Chapter 1313 — Destroying the Underground Boxing Ring

Kang Zhaoming had agreed with full confidence, yet once it came to actually carrying the thing out, he found himself in a fix. He knew exactly what he was capable of. The previous formula had been obtained through nothing more than the old trick of bribery — he had corrupted Kang Xiaobo, vice president of Doctor Guan Pharmaceutical, and walked off with the recipe for the wound-healing ointment.

But that method was useless against Guan Xuemin. Guan Xuemin would never take money and hand the formula over — would that not make him a fool? So Kang Zhaoming had to find some other way.

Still, a man like Guan Xuemin would never part with the formula lightly; unless he was entirely willing of his own accord, he would absolutely not hand it over.

If he could sweep Guan Xin off her feet and then set her to stealing the formula, Kang Zhaoming was fairly confident he could manage it. In his view, women in love were blind and stupid — had that not been exactly the case with little Xiaofen?

But Guan Xin had been betrothed since before she was even born, which left Kang Zhaoming without a shred of chance. A girl of Guan Xin's temperament, bound by a marriage contract, would never touch another man before the wedding — and that left Kang Zhaoming quite at his wits' end.

Guan Xin was out of the question, and so was Guan Xuemin — this was becoming a genuinely vexing problem.

Kang Zhaoming may have been fretting inside, but he let nothing of it show. He simply left the Kang residence with an impassive face and went off to seek out Zhu Xiaozhang and Wang Shubin to talk the problem over.

And Kang Zhaolong, watching Kang Zhaoming's retreating back, felt a shadow pass across his eyes. He had to do something. Kang Zhaoming's quest for the formula had to succeed — but once it had, how on earth could he be made to give up his claim to the position of family head?

That, however, was a thorny problem, and Kang Zhaolong sank into thought...

Once the exact address of the underground boxing ring was in hand, Qiu Lingshan mobilized a massive force of police and, without a sound, ringed the place so tightly that not a drop of water could leak through.

Qiu Lingshan's operation may have been covert, but the ring's own security was tight as well. Ever since Er Goudan had thrown the place into chaos in that earlier brawl, An Jianwen had been more than a little spooked. If men like that came through the underground ring a few more times, there would be no point in keeping it open — everyone would have been beaten to death.

So An Jianwen had Xiao Luozi's men pose as ordinary passers-by and plant hidden sentries at several key road junctions leading to the ring — and when the convoy of police cars came roaring in, the sentries naturally messaged Xiao Luozi at once.

"Young Master Wen, this is bad — a huge force of police is heading straight for the underground ring!" Xiao Luozi went white as a sheet the moment his men's report came in.

"What? Police are coming?" An Jianwen turned ashen at the news. "You're joking — how could the police have found this place?"

Xiao Luozi was frustrated too. He had long foreseen that this day would come, but surely it had arrived too fast! His mission was to be the fall guy the Fire Wolf Gang had sent to take the blame for An Jianwen — every criminal act committed at the underground ring would be laid on his shoulders alone. As for his family, arrangements had been made long ago, so he had been prepared in his heart for some time; it was only that he hadn't yet had his fill of enjoying himself. Still, now that the moment had come, willing or not, he had to step forward.

He knew only too well how ruthless the Fire Wolf Gang was. If he handed An Jianwen over, his family would suffer the gang's harshest reprisals. So he had to shoulder the entire blame himself.

Of course, within the ring, only Xiao Luozi, Dr. Yin and the late Master Li had ever known An Jianwen's identity. No one else had ever laid eyes on him or even knew that he existed — and precisely for that reason, extricating himself was child's play for An Jianwen.

"Xiao Luozi, the rest is in your hands. Dr. Yin and I are pulling out first!" After a moment's deliberation, An Jianwen decided to abandon the place. Over these past weeks he had raked in a handsome fortune from the underground ring — it was more than enough. When the time came to let go, one had to let go.

"Rest easy, Young Master Wen — I know what to do."

Xiao Luozi gritted his teeth and said with firm resolve, "Hurry, Young Master Wen — you and the doctor get out of here!"

But at that very moment Xiao Luozi's phone rang again. Not daring to delay, he snatched it up at once — yet as he listened to the voice on the other end, the color drained from his face.

"What is it?" An Jianwen saw that Xiao Luozi's expression was not quite right and hurriedly asked.

"Young Master Wen, it's worse — the police have completely encircled the underground ring. I'm afraid you and Dr. Yin have no way out." Xiao Luozi said, "We can only activate Plan Two."

"Good — then we move fast." An Jianwen nodded, his decision instant. "Before the police break in, call a halftime pause in the bout and swap me and Dr. Yin into the ring..."

Qiu Lingshan, having deployed every last officer and satisfied herself that no one inside the ring could escape even on wings, at once barked the order: "Liu Wangli, take a squadron and come in with me to apprehend the suspects!"

"Yes! Captain Song!" Liu Wangli acknowledged the order and immediately mustered his men, falling in behind Qiu Lingshan.

The main doors were flung open without warning, and Qiu Lingshan led a whole company of officers rushing into the underground ring! Of course, what Qiu Lingshan did not know was that thugs had always patrolled the entrance — but lest she grow wary or suspicious, Xiao Luozi had already ordered the thugs at the door to withdraw quietly.

Otherwise, seeing guards posted at the entrance, Qiu Lingshan would certainly not have bothered spending time deploying her forces. She would have charged straight up, seized the thugs at the door and stormed into the underground ring — leaving An Jianwen and Dr. Yin no time at all to set anything up.

"Nobody move — we are police! Spectators, do not act rashly. Remain seated where you are, and do not attempt to flee or resist!" Rushing inside, Qiu Lingshan spoke into a megaphone to the crowd in the stands.

The spectators, suddenly seeing police burst into the underground ring, jumped in fright. Some naturally thought of making a run for it at once — but on hearing Qiu Lingshan's words, and seeing the armed officers behind her, the idea was promptly snuffed out.

After all, they were merely spectators, come to watch the bouts and bet on the fights. The underground ring had nothing to do with them, so their punishment would hardly be severe. One by one, these people sat back down meekly.

And at that very moment, on the ring itself, a boxer wearing a green mask suddenly let out a great cry...