"Were you beaten, silly?" Evangeline asked, frowning at Arthur's motionless, blank stare. "I didn't hit him in the head, so why is he acting like this?" she wondered.

Arthur regained consciousness, awkwardly grabbing her ankle. He removed her foot from his chest and sat up calmly. "I didn't turn silly," he said earnestly. "You can test me if you don't believe me."

"What is the solution to the black hole information paradox?" Evangeline asked.

Arthur was speechless.

"It seems you have turned silly," Evangeline teased.

Arthur was dumbfounded. He sat on the ground, looked at Evangeline, and asked curiously, "How did you get so good at fighting? I've always been confident in my skills, but I didn't expect to be beaten by you."

"If you focus on something, you can thrive in it," Evangeline said. "My hobby is combat arms. I spend a lot of time practicing daily, so my physical and combat strength are naturally better. Your focus is on business, so you're good at that. You've reached this level by practicing only in your spare time, which means you're quite gifted."

Arthur shook his head and sighed. "I'm still far behind you."

Evangeline smiled. "Don't be greedy. You're not a child blessed by angels; you can't expect to be the best at everything. Although I'm strong in combat arts, I don't know how to run a business. Even if I've learned other things, I'm not particularly outstanding at them. God is fair. You'll be stronger in whichever area you invest the most."

Arthur also smiled. "I didn't expect you to be so discerning, even though you're still young. When I was your age, I always fantasized about being an all-rounder."

Evangeline glanced at him and scoffed. "Don't make it seem like you're so much older than me."

Arthur sighed. "A six-year gap is quite big."

"You can leave after resting," Evangeline continued. "Don't disrupt my practice."

"It's hard to make progress by yourself," Arthur suggested. "Let me take you to a place where you can put your skills to use."

Evangeline's eyes lit up. "What are you waiting for, then? Lead the way!"

Arthur drove Evangeline to an underground combat arts academy. As they walked inside, he introduced it: "This is a training place for people into street fights. There are people from all walks of life, including boxers, veteran fighters, and some experts from ordinary society."

He continued, "Just last month, an Olympic Games kickboxing champion joined us. Most people here are short of money and can't find a way to make quick money, so they participate in street fights. With ability, you can earn tens of thousands, or even several hundred thousand dollars, in one night. Once they enter, few are willing to leave. But it's also extremely dangerous. It's not like those exhibition matches on TV; people often die here."

Evangeline nodded. She and Dexter had seen such street fights abroad. The attendees were mostly filthy rich, investing in players or betting on the matches—similar to horse racing or cockfighting. Even if a fighter lost but wasn't killed, those who invested or bet on them would take their anger out on them for losing money.

Arthur continued, "You can choose some people who haven't fought recently to practice with, or use their arena to train. Don't go looking for those fighting tonight; you might cripple them."

Evangeline blinked. "Can I join the fights in the arena?"

Arthur frowned. "You can. The audience loves female contestants. The organizer will back you and allow last-minute sign-ups. But things could end terribly if you lose. This is an illegal underground match; the regulations are lax. Losers are humiliated badly; being stripped naked is considered light. I've seen losers forced to drink the winner's urine."

Evangeline replied, "Then I just have to make sure I don't lose, right?" The prospect of practicing and winning money at the same time was tempting.

Arthur frowned. Evangeline looked at him coldly and sneered, "You don't think I can defeat those people?"

Arthur shook his head. "Under normal circumstances, it should be fine, but…this is an underground arena. People use illegal drugs. After using them, their strength and endurance increase sharply; they don't even feel pain. The organizer doesn't limit the dosage. As long as a contestant isn't afraid of death, they can inject as much as they want."

Evangeline said, "I'm not afraid, so help me sign up. And I don't want to use my real identity. Could you help me get a mask?"

Arthur wanted to dissuade her, but seeing her resolve, he said nothing.

Evangeline wore a mask and went to the academy's practice range. Many people were training, the air thick with the smell of sweat. To her surprise, tigers and black bears were kept in captivity. They were in separate rooms.

Arthur explained, "Occasionally, there are human-versus-beast fights. But there hasn't been one in six months. No one dares to fight beasts. The previous champion, a ten-time winner, challenged a white tiger and was eaten whole. The minimum guaranteed prize in human-beast fights is $2 million, but with audience betting, it can exceed $20 million. It's very tempting."

Evangeline asked, "How do you know all this so clearly?"

Arthur smiled. "When I participated in Xtreme Survival, I didn't win. Afterward, I tried to make money to start my own business. I was unintentionally dragged into this for two years and earned my venture capital."

Evangeline raised her eyebrows. No wonder his skills are excellent, even though he's a businessman. Staying here for two years proves his strength. She didn't ask more questions, jumping onto a platform to train.

Arthur signed Evangeline up for the matches, using a fake name—street fighters didn't need real names; any awesome-sounding name worked.

At 9:30, the competition began. Evangeline followed Arthur backstage to prepare. The venue was full. These competitions happened monthly, attracting wealthy people nationwide. Some wore masks to conceal their identities, while others networked.

The host announced, "We have a mysterious female contestant tonight! Let's welcome Monkey King!"

Backstage, Arthur pushed the motionless Evangeline. "He's calling you. Go on stage."

Evangeline stammered, "I am Monkey King?"

Arthur replied, "Yeah. You asked for a mask, so I created a pseudonym for you."

Evangeline kicked him. "That doesn't mean you can give me a name like Monkey King!" Am I never going to get away from being connected to monkeys? she wondered.

Arthur dodged. "It's just a name. Don't overthink it. Go on up."

Evangeline stepped onto the stage, sullen. She wore a black sports vest and black track pants, her slim waist and long legs exposed. Even masked, her figure excited the audience, who whistled and catcalled.

The audience discussed her physique; some admired it, others doubted her ability to win. The host announced her opponent: Black Panther, a muscular, 6'1", 265-pound six-time champion who had knocked out all challengers for the past six months. The crowd cheered.

"Monkey King is in trouble. Black Panther likes to strip his opponents naked and humiliate them…"

"Black Panther, strip her!"

The host announced betting. Almost everyone bet on Black Panther. At the last minute, someone bet $20 million on Monkey King, causing laughter.

Arthur, sitting in the audience, smiled. He had faith in Evangeline, and he was about to make a lot of money. His large bet prompted others to bet more, exceeding previous records.

Betting ended; the referee declared the match. Black Panther looked at Evangeline with contempt. "You're no match for me. If I attack, I only need 10% of my strength to cripple you. I'm friendly to women. Kneel and admit defeat, crawl under my crotch, and I won't hit you." He spread his legs, waiting.