Chapter Forty-Nine: Playing the Fool to

Led by several henchmen, Zhao Qiang was guided through a concealed passage and finally arrived at the basement of the bar. The place was already a cacophony of voices, thick with smoke and chaos. Two powerful spotlights shone directly onto the center of the basement, illuminating the fighting ring. Inside an iron cage, three zombies were chained by their necks, appearing grim and terrifying under the harsh light.

In the middle of the cage, a naked woman lay motionless on the platform, shivering beneath a thin blanket. She was the girl who had offended Ma Tianxiong the previous night and had been thrown in here. Ma Tianxiong had watched one round and lost interest, sparing her for the time being, but without his order, no one dared to release her. A compassionate henchman had given her a blanket, preventing her from freezing to death.

Zhao Qiang shrugged his shoulders, shaking off the hands pressing down on him. “No need to push, I can walk on my own,” he said coldly, striding toward the iron cage. The henchmen exchanged glances, seeing that the fat man was cooperating and not acting out, then followed reluctantly.

The girl inside the cage had been frightened into a stupor, having cried through much of the previous night. When Zhao Qiang entered, she curled up on the floor, unmoving.

With a bang, the cage door slammed shut, and the crowd’s excitement reached its peak. Occasionally, shrill whistles pierced the air. It was the first time two people were locked inside the cage: a somewhat capable-looking fat man, and a naked woman. The mere thought was thrilling.

The spotlights were expertly positioned, bathing the entire ring in brightness. Those outside could clearly see every move inside, but those within, blinded by the lights, could see nothing outside. While the host announced the match, Zhao Qiang gently helped the girl up.

“Wake up, wake up!” Zhao Qiang softly shook her shoulder and tapped her face. Slowly, her vacant gaze focused on his face.

Within seconds, her pupils shrank in terror, as if she’d seen something monstrous. She pushed Zhao Qiang away, scrambling backward and screaming, “Don’t come near me, don’t!”

Laughter swept through the crowd. Zhao Qiang could only shake his head helplessly. He reached for the back of the girl’s neck, pinched gently, and she fell silent. He sighed. The girl was clearly traumatized. He dragged her limp body aside and carefully draped the blanket over her.

The zombies in the cage had already noticed this new arrival. The scent of fresh flesh drove them into a frenzy, straining violently against their chains until the iron links rattled, threatening to break.

As the host’s announcement ended, a bespectacled zombie was released. It lunged with such force that, as the chain was unlocked, it stumbled and fell onto the platform, struggling clumsily to its feet before charging at Zhao Qiang with a howl.

Zhao Qiang was just covering the girl when he heard the snarling approach. His face hardened, pupils narrowing to pinpoints.

“Get lost!” Zhao Qiang barked, not even turning around. He bent forward, raised a leg, and kicked backward, striking the zombie. Its grotesque head ended up in Zhao Qiang’s armpit. Without looking, Zhao Qiang clamped the zombie’s head under his arm, kept his upper body steady, jumped forward, and slammed its head into the ground with his full weight.

As soon as they hit the floor, Zhao Qiang locked the zombie’s neck, spun his body, and pressed himself onto its back, his knee digging into its spine. With a powerful twist of his hands, a sharp crack echoed. The newly turned four-eyed zombie fell silent forever.

The entire sequence was over in an instant, a mere blink of an eye. The boisterous basement suddenly fell silent; many stared wide-eyed at the ring, mouths agape. Was this even human? Barehanded, with just a few blows, the zombie hadn’t managed even two moves before it was dead.

Soon, the basement erupted in jeers. What was this supposed to be? People had come to see zombies biting humans, blood flying everywhere. This unknown fat man had dealt with the problem in a few moves, leaving everyone dissatisfied—like the legendary Pigsy swallowing a ginseng fruit whole, not even tasting it, leaving the audience frustrated.

The henchmen responsible for releasing the zombies were stunned. They’d never seen such skill, not even from Brother Ma himself. How could someone so capable be caught and brought here? As the jeers continued, the henchmen snapped to attention and hurriedly unlocked the remaining zombies.

As two zombies lunged at Zhao Qiang, the crowd erupted once more. Zhao Qiang had prepared long ago; only recently had he fought through hundreds of zombies with just a knife and a gun, easily surviving. These two ordinary zombies, even unarmed, posed no challenge.

Within ten seconds, the cage fell silent. The once lively zombies now lay lifeless on the floor, their heads twisted at unnatural angles. The damned fat man sat unscathed atop one of their corpses, nonchalantly lighting a cigarette and exhaling clouds of smoke.

The uproar had subsided, replaced by a noisy hum. Many had placed bets, wagering only on how long the fat man would last. No one expected that in less than half a minute, he would dispatch three zombies with swift, clean moves. It was impressive, but not what the crowd had anticipated.

Ma Tianxiong couldn’t sit still. Though arrogant, he knew his own limits. If it were him in the ring, he could never match Zhao Qiang’s performance; even victory would be pyrrhic. He shook his shoulders, and a nearby underling hurried to take his overcoat.

“How many zombies do we have left?” Ma Tianxiong asked, lighting a cigar and watching Zhao Qiang smoke on the platform.

“Boss, there are five zombie dogs left in the storeroom. Are you planning something?” an underling ventured.

Ma Tianxiong nodded. “Throw them all in. Let’s see how long that kid can hold out.”

“But—” the underling started.

“No buts. Throw them all in. Zombies can always be caught again. Tonight, I want blood!” Ma Tianxiong spoke calmly, but inside he was in turmoil. The fat man’s revealed strength already surpassed his own, and he seemed to be holding back. Someone like him couldn’t possibly be under Old Four’s command. He must have killed Old Four, stolen his gun, and come here pretending to be weak. Such a man could not be allowed to live!

Ma Tianxiong had originally intended to shoot Zhao Qiang himself, but seeing so many people around, he held back. Instead, he decided to throw all his hard-caught zombie dogs into the cage, hoping they would eliminate this threat.

The top of the iron cage slowly opened. Five small iron kennels descended from the ceiling, filled with the frenzied barking of dogs. The crowd gasped, marveling at Ma Tianxiong’s boldness and quickly placing new bets. This time, as before, all wagers were on how long the fat man would survive. Not a single soul believed he could make it out alive.