Pedro's room at Princeton Medical Center had no television, but the old man had subscribed to the official Golden Gloves Tournament feed on his phone—just to keep track of Jason Luo. So, there was no way to keep anything from him.
Though the updates didn't mention Jason Luo's condition after he was hospitalized, the fact that Pedro still hadn't heard from Raul told the seasoned old coach everything he needed to know.
He booked a flight that very night and rushed back to Chicago with Sonny...
Raul hurried up to greet them and gave a detailed report of everything that had happened. Pedro listened in silence, then turned his sharp gaze toward Brown.
Brown instinctively lowered his head under that heavy stare...
Raul gritted his teeth. "Pedro, it's all my fault. Don't blame—"
"Enough!" Pedro snapped, cutting him off. "What good does talking do now? Let's fix the problem in front of us first—everything else can wait. Hmph! A pathetic organizing committee nearly got someone killed, and they want to hold a meeting? Sonny, help me up."
After Sonny and Raul helped him to his feet, Pedro pushed his wheelchair forward and turned to the secretary. "Please serve as a witness. Watch carefully—it's me who's smashing this!"
Then, with a sudden kick, the wheelchair shot forward and slammed into the giant glass wall of the lobby.
"Crash!" The sound of shattering glass echoed through the entire building, shards scattering across the floor!
The secretary was frozen in shock.
Pedro roared, "Get those bastards down here to face me—now!"
This time, the secretary bolted like a rabbit. Within three minutes, several key committee members arrived, flanked by security guards.
"Who's making a—uh… Pedro? Coach Brown? You two?"
Pedro didn't bother replying. "Torric, perfect timing. I came here to ask—when does your murderous organization plan to shut down for good?"
"Pedro, what are you saying? I don't understand…"
"Don't understand? Raul, show them the evidence. And if they still don't get it, post it on Twitter—let the world see what a real murder looks like!" Pedro's voice thundered through the hall like a roaring lion.
Sonny grinned and gave a thumbs-up. "Brilliant idea! And if netizens have any questions, the Chicago Tribune can help explain it all—heh!"
While the three of them spoke, Torric and the other committee members reviewed the documents Raul handed over. Their faces shifted from confusion to alarm.
After a brief whispered exchange, Torric forced a smile. "Pedro, your temper hasn't changed one bit! Actually, we're taking this matter very seriously. In fact, we were just in a meeting discussing it. Rest assured—we'll investigate thoroughly and give everyone a proper explanation…"
Pedro sneered. "Oh? And what have you concluded so far?"
"Haha, well, the meeting's only halfway through, so—"
"Go fool someone else!" Pedro barked. "Eight years ago, my trainee Kevin was framed, and that case vanished without a trace. Now you're trying the same trick again? Let me tell you this—my life is measured in hours now. If I don't get a satisfactory answer today, I'll die right here in this building and give you the biggest headline of your lives!"
With that, the old coach ripped off his wig, revealing a scalp mottled with bald patches from chemotherapy…
Torric's face changed instantly. At last, he relented. "Alright, gentlemen, it seems we should all sit down and have a serious discussion."
He led them into the conference room.
The negotiations were brutal. The organizing committee, eager to protect its image and interests, was only willing to offer financial compensation. They refused to publicly acknowledge Tutkason's use of injected gloves and even wanted to preserve his right to compete.
But on this point, Pedro refused to budge! He demanded severe punishment for Tutkason and the restoration of Jason Luo's results.
The talks broke down several times. Pedro nearly fainted from fury, and Brown even flipped the table before finally forcing the committee to yield.
The final agreement stated that the next day, the committee would publicly announce:
the referee on duty would be dismissed, Tutkason's lifetime eligibility revoked, and Jason Luo's semifinal qualification reinstated. However, due to Jason Luo's severe injuries, he would not compete in the finals. To compensate, the committee would pay $1 million in damages plus the $800,000 semifinal prize—totaling $1.8 million.
Reaching this point was already an uphill battle, but the committee demanded that Jason Luo's father sign the agreement before it could take effect. One last obstacle remained.
Carrying the draft agreement they had fought for all day, the group returned to the hospital. Seeing Jason Luo lying unconscious, Pedro's strength finally gave out—he collapsed on the spot…
Sonny and Brown took the old coach back to Princeton for treatment. Henry Luo, now numb and hollow, signed the agreement without hesitation.
Three days later, the official Golden Gloves website announced:
After thorough investigation and verification, UAE competitor Tutkason was found guilty of illegal glove modification. He was permanently banned from all boxing competitions in the United States. The on-site referee, who failed to detect the violation, was dismissed. The semifinal qualification of boxer Jason Luo was reinstated…
In his hospital bed, Jason Luo—unconscious for four days—suddenly heard the system's voice again, clear as day.
"Ding. Congratulations on defeating your opponent once more in an official match. The Greedy Wolf talent has automatically extracted from your opponent's superior attributes: Explosiveness +2, Punch Speed +2, Toughness +1, Reaction +1, Rear Heavy Punch +1. Please check promptly."
"Ding. Toughness has reached 20 points. Reminder: you have reached the maximum amateur boxer threshold. Please advance to professional boxing to fully activate the system. Otherwise, maxed attributes will no longer increase."
"Ding. Reputation has reached the required level. Achievement unlocked: 'Widespread Renown.' Due to severe physical and mental damage detected, this reward will be directly converted into Vitality. Please check."
In his unconscious state, Jason Luo felt as if trapped in another universe—one without light or time, only endless darkness. Yet strangely, he could faintly sense his father's voice, Grace's sobs, and Pedro's presence…
Then, from the distant depths of the dark, a tiny point of light appeared—but it was moving far too slowly.
Jason Luo shouted and sprinted toward it, but his body felt heavy and sluggish. Sweat poured down his face as he tried desperately to reach it, but he just couldn't catch up!
Beside the hospital bed, Grace suddenly felt Jason Luo's fingers twitch. She rubbed her tear-swollen eyes and looked closely—Jason was drenched in sweat, his lips moving faintly!
Overcome with joy, she shouted, "Dad! Look! My brother's moving—he's really moving!"
Henry Luo rushed over in two strides. Seeing it was true, he leaned close and heard Jason muttering, "Faster… faster… even faster…"
Tears streamed down Henry's face. "Grace, get the doctor! Quick!"
Dr. Miao had barely entered when Jason Luo, soaked in sweat, suddenly sat bolt upright. "Got it!"
Everyone in the room jumped in shock. Jason looked around in confusion, and after a long pause, he murmured, "Dad?"—then collapsed back into unconsciousness…