ADTCP Ch5

Tao Zhen… actually… succeeded?!
How was that possible?

Wasn’t Zhu Wensheng the arrogant type? Not long ago, countless people had tried to pursue him, some even richer than Tao Zhen, so how was it that only Tao Zhen had succeeded?

Tao Zhen, of all people, a sheltered second-generation heir, clueless about the world, dressed like a country bumpkin, gullible enough to be tricked and not even realize it,

Wu Bin sucked in a sharp breath, utterly incredulous.

The group of hangers-on and so-called friends around him saw his expression and immediately crowded closer, eager to listen in. They fumbled to switch on the speakerphone.

The crackling “zzzz” of the call filled the room, and under everyone’s curious stares, Wu Bin spoke again:

“You… are you sure? Don’t joke around. How could that be… You don’t need to pretend with us. Even if you failed, don’t get discouraged, we’ve got plenty of other options. There are plenty of fish in the sea…”

“I’m not joking,” Tao Zhen replied seriously. Then he frowned, suddenly sensing something off.

“Bin-Ge, weren’t you the one who encouraged me to go after Zhu Wensheng? So why is it that now that I’ve succeeded, you sound…”

Sounding like your plans have fallen through, that the drama you were expecting never happened.

More shocked than happy, in fact.

“A-ah! How could that be!”

Exposed so suddenly, not only Wu Bin but everyone else wore the same embarrassed expression. They scrambled back a few steps, leaving Wu Bin to handle the mess alone.

“I’m your friend. Of course I want things to go well for you. I was only worried you’d bottle things up. But since you already have someone, then I won’t introduce anyone else.”

Wu Bin glared at the others, gritted his teeth, then an idea flashed.

“But the welcome party is coming up soon. Don’t say I didn’t remind you, everyone’s going to dress up a little. If you’ve got time, bring Zhu Wensheng along. Take him to Silver Mall and buy him some new clothes, so he won’t lose face.”

“Silver Mall?”

“Yes. I’ve got a VIP card there, and I know some of the staff. If you’ve got your eye on something, I can help negotiate, maybe even get you a 20% discount at some luxury stores.”

Wu Bin covered the mic and winked at the others. At once, someone understood and grinned knowingly.

Didn’t Tao Zhen claim he had really “sponsored” Zhu Wensheng? Well then, when they went to Silver Mall later, they’d see if he was bluffing, pretending to be generous when he wasn’t.

Wu Bin said warmly, “You’re new in Nancheng, so you don’t know these places yet, right? If you’re going, tell me, and I’ll send you the address.”

Tao Zhen hesitated for a moment, then chose not to press further. Slowly, he lowered his phone.

Though suspicion lingered, he refused to think the worst of people.

Besides, Wu Bin’s suggestion made sense. As the “patron,” he should be the one to buy Zhu Wensheng some new clothes, to replace those unbranded white shirts and jeans.

“Alright, I’ll take him this afternoon.”

After he said this, the call on the other end ended almost too quickly, like they couldn’t wait.

Tao Zhen slowly finished the pork knuckle handmade by Mr. Tao Dajun, cleaned up, then stood at the sink, drew a deep breath, and finally dialed Zhu Wensheng’s number.

“Doo… doo… doo…”

Inside Light Club.

From the pitch-black ceiling hung glaring lights. With a ceiling over four meters high, the vast open training space, over a thousand square meters, looked especially spacious.

Past the rows of punching bags and members’ training equipment, and down a corridor lined with photos of fighters in competition, the space opened into a whole new world.

An octagonal cage wrapped in mesh. Bright spotlights. A replica built one-to-one after the UFC, Ultimate Fighting Championship, the world’s top MMA event.

In this environment, Zhu Wensheng’s phone suddenly rang.

The ringtone buzzed as the phone vibrated, rolling off the table edge to the floor with a thud. The call disconnected automatically.

No one noticed.

Because at that moment, a middleweight sparring match was about to begin.

Everyone’s eyes were on the two bare-chested fighters stepping into the cage.

Blue corner: nicknamed “Sniper.”

Red corner: Zhu Wensheng, nicknamed “S.”

“Touch gloves, retreat to your corners. The match begins now!”

At the referee’s words, the two began to probe each other.

Sniper was a stocky, muscular short man. Formerly from another club, he’d just joined Light, and already had decent achievements in domestic competition, arrogant because of it.

He feinted with a jab, quickly sizing up the tall, handsome boy in front of him, nearly scoffing.

This was the opponent the coach warned him about?
At 1.88 meters with a 1.93 reach, sure, “S” had the physique to dominate middleweight. But MMA wasn’t just about size, it was about skill and experience.

Sniper’s fierce face twisted into disdain as he read Zhu Wensheng’s feigned low kick. Switching stances with ease, he prepared to counter with a high kick,

But suddenly, Zhu Wensheng caught his leg and yanked, slamming him to the ground. Sniper’s legs flew up, his body sprawled, just as a heavy strike came down toward his chest!

“Ohhh!!”

“Beautiful! S’s leg catch into a takedown, instinctive reflex! Amazing!”

“Sniper’s in danger, that slam wiped him out!”

Wait, what?!

Sniper realized something was wrong. Eyes widening, he tried to trap Zhu Wensheng’s neck with his leg and flip over, but it was impossible.

Like a hammer blow between his eyes, despair set in. Within less than a minute, he was already in a controlled position, how could this be?

The cold, devastatingly handsome youth curved his lips faintly, sensing victory. Not relaxing for a second, he locked Sniper into a crucifix hold, transitioned into a rear-naked choke, and drove him against the cage.

Then, ground and pound. Several heavy left-hand punches.

Blood splattered instantly, spraying everywhere.

“Ahhhhh!!”

“He’s finished, Sniper’s finished!”

“Holy shit, S is pounding like he’s smashing garlic!”

And the description fit. At that moment, Zhu Wensheng’s fists looked like they were crushing garlic cloves, soft and destroyed with every hit.

One punch. Two. Three. The screams nearly shook the roof.

Li Min, watching, only clapped leisurely, as if she’d expected this. In sharp contrast, Sniper’s coach sat pale, clawing at his thigh in despair.

He had warned Sniper about “S,” but the man wouldn’t listen.

The nickname “S” already said it all.

Not only “S” as in surpassing A-level, but also “S” for Snake and Savage, a predator terrifying to behold.

MMA matches are three rounds, five minutes each.

Before even the first round hit five minutes, Sniper was down. The referee crossed his arms, signaling the match was over.

Zhu Wensheng released his grip, glancing down at Sniper from above, frowning almost imperceptibly.

So weak.

With Sniper’s reputation, and the arrogant, smug look he’d had at the start of the match… Zhu Wensheng had thought he’d get a long fight out of him.
But it had barely been a warm-up. His adrenaline had just begun to spike, the thrill of combat only just making his blood surge, and before he could even vent it, the man was already down.

Expressionless, Zhu Wensheng climbed out of the octagonal cage, pushing back the strands of hair that had fallen across his forehead.
The spotlight struck his brow ridge, deepening his eye sockets, making his black pupils look even darker.

He twisted open a sports drink to cool down, scanning the room in search of his next opponent. But then, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a phone on the ground.

He picked it up, the screen was cracked.

He didn’t have time to care about that, because the sender’s name on the screen was simple: Tao Zhen.

【I just called you but you didn’t answer, were you at work?】

【I’ll be waiting for you at the bar entrance later, I want to take you out. Can you ask for leave?】

“…”

The drink slid down his throat, but Zhu Wensheng’s breath hitched for a second. The fire in his chest blazed even hotter.

Before he knew it, he was waving to Li Min, tugging on a black club T-shirt, and running downstairs in a rush.

The sweltering August wind hit his face as he ran all the way to the bar entrance. At a glance, he saw Tao Zhen in the crowd.

The blond boy was looking down at his phone, the pale nape of his neck exposed. His long dark lashes cast shadows, his wet, puppy-like eyes shining. Whatever he saw on his screen must have amused him, because he broke into a smile, revealing his playful little canine tooth.

Zhu Wensheng’s steps slowed.

Sensing someone’s gaze, Tao Zhen looked up instinctively. The moment he recognized Zhu Wensheng, he ran over with quick steps:
“Why are you coming from outside? It’s so hot today, you didn’t- ”

Zhu Wensheng said nothing. He simply lifted his hand and, following his impulse, pressed his fingers around the back of Tao Zhen’s neck.

The touch was delicate, soft, like holding the scruff of someone who could be completely controlled with just one hand.

Tao Zhen flinched instinctively, but he didn’t pull away. He only lifted his head blankly:
“What’s wrong?”

Strangely, the wild storm of emotions raging in Zhu Wensheng’s chest seemed to ease.

In fact, in that moment, grasping Tao Zhen’s neck, his sense of satisfaction and excitement far surpassed what he’d felt pounding Sniper into the ground.

“…Nothing. Just some dust.” Zhu Wensheng casually withdrew his hand, rubbing away the lingering warmth at his fingertips, calming his pounding heart.
“Where are you taking me?”