C16 You Are Free

"Congratulations, Wang Xiaohua, you're free now!"

The moment she stepped into the base, a soft whisper reached Wang Xiaohua's ears, and then she felt a sudden emptiness beside her. Zhang Lieh, who had been standing behind her, was gone.

Wang Xiaohua was taken aback, hardly able to believe that Zhang Lieh would release her so easily.

Why?

He had executed Qin Xiaotian and others without a second thought. Why spare her alone?

Could it be that he still harbored feelings from their past relationship?

That had to be it. How else could she explain his lack of interest in claiming the points? He must have been unwilling to kill me!

Zhang Lieh's abrupt exit left Wang Xiaohua, now inside the base and cloaked in invisibility, lost in thought.

Yet, her reasoning was naively simplistic. If Zhang Lieh knew what she was thinking, he'd probably laugh his head off.

But right now, he was too preoccupied to concern himself with her musings. He had heard every word spoken by the onlookers at the base's entrance.

At the foot of the Combat Power Board at the Black Iron Base, a betting pool had been established by three major consortiums.

A figure shrouded in mystery, clad in a black hooded cloak, stepped forward. "Thirty thousand points to bet on the safe return of the underdog, Wang Xiaohua, unharmed!"

His voice, weathered and even-toned, sent ripples of excitement through the crowd at the betting pool.

"Thirty thousand points to bet on the safe return of the underdog? Has this guy lost his mind?"

"Seriously, who is this person? So secretive. Betting on the underdog, must have points to burn, huh?"

"Exactly, it's already the third day. Chances are, the underdog is long gone. The consortiums are about to close the books. What a fool! Don't just throw away points and inflate the odds."

Despite the jeers from the crowd, the man in black remained unfazed. He slapped his points card down on the table and challenged the bewildered bookkeeper, "What's the holdup? Are you afraid to take the bet?"

With someone so eager to hand over points, the bookkeeper at the betting desk couldn't resist. He burst into laughter and exclaimed, "Haha, of course we'll take it! Why wouldn't we? The books close at 5, and it's only 3 o'clock now!"

The process was incredibly swift. The man in black quickly obtained his authentication receipt from the Black Iron Base's Holo-Brain and departed.

It wasn't until he vanished from view that the onlookers began to buzz with conversation.

"Seriously? The three big consortiums just scored an easy 30,000 points!"

"Exactly! It's one thing to be a fool, but the mysterious act is just too much to handle!"

The crowd went back and forth, and in no time, they had labeled the man in black as the biggest fool in the base.

Amidst the chatter, a strikingly handsome man in fine clothing glanced at the departing figure in black. He strolled up to the betting counter and nonchalantly said, "10,000 points on the underdog."

His words sent shockwaves through the crowd, and someone immediately recognized him.

"Whoa, isn't that Chu Feng?"

"Chu Feng? Which Chu Feng are we talking about?"

"The Chu Feng from the Combat Power Board, who else?"

"What's happening here? Why would Chu Feng, ranked second on the Combat Power Board, bet on the underdog? Has he caught wind of something?"

Chu Feng's move sparked wild speculation among the onlookers, with some even pulling out their point cards, debating whether to follow suit.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I assure you I haven't heard any insider news! This was purely a whim. If you decide to follow my lead and lose, don't hold it against me!"

As the crowd wavered, Chu Feng's reassuring smile and explanation quelled any thoughts of jumping on the bandwagon.

Chu Feng could afford to bet on a whim, unconcerned with the outcome. But for the others, it was a different story.

Chu Feng had made his stance clear. If anyone chose to follow his bet and lost, they couldn't pin the blame on him.

But no sooner had Chu Feng walked away than the previously cheerful representatives at the Combat Power Board's betting counters from the three consortiums suddenly turned serious and began to close the bets.

This abrupt change did not go unnoticed by the gamblers who were looking for action.

"Hey, what's going on here? Weren't the bets supposed to close at five? Why are they closing now?"

"Right, what's the deal? Give us a straight answer. You're certified by the Black Iron Base's Holo-Brain, so there's no escaping this!"

Someone immediately started heckling, and a representative from the three major consortia stepped forward, offering a polite explanation, "Folks, no need to worry. With the three consortia and the Black Iron Base's Holo-Brain certification, where could we possibly run off to?"

"As for closing the market early, that was a directive from above. We're just employees, so our knowledge is limited. It's likely a risk management decision."

"The stakes are quite high this time around. We're talking tens of millions of points involved. The consortia probably took this into account, which is why they decided to close the market early."

The spokesperson's demeanor, along with the implications of his words, managed to barely persuade the bettors, who didn't put up any further resistance.

However, just as they finished packing up the betting paraphernalia, an imperious voice boomed from behind the crowd.

"Haha, closing the market? I, Qin Xiao, haven't placed my bet yet. How can the three consortia close up shop just like that?"

All eyes turned to see Qin Xiao, clad in imposing black armor, striding confidently towards them.

Without asking, he slammed his hand down on the table and produced a points card. "I know exactly what my cousin is capable of. Not much, just three hundred thousand points on that trash not making it back."

"Young Master Qin, this... I'm not authorized to make such decisions. Please don't put me in a difficult position," the representative pleaded, nearly in tears facing Qin Xiao's authoritarian demand.

"Enough talk. The three consortia have made a fortune trading at the base over the years. Just verify this ticket for me quickly, or you can forget about ever leaving the base again. Step outside, and I'll ensure you meet the same fate as that scum!"

Qin Xiao was known for his tyrannical ways; his word was law, and there was no room for negotiation.

The spokesperson, merely an employee, didn't dare to cross Qin Xiao and immediately gestured to his subordinate to process Qin Xiao's request.

"Qin Xiao, you've really outdone yourself. Not even sparing a lowly consortium worker," someone remarked with a mix of awe and disdain.

No sooner had the situation calmed down than another voice emerged. As Qin Xiao was receiving his ticket, a stunning woman stepped forward from the crowd to the left.

"Yun Bing, this isn't about bullying. The three consortia announced a 5 PM close, but they reneged on their own rules first. How can they fault me for not playing by the rules?"

"Don't be shy, come on over and place your bets. We owe it all to Xiaotian this time. Without him, we wouldn't have such a fantastic chance to rack up points."

Facing Yun Bing, the top contender on the Combat Power Board, Qin Xiao's demeanor was less domineering, yet his words still carried a hint of arrogance.

At that moment, he acted as if the Qin family's Xiaotian was graciously handing out points to everyone, which almost made Yun Bing chuckle.

Approaching the betting counter with a light laugh, Yun Bing spoke softly, "If it's still possible to place a bet, I'll wager 10,000 yuan on the underdog facing off against Xiaotian."

Her statement dropped like a bombshell among the onlookers.

Yun Bing, the number one on the Combat Power Board, had actually placed a bet, and on the underdog, no less.

Of course, she didn't need to spell it out for everyone to see that her move was simply a playful jab at Qin Xiao, with no real predictive value.

Yun Bing was a force to be reckoned with, the top name on the Combat Power Board. Despite her courteous approach, the attendant didn't dare cross her and promptly completed the transaction.

"Hahaha, that's the spirit! Yun Bing, I must say, I do admire your feisty nature!"

Qin Xiao's eyes betrayed his desire for control, his words making no attempt to hide it. Yun Bing, however, wasn't bothered and simply ignored him.

Ticket in hand, she didn't spare Qin Xiao another glance before vanishing like mist.

"Hmph, such a haughty woman. One day, you'll regret ignoring me," Qin Xiao muttered, visibly irked by her indifference, yet powerless to act.

Her strength, family influence, and the elite team she led were all slightly superior to his. He could talk a big game, but he wouldn't risk truly offending her over something so trivial.

The same went for Yun Bing; she could afford to ignore him, but she wouldn't engage in a bitter fight over such a minor provocation.

Once Yun Bing had left, Qin Xiao's interest quickly waned, and he too departed.

Their exit, however, didn't signal the end of the betting frenzy. Many high-profile individuals on the Genetic Combat Power Board stopped sitting on the sidelines and began to place or increase their bets.

Most bets were still on Xiaotian, especially after Qin Xiao's confident declaration. It seemed like a sure thing to everyone.

Certainly, there were a few true gamblers among the crowd, those who dared to risk it all for the slim chance of a substantial reward.

The betting pool was entangled in disputes for a full ten minutes before it was finally closed. With that, the tumultuous episode surrounding the Genetic Combat Power Board at Black Iron Base had come to a complete close.

In theory, the Black Iron Base should have enjoyed a period of calm before the final outcome of the wager was revealed. However, the reality was quite different. The base remained tranquil for less than ten minutes before it was rocked by an earth-shattering announcement.

The sole female participant in the wager, Wang Xiaohua, had returned! Yet, it wasn't merely her return that was significant; it was the fact that she came back alone. Qin Xiao, his cousin Qin Xiaotian, and their team, including Zhang Lieh, who was known as the bottom-dweller, were nowhere to be seen—only Wang Xiaohua had returned.

This development sent shockwaves through the base. Upon hearing of Wang Xiaohua's arrival at the gates, all those who had placed bets swarmed the entrance, eager to learn the final outcome of the wager.

But before most could get to the gates, the Holo-Brain deployed its guardians to halt their advance. The entrance was already hopelessly congested.

In response to the chaos, the Holo-Brain, embodying the base's supreme authority, intervened and put an end to the disorder sparked by the betting frenzy. While the Holo-Brain had no jurisdiction over the conflicts outside the base, within its walls, its word was law.

Wang Xiaohua, under the guardians' protection dispatched by the Holo-Brain, was escorted to the most prestigious lodging at the base—the Black Iron Tavern.

Subsequently, Wang Xiaohua, through the Holo-Brain, informed the public that she was overwhelmed and needed time to process her emotions. She promised that at eight o'clock that evening, the Holo-Brain would disclose the definitive results of the wager.

It was at this juncture that Wang Xiaohua truly grasped the magnitude of the maelstrom she had unwittingly entered.