Volume One, Chapter 16: A Battle to the Death

The middle-aged man clearly did not expect Chen Yang to remain standing after taking such a powerful knee strike. He knew all too well how strong that blow had been.

So, when Chen Yang charged at him, he momentarily lost focus.

The impact wasn’t light either; the man stumbled sideways and fell hard to the ground.

Seeing this move work gave Chen Yang even more confidence.

Both of them collapsed onto the ground, and seizing the man's momentary daze, Chen Yang grabbed his hands and slammed them forcefully onto the floor.

After two heavy slams, the middle-aged man winced in pain and reluctantly released his grip on the gun.

Seeing this, Chen Yang allowed himself a slight sense of relief.

At least now, the man no longer had the ability to kill him with a single strike. This fight was still winnable.

“Damn it!” the man growled.

His fighting spirit flared up. He’d already given so much ground—wasn’t he supposed to get paid for this? Wasn’t giving in just spoiling bad habits?

Without hesitation, Chen Yang flipped over and mounted the man, swinging his fists down in a dominant ground-and-pound attack.

After a brief moment of shock, the middle-aged man snapped back to awareness.

Clearly a trained fighter, he kicked hard with both legs, forcing Chen Yang off him.

Rolling with the momentum, the man reached for the gun lying on the floor.

Chen Yang wasn’t about to give him that chance.

Ignoring the pain in his abdomen, he lunged again, grappling fiercely to prevent the man from grabbing the weapon.

If the man got hold of the gun, Chen Yang’s head would be in grave danger.

Though the man wasn’t tall, he was like a small cannon—immensely strong.

He arched his back, pushing Chen Yang down and reclaiming the dominant position.

Fortunately, in his previous life, Chen Yang had been an enthusiast of mixed martial arts and had seen plenty of similar situations on TV.

He struggled desperately to get to his back, refusing to give the man any control.

The two engaged in a fierce ground struggle, with Chen Yang feeling as though he was fully unleashing his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu skills.

He entered a state of pure exhilaration, as if the outside world had completely vanished.

No matter how hard the man fought, he could not stand back up.

It was as if all his strength was wasted, unable to be unleashed.

Chen Yang, on the other hand, was like a fish in water, relentlessly targeting the man’s groin and throat with precise strikes.

This kind of grappling was incredibly exhausting, yet the middle-aged man seemed to possess inexhaustible energy.

No matter how hard Chen Yang tried, he could not shake off his opponent’s relentless hold.

Two minutes later, a sense of despair crept into the man’s heart.

What kind of prey had he chosen? How could he be so stubborn?

Though he had military experience and tremendous stamina, Chen Yang’s relentless ground fighting was wearing him down.

Finally, Chen Yang found an opening and locked in a rear naked choke.

His right arm squeezed tightly around the man’s neck while his legs wrapped securely around the opponent's legs, leaving no chance for escape.

“Ah!” The man cried out.

Chen Yang summoned every ounce of strength.

Anyone familiar with mixed martial arts knows that once a rear naked choke is fully applied, holding out for three or four seconds is already pushing one’s limit.

But Chen Yang’s position wasn’t perfect, and the man shrunk his neck, stubbornly resisting.

His hands pushed against Chen Yang’s right arm, struggling to break free.

Under normal circumstances, with his strength, he could have done so.

But now, facing a fully unleashed Chen Yang, the man’s efforts were in vain.

At this moment, Chen Yang’s mind was singularly focused.

What bicycle?

He wanted this man’s life!

It is said that human potential is limitless and can be ignited under certain extreme conditions.

Chen Yang was in such a state, driven by one belief: he could not lose the bicycle.

Without it, he couldn’t go propose to Huang Zhiyao.

Fueled by this conviction, an incredible power surged through him.

His arm tightened relentlessly.

The middle-aged man endured for about a minute but eventually collapsed from exhaustion.

Chen Yang secured the perfect rear naked choke and began squeezing with all his might.

Time passed; eventually, the man went limp in his arms.

Only then did Chen Yang release his grip.

Gasping heavily, he felt as if his lungs might explode.

Even sprinting a few hundred meters wouldn’t leave him this breathless.

His arms felt foreign, numb and unresponsive.

Simply supporting his upper body was a luxury beyond reach.

After what felt like an eternity, sensation slowly returned to his arms, and he shakily lifted himself up.

Unsure whether he had choked the man to death, he hurriedly placed his hand on the man’s carotid artery.

There was still a pulse.

So the bastard wasn’t dead.

Given how dangerous this man was, Chen Yang dared not be careless.

Summoning all his strength, he grabbed the whip lying nearby and bound the man’s hands and feet tightly.

Then he picked up the gun from the ground, holding it for protection.

Only after all this did Chen Yang finally allow himself to relax completely.

Once the tension eased, every inch of his body ached.

Damn it!

What kind of cursed luck had he stumbled into? He was just selling mushrooms, yet this was what he got.

According to Liu Guolin, this ruthless criminal had fled through several cities, committing multiple major crimes.

Though the proposal would be delayed, Chen Yang had to deliver this man to the police station.

Human lives were paramount; he knew what mattered most.

But he was utterly exhausted.

Trembling, he lit a cigarette, taking a few puffs to recover some strength.

Once he regained a bit of energy, he would load the man onto the cart and take him to the station.

Before he could finish the cigarette, the wail of police sirens pierced the air.

Soon, four or five green jeeps bearing police plates screeched to a halt.

A dozen armed SWAT officers surrounded Chen Yang and the middle-aged man.

Their leader was none other than Captain Li Chengping of the Criminal Investigation Unit.

“Damn, officers, you finally showed up. I nearly died from exhaustion,” Chen Yang said, relieved.

His heart finally settled as he dropped the gun to the ground.

Looking at the handcuffed and bound criminal, Zheng Wuyang, Li Chengping wore an expression of disbelief.

“Brother, you caught Zheng Wuyang all by yourself?”

Li Chengping knew well how formidable this man was.

He had served in a special forces unit and wasn’t confident he would win a one-on-one fight against him.

Yet here was a half-grown kid selling mushrooms who had managed to capture him.

It was simply unbelievable.

“Who else was there? What’s his name? Zheng Wuyang?”

Hearing the name, Chen Yang sprang to his feet…