He suddenly discovered that the match wasn’t in a room, but in a forest.
There were mountains, woods, and even caves. The terrain was quite complex.
"So you changed the venue."
William sneered, "Don’t tell me you’re scared?"
Chen Qingdi thought to himself, ’Since he set the main venue here, he must have made preparations in advance. Are there cameras here? If so, I’ll be completely exposed to his surveillance. I have to find a way.’
The gun he was given was a revolver with a six-round capacity.
The referees all sat in an office with bulletproof glass, watching the monitors.
If they saw either of the two men break the rules, they would issue a warning from the office over a loudspeaker.
William approached Chen Qingdi. "You never should have touched my woman. Today, you die!"
Chen Qingdi said with utter contempt, "I know you’re secretly wearing a bulletproof vest, but that won’t stop you from dying!"
At the sound of the starting gun, William fired first. Chen Qingdi scrambled awkwardly behind cover.
Thankfully, the cover could stop bullets; otherwise, he’d be dead.
The combat arena was incredibly complex. Chen Qingdi had no idea where William was hiding.
But he had his phone, so he made a call.
Wing God Island had many master hackers. In no time at all, they had hacked the control computers of William’s clan.
They also hijacked the live feeds from all the cameras, revealing that William was hiding in a cave not far from Chen Qingdi’s position.
Even more peculiar was the cave. It was a loop; if William went through one entrance, he would emerge behind Chen Qingdi’s current position.
He sneered. ’Looks like there’s more to this match than meets the eye. He’s wearing a bulletproof vest and has access to the live feed. This guy is a true master of cheating.’
So, he ordered his men to jam the enemy’s receiving system.
Five minutes later, the expert hacker informed Chen Qingdi that it was done. "No one can receive the surveillance feed now, except for you."
Chen Qingdi stealthily planted numerous steel needles inside the tunnel, each one coated with poison.
Then, with a flicker of movement, he hid behind a large rock.
He crept around to the tunnel’s entrance without a sound, only to see William sneaking toward the spot where he had just been hiding.
William had barely taken a few steps before he let out a bloodcurdling scream and collapsed to the ground.
It was an opportunity not to be missed. Chen Qingdi suddenly appeared and fired a shot straight at William’s head.
William dropped to the ground.
Although he was wearing a bulletproof vest, his head had no protection at all. He’d been shot clean through the skull.
’This spoiled rich boy wasn’t even a challenge.’
Chen Qingdi left the open-air arena and was heading for the exit when he was suddenly blocked by a group of heavily armed men.
"You bastard! You dared to kill my son! You’ll stay here and pay for it with your life!"
At his wave, a group of armed men moved in to kill Chen Qingdi. Just as they were about to advance, a warning shot rang out from behind them. The man turned to see Ruth, who had brought her own armed escort. Her people broke through his men’s formation and formed a protective circle around Chen Qingdi.
"Chen Qingdi is the fiancé of our Belart Clan. I’d like to see anyone try to touch him."
Powerless against the Belart Clan, William’s family could only swallow their hatred for now.
Chen Qingdi returned with Ruth to the Bellette Clan estate. She turned to him, ecstatic.
"Because of your performance just now, I’ve earned the full recognition of the clan. I’ve been promoted to a senior position! Now, whatever you’re looking for, I’ll help you find it."
Down in the underground vault, Chen Qingdi truly found it: the Nine Treasures Medical King Scripture.
"My dear man, I’ve given you the book. If you’re worried, I can have someone deliver it to the proper authorities in Dragon Country right away. And as for the traitor you’re looking for, I’ve already filed an extradition request for you. I expect it has a very high chance of being approved, so don’t you worry."
Chen Qingdi was curious. "Now that all this is done and you have your own future to consider, why keep me here?"
Ruth smiled. "Don’t worry, I’m not asking you to fight the other powers here. I want to talk about a partnership."
"What kind of partnership?"
"The Belart Clan wants to open a high-end hospital, specializing in treating the rich and powerful. We’ll need your medical skills, and you can’t refuse."
Chen Qingdi thought for a moment. "That goes against the very reason I studied medicine. My goal is to help all of humanity, not just serve a select few."
Ruth smiled. "How many commoners can one person save? But with my help, I can fund an entire hospital for you, complete with a pro bono clinic. Wouldn’t it be better to have many doctors helping you?"
Chen Qingdi was swayed.
"Why do you want to help me so much?"
"Because I want you to become the guardian of the Bellette Clan! Having a Divine Physician in the family will make our position that much more stable. I won’t restrict your freedom, but when I have need of you, you must return to help."
Chen Qingdi nodded, accepting her terms.
Ruth suddenly clapped her hands. A butler immediately appeared and announced,
"Mr. Chen Qingdi, Miss Ruth, dinner is ready. Please proceed to the dining hall."
It was a typical Western-style meal. Though Chen Qingdi wasn’t accustomed to it, he played along out of politeness.
With her radiant beauty restored, Ruth seemed exceptionally cheerful and kept urging Chen Qingdi to drink with her.
The wine served was all exceptionally fine. With all his affairs settled, Chen Qingdi cast his worries aside and matched her drink for drink.
He didn’t know how much time had passed before he suddenly felt dizzy and fainted.
An unknown amount of time later, he woke up, only to find a woman in his arms—and it wasn’t Shen Mingyue.
As he sat up, the woman stirred and sat up with him. Chen Qingdi was stunned—it was Ruth.
"You..."
Ruth smiled. "We already agreed you’d be my boyfriend. Isn’t it perfectly normal for a couple to be together?"
Chen Qingdi said, "You said we were just partners."
Ruth smiled. "And won’t this make our partnership even closer?"
"I’m married back in Dragon Country!"
Ruth smiled. "I have no intention of ever truly marrying or getting into legal entanglements with anyone. I hope to maintain this kind of relationship with you. And I hope you’ll give me a child."
Chen Qingdi knew the problems of these great clans. Wealth was paramount, while matters like marriage were often secondary.
Now that it was a fait accompli, Chen Qingdi knew he had no choice but to cooperate with her.
And so, resigning himself to his fate, he stayed and accompanied Ruth for over a month. Only then did he and the Shuang’Er sisters finally board a flight back to Dragon Country.