Chapter 10

"Keep your eyes peeled later." Wendy winked at Nadia. "I'll show you what true manliness means today." Nadia chuckled and said, "Wendy, why didn't I know you have this type of… interest?" Wendy raised her eyebrow smugly and said, "This is called taste! What's so good-looking about those pasty young men? They are all twigs. It's these burly men that are exciting to watch!" Both of them entered Private Room One. The view was stunning. It was the best viewing spot of the entire place. Every single punch in the boxing ring below could be seen clearly. The bell rang, and the crowd went wild. The match was about to begin. "Quick! Look! Number 17 is about to get into the ring!" Wendy pointed excitedly at the boxer with half a silver mask on. Her voice went up an octave as she shouted, "Number 17, the greatest of all time!" Nadia looked at the direction Wendy pointed at. Number 17 truly had a great physique. Every muscle of his looked like it was made of steel. They were packed with power. "Wendy, you're such a crazy fangirl," Nadia teased with a smile. "What's wrong with that? I do what I want!" said Wendy. She picked up a paper napkin, folded it into a heart shape, and kissed it. Then, she handed it to the waiter and said, "Please help me give this to Number 17. Just tell him it's from a lady in Private Room One and tell him to do his best." The waiter clearly had gotten used to this. He simply grabbed the napkin from Wendy and left. Number 17 was standing by the boxing ring, warming up. His gaze was as sharp as steel. After he accepted the heart-shaped napkin from the waiter, he narrowed his eyes and glanced at Private Room One. There was a complicated look in his eyes, and it was unfathomable. At the sound of the bell, the competition officially started. Number 17 lunged onto the ring like a leopard. His muscles were bulging, and his punches were swift as lightning. Every single punch was packed with immense power, making the crowd's hearts race as they watched on. "Amazing! Brilliant! Get him! Get him!" Wendy was so excited that she jumped for joy. She was dying to rush into the ring and throw a couple of punches on behalf of Number 17. Nadia was influenced by the buzzing atmosphere as well, and her adrenaline started pumping. She was watching the heated match in the ring so intently without blinking at all. The dull thumps of the punches sent a tingle down the crowd's spines as they heard them. Within three minutes, Number 17's opponent let out a miserable scream and collapsed, unable to get up again. The crowd erupted in an instant. The cheers and screams were deafening, and the excitement was through the roof. "Number 17! Number 17!" Wendy led the crowd and cheered at the top of her lungs, so much so that she was almost losing her voice. Number 17 had no expressions, and his gaze was cold. It was as if he had just done something extremely trivial. Immediately after that, the host made him fight in an exhibition match. His moves were still simple and efficient, and he defeated his opponent with ease. Nobody could last more than three minutes in the ring with him, and he brought the house down. The entire crowd went crazy for Number 17. They rushed to the side of the ring and threw money into the ring. It was practically raining cash in there. "One more! One more!" Wendy took out a velvet napkin with a cat embroidered on it from her purse and threw it with all her might. The napkin happened to land right in front of Number 17. He picked it up and glanced at it, and then he turned around and left the ring, disappearing in the path to the backstage. "He accepted my gift!" Wendy squealed like a true fan. She was so thrilled that her eyes lit up. "Did you see that? That's what a real man is. He doesn't care for money. He only accepts a woman's affection. What a man he is!" Nadia chuckled helplessly. "Wendy, with this imagination of yours, it's a waste of your talent not to write novels." Wendy was left wanting more after the match, so she dragged Nadia backstage to look for Number 17. "Let's go! We must get his signature and a photo with him. We'll regret it for the rest of our lives if we let such a fine man get away!" said Wendy. However, they did not even get to catch a glimpse of Number 17 at all after they arrived backstage. "Damn! He already left. That's quick." Wendy pursed her lips, feeling a little disappointed. But she went back to being energetic again very soon and said, "Forget it. A hero like him is worth waiting for. Let's go, Nad. Let's grab a drink at the club to celebrate the fact that Number 17 won again." Both of them went to the most luxurious club. As soon as they entered, their gaze was attracted by the buzzing scene at the corner where the pool tables were. "Wow, it's so crowded!" Wendy went closer out of curiosity. A group of people was gathered around a pool table, watching on with enjoyment. Applause and cheers would erupt from time to time. A tall man in a floral shirt was holding a cue stick. With two clean shots, he cleared all the balls, earning applause from the crowd. After the man cleared the table, he looked up and saw Wendy and Nadia, and his eyes instantly lit up. Then, a mischievous smile appeared on his face, and he walked up to them. "Hello, ladies. Would you do me the honor and play a couple of matches with me?" asked the man. There was a hint of confidence and provocation in his broad smile. Wendy sized him up and pursed her lips. "With your skill level? That's just average." The man's interest was piqued as soon as he heard that. "Oh? You have quite a high standard, I see. How about we make a bet?" he suggested. "What do we bet on?" Wendy asked with interest, raising an eyebrow. The man pointed at his face and smiled flirtatiously as he replied, "If I win, you give me a kiss. What do you think?" Wendy got excited as soon as she heard that. "Give you a kiss? Dream on!" She pointed at the stage in the near distance and continued with a wicked smile, "If we win, then you'll have to stand on the stage and perform a striptease. Do you have the guts to take the bet?" The crowd started cheering and clapping as soon as they heard that. Their excitement instantly filled the room. The man was stunned for a moment before he burst out laughing. "How interesting! It's a deal! But which one of you is going to play against me?" The man glanced back and forth between Wendy and Nadia. Wendy pushed Nadia forward without any hesitation and answered, "Her, of course! Nad is a pro at pool. It's more than enough for her to defeat an amateur like you." Nadia was caught off guard and almost lost her balance. She looked at Wendy in a daze and said, "Wendy, you—" Wendy winked at her and said, "Don't be a coward, Nad. Just humor me and do it for me. Go on! Defeat him!" Nadia was speechless. However, she saw that Wendy was so excited, so she had no choice but to bite the bullet and play. How long had it been since she last played pool? Probably six years. She was very rusty. However, since Wendy pushed her forward, all eyes were on her. Some were curious, some were doubtful, and some were excited to watch the drama unfold. There was no way for her to back down anyway. Nadia took a deep breath and picked a cue stick that was a little cold. She decided to just treat it as stretching her muscles. The man saw that the way she held the cue stick with her slender fingers was quite professional, but he still looked down at her. Pretending to be a gentleman, he extended his hand and said, "Ladies first." Nadia walked to the pool table, saying nothing. She bent over a little and adjusted her breath. In that instant, the buzz in her surroundings seemed to have faded. Her gaze sharpened under the soft lights as she locked on the nine balls that were arranged neatly on the table. She pulled the cue stick back steadily with her right hand. Then, at the sound of a clear clack, the white ball shot out at lightning speed, crashing into the other balls. All the colored balls rolled in all directions. Then, the first ball was pocketed, then the second and the third. She pocketed three balls on the initial shot.