation went well, an athlete could still jump and run around with ease upon returning; however, after aging, even if the body remained healthy, it would still be challenging to remain lively even if the athlete wanted to. Not to mention, as one aged, the probability of getting injured also increased, and the recovery speed also slowed down as well.

"This thing is amazing! It's the same as a rejuvenation! How do I use this age-reduction card?" Dai Li asked immediately.

"It's simple. You just have to write down the number of years you want to reduce on the card, and simply use it on the athlete. An example would be if you wanted an athlete to become five years younger, just write a '5' on the card, if it's ten years, then just write down the number '10,'" the system explained.

Dai Li thought about the athlete's patch from earlier. Its effective period was a year, and every athlete was limited to only using three cards. So, based on the distinct personality of the system, there would also be restrictions on the use of the age-reduction card. As such, Dai Li asked, "This isn't a permanent effect, right?"

"Of course it's not a permanent effect, and the age reduction isn't without its limitations," the system said. "Regarding its time of effect, there is a formula. Subtract the number you've written on the card from 13, then multiply it by 30. That would be the time of effect for an age-reduction card. For example, if you wish to deduct five years off an athlete's age and let his body return to his condition five years ago, then, to calculate the time of effect of the age-reduction card, you subtract five from 13, which gives you eight. Then you multiply eight by 30, which gives you the final number of 240. So, the time of effect for that card would be the next 240 days. Can you understand?"

Dai Li nodded, and the system continued. "Based on these formulas, the age-reduction card has two usage conditions. Number one, the number you write on the card has to be an integer, and it cannot be a negative number. Number two, the number on the age-reduction card cannot exceed 13."

"The number on the card cannot exceed 13, does that mean that I can write the number 13?" Dai Li asked.

"Of course. If you write 13, the final number will be zero, which means that the effective period of the card is zero days. That means that it will immediately lose its effect. You would have wasted an age-reduction card," the system answered.

Dai Li thought for a moment and continued asking, "The number written on the card must be an integer and cannot be a negative number, does that mean I can write down '0'? Since, after all, zero is an integer."

"Of course you can. If you write zero, the final number would be 390, which also means that in the next 390 days, the athlete would be able to maintain his current body condition. In these 390 days, the athlete's body would be impervious to the effects of aging," the system answered.

"I think I've got the gist of it," Dai Li began calculating quietly in his heart.

Based on the calculation of the formula, the more years you wanted to reduce, the shorter the effect duration. In contrast, the fewer years reduced, the longer the effect duration. If you reduced the age of the athlete by one, it would last 360 days, almost a year. But if you reduced the age by 12 years, it would only last 30 days. Just a month.

The peak age of athletes in most sports is around 25 years old. Under normal circumstances, the bodily functions of an athlete begin to deteriorate after the age of 30. For athletes below the age of 30, there is almost no need to use the age-reduction cards. The body of athletes in this age range are usually in great condition, and reducing the age from 29 to 25 or 26 would not bring too much change. That means that the ones who would use these age-reduction cards are definitely athletes who are more than 30 years old.

And for older athletes, if they want to return to a better physical condition, they would need to reduce more years. It would be meaningless if a 35 year old athlete only returned to the body of a 33 year old. Returning to the body condition of a 30 year old would be much more effective.

But the higher the number of years reduced, the shorter the effect duration. A five year reduction would last 240 days, which is the equivalent of eight months, around an entire season for a basketball league. If it were a seven or eight year reduction, it wouldn't even last a season.

At that moment, Dai Li was already aware that the age-reduction card was a tool that had to be used carefully. If too many years were deducted, the effect would be short-lived, and the athlete would return to his original state after only a few matches. If the number of years subtracted were too few, although it would last a long time, its effect would be minimal.

"A reminder. The total number of age-reduction cards is also 200, and each athlete can also only use three cards, the same as the athlete's patch," the voice of the system interrupted Dai Li's thoughts.

"I know. Next, tell me about this pyramid." Dai Li pointed towards the pyramid-like model.

"This is a team pyramid. It can help you build your coaching team. You are familiar with the structure of the pyramid, yes?" the system asked.

"Just a little," Dai Li answered.

"It is impossible for world-class coaches to handle everything alone, and it's also unlikely for them to personally do every single thing; they have a team. They are merely the decision makers and conductors. When it comes to hands-on practical training, it is usually handled by the other team members," the system said slowly.

"I know, I've been in Harman's team before. Although Harman was the head coach, he never handled the minute details of training, it was always his subordinates who handled them," Dai Li said.

"With your current standard of being a famous coach, you are more than qualified to build your own coaching team. As the decision maker and conductor of the team, you will undoubtedly be on top of the pyramid. The different layers below would be the other members of your team. You are currently a famous coach, so the team pyramid can provide you with the titles of two top-level coaches, four second-rate coaches, and eight third-rate coaches," the system explained.

"What is the use of these titles?" Dai Li asked promptly.

"You can give these titles to the coaches in your team, and they will receive additional training effects associated with the title. Like the part-timer that you recently hired, you could give him the title of a second-rate coach. He would then enjoy the bonus effects of a second-rate coach when training athletes. You've experienced being a second-rate coach before, so you should understand very well what the bonus effects are. Of course, people who receive the title will only enjoy the improved training effect, they won't learn of my existence," the system explained.

"Would I be able to retract the titles after handing them out?" Dai Li asked.

"Yes. As long as the person is in your coaching team, you can give them any title, and you can also retract the titles any time you want. Everything will be displayed on the team pyramid. With a title, bonus training effects; no title, no bonus training effects." The system continued, "At the same time, you will gain experience when a coach who has been given a title conducts training as if you were conducting the training yourself."

"It's similar to me being the boss and them being the workers who help me earn money?" Dai Li asked quickly.

"That description isn't exactly right, as a boss has to pay wages to his employees. The correct description would be that they are like slaves, and you are a slave master. All the experience they gain through training athletes will belong to you," the system stated.

That means that by having this team pyramid, I've gained a group of experience points miners. In this case, I will gain experience faster; looks like those millions of experience points required to level up won't be that hard to achieve anymore. Dai Li began calculating again in his mind as he thought of that.

Two top-level coaches, four second-rate coaches, eight third-rate coaches. A total of 14 spots. The number of people in coach Harman's coaching team was probably also around this number. That means that I can form a coaching team for a soccer club. For a physical training center like mine, 14 staff is definitely more than enough. I have only employed two part-time coaches, and now that I have this team pyramid, perhaps I should hire a few more full-time coaches.

The system interrupted him and said, "You should indeed hire more people. You will become a celebrated coach in your next level up, and at that point, the effects of the team pyramid will also increase. You will be able to use the titles of two famous coaches, four top-level coaches, eight second-rate coaches, and 16 third-rate coaches."In the meeting room of the American Track and Field Association, the situation regarding Phillip had ignited an argument.

"He's disabled, how can you let him represent the United States of America in the World Championship in Athletics? We would become a laughingstock!"

"But he has indeed placed third in the race. According to your rules, the top three from the selection will represent the US in the world championship. It has been like this for decades. The top three represent the US. We should follow the rules."

"But the circumstances are too special this time, I think special circumstances should be treated differently."

"No. Rules should be followed. We cannot use 'a special circumstance' as an excuse to go against the rules. As soon as a precedent is created, multiple 'special circumstances' will appear in the future. Would we have to also treat special circumstances differently each time? Once that happens, where would fairness and justice go? In that case, why organize a selection race in the first place? We might as well just choose the participants."

"Are we going to submit the name of that disabled person to the International Association of Athletics Federation?"

"Why not? He got third place, he has earned the right to participate."

"Among the rules and regulations of the World Championship in Athletics, no rule prohibits disabled people from taking part in the competition."

"But that doesn't mean the International Association of Athletics Federation will recognize Phillip, or that they will let him participate."

"Whether the International Association of Athletics Federation allows Phillip to participate in the championship, that's their problem. Whether we submit Phillip's name to the International Association of Athletics Federation, now that's our problem. We are currently discussing if we should send Phillip to participate in the World Championship in Athletics, and not whether they will allow him to participate. Besides, if the International Association of Athletics Federation decides to deny Phillip the right to participate, it's still not a reason for us to break the rules. Our rule is that the top three of the selection race will go and represent the US in the world championship."

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Ironman Training Center.

The owner, Max, looked at the tall, large Caucasian youngster in front of him and said, "Mr. Payton, I've read your resume, and I think you are well-suited for our training center; however, our full-time coaching positions are all occupied. Would you mind trying part-time?"

"Part-time huh? Forget about it then. I'm looking for a full-time job." Chris Payton shook his head before standing up. "Sir, since you don't need me here at the moment, I'll be taking my leave."

"Mr. Payton, hold on!" Max suddenly called out to Chris Payton. "Not far from here, there's a Coach Lee's Physical Fitness Training Center, opened by a Chinese coach. I heard they are hiring full-time coaches, so you could go there and try."

Chris Payton gratefully looked at Max and said in a sincere tone, "Thank you for letting me know, I'll definitely give it a go."

Chris Payton turned around to leave, not seeing the cold light that glinted in Max's eyes.

By his side, a man in his forties asked, "Boss, this Chris Payton isn't bad. He used to be a professional football player, and he also did a stint as an assistant coach in the basketball team of a university. Besides that, his asking salary wasn't all that high. Why didn't you keep him? Even if we don't need him, there wasn't any need to introduce him to Coach Lee's physical fitness training center, was there? They are our rivals after all. And from what I heard, they have been pretty popular lately."

"You are talking about that 'blade warrior' aren't you! Indeed, this 'blade warrior' has been very famous lately. He actually managed to get a place in the world championship, and everyone in the US knows about him," Max said. "I originally thought that training para-athletes would only result in losses… Who would have thought that they would pick up such an unusual runner? They aren't located that far from us, so they definitely affect our business. However, it is precisely because they are our rivals that I advised Chris Payton to go there."

"Is there something wrong with this Chris Payton?" the middle-aged man asked immediately.

"Of course. He sent his resume to my email earlier, and I read that he was a key player in his university football team. However, it just so happens that I know the coach of that university football team, so naturally, I asked about him," Max explained.

"And what did he say?" the middle-aged man asked instantly.

"This Chris Payton isn't that simple. He is the bastard son of a gang leader in Los Angeles. This gang doesn't just smuggle firearms, they are also related to the Colombian drug cartel." As Max said this, the side of his lips curled upwards into a smirk. He continued, "I have no intention of being involved with such a dangerous person. Since I have no time for a troublesome character like him, let's just leave him to our rivals!"Chris Payton followed the instructions of the GPS and drove towards Coach Lee's Physical Fitness Training Center. While he was still a distance away, he saw two giant advertising posters hanging on both sides of the front door of the training center.

The poster was a picture of Phillip in mid-stride. On the side was a slogan, "Success favors the unyielding."

That's the "blade warrior" Barron Phillip! Is he the spokesperson of this training center? This Coach Lee's training center is indeed strong, if they're actually willing to sign an endorsement deal with Phillip. Chris Payton unconsciously slowed his car down.

It could be said that Phillip became famous overnight. He gained a whole lot of attention. Phillip was one of the most celebrated and popular sports stars in the US, and as such, his endorsement fee would also be over the roof.

Chris Payton parked his car and walked towards the training center with his resume in hand. As soon as he reached the door, he saw the recruitment advertisement posted on the wall.

They really are hiring! Chris Payton straightened his clothes and walked into the training center.So the "blade warrior" trains here, no wonder his poster was outside! A place that cultivated the "blade warrior," this place must be great, Chris Payton suddenly thought. The prospects for working in Coach Lee's training center seemed much better than in the Ironman training center.

Opposite him, Dai Li read through Chris Payton's resume in detail.

Used to be a key player in his school football team. Took part in the NFL draft after graduating but was not picked. Later went to play soccer in a low-level league. Just retired not that long ago, and worked as a fitness coach for two years. This Chris Payton used to be a professional athlete, so he is a suitable candidate for being a coach, and his asking salary isn't that high. In Los Angeles, it's hard to find someone this qualified at this price. Dai Li nodded his head in satisfaction.

"Mr. Payton, I can give you a full-time job, but you need to pass the probation period first," Dai Li said.

"No problem, I'll work hard." Chris Payton nodded his head in enthusiasm and asked, "When can I start coming in?"

"Is tomorrow okay?" Dai Li pointed towards the training ground outside and said, "We're kind of short on manpower. We're already very busy as it is, so I hope you can come in as soon as possible."

Dai Li's business had recently improved. Phillip's success also helped boost the name of Dai Li's training center. As the journalists and reporters interviewed Phillip, they also interviewed Dai Li, who was his coach. The brand of Coach Lee's Physical Fitness Training Center had become a household name throughout Los Angeles.

In Dai Li's original plan, his primary clients were supposed to be professional or amateur athletes. However, after Dai Li gained some fame, he found out that apart from athletes, some of the more affluent residents of the city were also interested in becoming his clients.

California was a wealthy area in the US. There was no lack of rich people, and a common trait among these affluent Americans was that they had a lot of free time. In the US, a poor person might have several jobs, working from day to night just to live a better life; even the vast number of the middle-class could only relax and enjoy their lives on fixed holidays, since their nine to five jobs kept them swamped during the workweek.

Only the rich had time for entertainment, leisure, travel, and fitness training. That was why a lot of poor people were obese in the US, because they could only eat unhealthy food that was high in calories. The rich had ideal body weights because they didn't have to spend too much time earning money, so they also had enough spare time to train their bodies.

The affluent pursued high-quality lifestyles. Even their sports had to be of high quality. Although they couldn't spend all day in training centers like athletes, they were willing to spend money on a personal training plan, or a couple of customized training courses weekly. For Dai Li, it was a massive source of income.

With more incoming clients, Dai Li was getting stretched all by himself, and relying on part-timers wasn't exactly a sustainable plan. That was why Dai Li began hiring full-time coaches. He had already hired two full-time coaches, so including Chris Payton who came in today, Dai Li had a total of three full-time coaches under him.

However, all three of them were still on probation, and Dai Li's hiring plan was still ongoing. A coach was a profession very similar to that of a doctor or teacher. Experience and individual ability played equally important roles. It wasn't a job that could be done well just by having a Master's degree or having certain specialized technical skills. Meeting a good coach was something one could only hope for, so Dai Li's recruitment drive had to continue.Stephen hurried inside, looking extremely anxious. He saw Dai Li, and his pace increased even more as he walked towards him.

"What's wrong?" Dai Li asked immediately.

"It's the International Association of Athletics Federation! They might not allow Phillip to take part in the world championship," Stephen said quickly.

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Chapter 389: Pre-Emptive Strike

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Stephen looked frantic, and he said anxiously, "I just received a call from the CEO of the American Track and Field Association, Mr. Williams. According to him, the IAAF might not allow Phillip to take part in the world championship."

"Has the IAAF already issued a public statement disallowing Phillip from participating in the world championship?" Dai Li asked immediately.

Stephen shook his head. "It's inside information the American Track and Field Association heard from the IAAF. It probably won't be long until it becomes the truth."

"Why? Is it because Phillip is disabled again?" Dai Li asked.

"No! In the rules and regulations of the World Championship in Athletics, no rule prohibits para-athletes from participating in the competition." Stephen shook his head.

"Then what's their reason for prohibiting Phillip from participating?" Dai Li asked.

"It might be the prosthesis," Stephen answered.

Dai Li frowned and said, "From what I know, athletes are allowed to wear sports equipment during races, like high tech running shoes or shark skin-like swimsuits in swimming competitions."

"That's right, but the IAAF thinks that Phillip's prosthesis has exceeded the definition of 'sports equipment.' They think that Phillip's Flex-Foot Cheetah prosthesis gives Phillip unfair advantages, affecting the fairness of the competition." Stephen lowered his voice and asked, "Coach Li, tell me the truth. Are Phillip's prostheses elastic, and do they provide him with extra help?"

"Everything has some form of elasticity; some are more elastic while others are less elastic." Dai Li chose a more roundabout answer.

Stephen seemed to understand what Dai Li meant. He said, "Whether or not they allow Phillip to participate is all in the hands of the IAAF. They have the final right of interpretation, and that is exactly what is disadvantageous to us. If they decide to deny Phillip the right to participate, then even I can't do anything."

"But the IAAF should at least find an appropriate reason," Dai Li responded. "If I remember correctly, the IAAF will not be able to find any clear limitation on high tech equipment support for contestants in the current sports law."

"Which means that when it comes to the rules, we are in a favorable situation." Stephen's spirit lifted slightly, and he continued, "Why don't we do the same thing we did against the American Track and Field Association? We can go to the journalists, or we can organize some protests."

Dai Li shook his head. "The IAAF is an international athletics management organization. The management team and decision makers come from all over the world, and among them, most remain in the organization only to safeguard the rights of their national athletes. Their work style can be described in only one way; they avoid making mistakes at all cost. Their decisions are usually very conservative. They are afraid of taking responsibility, so even if there is only a slight possibility of a problem arising, they will not want to take the risk."

"I understand. Phillip is a disabled person. Letting him participate means that the competition will undergo a 'change,' and that is precisely what these bureaucratic old farts don't want to see," Stephen asked.

The change could bring about three kinds of results. Things could get better, get worse, or nothing could change.

For a decision maker, it would be natural to applaud when things got better; if no change occurred, it meant that the decision was useless. However, if things got worse, then it was indeed a wrong decision.

From the perspective of a decision maker, there was a one in three chance the change would be good. Whether it was a useless or wrong decision, someone had to take responsibility, and that was why most people would rather continue to "rule without achievements" than to reform drastically.

And for an international organization such as the International Association of Athletics Federation, reform was extremely difficult. If it were poorly done, not only would someone have to bear the responsibility, he would be scolded by the entire world. So on the matter of Phillip, the International Association of Athletics Federation would make the most conservative decision. They did not want to change.

Dai Li continued and said, "Regarding the rules of participation, Phillip has no problem. As soon as the IAAF makes the decision, we can make an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Using that might get us better results, but it would take a long time, perhaps one or two years, maybe even three to five years. Although this would garner some attention, the effect would be far less significant than having Phillip participate in the World Championship in Athletics."

"Yeah. Going to court wastes a lot of time, and even if we won, our losses would be far greater." Stephen nodded his head.

"Going to the Court of Arbitration for Sport is the last resort. In truth, the biggest problem faced by the IAAF is whether they want to ensure the participation rights of the individual athlete, or if they want to ensure the fairness of the competitive environment. They have to make a choice between the two. The law would support the former, so what we need to do now is to dispel their fears on the latter," Dai Li said.

"I understand what you mean, but I still don't know what we have to do," Stephen stated.

"Simply put, the IAAF believes that Phillip's prostheses have affected the fairness of the competition. Thus, all we need to do is prove that Phillip's prostheses do not affect the fairness of the competition, and even if Phillip were to participate in the world championship, the competition would still remain fair," Dai Li explained.

"But how do we prove that Phillip's prostheses won't affect the fairness of the competition?" Stephen asked.

"Everything starts from the Flex-Foot Cheetah prosthesis. We can directly deny the prosthesis provides Phillip with any additional advantage, but in truth, that is an idiotic method, because it wouldn't be able to withstand the scrutiny of science. That is why we should focus on the other point. We have to prove that while running, the prosthesis does not have an advantage over real legs." Dai Li's expression grew calmer by the second; he had thought of a countermeasure.

In the following second, Dai Li switched his tone and asked, "There are several major universities in California, right?"

"You mean…" Stephen had guessed Dai Li's intention.

"Yes." Dai Li smiled as he nodded. "Go and find a reputable specialist, offer them research funding and ask them to prove that a prosthesis doesn't have more advantage than a pair of legs while running. For example, a prosthesis would have limited explosive power, and the prosthesis would have limited joint flexibility, etc. Proving this won't be difficult for them, and if the research fee is right, it should be easy to get a report we need from those experts."

"Alright, I'll go find a few reputable schools," Stephen promised with a nod.

"This has to be fast. The faster, the better. We have to get reports that are beneficial to us and use the media to help spread them around. This time, we need to make the pre-emptive strike!" Dai Li said with a smile.

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Chapter 390: Research Report

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

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Stanford University. Professor Biden's Office.

"Professor, I'd like to entrust you with our research needs." As Stephen spoke, he passed a check to Biden. "As such, I'm willing to provide your research lab with a sum of research funds."

Biden took the check and glanced at the 20,000 dollars written on it, then he asked, "Mr. Stephen, may I know what topic you want me to research?"

"When running, which is more advantageous, the legs of a healthy individual or a prosthesis?" Stephen said.

"A prosthesis? The type the 'blade warrior' uses?" Professor Biden checked.

Stephen nodded and said, "Yes, that's the one. I've brought along some data related to the Flex-Foot Cheetah prosthesis, provided by a prosthesis manufacturer in Iceland. If there is a need, I can even arrange for Phillip to come and cooperate in your research."

"Are you serious?" Biden looked shocked. "No matter how high tech a prosthesis is, it is ultimately still a prosthesis. How could it be better than our naturally grown legs? Is there really a need to specifically research this topic? This is an unneeded expenditure for you."

As Biden said so conscientiously, he made a gesture to return the check to Stephen.

However, Stephen raised his palms to reject the check. "Professor Biden, what you said just now, that the prosthesis is not as good as our legs, is exactly the conclusion I desire. Even truths have to be proven by scientists, right? As a scientist, your job is to confirm the truth. What do you think?"

Biden suddenly understood what Stephen meant.

"Alright, no problem. I thank you for your generosity, and I will produce the relevant research report as soon as possible. I believe the research result that I come to will be the one you want to see." Biden placed the check inside his pocket as he spoke, then reached his right hand towards Stephen with a bright smile on his face.

As he sent Stephen off, Biden's grin did not recede.

Proving the leg of a human is better than a sports prosthesis, these 20,000 dollars sure came easy!

Stephen did not only approach Stanford University's Professor Biden, but he had also contacted Harvard University's Professor Horton and Oxford University's Professor Wesley. A research fee of 20,000 dollars to prove that the human leg is better than a prosthesis. For the professors, it was like being handed free money. In fact, they didn't even need to personally do anything. They could just ask any of the PhD's under them to do something, and in about half a day's time, a perfect research report would be prepared.

At moments like these, the scientists also fully demonstrated their professional ethics; since they'd taken the money, they would have to produce a research report with results that their sponsor wanted to see.Monaco, the headquarters of the International Association of Athletics Federation.

The major business matters of the International Association of Athletics Federation were decided by the council. The council consisted of 27 members, including one president, four vice presidents, one treasurer, six representatives from the associations of athletics of the major continents, and 15 council members.

At that moment, the council members were discussing Barron Phillip.

A council member with a head full of white hair said, "We've read through all the clauses, and there is nothing that prohibits a disabled person from participating in the world championship."

"What about the prosthesis? Is there any clear rules regarding this?" a person on the side asked.

"Our rules on sports equipment is too general. For the prosthesis that Phillip uses, there are no specific limitations," the white-haired council member said.

"How is this happening? When formulating the rules, weren't we supposed to consider the effects of high tech equipment on competition fairness? If, in the future, an athlete equips a rocket propeller on his shoes, should we also let him participate!" an Indian council member said.

The oldest member of the council coughed and said, "Regarding this, let me explain. When we formulated these rules, we were faced with pressure from several sports brands. You should all know that high tech sports equipment is produced by all the major sports brands. And we can't organize these competitions without their sponsorship. If we became too detailed in these sort of rules, we would remove them as a source of income, and they would stop sponsoring our races."

"Alright, let's stop talking about this. There is no way we can prohibit Phillip from participating by using the law, we can only do it through other methods. It is better if we return to the problem we've discussed previously, his prosthesis!" a female council member said.

"But didn't we discuss it just now? Our rules on sports equipment are too general," the Indian council member said.

"But we can expect that when Phillip wears the prosthesis in a competition, he will gain advantages that would affect competition fairness," the female council member said while laughing.

"That is actually a good idea! To protect the fairness of the competition. It is a good reason. We could use this to prevent Phillip from participating in the world championship," everyone agreed.

"But if the public asks how we ascertained that wearing a prosthesis would affect competition fairness, how should we answer them?" someone asked immediately.

"That is why we need to do some extra work, or perhaps also some additional expenditure," the female council member answered.

"What do you mean?" The Indian council member clearly did not understand what she was trying to convey.

The female council member continued, "We of the International Association of Athletics Federation only suspect Phillip's prosthesis would affect competition fairness, but the specifics have to be ascertained by experts and specialists. We would then only make the final decision based on the conclusions made by these experts and specialists."

"I know Professor Brugman from the University of Cologne, he's an authority on kinetics; we can entrust him with the research! I believe Professor Brugman will tell us that Phillip's prosthesis would bring him additional benefits during a race," the oldest council member said profoundly.

"Alright, you go and contact this Professor Brugman. See how much research funding he needs. I will arrange for our financial team to allocate the funds." The host of the meeting, who was also the president of the International Association of Athletics Federation finally spoke.

"Everyone, I don't think there's a need anymore!" One of the vice presidents suddenly spoke. "I've just read a report. That 'blade warrior' already made the pre-emptive strike. Apparently, there was an interview with Phillip's agent, where he said that he had three individual reports from Professor Biden from Stanford University, Professor Horton from Harvard University, and Professor Wesley from Oxford University. All these reports came to the same conclusion, which is that Phillip's blade-like prosthesis is no match for the legs of a normal person, and that there was no way Phillip could gain more advantage than a normal person from the prosthesis!"

"What does this mean?" the Indian council member asked again.

"That means there's no need to go to Professor Brugman from the University of Cologne anymore!" the president said. "We were one step behind them. We have only just thought of what to do, but not only have they already done it, they've already published the results! And they found three scientists."

"So what? They found three, we can find 30!" the Indian council member replied in anger.

"And then what, turn this into a scientific debate? That's meaningless! You would never be able to talk sense with these scientists. These scientists always make incomprehensible arguments, so how would that help with public opinion?"

The vice president shook his head and said, "Besides, by then, the media would ask why the IAAF used the report of the University of Cologne and not Oxford University. How should we answer then? Unless you want us to stupidly say that the University of Cologne is more reliable than Oxford University?"

"Then what should we do? Should we let Phillip take part in the world championship? Something like this has never happened in the World Championship in Athletics before!" another council member asked in a panic.

The vice president did not answer. It was as if he did not hear the question. He only leaned back into his chair with a calm demeanor.

At that moment, nobody was willing to say that they would allow Phillip to participate in the competition. No one wanted to bear the responsibility.

However, everyone seated within the room knew that in this battle, the International Association of Athletics Federation had already fallen to a disadvantaged position.

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Chapter 391: Los Angeles Police

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

The Los Angeles Police Department was the second largest police department in the US, second only to the New York Police Department. The entire Los Angeles Police Department had tens of thousands of active personnel and over 3000 civilian support staff. At the same time, the department also had a large number of resources; for example, they owned the third largest civil air force unit in the US, second only to the Civil Aviation Training Unit and the Customs and Border Protection.

Sergeant Tucker was one of its members. At that moment, he was interrogating a Mexican. He had just found a considerable amount of drugs on the man, as well as a few satchels used to dispense the drugs. The Mexican was obviously a drug dealer.

"You better tell me soon, where did your stock come from? Who is your supplier!" Sergeant Tucker glared at the Mexican. He knew that if he found the supplier, he would catch a big fish.

However, the Mexican remained silent. He also understood the consequences of making a confession.

"Looks like I'll have to teach you a lesson." Sergeant Tucker rolled up his sleeves as he spoke.

"What do you want to do?" The Mexican began to panic.

"When we were arresting you, you resisted arrest, so we had no choice but to take you down by force," Tucker said coldly.

"I didn't resist!" the Mexican said immediately.

"No, you did. If I say you did, you did!" Sergeant Tucker punched his stomach as he said that.

Mournful wails could be heard from the interrogation room, and after a mere 20 seconds, the Mexican couldn't hold it anymore.

"I'll talk, I'll talk! Please stop. I'm begging you, please stop hitting me! I'll talk!" The Mexican promised.

"Alright, tell me where you get your supplies!" Sergeant Tucker asked cruelly.

"Payton, it's the Payton family! They just received a shipment from Colombia. They are now distributing them to their pushers," the Mexican said.

"The Payton family!" Sergeant Tucker's face turned pale. Even he knew the Paytons, the infamous crime family of Los Angeles.

"Perhaps we can get rid of the Payton family once and for all!" As Tucker came to this conclusion, he ordered, "Go and check the Payton family immediately, see what they've been doing recently."

A short while later, the officers under his command came back with results.

"According to the report of our informant, they couldn't find Payton senior. The eldest and second child of the Payton family have also been missing for a while. They seem to be deliberately hiding," the officer reported.

"Sly bastards. They must have finished distributing their product and been worried their pushers would give them up, that's why they went into hiding in advance. They have no intention of getting caught red-handed. They might have even gone to a faraway place intentionally just to create an alibi. Once the heat dies down and the distribution of the drugs is finished, there's no way we can convict them with just the confessions of this Mexican!" Sergeant Tucker said furiously. He realized that he had just lost an excellent opportunity to catch a big fish.

However, the officer stated, "But we have checked, and the third son of the Payton family is in Los Angeles. At noon yesterday, someone saw him in a restaurant in Los Angeles. I heard that he eats at that restaurant every day at noon."

"He goes every day at noon?" Tucker looked at his watch. It was almost eleven.

"It's going to be lunchtime soon. Let's go, we're going to head over to that restaurant. We might be able to catch the third son of the Payton family."Near the training center, there was a mid-sized restaurant. The food was inexpensive and it tasted good, and apart from that, the waitresses were pretty too. The coaches of the training center often ate there.

It was noon. Dai Li hitched a ride with Chris Payton to the restaurant.

They walked into the restaurant after parking the car.

In a sedan not far away, Sergeant Tucker was eating a doughnut.

"Boss, that's Chris Payton, the third son of the Payton family," an officer said while pointing at Chris Payton.

Tucker looked through the car window. He saw Payton and Dai Li.

"Why is there a Chinese guy beside him? Don't tell me the Payton family is related to the triad from Chinatown!" Thinking that there might be a chance for him to crack two criminal organizations at once, Sergeant Tucker couldn't help getting a little excited.

"Boss, do we catch them now?" the officer by his side asked.

"No, wait a while. Let's observe first. See if anyone else joins them." Tucker was prepared to cast a long line so that he could catch the big fish.Scones, steak, and an egg sandwich. Dai Li had a good appetite that day, and he finished eating everything after only a short while. He leaned back in his chair, took out a sports magazine, and began reading it with a big grin.

Barron Phillip was on the cover page of the magazine, and furthermore, the Phillip on the cover page was wearing the US team uniform.

The US track and field team was a huge group. In that issue of the magazine, most pages were used to cover news and stories on the athletes participating in the World Championship in Athletics. At the same time, there was also a prediction of the results of each event, and Phillip's coverage occupied an entire page.

"Phillip has finally made it onto the world championship stage. The first disabled person in history to participate in the world championship. I hope he does well in the competition!" Dai Li muttered to himself.

"Li, I believe Phillip will definitely make it into the finals of the world championship," Chris Payton said as he put down his fork and wiped his mouth with a napkin to show that he had finished eating.

"Chris, you are eating so little, are you sure it's enough?" Dai Li looked at Chris's plate. He had only ordered a beef burger, a small plate of salad, and a cup of coffee. Quantitatively, he ate much less than Dai Li.

"I'm full." Chris Payton nodded.

"You've eaten less than me, are you sure you're full?" Dai Li smiled and continued, "Don't worry about me, I still have a lot to read in this magazine. If you're still hungry, you can order some more. Take your time and eat, I'm in no rush to return."

"Li, I really am full. Don't look down on that burger, that beef patty was ridiculously big," Payton said before standing up and pulling his car keys out of his pocket."Boss, they are leaving!" an officer said.

Tucker put down the doughnut in his hand when he saw Dai Li and Payton walking out of the restaurant through his car window.

"Move!" At Tucker's command, the officers rushed out of their vehicle, pulled out their pistols, and scrambled towards Dai Li and Payton. At the same time, they shouted the order.

"LAPD, don't move!""Stop, don't move, LAPD!" Shouts came from around them. Before Dai Li could react, several men rushed in front of him, the guns in their hands pointed at him.

Dai Li froze as he stared at the black barrels pointed at him. He had never even seen a real gun before in China, not to mention having a gun pointed at him.

"Put your arms on top of your head!" a voice shouted. Dai Li immediately followed the instruction and put his hands on top of his head.

Updated by

Immediately after, a man rushed forward, and Dai Li heard the sound Ka-Chak, and his wrist felt a cold sensation.

I've been handcuffed. What exactly is going on?

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Chapter 392: A Has-Been Boxing Champion

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Dai Li did his best to control his fear and panic, and tried to calm down as he stared at the scary looking police officers from the back of the police cruiser.

They must have caught the wrong person. I need to make things clear to them; if that doesn't work, I can still seek help from the Chinese embassy, Dai Li thought.

The police cruiser brought Dai Li to the police station, and he was placed inside an interrogation room.

"Name?"

"Dai Li."

"Job?"

"Coach."

"Why were you in the restaurant?"

"To eat lunch!"

"What's your relationship with Chris Payton?"

"I'm his boss. I've opened a physical fitness training center. I'm the owner, and Chris is a coach."

After a few bouts of questioning and answering, things seemed to have cleared up. A boss was eating lunch with his staff, and then he was unfortunately dragged into the police station.

The officer took the recorded statement and went to Tucker.

"Boss, we might have caught the wrong person. According to the Chinese guy, he has no connection with the triad of Chinatown, he is just a fitness coach. He opened a physical fitness training center in Los Angeles. He's not even an American citizen, he's just holding an investment visa," the officer stated.

Caught the wrong person? Tucker scratched his head, but his heart felt a little depressed. Catching the wrong person was considered a mistake for any police officer, so it wasn't a good feeling.

"Go and check out the Chinese guy's story. We can't rule out the possibility that he's related to the underworld," Sergeant Tucker commanded.

"What about the man himself? He is currently in the interrogation room, do we lock him up?" the officer asked.

"Put him in the holding cell first." Sergeant Tucker thought for a second and commanded, "That's right, don't put him in the same cell as that bastard, give him the other room. He's not an American after all; if we can't find any proof of him committing a crime, we should let him go. I want him to leave the police station in one piece, I have no intention of dealing with the people from the embassy."Dai Li was put in a single room. A Chinese officer even gave Dai Li an old magazine to help him pass the time.

From this, it could be said that Dai Li was treated decently. At least in a single room holding cell, he was not locked up with other criminals.

The one thing large cities in the US didn't lack was criminals. Safety was an issue in most large cities in the US, as there were a lot of slums and vagrants in large cities, which were all sources of unease. In contrast, rural areas tended to be much safer.

It was especially apparent in a large city like Los Angeles, where it was rare that there was an empty holding cell at the police station. The crime rate was high, and many suspects were brought in for theft, fights, or vandalism; however, in truth, their real identities might be that of desperados such as murderers, arms dealers, or drug dealers. If one were locked together with these people, even if it were only for a few hours, it would be extremely rough, and one might also get violated sexually if he had terrible luck.

So, Dai Li staying in a single holding cell was more like protection, saving him from the harassment of the other criminals.

On the other side, Sergeant Tucker was questioning Chris Payton.

"You better tell me where your father and your two brothers are right now." Tucker glared dangerously at Payton.

Payton nodded his head and said his address.

"Are you messing with me? If we could find your father and two brothers at your home, do you think we would come to catch you?" Tucker lashed at Payton in a deep voice.

Payton however, looked very calm. He grew up in a family of gangsters, so he was used to situations like this. It wasn't his first time at a police station.

Payton shrugged his shoulders and said, "If you can't find them at our home, then I don't know where they are. The last time I saw them was during Christmas last year. Even if we met, they wouldn't tell me what they were doing."

"You don't know what the infamous Payton family of Los Angeles is doing?" Sergeant Tucker obviously did not believe this answer.

"I don't know." Payton shook his head seriously. "I rent my own place, and I don't go home. You can investigate this."

Just as Tucker was about to speak, a subordinate police officer of his knocked on the door before barging in.

"Boss, we've just caught a person, you should go check it out!" the officer said.

"We catch people every day. You should follow procedure and process it yourself. I'm here questioning a suspect," Tucker said impatiently.

"Boss, this person is special, you better come and personally have a look," the officer said.

"Fine." Tucker sighed weakly and left the interrogation room.

A well-built black man lay on a bench outside. His face couldn't be seen as he lay there, but he smelled of alcohol, and he seemed only semiconscious as fresh blood dripped from his dangling arms.

"Is this man injured? Help him stop his bleeding first. Don't dirty our floor," Sergeant Tucker said.

"That isn't his blood, it's the blood of the injured person. He broke his opponent's nose bridge in one punch. That injured person fainted on the spot, and has already been sent to the hospital," the officer explained.

"Then what's his problem? He was knocked unconscious? Or is he drunk?" Tucker continued asking.

"He's drunk," the officer answered.

"It's not even dark yet, and he's already this drunk. He's even punched someone," Tucker said with a face full of disgust.

"Apart from that, he's also smoked marijuana. When we caught him, he was in a state of confusion," an officer on his other side added.

"It's just marijuana, a lot of high school students use it. Our own state senators actually legalized the stuff for six billion dollars a year! Those idiots. Don't they know that this will increase the rate of crime!"

Tucker was filled with anger. He took a deep breath to calm himself down before saying, "If we can't charge him with a crime of possession, then deal with it as an assault case."

"Boss, you should first see who this is," the officer reminded him.

Tucker walked towards the person in disgust. It was apparent he did not like the stench of alcohol coming from the man.

However, when Tucker saw the face of the black man, his expression instantly became stiff, as if he had grabbed a hot yam.

"Damn it, why is it this guy! Why did you bring this troublesome person here?" Although Tucker sounded like he was blaming someone, his tone seemed to indicate that he was actually complaining.

When people fought, and someone got injured, the police were naturally required to do something. Bringing this man to the police station was also the responsibility of a police officer, so there was nothing to blame. It was only because this black man had a special status that Tucker was getting a headache.

"Boss, what should we do? His condition is… He can't even finish a sentence, we definitely won't be able to find his lawyer," the officer asked.

"Lock him up first. Get him to contact and bring in his lawyer only after he is sober. As for his assault, I think that lawyer of his will think of something to get him out of it," Tucker said in resignation.

"But the holding cells are all full," the officer whispered.

Tucker frowned. "This fellow can't be put together with the other bastards. There's always a few troublemakers in those cells, and if they happen to mess with him, he will go crazy. Someone will die. Even if all the bastards in the holding cells ganged up on him, he would still win. Forget it, put him with that Chinese guy. The Chinese have always been an honest group, they won't stir up any trouble."A sound came from the lock of the holding cell. Dai Li stood up immediately with a face full of joy.

American police sure are efficient. They finished the investigation so quickly, and they're already letting me out, Dai Li thought.

However, after the door opened, a prominent and muscular black man was brought in by two police officers. They turned around and locked the door after leaving the black man on the bed.

They aren't here to release me! Dai Li sighed with disappointment. Later, he took a cautious glance at the black man.

The black man was gigantic, his muscles so big that his shirt seemed too tight. There were also trails of blood on his hands.

If Dai Li met someone like this on the streets, he would stay as far away as possible, not to mention meeting one at the police station. Dai Li unconsciously moved towards the far corner of the room. He had no intention of being involved with this type of dangerous person.

The black man suddenly rolled over and laid face down on the bed, revealing one side of his face.

There was a tattoo on his face. It began on the right side of his forehead and went down the side of his face to his jaw, making his not so good looking face seem much more ferocious. However, Dai Li became less frightened after seeing his face. He widened his eyes and couldn't help but get closer to the man. He wanted to view the man's face more clearly.

Kevin Taylor! It's really him! It's really Kevin Taylor! How did he get himself locked up here? Dai Li thought.

If one asked who the most exceptional professional boxer was in the last 20 years, the answer was, without a doubt, Kevin Taylor. He was the youngest world heavyweight boxing champion, and he was also the world's greatest in-boxer. If he maintained his form, he could have become the world's greatest heavyweight champion; however, he personally destroyed his own professional career.

Kevin Taylor made his professional debut 13 years ago. He was only 19 years old then. He knocked his opponent down in the first round, and in the first year of his career, he fought in 15 matches. Among these, he managed to knock down his opponents in the first round of 14 of the matches. And among these 14 opponents, only three managed to get up and make it to the second round before getting knocked down again. The others were knocked out after just one punch.

For an apprentice boxer who had just entered the professional boxing field, the record was enough to cause a furor in the boxing world.

In his second year, the 20-year-old Taylor made his first title challenge. He needed only two rounds to defeat his opponent, obtaining the WBC heavyweight title, and became the youngest heavyweight champion in history. Later, he began his undefeated run. Back then, matches were decided by points. No one could make it to the end of the match against Taylor; making it to the third round was considered an achievement. In those few years, the person who survived the longest in a match against Taylor lasted a total of seven rounds.

Without a doubt, the Taylor in his early twenties dominated the heavyweight division of the boxing world. The WBA championship belt, the IBF championship belt, the WBO championship belt, the WBC championship belt… If Taylor wanted it, then the ownership of the championship belt, regardless of its league, was already decided.

Boxing brought Taylor wealth and fame, but it also made his life chaotic. Like someone from the slums who became rich overnight, he pursued a luxurious and materialistic lifestyle with abandon. A mansion was a must, naturally. There were also hundreds of sports cars, huge gold chains and expensive watches, all kinds of luxury items. Rearing lions, tigers, crocodiles, and even sharks; gambling in Las Vegas; and finally, there was his pursuit of beautiful women, not only in terms of number but also in quality.

Taylor was destroyed by his indulgence in women. He was sentenced to a jail term after raping a Miss America. Although Taylor wasn't the most handsome person out there, he had his demands.

A professional boxer's career usually peaked between the age of 25 and 30. Taylor, however, was in jail for those years.

After five years in prison, Taylor was released on parole, and he returned to the boxing world. He quickly moved back into his seat as the heavyweight boxing champion.

But in a match not long after, he met a sly opponent. The opponent knew he was fighting a boxing champion, so he did not face Taylor directly. Instead, he kept dodging, and used a clinch when he couldn't dodge. During the clinch, he used all kinds of dirty tricks, such as headbutting his opponent. Taylor became impatient and irritated during the match and bit the ear of his opponent.

In professional boxing, regardless of whether you could win or not, biting someone was considered dirty, maybe even against sports ethics. Taylor's bite got him a two-year ban.

After that, news on Taylor disappeared from the media. The has-been boxing champion who bit people was faced with a ban; he couldn't even fight in a match. It was clear that was the reason people lost interest and stopped paying attention.

If you count the time, Taylor's two-year ban is almost up. I wonder if he will make a comeback. As Dai Li looked at Taylor lying on the bed, he couldn't keep himself from using his detector.

Just as I thought, Taylor is indeed an athlete with S grade talent potential! But thinking about it, he did dominate the entire heavyweight boxing world, Dai Li thought.

At that moment, Taylor suddenly opened his mouth.

"Wa… Water…" Taylor said semi-consciously.

Dai Li didn't want to bother, but after seeing Taylor's state, he couldn't help but walk towards the door and knock on the metal door of the holding cell with his hands.

"Is someone there? Someone!" Dai Li shouted outside.

After a short while, a police officer approached, looked at Dai Li, and asked through the iron railing with a blank expression, "What's the problem?"

"Officer, can I get a cup of water?" Dai Li asked.

"No!" the officer replied bluntly and turned to leave.

"Wait!" Dai Li said quickly. He pointed behind him and said, "That guy needs water. He drank too much, he needs to drink water to replenish the water in his body. He might throw up in his current situation, and if his vomit is too dry, it might block his trachea and cause him to suffocate. I'm sure you wouldn't want to have Kevin Taylor die of suffocation at your police station, would you?"

"Suffocate? Die? Heh…" The police officer had a look of "Who are you trying to scare?" written all over his face.

However, Dai Li continued speaking. "I know that the probability of that happening is low, maybe just 1%, but are you willing to put your job on the line for this 1%? If you were really that lucky, you wouldn't be here in the first place. You should just buy a lottery ticket, and spend tomorrow counting your money at home!"

"Alright, just wait." The officer understood the proverb, "Better safe than sorry" well. He went and brought Dai Li a bottle of water.

Dai Li took the water and walked towards the bedframe. He pulled Taylor up and poured water into his mouth.

After drinking some water, Taylor quieted down. He gradually opened his eyes and looked at Dai Li with his bloodshot eyes.

( Updated by )

In the next second, Taylor got up from the bed and hugged Dai Li before saying passionately, "Angie, you're back? You're really back?"

Before Dai Li could say anything, Taylor suddenly began sobbing.

"Angie, I've missed you. I was wrong…"

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Chapter 393: In Debt

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

A big and muscular black man, who used to be an amazing boxing champion, was suddenly hugging him and sobbing. Dai Li had no idea what to do.

Dai Li wanted to push him away, but how would Dai Li push away a heavyweight boxing champion with his strength? Dai Li tried to push him away all day but to no avail.

What the heck. This guy must be drunk, or he must have taken too many drugs! Dai Li complained in his mind.

Both were true. The stench of alcohol emanating from Taylor's body made it evident that he had drunk a lot of liquor; apart from that, he had also smoked a significant amount of marijuana, which deluded one's consciousness and brought about illusions, hallucinations, and thought disorders.

Taylor sobbed like an aggrieved child. Not only tears, but his saliva and nasal mucus were all smeared over Dai Li's body.

"Angie, I've really missed you. I was wrong, I am really an idiot. Your advice to me before you died, I ignored it all. If you were still here, I wouldn't become like this," Taylor said while he choked.

Angie? Advice before death? What the heck are all these things? Dai Li thought in confusion.

Perhaps it was the alcohol. Taylor sobbed for a while, then went back to sleep. Not long after, he cried again as he talked in his sleep, then drifted back into deeper slumber again.

It continued going on just like that for at least another hour. Taylor finally quieted down. He snored. After another hour or so, Taylor was finally awake. He opened his eyes, sat up, and looked around him with a blank expression.

Taylor was obviously a person who frequented the police station. After a short period of stupor, he immediately realized where he was.

This is the holding cell at the police station! Taylor then looked at Dai Li beside him. He mumbled to himself, "There's even a Chinese guy."

While looking at Dai Li's face, Taylor suddenly remembered a dream he just had. He saw Angie who died a few years ago, and in that dream, Angie had looked like a Chinese guy. Just like the guy in front of him.

It can't be, I hugged and sobbed in front of this guy? Taylor suddenly realized. Oh, God! Please don't let that happen, that's too embarrassing! He shook his head as he attempted to sober up.

"Do you want some water?" Dai Li passed the half-empty water bottle to Taylor.

Taylor did not speak, just took the bottle and drank everything in one gulp. For a big guy like him, the water was just enough to moisten his throat.

After that, Taylor threw the bottle to the side, looked at Dai Li awkwardly, and whispered a question, "Just now, did I do something foolish?"

Dai Li did not answer directly. He thought for a few seconds and asked, "Is Angie your friend?"

"As expected! This is embarrassing…" Taylor lowered his head to show his shame and said, "Angie was my coach, he was also my father."

"I'm sorry," Dai Li apologized immediately. Bringing up one's deceased relative was considered very rude.

However, Taylor quietly said, "I was born in the slums of Brooklyn. When I was nine, I was put into a juvenile detention center. It was difficult living in a juvenile detention center. Fighting was a part of life, and in that, I was born stronger than the rest. Even the older kids were afraid of me back then."

"Later, I met Angie. He was an instructor at the juvenile detention center. He cared about me. He would take me out to eat at restaurants, teach me about boxing. He later became my guardian and brought me out of the detention center. He gave me a home. Angie was like my father. He raised me, educated me, and guided me."

"Just before I became a professional boxer, Angie died. Before he died, he asked me to come to his bedside and told me that I was too impulsive, and I would suffer great losses because of it. That was why he wanted me to change that bad habit of mine. He told me to stay calm, to think and reason, and to control my emotions."

Taylor looked to be in pain as he spoke, "But I did not listen to Angie. I've let him down, that's why I've become like this. I think that if Angie saw me now, he would be gravely disappointed."

As Taylor finished his sentence, his head lowered further. He looked like a frightened ostrich, the kind that likes to bury their heads in the sand, to hide from the cruel reality.

Dai Li immediately changed the subject. "Then do you remember why you are here today?"

"Probably a fight. I probably hurt someone again." Taylor looked at the dried blood on his hand and continued, "I drank liquor and smoked some weed. So I don't really remember the specifics. I only remember that someone came and scolded me, so I gave him a punch…"

As Taylor finished speaking, he lifted his head. "Why did you end up here?"

"Because I ate lunch with a companion." Dai Li shook his head weakly. "My companion might have got into trouble, and we just happened to be eating lunch at a restaurant. When the police came to apprehend him, I was brought along."

"Don't worry, if that's the case, you should be released soon," Taylor consoled him.

"Maybe you will get out earlier than me, you are a celebrity after all. Once your lawyer gets here, you will probably be released on bail," Dai Li said.

"Lawyer? Hahaha…" Taylor smiled bitterly. "I can't afford a lawyer anymore."

"Can't afford a lawyer? That's impossible!" Dai Li looked at Taylor in shock. In his mind, since Taylor made his debut, he should have at least made 200 to 300 million dollars. He was considered a super-rich athlete even among American professional athletes; how could he not afford a lawyer?

"Don't you think it's funny?" Taylor shook his head in a self-mocking manner. "I've made 500 million dollars in the past few years, but I've spent 520 million, that means that I'm currently 20 million in debt. Don't even mention lawyer fees, I don't even have the money to buy liquor! I've already started filing for bankruptcy. Later, I'll go and apply for relief funds; if not, I might not even be able to eat anymore!"

"How could this be?" It was hard for Dai Li to imagine that the strongest heavyweight boxing champion in the world had become like this.

500 million dollars, that's enough money to pile up a mountain. Even if someone gave me 500 million dollars now, I wouldn't know what to do with it. But this guy, not only did he spend it all, he owes another 20 million, Dai Li thought.

In front of him, Taylor let out a long sigh. "Now that I think about it, it's all self-inflicted. Back when I was rich, I was surrounded by people who called themselves 'friends.' I bought them stuff, bought hundreds of sports cars for them to drive, I even took them gambling in Las Vegas. We've lost tens of thousands of dollars in a single night! And when I went broke, every one of them disappeared. They wouldn't even answer my calls!"

"Even my agent was scum. He kept cooking the books, and he almost made away with all my money. For example, the towels I used in my matches cost only one or two dollars, but he would record them as costing 8000 dollars. 8000 dollars for a towel, can you imagine that? If I had found out his true colors earlier, I definitely would have fired him, and I wouldn't have fallen so far, not even having the money to eat. Ah… my poor sweetie, you'll have to starve with me…"

"Sweetie? Looks like there is still someone with you, accompanying you through all this," Dai Li consoled him.

"Sweetie is my pet tiger, a beautiful Bengal tiger. I've raised him since he was a cub, he's like my son…" Taylor explained.

Dai Li was speechless. One would typically think that someone called "Sweetie" was a woman, but instead, it was how Taylor referred to a pet tiger. It was really the behavior of a wealthy person.

"You can still raise a tiger in your current situation." Dai Li sighed and continued, "But it's alright, you are 32 years old this year, right? For a professional boxer, 32 isn't old. You can make a comeback."

"Make a comeback?" Taylor shook his head helplessly. "It's no longer possible. I'm not the Kevin Taylor I was back then. I can no longer throw out those fast and deadly punches, so I'm old. Yeah, 32 isn't that old for many boxers. Some of them are even still in their prime at 32, but I'm different from others."

"I don't know if you understand boxing, but my fighting style requires me to finish the fight within the first few rounds. I'm not the kind of fighter that does well in a fight of attrition. If my opponent manages to drag the fight to more than ten rounds, my stamina drops significantly, and I lose the match. The only fight I lost in the first five years of my career was one where my opponent successfully dragged the match beyond the tenth round. After that, I became passive and took a beating."

"So 32 years old is too old for me. I am no longer the world's greatest boxer. I'm not even sure if I would still be considered within the top-class, perhaps a younger top-class boxer would be able to defeat me. I'm old, and I can't fight anymore."

Dai Li nodded. When he used the detector on Taylor, he had already seen the characteristics of his techniques.

Compared to other boxers, Taylor's arms were a bit short. His technique was also not the best, or at least, he couldn't be regarded as a technical boxer. However, his punch was without a doubt the best. His basic fighting style was to quickly rush towards his opponent. Once his opponent was within his attack range, he attacked swiftly with a combination of fast punches.

Although Taylor was a heavyweight fighter, his regular punches were the same strength as a super heavyweight. His punch speed was rapid, and in a fight within the same weight class, not many people could block his punch combination. That was why he was able to knock down most of his opponents in the first round.

Taylor had used that single move to conquer the world. It was like Cheng Yaojin's three tricks utilizing the ax. Everyone knew that Cheng Yaojin only knew three tricks, but on the battlefield, they still couldn't defend against those three tricks.

Taylor's fighting style relied on two fundamental factors. First was his fantastic ability to take a beating. As he rushed towards his opponents, it was inevitable that he would receive one or two punches. If he had not been able to take the beating, there would have been no chance to go on the offensive later. Many experts even believed that within his weight class, he had the best ability to take a beating.

The second factor was the stunning, explosive power he possessed. At his peak, Taylor's explosive power was undoubtedly the strongest in the history of boxing. His quick and continuous heavy punches required his body to have high explosive energy, and at the same time, his stamina consumption was also very high. So Taylor would launch a hurricane-like offense once the match began. If he failed to defeat his opponent, he would be in trouble. His remaining stamina would not be enough for him to start the second round of crazy, hurricane-like offense. And by that time, the disadvantage of his shorter arms would put him in a passive situation where he would only get hit.

The explosive power of a young Taylor was shocking. As he aged, especially after 30, his explosive energy would decay at an alarming speed, even if his strength did not. For an athlete with techniques like Taylor's, the deterioration of his explosive power was, simply put, a disaster. The probability of him knocking down an opponent after a wave of fierce attacks like before was gradually getting lower.Dai Li looked at Taylor sympathetically. He asked, "Then, what do you plan to do next? Not boxing anymore?"

"I'm not ready yet. There's still one month left to my ban. I'll just do things step by step and see how things go after the ban." Taylor lifted his head and looked at the metal window with soulless eyes before saying, "If I didn't go bankrupt, I might go and open a boxing hall and name it 'Human Punch.'"

"You owe 20 million dollars, not two thousand. Do you think that opening a boxing hall would help you clear your debt?" Dai Li asked, throwing a wet blanket in Taylor's face.

Of course, Taylor knew that a boxing hall would never be able to clear his 20 million dollar debt unless he could cultivate a second mega-boxing champion like himself.

"So, actually there's only one path for you, and that is to continue boxing," Dai Li said firmly.

Taylor looked confused. Naturally, he knew that what Dai Li said was the truth; continuing to box was the only option if he wanted to clear his debt. But deep within his heart, there was a fear.

It was the fear of starting everything from scratch!

Taylor had left the boxing world for two years. During his two-year ban, Taylor had lost all of his championship belts, and all his boxing league points dropped to zero. He was no longer the boxing champion that awaited challengers from the highest point. He had to become a challenger. Starting everything from scratch, one match at a time, would be just like ascending a high-rise building, walking up the stairs one step at a time.

Can I still do it? The question flashed through his heart, and he knew that he was not the Taylor from more than a decade ago. He was worried that he would lose. He was afraid of suffering failure.

"I don't know why you are hesitating." Dai Li's voice came from the side, he then continued, "I don't think you have any other choice. Of course, you can choose to lower your pride and go receive free food vouchers, apply for relief funds, become the bottom of the society and live frivolously."

"I know, everything you've said, I know it already! I am indeed hesitating because I don't know what to do!" Taylor shook his head violently.

"What else can you do? You are a boxer! You only have to do two things, fight and train!" Dai Li said.

"Fight? Train?" Taylor smiled bitterly and shook his head. "I used to have a luxurious training room, equipped with the world's best training equipment. I offered the coach a monthly salary of 120,000 dollars, and I even had a few sparring partners. But now, everything is gone. My training room was emptied by the bank! No coach, no sparring partners, I don't even have a punching bag!"

"But you're still here!" Dai Li walked two steps forward. "Perhaps I can help you solve these problems. I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Dai Li, and I'm a coach!"

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Chapter 394: New Client

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

"You're a coach?" Taylor looked at Dai Li suspiciously.

In the US, the coaching industry was predominantly white. Americans' impression of Asians was that they weren't good at sports, so Asians working in the coaching industry was extremely rare.

"Forget it." Taylor shook his head. "Even if you were a coach, I don't have the money to pay you. With my current situation, I can't even spare a single cent."

"If it's training fees, you can pay on credit. You can pay me after you've earned money," Dai Li said with a grin.

"Buy on credit? Is that okay?" Taylor asked as he widened his eyes.

Buying on credit was unpopular amongst Americans, as they calculated everything clearly. Personal financial accounts were separated and calculated clearly, even if two people were parent and child. For example, if you treated someone to a ten dollar meal today, then the other person would definitely treat you back to a ten dollar meal the next day, not a single cent more, and not a single cent less. What's more, American's didn't feel that this exchange was inappropriate to be used with friends. Although Americans were used to credit cards, and every American owed the bank money, when it came to transactions between individuals, buying things on credit was very rare.

On this, Dai Li clearly still had not gotten used to American culture. He answered, "Of course you can pay on credit. Besides, you won't be the first athlete to pay on credit at my place."

"Other people pay for training on credit as well?" Taylor asked curiously.

"Yeah. 'Blade warrior' Barron Phillip, you know him, right? He trained at my place. He didn't have money when he first came to me, since he was working part-time and living on government aid. He didn't have money to pay for training," Dai Li answered.

Taylor's expression went from curious to shocked. "You're really the blade warrior's coach?"

Dai Li did not stay focused on that question and instead said, "Back then, Phillip was in a much worse situation than you. He was a disabled person who had lost both legs, and he could only walk using his prostheses. But even then, he worked hard so that he could run like a normal person."

"I know about him. These days, sports media keep reporting about him. Who would have thought that he trained at your place," Taylor said while nodding.

"How about it? Do you have a little more confidence in me now?" Dai Li smiled and continued, "But more importantly, you should have faith in yourself. You need to believe that you can return to your peak."

"I am…" Taylor suddenly stopped. He clearly didn't have the courage to say the last word, "confident."

"I told you just now, you have no other choice. If you still want to clear your debt, if you still want to live with pride, boxing is your only option. I don't think Angie would want to see you living on the streets now, would he?" Dai Li said.

After the mention of the deceased Angie, Taylor finally nodded. However, Dai Li still felt that somehow, Taylor still had some concern hidden within his heart.Coach Lee's Physical Fitness Training Center.

Dai Li glared at Chris Payton, who had just been released, and said in a severe tone, "Chris, I want an explanation."

Of course, Chris Payton knew what Dai Li was talking about. Dai Li had lunch with him, got caught by the police along with him, and was only released on the following morning.

Chris Payton was held longer. It was only because the police couldn't find proof that he had committed any crime that he was ultimately released.

"Sorry boss, I've caused you trouble," Chris Payton said apologetically. His face twitched as he struggled a little, but in the end, he began describing his family background.

In the middle of the last century, American society was in a period of chaos. After the end of the second world war, and at the beginning of the cold war, especially after the Cuban missile crisis, the fear and panic amongst American citizens reached its peak. At the same time, many younger Americans developed a new set of values utterly different than those of their parents' generation. Students began to participate more in political protests, feminism began to rise, and the black community also started to demand equality.

All sorts of open ideas began to ferment, then permeated into every corner of people's lives. The civil rights movement, the feminist movement, the anti-war movement, the anti-cultural movement, the sexual liberation movement… American citizens of that period were very busy.

And these changes greatly impacted the thinking of some of the more traditionally conservative and religious people. As these new ideas emerged, the number of social activities on conservatism also increased. The social unrest which resulted from the strife between the two opposing social classes created the breeding ground for the development of gangs. Although it wasn't comparable to the golden age of the US underworld in the thirties, it in that short period of time, tens of thousands of gangs were formed. In large cities such as New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles, gangs were everywhere.

Chris Payton's grandfather had seized that chance. At first, he was only a biker, riding a heavy motorbike like in the movies. It was a unique culture in the US during the second world war. During those days, bikers weren't necessarily gangsters, they simply belonged to a club for motorbike lovers.

However, under the leadership of Payton's grandfather, a group of bikers in Los Angeles gradually became gangsters. They were involved in selling drugs, extortion, intimidation, and theft. Although one couldn't say that they committed every evil deed out there, the number of crimes they had committed wasn't low.

After the death of Payton's grandfather, his father became the leader of the gang. For decades, the scale of the gang wasn't massive; they only occupied a single territory in Los Angeles. They were still several levels down from the mafia gangs depicted in the movie "The Godfather."

Chris Payton grew up in a gangster environment. If everything went as planned, Chris Payton would have become a gang member like his two older brothers.

However, Chris Payton was never interested in that. He loved football, and he wanted to become a football player. So while his two brothers went everywhere with revolvers in hand, he was running all over the field with a football in his hand.

But his gangster background had also given him a lot of trouble. Ever since he was a little kid, Chris Payton was always regarded as a dangerous person by his school, and because of his family background, good universities were unwilling to admit him.

In the end, Chris Payton went to an average university. He hadn't had much of a choice. He wanted to become a football player, but if he failed to enroll in a more reputable school, he would not only miss his chance at getting top-class training, it would alo be tougher to garner the attention of scouts. As a result, his chance for taking part in the NFL draft was extremely low.

And the reality was just that. Although he was a key player during his university years, nobody paid any attention to him when he took part in the NFL draft. That was why he only played in a low-level football league for a few years before retiring.

Chris Payton blamed it all on his gangster family. So after getting into university, he rarely came into contact with his family. Apart from Christmas or other special occasions, he rarely ever went home.

Despite that, he was still a target for the police. He was caught, questioned, released, and then monitored. The police hoped to gain clues on his father and two brothers from him. Although everything had been to no avail, Chris Payton was still suspected by the police.

"That means you were also innocently dragged into this?" Dai Li asked.

Chris Payton nodded. "If I were really guilty, the police wouldn't have released me."

"Alright, I understand. Let's get back to work," Dai Li said in a carefree manner.

Payton however, looked hesitant. He asked, "I've caused you so much trouble, do you still want me to work here?"

"Why not? Did you think that I would fire you?" Dai Li asked him in return.

"I've worked under three bosses. All of them fired me. They believed that I was also a gang member. But they weren't as unlucky as you; they did not have to stay overnight at the police station." Payton sighed and continued, "Li, I've prepared myself mentally for you to fire me."

"Alright. Stop overthinking. What matters to me is your work ability, not your family background. Besides, getting locked up in the police station might have been a disaster in disguise, since I got us a huge business deal." Dai Li looked at his watch as he said, "Based on our appointment time, that client should be here soon."

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Chapter 395: Lost Confidence

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

In the office of the training center, Dai Li held Taylor's physical test report and shook his head slightly. He was clearly dissatisfied with the physical test results.

"I think you need to lose at least 20 pounds of body weight. If not, your flexibility will be greatly affected," Dai Li stated.

For boxers in the same weight class, greater body weight was generally advantageous; however, for the current Kevin Taylor, greater body weight would instead hinder his movement and flexibility.

Taylor was only slightly more than 1.8 meters tall, which was a disadvantage in heavyweight boxing. A taller boxer had more reach. In boxing, the longer the arms, the more extensive the range of attack. In the world of heavyweight boxing, it was common to see giants who were over two meters tall.

With Taylor's current body weight, if he were to approach a two meter tall person, he might be considered light; however, when looking at Taylor's weight relative to his height, he really needed to start losing weight.

Taylor nodded awkwardly. Even he knew that it was time for him to start losing weight.

After all, Taylor had been banned from fighting in a match for two whole years. A two year hiatus was the ultimate discipline challenge for athletes. How many athletes would maintain high-intensity training for two years with no matches?

Taylor was the same. His life during those two years was undisciplined. He had even developed the habit of drinking and smoking marijuana, which were taboos among athletes. In truth, if Taylor were not hugely in debt and so tight on money, Taylor might have been much fatter.

"I will increase my exercise intensity and start dieting," Taylor said

"Increasing exercise intensity is a must, but there is no need to diet. Just follow my training plan. Your weight will still drop quickly even if you don't go on a diet," Dai Li said with confidence.

A look of suspicion flashed through Taylor's eyes. He was considered a veteran athlete, and he had been the world's greatest boxing champion. He had met quite a few top-class coaches before, but he had never heard that a person did not need to diet to lose 20 pounds of weight.

Dai Li continued by saying, "Apart from that, you have to begin strength training. There is no shortcut there, you can only do it step by step. Also, your ban is ending soon, and you have to get your match feeling back, so you need to find a sparring partner."

"I don't have money for a sparring partner," Taylor said in a dispirited tone.

"I can help with the wage of your sparring partner. Same old rules. Pay on credit." Dai Li paused and said, "You've been a boxer for so many years, you should have some connections, right? I'm sure you know better than me where you can find a suitable sparring partner. But don't find someone too expensive, I don't have too much money."

Taylor glanced gratefully at Dai Li.

Dai Li behind his back and said, "This used to be a gymnasium. I later turned it into a physical fitness training center. I've decided to clear that space and build a boxing ring so that you can use it for training."

"Build a boxing ring especially for me?" Taylor did not manage to react immediately.

"Of course. You are a boxer, you need practical training. You can't expect to just play around and train with this bodybuilding gym equipment all day!" Dai Li said.

Taylor went silent. After a minute, he finally opened his mouth and said, "Coach Li, I don't think there's any need for you to do that. You shouldn't alter your training center especially for me, even building a boxing ring. It's not worth it!"

( Updated by )

"Why? Why do you not think that it is worth it?" Dai Li asked.

"The investment that you want to pour on me isn't worth it, because there's a chance I won't even be able to fully pay your training fees." Taylor lowered his head in disappointment. "Don't forget. I still owe the bank over 20 million dollars. Before I came here, I'd already received a notice from the bankruptcy court that they've agreed to accept my bankruptcy application. In the coming five years, I have to execute a debt repayment plan."

For an American, going bankrupt wasn't always a bad thing. Among past US presidents, many had experienced bankruptcy, including the famous Lincoln. He went bankrupt once in 1833. There was also the current president, Trump. He went bankrupt four times, but because of celebrity effects, his brazen behavior, and his robust way of doing things, his prestige remained even after bankruptcy. And it was common to see cases similar to Trump's among US celebrities. It was common to see the news reporting that some famous person from the US had gone bankrupt, but their lives remained luxurious and exciting.

The bankruptcy of Americans could be divided into two categories. The first involved the liquidation of assets, while the second was a deferred payment scheme. For the liquidation of assets, the assets of the person would be taken away after the bankruptcy announcement. The assets would then be auctioned off to clear debts. The credit rating of the individual would also drop to the minimum. There would be no need to pay the bank any of the owed accounts, but things like debts on taxes, divorce, and alimony fees still had to be paid.

Under these circumstances, it was difficult for the bankrupt person to find a regular job, and it was also almost impossible for them to receive social relief. They could forget about renting a home outside the slums, their children would also end up in poor schools. They couldn't buy medical insurance, and they couldn't buy insurance for their children; they couldn't purchase air tickets or go overseas. They might even be monitored by the police if they entered the area of the rich.

Under normal circumstances, Americans would never choose this method of going bankrupt, because once a person became bankrupt this way, they would lose all their pride and dignity. Many homeless people out there on the streets were merely people who didn't have money, didn't have a job, or didn't have a place to stay. They were not really people who were bankrupt, they just chose to live on the streets rather than going bankrupt.

Compared to the liquidation of assets, Americans preferred the deferred payment scheme as their bankruptcy method. A deferred payment meant that assets would not be taken away; however, a debt repayment plan would exist, and repayments had to be made in the future based on the person's salary. It was actually a sort of debt reorganization. Although the credit rating of the bankrupt person would also drop, there were fewer limitations and restrictions on the person's lifestyle. However, one thing was certain; the insolvent person who used this method still couldn't spend their money however they liked.

Taylor had chosen the deferred payment scheme as his bankruptcy method. After a 20 million dollar debt reorganization, every single cent Taylor earned had to be returned to the bank according to the debt repayment plan. That meant that Taylor had to first give the money he earned to the bank, so it was difficult for him to withdraw too much money as payment for Dai Li's training fee.

However, Dai Li laughed after hearing that. "You only owe the bank 20 million dollars, right? I remember your appearance fee for a single match back in the day was between 10 and 20 million, and that's not including other earnings. You could probably clear off all your debts by fighting in just one match, couldn't you?"

"That was me from seven years ago. I was 25 years old then, but now, I am already 32 years old. I haven't fought in two whole years, so it's impossible for me to return to that kind of condition. By the time I return to the arena in a month, at the end of my ban, I might not even be able to defeat my first opponent!" Taylor said with sad resignation.

I have a modus operandi for this, Dai Li thought to himself. The age-reduction card he received earlier would solve this problem perfectly.

However, the most important thing was to have Taylor recover his confidence as a boxing champion!

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Chapter 396: Fitness Issue

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Taylor stood on one of the gym's scales, both eyes glued to the number that it displayed.

In such a short amount of time, I've become this much lighter? I'm not sick, am I? I just had a medical examination two months ago, and the report indicated that I was in perfect health. Maybe this scale is broken. Taylor stared suspiciously at the scale.

"What's wrong? Are you wondering if the scale is broken?" Dai Li's voice emerged from his side. Taylor turned his head to look at Dai Li with an expression that said, How did you know what I was thinking?

Taylor's expression made Dai Li feel strange. There was a Chinese saying that said that one had to stand on their own by the time they reached the age of 30. Taylor was already a 32-year-old, but his mind was nothing like that of a grown man. One could even say that he had no subtlety. Whatever was on his mind would appear immediately on his face.

No wonder he got conned out of 500 million dollars by his agent. He's like a grown-up kid.

As Dai Li's thoughts wandered, he said, "Don't worry, this scale works fine. You've really lost that much weight."

"I've never lost so much weight in such a short amount of time," Taylor said.

"Don't you think that it's amazing?" Dai Li laughed and continued, "That's why you should have faith in me. Although I am not a professional boxing coach, I won't lose to any boxing coach in aspects of training, apart from punching techniques. As for punching techniques, I think that you are already the world's best, right?"

After all, Taylor had been a professional boxer for 13 years, and he used to stand at the peak of the boxing world, having obtained several heavyweight championship belts. When it came to punching techniques, he wouldn't lose to any boxing coach. Besides, Taylor's fighting style leaned more towards a "one trick pony" anyway, so as long as he perfected his "Three ax tricks of Chen Yaojin," the other techniques weren't that important. He might not even be able to use them in a match.

"I have faith in you, but I have no faith in myself," Taylor said in a low voice.

"You managed to lose more than ten pounds of body weight in such a short amount of time, we're already very close to the initial target of 20 pounds. This is a good start. You should have more confidence in yourself," Dai Li said encouragingly.

Taylor nodded, but his eyes still did not show that he had an ounce of confidence. He hesitated for a few seconds and finally said, "As a matter of fact, I can feel that a lot of my body functions have deteriorated since I was young. My muscles aren't as vigorous. Although I have been recovering, my recovery speed has been extremely slow."

Taylor made a few punches in the air as he spoke, he then shook his head. "I've become weak, much weaker than before. I don't have the kind of explosive power I had when I was young. My combination punches have lost their power, and more importantly, my fitness isn't anywhere near what it used to be."

"Leave your fitness training to me. Don't forget, I am a fitness coach; fitness training is my specialty," Dai Li said with confidence.

"That's not what I mean. What I mean to say is that there is an upper limit to my fitness, and if the upper limit has been lowered, it's not something training can solve."

Taylor lowered his voice and continued, "In truth, even when I was in my early twenties, during my golden years, I could never fight the entire 12 rounds. Even then, if a match were dragged to the tenth round, I would lose all my offensive capabilities. The match I lost back then was dragged past the tenth round. Don't you find it funny? A heavyweight boxing champion who held multiple championship belts didn't even have the fitness to complete 12 rounds of a match?"

"It is a little unexpected." Dai Li nodded.

It certainly sounded funny if someone were to say a professional boxer's fitness couldn't take him through an entire match. Not to mention Taylor, who was a world-class boxing champion.

However, in the boxing world, Taylor was really different. He would always KO his opponents within the first three rounds. For him, fighting until the 12th round would require far too much.

Taylor, who was seated on the opposite, said, "I know. The peak period for a boxer is between 25 and 30 years old. However, during that period, I was in jail. After I got out of jail, I was 30. I had already watered down a great deal, no longer at my peak."

"I remember that after you got out of jail, you only took half a year to regain the WBA championship belt," Dai Li said.

"Yeah, but in truth, back then, my fitness level dropped so much that I couldn't even last ten rounds. I could only fight until the seventh or eighth round then. In the match where I won the WBA championship belt, my opponent was also defeated within the first three rounds." Taylor let out a long sigh and said with shame, "You should know, in the match where I bit off Highfield's ear?"

Dai Li nodded. He knew that to Taylor, there was only one word to describe the match, "Shameful." That ear-biting match gained the attention of the world. Not only had Taylor received a two-year ban for that, he had lost his dignity and pride as the boxing champion and become an object of ridicule.

Dai Li did not know whether the subject would upset or motivate Taylor, so he had never brought it up, but now Taylor had voluntarily brought up the match where he was reduced to a laughingstock.

Taylor continued speaking, "I thought I was going to win. I felt that as long as I continued to attack, Highfield would get knocked down quickly. And back then, most people thought that the chances of me winning were higher; that could be seen easily from the odds given by lottery companies."

"However, the reality was nothing like my imagination. Highfield was very sly. He knew that with my fitness, I wouldn't be able to hold out too long, so he just kept dodging and running. He never confronted me directly, and when there was finally nowhere to run anymore, he would clinch. Then, the referee would separate us."

"Even more aggravating was that he kept using these dirty tricks. He was taller than me, so he would continuously headbutt my face. Sure, it's a common trick in boxing matches, but before that, my opponents were all knocked down before they had the opportunity to use that sort of trick."

"Now that I think about it, he was actually intentionally trying to anger me. He baited me so that I would attack. He wanted to quickly exhaust my stamina, and I fell right into his trap. I grew impatient and anxious as I fought, and as time went by, my stamina expenditure grew faster. I knew that if things were to continue as they were, my stamina would be depleted and I would lose the match!"

"I was eager to attack, but when he began clinching to prevent my attacks, it made me extremely impatient. In one of the attacks, as he clinched me, he headbutted my brow at the same time, it was really painful, excruciating! That kind of pain was completely different from getting punched in the face with a boxing glove. At that moment, I lost my mind, and I directly bit his ear."

Dai Li nodded his head as if he realized something. "So that's what really happened. Looks like this Highfield was a sly old fox!"

"He was always known as the old fox in the boxing world. He was very adept at using all kinds of tricks, and he was also very good at using his dirty tricks when the referees wouldn't be able to see. Those are the things that I was terrible at." Taylor smiled bitterly.

Dai Li could feel Taylor's sense of resignation. For a simple-minded and impulsive athlete like Taylor, when facing old foxes like Highfield, getting played and messed around like that was commonplace.

Taylor continued, "I was 30 years old then, and I could only last seven or eight rounds. Now I am 32 years old, my body has deteriorated more, I don't know if I can even last more than five rounds! What's more, my punches aren't as powerful as they used to be, so I am not confident that I can defeat my opponents in three rounds."

"Is your physical fitness the main reason you have no faith in yourself?" Dai Li asked.

Taylor nodded. He then fell into silence.

Dai Li finally understood. Taylor lost his self-confidence because he understood the condition his body was in. He seemed to be a simple-minded person on the surface, but in reality, his judgment of himself was extremely accurate. He did not have an exaggerated opinion of his ability, in fact, he was completely aware of his limits when it came to boxing.

Dai Li suddenly remembered a phrase: "When God closes a door, he always leaves a window open." Taylor was a complete idiot regarding personal finances. Tricked by his agent, losing over 500 million dollars' worth of assets in just a few years. However, when it came to boxing, he was truly a genius!

"If you were 26 or 27 years old, you should be able to fight the full 12 rounds, right?" Dai Li asked. "You should have been at your peak then."

"I don't know." Taylor shook his head. "I was in prison then."

"Did you not continue to train boxing while you were in prison?" Dai Li asked.

"It's a bit embarrassing to talk about, but when I was in prison, I was beaten by others." Taylor smiled bitterly again and continued, "I was imprisoned in a jail in Indianapolis. On the day I arrived at the prison, everyone was cheering. They weren't welcoming me. They had found a new opponent, and they couldn't wait to kick my ass to increase their reputation."

"There's even something like that?" Dai Li asked curiously.

"Yeah. I could feel hostility coming from every corner of the prison. I knew that everyone around me wanted to take me down," Taylor answered.

"You say that you were beaten by someone. It can't be that you couldn't beat them in a fight?" Dai Li asked cautiously.

"At first I thought that I could knock them down in one punch too, but who'd have thought that prison had so many hidden talents? One of them was an infamous fighter from the underworld; he once killed his opponent with one kick in an underground fighting ring. There was also a karate champion of the west coast; apart from that, people who were keen for a fight were everywhere. These convicts had nothing better to do all day than use the prison gym. It was set up especially for these muscle head criminals to vent out their extra energy!" Taylor exclaimed.

"On this, my country is much better. The criminals of my country are very busy while serving their time in prison. They have to take part in labor reform, study political science, and increase their ideological awareness. Of course, they have time to exercise too, but there is definitely no lack of outlets for them to vent out their energy," Dai Li said with a grin.

"Yeah, it's not a good thing when criminals have too much energy. I was used to dominating the boxing ring, so I didn't take the criminals seriously. I originally thought they were only punks from the streets, and I suffered for it. I personally witnessed a big guy having a spat with a prison boss. When the boss hit him, the big guy was unconscious before he hit the ground. By the time the prison officers arrived, he had already stopped breathing," Taylor said. ( Updated by )

"Since he killed someone in prison, it didn't end well for the prison boss, right?" Dai Li asked.

"The state of Indiana has already abolished the death penalty. The cumulative prison sentence of that prison boss was already 85 years, so he won't be getting out in this lifetime anyway. Killing one more person didn't really matter to him. At most, he would get locked up in a supermax. And in that prison, conflicts that result in injuries happen almost every day."

Taylor's tone sounded weak, and he continued, "I'm not a ruffian, and I still wanted to get out and enjoy life, so I treated every provocation carefully. I didn't dare practice boxing, because I was worried that would be seen as showing off. I didn't even dare to go to the gym. Every time I walked past the gym, I would see convicts hitting the sandbag crazily to show off. I didn't even dare to train in squats."

"Which is to say, in those five years, you have had absolutely no practice?" Dai Li never would have imagined that things would be like this; he had initially thought that someone like Taylor, upon entering prison, would become the virtual king of the prison, someone that no one dared to offend. He never would have thought that Taylor was a coward that hid and avoided everyone he saw in prison.

Later, Dai Li noticed another issue. He said, "You haven't trained in five years, but after being released, you only took half a year to regain the WBA championship belt. When it comes to boxing, you are really a genius!"

"I guess you can't say that I absolutely didn't practice. I actually started training again in the last two years of my sentence." Taylor pointed to a scar on his head and continued, "You remember the underground fighting champion that killed someone with a kick? He left me this. He broke my nose bridge and another three of my ribs. I was sent to the hospital for one month."

"There really is someone who can defeat you?" Dai Li was somewhat surprised.

"He's a master who has experienced life and death fights, and I've never seen anyone so strong." Taylor didn't seem to want to talk about the underground fighting champion who injured him. "After I returned from the hospital, my agent gave that underground champion some money, and reached an understanding with him. I guess you can say that we paid him protection money to take care of me. Later, my agent used more money to hire a bunch of convicts to become my bodyguards. At the same time, he also rented a single room cell for me in prison. During those time, I even got myself a female prison officer! She wasn't pretty, she was also a little old and not in good shape, there was even a lot of fat… But you know, in prison, any woman is desired!"

Taylor's eyebrows danced in joy at the mention of women, and it was obvious that he was showing off.

Dai Li, on the other hand, looked dumbfounded. "That's a little off-topic, don't you think? What I want to know is, how strong were you when you were 26 or 27 years old?"

"Is this important?" Taylor asked.

"It's very important!" Dai Li continued, "Tell me this; if you hadn't gone to prison, and continued to practice boxing, when do you think your body would have been in peak condition?"

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Chapter 397: Price Markup

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

"27 years old. If I hadn't gone to prison, I would probably have been strongest when I was 27 years old," Taylor answered after thinking for a long time.

27 years old! Dai Li began calculating in his mind.

Taylor is 32 years old this year, so if I use the age-reduction card, I will need to subtract five years for him to return to his body condition at 27 years old. The effective period of the age-reduction card for a five-year deduction is 240 days. Adding three cards together means 720 days. No, wait, it shouldn't be calculated like that. As I use the age-reduction card, Taylor's age will still increase.

As Dai Li reached this conclusion, he asked, "Kevin, when's your birthday?"

"June 30th. What's wrong?" Taylor looked puzzled.

Dai Li did not answer Taylor's question. Instead, he took out his phone and opened his calendar before counting again.

If I use the first age-reduction card on Taylor, subtracting five years, the effective period of 240 days shouldn't be a problem. But after the 240 days are up, Taylor will become 33 years old, so I will then need to deduct six years for Taylor to become 27 years old. That means that the second age-reduction card will only be effective for 210 days.

After 210 days, let me see… It's not the 30th of June yet, so Taylor is still 33 years old. If I look at it like this, the third age-reduction card should also last 210 days. So the total time of effect for the three age-reduction cards is 660 days. Not even two years. Which means that I can ensure that Taylor will remain at his peak condition for two years. Two years later, Taylor will be 34 years, and it should be about time for him to retire.

Taylor looked at Dai Li, who was swiping left and right on his phone. Taylor couldn't help himself, and he asked, "Li, what are you calculating?"

Dai Li still didn't answer Taylor's question, but simply said, "Kevin, if there is a method to help your body return to its peak. Would you be willing to give it a try?"

"Bullsh*t, of course I'm willing," Taylor replied firmly.

"Even if the time you remained at your peak was limited, such as two years?" Dai Li continued asking.

"Of course I'm still willing! Two years is more than enough for me to dominate the entire boxing world; I could obtain several championship belts," Taylor replied without any form of hesitation.

"Then I'll do my best to help your body return to its condition from when you were 27 years old," Dai Li said.

Taylor, however, only widened his eyes. "Coach Li, you are joking with me, right?"

Dai Li shook his head. "I am not joking, I am really going to do my best."

"Coach Li, that's impossible. People age, and no one can go back in time. The condition of the body will only worsen. The peak that I enjoyed while I was in my twenties is gone," Taylor replied.

"I have my resources." Dai Li put on a mysterious expression and continued, "Since I can make Phillip run faster than a normal healthy athlete, it is natural that I have special training methods."

"Coach Li, don't tell me you know voodoo?" Taylor asked with bulging eyes.

"Hehe…" Dai Li did not answer. He deliberately put on a look of mystery, but in his mind, he was considering what price he should ask for the use of his age-reduction cards.There are 200 age-reduction cards, just as there were 200 athlete's patches. But I feel that the age-reduction card is more useful, and its range of use is much wider. Where there still a good number of athletes with body defects like Phillip, no one is impervious to the attack of time. Every athlete will age, which means that every athlete can make use of the age-reduction card.

And the time of effect of the age-reduction card is much shorter than the athlete's patch. The effective period of the athlete's patch is fixed at one year, whereas limitations are set on the effective period of the age-reduction card. The age-reduction card is more useful, and they will also be used faster, so the age-reduction card is definitely more valuable than the athlete's patch. There's no way I can only take 5%. I must increase the price.

The sound of water boiling on the kettle disrupted Dai Li's thoughts. Dai Li picked up the kettle of boiling water and made himself a cup of tea.

He blew at the tea leaves in his cup. Dai Li suddenly came up with a different idea.

Why not just price them separately? 10 million dollars for one age-reduction card. That shouldn't be too expensive. 200 age-reduction cards would be worth 2 billion dollars; that's enough for me to return and wed Xiao Yunan. But in Taylor's current condition, he might not even be able to fork out 1000 dollars.

Forget it, I should just continue using the revenue sharing model. Taylor is a world-class boxing champion, and if he's more hard-working, earning 100 million dollars a year should be easy. Then should I just take 10% of his income? Still looks a bit too low, huh.

Dai Li frowned and pondered. He finally took out his phone and dialed the number of the law firm.

"Hi, I'd like to inquire about a revenue sharing contract…"The men's 400m sprint world championship final was being broadcast live on television.

All the representatives of the US team had made it into the final, and among them, of course, was "blade warrior" Barron Phillip.

Without a doubt, Phillip was the absolute focus of the entire stadium. A disabled person who had lost both legs was competing against normal people, and he even made it into the final. Reaching this stage was already considered a success for Phillip. It didn't matter if he finished last; the applause he received would definitely be more than the first place winner. / update by

In reality, Phillip was the weakest of the eight contestants in the world championship final. He was a disabled person after all, and no matter how much hard work he put in, there was no way for him to run faster than those able-bodied world champions.

The gunshot that signaled the start of the race boomed, and Phillip worked hard to accelerate, but he was still slower than the other seven contestants.

Phillip continued to lag behind, even during the latter stage of the race when his advantage was in full effect. He ran faster and faster, but the gap between him and the top three was still ridiculous.

In the end, Phillip was the last contestant to run past the finish line…

Phillip placed last. He was miles away from getting a medal, but he wasn't sad. He looked contented. He had already surpassed himself by appearing on that racetrack.

The audience in the stands gave Phillip the most enthusiastic applause. Nobody paid any attention to the gold, silver, and bronze medal winners; those who had won medals were not that important. The focus of the stadium was concentrated on Phillip.

The contestant who won the championship shook his head in resignation. He knew that he had been reduced to a background character in Phillip's story.

Since he'd already become a background character, he might as well find the main character to get himself some attention!

The champion walked towards Phillip to congratulate him with a big smile on his face.

The first place contestant congratulating the last place contestant could sound like a mockery, but the champion's face was full of admiration.

Regardless of whether it was truthful, or if it was for the media, paying homage to Phillip was politically correct, at the very least. Even if he were a simple-minded big-mouthed athlete, he wouldn't do anything that would insinuate that he was insulting or mocking Phillip.

"It's over!" Dai Li let out a long sigh as if a heavy burden had just been lifted off his shoulders. Phillip was the result of several months of his training, and he had finally reaped its rewards.

Dai Li turned off the television and left the office after grabbing a file. He found Taylor.

"Kevin. Look at this contract." Dai Li passed the document to Taylor.

"What's this?" Taylor took the document and frowned, and said at the same time, "I absolutely hate looking at these densely packed things. I get a headache whenever I see them."

"This is the training agreement of my place," Dai Li said.

"Haha, looks like I've got another debt. How much do I owe you?" Taylor said in a carefree manner.

No matter how good the relationship between two parties, their accounts were separated very clearly. Although Dai Li said that the training fee could be paid on credit, the credit still required an actual number. Taylor having no money was a special case, but if Dai Li didn't bring up the topic of payment, their cooperation wouldn't sound solid. That was why Taylor was very calm when he saw that formal contract.

"This contract of mine is a little unique, because the actual number isn't written on it. What I want is a percentage, a percentage of your income." Dai Li continued, "I'll explain it to you briefly. You currently owe the bank 20 million dollars, right? So according to the rules and conditions in this contract, over the next two years, 20% of your income from after you've paid off your debt will become your training fee. You can get a lawyer to help you review the details."

"You take 20% of my income, yeah?" Taylor looked at Dai Li with a silly look on his face. He then continued, "Li, I can't sign this contract. Can't you just put down an actual figure?"

"Why? Do you think you're losing money?" Dai Li asked cautiously. He thought that perhaps Taylor felt that 20% of his income was too much.

"I think you will lose money!" Taylor shook his head. "I owe 20 million dollars! I'm no longer a boxing champion. There is no way I can repay all of the 20 million dollars in the next 2 years with my current condition! So when you say that in the next two years, 20% of what I earn after I've fully repaid my debt belongs to you, the result might very well be that you will not even earn a single cent. Li, even if you can't make a profit from me, I don't want to see you make a deal that will make you lose money."

"Hahaha…" Dai Li laughed. He had not expected Taylor to reject the deal for his sake. He couldn't help but feel touched at that moment.

"Kevin, believe me. I won't make a loss. On the contrary, by then, I fear that you will think that I'm making too much from you!" Dai Li said.Dai Li was fully aware of the earning potential of the ultimate boxing champion. When it came to appearance fees, the highest amount Taylor had achieved was 20 million dollars per match, and that was the standard from ten years ago. In the present day, if Taylor were to return to his role as the ultimate boxing champion, it would be perfectly reasonable for his appearance fee to exceed 50 million dollars per match.

Apart from the appearance fee, there were match bonuses as well. The match bonus for a match between top class boxing champions would be several tens of millions of dollars. And if the attention of the match was high, the boxers could request all kinds of dividends, which would be another twenty or thirty million dollars' worth of income. So, for a top-class boxer, if he were to fight in a match that garnered a lot of attention, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that he could earn 100 million dollars per match.

Based on this calculation, it would be entirely possible for Dai Li to earn several tens of millions of dollars' worth of dividends from Taylor.

Taylor finally decided to sign the contract and shifted his focus back towards training. The end of his ban was gradually getting closer. The current Taylor could no longer wait to fight in his comeback match and to clear off his 20 million dollar debt."Li, I'm back! I just got off the plane," Stephen's familiar voice said from the phone.

Phillip had gone to Europe for the world championship, and Stephen had followed him there. Of course, Stephen went at his own expense. Stephen knew that once Phillip appeared at the world championship, his value would soar. That was why Stephen decided to follow him to Europe to look for business opportunities.

Opportunity favored the prepared. Stephen found quite a number of advertising endorsement deals for Phillip in Europe, so after the World Championship in Athletics ended, Phillip did not return to the US with the national team. He only returned after finishing all the advertisement shoots there.

Stephen returned even later than Phillip. Phillip was already training when Stephen was just arriving at Los Angeles.

"You've returned later than Phillip, huh. I heard you've brought him another deal?" Dai Li asked.

"Yeah, a big business deal. It's Adidas. They've agreed to especially design a shoe for Phillip, and it's going to be named the 'Blade Warrior,' so I went to Adidas' headquarters in Germany to discuss that," Stephen said.

"Designing a shoe for Phillip, why does this sound ridiculous to me? He doesn't even have legs…" There was a hint of mockery in Dai Li's tone.

"But Adidas is willing to pay! This could earn us a lot!" Stephen continued, "Now that I think back about it, I get more impressed by the day. The earnings you've got from that 5% could probably buy your entire training center by now."

"You've moved into a bigger house too, isn't that right?" Dai Li said while laughing.

"Yeah, we both have to thank Phillip." Stephen's tone changed and he said, "I'm going home to drop off my luggage, then I'll meet you at the training center. Do you have time this afternoon?"

"I do have free time, but don't you have jet lag?" Dai Li asked.

"Every time I think about that huge endorsement fee, I'm so excited I can't even sleep! Wait for me, I'll be there very soon," Stephen said as he hung up the phone.Stephen walked into the training center excitedly. The recently built boxing ring immediately attracted his attention.

It has just been a few weeks, and he's already added new equipment. A boxing ring! I'd like to get up there and throw a punch or two, just for fun. Stephen looked at the boxing ring, but as he moved closer, he discovered that the man practicing on it looked incredibly familiar.

That's Kevin Taylor! The Taylor who bit off someone's ear! Stephen blinked several times to make sure he wasn't mistaken.

It's been a while since I last read any news on Taylor. I think he was match-banned. Counting the time, his ban is probably ending soon. Who would have thought that he would actually be training here? Coach Li found another big client! I think I heard that Taylor fired his previous agent, I wonder who Taylor's current agent is? Stephen's eyeballs couldn't help but move around as he contemplated.

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Chapter 398: Unprofitable Deal

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

"This is the result of my trip to Europe. We've got several new advertisements and endorsements." Stephen passed a document to Dai Li.

Dai Li accepted the documents, saying, "I heard that Phillip's popularity in Europe has even surpassed his popularity in the US?"

"Yes." Stephen nodded. "The Europeans really loved Phillip. His popularity there was on par with any top-class sports star. If that weren't the case, we wouldn't have been able to get so many advertisement deals."

Stephen continued speaking in a casual and non-caring manner. "Did I see Kevin Taylor outside just now?"

"Yeah, my new client," Dai Li answered vaguely, not revealing how he met Taylor.

It was obvious Stephen wanted to remain on that topic. "How did you guys meet? Did he come to you, or did you go to him?"

"I think it was a coincidence," Dai Li replied. He still didn't want to bring up the incident at the police station.

Stephen also noticed that Dai Li was speaking nonchalantly, but in the end, he asked directly, "What I want to ask is, the one who first came into contact with you, was it Taylor himself or was it his agent?"

Dai Li suddenly understood. "You're asking if Taylor has an agent, right?"

"Yes, that's exactly what I mean." Stephen continued, "I heard that Taylor fired his agent, but that was two years ago. As for who Taylor's current agent is, I really have no idea. But a sports star at Taylor's level probably won't lack an agent."

"Taylor currently has no agent," Dai Li replied.

He currently doesn't have an agent! Joy flashed through Stephen's eyes.

"You want to become his agent, don't you?" Dai Li asked directly.

"Of course." Stephen did not even try to hide the fact. "That's Kevin Taylor! Ten years ago he was the most famous sports superstar in the US. If you talked about boxing, no one in the world would not know his name, and his commercial value was hundreds of millions of dollars. He was the kind of client agents dream of. He could make an agent filthy rich!"

"Really?" Dai Li smiled. "Do you think the current Taylor has hundreds of millions of dollars' worth of commercial value? Don't forget, he's not young anymore. He's 32 years old."

"Ugh, you're right. That match where he bit off Highfield's ear in front of God and everybody lost him all his sponsors. Even now, those advertisement sponsors will avoid him at all costs. Nobody wants to have someone who has been stained endorse their products," Stephen analyzed logically.

"Then, you still want to be his agent?" Dai Li asked.

"Of course!" Stephen answered firmly. "Even if he doesn't have any income from advertising endorsements, he could earn a sizable income just from boxing alone. He is a little old, and perhaps he'll have to retire after a few years, but the appearance fees and match bonuses older boxers get are still pretty high. Even if he doesn't win a single match, just an appearance fee alone could earn him 10 to 20 million dollars. And for me, that is a commission of one to two million! A lot of people can't earn that much in their entire life."

Dai Li nodded. In the US, a job that paid over 3000 dollars a month was either a more presentable jobs, or heavy labor that normal people wouldn't do. A supermarket clerk or a waiter working in a restaurant definitely couldn't make that much. According to statistics, the median annual income for American families was 53,000 dollars. One million dollars was the equivalent of 17 or 18 years of income for these families. Compared to an individual, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that one might not be able to earn that much in his lifetime.

However, Dai Li was not optimistic about Stephen's chances. "Taylor is just outside. You can ask him if he wants to let you be his agent, but don't get your hopes too high."

"Why?" Stephen asked.

"Taylor was tricked by his previous agent, the one that he fired. Taylor told me that agent of his lied to him and cheated him out of a lot of his money. A towel that cost a few dollars, his agent would report as costing 8000 dollars. Through this method, his agent took almost all his money. That's why he doesn't believe in agents now," Dai Li explained.

"A lot of people in our line of work don't have any work ethics. There are always some black sheep in every profession. The main responsibility of agents like us is to help our clients make more money, and I believe no one would feel sorry for making more money. If Kevin Taylor wants to earn more money, then he will definitely need an agent," Stephen said.

"Alright then. If that's the case, I wish you good luck.""I don't need an agent!" Taylor shook his head with determination.

"Mr. Taylor, I know that you've been tricked by your previous agent, and you lost a lot of money because of that, but I'm not that kind of unethical degenerate. I can assure you if you choose to appoint me as your agent, I will definitely place your interest as my priority. Choosing me will definitely be the correct decision," Stephen said.

Taylor was unmoved, and he shook his head without hesitation."I really don't need an agent right now."

Stephen straightened his body and continued advising. "I am Barron Phillip's agent. Barron Phillip. The blade warrior. I'm sure you've heard of him! Ever since I became Barron Phillip's agent, I've brought him over 15 million dollars' worth of advertising endorsement deals, so you can completely trust in my professionalism."

Taylor looked at Stephen's enthusiastic expression and sighed in resignation. "I'll tell you the truth then. I'm actually bankrupt!"

"Bankrupt?" Stephen was stunned. He, of course, knew what being bankrupt meant.

"How much do you owe the bank?" Stephen asked immediately.

"More than 20 million dollars," Taylor answered, not hiding anything.

"20 million! That much!" Stephen suddenly looked amazingly serious.

Taylor nodded and smiled bitterly. "Now do you understand? I can't afford an agent."

Stephen's heart was instantly distracted. He initially thought that he had caught himself a big fish; he never would have imagined that only the meatless bone of the big fish was left. Even if one were to dispose of it, there would be an additional garbage disposal fee.

No agent would be willing to take on a bankrupt athlete. A bankrupt athlete meant zero profits for an agent; moreover, Taylor still owed the bank 20 million dollars. That number was astronomical even for most American athletes. Even in the NBA, sports stars with after tax income of more than 20 million dollars were rare.

Kevin Taylor is already 32 years old, he has long left his peak, and he is no longer the ultimate boxing champion from before. How long will he need before he clears off his debt of 20 million dollars? Three years? Five years? By then he probably won't be able to fight anymore! Becoming his agent definitely won't bring any profit. No wonder he still doesn't have a new agent; no one is stupid. Who would work on something that doesn't make money?

Stephen immediately dismissed his previous idea. He had no intention of picking up a client that didn't make money. Updated by After half an hour, Stephen returned to Dai Li's office.

Seeing Stephen's strange expression, Dai Li couldn't help but ask, "How was your chat with Taylor? Was he willing to let you be his agent?"

Stephen did not answer. Instead, he moved one step forward, lowered his voice, and asked, "Did you know that Kevin Taylor is bankrupt?"

"Of course," Dai Li nodded.

"And you still let him train here? Can he afford the training fee?" Stephen asked. "You are not an American so you might not understand bankruptcy. Taylor is currently in the bankruptcy protection period, so there will be a lot of consumer limitations in place. Apart from that, there is also the repayment plan after the debt reorganization. He needs to first make up his tax payments, and the other debt repayments also take priority."

"I know that he currently can't pay a single cent of training fee. Sometimes I even have to buy him lunch," Dai Li said calmly.

"Oh my God, Coach Li, you should understand that you own a training center, not a charity!" Stephen said.

"Of course I don't run a charity, but I am confident that Taylor will pay me the training fees he owes. This is an investment, just like with Phillip. Wasn't it the same? Not to mention that Phillip couldn't even be considered a professional athlete at first while, Taylor was already an ultimate boxing champion," Dai Li said casually.

"Coach Li, Taylor owes the bank 20 million dollars!" Stephen reminded.

"More than 20 million," Dai Li corrected. "All the things that you've said, I know and understand them."

"You know and understand, but you're still doing it anyway? You're crazy!" Stephen shook his head. "Li, you are a professional sports coach; you should know that the current Taylor is far from his former self. He passed his peak age a long time ago, and his condition will only get worse as time passes. He won't be making much money in the future. As a friend, I have to remind you that if you continue conducting business like this, you will lose money."

"I have faith in my athletes." Dai Li smiled. "I believe, under my guidance, Taylor will return to his peak!"

"Alright, I don't know where you get your confidence. You're too stubborn, I can't advise you anymore!" Stephen shook his head in resignation and prepared to leave.

"Hold on a second, you never told me if Taylor agreed to let you be his agent?" Dai Li stopped Stephen in his tracks.

"Even if he agreed, I wouldn't take him! I'm not like you. I don't find unprofitable deals that lose money." Stephen shook his head. "Alright, I'm going. I came to your place immediately after I got off the plane. I'm going to head back, take a shower, and go to bed."

"Unprofitable? Take a loss?" Dai Li shook his head as he watched Stephen's shadow gradually shrink while he walked away.

"We aren't sure who is taking a loss yet!"

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Chapter 399: Opponent

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

The number of boxing organizations in the world was unbelievable. In the US alone, there were more than 70 of them. In reality, a lot of boxing organizations could no longer effectively organize boxing matches. Those organizations would only occasionally appear in regional competitions, provide support in organizing competitions, and sometimes work together with larger and stronger organizations to jointly certify world champions, to show that they still existed.

Without a doubt, the most reputable boxing organizations were the four professional boxing organizations: the World Boxing Association (WBA), the World Boxing Organization (WBO), the World Boxing Council (WBC), and the International Boxing Federation (IBF). Apart from those, there were organizations like the WPBF, WBE, WBF, WBU, IBA, WBB, IBO, IBC, IBU, PBO, WBN, GBU, UBO, and various other more reputable professional boxing organizations. Among them, the IBO and WBF were also quite well-known, and a lot of world-class boxing champions were registered in them.

As the current president of the World Boxing Council, it could be said that Surman enjoyed limitless fame. The WBC had 162 member nations, and was like a condensed version of the United Nations. In nations where professional boxing was well-developed, Surman would receive welcome of the highest class. For example, when he went to South Africa, the president personally welcomed him; when he was in Mexico, he had dinner with the president; even in the US, he was a frequent visitor of the White House.

However, on this day, Surman looked as if he was having the worst headache ever.

"Two years. It vanished before I realized it was gone. That troublesome fellow is coming back," Surman said in a flat monologue, the distance between his furrowed brows becoming shorter and shorter.

On the side, the assistant held a document and said, "Mr. President, from what we have, Kevin Taylor's comeback match doesn't lack any opponents. I've asked a lot of boxers, and most of them are willing to become Kevin Taylor's first opponent upon his return. This the name list after my selection."

"Haha… Just as I expected." Surman smiled, picked up the document, and said, "Taylor used to be the world's strongest heavyweight boxing champion. If he makes a comeback now, many champions will be itching for a chance to beat him up!"

His assistant nodded. "If he were the Taylor from back then, perhaps no one would want to be his opponent. But now, everyone knows that he is just an aging lion, and his teeth and claws are no longer sharp. The younger lions are impatiently waiting for a chance to strike him down to prove their strength."

As the saying went, "In the Yangtze River, the waves behind drive the waves in front forward, and the waves in front splatter and disappear on the beach." If the young professional boxers wanted to become famous quickly, the best way would be to defeat a very renowned boxer; ideally, one who was on the level of a boxing champion. But under normal circumstances, how could a young boxer defeat a boxing champion? Sports was a competition of strength, and those who could become boxing champions, who could wear those championship belts, were definitely amongst the top, even if they weren't the absolute strongest at their level.

At that moment, Taylor was obviously the most suitable "wave in front." His reputation was still great, and if someone could defeat him and make him splatter and disappear on the beach, even if it were an obscure newbie, that newbie would become famous after just one fight.

Not to mention Taylor's technique. Taylor was the kind of boxer who used to dominate the entire boxing world, so his techniques had already been thoroughly researched. Even an ordinary person would know that Taylor's fighting style relied heavily on explosive power. And he was already past his peak, so his explosive power had already deteriorated severely. He could no longer produce the kind of deadly combination punches he had when he was young.

For a professional boxer, finding a way to deal with Taylor wasn't hard. The Taylor from several years ago could take on ten people at the same time, and his three tricks were undefeated. The current Taylor's strength was very likely halved, and to a professional boxer, fighting him would be that much easier.

So many boxers with considerable strength hoped to become Taylor's first opponent after his comeback. They wanted to try to defeat Taylor in that first match. To overcome the one who had once dominated the boxing world, and to become famous through that match, using Taylor as a stepping stone. What an exciting thing it would be!

However, that was also the cause of Surman's headache. What type of boxer should he arrange as Kevin Taylor's first opponent in his comeback match?

Surman shook his head repeatedly as he browsed through the name list. It was apparent that he was dissatisfied with the boxers on the list.

"No. These won't work. They are too weak." Surman rejected them.

"Based on conventional methods, we don't usually schedule strong opponents in the first comeback match of a boxer," the assistant stated.

"That is true, but our conventional methods shouldn't apply to Taylor." Surman folded his arms and thought for ten seconds before speaking. "How about Saunders? Can he fight?"

"You mean 'The Trench' Saunders? Isn't he a little too strong? He is, after all, the tenth ranked title challenger for the champion's belt. Besides, his techniques are quite effective in restraining Kevin Taylor. Would Taylor be able to beat him?" the assistant asked.

"That's the reason why he should be the one to confront Taylor in his first comeback match, because none of us know how much strength Taylor has left, and Saunders is the perfect touchstone," Surman declared.

The assistant looked at Surman with a puzzled expression, so Surman continued to explain. "For us, Taylor's value lies in the fact that he used to be the boxing champion, the conqueror of the heavyweight boxing world at that. If he were just an ordinary boxer, would I follow him personally? But if the current Taylor can't even defeat Saunders, then that would mean that he had lost the strength to remain a boxing champion. A has-been boxing champion whose strength is only average does not deserve further resources from us. Try and think, who would pay attention to a match where newbies fought against each other?"

"But Taylor should have a decent number of fans. From that perspective, he should still have some form of commercial value," the assistant said.

"In the match against Highfield when Taylor bit his ear, that was probably the most scandalous news within the last few decades! Biting someone's ear off just because you couldn't defeat him. If it were you, would you support this type of boxer?" Surman rebutted.

The assistant laughed and shook his head. Surman then continued, "When Taylor was young, he constantly caused trouble. You should remember why he was put in prison back then, right? Rape! To tell you the truth, if he were just an average boxer, I might have removed his name from the WBC a long time ago!""Coach Li, my opponent in my first comeback match has been confirmed. It's 'The Trench' Saunders," Taylor said with a serious expression.

"'The Trench' Saunders? I've never heard of him." Dai Li obviously did not know too much about the boxing world. Apart from the few world-renowned boxing champions, Dai Li didn't know anyone else. As such, Dai Li pulled out his phone and searched for information about "The Trench" Saunders.

Taylor, who sat opposite Dai Li, began describing the man instead. "Saunders is 26 years old this year. He's one of the rising stars that came to prominence in the heavyweight boxing world within the last three years. He only started appearing and gaining fame when I received the match ban. He's currently ranked tenth among the challengers for the WBC champion's belt."

The championship belt was the gold medal of boxing. Only those who had received championship belts were called "boxing champions."

Among boxing organizations, the strongest boxer within each weight class was naturally the owner of the championship belt, and within a weight class, the top 15 contenders were the title challengers. These 15 people were ranked according to their points, and the person who ranked first was called the first challenger of the championship belt, the second-ranked would be called the second challenger, and so on.

All 15 people within the rank table were qualified to challenge for the championship belt. For example, if a boxer's points were just enough for him to be ranked 15, it meant that he had only just qualified to challenge for the title, but he did not need to defeat all 14 boxers who were ranked higher than him. It wasn't compulsory for him to defeat the first ranked boxer either; he could directly initiate a title challenge with the boxing champion. If he won, then the championship belt would belong to him, and he would be the new boxing champion. Those 14 people who were ranked higher than him still remained as title challengers.

By the same reasoning, if a boxer failed to get into the top 15, he would not be allowed to initiate a championship belt title challenge.

The heavyweight class had always been a more popular weight class in world-class boxing organizations such as the WBC. If a boxer were to successfully rise into the top ten, he was definitely worthy of being regarded as a world-class boxer within that weight class.

Dai Li understood these fundamentals of boxing, but he had never heard of this Saunders. Upon learning that he was the tenth ranked challenger, Dai Li also knew that he would be a tough opponent.

"You seem worried. Are you afraid that you will lose?" Dai Li consoled Taylor. "I haven't even heard the name of this boxer, Saunders, before. You're a boxing champion, I'm confident you can win!"

"If it were me from ten years ago, I could probably settle this fellow in one round, but now, I think that it will be difficult for me to win this match. I originally thought that the opponent for my first comeback match would be weaker, and the difficulty would be lower. Who would have thought the WBC would arrange such a difficult opponent?" Taylor said with a face without confidence.

"Is this Saunders strong?" Dai Li asked.

"His nickname is 'The Trench.' You should know what a trench is, right? In battle, soldiers on defense would hide behind the trenches while they fired away at their enemies. A trench protects people, it helps soldiers avoid bullets and bombs," Taylor said slowly.

"What you mean is that Saunders is formidable in his defense," Dai Li said immediately.

Taylor nodded. "In the heavyweight class, it's rare to see a defensive type boxer, because once you get to heavyweight, the power of the punches can no longer be blocked through defense alone. In reality, Saunders' fighting style is more like a counterattack; he looks for chances to unleash critical hits after the end of his opponent's attack. And for me right now, he is precisely the type of fighter I am afraid of most. I would rather face a boxer who would exchange hits with me than fight a counter-attacking boxer like Saunders. He will restrain me too effectively."

"Looks like you can only settle things quickly, try to knock him down at the beginning of the match," Dai Li said while laughing.

"For the current me, I'm afraid it would be hard to achieve that." Taylor shook his head in resignation. "Now that I think about it, I think that making a comeback might be a mistake. I can imagine it, all those youngsters who are looking to make a name for themselves, lining up to kick my ass! Then they will say that they have defeated Kevin Taylor, that would be enough for them to boast about their entire life…"

Dai Li sighed slightly. Confrontational sports were cruel, and everyone tried to use their seniors as stepping stones. Most people would choose to leave the boxing industry once their condition began to deteriorate, so that they could avoid becoming a stepping stone for those who came after them, thus preventing themselves from losing the dignity of the boxing champion.

If Taylor had not lost all his assets while still owing the bank so much money, perhaps he would have also chosen to retire.

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Chapter 400: Singing a Different Tune

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Las Vegas was where most boxing matches were held. It could even be called the "Holy Land of Boxing" in the US, and because Las Vegas was also the "Gambling Capital" of the world, it had the most developed betting industry in the world.

Before the nineties, American boxers gathered in New York because New York was the most developed and heavily populated city in the US. In New York, any sport would be able to find a vast market, and many world boxing championships were held in the Madison Square Garden back then.

However, because a gambling ban was written into the legal provisions of New York, the development of the boxing industry was greatly restrained. Since then, Las Vegas began its "marriage" with boxing. With the support of casinos, bookmakers, and betting businesses and groups, the boxing industry developed rapidly in Las Vegas, ultimately achieving its current status.

Boxing could no longer be separated from gambling. Where there was boxing, there would be gambling. The better developed the gambling industry of a place, the more boxing matches there would be. Las Vegas was like that, and so was Macau, Mexico City, and Johannesburg.

In the age of manual betting, boxing was the sport with the highest wagers. It was only after the rise of online betting that soccer surpassed the bet amounts of boxing.

From this perspective, Britons really loved to gamble. Their three favorite sports, which were soccer, boxing, and horse racing, were the most popular sports in the betting industry. Bets on soccer matches, boxing matches, and horse racing consistently contributed to the betting industry, while bankrupting a lot of people at the same time.

Soccer bets were mainly online, and manual offline bets were rare. On the other hand, when it came to bets on boxing matches and horse racing, manual bets were still the majority, especially in places such as Las Vegas. Manual bets were extremely convenient, and any random resort or hotel was a betting spot.

Located within the MGM Square was the MGM Grand Hotel, which was the most famous hotel in Las Vegas. In the nineties, the hotel was once the world's largest hotel, and it also boasted the largest casino in Las Vegas, with the same square footage as four soccer fields.

At the same time, it was also where many large-scale boxing matches were held. Compared to other venues, boxing matches organized at the MGM Grand Hotel were extremely lucrative. It had always been a vacation hotel. Food, relaxation, entertainment—all kinds of services were provided there. Added to that was the casino, which allowed players to place their bets at any time. A lot of celebrities would choose to stay at the hotel when they visited Las Vegas. Eat, sleep, and play, then watch a match, placing a bet in between. There was no need to leave the hotel to have everything done.

Taylor's first comeback match would also be held there. The major bookmakers had already put up their odds, and the casinos within the hotels had already started accepting bets.

Two days before the start of the match, Taylor and Dai Li checked in at the MGM Grand Hotel.

Taylor used to stay there a lot, and every time he arrived, he would gamble at the casino, often spending millions of dollars in a single night. However, the current Taylor was in the bankruptcy protection period, and according to the rules, he wasn't allowed to stay in such a luxurious hotel. It was only because that was the match venue, and Taylor was the athlete who was participating in the match, that he could apply to stay at the MGM Grand Hotel. However, he was absolutely not allowed to visit the casino.

It was the first time Dai Li had stayed in such a luxurious vacation hotel. The MGM Grand Hotel was considered costly even for the average American, and expense wasn't restricted to the price of the rooms; there were also all kinds of service fees. Unlike in other luxurious hotels, every service afforded by the hotel cost extra.

In truth, none of the guests who could afford to stay there chose it because they wanted to get a good night's rest in their rooms. The guests went there to have a good time, to spend their money, and to intoxicate themselves temporarily in the casinos. Las Vegas was the best place in the world to squander one's money. If a person wanted to rest or to enjoy the wonders of nature, he could go hike on a mountain or visit a beach; there was no need to visit this diamond city located in the middle of the desert."Mr. Li, this way, please! This is the VIP betting room. The lowest bet amount is 10,000 dollars. We have specially trained staff inside that will help you place your bets" An attendant wearing a vest and tie brought Dai Li to the front door of a room.

"Thank you." Dai Li handed a tip to the attendant.

"Thank you for your generosity, and I'm happy to be of service." When the attendant saw the face of Lincoln, America's 16th President, on the banknote, the smile on his face seemed especially sincere. A five dollar tip for just showing the way was above the usual standard of tipping. If every guest were just as generous, he would be willing to show the way every day.

The chips of the supposed VIP area within the casino had higher values, and the service there was also better as the people there were mostly VIP clients.

There were also VIP betting rooms in the betting areas. For general bets, a player could place a bet by using an automated betting machine, or a bet of a higher amount could be made manually at the service counter. Only big clients used the VIP betting rooms, where more professional services could be enjoyed.

Dai Li entered the VIP betting room and looked around. The people inside the VIP betting room were clearly rich. Their outfits and dresses were well planned and designed, there were even one or two familiar faces who were probably celebrities.

A professional-looking young lady approached and asked with a pleasant smile, "Sir, is there anything I can help you with?"

"Yes, I want to know the odds for Kevin Taylor's comeback match," Dai Li said.

"Alright. This way please." The lady guided Dai Li in front of a big screen. Displayed on the big screen were the various odds for the match between Taylor and Saunders.

"Sir, you can see the live changes of the odds on this screen. If you decide to place a bet, you can call me over. The lowest bet amount here is 10,000 dollars. You can rest on the sofa there, and there are also some snacks and beverages that are free for you." After the female attendant finished speaking, she stepped back to the side.

Standing in front of the big screen were several other people who were also focused on Taylor's first comeback match.

"Kevin Taylor, that bastard was banned for two years. I thought that he would retire, I didn't think that he would actually return," a voice said.

"I hope someone beats the hell out of him!" another person said.

"He will," the first person responded. "His opponent is 'The Trench' Saunders, I've always been optimistic about this boxer."

"Then what are you hesitating about, hurry up and bet for Saunders to win!" the first person who spoke encouraged.

The guy, however, shook his head. "Saunders' odds for winning are only 1.75, and Taylor's odds for winning are the same, at 1.75. If they have the same odds, that means that even the bookmakers aren't sure who will win. For me, this type of bet isn't worth it."

"Yeah, after all, Taylor was the world's strongest heavyweight boxing champion. No one could match him back then. However, it has been two years since he last fought, and who knows how much strength he has left? You can see that from the odds. But the odds for a draw is as high as 46, so the bookmakers don't think that this match will end in a draw," a person on the side analyzed.

"It's a match with Taylor in it; there's no way for it to end in a draw. Look, Taylor's odds for winning are only 1.75, but the odds for him winning through a knockdown has risen to 4.25. You can make a lot of money from this odd."

"This reminds me of the Taylor from ten years ago, from when he just went pro. He would always knock down his opponents in the first round. I remember among the 15 opponents he defeated in his first year, three of them chose to retire immediately after losing to him. The Taylor back then sure was strong!"

"I don't believe the Taylor today can still knock down his opponent in the first round!" The one who spoke earlier pointed towards the big screen and said, "Look, guys, the odds for Taylor winning in the first round are 41, and the odds for winning in the second and third round are 36 and 31 respectively, and the odds for winning in the fifth round has just gone back to 36. Looking at these odds, the bookmakers clearly don't think that Taylor can defeat Saunders quickly. You guys shouldn't forget that Saunders' defense is top-notch."

Following the man's statement, Dai Li shifted his gaze towards the displayed odds.

The odds for Taylor winning in the first round are 41, which means that if I bet 10,000 dollars, I would get a return of 410,000 dollars, so the profit would be 400,000 dollars. That's very profitable. Even the 36 and 31 for the second and third round are all great odds. Dai Li began calculating in his mind and prepared to place a bet.

At that moment, a voice rose behind him.

"It is impossible for Kevin Taylor to win this match!"

Everyone looked back and saw an older black man. The black man seemed to be more than 60 years old, and had an afro of white hair. He wore dark sunglasses and smoked a cigar. He wore a light green suit on his upper body and a large gold watch on his wrist. His appearance was ridiculously flamboyant. He could be placed anywhere in the world and it would still be easy to recognize him.

Behind the old man was another tall and strong man wearing a suit. His expression was cold and cruel, and it was easy to tell from one look that he was the old man's bodyguard. Up.dated b.y B o x Novel. com

Cigar, large gold chains, and huge gold watch. What's more, there's a bodyguard. Is this guy an upstart? Dai Li thought.

At that moment, someone from the group of people recognized that black man.

"Are you James King?"

"Haha, I didn't think anyone still recognized me!" the old black man said.

Someone on the side asked in a whisper, "Who is James King?"

"He's a very famous boxing agent. Kevin Taylor was the most famous boxer under him, but Taylor fired him two years ago," someone replied in a whisper.

"I think I heard it before. He's gotten some criticism from people who say that he conned a lot of Taylor's money."

"Who knows! But he was Taylor's agent for a decade, so he should know Taylor very well. We might even be able to get some insider's information from him that could help us win money!"

Everyone around the area had the same idea in their minds, so they all surrounded James King like a bunch of fans meeting their idol.

Dai Li simply smirked in contempt. From the description he received from Taylor, he knew that the old man in front of him was an agent without any professional ethics, a person who recorded a towel that cost a few dollars as costing 8000 dollars. From that point alone, Dai Li despised him greatly.

As James King was enjoying being the center of attention, he began explaining talkatively.

"Let me see the odds… If it were 12 years ago, when I first met Kevin Taylor, I would definitely advise you guys to buy him winning in the first round. But now, hmm… Haha, I really don't think that Taylor can defeat Saunders."

As he finished his sentence, he put on an exaggerated expression and intentionally deepened his voice. "Why don't I just tell it to you directly. In truth, two years ago, Taylor's condition had already deteriorated severely. There was definitely luck involved in the match where he successfully regained the championship belt back then."

"Mr. King, are you saying that the current Taylor can no longer fight? Will Saunders win?" a person on the side asked immediately.

"I didn't say that. I'm just providing you with information. As for how you decide to place your bets, that's entirely up to you. If not, would I be the one to blame if you lose money?" James King said with a laugh.

Everyone began discussing in whispers again. They were processing the information they received from James King, and someone intentionally said in a flattering manner, "Mr. King, you're also here to place a bet, aren't you? If you don't mind, I'd like to make the same selection as you."

The man was basically saying that he would place the same bet as James King.

In the casino, following others when gambling was a regular occurrence, and it was the same in betting on sports. There was always someone who would just follow in the footsteps of betting experts to make money.

James King smiled and reviewed the odds in detail, then snapped his fingers and called for the attendant.

"I'm buying 100,000 dollars for Saunders to win by a technical knockdown," James King said.

"Saunders winning through technical knockdown, the odds are at 4.2, compared to that, the odds for Saunders winning through points are 26," someone said.

"In a heavyweight boxing match, the chance of a victory by knockdown is much higher than the chance of achieving victory by points after 12 rounds," someone at the side said.

James King then continued, "Apart from that, Saunders winning in the sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, and tenth round, I'm buying 10,000 dollars for each."

Everyone looked again at the odds.

"The odds for Saunders winning in the sixth round is 26, the seventh is 21, the eighth, ninth, and tenth all have the same odds of 19."

"Mr. King clearly looks favorable to Saunders after the fifth round. Could it be Mr. King thinks that Taylor's current stamina can only last him through five rounds?"

"Mr. King used to be Taylor's agent, so he should understand Taylor's condition. Since he dared to place his bet this way, there must be a basis for it. Who knows, maybe Taylor really cannot make it to the sixth round."

"I believe in Mr. King's judgment. I'm buying Saunders to win by a technical knockdown, 50,000 dollars!"

"I'm buying 60,000. Quick, before too many people start placing their bets and affecting the odds."

In an instant, many people started to follow suit and make bets similar to James King.

The smile on James King's face grew wider. The reason he went there, apart from placing bets, was to show himself off. In other words, he was a poser. Now that he was successful in doing so, James King was immensely satisfied.

However, at that moment, a loud voice came from nowhere. "Get me 50,000 dollars on Taylor beating Saunders in the first round, and another 50,000 dollars for Taylor beating Saunders in the second round!"

At that moment, everyone was buying for Saunders to win, so that differing voice was very unexpected.

Someone is actually singing a different tune from me! The expression on James King's face immediately shifted, and he turned his head to search for the source of the voice.

What he saw was Dai Li pulling out his room card and handing it over to the female attendant. At the same time, he said, "This is my room card, put it on my account first!"

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Chapter 401: You're the Best

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Dai Li smiled as he walked out of the VIP betting room. He looked to be in a good mood. He spent 100,000 dollars placing his bets, and according to the odds, he would win two million dollars if Taylor won in the first round. If Taylor won in the second round, Dai Li would still receive 1.75 million dollars.

What made Dai Li even happier was the fact that James King had increased his bet after Dai Li placed his bets.

James King was already more than 60 years old, but he still had a temper. Perhaps because Dai Li had opposed and embarrassed him, James King increased his bet by one million dollars. However, a hundred million dollars was nothing to him; after all, he had conned many millions from Taylor back in the day, which was a lot more.

The joyous Dai Li couldn't help but take a stroll around the casino of the MGM Grand Hotel. After a few minutes passed, and he had already lost a couple hundred dollars at the slot machine.

"I sure lost money fast. I guess I really don't have the knack for a life like this. I should just stick with being a coach." Dai Li laughed in a self-mocking manner. He looked around. The environment was shrouded with all kinds of noises. There were all sorts of different expressions woven throughout the crowd, from the dancing and joyous faces of those who won, to the dejected and sad expressions of those who lost.

"Although it is said that one would lose nine times out of ten, there should still be several professional gamblers doing this as their main job." Dai Li stood up and headed towards the guest room.

Should I tell Taylor about the incident with James King? This might affect his mood, but telling him earlier should be better. Dai Li dialed Taylor's number as he thought.

"I'm upstairs. On the observation deck," Taylor answered.

"Alright, I'll find you immediately." As Dai Li finished speaking, he stepped into the elevator.On the observation deck, Taylor sat alone in front of a glass window. He looked like he was contemplating something, yet at the same time, he also seemed to be reminiscing about the past.

Dai Li down sat beside him and ordered a cup of coffee for himself, and later another glass of water for Taylor. Taylor had a match coming up, so it would be best for him to drink water at that moment.

"Did you know, I used to be a regular here," Taylor suddenly spoke, he pointing below his feet. "Las Vegas has a lot of boxing matches, and after I became famous, almost all my matches were held here. After every match, I would go down to the casino and gamble all day. By night, I would visit the nightclub and bring a few ladies back to my presidential suite…"

"Do you miss that kind of life?" Dai Li interrupted Taylor.

"No." Taylor shook his head. "That life was exciting, filled with passion, and I guess a lot of people would want to live a life surrounded by beautiful women. I spent money like water. But after experiencing so many things, when I am seated here once again, looking down at these familiar sights from high above, those things seem ultimately meaningless."

"Enjoying life. How is that meaningless? You have no idea how many people's life goal is to simply just enjoy life," Dai Li said.

"That's more like a fulfillment of personal desires. After the desire is fulfilled, what comes next is a sense of emptiness. If you've never experienced that feeling before, you wouldn't understand what I mean. It's like you are faced with a beautiful woman you like, and when you can't have her, you would do anything to get her in bed. But after getting her in bed, you feel like she wasn't all that different from other girls," Taylor said very slowly, revealing a sense of vicissitude.

"Ugh…" Dai Li was suddenly speechless. He didn't know how to continue the conversation.

"These days, I've been thinking. Me, boxing all these years, what was it for? When I was a kid, Angie brought me out of the juvenile detention center and trained me in boxing. He told me that I had talent for boxing, so I trained hard. I didn't have any dreams, I only did it for Angie. Later, after becoming a professional boxer, becoming a boxing champion, I made money, made a lot of money. I knew that being a boxer could earn me a lot of money, but living a life that indulged in beautiful women, luxurious cars, big mansions, and even raising Sweetie… Those were things that I didn't even dare imagine when I was a kid."

Taylor shook his head as he spoke. "But now, I don't even know what's the meaning of everything that I did. I'm lost, and I don't know why I am boxing."

"For the money, duh, you owe the bank over 20 million dollars," Dai Li said.

"What about after I've fully settled my debts? By then, I will be old, no longer able to box, and perhaps I'll be able to save enough to last till retirement. After that, will I return to what I was a few months back? Numbing myself with booze and weed?" Taylor asked with a self-mocking expression. "That's not what I want. I've earned a lot of money through boxing, but I've spent even more. As a result, I have a huge debt, a debt that I pay by continuing to box. Now that I think about it, it's like I haven't done anything in this decade. I really am an as*hole!"

Dai Li, however, found that after being in contact with Taylor for so many days, his opinion of Taylor was changing. Dai Li had always thought that Taylor was a big, simple-minded, and impulsive guy; he had never thought that Taylor would have a different side of him.

Wasn't he the kind of guy who counted money for the people who took advantage of him? When did he learn to contemplate life like everyone else! When Dai Li looked at Taylor, he felt that the current Taylor was very much like a loser who was completely defeated. Sorrow, weakness, self-doubt, and loss of confidence. Those were the reasons for the emergence of his melancholic thoughts.

"Kevin, you shouldn't think about something so far away right now. Your first task is to defeat Saunders. After all, I just spent 100,000 dollars betting on you to KO Saunders in the first two rounds. Do your best, I have faith in you!" Dai Li encouraged.

"What are the odds for my match against Saunders?" Taylor asked.

"Of course your odds were better," Dai Li lied. He wanted to console Taylor.

"You don't have to console me, I know that our odds were similar. After the fluctuation, his odds became better than mine." Taylor sighed in resignation.

Betting odds never remained the same. Every bookmaker had their formulas for calculating odds, and whichever side that had more bets would have lower odds. If the odds for both sides were the same at the beginning and then the odds of one side lowered, it meant that more people had placed their bets on that side. So Saunders' odds getting lower indicated that more people were placing their bets on Saunders to win, favoring Saunders over Taylor.

"You're worried about the odds of the match, which means that you still care about the match." Dai Li smiled and continued, "I'll let you know another piece of information. I met James King when I placed my bet, and he bet over a million dollars on Saunders. You wouldn't want that as*hole to win money, would you?"

"James King! You're right, I would never let that degenerate win money!" Taylor's eyes were filled with anger.

Dai Li let out a long sigh. Taylor was still the impulsive Taylor. A moment ago he actually thoughtful and contemplative, but at the mention of James King, he immediately transformed into an enraged bulldog.Matchday. The boxing arena was long since filled.

The tunnel door opened and Saunders walked out deftly. He punched towards the camera which transmitted his gesture onto the big screen of the arena.

The cheers soared immediately after his gesture, the surrounding audience continuing to wave their arms.

"Saunders, beat down Taylor!"

"Do your best! Kick Taylor's as*!"

"Saunders, I placed a bet for you to win, go and give Taylor a KO!"

It was easy to see that Saunders had more supporters in the arena.

The voices drifted into Saunders' ears, and although a lot of the words began with the alphabet "F," it still made him more excited.

Kevin Taylor. Former ultimate boxing champion, the conqueror of heavyweight boxing. Today, you will crawl beneath my feet! You will become my stepping stone.

Saunders looked excited and ferocious; he knew that the match was vital to him. It was Taylor's first match in two years, and many people paid attention to the match. If he were to defeat Taylor, his name would be known by boxing fans throughout the world, and he would ascend by stepping on Taylor's back.

At that moment, the host announced Taylor's name.

The door of the athlete's tunnel on the other side opened, and Taylor shook and hyped himself up before entering the arena.

However, booing sounded from all around.

"Go home, rapist!"

"Are you going to eat someone else's ear today?"

"My ear tastes better than XX, do you want to have a try, bi*ch!"

Profanities and insults echoed all around Taylor. Someone even used a fishing rod to place a piece of rubber ear in front of Taylor. He shouted, "Come and take a bite!"

Faced with this situation, Taylor decided to walk towards the boxing ring with a blank expression; however, his heart had already sunk to its lowest point.

Behind Taylor, Dai Li looked around. He had never seen a scene like that before.

Profanities and insults everywhere, it's like being surrounded by enemies! This feeling is like being caught in a trap, it brings despair! When I followed Dingtian Football Club to the away match in the Final of the Asian Cup, even it didn't have this sort of atmosphere.

In the next moment, Dai Li's mind entered the system and wrote down the number "5" on the age-reduction card, then used the card on Taylor.

Within the system, the number "240" appeared on the bottom of the card. That was how long the age-reduction card would last.

The current Taylor has lost 5 years, and has regained the body condition of when he was 27 years old. Based on what he said earlier, this should be when his body was in peak condition!

Dai Li looked at Taylor as he pondered. He wanted to see if there were any changes on Taylor after he used the age-reduction card.

Taylor still looked the same, and his expression hadn't changed either. He looked calm, deadly calm, as if all the voices around him were unrelated to him.

No! This isn't calmness, it's numbness! Dai Li realized.

The match is starting soon, and Taylor is still numb. This won't do. He's lost before the match has even begun, this has to change! Thank goodness I still have the morale-boosting book. With Taylor's current condition, using the morale-boosting book might not make his morale soar, but at least it will make him a little normal. The first step, praise him before the match.

As Dai Li reached this conclusion, he moved one step forward to be in front of Taylor, and spoke into his ear. "Kevin, you're the best!"

"What?" Taylor was startled and did not hear Dai Li's words clearly.

"I said, you are the best!" Dai Li repeated.

"Oh!" Taylor nodded subconsciously, then walked up to the boxing ring, not paying much attention to Dai Li's words at all.

Clap, clap, clap, clap… The sound of Dai Li clapping was the second step for boosting morale. Encouragement through applause when heading out to the match.

On the front rows of the audience stands, James King, whose outfit was just as outrageous, also saw Dai Li.

It's that Chinese guy who sang a different tune from me yesterday! So he's Taylor's man, is he an assistant? He sure is responsible, not forgetting to applaud Taylor even at a moment like this. Unfortunately, boxing is about strength, and even if he applauds until his hands are broken, his 100,000 dollars is already lost.

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Chapter 402: Revival of the Boxing Champion

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Taylor stood in the boxing ring, and everything that surrounded him felt familiar, strange at the same time.

His opponent, Saunders, was a few years younger than him, and they had never had contact prior to that day. When Taylor was the boxing champion, Saunders was still in high school. Even just before Taylor's ban from two years ago, Saunders was only a side character who had just broken into the world of boxing.

But Taylor knew that Saunders was the type of fighter he wanted to avoid most.

Before the match, Taylor had already reviewed all of Saunders' match videos, and he watched them repeatedly. Saunders was truly worthy of being nicknamed "The Trench"; his defense was ridiculously strong, and he was adept at dodging. In the midst of defending and dodging, he would look for spaces to counterattack. If his opponent remained in an impeccable state throughout the match, without exposing any weakness or space for him to attack, Saunders would patiently continue dodging and defending, waiting for a chance to appear.

The fighting style of Saunders made the matches last longer, but patience and cautiousness would ultimately make Saunders the winner. The longer the match, the more impatient an opponent became, and the more chances there were for a mistake to appear. Most of the time, Saunders only needed to grasp a single chance to deal a critical blow to his opponent and achieve victory.

When it came to fighting styles, Saunders' style effectively restrained Taylor's style. Saunders was like a shield, whereas Taylor was more like a sharp spear.

I'm going to beat you up! Saunders glared at Taylor provocatively. If it weren't for the boxing gloves he was wearing, Saunders might have made some indecent gestures with his hands.

The booing that came from everywhere had long since crushed Taylor's fortitude, and Saunders' current posture and appearance made Taylor feel even worse.

It was the first time Taylor had appeared in a boxing match in two years; however, what awaited him was the booing sounds within the arena, the abuse from the audience, the provocation from his opponent, and the rubber ear that insulted him!

Taylor felt something in his heart that he couldn't put into words. He was sad, he felt sorrow, he even pitied himself. All the negative emotions that weaved together had made him numb. He felt the urge to just run away from the boxing ring.

Ding!

The bell that signified the start of the match rang. The referee retreated quickly to avoid getting injured by the boxers accidentally. It was a heavyweight match, after all. Getting grazed or hit accidentally by the boxers might well send an ordinary person to the hospital for an entire day

And at that moment, Taylor pushed his head down slightly and quickly went into battle mode.

At the same time, a voice emerged from behind him.

"Kevin, go!" Dai Li was shouting with his full strength.

The final step for the morale-boosting book had been completed, and at that moment, Taylor suddenly felt vigorous, the depression from earlier having suddenly disappeared.

The match has started, I have to focus! Although Taylor's morale did not soar, at least his condition reverted to a regular state.

He looked at Saunders, who moved with light steps in front of him, looking for an opportunity to attack; however, because of those light movements, Taylor felt something odd.

My body seems lighter, like I'm filled with energy. Taylor attempted to use a shuffle movement, and he could clearly feel the fluidity from his legs.

What's going on? Why do I have this weird feeling? Taylor could not cope with the change immediately.

However, Saunders was right in front of him and began groaning, "What are you waiting for, come and hit me!"

Saunders wore braces, so his words were unclear; however, he was obviously trying to provoke Taylor. Even before the match began, he had been trying all sorts of tricks to provoke Taylor. He clearly wanted to bait Taylor into attacking so that Taylor's stamina would drain quickly.

Taylor made a punch. He did not put much strength into the punch as he was just testing out Saunders' movement when he dodged. Saunders guessed correctly that Taylor was just testing, so he ducked quickly when Taylor made the punch.

What's going on? That punch just now was completely different than my normal punches, but at the same time, it feels familiar.

Taylor did not immediately recognize the punching feeling he had when he was younger. It was more agile and much more powerful, and that familiar feeling helped him gain a strange sense of confidence.

My movement and punches, they are different than usual. Looks like my body's in pretty good condition today. I should be able to make better swings, perhaps I should try attacking!

As Taylor reached this conclusion, his steps instantly became nimble.Taylor's steps began to shift quickly, and his body also began to sway from left to right.

Is Taylor attacking! Saunders immediately prepared himself for defense.

The technical features of Taylor's fighting style were not a secret. Professional boxers, even boxing fans understood the technical features of Taylor's fighting style.

Taylor was considered very agile among heavyweight boxers, and at his peak, it could even be said that Taylor was the world's most agile heavyweight boxer. Taylor's height and reach were disadvantageous in heavyweight boxing, or to be more precise, his attack range was too small. Thus, the arms of his opponents were more extended, so they would hit him first. So, with an athletic body like Taylor's, he could quickly dodge and avoid the punches of his opponents.

For Taylor, a boxing match meant attacking. He continually moved forward, using his fantastic swaying techniques to dodge his opponents' punches before getting a vital hit in. When moving forward, Taylor was used to lowering his head and bending his body sideways. Plus, he wasn't tall, which meant the area for his opponent to target was very small, and it was easier to use swaying techniques to dodge his opponents' punches.

At the same time, Taylor moved forward very quickly, his nimble footwork and explosive strength allowing him to accelerate instantaneously. It was difficult for his opponents to react in time. He had a lot of feints, the swaying of his body and the movement of his footwork were very deceiving, and his punches had a strong sense of continuity. Most of the time, even when the audience could see the trajectory of Taylor's punches very clearly, his opponents in the ring still wouldn't be able to defend against them.

Perhaps he'll try that trick again, rushing in quickly to bait me into parrying with a jab, so that I become exposed. Following that he will use a straight to cover himself, and once I enter his attack range, he'll quickly use a hook to knock me down!" Saunders thought.

That was Taylor's best attack method. Every step, every detail of his actions had already been analyzed thoroughly. However, when Taylor was at his peak, even when everyone knew how Taylor would fight, no one was capable of defending against him.

You are not the Taylor from ten years ago! Saunders mocked coldly in his mind. He began retreating as he attempted to maintain a distance between Taylor and himself.

Retreat, drift about, no direct contact. If there really isn't a way to dodge, clinch. I have to thank Highfield. You are too easy to deal with! Saunders thought.

In the match two years ago, that was the method Highfield used to defeat Taylor. It was also the match that opened up a new window for all boxers. Highfield had found the best method for dealing with Taylor.

As Saunders expected, Taylor dashed forward quickly and continuously attacked using jabs, trying to force Saunders into showing some space in his defense.

Retreat, and continue to retreat. Move and drift around the boxing ring! Saunders was executing his game plan perfectly, but after only a few steps, Saunders discovered that something seemed to be wrong.

After a few shuffles, Taylor was already in front of Saunders.

Taylor's forward rush was completely out of Saunders' expectation!

How is his shuffle so quick, he's so close to me! Saunders exclaimed in his mind.

Taylor's fist was already in the air, and Saunders had only just realized that it was too late for him to retreat.

Hurry up and clinch! Saunders commanded his body, and at the same time, something crimson appeared in front of his pupils. It grew larger and larger.

It was a boxing glove, it was Taylor's boxing glove!

Bam! A crisp sound rang, but Saunders could no longer hear it. He could only feel his brain buzzing and a tone ringing in his ear.

Saunders instinctively moved backward to dodge, and then…

Bam!

Everything suddenly went dark for Saunders, and he could no longer hear anything."The match has started! Neither side started their attacks immediately, they are feeling each other out. Taylor punches, just a simple punch to feel his opponent out." The commentator soothed his emotion slightly. He thought that since the match had just started, both boxers would begin feeling each other out and would not start fighting immediately.

"Saunders is retreating, maintaining a safe distance between Taylor and himself. Saunders obviously knows about Taylor's weakness, and he has chosen a brilliant strategy. By constantly retreating and keeping a safe distance, he can expend Taylor's stamina, and once Taylor's stamina is depleted, Saunders can launch his counterattack!"

"Two years ago, Highfield taught us how to deal with Taylor, and that is to continuously circle and expend his energy. Saunders is now using the same strategy, and Taylor doesn't seem to have a countermeasure, he is still attacking, just like two years ago. It doesn't look too good for Taylor today!"

As soon as the commentator finished speaking, Taylor landed a punch directly in Saunders' face. In the following second, Saunders fell to the ground.

"What… What's going on? What just happened? Why is Saunders down?" The commentator stared at the boxing ring, dumbfounded."Taylor, you rapist, go home!"

"Saunders, go all-out, destroy that as*hole!"

"Hurry up and knock him down, make him regret coming here!"

Voices surrounded the arena, and James King couldn't help but turn his head to look.

Looks like a lot of people bet that Saunders would win! James King's eyes flashed with contempt.

Suddenly, everyone in the arena exclaimed in unison.

"Oh…"

A sense of panic was mixed in with the exclamations.

James King went blank for a brief moment, and all the shouts stopped at that instant. Not a single person around him did not have a shocked expression on their face.

What's wrong? James King turned his head towards the boxing ring. However, he only saw Taylor standing there while Saunders was already lying on the ground.

KO'd? Saunders was KO'd by Taylor? What happened?

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Chapter 403: It Was Just a Coincidence

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

The big screen had already started replaying the punch from all sorts of different angles. What could be seen was a simple hook by Taylor, nothing fancy, hitting Saunders right in the middle of his face, followed by another hook that knocked Saunders to the ground. Analyzed from a technical perspective, no controversies surrounded these two punches.

"Why didn't Saunders dodge? That punch wasn't fancy, it wasn't even that fast, it looked ordinary. Even I could see Taylor's punch trajectory clearly, Saunders," someone said.

"It's not that he didn't want to dodge, it was that he couldn't dodge. That's how it is with Taylor's punch; you can see it clearly, but you can't dodge it," another person answered.

James King stared at the big screen with his mouth wide open, his expression too complex to be described with words. Taylor's attack just now was way too familiar to James King.

Using footwork and rapid body sways to approach his opponents while confusing them with feints, then a simple and straightforward punch. That was the typical attack from Taylor. From the perspective of a spectator, Taylor's punches could be easily dodged, but from the point of view of his opponents, Taylor's punch was unavoidable.

That was Taylor the boxing champion; even when the world knew how he was going to fight, even if his opponents were informed earlier of his attack methods, they would still fail to avoid that lethal punch in the ring.

"But he's 32 years old now, how can he still throw out punches like that?" James King mumbled to himself.

James King had been Taylor's agent for over a decade, and he understood Taylor better than anyone. Taylor's attack method had long been imprinted in James King's mind, and it would never fade away. James King had initially thought that Taylor's body had deteriorated as he aged, and he would never attack like that again. That was the reason he did not favor Taylor in the fight.

At that moment, James King had a feeling; he felt as if Taylor had returned to his peak from a decade ago. The Taylor back then delivered attacks like that to his opponents, attacks that were exactly the same as the one he used today!

Could it be that he has returned to his condition from before? A sudden sense of fear arose in James King's heart. He understood better than most how strong Taylor was when he was at his peak.

Impossible, it's definitely impossible. Taylor is old. There is absolutely no way he can return to his condition from when he was younger!In the boxing ring, Taylor was at a loss. He looked at the referee who was bent over on the floor in front of Saunders, checking to see if Saunders could continue the fight. If the referee were to confirm that Saunders could no longer continue, then he would announce Taylor's victory.

However, Taylor's baffled look made it appear as though he did not know what had happened, as if he wasn't the one who had thrown that punch.

KO'd just like that? That easy? Taylor looked suspiciously at his fist.

Saunders was not a newbie boxer; he had become the tenth ranked title challenger of the WBC, which meant that his strength was among the world's first class boxers. Moreover, he was a boxer who was skilled in defense.

However, Taylor felt that he had won too easily. He had only needed a straightforward attack to put Saunders on the ground.

Why was Saunders' defense so weak? Taylor recalled the attack and examined it in detail, then suddenly realized something.

No, it wasn't that Saunders was weak, it was that my attack was too perfect. When I attacked just now, whether it was speed, agility, or my body's explosive power, they were exceptional, just like a decade ago! Yes, the feeling during my attack was exactly the same as ten years ago!

Taylor looked at his fist in disbelief. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't understand why a 32-year-old version of himself was able to execute an attack that was at the level of his 22-year-old self.

At that moment, the referee had already confirmed that Saunders could no longer continue the fight. He waved to signal the medical team, and at the same time, he walked to Taylor's side, grabbed his arm, and lifted it high up in the air to declare his victory.

"Boo… Boo… Boo… Boo…" The booing emerged once again.

"Idiot. Saunders, you idiot. Don't box if you're so weak! You made me lose money!" an unknown person shouted. Following that, a great burst of curses emerged from the stands.

"Taylor, you stupid bull, you pumping 'roids now?"

Some of the audience tore the betting tickets in their hands and threw the torn pieces in the air, mixing them with the color paper falling from the top of the boxing ring.

Dai Li looked around and smiled weakly.

Taylor. This fellow sure is unpopular. He is still getting cursed even after winning the match!Surman, the WBC president, had just attended an event and was currently seated in an airport lounge, waiting for the boarding announcement.

The broadcast announced that the flight was delayed due to weather conditions. Surman frowned in resignation.

Oh, that's right. Taylor's comeback match was today, I wonder how his fight with Saunders went. Surman waved at his assistant.

His assistant left and made a call to inquire about the fight, then walked back swiftly.

"Mr. President, the fight is over. Kevin Taylor KO'd Saunders," the assistant said.

"That fast?" Surman checked his watch. "The match should have just started, right? Did they start the match early?"

"No, Mr. President, the match started on time. However, the match was decided in a only one round." The assistant thought briefly before continuing, "To be precise, after the match began, Taylor only needed one attack to KO Saunders."

"One attack to KO an opponent!" Surman sucked in a breath of cold air and mumbled to himself, "Don't tell me the Kevin Taylor from before has returned!"Dai Li walked out of the hotel casino with a big smile on his face, as well as a 1.59 million dollar check.

Dai Li had placed a 50,000 dollar bet on Taylor winning in the first round, and the odds were 41, so Dai Li won a total of 2.05 million dollars. However, earnings from bets were taxable, so the amount Dai Li actually received was not as high.

The winnings from buying lottery tickets were taxable in the US, and the taxes included federal tax, state tax, and personal income tax. Among them, the federal tax was fixed at 25%; the state tax, on the other hand, differed according to each state. In Nevada, it was 6.5%. The personal income tax ratios were based on the different levels of personal annual income. Americans would voluntarily declare their tax returns after winning the lottery. There was once a news report on an American who had won a huge prize worth 200 million dollars; however, in the end, he only received 80 million dollars, a total of 62% being deducted as tax.

As a city based on gambling, the taxation laws in Las Vegas were more complicated. There were a lot of tax deductions and tax exemption policies in place even for foreigners. If a foreigner were to win money at a casino in Las Vegas, they were not required to personally declare tax returns like an American. They just needed to show their passport, and the casino would directly deduct 33% of the winnings as tax, while the remainder of the winnings would be returned to the winner.

Although Dai Li had suddenly paid several hundred thousand dollars of tax, he still earned a good amount from his gamble. Over 1.5 million dollars. And that was the income after tax. It was already enough for Dai Li to purchase state-of-the-art training equipment.

I'll treat Taylor to something good! He even had to cut down on what he ate. Dai Li thought for a moment before dialing Taylor's number.

If it were the Taylor from before, he would have gone to the casino and spent a few million dollars on gambling, before searching for a few hot chicks to take to bed. However, the current Taylor was bankrupt; he couldn't afford to spend money on items that were not necessities. Until he cleared the debt from the bank, having a nice meal at a restaurant or having a drink were the best rewards available to Taylor.

Dai Li found Taylor on the observation deck of the hotel. He sat there in silence, just like before the match.

"What are you thinking?" Dai Li walked over and sat beside Taylor before continuing, "Before the match, you were worried that you couldn't beat Saunders, now you've won. Why do you still look like this? Buddy, you should be celebrating right now."

"Coach Li, I've won, but I feel weird. Now that I think about it, I don't even know how I actually won," Taylor said in a troubled voice.

"You're stronger than Saunders! A beautiful punch combo hit Saunders, and then he fell down. It was that simple." Dai Li mimicked a punching gesture.

"No, that's not what I mean. You watched the match. I only used one attack to KO Saunders, but he shouldn't be that weak," Taylor said.

"It's not that he's weak, it's that you are strong enough. That's why you managed to completely obliterate him." Dai Li looked at Taylor with an expression that seemed like a smile but wasn't a smile.

"I feel weird." Taylor shook his head. "To tell you the truth, my body has been feeling weird since the match, but I can't pinpoint exactly what is wrong. I don't know how to describe this feeling."

"It must be the feeling of youth!" Dai Li was still all smiles.

"Feeling of youth?" Taylor nodded in confusion; he thought that Dai Li's description was spot on.

"Do you remember what I told you before that I would do my best to let your body return to its condition from when you were 27 years old? Looks like the effects of my training are finally showing." Dai Li looked satisfied.

"What did you say? Body returning to the condition of a 27-year-old? Is this true?" Taylor widened his eyes. He naturally found Dai Li's words hard to believe.

"Don't look at me like that, and don't think that this is somehow amazing. Sports and exercise can make a person younger. There are many real examples. The rich can remain strong and healthy if they maintain a training habit, even if they are 60 or 70 years old. And in medical science, sports and exercise can also improve blood circulation and metabolism, restoring the bodily functions of an individual. If you frequent some of the high-end gyms, you will notice that many people look far younger than their actual age." Dai Li used an excuse to cover it up.

"What you mean to say is that all of this is the result of my training?" Taylor asked, his eyes bulging.

"What else could it be? Or maybe you think I'm a wizard, and all I have to do is chant a few incantations to make you young?" Dai Li stood up and laughed as he patted Taylor on the shoulders. He then continued speaking, "Kevin, you have to be more confident, and even more so, you have to have faith in me. I will do my best to maintain your excellent condition, but you also have to maintain the high-intensity training. If you return to being like before, drinking, smoking marijuana, and having at women without restrictions, then even I won't be able to help you anymore."Mason was a well-known boxing commentator. He was correct in many of his predictions for important boxing matches, and so he was regarded "The Light of Betting" in boxing matches. A lot of boxing magazines would invite him to write in, and bookmakers would pay him consulting fees. And his blog had even more fans and followers, many of whom bet in boxing matches. When an important boxing match was coming up, Mason's blog would get a dramatically increased number of visits.

Mason frequently placed bets as well. After all, he was a professional in these sorts of things, and as an insider, he had earned quite a lot from boxing match betting.

However, in the match that just ended, Mason stumbled like a horse that had just lost its front hooves. He predicted that Saunders would defeat Taylor, and he even wrote a few long articles on it, analyzing from multiple perspectives. And the end result was Saunders getting KO'd by Taylor in the first round.

Taylor actually won, and he won so easily. Wasn't Saunders skilled at defending? How did he get knocked down so easily? He's lost me several thousand dollars! Mason stared at his betting ticket on the table in a depressed mood. Initially, he had hoped to earn some extra cash from the match before having fun for a few days in Las Vegas, but now he had lost money, and not just his bet, but his hotel accommodation fees as well.

Damn Taylor, he's already 32 years old, but he can still fight like that! Mason pressed himself against the sofa in anger, grabbed his laptop, and opened his blog. Hundreds of comments appeared instantly before Mason's eyes.

"Didn't you say it was a sure-win for Saunders? He ended up being KO'd in the first round."

"You're a liar. You understand nothing, you're all talk, your prediction was completely off, and I'll never listen to your lies anymore."

"Idiot, I listened to your pre-match prediction. You made me lose 500 dollars!"

"Your blog said that Taylor was no more, is your face now swollen?"

Comment after comment, each one of them insulting Mason, some even directly cursing him.

"These bastards. All of them gave me likes when they first heard my prediction, now, after losing just one match, they're already cursing me!" Mason felt angry, but he had nowhere to vent his anger.

"No! I have to make sense of my previous prediction! If not, the spit from these fans will be enough to drown me." Mason frowned in thought for a long time before opening up a blank document and keying in the following title:

"Kevin Taylor's victory was only a coincidence."

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Chapter 404: High-Difficulty Instance

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

"Li, I watched the match this weekend. Congratulations to you guys on the victory!" Stephen said as he edged closer. He then assumed the look of an insider and lowered his voice before saying, "Taylor sure has good luck!"

"Good luck?" Dai Li looked at Stephen with a baffled expression and wondered if "good luck" was some new congratulatory remark used in American culture.

Stephen then continued, "We all wanted Kevin Taylor to win the first match of his comeback, but we didn't think that his opponent would be so nice, easily 'giving' him a win."

"What do you mean? I don't understand." Dai Li felt that the match Stephen talked about and the actual match were two entirely different things.

"Oh, God, I've practically spelled it out, but you still don't understand." Stephen laughed bitterly, then said, "Don't tell me you didn't read Mason's post-match commentary? It's about the match between Taylor and Saunders."

"Mason, I think I've heard that name before, let me think…" Dai Li started looking for this name in his mind.

"It's that famous boxing commentator, 'The Light of Betting' of the boxing world. I'm sure you've heard his name. He is a professional boxing commentator, and he's always able to make accurate predictions. A lot of people follow his articles, winning money from listening to his judgment, including me!" Stephen said.

"I remember, I've heard of this man. I've read some of his articles." Dai Li nodded. "What did he write about Taylor recently?"

"I'll find it for you." Stephen walked towards the computer and quickly found the article. The first line read, "Kevin Taylor's victory was only a coincidence."

"This is the one. Mason wrote it. He analyzed in detail the reasons for Taylor's win. It makes sense, and a lot of websites have already shared it around," Stephen said.

"Let me see what he wrote." Dai Li became interested, lowered his head, and began reading the article in detail.

After a few minutes, Dai Li looked dumbfounded.

The content of the article corresponded with the first line well. The boxing commentator called Mason found all kinds of reasons from different angles to prove his point, which was that Taylor overflowed with luck, his victory was an utter coincidence, and it was the consequence of several low probability situations occurring at the same time.

Mason's theories all made sense and sounded plausible, at least, someone of Dai Li's level could not find any clear loophole. After all, Mason was one of the best boxing commentators in the US, and his professionalism was top class. It was way too simple for a professional such as him to deceive an ordinary person, whether by supporting or denouncing an athlete, everything he said would make perfect sense. It was impossible to refute.

If it were someone else, they would have undoubtedly believed the content of the article, just like Stephen. It was inevitable; his article was just that well-written. It had a clear point of view with a well-defined structure, as if the article was describing the truth. However, Dai Li knew that the seemingly sensible article was basically bullsh*t.

"This Mason sure is good. Even I almost believed what he wrote. Taylor's victory was just a coincidence!" Dai Li said as he unconsciously curled his lips.

Dai Li had used an age-reduction card on Taylor, so Dai Li knew very clearly the reason behind Taylor's victory. It was because he had the body of a 27-year-old. It wasn't the coincidence that Mason mentioned. It didn't matter if Mason found ten thousand reasons, it didn't matter if the world thought that Taylor's victory was only a coincidence, Dai Li would hold to his point of view.

That was because Dai Li was the initiator of Taylor's victory.

Taylor himself believed that his body was at its peak when he was 27 years old, but no one in the world knew exactly how strong a 27-year-old Taylor was. That was because Taylor was in prison when he was 27 years old. Dai Li's age-reduction card showed the answer when he recreated a Taylor who was at his peak. The current Taylor had defeated Saunders in one round, and Dai Li wouldn't be surprised if that Taylor defeated any other heavyweight boxer in the world in just one round.

At that moment, Stephen's voice came from his side. "And there's this, Saunders' post-match interview. Have you watched it?"

"Nope." Dai Li shook his head. "After the match, we didn't really stay before heading back. You know Taylor's situation; he's currently in the bankruptcy protection period and his spending is restricted, so we couldn't organize any celebratory activities. I don't want Taylor to be called to court for something like that."

"Then you should watch it. After watching it, you will realize just how lucky Taylor was," Stephen said.

Dai Li immediately searched for news related to Saunders. Sure enough, his latest interview was available, and there were text descriptions as well as video recordings.

Dai Li first clicked on the video. A clip of Saunders' interview appeared.

"… I've had some bad luck. As I prepared for defense when Taylor came at me, my eyes were distracted by the flashing lights, so I didn't see Taylor's fist clearly. By the time I avoided the lights, Taylor's fist had reached me, and by then, it was already too late to dodge…" Saunders put up an act of innocence as he spoke in the video.

He blamed the lights after losing the match? At least find some better excuse. Stupid excuses like this just sound like a joke! Why don't you complain that the mat was too hard or too soft, or that the air conditioning was too cold or hot! Dai Li shook his head, he had no interest in listening to Saunders' nonsense. The guy was only looking for excuses for losing the match.

Later, Dai Li asked Stephen, "You coming here today, it can't be you're only here to congratulate us, right?"

"Of course, I know that you are still hiring, so I've brought a resume with me. I think he would be of help to you. You should take a look and see if you're interested." Stephen grabbed a resume from his suitcase and passed it to Dai Li.

"A Masters of Business Administration? This is a physical fitness training center, it needs coaches. What's the use of an MBA?" Dai Li asked.

"You're all coaches here. Even you, the boss, personally trains people too. Don't you feel that this place of yours is missing a manager?" Stephen said earnestly.

"You're trying to find me a CEO!" Dai Li sighed lightly.

"Management is important." Stephen shook his head and continued, "If you're satisfied with this place, then it is enough with just you, the boss. However, if you want to expand, then you will need specialized management personnel. Of course, you can also become the manager personally, but can you guarantee that you can perform better than someone with specialized training for the position?"

"Makes sense, professional tasks should be done by professionals," Dai Li agreed.

At that moment, there was a knock on the door, and Taylor walked inside.

"Coach Li, I just received a call from the WBA. My opponent has been confirmed," Taylor said.

"That fast? Your match against Saunders just finished, aren't you resting for a few months?" Stephen asked first.

"That was a match with the WBC, this is a match with the WBA," Taylor explained. "I'm registered in multiple boxing leagues, so after the ban, I've submitted applications to participate in matches with all four of the big boxing leagues."

"Which means that this is your first opponent with the WBA after your comeback?" Stephen nodded as if he realized something. "Looks like the aftereffects of your victory against Saunders!"

"What aftereffects?" This time, it was Dai Li who asked the question.

"Taylor beating Saunders has certainly attracted attention, and the WBA is hoping to capitalize and arrange a match for Taylor as soon as possible before that attention wanes. That way, regardless of whether it is broadcasting or sponsorship, they can maximize their earnings."

"Which means that the WBA is jumping on the bandwagon," Dai Li said.

"You could say that." Stephen changed his tone, turned to face Taylor, and asked, "Who did the WBA arrange as your first opponent?"

"Nicholas," Taylor answered.

"You are talking about that 'Hurricane' Nicholas?" Stephen clarified.

Taylor nodded. "Yes, that's him."

"God, good luck to you! Hopefully lady luck is still on your side," Stephen said as he looked at Taylor with pity.

"Is this 'Hurricane' Nicholas very strong?" Dai Li asked.

"Of course. Just listen to his nickname. Hurricane. You should know what a hurricane is, right? A person who dares to use this as a nickname, do you think he would be a weakling?" Stephen stated.

The US had experienced many hurricanes, more than 20 hurricanes in a year in the northeastern Pacific, enough to fill the entire alphabet. There were fewer hurricanes in the North Atlantic than in the northeastern Pacific, but it was still enough to go from A to W. For Americans, hurricanes caused the more financial loss than any other natural disaster.

Taylor provided a more detailed answer. "Nicholas fought against me three years ago. I was the WBA championship belt holder, and he was the challenger, attempting to take the championship belt from me. He lost in the end, but I had a hard time winning that match. I was also hit quite a few times, and if I hadn't avoided getting hit in my vitals, I might have been the one losing."

"This Nicholas is really strong, then!" Dai Li said lightly.

"Although Nicholas hasn't won a championship belt yet, among all the current active heavyweight boxers, I think he is the closest to a championship belt. He is the fourth-ranked title challenger in the WBA rankings, and the fifth-ranked title challenger in the IBF rankings. All the boxers who are ranked higher than him have previously possessed championship belts. If you ask me, among the title challengers who have not won a championship belt before, Nicholas definitely has the best chance," Taylor said.

"Then what about his fighting style?" Dai Li continued asking.

"Very similar to mine. He's also an attacking type, and his attacks are very fierce. His combination punches integrate technique with power perfectly. The only difference is that his footwork isn't as agile as mine in an attack, and he uses fewer feints. His attack is a simple continuous attack, constantly putting pressure on his opponent, not allowing them any time to breathe. If you can't take the pressure in defense, it is easy to get knocked down by him."

"For the WBA, this should be your first match after your comeback, right?" Dai Li asked. "If that's the case, your opponent might seem a little too strong. This 'Hurricane' Nicholas should be a high-difficulty instance."

"Perhaps it's because the WBA hates me. They can't arrange for a boxing champion to fight me in the first match, so they sent this quasi-boxing champion, Nicholas. They must really want to see me get knocked down." Taylor laughed bitterly.

"Why? Did something happen with the WBA?" Dai Li asked.

"Two years ago, the match where I bit Highfield, that was the championship boxing match of the WBA! The WBA invested a lot of resources into that match, but in the end, it became a laughing stock in the boxing world. I think that to this day, the WBA president still hates my guts!"

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Chapter 405: Stage Clear in 37 Seconds

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

"Exactly, I want him to lose!" a white-bearded old man shouted in anger.

He was called Fraser, and he was the president of the World Boxing Association. He looked exactly like the stubborn old man that he was.

"Is there a vendetta between the president and Kevin Taylor? Why does Fraser get so angry whenever Kevin Taylor is brought up?" a young man asked quietly.

The middle-aged man beside him made an "Shh" gesture, and said in a whisper, "You just wait. Fraser will say it himself. This guy has become old now, so he's also become naggy."

Sure enough, without anyone asking, Fraser began a thorough explanation of why he was mad.

"Back when Taylor first debuted, I was so optimistic about him. I invested so many resources into cultivating him. Promoting him, creating momentum for him, making him into the world's most popular ultimate boxing champion… and how did he repay me? He was like a beast in season. He couldn't control the lower half of his body, and he actually raped a Miss America! Going to prison during his peak, all the effort that I poured into him completely wasted!"

"Later, he got out of prison. I thought that he would repent and become a new person. I forgave him and gave him a large number of resources. I promoted him and helped him create momentum again, and I arranged the most advantageous matches and opponents for him. I once again groomed him into the top boxing champion of the WBA, but what did he repay me with? He bit the ear off Highfield in such an important match!"

"We, the WBA, invested more resources than ever before in promoting that match. I used up almost all of my media connections, and we sold the broadcasting rights of the match to over ten countries. We did a massive live broadcast, we successfully attracted the attention of the whole world, but that damned Kevin Taylor, he turned the match into a farce! Biting someone's ear off just because you couldn't win? Bastard! Because of this, I am still the subject of ridicule amongst my peers!"

"If I could, I would have sent someone at the level of a boxing champion to teach that Kevin Taylor a lesson. To remove this damned bastard from my sight once and for all!" As Fraser spoke, he took in a couple of deep breaths to calm himself down. He then ordered, "You guys, go and inform Nicholas that if he beats Taylor, we of the WBA will provide him with more resources. We will support him in becoming the next boxing champion. Tell him that it's from me!""Did President Fraser really say that? The WBA is willing to invest more resources in me?" Nicholas asked with surprise.

His agent nodded. "President Fraser promised personally, so in the next match, you must defeat Taylor. As long as you win, it'll be smooth sailing for us in the WBA. You will have the chance to become the ace boxer of the WBA."

No sports organization had unlimited resources, so when it came to distributing resources, fairness did not exist. There would always be the few chosen athletes who had the support of the organizations; they would become the flagships of these sports organizations and receive more resources and better treatment.

In the NBA, for example, there would always be a player among the athletes to receive the title "Godson of the CEO," and this player would be the "Number One" in the NBA. The NBA would also devote more resources in him, giving him preferential treatment.

Soccer was the same. Whether it was the Spanish La Liga, the English Premier League, or the Italian Serie A, in every soccer league, there would always be one or two star players who were popular across the world. This fame would even include non-fans, which meant that even if a person were not a soccer fan, he would know their name. That was the result of a bias in the distribution of promotional resources by sports organizations.

It was the same in other sports, one or two sports stars would get packaged, a lot of advertising resources would be poured on them, and when it came time for the competition, they would receive preferential treatment. After that, they would make use of these sports stars to drive the development of the entire sports league, or better yet, to encourage the development of the particular sport. It was a movement to "create a king" through artificial methods, put him in front of the public, and allow everyone to admire him.

Taylor used to enjoy this sort of treatment. He received the most resources, so his name was known throughout the world, and everyone had heard of him before.

These kinds of things were opportunities that were hard to come by. There were so many exceptional boxers in the world, but how many of them could encounter opportunities like this? After all, resources were limited. In truth, even many of the championship belt holders never received the support of their boxing organizations. So to Nicholas, the promise made by the WBA President, Fraser, was like a giant meat pie that fell from the heavens.

"Relax, I'll win. I will definitely win! Taylor is old, he is only a paper tiger right now." Nicholas's eyes glittered.

"You shouldn't become complacent, don't forget that he just defeated Saunders in only one round," his agent reminded him kindly.

"That was just a coincidence! The post-match commentary by Mason, you've read it, right? Lady luck doesn't always visit the same person." Nicholas clutched both his fists as if he was filled with the desire to battle. "Besides, I've lost to him once. This time, I definitely won't lose!"In high-level professional boxing matches, the chances of meeting a past opponent in the boxing ring were far and few between. Many boxers wouldn't fight the same opponent twice in their entire career, so a "revenge match" was rare. The moment a revenge match appeared, it became the focus of the media.

That match was exactly such a match. Three years ago, Nicholas challenged for Taylor's WBA championship belt, and Taylor knocked him down. It could be said that Nicholas was now making a comeback. However, Taylor, who had been banned for two years, had zero points. He had to start everything from scratch. So, their identities had switched somewhat; Taylor had become the challenger.

Standing on top of the boxing ring and looking at Nicholas, who was taller than him by a full head, Taylor's expression was like still water.

Throughout the arena, unfriendly voices were the majority. The win against Saunders clearly had not changed the views of the people. Most people still didn't favor Taylor; they wanted him to get knocked down by Nicholas and lose the match.

Finally, there was a ding, and the match began.The operating room of the bookmakers.

As the match started, the operator clicked a button to stop all further betting transactions. The computer automatically generated a report on all betting information concerning the match, then displayed the data on the computer screen.

"There's another huge bet, buying for Taylor to beat Nicholas in two rounds. Could this be the guy from last time? But this time, I'm afraid lady luck won't be revisiting him. Coincidences don't happen twice," the operator said sourly.

"That's not for certain." Another operator on the side poked his head over and looked at the computer screen, then said, "Maybe Kevin Taylor will win this one too!"

"How is that possible? Didn't Mason state in his post-match commentary that Taylor's victory was only a coincidence? That commentary made a lot of sense. Besides, the reason our company gave out these odds was because we referred to his opinion," the first operator refuted.

"I don't think so. The match between Taylor and Saunders ended in the first round. To be precise, the match only lasted around one minute before Taylor knocked Saunders down to the ground. The match ended too quickly, so the amount of useful data is insufficient. In my opinion, Mason's post-match commentary was more like guesses and deductions. There wasn't enough real evidence," the second operator said.

"So, you think Taylor will win?" the first operator asked while he laughed.

The second operator shook his head. "No, that's not what I mean. What I mean is, Mason's opinion might not be correct. I studied statistics, so I only believe in statistics, not guesses."

"But looking at the data from these bets, it seems like most players think that Nicholas is better." The first operator pointed towards the computer screen.

"Perhaps they were misguided. They believed the conclusion of the experts, instead of making a judgment based on their personal understanding," the second operator said intelligently.

"Alright, I can't convince you, and I don't want to debate with you anymore. The truth is better than a great debate. You just wait and see. I think that not long from now, news of Nicholas's victory will reach us."

As the operator spoke, the phone suddenly rang. He immediately made a gesture that signaled to the others to keep quiet before he picked up the phone.

"Hello, it's me. What did you say? Export our revenue results? Isn't this something we do after the match? What? The match has already ended?"

The first operator glanced at his watch and said, "I didn't hear you clearly, do you mean the match between Nicholas and Taylor? That's the match? It's over? How is that possible! I just closed off the bets, it has only been around a minute! How is the match already over? Was there an accident, and the match was canceled?"

From the other side of the phone came an anxious explanatory voice, and the expression of the operator became stiffer as time went by. When he put down the phone, he looked like a statue in a garden.

"What happened?" the second operator asked.

"They said that the match has ended. Taylor won, he defeated Nicholas in the first round!"When the match began, Nicholas didn't even try to gauge anything. He immediately initiated his first round of attacks.

Nicholas was nicknamed "Hurricane," because his attacks were intense and destructive. When his punch combo was in effect, even a boxing champion with a championship belt would choose to move back three steps. They wouldn't want to fight it out against Nicholas directly, but would instead defend diligently.

However, Taylor didn't know the word "defense." To Taylor, to attack was to advance, to defend was also to advance. Using offense as defense was his primary strategy.

Taylor's lack of height and reach were disadvantages in heavyweight boxing. His attack range was smaller than his opponent's, which meant that as soon as he moved into a defensive battle, he would be at a disadvantage. It was like a fight between a man with a spear and a man with a dagger. The one with the spear would continuously thrust at his opponent, and if the one with the dagger only retreated and defended, he would never achieve victory. If the one with the dagger wanted to win, he had to get close to his opponent to move within the attack range of the dagger.

Taylor, of course, knew his weakness. His arms were not long enough, so whenever he fought, he would advance. Faced with Nicholas's attack, he didn't choose to retreat and defend. Instead, he dodged, swayed, and shuffled forward using feints.

Bam! Nicholas's fist returned quickly, but he could feel it. The punch had landed on something.

I've hit! Nicholas's heart leaped in joy, but his fists never stopped. He attacked once more towards Taylor's head.

Taylor once again dodged getting hit in a vital area. He was not hit in the head, but his body received a substantial blow. It was a heavyweight boxing match after all. If it were an ordinary human, even if the person were hit in a meaty area that had good resistance, they would still go down easily.

"Effective hit!" The commentator couldn't help himself as he shouted, and the live audiences also followed suit as their enthusiasm rose. At that moment, it was as if they had already seen Nicholas winning.

The scoring system of professional boxing was different from amateur boxing. Amateur boxing used a point accumulation system; for example, hitting once meant getting a point. Professional boxing, however, used a point deduction system, so getting hit would mean that a point was deducted. After 12 rounds, it was not uncommon to see two 110 point scores, which meant that both sides hadn't had a lot of points deducted. This also meant that in a high-level professional boxing match, it was extremely difficult to get an effective hit in.

In the boxing ring, although he received two hits, Taylor was not distracted at all. As the saying went, if one wanted to learn how to hit people, he had to learn how to get hit first. Professional boxers were good at receiving hits, and Taylor's ability to receive hits was among the best in the heavyweight class. Getting hit twice wasn't enough to distract him. Moreover, he did not take those two hits for nothing; he got closer to Nicholas, until Nicholas was inside Taylor's attack range.

Taylor punched without hesitation. A combination of punches flew out.

Nicholas suddenly felt as if he had returned to three years ago. Back then, when he faced Taylor as a challenger, Taylor used the same method, charging at him before dealing out a combination of feints and punches.

Taylor's body swayed quickly, punch after punch, and Nicholas used his arms to block as he dodged from left to right.

Suddenly, space appeared on the left of Nicholas, and Taylor's right hook was already on its way.

"Sh*t!" Nicholas cried, quickly dodging in the other direction.

In the next moment, Nicholas suddenly felt his face hitting something.

It's over, I was tricked, that was a feint! By the time Nicholas realized that, he felt his head go Bong, and everything went dark.From the audience's perspective, Nicholas did something stupid. He actually used his head to hit Taylor's fist, and the result was as expected. A punch from Taylor could kill a bull. When a punch landed cleanly on Nicholas's face, the chance of Nicholas fainting was one hundred percent.

However, for the older audiences who had watched boxing for over a decade, the scene was incredibly familiar. Ten years ago, Taylor used that exact method to conquer the world of heavyweight boxing.

Taylor's attack was full of real and fakes, with all kinds of feints mixed in as he swayed his body, making it difficult for his opponent to judge. When his real punch came, there was nothing fancy. His opponents had already fallen into his trap; his feints had already made them dizzy.

Nicholas fell onto the ground like a dead pig. The referee once again grabbed Taylor's arm and lifted it high into the air, declaring his victory.

"Taylor won again, just like last time, also in the first round!"

"And this time he won it much faster. In the last round against Saunders, they felt each other out at first, but this time, the both of them went on the offensive as soon as the match started, and then Nicholas fell! This match was way too fast!"

Someone glanced towards the timer on the side of the ring. On the electronic timer, the first round had ended in 37 seconds!"Won again, huh. Feels like he's winning so easily." Dai Li couldn't help but touch his breast pocket. His betting voucher was still there, and now, the tiny piece of paper was worth millions of dollars.

"The bookmakers should learn match by match, and on the next match, they probably won't give out such high odds again." Dai Li couldn't help but laugh as he looked at the timer. "Just 37 seconds, high-difficulty instance, cleared!"

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Chapter 406: Boss Fight

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

"Next, we have our famous boxing commentator, Mr. Mason!" The talk show host waved his hand, and the camera pointed towards the entrance of the stage. Mason appeared there, dressed in a white suit, and smiled and waved to the audience below the stage before walking over to sit on the sofa opposite the host.

The host started with a few jokes to liven up the atmosphere around the stage before moving on to the main topic. "Mr. Mason, you are regarded as the 'Light of Betting' in professional boxing. When it comes to predicting match results, surely you have your unique methods? You can tell me secretly, I won't tell them!"

The host pointed towards the live audience, and the American humor earned a burst of laughter from the audience.

Mason spread his hands and answered, "There really isn't any secret. You have to observe. Observe the distinguishing feature of every boxer, find their strengths and weaknesses, and then start analyzing…"

"It sounds simple, but we all know it is a difficult thing to do. I always mix up the two boxers, let alone remember their distinguishing features," the host interrupted.

"For an ordinary person, it is somewhat difficult, so I'll teach everyone a simple method, and that is to follow my blog, follow me on Twitter, and follow me on Facebook. That way, you will know exactly where to place your bets!" Mason said with a smile.

At that moment, something black suddenly flew into the view of the camera, heading straight for Mason.

Bang! The black thing hit Mason in the face.

It was a black leather shoe. It fell to the ground, revealing Mason's face, and the clear black shoe mark that was left there.

"You liar, you actually have the guts to sit here and talk! To h*ll with this 'Light of Betting' nonsense, I placed bets according to your judgment in Taylor's previous two matches, and I've lost 10,000 dollars!" A big bearded man from the audience below the stage shouted, still bent over from hurling his shoe.

A commotion began to build in the audience. As the crowd's attention shifted towards the big, bearded, shoe-throwing man, someone even whistled and cheered him on. Maybe they lost money for the same reason.

The talk show recording was forced to a halt. Security guards appeared and hauled the shoe-throwing man out. Mason, on the other hand, left the scene with a face that was gloomy, and still partially covered by the shoe mark.

Blame me for losing money? And you actually threw a shoe at me! I don't see you sharing your winnings with me! Mason thought furiously.

By his side, a worker said apologetically, "Mr. Mason, we've caught the guy who threw the shoe, and he refused to apologize, so we've already called the police!"

"Called the police? Oh my God, why did you call the police!" Mason's heart was confused and disconcerted.

"That guy messed up our show recording, so it's natural for us to call the police. Punish him, set an example. If not, more will come to disrupt our recordings! We will also report this incident to the public and let everyone know the consequences for messing up the recordings of our program!" the worker said, believing he was upholding justice.

"No. Don't let the public know about this incident. It would be even better if the police weren't involved." Mason suddenly looked like a frosted eggplant.

"Why? Mr. Mason, you are the victim here. Don't you want the guy who was violent to you to get what he deserves?" the worker asked.

"I don't want to escalate this type of incident. By then, everyone would know that I was hit in the face by a shoe thrown by the audience," Mason said immediately.

I think you just don't want people to know that you were hit in the face because your predictions were inaccurate, and you made someone lose money! Then you would no longer be the "Light of Betting." This is related to your livelihood, huh… The worker thought in his mind."In yesterday's heavyweight boxing match, Kevin Taylor faced off with his third opponent since making his comeback, the 'Crocodile' Martinez. The result was Kevin Taylor KO'ing his opponent in just one round."

"Kevin Taylor only took two minutes and 21 seconds to tame the 'Raptor' Harris. Harris is the heavyweight boxer whom the International Boxing Federation has supported over the past few years, and he is also one of the strongest young boxers in the heavyweight class. A lot of people saw him as a future boxing champion, but it looks like Harris's road to becoming a boxing champion is still very long!"

"This just in. Kevin Taylor easily defeated the 'Matador' Hood. Hood used to be the championship belt holder of the WBA and WBO light heavyweight class, and after he moved himself up to the heavyweight class, he achieved five straight wins. But when faced Taylor, Hood didn't even make it past the first round. Looks like Hood needs more time to adapt after making the leap from light heavyweight to heavyweight."

"Kevin Taylor faced a boxing champion in his sixth match since making his comeback. A past IBF heavyweight boxing champion, nicknamed 'The Giant Beast' Romonsolov. Romonsolov is 2.13 meters tall, his arm span is 2.16 meters, and he weighs as much as 320 pounds. In front of him, Taylor was like a midget, but even so, Romonsolov only made it to the second round. However, Romonsolov is the only opponent that hasn't gotten knocked out in the first round since Taylor made his comeback."

"Kevin Taylor's winning streak continues. In yesterday's match, he defeated 'The Thug' Wallace, maintaining his winning streak since making his comeback. Wallace won the WBO championship belt back in March, and was successfully crowned as the WBO boxing champion. Although he only defended the championship belt for two months, one cannot deny that Wallace was the highest valued opponent Taylor has faced since making his comeback."

"Although 'The Bull' Thompson never received the title of boxing champion, it is undeniable that over the years, he has been one of the best heavyweight boxers in the world. However, just yesterday, when he faced-off against Kevin Taylor, he was beaten like a child. The match lasted a mere one minute and 43 seconds, and was anything but suspenseful. Faced with the ferocious attacks of Taylor, Thompson could only retreat, retreat, and then get knocked down…"Suddenly, Taylor had a nine-match winning streak, and he had defeated most of his opponents in the first round.

No one believed that Taylor's wins were coincidences anymore, and even an idiot could tell that Taylor had returned to his former condition. Regardless who his opponent was, he settled them in the first round.

In truth, according to Dai Li's judgment, Taylor was stronger than he was ten years ago. He had the body of a 27-year-old and the experience of a 32-year-old. That was far better than the body and experience of a 22-year-old.

Taylor was already an S grade boxer, and if everything went according to plan, he was destined to become the conqueror of the heavyweight boxing world. So far, Taylor was doing just that.

In Dai Li's training center, Taylor passed a check to Dai Li.

"Coach Li, I promised you before. After paying off my debt with the bank, 20 percent of my income belongs to you!"

Taylor had already cleared the 20 million dollar debt he owed to the bank, and he also broke out of the bankruptcy protection state. The moment Taylor cleared the debt, 20 percent of everything Taylor earned belonged to Dai Li.

"Boxers sure make a lot of money. From just match bonuses alone, you were successful in clearing your debt in such a short amount of time. Boxing is certainly worthy of being called 'the sport with the most bonus.'" Dai Li couldn't help but sigh.

Comprehensively speaking, boxing was definitely the sport with the highest match bonus. The match bonus of a famous boxer could last a person an entire lifetime. Even a rookie or a boxer from a lower level league could have a decent income.

Other sports were not as good, and the athletes who made a lot of money were usually the high-level and famous athletes. The obscure and low-level athletes' income was pitiful.

For example, in golf, the income of famous golf players were at the top of the pyramid, but their income mainly relied on advertising endorsements and sponsorships. Unpopular golf players who were at the bottom did not get advertising endorsements. They did not have match bonuses, so they might be even worse off than the ball boy working at the golf course.

Tennis was considered a worldwide sport; however, the prize money for the singles champion in the most influential Wimbledon Tennis Open was only around two million pounds. For the snooker Masters held in Wembley, the prize money didn't even reach 200,000 pounds. Compared to those, the bonus of a boxing match could be millions, tens of millions, or even hundreds of millions of dollars. The numbers were astronomical.

Early boxing matches were barely restricted by any rules; opponents could really be beaten to death in a match. It was normal for boxers to die in the boxing ring, and there were even bookmakers who set up a "Life and death bet," which allowed people to place bets on whether the boxers would die. Occasionally, there would be psychopathic boxers who would still hurl that extra punch to kill their opponent, even if their opponent had surrendered.

Boxers back then truly placed their lives on the line in a match. Even if a boxer didn't die in a match, they could be disabled for life. If the prize money for such cruel matches wasn't high, who would participate? It was also because of this historical reason that the bonus for boxing matches was higher than other sports.

Similar situations also appeared in car racing. In the past, the accident rate of car races was very high. Cars colliding with each other could cause an explosion. The racers of that time also raced with their lives on the line, so car racing was also very lucrative. As the saying goes, rewards allure men to brave danger.

Dai Li put the check in his pocket and asked, "Who's your next opponent? When does the match start?"

Taylor shook his head. "Even I don't know who my next opponent is. Now it looks like no one wants to fight me, so even the boxing associations will have trouble arranging a match."

Although boxers were violent, they were not idiots. Back when Taylor had just returned, everyone thought that Taylor was old and weak. They wanted to use Taylor as a stepping stone, and anyone with a little bit of strength couldn't wait to have a match against Taylor.

Now, even ordinary audiences knew that Taylor had recovered his former strength and returned to being the Taylor who could easily KO his opponent in the first round. Who would still want to fight Taylor? Being crushed by their opponent when they finally managed to get a match; no boxer wanted something like that.

Professional boxing matches were arranged by the boxing confederations, and boxers of lower level didn't have much of a choice in who they had to fight. Not only did they not have any space for negotiation, but the boxer also had to be grateful towards the boxing confederations, thanking them for the chance to fight in a match and appear before the camera.

Famous and reputable boxers, on the other hand, had some autonomy in determining who and when they fought. If both were big name boxers, the arranged fight might be put off a few dozen times. A boxer might feel that the time of the fight was inappropriate, or they didn't like the venue of the match, or their wife was having her birthday, or there was a parent-teacher meeting with his son, or they had a dentist appointment next week, or they had to bring their dog to the doggy beauty salon…

The more famous the boxer, the more privileges they had. For the world's top professional boxers, fighting two matches in a year would make them a model worker. The number of matches a top-class professional boxer fought in four years might actually be fewer than the number of matches an amateur boxer experienced in a single Olympic Games.

The championship belt holders of the boxing confederations were naturally the people with the most privileges. According to boxing rules, the 15 boxers with the highest accumulated points could challenge for the championship belt. Since there was only one championship belt, though, it was impossible for the boxing champion to accept the challenges of all 15 boxers. Thus, the boxing champion had the power to choose his opponent. He could pick an opponent among all those who challenged him. Some boxing champions would choose the weaker challengers just to protect their championship belt.

Many challengers would discuss and negotiate with the other 14 challengers when they wanted to challenge for the championship belt. The other 14 would not send out a challenge at the same time, giving the boxer a chance to challenge the boxing champion. The negotiation process alone took a lot of time; moreover, there was the process of arranging the match. That was why one could not view many of those so-called boxing championship matches."If no one dares to fight you, does that mean that you can only wait?" Dai Li asked.

"I've decided to challenge for the championship belt!" Taylor said with steel-like determination. "I've already made it into the top 15 in rankings for all four of the big boxing leagues, and I have the qualifications to challenge for the championship belt, so I have already challenged all four of the championship belt holders of the four big boxing leagues."

"And the result? Did those boxing champions agree to it?" Dai Li asked immediately.

"That sly Highfield found an excuse to avoid a fight!" Taylor clenched his fist in anger.

If Taylor were to name the opponent he wanted to fight most, it would be Highfield. Back then, Taylor bit Highfield's ear and became the laughing stock of the entire world. Taylor also lost his WBA championship belt because of that. And now, Taylor had returned to his peak and wanted to take his revenge on Highfield and regain his championship belt.

The only problem was that Highfield did not want to fight against Taylor. In truth, Highfield had only fought in two matches in these two years. He used rules to avoid fights against strong opponents, hence, retaining his championship belt.

The truth was that Highfield had always been like that. Not only did he have strength, he was also good at scheming. In his matches, if he could beat his opponent, he would beat his opponent, but if he couldn't, he would drag it to a draw. Highfield might have been the boxing champion who had the most draws among the heavyweight boxing champions.

Taylor then continued, "Although Highfield avoided the fight, Hopkins agreed to a fight against me!"

"Hopkins? 'The Iron Professor' Hopkins?" Dai Li asked immediately.

"Yes, that's him. The WBO and IBF championship belt holder, 'The Iron Professor' Hopkins!" Taylor nodded seriously.

"That's good, this is a boss fight!" Dai Li's expression also became serious.

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Chapter 407: Re-emergence

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

If someone asked the audience who the best heavyweight boxer in the world was right then, eight out of ten would give the same answer: Hopkins, "The Iron Professor."

Hopkins entered and won a gold medal in the Olympics when he was 22 years old. He subsequently became a professional boxer. As an amateur who had already won in the Olympics, he was at an advantage when he became a professional boxer.

Hopkins was two meters tall, with an arm's reach of 206 centimeters. That combination was perfect for heavyweight boxing. A fist that was capable of delivering devastating blows, and a light and nimble body. In the heavyweight class, those who were shorter than him would be at a major disadvantage. Those who were around the same height didn't have an arm's reach as wide as his. Those who were taller and larger than him wouldn't be able to match him in speed and agility. In other words, Hopkins's body was perfect for the sport.

Most importantly, not only did Hopkins have the perfect body for boxing, but he also demonstrated masterful technique.

Amateur boxers tended to have better technique. The reason was that amateur boxers tended to wear protective gear when boxing, and that made it difficult to get a win with a knockout. This forced boxers to learn how to gain points through good displays of technique, as it was the best way to win a match. Thus, people who had competed in the Olympics, like Hopkins, naturally had better technique.

Moreover, Hopkin displayed intelligence when he boxed. He always observed his opponents before deciding what to do, whether that was thinking of an overall strategy or making on-the-spot changes.

An excellent body, a strong will, and an intelligent brain. Hopkins had no flaws. All these reasons were why Hopkins earned the nickname "The Iron Professor."

Hopkins did not disgrace his nickname. Ever since he went professional, he had defeated countless opponents. At the moment, he was the boxing champion of both the WBO and the IBF. Of the four championship belts, Hopkins already possessed two of them. With his current momentum, it was only a matter of time before he would get all of them.

If Taylor could be regarded as the heavyweight boxing conqueror of the previous era, then Hopkins was the ruler of the heavyweight boxing of the current era.

In the face of Taylor's challenge, most other boxing champions would have to consider it carefully. Now that Taylor had restored his body back to its original condition, he would have no trouble beating down anyone who came his way. No one could guarantee that they could block his attack.

However, Hopkins was different. He accepted Taylor's challenge. As the saying goes, the young calf is not afraid of the tiger. Hopkins, who was on the rise, was very keen to fight against Taylor, because Taylor was once the heavyweight boxing champion. It was like a lion pride; if a young lion wanted to be recognized by the other lions as leader of the pride, the best way to do so was to defeat the former leader. If the young lion succeeded, he would become the new leader. Those who defeated the old kings and claimed their thrones were respected and honored.

For boxing organizations like the WBO and IBF, the face-off between Hopkins and Taylor was a great opportunity. Showdowns between famous boxers brought about many benefits. If it were possible, boxing organizations would have boxing matches between champions every day.In a secluded villa in an affluent community, an anxious 70-year-old man held a phone.

"Mr. Ayres, the news you mentioned before is true," a man on the phone said.

"So, is there really a physical therapist?" the old man said excitedly.

"Yes," said the man on the phone, "but the man only appeared two years ago, and he did not stay in Europe for a long time. It seems that he only stayed in Switzerland and Scotland. I can't find out the details due to matters of personal privacy concerns, and it was two years ago. So far I only know that the physical therapist is an Asian."

"What is his name? Have you found it?" the old man asked eagerly.

"I did find a name through some means. The name of the physical therapist is… let me have a look. His name is Lithium… well… Day, yes, it is Lithium-Day," the person on the phone said. However, there was an air of discomfort to his voice.

"Lithium-Day? What a bizarre name. Are you sure?" the old man asked with some skepticism.

"He is Asian, strange names are not uncommon for them. He might be Indian, I've heard that there are many strange names in India," the man said.

"An Indian physical therapist called Lithium-Day," the old man nodded. "Thank you for the information you provided me. I hope you can continue to help me to keep a lookout for news about this Lithium-Day. It would be best if I knew where I could find him."

"No problem. But Mr. Ayres, I want to remind you that even if the physical therapist can help your wife recover, his fees will be very high. You need to keep that in mind," said the person on the phone.

"Okay, thank you very much." The old man hung up the phone. Sorrow flashed in his eyes.

"Lithium-Day, where can I find this guy!" the old man spoke to himself while looking into the room next to him. In the other room, a white-haired old woman was lying quietly in bed.

"Lucy, I will help you get better," said the old man as tears streamed down his face. However, his eyes showed that he was determined.

Immediately after, the old man picked up the phone and dialed a number.

"Jim, it's me! Yes, I'm fine, but lately, I've had some troubles, yes, money matters, so I'm planning to come back again!"In the training center, Taylor stood alone in the boxing ring. He looked as if he was in deep meditation.

"Kevin, what are you thinking about?" Dai Li stepped forward and handed a sports drink to Taylor.

"Coach, I can't continue like this. My next opponent is Hopkins. He is probably the strongest active heavyweight boxer around. I am not sure I can beat him. I need a professional boxing coach. I have money now, I think I can hire a boxing coach," Taylor said.

"It seems that you already have a plan," Dai Li said.

Taylor nodded. "Yes, I asked my old friends to inquire, but I haven't heard back from them. As you know, it isn't easy to find a coach that is capable of coaching someone at my level on such short notice."

Taylor was, after all, the world's top boxing champion. An average coach would not be able to meet his standard… Only the world's top boxing coach would be able to guide someone at his level. Moreover, in the coaching industry, high-level coaches were a rare commodity. They were regularly sought out for their services, so they had no need to seek out clients on their own.

Trying to find a suitable boxing coach for Taylor in a span of a few days was basically an impossible task.

Just then, Taylor's phone, which was next to the boxing ring, began to ring.

Dai Li took the cell phone and threw it into the boxing ring to Taylor. Taylor looked at the caller ID and immediately answered.

"Kevin, good news, I just heard that Ayres is coming back!" said the man on the phone.

"Ayres? That 'white devil'? I thought he already retired?" Taylor asked in a curious tone.

"Yes, it is him, but I heard the reason he decided to come back…" The man paused. "People are saying that he decided to return because of money problems, so his asking price is not going to be low!"

"Although he is over 70 years old, he was once the best boxing coach in the world. I wouldn't be surprised even if he asked for the highest price in the world." Taylor took a deep breath and calmed himself. "Send Ayres' phone number to me, I want to talk to him."Beverly Hills was the most famous affluent neighborhood in Los Angeles. Many of the most popular celebrities lived there.

"The Iron Professor" Hopkins's mansion was also located in Beverly Hills. Hopkins, who carried two heavyweight championship belts, earned hundreds of millions of dollars a year, enough to buy him an expensive mansion in Beverly Hills.

At that point, Hopkins also knew of the news of Ayres' comeback.

"The legendary coach of the boxing world, 'White Devil' Ayres, is coming back! That guy should be in his seventies!" exclaimed Hopkins in surprise.

"Yeah," said Hopkins's agent, who was sitting opposite him. "I thought he would enjoy retirement in peace. I did not expect that he would choose to return. According to some sources, he encountered some trouble and needs a lot of money. That is why he chose to come back. Otherwise, at his age, having been away from the boxing scene for several years, wouldn't it be better to just enjoy life?"

"Ayres was once the world's best boxing coach. He should have made a lot of money during the years he was coaching. His house is much more expensive than most top boxers. If he needs to come back for the sake of money, it looks like he really is in trouble," Hopkins said.

"Yeah, and with of Ayres' reputation, an average boxer can't afford him. His asking price is too high," the agent said casually.

Hopkins frowned. He thought for a moment, and said, "I plan to hire him!"

"You? You want to hire Ayers? No no no, we don't need this at all. You already have a professional coaching team. The coaches on the team are highly qualified. Our coaching team has no need to recruit a new coach. Even if he is the legendary 'White Devil' Ayres. Moreover, his asking price is too high. Even though we can afford it, it is an unnecessary expenditure," the agent replied.

Hopkins shook his head, "The reason I want to hire him is not to strengthen our coaching team, but to make it impossible for others to hire him, like Taylor! As far as I know, Taylor has not found a suitable head coach since his comeback. Now that Taylor has apparently recovered to his previous physical condition, if the legendary coach, 'White Devil' Ayres goes to him, he will be even more powerful! Then Taylor will be even more challenging to deal with."

"Yeah, why didn't I think of that! Even though we don't need Ayres, we can't give him to Taylor! Hopkins, your mind is something, you really are worthy of the title 'The Iron Professor.'" The agent stood up. "I will contact Ayres now!"

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Chapter 408: Becoming Indian

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

The next day, Taylor did not go to the training center. He went to visit the legendary boxing coach, Ayres, nicknamed "White Devil."

Ayres was regarded as the godfather in the boxing world. In the few decades of his coaching career, he produced dozens of world-class boxing champions and dozens of world-class boxing coaches. Ayres' disciples were everywhere, and they were well represented in all four of the boxing leagues.

Ayres had chosen to retire five years ago. However, even before his retirement, he decided not to work as a permanent head coach of a single professional boxer. He became a freelance boxing consultant. He was paid by professional boxers to give short-term coaching. Although this type of work wasn't as secure, he had professional boxers lining up to hire him, hoping that Ayres would be able to give them some pointers.

In terms of coaching, Ayres was undoubtedly the best, and in terms of experience, no one could claim to be more experienced than him. If Taylor could get Ayres to coach him, he would be like a tiger with wings.

The next day, Taylor went to the training center early in the morning.

"So, how was it? How was your talk with Ayres?" Dai Li said while observing Taylor's expression. Taylor did not look optimistic.

"I only had preliminary talks with him. We haven't talked in detail about the pay yet, but he won't come cheap. I predict that if I want to please him, I would need to give him at least five million per year," Taylor said.

"A salary of five million per year is really high." Dai Li silently nodded.

Different sports coaches had different incomes. For example, for world-class tennis coaches, those that had the ability to coach Grand Slam players generally had an annual salary of about 500,000 dollars. That was already considered to be a high salary for coaches.

The head coaches of NBA teams generally had an annual salary of three or four million dollars. Only occasionally would someone get a five million dollar salary. Even for first-class coaches who had won NBA championships before, their annual salary could only reach six or seven million dollars. Head coaches with an annual salary of more than ten million were extremely rare in the NBA. Moreover, they were often also part of the management team. As the saying goes, the laborer is worthy of his wages, so the fact that they earned more was reasonable.

The number one sport in the United States was American football. The salary of football coaches was higher than in any other sport. In the NFL, the average annual salary of a head coach could reach more than six million dollars per year.

The disparity in salary for boxing coaches was more substantial than in any other sport. Low-level boxing coaches might not make as much as an average sparring partner, while top-level boxing coaches usually had a two to three million dollar annual income. The only boxing coach who had the guts to ask for five million a year was the legendary coach Ayres.

"To tell you the truth, I think an annual salary of five million is worth it if it means I can get Ayres. I trust his coaching ability. But when we talked, he also revealed some other information," Taylor said, a little depressed.

"What information?" Dai Li asked immediately.

"According to Ayres, I'm not the only one looking to hire him. Other boxers are negotiating with him as well," Taylor replied.

"This is not unexpected. Ayres' name still carries weight. Everyone would hope to hire this legendary coach," Dai Li replied.

"When I say other boxers, that includes Hopkins," Taylor replied.

"Hopkins? Doesn't he already have a coach? Could it be that he wants to fire his current coach and hire Ayres instead?" Dai Li said as he shook his head, but then, he immediately saw through Hopkin's plan.

"I understand what he is doing. Hopkins probably doesn't want you to hire Ayres. He doesn't want you to become stronger. As for Ayres, he deliberately revealed this information because he wants you to raise the price. He wants to make more money. I'm guessing he probably also told Hopkins that you wanted to hire him. He is waiting for both of you to start a bidding war," Dai Li said.

"Then I have to move faster." Taylor looked up and asked, "Coach Li, I need your help; you have to accompany me to meet Ayres. He may have some other conditions regarding the training environment.""Taylor really went to meet with Ayres. Ayres deliberately revealed this information to us because he must have wanted a higher price. Now it looks like we can't hire him for just five million dollars per year," the agent said.

"Then increase the price!" Hopkins said without any hesitation. "If I'm not wrong, Ayres will tell Taylor about our meeting with him. He hopes that the both of us will start a bidding war, and Taylor will most likely offer a higher salary." Hopkins did some calculations in his mind and said, "Offer him eight million per year!"

"Eight million? That high? No boxing coach has ever got an annual salary of eight million! Is this necessary?" the agent said in a shocked tone.

"Of course it is necessary. I want to get this done and dusted as soon as possible. I can not let Taylor get Ayres. At eight million, Ayres should have a hard time refusing! And we can also pay him a year's salary in advance. This is what Taylor can't do." Hopkins paused and said, "Taylor fell into debt before. He owed the bank tens of millions. He has only recently paid it off, so Taylor won't be able to give him a year's salary in advance. Doesn't Ayres need money now? Eight million should help him solve his problems! I don't think he will refuse."

"Ok then, I will go talk to him." The agent spread his hands and said, "Sometimes it feels like you are more of an agent than me."

"Forget it, let's go together," Hopkins said, getting up. "Ayres is a legendary coach, after all. I want to go to him personally. As a sign of my sincerity."Professional talents definitely had standards when it came to work environment. If the working environment was terrible, it didn't matter how much money was offered to them.

For example, university professors with strong research abilities were considered rare and prized talents. All universities needed such talents, as there was no university with too much talent. However, if the school's overall research capability was weak, it didn't matter how much money it offered; those talented researchers would not be willing to accept a position there. It was as if a third-rate college wanted to hire a Nobel Prize winner. It didn't matter how much they were offered, they wouldn't go to work there as it would affect their reputation.

The same was true for coaching. If the level of the athlete was too low, or if the training environment was not right, then the coach would never accept the job, no matter the pay.

With Taylor's boxing ability, he definitely wouldn't be looked down on by Ayres. However, Dai Li's fitness center wasn't specialized for boxing, so Taylor wanted Dai Li to go with him to meet Ayres. If Ayres made any request on the training environment, then Dai Li, the owner of the fitness center, would be able to make a decision right away.

Dai Li had seen photos of Ayres in the news before. Ayres' hair was always unnaturally white. Even when he was younger, he had a lot of white hair. When he was in his fifties, all his hair had already turned white, so people gave him the nickname "White Devil."

Today, Dai Li saw the real Ayres. He was much older than the photos made him look. Dai Li could even sense an aura of exhaustion coming from Ayres.

From his appearance, I can tell that he is in some trouble, and he needs money to solve it, Dai Li thought.

Ayres invited the two of them to the living room and made some coffee for them. Ayres said in an apologetic tone, "Kevin, if you hadn't come, I would have called you. It is about the thing that we talked about the last time we met."

"Have you made a decision?" Taylor asked with a face full of hope.

Ayres nodded and said, "Kevin, I'm truly sorry, I have already accepted an offer from Hopkins to coach him. He made me an offer that was hard to refuse."

Taylor immediately asked,"How much? Six million? More?"

"An annual salary of eight million dollars," Ayres said.

"I can also pay you eight million a year. So please reconsider," Taylor replied without hesitation.

"Not only that, Hopkins is willing to pay me a year's salary in advance, can you do that?" Ayres asked.

"I…" Taylor suddenly felt helpless. He had just finished paying off his 20 million dollar debt to the bank. As of that moment, he had some money, but he was not able to come up with eight million dollars for Ayres right away. If he had a few months to take part in a few more boxing matches, he would be able to have the eight million dollars ready.

"Alright, I understand." Taylor nodded in resignation. "In that case, I will not bother you any longer. I hope I have the opportunity to work with you in the future."

"Kevin, I'm really sorry, but I really have no other choice. I really need the money, and Hopkins's offer will go a long way in helping me," Ayres explained. "My wife met with an accident, and her whole body has been paralyzed. She is lying in bed, and she can't move either her legs or her hands, so I really need the money."

"I see, her rehabilitation would definitely cost a lot. May God help her and let her recover soon," Taylor replied with an air of understanding.

"The cost of the treatment is only one of the problems. The main issue is that I need to find a person, an Indian physical therapist," Ayres went on to say. "He is a very excellent physical therapist. He could even help those who had been paralyzed get back on their feet, to move freely again!"

What! Dai Li thought in his mind. The ability was very familiar to Dai Li. To allow people who were physically paralyzed to stand up again and move freely. Wasn't that the effect that could only be achieved by rehabilitative massages?

Who else besides me in this world has this ability? Dai Li thought. He then asked, "Mr. Ayres, what is the name of the Indian physical therapist that you mentioned? I have been in the sports rehabilitation scene for a long time, and I am also very familiar with sports rehabilitation. Who knows, maybe I have heard of his name before."

"His name is Lithium-Day!" Ayres said. "A bizarre name, isn't it? Anybody who has heard this name would definitely remember it. But I haven't found him yet. I learned of this physical therapist from a Swedish friend of mine. Lithium-Day appeared in Switzerland two years ago. As to his whereabouts now, I have no idea. If he returns to India, it will be even more difficult for me to find him. India has a population of more than one billion, so I plan to hire private detectives to find this Lithium-Day around the globe, which will require a lot of money."

Appeared in Switzerland two years ago? I was also in Switzerland at the time. Why haven't I heard of this guy before? It can't be one of those snake oil salesmen, right! Dai Li thought. He kindly reminded Ayres, "Ayres, sir, Indians have a habit of talking big but underdelivering. They like to brag. They can exaggerate their skills just from a little bit of achievement. I suggest that you ask around about him more."

"Coach Li, thank you very much. I know what you mean. You are worried that I might be scammed. But this Lithium-Day is definitely not a liar. He has had a successful case." Ayres lowered his voice and continued, "The motorsport champion Helheim, you know about him I'm sure, he was seriously injured in a ski accident three years ago, and this Lithium-Day was the one who helped him recover. Now Helheim has recovered, and he just participated in a classic car race in Switzerland a few days ago."

What? You're talking about Helheim? Dai Li's expression suddenly lit up. That was my doing! When did my name change to Lithium-Day?

And when did I become an Indian?

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Chapter 409: It's Not Always Good To Be Too Educated

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Dai Li was one hundred percent sure that Ayres had met a scammer.

Someone took the results of my work to deceive people? This is not okay, thought Dai Li, suppressing the anger in him.

He then said, "Mr. Ayres, for these kinds of cases, I still suggest that you look more into it, to see whether the person who helped Helheim recover was an Indian or not. Motorsport champion Helheim is a celebrity after all, and it is not difficult to get in contact with him or his agent. Not to mention the fact that you have coached over a dozen boxing champions in the past, so maybe some of them know Helheim."

By the tone of his voice, this coach Li seems to know something, Ayres thought. Ayres was a wise man, and he noticed that there were some hidden meanings within Dai Li's words. However, this was the first time they had met, and their relationship was only slightly better than that of two strangers. Ayres couldn't count on Dai Li to say what was truly on his mind, and Dai Li couldn't speak without reservation to Ayres. Although people are capable of becoming friends the first time they meet, it is impossible for them to share everything that is on their minds with each other at the first meeting.

Dai Li and Taylor left the villa and got into the car. Taylor then asked, "Coach Li, from what I've heard just now, it seems like you know who Lithium Day is. Do you think he is a liar?"

"If I said that the person who helped motorsport champion Helheim recover was not Lithium Day, would you believe me?" Dai Li asked.

"Yes! Of course, I would believe you." Taylor nodded seriously. "Coach Li, do you know the full story? You know the man who cured Helheim, don't you? He really isn't the one called Lithium Day?"

"Of course I know that physical therapist. We've been living and sleeping together for several decades! What he likes to eat, what he likes to drink, what kind of girl he likes, I even know where all his body hairs are! There isn't anyone in this world who knows him better than I do." Dai Li shrugged.

"That's great, we should go back now and tell Ayres about this. Maybe he will change his mind and reconsider my offer," Taylor said with excitement.

Dai Li, however, did not speak. He was silent.

"What's wrong?" Taylor glanced at Li. He suddenly recalled the words that Dai Li just said.

"Sleeping, living, and eating together for decades? Coach Li, is he your family? Your father? Or your brother?" Taylor asked immediately.

Dai Li shook his head. He was slightly amused at how long it took Taylor to catch on.

After pondering for a while, Taylor asked, slowly, "Coach Li, that physical therapist, he's not you, is he?"

"You've finally caught on! The person who helped Helheim recover was me. I am that physical therapist," Dai Li said while nodding his head.

"My God!" Taylor's body jolted back, his expression showed complete disbelief.

After more than half a minute, Taylor finally recovered and asked, "Li, why didn't you tell Ayres just now?"

"Tell him? What do I say? That Lithium-Day is a liar, and that it was me who helped Helheim recover? Do you think that in that sort of situation, it would be appropriate to say that? What would Ayres think? Would he believe me? Even if he believed me, wouldn't he think that we were simply trying to get him to join us?" Dai Li asked.

"That…" Taylor thought about it carefully and didn't reply.

"Kevin, this is the first time Ayres and I have met. We don't know each other. To put it more accurately, we don't trust each other. Would you believe every word a person said if you just met them? It is as if you were just walking down the street, and a businessman handed you his business card and then introduced himself. You would think that he was a salesman, and you would not believe a word he said!" Dai Li said.

"Okay. I admit that what you say makes sense." Taylor nodded and asked, "Are you actually able to help someone who is paralyzed recover?"

"Rehabilitation is my specialty," Dai Li said boasted.

"So, are you going to help Ayres?" Taylor asked.

"If he asks me, I will consider it." Dai Li thought for a while, then said, "But it is quite troublesome, what I mean is that the recovery process is troublesome. It takes a long time for someone who is paralyzed to recover. It could take months or even a couple of years. I don't have that kind of time right now. I am a sports coach after all, not a physical therapist. If I wanted to become a physical therapist, I would've just stayed in Europe two years ago, not come to America to set up a physical fitness training center.

"So even if Ayres asks for your help, you may not agree to help him?" Taylor asked.

"Kevin, you need to understand, everyone needs to do what is needed of them according to the situation. Look at the bosses of large technology companies such as Microsoft and Facebook. Their founders are excellent programmers, but are they still sitting by their computers writing code? Of course not! They are the CEOs of their companies. My main job now is to run my training center instead of working as a part-time physical therapist." Dai Li patted Taylor on his shoulder. "Of course, if time permits, I don't mind helping those who need help."Ayres sat on the sofa with a solemn look on his face. As Dai Li left, he kept asking Ayres to check whether the Indian physical therapist was a liar, which caused doubt to appear in Ayres' mind.

As the saying goes, repeat a lie often enough, and it becomes the truth. Ayres was very confident in Lithium Day's ability to heal his wife, but after the reminders given by Dai Li, he couldn't help but start to feel suspicious.

There shouldn't be any problems, right? Ayres pulled out his phone and looked at his contact list. He was feeling hesitant about calling his Swedish friend to ask again.

He is helping me, after all. If I call him to ask again, wouldn't it seem like I don't trust him? We are, after all, friends. Doing this seems inappropriate, Ayres thought.

At that moment, Ayres' phone started to ring. The caller ID showed that it was his friend from Sweden that was calling.

"Turns out he is the one to call me," Ayres said to himself. He then answered the phone.

"Hello old friend, I am calling to say sorry. I made a mistake. The information I gave you on the physical therapist was wrong!" the Swedish said.

There were problems with that Lithium Day guy after all? Ayres thought nervously. He had a premonition, so he quickly asked, "Is the Indian fellow a liar? Or does this person have issues?"

The Swedish replied, "No no, the physical therapist does indeed exist, and he did help Helheim recover, but I got one detail wrong. The physical therapist is indeed from Asia, but he is not an Indian, he is an ethnic Chinese. I only just found this out, so I immediately called you."

"Chinese and Indians are both Asians, they only have different skin tones. What's the difference?" Ayres asked in a puzzled tone.

"Chinese people have a different way of writing their names. They put their family names first, then their given names. In other words, 'Day' isn't his family name, it is his given name," the Swedish said.

"Okay, you found another difference," Ayres said, his voice showing his agitation. He didn't expect his Swedish friend to be so meticulous.

"Ayres, listen to me, the reason I'm saying this is because of the order of the name. It led me to make a mistake. The name of this physical therapist is 'L-I."Li.' This is a very common name in the East. It isn't Lithium. So I got his surname wrong," the Swedish man said.

"So that's how it is. I did wonder why someone had such a strange name," Ayres said. "But there is quite a difference between the name 'Li' and Lithium, right?"

"Yes, there is. I made a dumb mistake. You know me, I loved chemistry ever since I was a young boy. I could recite the periodic table when I was only twelve years old. That's why, when I saw the word 'Li,' I just thought that it was the element Lithium…" the Swedish man explained very cautiously.

"Ugh, I see…" Ayres was speechless. He could not understand how someone could make such a mistake.

"Lithium" is an element, and in chemistry, it is usually shortened to "Li." It has the same spelling as the Eastern family name "Li," but Westerners would never sound out the word "Li" for lithium, they would simply say "lithium." For example, the battery used in mobile phones is called a "lithium-battery," not a "Li-battery."

The Swedish man then continued, "I got the name of the physical therapist wrong. This definitely would have given you some trouble in your search. I am very sorry, so I wanted to call you and correct my mistake. The physical therapist's name isn't Lithium-Day, but Li-day!"

"Li-day?" Ayres repeated the name. He suddenly realized that the name sounded very familiar, almost as if he had just heard the name.

"No, that isn't right. I definitely just heard this name. The Chinese coach that was here just now. This is his name! It can't be that that physical therapist is him, right?" Ayres' face changed drastically. He recalled Dai Li's expression when they were talking.

"When I mentioned Helheim's case, Dai Li's expression was bizarre. And he also kept reminding me to further investigate the case. That's it! He is the physical therapist!" Ayres instantly slapped himself in regret.

"Oh no! What did I just miss!" Ayres screamed.A day later, Taylor saw the "White Devil" Ayres again, only this time, it wasn't at his villa, but at Dai Li's fitness training center.

"So it was your Swedish friend who misspelled my name?" Dai Li couldn't help but laugh after finding out the truth.

Sweden is one of the most studious countries in the world, and Swedish people are also some of the most knowledgeable people on earth.

Sweden is located close to the north pole, and when winter arrives, there isn't much daylight, not to mention the fact that it is freezing outside. So after it gets dark, most Swedish people choose to stay at home and keep warm by the fire.

During the Viking period, Sweden became an affluent country by raiding and plundering throughout Europe. From that, they were able to build up their industrial system during the Industrial Revolution in Europe. Two hundred years of capitalism developed Sweden into the welfare state that it is today. Its people are able to live very good lives, even though they have very short working hours. So, even if the Swedes have short working hours, Sweden is still a highly developed country.

After it gets dark, there isn't much to do at home. Back when the entertainment industry wasn't as developed, there were no televisions, computers, or phones. No television dramas, variety shows, or games. The only thing Swedish people could do to not feel bored was to read. Thus, the Swedish have cultivated a reading culture.

The more someone reads, the more they know, and the broader their knowledge. But sometimes, being too educated might not be a good thing. When you are educated, you tend to overthink, as was the case for Ayres' Swedish friend. When he saw the word "Li," he thought of the element lithium. If he were instead someone who did not know that much about chemistry, someone who didn't even know the periodic table, he wouldn't have made that mistake.

When foreigners read Chinese, their pronunciation usually isn't accurate. Dai Li realized this long ago. Americans tend to pronounce his "Dai" as "Day." On the other hand, they didn't mispronounce his family name "Li." That was because there was an American family name, "Lee," that shares the same pronunciation, so it was harder to get it wrong. Dai Li was already used to Americans calling him "Li-day."

This Swedish fellow actually made this sort of a mistake. It seems like sometimes when you are too educated, you might actually cause harm to others! Dai Li sighed. He turned his head to Ayres. "Mr. Ayres, Helheim did, in fact, get better under my care. Besides him, there were also others who suffered from different levels of paralysis. They were all able to recover under my guidance."

Ayres' face was full of joy, and he looked at Dai Li eagerly.

However, Dai Li changed his tone and said, "But Mr. Ayres, I'm afraid I am not able to help in your wife's recovery."

"I will pay you! How much do you want?" Ayres said quickly.

"This isn't a question of money, but a matter of time. I simply do not have that much time." Dai Li shook his head and continued, "As you can see, I'm running such a large fitness center, I have many things to do. In addition to that, I have to personally take care of Kevin Taylor's training. Kevin is our star client. I am counting on Kevin to bring more attention here."

Ayres wasn't so dumb that he didn't understand what Dai Li meant. Dai Li was in the process of bargaining. His objective was to get Ayres to coach Taylor.

Dai Li had barely set the bait, but Ayres was already willingly putting his mouth on the hook.

Without hesitation, Ayres said, "Let me handle Kevin Taylor's training. This will save you a lot of time."

"But you have already promised to train Hopkins. Wouldn't that be a problem?" Dai Li asked.

"No problem at all. I can still reject him," Ayres replied immediately.

"Taylor can't pay you your salary in advance, he doesn't have that much money." Dai Li laughed, then said, "But you can use it to offset the cost of the physical therapy."

"Coach Li, did you just agree? Have you agreed to help my wife recover?" Ayres was able to understand what Dai Li was implying in the conversation, and he couldn't help but let his excitement show in his voice.

Dai Li smiled and nodded. He opened up his arms in a gesture of embrace, and said, "Coach Ayres, welcome to my fitness training center!"

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Chapter 410: The Legendary Coach

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

"Ayres rejected our offer? Why? Is it because Taylor made him a better offer? That's impossible. Taylor doesn't have that much money," Hopkins said with a frown.

"I did some investigation, and it turns out that Ayres' wife met with an accident not long ago and is now paralyzed. There is a very good physical therapist who is able to help people who suffer from limb paralysis recover. So, Ayres needs a large sum of money to cover the medical cost of his wife's treatment. Coincidentally, Taylor's fitness coach is that famous physical therapist," the agent said.

"What a coincidence," Hopkins said with irritation. "Who is Taylor's fitness coach? What is his background?"

"He's Chinese. He is the owner of a fitness center called 'Coach Lee's physical fitness training center.' Taylor trained there before he made his comeback," the agent answered.

"It is not often you see a Chinese coach. A Chinese who is able to open a fitness center all on his own, this must mean that he is good. Not to mention Taylor's physical condition has been quite excellent since making his comeback. Looks like this Chinese guy really has some skills," Hopkins said casually.

"According to the information I collected, this Chinese coach specializes in track and field training. The popular para-athlete, 'Blade Warrior' Phillip, was also trained by this Chinese coach," the agent said. He had obviously done his homework.

"Track and field coaches are usually good at physical training," Hopkins said, before suddenly raising his head. "Speaking of which, is our contract with AP Fitness Training Center expiring next year?"

"Yes, it is expiring next year. What of it? You want to switch to another company?" the agent replied.

"We need to see whether there are any better ones!" Hopkins nodded his head and said, "AP Fitness Training Center provides good service, and their fitness coaches are very professional, but what if there is a better option? As a boxer of this level, I need the best coaches. If I can find a 100-point coach, why should I settle for a 99-point?"Clips of Hopkins's previous matches were playing on a big television screen.

"This is a special video clip that I made from Hopkins's past matches. They are the highlights I picked out from the matches," Ayres said as he controlled the television screen with a remote. "We've already gone through it once. So, what did you see?"

Taylor thought for a moment and replied, "Hopkins's technique is really very good. His timing was practically immaculate, and his punches were very accurate. He could always find and take advantage of the weak spots of his opponents, even if the weak spot was only exposed for a short moment."

"And?" Ayres pressed the rewind button on the remote and said, "I'm talking about his defense."

Taylor thought for a few dozen more seconds before replying, "Hopkins has great judgments, he was able to see through the intentions of his opponents…"

"So, what do you think are his weaknesses then?" Ayres said, interrupting Taylor.

"His weaknesses…" Taylor looked hesitant, then said, "Hopkins is one of those athletes who doesn't have any weaknesses. Whether it is his physique, technique, or his match judgment, they are all perfect. Truth be told, I don't think he has any kind of weaknesses."

"That is because you aren't good at analyzing," Ayres said, shaking his head. He pointed at the screen and said, "Watch it again, and pay attention this time."

Taylor shifted his gaze to the television screen and stared at it intently. But from his expression, he obviously still did not discover anything new.

Dai Li, who was also looking at the screen, suddenly said, "I think that dodge just now was a bit different."

"Oh?" Ayres exclaimed in surprise and asked immediately, "What do you think is different?"

"Can I watch it one more time?" Dai Li asked.

"No problem." Ayres rewound the video to the previous scene.

"So? Do you think there's anything different?" Ayres asked.

"I think Hopkins is deliberately trying to protect a certain part of his body in his previous defense gesture," Dai Li said. He then changed his tone drastically and said, "I'm only guessing, I don't know if it is correct."

"Which part of his body do you think Hopkins is protecting?" Ayres asked quickly.

"His neck? No," Dai Li shook his head.

"His face? No, that's not it either," Dai Li mumbled to himself as he shook his head. He started to playback the video in his mind, and suddenly, he finally figured it out.

"It's his chin! Hopkins is trying to protect his chin!" Dai Li said confidently.

"Correct!" Ayres couldn't help but clap to applaud Dai Li.

"I was correct?" Dai Li said, feeling a sense of accomplishment.

At the same time, Taylor said in a surprised voice, "He guessed correctly?"

"Coach Li, if I didn't know you, I would definitely think that you are a very experienced boxing coach. Your observational and analytical skills are something that even most boxing coaches don't have," Ayres couldn't help but praise Dai Li.

"Just a lucky guess," Dai Li said humbly.

"No, I don't think it is luck. Perhaps you have a talent for this sort of thing," Ayres said. He pointed at the monitor. "Almost all boxers and boxing coaches think that Hopkins is a flawless boxer. No doubt his body seems like it was made for heavyweight boxing, and his skills, even when he was boxing as an amateur, were already top-notch. He is one of the best in the world, but that doesn't mean that he is flawless."

"People think that Hopkins is a perfect, flawless boxer because they are unable to discover his flaw." Ayres pressed the pause button on the remote, freezing the frame, and said confidently, "Hopkins's flaw is his chin!"

"You mean to say, Hopkin has a weak chin?" Taylor asked naively.

"If we compare him to the other heavyweight boxing champions, Hopkins does indeed have a weak chin." Ayres nodded his head and said plainly, "But Hopkins has already discovered his own weakness, so during matches, he pays extra attention to defending his chin, something that coach Li noticed earlier. Take for example the move you just saw; his dodge moved him farther than usual, and if you look at it from another angle, you can see that he is prioritizing the defense of his chin."

Ayres pressed the play button as he spoke, and explained, "In a boxing match, attacking the chin is usually the fastest way to get a KO. So in most professional matches, defending your chin from your opponent is a fundamental strategy. Boxers are required to train and strengthen their neck and shoulder muscles to minimize the impact of a punch to the chin. This is one of the most basic things that boxers do. So when Hopkins defends his chin, most people just assume that he is doing what every other boxer does, so they are unable to figure out Hopkins's weakness."

"That seems to be the case." Taylor nodded. "If you hadn't told me, I wouldn't have realized it. I would have just thought that it was a normal defensive move."

"There are many excellent boxing coaches in the world, but only a few of them are able to find out Hopkins's weakness!" Ayres said as he glanced at Dai Li. He seemed to be implying that it was quite a wonder that even though Dai Li's specialty wasn't boxing, he was able to figure it out.

Dai Li suddenly felt a bit embarrassed by the praise. He thought he was just lucky.

Taylor wasn't paying attention to that topic, so he simply stated, "Now that I know of Hopkins's weakness, I simply have to keep attacking his chin during the match!"

"If you do that, you might not be able to win the match." Ayres sighed and shook his head. He moved as if he was some kind of highly educated gentleman.

"Why? Shouldn't we focus on the weakness of the opponent during a match?" Taylor rebutted.

"Hopkins is a very intelligent boxer. He knows how to evaluate a situation. Do you think that he would continue to let you attack his chin once he realized what you were trying to do?" Ayres shook his finger and said, "In terms of physique, Hopkins literally has the high ground. He is taller than you by 20 centimeters. You will need to attack from below, and that in itself is already a disadvantage. Not to mention that his arm's reach is also longer than yours by at least 20 centimeters. The chin is a body part that is always guarded very closely by boxers. If he focuses his defense there, it will be tough to attack his chin."

Hopkins is one of the best boxers in the world, and his physique is simply superior to Taylor's. If he chooses to adopt a defensive strategy, it will be very difficult for Taylor to attack, Dai Li thought.

"What should I do then?" Taylor asked.

"You need to pretend that you don't know his weakness. Tire him out, and when the opportunity arises, strike," Ayres said confidently. "I have devised a strategy for you. When the match starts, you shouldn't try to attack his chin. You need to make it seem like you are trying to find his weakness during the match. Make it seem like you are clueless about how he fights."

"Then you need to make him attack. He has the advantage when it comes to physique, and his technique is top-notch. If he intentionally fights defensively, you will only gain an advantage of a few points, and they are mostly irrelevant. It is only when he attacks that he will expose his weak points. Only when he exposes his weakness will you be able to seize the chance to give a fatal blow to his chin. This is the best way for you to win."

Ayres become more and more enthusiastic as he spoke, almost as if he was giving a speech to motivate a group of salesmen.

Taylor was eating up every word that Ayres was saying. His face seemed serious, and he kept nodding as Ayres spoke. Taylor was so entirely captivated by the few simple words spoken by Ayres that he could not differentiate left from right.

Dai Li couldn't help but respect Ayres. The way Ayres spoke exuded confidence. His speechlike explanation really showed that he was one of the best boxing coaches in the world. It was as if he was telling someone that if they listened to him, victory was guaranteed! His words were intoxicating, and whether it was Taylor or any other boxer, there was no doubt they would believe anything he said.

It is no wonder he is the legendary coach of the boxing world. He really deserves his nickname, 'White Devil,' even ignoring all his other qualities. Just from his speech giving ability alone, I should definitely learn from him. He was just too awesome!

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Chapter 411: The Coach's Talents

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

The sun was shining through the French window by the bed, and a gray-haired old woman was trying to lift her arm.

"Great, Mrs. Ayres. Moving your arms is a good start. But you've been in bed too long, and your muscle atrophy is so serious that you need more exercises. If you're tired, you can increase your frequency of exercise and decrease the time of exercise on each occasion. Mr. Ayres is also a coach, so he is a professional on this too," Dai Li said.

"Thank you, Coach Li." Ayres looked grateful. He turned to his wife and said, "Honey, you rest, and I'll show Coach Li out."

Ayres took Dai Li out of the gate and to a garden in front of the villa.

"Coach Li, I would never believe your massage would be so effective for rehabilitation if I hadn't seen it myself," Ayres said with amazement.

"Everyone is good at something, and I am just good at rehabilitation," Dai Li answered.

"I'm also a coach, and I know it's almost impossible to help a paralyzed patient recover. Maybe only God himself can do it." Speaking of this, Ayres went on, "Coach Li, I know that your main business is physical training, but are you interested in being a boxing coach?"

"Boxing coach?" Dai Li shook his head. "I really don't know much about boxing. If I hadn't been in contact with Taylor recently, I probably wouldn't know as much as the senior boxing audience."

"But you have the talent." Ayres' expression became solemn. "I've been watching you since the day you found Hopkins's defect in the video, and I think you are suitable to be a boxing coach. When I first met you, you really didn't know much about boxing. But during this period, when I was coaching Taylor, you were also learning, right? Besides, you learn very fast, just like a sponge absorbing water. To be honest, you seem to understand boxing better than him."

"You must be joking. Taylor is a boxing champion with more than ten years of experience," Dai Li said.

"It has nothing to do with time or experience," Ayres said seriously, shaking his head. "The accumulation of experience determines the lower limit of a coach's ability, but talent determines the upper limit. Therefore, talent sometimes is the most important. And you have the talent."

Dai Li was stunned. He had received similar comments before, but on other events.

"In fact, even if I want to be a boxing coach, I don't have enough time. After all, I have to run my training center," Dai Li said.

"You can just be a consultant like I was before I retired. When a boxer comes to you, you only need to give him some instruction or direction for training. As for specific training, the players do it themselves. That was what I did after fifty-five. It's easy, but it pays well," Ayres said with a smile,

"As your friend, I think your performance in running a training center is only ordinary, but you are extraordinary in training. So, I have been trying to suggest that you should hire a specialized manager for the operation of your training center. And you should focus on the specific training of athletes. You can regard it as the optimization of talent and position, where the most professional people do what they are best at and get the most effective results."

Dai Li nodded, because Ayres was not the first person to speak of this. Steven also suggested that Dai Li should hire a specialized manager, and even recommended a suitable person. However, Dai Li was not satisfied with that person because he was too young and had just gotten his MBA without any experience at all. What's more, he didn't expect much in the way of salary, which clearly showed that he would quit the job as soon as he got enough experience. Dai Li didn't want his training center to be just a way of padding out a resume.

"Thank you for your suggestion. I'll take it seriously," Dai Li answered.On his way back, Dai Li kept thinking about Ayres' words.

"Talent? To be a coach? Why didn't I realize I had such a good coaching talent?" Dai Li said to himself lightly.

"Do you think that's dependent only on yourself?" the system's voice reappeared in Dai Li's mind.

"What do you mean?" Dai Li asked immediately.

"You've been at the level of a relatively noted coach for a long time, and you're about to hit the threshold of famous coach. I thought you already felt it," the system said. "The promotion of coach level will not only bring you more training effect bonuses, it will also improve your coaching quality. For example, you'll be equipped with stronger abilities of learning, analyzing, and judging in any sports event."

"Do you mean it was all because of you that I could see Hopkins's defect and that Ayres thought that I had the talent to be a boxing coach? It was you that made me so talented, right?" Dai Li asked with a little anger.

"Needless to say. If you really had the world's best coaching talent, why did you still have to worry about getting a job after graduation? I'm afraid you didn't stand out in college!" the system answered inexorably.

Dai Li lost himself in thought. Indeed, he was not an outstanding student in college, and his performance in school was just so so. At least in those days, he showed no unusual talent.

The system continued, "The improvement of your coaching quality is related to your coach level. The higher your level is, the more you will improve. Therefore, when you were at the third-rate coach level, you couldn't realize the improvement of the coaching quality at all, since your coach level was too low. But when you rose to first-rate coach, you should feel the changes brought by the improvements of all qualities!"

Dai Li suddenly recalled that Harman's coach team had offered him an olive branch when he was in the Dingtian Group. Harman himself once expressed clearly that he hoped that Dai Li would try to be a football coach, which obviously showed that Harman recognized Dai Li's talent and ability in football training.

No wonder Harman wanted me at that time. I thought I was so skillful. Finally, Dai Li understood everything, and the realization was not pleasant.

After all, it was not real progress of Dai Li himself. The improvement brought by the system was totally different from the progress made by his own efforts. Dai Li had always thought that his progress relied on his own efforts, but now he knew that he was still the same person, the same coach, that he had been in college. He felt inexplicably let down.

Obviously, the system didn't get Dai Li's emotion and kept talking. "At the level of well-known coach, even if you don't know anything about a sport, you can become an expert as long as you are willing to learn. Even a high-level professional athlete will believe your coaching. And if you upgrade to famous coach, the process of learning will be quicker and the effect will be more distinct. You can become an all-round coach, proficient in every sport if you want!"Hopkins was the heavyweight boxing champion of the WBO and IBF. Taylor was the challenger in this match. Therefore, this match would determine whom the two gold belts of the WBO and IBF belonged to.

The WBO and IBF had already invested a lot of resources in this match. Besides, the media publicity had begun the moment the match was announced.

Frequently, professional boxing matches were jointly held by several boxing organizations, especially when a match involved several gold belts. Boxing organizations didn't mind cooperating with each other to hold the match together, so that they could share their resources to gain high returns with less invested.

As the world's top boxing organizations, the WBO and IBF both had their own media outreach and means of publicity. Their media resources would cover more than one hundred countries worldwide. With their cooperation, there would be continuous media coverage of the match between Hopkins and Taylor, and soon it would be the so-called Match of the Century.

In fact, professional boxing matches didn't lack matches of the century. Every boxing organization wanted to package their matches as impressively as possible. Therefore, during the last century, there were dozens called the "Match of the Century."

The prize money of such a widely-publicized match would be hundreds of million of dollars. According to the usual rules, the winner took 60% of it and the loser took the rest. Therefore, the prize money alone could bring the boxers hundreds of millions.

The appearance fee of the boxing champions was also more than ten million. Hopkins, with his two gold belts, had a much higher appearance fee. Although Taylor was more senior, his fee was lower since he was a challenger.

At the same time, famous boxers could ask for a share of the advertising profits. With all this income together, it was entirely possible to make a hundred million dollars on a single match.

Therefore, no matter who won on the stage, both contestants were winners in terms of economic gain. Anyone would be satisfied with hundreds of millions of dollars, even if he lost the match. Thinking of that pile of bills would more than make up for the frustration of losing.

That was why even the loser of the so-called Match of the Century would drink, eat, and enjoy himself even he lost the match. It was more a celebration without any sign of losing a match. As for the winner, he need to drink more, eat more, and get more girls. He needed to celebrate more.

As for boxing organizations, their huge investments would also earn corresponding returns. The broadcasting rights could be sold to dozens of countries, which could bring in hundreds of millions of dollars. The advertisement income during the match would be dozens of millions, and the ticket income couldn't be ignored either. All these together would be much of the cost of hosting the match, and sometimes they could profit some.

What was more important was the income brought by the gaming industry. This money would not reach the pockets of the boxing organizations, but the huge annual sponsorship fee that the gaming industry gave to the boxing organization was solid.Taylor was at the MGM Grand Hotel again, but this time he was in the presidential suite.

Taylor had paid off his bank debt and ended his bankruptcy protection, so now his spending was no longer restricted. He could fly first-class, stay in the presidential suite, eat expensive truffle goose liver caviar, buy fancy cars, and hold a big pool party, inviting a lot of hot bikini models.

This match would bring Taylor hundreds of millions. He didn't need to save money, even if he was a penniless pauper. The most luxurious service in the MGM hotel would cost about ten thousand a day, which was really nothing compared the income he would soon have from the match.

At the pre-match press conference, Dai Li saw Hopkins in person.

Just like Taylor, Hopkins' talent is also level S. No wonder people call him the heavyweight boxing champion of the future. He really deserves it. In terms of capacity, the two are nearly at the same level, with Hopkins 965 and Taylor 971.

Dai Li sighed. He had thought of having fun in the betting hall, but now he gave up this intention.

Dai Li didn't know which one would win, since they both were level S with similar capacity.

Both sides had prepared a long time for this match. Their mental and physical states certainly had reached a fantastic level. Now both of them were certainly full of morale. When both sides were in a good state, the impact of so-called on-the-spot performance would be minimized, and would barely affect the result of the match.

In such a high-level match, both boxers already knew each other during the months of preparation before the match.

That was the highlight of such a high-level match. The two top boxing champions had prepared for this match for months, and when they were on the stage, they would be showing their best abilities. Beyond that, they matched each other in ability…

Their strength gap is too narrow. When facing Hopkins, Taylor can't KO him easily in the first round as he has before. It's a real battle of wits and courage. Finally, it's the tactics chosen by both sides that will determine the winner. Thinking of this, Dai Li felt a little nervous. He could help but look at Ayres, who had developed tactics Taylor's tactics.

Ayres, a legendary coach known as the "White Devil," was now full of confidence, which could be felt even from a distance.

Ayres seems to have confidence in winning the match! The legendary coach had come back, just like the rising sun.

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Chapter 412: A Worthy Opponent

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

"Remember not to play tough with Taylor. Although you're also the world's top offensive boxer, and your punch is powerful, trust me, playing tough with Taylor is the stupidest thing in the world. Highfield told the world how to defeat Taylor. The only way we can win is to exhaust his energy. If you want to win, you must strictly execute the tactics we decided before," the coach kept telling Hopkins.

The referee signaled the two boxers to the center of the ring.

"Come on!" the coach patted Hopkins on his shoulder.

Hopkins walked to the center of the ring, as did Taylor.

The bell rang, and the fight between the two boxing champions finally began."Taylor has gone on the offensive. Nice combination! Wow! Brilliant defense! Hopkins's defense is impeccable!" the commentator said.

At the beginning, Taylor launched a fierce offense. The audience was overwhelmed by his combination punches together with his continuous evasion. If the opponent was just an ordinary boxer, he might have fallen down under the first offense.

It was the strategy set before the match, and also the one that Taylor used most frequently. No matter who his opponent was, he would go fiercely on the offensive at the beginning of the match. If the opponent immediately ready for the attack, the match was over before it even began.

Hopkins was in good form. He had a perfect figure and the best defense in the world. There were no defects in his footwork, evasion, or blocking.

Taylor missed the hit, but he didn't give up looking for a chance to strike. Using fierce offense in the first round was a typical tactic for Taylor. He could suppress his opponent's momentum and gain mental advantage, even if his opponent could withstand his attacks.

In fact, nobody believed that Hopkins could be defeated in the first round, because the two had almost no difference in strength. As the boxing champion of two boxing federations, Hopkins was definitely excellent at defending.

"Taylor's offense at the beginning of the game didn't seem to have any real goal other than to overwhelm his opponent in momentum," the commentator said.

"Exactly. Taylor obviously realized that. Look! He's starting to distance himself from Hopkins and try him with jabs. The first round is going to end. He clearly doesn't want to exert more energy," another commentator said.

The first round entered the countdown. Neither boxer in the ring both made very aggressive movements. When the bell rang at the end of the first round, the two returned to their own respective corners.

Hopkins's coach was beside him. "Taylor's offense was aggressive in the first round, as expected. According to his style, he could continue this offense for two or three rounds. Thus, in the next round, no direct contact with Taylor. Continue the strategy just now. Defend and deter…" The coach spoke very quickly, as if he was afraid of finishing his words during this short pause.

On the contrary, Ayres was calmer.

"Hopkins isn't an opponent you can easily beat. So, take it easy. You should be more patient and avoid mistakes. Just carry out the set strategy and wait. Wait for Hopkins to relax, and wait for him to be paralyzed…"

The pause was very short. The two boxers returned to the boxing ring after several breaths.

"The second round begins. Will Taylor continue his fierce offensive?"

"Taylor is still feeling him out. At his position, he now can't reach Hopkins at all. Taylor doesn't seem to be as aggressive as he was before. Maybe Hopkins put him under pressure."

"Taylor is advancing. Is he attacking? Just a feeler. Hopkins evaded in time. Taylor missed."

Round three.

"Taylor strikes again. Oh, Hopkins didn't evade this time. He struck back! Oh! They parted again. Maybe neither of them thought it was a good opportunity to attack."The doctor gave Taylor a simple treatment for his eyes.

"Okay. This won't affect your sight, right?" the doctor asked.

"No problem," Taylor said in a low voice. He looked at Hopkins opposite. The pain from the corner of his eye made him angry.

You broke the corner of my eye unexpectedly. Few people have made me look bad for a long time! Taylor stared at Hopkins viciously.

Hopkins was not doing any better. One of his cheeks was swollen and painful when he spoke.

I was accidentally hit by Taylor. I shouldn't have been so aggressive. I thought Taylor wouldn't have a chance to respond to that punch. But I didn't expect his reaction to be so quick that he could punch back when he was hit!

Next to Hopkins, his coach started talking again. "In the next round, you can go more on the offensive. I don't think Taylor's strength will last long. After all, he is 32 years old. He will become more and more incompetent in this high-intensity match."Round five.

It had been a long time since Taylor fought a fifth round.

Hopkins's figure began to shake in front of him, and Taylor suddenly became nervous.

"A deceptive movement! Hopkins begins his offense!"

Taylor's attention had never been more focused, and he hoped to find the defect in Hopkins's offense and deliver a critical strike. But for a boxing champion like Hopkins, even a defect was fleeting.

Whoosh! Hopkins punched but Taylor just evaded it to one side, making the motion look easy.

However, Hopkins's offense was just starting. As a representative of heavyweight boxing, Hopkins had no lack of offensive capability.

"It has begun! Finally, Hopkins begins his offense!" Ayres was still expressionless on the sidelines, but he heaved a long sigh of relief. So far, the script had not gone off course.

Finally, the fish begins to bite…Despite his height of two meters, Hopkins was remarkably nimble.

"Nice punch! Almost! Even I didn't think Taylor could evade it."

"Hopkins turns to offense, while Taylor begins to defend. Their roles have completely reversed from the beginning of the match."

"After all, Taylor is 32 years old, and he isn't a physical boxer in the first place. Now, he might meet his physical bottleneck."

As the commentator spoke, Hopkins's offense became even more fierce.

Taylor's mind couldn't be calmer. He knew that the fiercer Hopkins's offense was, the bigger the possibility that he would make a mistake. His chance might come any second.Hopkins evaded to one side, and he seemed to go after Taylor's flank.

That's a deceptive movement. Taylor already knew Hopkins's strategy.

But in the next moment, Taylor was facing two choices.

Evasion or offense? If I evade, Hopkins can't hit me. But if I attack, though I will be punched, I can cause him damage!

The idea flashed through Taylor's mind, and he chose the latter without hesitation: offense!

That was Taylor's boxing defense. Whether he was offending or defending, his strength was to advance, punch and hit his opponent.

Taylor moved fast and fought back. Meanwhile, Hopkins punched.

Taylor punched too!

Bang! Hopkins's punch landed on Taylor's left ear.

I hit it! Even before Hopkins had time to rejoice, his jaw wrenched sideways under Taylor's blow.

Oh, no! He hit my jaw! Hopkins's mind went blank and he stumbled to the ground.Humming…

Taylor seemed to hear a swarm of bees around him. His sight blurred and his consciousness paused for a moment.

After Taylor shook his head, and his sight began to clear. But he could still hear the humming.

Hopkins's punch was really heavy. If Taylor was an ordinary boxer, he wouldn't have been able to stand up now. Even so, he felt a bit stunned.

However, Hopkins fell down to the ground.

"KO? Taylor KO'd Hopkins? What happened? I just saw Hopkins hit Taylor!"

"No, Taylor also hit Hopkins! Taylor punched Hopkins in the jaw. The two hurt each other and neither took any advantage!"

"But Hopkins fell down."

"Taylor seems to be wobbling."

The audience was overwhelmed, and they were all looking at Hopkins.Blurry, everything was blurry before him.

Booming, everything was booming in his head.

Hopkins was lying on the ground with his eyes open, still breathing, but his eyes were empty as if he had lost his soul. Taylor's punch even made Hopkins forget the pain, and his consciousness was slipping.

"1, 2, 3…" The referee's count began, but it couldn't remove that humming sound from Hopkins's head.

"4, 5, 6…" The audience couldn't help but count with the referee. The counting sound became increasingly loud and orderly.

Finally, the humming in Hopkins's head quieted enough for him to hear the count.

Someone is counting! Finally, he moved. He wanted to stand up!

What drove him to his feet was not his mind, but the instinct of a boxer and the desire to win!

"Hopkins stood up!"

The thunder of applause and shouts of approval were all around. Everyone was shouting Hopkins's name.

Hopkins was becoming fully conscious again. He felt a bit dizzy. Although he was standing in the boxing ring, everything around him seemed to be spinning.

"Are you alright?" the referee asked. The noise was so loud that the referee almost shouted at Hopkins.

But Hopkins didn't answer. He just looked at Taylor on the opposite side of the ring. Taylor was breathing heavily, and his eyes were filled with blood, probably from a concussion.

Suddenly Hopkins felt that Taylor was just like a wounded beast.

Taylor's condition is bad too. I can't give up! I must win! Thinking of this, Hopkins nodded seriously. "I can still fight!"Hopkins staggered to Taylor. Apparently, he had not recovered from the hit.

But Hopkins wasn't giving up. He was still insisting. He wanted to win.

He stood up! He stood up after my heavy punch! He is a worthy opponent! Taylor thought. The next second, he raised his fists.

Taylor knew that the best way to show his respect to a worthy opponent was to KO him in the boxing ring!

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