Trillionaire's Slice of Life

Jiang Dingnan, now sixty-seven years old, was invincible throughout Hua Country with his peerless boxing skills twenty years ago. Jiang Dingnan gained fame later in life, becoming a master at forty-five years old. At that age, most martial artists are no longer at their peak in terms of physical or mental energy, but Jiang Dingnan was an exception, at his peak from the moment he began his journey. It was rumored that he once challenged the top martial artist in the world, the Shaolin Abbot Lian Shang, and though the outcome remains unknown, Jiang Dingnan was the only challenger who walked out of the Shaolin Temple's gates unscathed. From then on, he was hailed as one of the ten great grandmasters of the martial arts world. In the entire competition hall, many had heard of Jiang Dingnan's numerous deeds. It could be said that quite a few younger spectators were fans of his. Therefore, when the old man made his appearance, the previously subdued atmosphere of the competition hall shifted, and cheers and excitement reached their peak. "Master Jiang, give that arrogant youngster a good lesson," someone cried out. "Go, Master Jiang! I've bet a million on you; you must win," another exclaimed. ... In the midst of various cheers and shouts, the elderly man suddenly rose from the ground and leaped two meters onto the stage as if an Immortal descending from the heavens. In his flowing white garments and silver hair billowing in the wind, the old man landed gently on the stage without a movement, yet at that moment, he exuded a terrifying pressure. Under this overwhelming pressure, the once-noisy hall miraculously began to quiet down, and at this moment, the old man on stage spoke for the first time: "Young Master Fan, I understand that your cultivation hasn't come easily. If you're willing to withdraw now, I can spare you. Otherwise, in a fight there's no guarantee I can hold back, and I'm afraid I might cripple your cultivation," he declared. The light words of Jiang Dingnan filled the hall. Had they come from anyone else before Fan Gao, it would have been seen as reckless bravado - after all, Fan Gao was a well-known figure in Magician City and Fan Family was the renowned fifth-ranked family in Magician City, with assets nearing a hundred billion. Fan Gao oversaw domestic affairs while his brother Fan Zhijian managed external matters, and Fan Gao was further dubbed the number one bruiser of Magician City. However, when the speaker is a martial arts great grandmaster, everything seems to fall into place. One was Fan Gao, who had just gone through eleven rounds of competition and was significantly depleted in both strength and stamina. The other was a real great grandmaster of the martial arts. At this time, Fan Gao truly stood no chance. Yet, even when faced with this world-renowned elder, Fan Gao did not show the slightest inclination to step back. On his shoulders lay not just the outcome of this match but the future prosperity or decline of his entire family. Earlier, in the reception hall, to avoid putting Chu Mo in a difficult position, Fan Gao suggested betting the family's future as a stake to secure Liu Peng's help in contacting top scientists. Fan Gao had previously followed underground boxing championships, knowing the competitions organized by the Liu Family of Zhongzhou had high standards. Yet, in recent years, the strongest contestant to emerge was at most a demi-grandmaster. Being a demi-grandmaster himself, he predicted that even when facing an equal opponent, as long as he was prepared to risk his life and charge ahead with reckless bravery, he still had hope of winning. But what Fan Gao had not anticipated was that this year's Liu Family event would invite a real martial arts great grandmaster as a contender. It was an unprecedented event in the history of the underground boxing championship. Therefore, this was a miscalculation on Fan Gao's part. Nevertheless, he still had no reason to retreat. The Fan Family had grown from a modest family over decades of hard work to reach its present status, and he would not allow the family to be ruined on his watch. Therefore, at this moment, even though his physical strength and endurance had been hugely depleted, and his combat power was less than one third of what it had been at his peak, Fan Gao still firmly shook his head. He took a deep breath, tried hard to adjust his state, and when his body gradually regained calm, he finally slowly made a gesture of invitation! At this moment, the hall was dead silent. A half-step grandmaster, and a true martial arts great grandmaster dueling was an extremely rare spectacle in recent years. Hundreds of spectators on site held their breath in rapt attention, quietly waiting. White clouds drifted lazily, and Jiang Dingnan, akin to an immortal, let out a sigh. With hands clasped behind his back, an aura of terrifying power radiated from him. He stared directly at Fan Gao, and after a moment, seeing that the latter remained unmoved, the elder, who seemed like an immortal, sighed and then spoke indifferently, "Your breath is unstable now. Do you need half an hour to recuperate? I wouldn't want others to say that Jiang Dingnan bullies others with his power." Upon hearing this, the extremely solemn Fan Gao gently shook his head, his voice grave, "No need. Earlier, when I took advantage of Lei Ting's distraction and put all my effort into bringing him down, I didn't give him a chance to start over. This is a competition, there are only winners and losers, and any method is fair game. So, Senior Jiang, please begin!" The white-robed elder nodded slightly, a rare glint of appreciation flashing in his eyes. Then, without further words, the hands that had been behind his back finally came forward. His thin, calloused hands assumed a pose resembling the beginning of a Tai Chi routine. The next moment, the elder spoke with a focused voice, "Young man, watch carefully!" As his words fell, the white-robed elder suddenly took a step forward, even leaving behind a series of faint white afterimages. In an instant, like a swift cheetah, his figure appeared right in front of Fan Gao. Even with preparation, a trace of surprise still flickered in Fan Gao's eyes. The elder was too fast, so fast he had no time to react at all. Not to mention striking back, he barely managed to guard his chest with his hands when the fierce attack had already arrived. The elder's gaunt fist, like a mighty mountain, slammed hard onto the arms Fan Gao had crossed in defense. Then, this towering man, standing at one meter ninety-five and weighing at least a hundred and ninety kilograms, flew backward like a kite with its string cut, crashing into the protective ropes behind him and finally coming to a staggering halt. A single punch! It was just one punch, without any fancy maneuvers or incomprehensible movements, just a straightforward, hard smash. However, the force transmitted through the fist was probably enough to break a tree. The color drained from Fan Gao's face, which turned pale in an instant, and even though he managed to keep his stance, there was already a hint of blood at the corner of his mouth. Obviously, this punch had truly injured his internal organs. "Do you wish to continue?" The elder asked in a flat voice, looking at Fan Gao, who stubbornly refused to fall, his eyes wide. Just then, as the elder readied himself in his starting pose, preparing to launch a second attack, Chu Mo, from the foremost row of the spectator seats, wearing golden spectacles on the bridge of his nose, finally rose smoothly to his feet. Just as Liu Manli had disrupted the match earlier, Chu Mo, at this moment, plainly disregarded any so-called rules of the competition. He walked leisurely to the front of the arena, looking at the elder before him, and spoke with a detached voice, "Elder Jiang, let's not beat around the bush. Whatever the Liu family has offered, I, Chu Mo, am willing to pay double. How about that!"