Heatbound Dependence - Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Bang!

Ugh-cough, cough…

A heavy blow struck the side of my head. My vision went pure white in an instant, and a sharp, piercing ringing filled my ears.

My ankle twisted outward, throwing me completely off balance. I slammed hard onto the ground!

“3, 2…”

The emotionless countdown rang in my ears.

I pressed my hands against the floor, trying to stand, but I kept trembling and collapsing until the whistle blew.

“…1!

The champion of the Boxing King Bout is born! Let us congratulate Wei Ming of the Jiahai Club!”

I lifted my head.

The sea of dark, surging bodies around me erupted into thunderous cheers that vibrated painfully in my chest.

Everyone was celebrating the veteran boxer’s successful title defense.

“That’s enough, Chi Mian,” the manager said amid the din, helping me off the stage. “For a rookie to make it to runner-up, your value is about to skyrocket!”

“Ah, yeah.” I swallowed a mouthful of blood and forced a smile.

“The rest of the money-I’ll give it to you soon,” the manager suddenly whispered in my ear. “Spreading this kind of thing would ruin your career. You know that.”

“This kind of thing.”

He and I both knew exactly what he meant.

I said nothing. As I left the arena, I tilted my head back for one last look at the venue.

Above the deafening roars, the screaming fans, and the chaotic flood of pheromones, in the quiet, detached VIP boxes on the upper level, sat the anonymous, powerful elite.

In this era of advanced science and technology, they were especially keen on watching the pure physical combat between Alphas.

It was no different from the colosseums of a bygone era.

“Here,” the manager said, pressing a thick envelope into my hands and clapping me twice on the back. “Enough to treat yourself for a good long while! Take it.”

“Treat myself.”

I laughed, took the money bag, counted the approximate sum, and looked up as I replied, “Yeah, this’ll do.”

It was enough to cover three months of medication for Chi Xiaomiao’s genetic disorder.

The manager never cared about my thoughts, and he was already leaving as soon as he’d handed over the cash.

I rubbed my flank, still aching from the last punch, and wondered what to pick up for dinner on the way home.

The strange silence between us was soon broken by an uninvited guest.

Thud!

The door, left slightly ajar, was kicked open from outside!

The frame slammed against the wall with a screeching, grating noise.

In came a tall, short-haired Alpha wearing a mask, who stood silently and looked down at us.

“Don’t you know how to knock?” The manager shot him a sidelong glare and snapped, “Your manners are worse than a dog’s-ugh!”

Before he could finish, a dark shadow flashed by. In the next instant, his throat was seized in a brutal grip!

A hand clamped right against his carotid artery. His airway cut off, the manager’s face immediately turned crimson. He gaped, producing only garbled, strangled sounds from his throat.

I watched the turn of events in silence.

Finally, the man released him and effortlessly flung the manager onto a metal table with a loud clatter.

The manager scrambled to sit up: “Y-you… what business do you have here?”

The towering Alpha didn’t even glance at him. Beneath the mask, deep, piercing eyes gazed down at me, as if they could see straight into my soul.

Then, without a trace of emotion, she spoke: “Miss Chi, my Second Young Master requests your presence.”