Chapter 79: The Underground Arena (Part One)

Following the constant directions relayed through Li Youlan’s phone, Chu Dong drove out of the city and headed straight for the development zone. Just as they were nearing Jinma Road, Li Youlan’s phone rang again.

“I mean, where exactly are we going? We’ve been circling around for ages. Can’t you just tell us directly?” It wasn’t only Chu Dong who was getting irritated; even Li Youlan, who at first had found the whole affair mysterious, was now growing impatient.

“We’re almost there. Just drive to Dagu Mountain—someone will pick you up. Otherwise, they won’t let you in, and there’s nothing I can do about it. It’s always like this the first time, but once you’re familiar, it’ll be easier. I’m not doing this to mess with you,” explained the person arranging things for Li Youlan on the other end of the line.

“Hey, do you know where Dagu Mountain is?” Li Youlan covered the receiver and called out to Chu Dong in the front seat.

“Yeah, it’s all factories over there. What are we going there for? We haven’t even had dinner yet,” Chu Dong still had no idea where Li Youlan intended to take him.

“You’ll see when we get there,” Li Youlan retorted, her tone imperious. She moved the phone away from her face. “Got it, see you in a bit.” After hanging up, she leaned closer to Tan Xue and started muttering, “That guy only thinks about eating, timid as a mouse. I bet he won’t last long...”

Chu Dong ignored her chatter, focusing on driving and scanning the roadside for anyone who might be waiting for them. The farther they went, the more desolate it became—the widely spaced streetlights and the occasional car’s headlights were the only sources of illumination, casting an eerie pall over everything.

Just as Chu Dong was about to stop and demand Li Youlan explain where they were actually heading, a thin, monkey-like man suddenly appeared by the roadside, frantically waving at their car.

“Is that him?” Chu Dong stopped and turned to Li Youlan, puzzled.

“I’ve never seen him before. Why don’t you ask?” Li Youlan was startled too, though she tried to act nonchalant.

“Are you here to pick us up?” Chu Dong cautiously rolled down the window just a crack.

“Yes, I’m here for Miss Li,” the man said, peering inside the car.

“Get in, quickly. I haven’t even eaten yet,” Chu Dong only unlocked the door after confirming, letting the skinny man in. “So where are we going? Is there anything to eat?”

“Food?” The man was momentarily taken aback. “No food, but there’s plenty of fun—enough excitement to make up for it.” He turned around to glance at Li Youlan and Tan Xue. “Which one of you is Miss Li?”

“Why does it matter? Just get us there and you’ve done your job,” Li Youlan said, fishing some hundred-yuan bills from her purse and handing them over.

“Alright then. With two such beautiful ladies, I, Skinny Monkey, wouldn’t dare be careless. I’ll even slip you some tips later—help you win a bit extra. Now, left up ahead, then right after the little bridge, go straight and you’re there.” Grinning widely, the self-proclaimed Skinny Monkey pocketed the money.

The place was certainly remote, but to Chu Dong’s surprise, when they arrived as directed, there were already hundreds of cars parked in an open lot. All the cars had their lights off, and people were being led forward by men with flashlights.

After parking and switching off the lights, Skinny Monkey pulled out a flashlight from somewhere, waved to Chu Dong and the others, and climbed out first.

“What kind of racket is this?” Chu Dong muttered, getting out and opening the back door for Tan Xue and Li Youlan. “Be careful.”

Locking the car, Chu Dong followed the two women, stumbling somewhat through the darkness. After walking several hundred meters, they saw a cluster of abandoned factory buildings, surrounded by dilapidated wooden fences. Entering through the main gate, they turned a corner and came before a large building, from which loud shouts and sharp whistles could be heard.

“This is it. I won’t keep you from making money. Don’t worry about leaving right away when it’s over—I’ll wait here. Oh, and you’ll need to hand your phones to the security at the entrance; that’s the rule.” As he spoke, Skinny Monkey pulled out a small numbered pouch and collected the phones from Chu Dong and his companions, handing each of them a number tag. He greeted a few men stationed at the door, “Thanks for your hard work, brothers. I’ve brought in one guest and two Red Tags.”

At that, the lights at the entrance snapped on, and two men approached. One took the pouch of phones, while the other, holding an unknown device, scanned Chu Dong carefully, then scrutinized Tan Xue and Li Youlan for a good while before finally uttering, “Go in.”

Tan Xue had never experienced anything like this before; her face had turned as pale as a sheet. Though Li Youlan had been the one to orchestrate all of this, she was faring no better. Chu Dong was completely in the dark, both literally and figuratively. Beside the imposing main doors was a smaller entrance. After a coded knock, the door opened and the three of them stepped into the mysterious building.

A wave of heat, tinged with a metallic stench, hit them as they entered. Summer was fleeting in Dalian, and by October, the air was usually crisp and pleasant—but inside, the sheer number of people made it stifling. The dilapidated, square hall was at least a thousand square meters, with several tiers of “seats” made from stacked logs along the walls, every space packed with spectators. In the center was a thirty-square-meter ring, roped off with thick cords. High-powered white bulbs overhead blazed like small suns, making it hard to keep one’s eyes open.

At this point, Tan Xue was starting to regret coming. Seeing how pale Li Youlan looked, she instinctively grabbed Chu Dong’s sleeve. Li Youlan was clearly shaken; if she had a choice, she would never have dragged Tan Xue to a place like this.

Glancing at the number tag in his hand—marked with the letter D and the number 3—Chu Dong looked around and saw that each wall was marked A, B, C, or D, indicating the rows. He patted Tan Xue’s trembling hand reassuringly and led the two women to the third row on the D wall, where they found three empty spots with the logs already wiped clean. Chu Dong sat first, and the girls, covering their ears against the din, took their seats beside him.

Not long after they sat down, a young man stepped into the center of the ring, microphone in hand. His appearance was greeted with a roar of excitement.

“Ladies and gentlemen, friends and guests, welcome to the Life-or-Death Arena! This is our tenth annual competition. Usually, we spend our nights playing mahjong and sipping wine, but after a while, that gets dull. Here, you’ll find a different kind of thrill. Many guests have won fortunes here and witnessed scenes you’ll rarely find elsewhere. So tonight, I can promise you—this will be the most electrifying event of the year! Because this time, the contenders with the Red Tags are unrivaled beauties, and the prize money has soared to an unprecedented five million—five million!”

The young man was clearly the host, his words and tone charged with infectious energy.

As the cheers subsided, the host went on, “Tonight, we’re also honored to have many top fighters among us. We hope you’ll all enjoy the show. And here’s some good news—anyone among the audience who wants to try their hand is welcome to join in. If you win, the grand prize is yours. Friends, the show is about to begin!”