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墨書 Inktalez
Two drunk men talking together is a blessing, as there’s never a shortage of topics. Sometimes I feel like we’re just talking to ourselves, not caring whether the other is listening, merely venting our emotions.
Fortunately, we both have a decent tolerance for alcohol and good manners. Before the first batch of diners arrived at the restaurant, we wisely retreated, opting to skip dinner and head straight to bed.
The next morning, I was awakened by a loud argument. The noise was so intense that I figured everyone in the building could hear it; it was Jack and Fatty arguing. I quickly rolled out of bed and rushed to the source of their voices—our bathroom.
Jack was wearing nothing but a pair of briefs, his hair still wet, clearly just out of the shower. Fatty wasn’t dressed properly either; he had his shirt on but was bare-chested. The two were facing off against each other, tension thick in the air.
Upon seeing me, Fatty excitedly exclaimed, “Qiangzi, do you know what American Guy is doing? You’d be shocked if you saw him! He was in front of the mirror... well, you know what I mean! How narcissistic can he be?”
Hearing this made my head spin. Could I really believe him? It was obvious he was stirring up trouble.
Jack’s face twisted in anger, turning red as he said to me, “Don’t listen to him! I was just—”
Great, his explanation only muddled things further. The problem was that Jack didn’t clarify anything; I was left unsure whom to believe.
Regardless of whether it was true or not, Fatty shouldn’t be spreading this around. I shot him a look, signaling him to stop. “You can’t just blurt this out! Everyone can hear you; how’s he supposed to face anyone after this?”
“I didn’t!” Jack finally shouted.
“Fatty, I’ve put up with you for too long. Today, I’m challenging you to a duel!”
“Damn it! That’s exactly what I’ve been waiting for. Today, I’ll take you down so you won’t have to worry about that anymore.”
“Is that so? Just you? I’m a fifth-degree black belt; if I don’t hold back, you’ll end up like a dog without any chance.”
“Did you hear that? The American Guy wants to bring up Western Boxing, and I can tolerate that. But damn it, showing off Japanese Judo? I can't back down from that. If I chicken out, it'll be a national disgrace!”
Seeing the situation, I broke into a cold sweat. All this talk about Western Boxing and Japanese Judo was just an excuse; Jack was trained in Muay Thai, and Fatty was definitely looking for a reason to throw down.
I had no confidence in myself. If those two started fighting, there was no way I could stop them, and one of them would likely go down first.
“What’s going on?” At that critical moment, Cao Mingzhe poked his head in.
I glanced outside and saw a crowd had gathered; Cao Mingzhe had squeezed his way through.
“Old Cao, thank goodness you’re here. These two want to duel, and I can’t stop them. You need to handle this.”
Cao Mingzhe looked at the two of them. “Do they really have to fight?”
“Let them fight.”
“If they don’t do it now, they might not get another chance. Let’s settle this today.”
“They're both pretty determined. Fine, I’ll let you two have your way. But this place is too cramped. I know a spot that’s spacious enough for you to go at it. Follow me.”
I followed Cao Mingzhe outside and quietly said to him, “Both of them have some skills, and their conflict runs deep. If they really start fighting, they might seriously hurt each other. Don’t let them go all out.”
I had seen Cao Mingzhe's methods before. As long as he was present, Fatty and Jack wouldn’t be able to get away with anything.
Cao Mingzhe winked at me. “Don’t worry; I won’t let them ruin each other. We still need them to work.”
I didn’t follow him down; I still needed to get dressed. While putting on my clothes, I watched as Cao Mingzhe led the two duelists into a tall flat-roofed building. He didn’t let anyone else in and closed the door behind him.
I certainly didn't feel at ease with those two. One was my friend, and the other was someone I could trust. In this world, there aren't many people I can rely on. But I wasn't in a hurry to duel; there was no need to go out in the freezing cold dressed lightly.
Fatty and Jack had indeed stepped out wearing very little. Jack was just in a pair of briefs with a bathrobe thrown over. This was going to be interesting; after the fight, it would be clear who won, and the victor would definitely have to strip the loser of their clothes. They probably regretted it on the way; who goes out bare-chested in this cold?
I hurriedly threw on my coat, and as I was putting on my shoes, Xiao Ting rushed in. "Qiang Qiangzi, what's going on with Gangzi and Jack? I just heard them arguing upstairs. Where are they?"
"Call me Uncle!" Since she was already his girlfriend, I had to regain some face from another angle. "It's nothing serious; Old Xiao didn't tell you that he and I are buddies?"
"Cut it out! Don't try to play games with me. My dad knows you're his student. Seriously, where's Gangzi?"
I straightened up and pointed outside with my chin. "In that room; they've already started."
"Why didn't you try to talk them out of it? What if—"
"Come on, you know Fatty's build; that American Guy can't possibly hurt him."
"Well, it wouldn't be good if anyone got hurt." Xiao Ting's tone noticeably softened.
"If all goes well, no one will get hurt. Old Cao is inside acting as the referee; I trust him."
"Uncle Cao? That's not very reassuring. I hope he doesn't lose his mind and let those two go at it for real. You should go check on them; I'm worried."
I slapped my thigh. "Fine, I'll go right now. If you don't even trust Old Cao, where's your faith?"
As soon as I stepped out of the building, I saw a crowd parting around the Gladiatorial Arena, creating a path. Fatty emerged from the crowd, bare-chested.
Great, it looked like Fatty was the one losing; he had been stripped of his clothes.
I took two quick steps forward, and I couldn't help but twitch my lips at the sight of Fatty. I muttered to myself, "Jack really went too far this time."
One of Fatty's eyes was already swollen black, clearly the result of a solid punch. Combined with his round, chubby face, he looked just like a giant panda—well, at least half of his face did; the other half hadn't fully evolved yet.
His head was originally round and clean-shaven, resembling a half-sphere, but now it had noticeable lumps and bumps on top. It couldn't have been hit with a hammer; Jack's fists couldn't possibly create hills on Fatty's skull without some serious effort. Even if Fatty let Jack hit him, I still didn't believe Jack's fists were harder than Fatty's head!
The Iron Head Technique was one of Fatty's trump cards.
Fatty's rage and ferocity were palpable, making the onlookers instinctively part ways as he stormed past me with a flushed face. He shot me a deadly glare with his open eye before striding away without looking back.
Yes, his face was red, and both nostrils were bleeding profusely, staining his entire face. His nose seemed slightly flattened; he probably had a broken nasal bone.
"Damn it, Jack!" I shouted in anger. How could he be so disrespectful? Knowing that Fatty was my buddy, he still beat him up like this. I yelled and pushed my way into the crowd.
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