Chapter Ninety-Five: Brother, I’m Sorry—I Truly Didn’t Know You Were This Weak

In that instant, Bai Qingming suddenly understood. No wonder this guy, so weak, had dared to swagger onto the stage. He had planned to extort him all along. Soon, he’d surely stand up and claim to be injured, demand to go to the hospital, then casually obtain a certificate for a concussion and start asking for medical expenses, nutritional fees, compensation for emotional distress, and so on. Once he got the money, he’d simply refuse to leave the hospital, and as long as he stayed there, Bai Qingming would be on the hook for life. Bai Qingming had heard such stories many times before. He hadn't expected to encounter it himself today. Wasn't this just blatant cheating? No amount of money would ever be enough! At this thought, Bai Qingming felt a headache coming on. This was bad—he’d really landed himself in trouble this time.

On the stage, Liu Chong regained consciousness. He opened his eyes, his gaze bewildered. What was going on? Where was he? Why was he lying down, asleep? Could it be that he had been too tired last night? Liu Chong’s mind was a blank for a moment. His head spun, his arms ached as though he’d just been beaten up. Gradually, he started to piece together what had happened. Once he remembered, the whole thing felt unreal to him. He had lost? He actually lost? That couldn’t be right, this wasn’t how things were supposed to go. According to the script, he was supposed to thrash Bai Qingming. How had the roles reversed? Who switched out my script? This had to be fake—definitely fake! All his relatives and friends had been informed in advance to watch the Kung Fu Carnival live; if he lost, he’d be utterly humiliated, chased out when he went home for New Year. He must still be dreaming, surely. Yes, that had to be it.

With that in mind, Liu Chong slapped himself across the face. Ouch! That hurt! Damn it. So he wasn’t dreaming? Then why did he lose? The question gnawed at him.

In the next moment, Liu Chong realized the truth. He understood why he had lost—it was because he had underestimated Bai Qingming, had been too careless, and hadn’t managed to make a move in time. That was it; he’d let his guard down. Realizing this, Liu Chong shouted, “That round doesn’t count! Referee, are you there? I demand a rematch!”

On the other side, seeing Liu Chong wake up and then slap himself hard, Bai Qingming started to panic inside. Just as he’d feared—this guy was going to extort him! Bai Qingming hurriedly said, “Brother, you can’t pin this on me! I barely used any strength at all—everyone saw it clearly.” Hearing this, Liu Chong was stunned. Pin it on you? Me, Liu Chong, here to make a name for myself, would stoop to such low tricks? Do you take me for a weakling? I only lost because I was careless! No, that round doesn’t count. Referee, I strongly demand a rematch!

Liu Chong finally managed to stand, only to sway and collapse again. Seeing this, Bai Qingming rushed to help him up, afraid he’d faint. He shook Liu Chong anxiously and said, “Come on, brother, it’s not that serious, is it? I really didn’t know you were this weak! I didn’t understand what you meant at first—if I had, I’d never have used even half my strength. No, if I’d known, I’d have just forfeited and let you win! It’s not too late, is it? Referee, I want to forfeit—let him win, okay? Brother, please don’t try to extort me!”

Bai Qingming was desperate now. If this guy really tried to fleece him, it would take time and energy, and he’d never have enough money to cover it all. Yet, hearing all this, Liu Chong only felt Bai Qingming was mocking him. And being shaken so vigorously, his head spun even more and he couldn’t utter a word. The more he thought, the angrier he became, his rage surging until his vision went black and he fainted again.

“Again?” Bai Qingming was exasperated. This scoundrel was clearly bent on extorting him! Fine, he thought, I’ll let you have your way. Bai Qingming spoke up again, “Brother, please, don’t do this—I’ll give you the money, all right? Just wake up and name your price!”

But Liu Chong still didn’t wake. Bai Qingming realized that if he still wasn’t opening his eyes at this point, he was probably about to make outrageous demands. To have such an opponent—he really had no luck.

At that moment, Master Zhang stepped forward, instructing the medics to carry Liu Chong onto a stretcher. Before leaving the stage, Bai Qingming grabbed one of the medics and pleaded, “Doctor, once he decides to wake up, please tell him for me: I admit defeat, if he wants to extort me, so be it, just contact me with the amount. I truly didn’t mean for this to happen—no one could have guessed he was so weak; otherwise, I’d never have gotten myself into this mess.” The doctor nodded, promising to pass on the message. And so, Bai Qingming’s first match ended; he left the stage in low spirits.

Meanwhile, the viewers in the livestream chat were buzzing with comments.
“The Bachelor Godfather really is a beast!”
“If I ever marry, it’s got to be someone as charismatic and handsome as him.”
“Quick question—how many conditions does ‘handsome’ cover?”
“As many as you say!”

Backstage, as soon as the two doctors set the stretcher down, Liu Chong sat up. In fact, he’d been awake for a while—he’d just been too embarrassed to open his eyes, so he’d pretended to be unconscious. He was filled with regret. Why had he tried to show off? If he hadn’t acted so tough before the match, even losing wouldn’t have been so humiliating. After resting a while, his head stopped hurting and the rest of him felt better too, so he got ready to leave.

“Wait a moment!” one of the doctors called out. Remembering the message he’d been asked to relay, the doctor said, “Almost forgot—Bai Qingming, the one who knocked you down, wanted me to tell you that he had no idea you’d go down so easily. He admits defeat—if you want to extort him, just name your price and contact him directly.”

Liu Chong had just forced himself to accept defeat, but this message was the final straw, shattering his composure completely. This was outrageous! Winning a match and rubbing salt in the wound? Was there no decency left? Enraged, Liu Chong fainted again. The doctor, quick on his feet, caught him before he hit the ground. “So easy to faint? Worse constitution than my grandmother.”

In the lounge, despite having breezed through his first match, Bai Qingming couldn’t feel happy. He was mystified—there were so many other streamers here; why did he have to be the one targeted? What had he done to deserve this? Was it just because he was good-looking? He was genuinely worried now. Who knew what kind of opponent he’d face next? But surely, whoever it was, they couldn’t be worse than the last guy.