Peggy studied the team profiles, pointed at one, and said, "Boxers and fitness coaches, perfect. Let them teach those Asians a lesson. My Sacramento money isn't that easy to win."
"The honorable Miss Peggy has chosen your opponents," the host announced. "The match will begin in twenty minutes. Both teams, please enter the arena and warm up."
Not long after, the opposing team appeared before Jing Shu's group. Every single one of them was tall and muscular, six huge Black men in heavy leather armor or bulletproof vests. Just standing there, they radiated an oppressive aura.
Then, one of the Chinese spectators from the corner walked over. "As your fellow countryman, even though you didn't buy the data, I've got to warn you. That team's B-rank too. Two pro boxers, two fitness coaches, and two retired soldiers. You'd better be careful."
"Thanks," Jing Shu replied.
She and her teammates were soon led to the center of the arena. The speakers blasted English commentary, rapid and loud, explaining the match setup. The crowd grew rowdy with excitement. As the first team battle of the day, everyone was looking forward to it.
The arena could hold thousands, and every seat was already packed. Those without tickets stood at the gates, craning their necks for a glimpse. In the second zone, a pet battle was still underway—a hyena versus a leopard. The leopard was stronger, but the hyena had patience. Known as the king of dogs, it feared no one but lions out on the African plains.
The hyena's brutal habit of attacking from behind was infamous. Once it found an opening, it lunged and tore its enemy apart. Sure enough, the hyena won, killing and devouring the leopard completely. The crowd erupted in groans and curses—probably those who'd just lost a pile of black market coins.
Jing Shu kicked the dozing Xiao Dou, then glanced at Monkey's dog, Ah Huang, which was baring its teeth nervously. Even the dog could sense danger, so why was Xiao Dou still sleeping? She wondered how things would turn out if her hen fought that hyena. She even caught herself thinking about how much she could win if she bet on her own chicken next time.
Still, she knew it wouldn't be easy to pull that trick twice. Better to save up some cash first before making Xiao Dou fight again.
At last, the tug-of-war match began. The stage in Zone One was set up quickly. In the center was a pit, about two meters wide and three or four meters deep. Two giant pythons were chained inside. From the elevated seats, the audience could clearly see them writhing below. These weren't normal pythons either—they were black mambas, famous for their speed.
Their entire bodies were pitch black, sleek, and long. They weren't as pretty as patterned pythons, but their venom could kill a person in half an hour. Among venomous snakes, they ranked fifth.
"The meat's not good," Jing Shu mused. "But it might work for medicinal wine. Still not as effective as the five-step snake though. Maybe I should steal a few eggs later."
The announcer kept talking, explaining the rules while both sides were given their tug-of-war gear. Xiao Hei grumbled beside her, translating as he went. "Hey, that damned host just said each of these ugly black snakes only eats one person to get full, so we don't have to worry about everyone dying. And see these ropes? They're tied to our wrists, locked tight. No running away."
The rules were simple: pull the other team into the pit and let the venomous snakes handle the rest.
Tank frowned. "So the person up front's the most dangerous?"
"Yeah, looks like it," Xiao Hei said quickly. "And just so you know, I may look big, but I'm not that strong. I'm taking the last spot, just to anchor the line, alright?"
"Fine," Tank said. "I'll take the lead. Snake Spirit's second, Monkey third, Mirror fourth, Ling Ling fifth, Xiao Hei sixth." After arranging the order, Tank snapped his cuffs onto the rope first. No one else objected. Xiao Hei didn't know what he'd gotten into, but the rest understood—they had Tank and Jing Shu, both trained at national-level strength. That alone was enough to carry several people's worth of power.
Even Ling Ling, who carried two guns every day, had far more strength than the average person.
"Damn it, look at those bastards," Xiao Hei cursed. "They're wearing heavy armor and bulletproof vests. That's gonna make this way harder for us."
Nobody bothered responding.
Both teams took their positions. Twelve people in total, pulling on the same rope in opposite directions. The losers would fall into the pit and get eaten alive.
The audience roared. The real show was about to begin.
"Ladies and gentlemen," the host called out, "let's welcome the lovely Miss Peggy to announce the start of the match! Let's see which team will emerge victorious! But before we begin, may I ask, have you placed your bets yet? Who are you betting on?"
The arena was shaped like an inverted bowl, with the fighting pit in the center. The first tier was crammed with commoners, stacked row upon row. The second tier, smaller but far more lavish, was where the nobles sat—lounging on sofas, sipping red wine, and chatting idly about which team would win.
Peggy took the microphone, smiling. Xiao Hei translated her words on the spot. "She says she's rooting for the team with the boxers and fitness coaches. She's also acting as the banker for this round. Most nobles bet on the boxers' team, so she might lose a lot of black market coins if they fail. But as she says, as long as everyone's having fun, money's just a number."
"Thank you, Miss Peggy. Now please, give us the signal."
"Alright then, one, two, three, go!"
"Go, go, go!" Xiao Hei shouted, pulling hard. His life literally depended on it, and there was no way he'd slack off now.
Across from them, Tank turned to Snake Spirit.
The rope was long, designed to stretch the battle. To pull a team into the pit, they'd need to drag them more than ten meters. This was more than just strength—it was endurance too.
The match had only just started, yet Tank alone managed to stabilize the whole line. The six men opposite shouted in rhythm, like chanting "pull the radish, pull the radish," heaving together. But no matter how hard they pulled, Tank stood unmoved, like a solid tree.
Xiao Hei tugged at his rope, blinking. "Wait, what the hell? I haven't even used my strength yet. Did they forget to eat breakfast or something?"
Snake Spirit sighed. "So… what's our goal here?"
Tank grinned. "To win this damn match, of course."