Chapter 18

"Hey, the prize for a single match is five thousand sun coins." While Wang Ge was receiving treatment, Curly Hair went to collect the night's earnings on his behalf and carefully calculated each amount for Wang Ge: "For a single match prize, if you defeat an opponent with a lower life level than you, you only get one thousand sun coins. If the opponent has the same life level as you, you get three thousand sun coins.

"Great King, you were really impressive this time. Baihu is a Level 7 life form, so you got five thousand sun coins for winning. Haha, that's really awesome!

"However, your commission from the bets placed on you is quite low, only six hundred sun coins. This is mainly because it was your first match, and no one had heard of you, so the bets placed on you were all hoping for an upset. But don't worry, after tonight, you'll be famous, and the more matches you win, the more commission you'll get.

"Also, Great King, your luck was really off the charts today. There was even a big spender watching the match. He tipped thirty thousand sun coins, and after the arena took its cut, you still got fifteen thousand!

"Tsk tsk, how about that, Great King? I told you that you'd earn at least five figures in one match, you're really sharp! Even a regular silver medalist might not earn as much as you did tonight!"

"Shut up! It's a matter of risking my life, boss!" Wang Ge said irritably. At this moment, he recalled the scene on the stage and felt a lingering fear.

Indeed, fighting on the stage was vastly different from being a sparring partner. Wang Ge thought he had learned from countless sparring sessions and was invincible, but he realized there was still much to learn in a real match.

Being a sparring partner and fighting to the death were truly two different worlds.

However, the income tonight was indeed substantial, totaling over twenty thousand. Previously, Wang Ge's daily income from being a sparring partner and collecting herbs barely reached two hundred.

A hundredfold increase, but at the cost of his life.

"Wait a moment—" At this point, the doctor's voice interrupted them inappropriately.

"Is there something wrong?" Wang Ge's heart tightened, and he slowly turned around, pretending to be calm as he looked at the doctor. Could this guy suspect something? Should I kill him to silence him...

"That... " The doctor was actually reluctant to deal with "Decay King" again, but duty called, and he had to say, "Do you... want to settle the medical expenses for this time?"

"Oh." Wang Ge secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He thought it was something else. In the past, his heart would skip a beat whenever someone mentioned money, but with the substantial earnings tonight, he felt more confident: "How much?"

The doctor held a small card reader in front of Wang Ge, showing him the amount displayed: "A total of ten thousand sun coins."

"Damn..." Wang Ge's eyes went dark. What a swindler!

At the stairwell, the exhausted Wang Ge rubbed his face hard, forcing a smile that no one could tell he had been on the brink of death tonight.

He had risked his life to earn twenty thousand sun coins, but it cost ten thousand to treat his injuries.

This was because his injuries weren't severe. Although he had fainted, his only real injuries were bone fractures in his shins. Other injuries, like his fingernails being torn off and the marks on his neck, also required treatment.

After parting ways with Curly Hair, Wang Ge secretly went back to the doctor to check how much the treatment cost last time.

Last time, Curly Hair had paid for him, and although Curly Hair never mentioned repayment, Wang Ge remembered it.

Last time, his injuries were much more severe, with four broken ribs and internal organ damage. The cuts on his hands from glass were minor.

The medical expenses were fifty thousand, but Curly Hair never mentioned repayment, understanding Wang Ge's family situation. He never intended for Wang Ge to pay back.

Whether or not Curly Hair intended for Wang Ge to repay was his business, but Wang Ge was determined to pay it back. Now that he was a boxer, he earned much more than before. If he had to save with his previous income, it would take many years...

The medical room was truly a money pit. He wouldn't dare go there again unless absolutely necessary. Wang Ge sighed and walked out of the stairwell.

"Clap!"

Wang Ge clapped his hands, and the unresponsive motion sensor finally turned on the light, but the light was dim, even dimmer than the moonlight on the 15th.

But Wang Ge immediately recognized the small figure in front of his door. The dim light made her features blurry, but years of living together allowed Wang Ge to instantly recognize his sister!

Wang Fei was leaning against the door frame, perhaps because she had been standing for a long time, and was staring blankly at the stairwell. When the light came on, she squinted her eyes and smiled, "Brother, you're back!"

"Fei Fei!" Wang Ge quickly ran over, picked her up in a princess carry, and scolded, "It's cold in the hallway. You should have worn a coat. Besides, I told you I'd be back late today, why did you wait for me here?"

"Brother, you didn't say you'd be back this late..." Wang Fei said, sounding aggrieved.

"Huh?" Wang Ge carried her inside, gently placed her on the bed, and checked the time. It was already ten o'clock.

"Didn't I tell you the construction site is working overnight? They don't allow construction during the day." Wang Ge lied, feeling apologetic, "Fei Fei, it might be like this for a while. Don't wait for me outside next time. Don't worry, I'll be fine."

"Brother, you're working too hard..." Wang Fei's eyes welled up as she watched Wang Ge bring in the crutches and close the door. She then asked, "Brother, have you eaten dinner?"

"Ah, yes, they provide food at the construction site," Wang Ge said with a smile, thinking he should thank the incompetent doctor for the gene nutrient solution that saved him a meal.

"Brother, I have good news! I found a way to earn money!" Wang Fei suddenly blushed, looking like she wanted praise.

"Fei Fei, haven't I told you before?" Wang Ge didn't feel happy but instead frowned, "Earning money is the brother's job. You just focus on your studies. Even though you got into Sky University, you should use the summer to consolidate your knowledge..."

"Ah, I knew you'd say that!" Wang Fei pouted and then shook her head with a smile, "But this way of earning money complements my studies. It won't affect my studies and will even help them!"

"Is that so?" Wang Ge trusted his sister and was curious, "What is it?"

"Brother, come here!" Wang Fei excitedly moved to the computer and patted the space beside her, "Sit here!"

Wang Ge guessed it was probably an online way to earn money, given that Wang Fei rarely left the house, but he couldn't imagine what it was. Curious, he sat down next to her.

This optical computer was an outdated model, bought by his parents when they were alive. After Wang Ge dropped out, it became Wang Fei's exclusive use.

Although it had been upgraded many times, it was still far behind the times. The price of optical computers was prohibitive, and even though they looked similar, the difference in configuration could mean a price difference of tens of thousands of sun coins.

Wang Ge didn't understand optical computers. He was a "tech dummy" and was clumsy with all electronic devices, often being mocked as a "country bumpkin."

So he didn't realize that this computer was no longer sufficient for Wang Fei's needs, and she had never made any requests to him about it.

The boot-up process for the optical computer was slow, taking about eight seconds. In contrast, the computers in Wang Fei's high school's computer lab only took three seconds to boot up.

However, Wang Ge, who hadn't touched a computer in a long time, didn't notice anything wrong. Eight seconds didn't seem too long compared to three, and Wang Ge was always patient.

To the sound of pleasant music, Wang Fei clicked on a federal emblem: "Brother, do you know this? It's the official [Federal Battle Network] operated by the Federation."

Wang Ge frowned, "Isn't that a gaming website? You're not playing games all day, are you?"

"Ah, Brother!" Wang Fei said, sounding frustrated, "It's not what you think! Listen, the Federal Battle Network isn't just a game. It has various virtual combat, space battles, and mech battles. While it is a game, many [Superhumans], [Pilots], and even [Mental Masters] play it!"

"Really?" Wang Ge was surprised.

Superhumans weren't the protagonists of early 21st-century movies but a rank title.

One of the most important secrets of Atlantis was the opening of the [Life Gate]. Opening the Life Gate allowed for the deep挖掘 of human potential, and those who could open it became "Superhumans."

Superhuman was a rank title, but it was more than just a title. Becoming a Superhuman meant truly possessing superhuman abilities!

Pilots were specialized in mechs, a unique military branch and the Federation's war machines.

Mental Masters were even more remarkable. It was said that [Mental Power] was the true source of strength. However, that was far beyond Wang Ge's reach, as each Mental Master was considered the most valuable asset of humanity.

Even the highest-ranking official in the Mountain City Base, the [Governor], would treat the lowest-level Mental Master with respect and not dare to offend them.

If Superhumans and Pilots were one thing, the fact that even Mental Masters played on the Battle Network was surprising.

Since Wang Fei never lied to Wang Ge, the tech dummy was now filled with intense curiosity about the Battle Network.