Xu An, despite not having trained at the gym for a long time, was quite well-known, largely due to Zhou Haimei's efforts in building her reputation.
A lone lion king, no matter how fierce, could not defeat a pack of wolves.
Besides genuinely valuing Xu An and feeling an instant connection, Zhou Haimei was also seeking a worthy partner for herself.
This was why she tirelessly mentored Xu An, and fortunately, Xu An had not disappointed her.
Zhou Haimei was confident that Xu An would reach the finals.
However, an unexpected obstacle had appeared right at the start.
She had expected Xu An to be flustered and nervous, but there was none of that.
Xu An simply looked at her with a calm expression, not saying, "Mei Jie, don't worry, I will win."
Instead, Xu An told her, "Don't worry, you will win."
In that moment, Zhou Haimei felt as if she had underestimated the girl before her.
Zhou Haimei's face bloomed into a radiant smile, "I believe in you," she said, her tone gentle yet firm.
With the roar of the train passing through the light barrier, they arrived at their destination.
The Lighthouse placed great importance on this expeditionary competition, with the venue chosen within the Central Park.
This was Xu An's first time here. Unlike the comfortable greenery and pleasant atmosphere of the Garden Fountain,
the architecture here exuded a solemn and majestic grandeur, adopting the construction style of an ancient Roman colosseum.
Tall stone pillars stood guard all around, enclosing the entire arena. The sunken stands immediately captured Xu An's attention.
Countless people were already waiting in the stands, cupping their hands to their mouths to form megaphones, cheering for those competing in the center.
"What are they doing?"
Zhou Haimei frowned at the scene, "Someone must have placed a bet, and the odds are very high."
Xu An almost asked if the authorities would intervene, but then she realized that if betting was rampant within the training gym, it was even more so among these people outside.
"I'll be going ahead then," Xu An said to Zhou Haimei at the edge of the stands and walked towards her competition venue.
Her match was scheduled later, so it wasn't time yet. As she approached to take a look, after only a few steps, she felt an aggressive bump against her shoulder.
The force of the impact was so great that Xu An almost fell.
The man who bumped into her, however, acted as if nothing had happened and swaggered away.
Xu An was never one to be pushed around. Seeing the vaguely familiar back of the man, she steadied herself and walked towards him.
"You bumped into me just now," Xu An said, her voice chilling.
As the man turned his head, Xu An saw his face and thought her suspicion was correct.
The one who had bumped her was indeed Zhou Xiong.
A sharp, cunning man beside Zhou Xiong glanced dismissively at Xu An, a lewd smirk playing on his lips. "Little sister, if you beg our Brother Xiong nicely now, he might not make you lose too badly. Be careful not to cry later."
Xu An's face immediately darkened. She ignored his vulgar remarks and said, "I said, you bumped into me, apologize!"
The tall, thin man sneered, "Apologize to you? Are you worthy?"
"Are you mute? Can't you speak? What, do you need a dog to relay your message?" Seeing Zhou Xiong remain silent, Xu An's words became more aggressive.
"You!..." The tall, thin man, enraged at being called a dog by Xu An, lunged towards her, raising his fist to strike.
But before his punch could even extend, Zhou Xiong stopped him, grabbing him by the collar and pulling him back.
Zhou Xiong frowned, "Don't..."
"If only the match didn't forbid bloodshed..." Zhou Xiong muttered under his breath.
"Brother Xiong, what did you say?"
"Nothing."
Zhou Xiong had many followers who were drawn to his status and considerable wealth.
Before the apocalypse, Zhou Xiong was a bodyguard hired to protect his employer on their journey to the Lighthouse. However, halfway there, the male employer was bitten by a zombie.
The employer's wife incessantly beat and cursed Zhou Xiong, demanding he save her husband and questioning why her husband died instead of Zhou Xiong, a bodyguard, and why Zhou Xiong didn't die instead...
A surge of malice overwhelmed Zhou Xiong, and he proceeded to kill the employer's wife and child, took the employer's property and the location of the Lighthouse, and went to the Lighthouse alone.
"Let's go, the match is about to start. Remember, don't use that thing unless absolutely necessary; be careful not to be discovered," Zhou Xiong instructed the man beside him.
The tall, thin man replied with a fawning smile, "Brother Xiong, don't worry, I'll definitely win."
Zhou Xiong said nothing, merely waved his hand, and turned to walk in the same direction Xu An had gone.