Empire of Shadows

Some people are destined to become dazzling when others are still exploring the world.

This book is first published on the entire network by 𝕥 𝕨 𝕜 𝕒 𝕟 . 𝕔 𝕠 𝕞

Lance is such a person. A large amount of alcohol represents wealth and benefits, and no one can refuse this in this highly commercialized country.

When everything is marked with a price and placed on the shelves, money is the standard for measuring everything!

No one can refuse Lance, just as they cannot refuse wealth.

A larger organization began to be built around Lance, and woven into it was a network of interests.

It will become bigger and bigger, penetrate deeper and deeper, and pull more people into this big net, becoming a part of it!

A few days later, a boxing match is about to begin in the Golden Port Stadium.

In the lounge, the boxers invited this time are making their final preparations.

"Iron Fist" Logan is his nickname, describing his fist as being as unbearable as steel.

Almost all boxers with a little fame have their own nicknames. Nicknames are not necessarily negative labels, but may also be a manifestation of being accepted and recognized.

Before the boxer steps onto the stage, he needs to wrap bandages around his fists.

The main purpose of wrapping bandages is to protect the boxer's fists and protect the muscles of their hands and wrists, so that they will not cause sprains and dislocations due to certain reasons.

Logan's coach took out a roll of special bandages from his carry-on backpack.

These bandages look much thicker than ordinary bandages, not just a little bit, but much thicker.

It is doped with some plaster of Paris sewn into the bandage gloves.

At first, it will not have any problems, it is soft and fluffy.

But as the game progresses, sweat, and even the boxer deliberately pours water on his body, allowing water to enter the gloves.

After the plaster of Paris absorbs the water, it will become hard, like cement!

This is also the origin of the name Iron Fist. He is a cheater, and a repeat offender.

But because he has always been well hidden, and he will not challenge the top-ranked boxers, people do not feel that there is any problem over time.

Those ordinary boxers lack sufficient social influence. Even if they have some doubts about Logan after the game, no one will stand up to uphold justice for them.

The organizers have also checked Logan's gloves before, and did not find any problems, so people no longer check, only thinking that this is some people's unwillingness to fail.

Most people admit that Logan's fists are very hard, and the nickname "Iron Fist" has gradually spread.

But some people also know about this, and Logan has become a "roadblock" in the eyes of some people, especially when people need him.

After the bandage was tied, his coach put on his gloves, "The referee will not open your gloves, so you don't have to worry at all."

"The big guy on the opposite side has a bit of strength. Steel Jaw just had his jaw broken by him. You should try to avoid fighting him face-to-face before your fists harden."

"Use your steps to move quickly. After five rounds, we will show him some color."

Logan nodded and bit his mouthguard.

The coach patted him on the shoulder to relax him, "An ordinary game, take down the opponent and go back with victory!"

On the opposite side, Ethan's coach is also arranging tactics, "Logan's performance is actually very ordinary, but his punches are very heavy. Everyone who has fought him says so."

"He is used to reserving his stamina until the last few rounds before starting to exert his strength, so he will mainly move around in the first few rounds to consume your stamina. Don't be fooled."

"Your backhand punch is very lethal, it must be harder than his. If you have the opportunity, don't be stingy!"

Ethan nodded, "Don't worry, I will let him know that I am the Iron Fist, not him!"

The coach likes Ethan's strong confidence and his strong physical talent, "Okay, use victory after victory to tell people that an 'Ethan Storm' is forming!"

Many people came to the game today. Ethan's reputation is constantly increasing with his victories. Iron Fist Logan also has many fans and haters. In addition, with the Kodak family promoting behind the scenes, Licarai State believes that this will be an exciting boxing match.

More than a thousand people came to the scene. At the same time, the Kodak family also opened telephone betting. Before the game started, the total betting amount exceeded two million.

As the two boxers stepped onto the stage, the referee began to check their gloves.

They will not untie the boxer's gloves casually, they will only confirm that there are no foreign objects in the gloves by touching them, and then he explained the rules.

The two boxers touched their gloves and separated.

Ethan had a good feeling about Logan. Logan was very polite and did not make any offensive moves, nor did he say anything unpleasant.

He also took the initiative to say hello to Logan.

As the bell rang, the game officially began.

In the first round, both sides obviously played very conservatively, mainly probing and moving around. Most boxing fans also know that Logan's game will enter the state after the fourth and fifth rounds, so they are not anxious at all.

Logan maintained an avoidance attitude throughout the first round. In addition to trying to avoid falling behind in technical points as much as possible through technical strikes, he avoided fighting throughout the entire process.

This actually made Ethan a little incomprehensible, but he respected the opponent's style of play, after all, everyone has their own opinions.

Some people just like to go all out as soon as they come up, just like their mothers are in a hurry, the winner raises his hand and the loser falls down.

Some people play with more style and technique. They will actively reveal flaws and let the opponent attack to consume the opponent's stamina.

The more heavyweight the game, the more important stamina management is. Don't look at how little time there is in each round, but just a few punches may exhaust the boxer's stamina and put the boxer in a passive position!

The first two rounds were very dull. In the third and fourth rounds, both sides began to have some substantive contact, and the game became more interesting.

Some punches and body collisions made the audience scream constantly, and the atmosphere was instantly heated up.

After the end of the fourth round, Ethan's coach told him to be careful, because next is "Logan Time."

This is a saying of Logan's fans, representing that Logan is about to start exerting his strength.

And his haters call this time "Cheating Time", even though the organizers and even the league have not caught him cheating, many people still believe that he cheated.

Although everyone did not have any particularly fierce attacks in the first four rounds, just constantly dodging and punching also consumed a lot of their stamina.

Ethan nodded slightly panting and said, "I will be careful."

Sure enough, Logan's aggressive movements and desires became more obvious. He began to actively look for Ethan's flaws and try to give him two hits.

Ethan, who had taken a few punches, also felt that Logan's punches felt heavier and harder to him.

He also had a little doubt at the same time. Everyone's stamina is being consumed, why did his punches become heavier instead?

Shouldn't it become lighter due to the consumption of stamina?

He didn't understand, and didn't think deeply about it. At this time, all he wanted was victory!

Sitting in the corner, Stone watched the game on the stage. The Lance family bet another 500,000 on Ethan to win.

Because Iron Fist Logan is, after all, a well-known character, and Ethan is just a boxer who has played a series of small roles, so from the perspective of people's acceptance, Logan's odds are lower, because he has a greater chance of winning.

And Ethan's odds are slightly higher because he has only just started to become famous and has not proven himself by fighting any strong opponents.

Of these, almost 1.6 million were bet on Ethan. If Ethan wins again, then this time they will lose big!

After deducting the other part of the income, they will need to lose approximately 700,000!

He lit a cigarette, squinted his eyes and looked at Ethan, looking at Logan who was looking for opportunities, hoping that this time they could not jump out of the script!

With the sound of the bell ending the time, the fifth round ended, and the two boxers returned to their positions, and Ethan's breathing rate obviously increased.

The coach poured some water on his head, and he couldn't help but ask, "Why are his punches getting heavier and heavier?"

Many people have studied Iron Fist Logan's games, and more or less have discovered these wrong things, but the league said that he has no problems, then naturally everyone can only think that his stamina pool is very deep and his stamina management is very good.

When you have no strength, your ability to withstand damage from the outside world will decrease. That's the only way to explain it.

The coach had nothing to say, so he could only tell him to try not to be hit.

The sixth round began, and everyone could see that the stamina of both sides had obviously not recovered, and the steps under their feet obviously became heavier.

In an exchange, Ethan couldn't dodge in time and was hit in the face by a solid punch!

For the first time, his whole body was staggered backwards and almost fell to the ground. The referee quickly pushed away Logan who was preparing to pursue him and ran to Ethan to ask about his situation.

"How many is this?"

Ethan shook his head. He was a little tinnitus now. He blinked hard while watching the referee constantly gesticulating the fingers in his hand, "Three."

The referee looked at him for a few seconds, "Can you still compete?"

Ethan nodded, "I can."

He touched his forehead with both hands, indicating that he could still continue, and the referee announced that the game would continue.

Ethan carefully dodged the punches from Logan, and dragged it all the way to the end of the round.

He returned to his corner and sat down, panting heavily, constantly dodging and blocking, which drained his stamina even faster —

When your opponent only pretends to throw a punch, while you need to mobilize most of your strength to defend, and also step back to create distance and coordinate a series of changes in your body, the stamina consumption is multiplied.

"His punches are too heavy, like a sledgehammer!"

The coach's face was also somewhat gloomy. Watching the match recordings and commentary was completely different from actually experiencing it.

The words on those recordings became more vivid and three-dimensional, making it even harder to persevere!

"His punches feel like being hit by a car," is definitely different from actually being punched.

The coach could only ask, "Can you still continue?"

Ethan's cheekbones and temples were already swollen, and his cheeks were also puffed up. There were several red marks on his abdomen, also swollen, with burst blood vessels.

He glanced back at the fans supporting him, looking at his brothers sitting in the front row. He nodded, "I can!"

On the other side, Logan's coach said with a slight frown, "Stop playing around, finish him this round."

Logan was a little dazed, "I'm not playing with him, I've really tried my best. Didn't you see those punches I landed?"

"An ordinary person would have fallen a long time ago!"

Logan's coach was also a little worried. He observed that Logan's stamina was also running low.

"In short, finish it as soon as possible."

Both sides rested. There were no technical or tactical arrangements. At this point, it was a battle of willpower.

The seventh round began, and Ethan's steps were heavier. He had consumed too much stamina, and he couldn't even do quick footwork. His feet seemed to be glued to the ring.

His opponent also seemed to be running out of stamina, but his punches were still so heavy.

The battle between the two entered a fever pitch. Ethan didn't want to dodge anymore and started fighting a positional battle. The number and opportunities for both sides to exchange punches increased.

As sweat flew with each punch landing, the enthusiasm of the audience in the entire arena was about to lift the roof of the stadium!

People were extremely anticipating the outcome of this match. Regardless of the winner or loser, they had contributed to an unforgettable match!

At this time, Ethan, who was on the ring, was so focused that he couldn't notice everything that was happening around him. He realized that if he continued to fight like this, it would be difficult for him to win, because his punches would become weaker and weaker.

Although the opponent's punches were also a little weaker, the weakness was limited.

He must deliver a decisive blow to his opponent when he has the ability to kill!

He wants to deliberately reveal a flaw!

In an attack and defense, Ethan lowered half of his body as if he couldn't even lift his arms. The coaches on both sides showed horrified expressions when they discovered this situation, while one of them waved his fist and breathed a heavy sigh of relief!

The next second, Logan's swing punch slammed hard on Ethan's chin. Ethan even heard the sound of bone cracking!

But at the same time, Ethan used all his strength to bet on a lead hook. He wasn't very good at this, but he knew how heavy his punch was!

This moment seemed to be frozen, everyone widened their eyes, and many people stood up in stunned silence, they even forgot to shout!

The two giants fell down at the same time, and the entire ring made a violent shaking sound!

The next second, the referee seemed to react and began to check the situation of both sides.

Then he started counting seconds.

In this situation, if someone can stand up, then the one who can persevere is the winner.

People began to shout the boxer's name, and the vast majority of people in the entire stadium were shouting Ethan.

Not only because Ethan was a local of King's Harbor City, but more importantly, they had placed heavy bets on Ethan!

At this time, Ethan's cheap flesh had been torn open, and blood was constantly flowing out. In the shouts of the people, he opened his eyes.

The whole world was dim. He moved his hands, and the shouts around him became louder. He could feel that people were calling his name.

He glanced at his opponent who was lying on the other side and began to try to climb up.

The referee stopped counting, looking at Ethan, this giant, watching him work hard, doing it little by little, turning around and kneeling, then straightening his upper body, supporting his knees and slowly standing up!

In an instant, the entire stadium erupted with thunderous applause and cheers!

On the other side, Logan also woke up, and he also tried to climb up, but in the end, he gave up.

Ethan's hook was too ruthless. He now has at least a severe concussion. Not to mention getting up, it's difficult to even sit!

"This match, Ethan wins!"

The referee did not ask Logan to stand up, but asked people to carry him away on a stretcher. The coaching staff and Lance and the others rushed to the ring, patting his body and hugging him. Ethan also showed a simple and pure smile.

He won again!

"Damn son of a bitch!" Shi Dong stood up and slammed the cigarette he had just taken two puffs of heavily on the ground. In front of him were people whose betting tickets had died, cursing Logan loudly, because Logan had made them lose money.

But more were the gambling dogs and boxing fans who held up their betting tickets as if they had seen their parents!

Some people even knelt on the ground and kowtowed to Ethan!

They believed that this match would definitely become an important moment in the boxing world. The final exchange of punches made everyone who witnessed that scene tremble with excitement!

Lance was also celebrating Ethan's victory, but Ervin suddenly patted his arm, signaling him to go to the side.

"I heard people say that there's plaster in Logan's wraps."

Lance frowned. Even if he was stupid, he knew what it meant to have plaster in the wraps.

Someone cheated!

What's even funnier is that he cheated and still didn't win!

He licked his lips, glanced at Ethan, who was already being helped off the ring and preparing to go to the hospital, gave Ervin a look, and the latter nodded slightly and left here.

On the way to the hospital, Logan's gloves were taken off by the coach and casually thrown into the trash can in the stadium.

Then he hurried a few steps to catch up with Logan, who was being pushed into the ambulance.

They are not short of money, they still have the money to call an ambulance.

"I lost," Logan's eyes were a little dazed, "Even... like that, I still lost."

"Am I not suitable for this sport?"

The coach's face was also not very good-looking. He cheated and still lost, what else can he say?

But he can't tell Logan "You're just a waste," he still has to comfort Logan, because Logan will bring him wealth.

"Ethan is a talented kid, we all know that. You lost to him... I don't think it's your problem."

"You should change your thinking. You're already like that and still not his opponent. It can only be said that he's already overpowered in the cruiserweight division. He should go to the heavyweight division!"

These words seemed to comfort Logan. Logan recalled the shocking look in Ethan's swollen eyes at the end, and he suddenly felt guilty for cheating in boxing.

Perhaps, he shouldn't have done this.

Perhaps, if he didn't rely on cheating, he might also become an excellent boxer.