Chapter 135: Lost to a Cheetah?

The high-ranking official seated in the upper-tier viewing gallery beckoned to the prison guard once again.
"Warden," the guard fawned, bowing with obsequious deference.
To everyone's surprise, this high official was none other than the warden of this very prison.
"Whose opponent was that fighter who suddenly withdrew from the match just now?" the warden asked.
"Warden, he was the Cheetah's opponent," the guard hurriedly replied.
The warden pondered for a moment and said, "We have distinguished guests attending tonight's fights. The matches must be spectacular and free of any embarrassing mishaps. Go and arrange a better opponent for the Cheetah, and make sure our guests tonight are thoroughly entertained."
A complicated expression flickered across the guard's face as he hesitated and said, "Warden, since Thirteen Blades' man withdrew, a replacement fighter has already registered for the vacant spot."
"Oh? Someone registered already? Whose fighter is he?" the warden asked with surprise.
He hadn't expected someone to fill the vacancy so quickly.
The guard flattered, "A newcomer recommended by Chen Xianli. I hear he's quite skilled."
"Warden, look, that one sitting in the waiting area, the one in black, that's the newcomer fighter 'Ye Fei' recommended by Chen Xianli," the guard said, pointing Ye Fei out to the warden.
At that moment, Ye Fei seemed to sense something. He raised his head and glanced toward their direction. Seeing the guard and a man whispering to each other, he withdrew his gaze and ignored them completely.
The warden remarked in astonishment, "Well! He actually looks quite promising! Ye Fei? Good, go over to him later and tell him to put up a good fight, as long as he ends up losing to the Cheetah."
"Yes, warden," the guard said, beaming with joy. Being able to run errands for the warden was something these petty guards dreamed of.
The reason the warden wanted the Cheetah to win was that his distinguished guests tonight had bet on the Cheetah to triumph. He wanted to take the opportunity to curry favor by letting them win their bets and enjoy themselves. Therefore, regarding an unfamiliar fighter like Ye Fei, he naturally needed the guard to give the man a 'reminder'. What if this Ye Fei accidentally won the match? It was better to take precautions beforehand!
Before long, Ye Fei was secretly approached and warned by the guard.
"The warden!" Ye Fei raised his head, glancing in the direction the guard had subtly gestured toward. The warden even raised a hand and waved at Ye Fei to acknowledge himself.
"Kid, do you understand now? Put on an impressive show, but in the end, you must lose to the Cheetah," the guard warned.
Watching the guard leave, Ye Fei looked at the warden again and thought to himself, "So this fellow is the warden, huh? Lose to the Cheetah? Hahaha, since this is our first meeting, I simply must present a gift to show my appreciation!"
Chen Xianli had been somewhat puzzled earlier when he saw Ye Fei whispering with a prison guard, failing to understand when Ye Fei had gotten mixed up with the guards. However, seeing Ye Fei shoot him a knowing wink, and based on his brief contact with and understanding of Ye Fei, he estimated that the prison guard would soon be driven to tears by Ye Fei's antics.
"Warden Niu, what were you and that fighter talking about so mysteriously? Is that fighter some kind of secret trump card you've prepared? Hahaha..." a man sitting next to the prison warden laughed.
"Haha, Mr. Qin, you jest. A fighter suddenly had an accident and withdrew just now, and this fighter is a newcomer who just filled the vacancy. I had my subordinate verify the newcomer's identity to prevent any major trouble," Warden Niu chuckled.
Several other people nearby chimed in, making for a pleasant and harmonious atmosphere.

Down below, Ye Fei sneered inwardly, "I wonder if this warden will still be able to smile after watching the Cheetah die at my hands a little later?"
After that, Ye Fei paid no more attention to these matters. He sat alone in a corner, watching the matches on the ring with bored indifference.
The strength of these fighters was simply too pathetic. Such combatants could at best be considered fourth-tier fighters, not even making the third tier. No wonder scum like the Cheetah and Residual Wolf could reign supreme in the Black Prison.
The fighters in the waiting area went up one by one, and the people sitting there dwindled. Including Ye Fei, fewer than seven remained.
Suddenly, the crowd erupted into loud cheers:
"Cheetah!"
"Cheetah!"
"Cheetah!"
...
A massive man, over 1.8 meters tall and wearing a red and green hooded cape, pushed through the crowd and stepped onto the ring.
"Cheetah... Cheetah..."
"Cheetah..."
The crowd roared. The Cheetah stripped off his outer cape and raised his fists high, basking in the cheers of the masses like a celebrity.
Chen Xianli, seated in the audience, wore a mocking smile. A dead man was no longer worthy of any commentary from him. With that thought, he looked toward Ye Fei in the waiting area.
Ye Fei sat there silently with his head lowered, and the Cheetah failed to even notice him.
"Ah—bring it on! The blood in my body is already boiling! Who's coming up to be knocked down by me? Ha—" the Cheetah roared loudly, delivering his declaration.
The first challenger stepped forward.
*Ding!*
"Begin—"
The referee shouted. Before the fight even truly began, the Cheetah's opponent was already cowering in fear. With a furious roar, the Cheetah struck the man squarely on the head with a single punch, scoring an immediate KO.
"Cheetah wins—"
The referee announced. The opponent was carried away, and the crowd burst into loud cheers.
"You, you, you... all of you come up together. I'm going to knock every single one of you down," the Cheetah taunted.

Ye Fei remained indifferent, and the Cheetah still hadn't noticed him.
The other fighters went up one by one in order. Although the Cheetah was taunting them, it was impossible for all opponents to gang up on him at once—that would ruin the fun of the matches.
After three fighters went up ahead of Ye Fei, it was finally his turn. As for the fighter belonging to Chen Xianli's subordinate, he had the good fortune of being scheduled right after Ye Fei.
"You, get up here. I'm going to kick your balls off," the Cheetah pointed at Ye Fei, taunting him. To keep the fighters in top condition, the waiting area was kept free of glaring lights to avoid strain, casting it in dim illumination. Moreover, with Ye Fei keeping his head down, the Cheetah hadn't recognized him.
As the Cheetah finished his taunts, the referee announced from the ring: "Our next fighter is a newcomer. I wonder if he will create a miracle for us? Let us invite him up: Ye Fei."
Ye Fei—
The arena suddenly fell silent. At this point, eighty percent of the inmates in the prison knew Ye Fei's famous name. However, the audience present consisted not only of prison inmates but also various figures from the outside world.
Ye Fei raised his head, a cold smirk curling at the corner of his mouth as his eyes locked onto the Cheetah.
"Ye Fei!" "Ye Fei!"
"Ye Fei!"
After a brief silence, the stands erupted into cheers once again. The Cheetah's life or death meant nothing to these inmates; they only wanted to witness thrilling and bloody spectacles. Furthermore, living inside the prison, almost all of them had been bullied by the Cheetah and his ilk at some point. Seeing Ye Fei step up to deal with him naturally brought forth wild, roaring cheers.
Some of the outsiders attending the matches didn't know who Ye Fei was and asked the people around them in confusion, "Who is Ye Fei? Why is everyone chanting his name?"
"Ye Fei! Just keep watching and you'll find out. Ye Fei... Ye Fei..." the inmate asked replied impatiently, before resuming his roaring cheers.
In the upper viewing gallery, those distinguished guests heard the people chanting Ye Fei's name and asked in surprise, "Warden Niu, this Ye Fei has quite a loud following. Is he really that famous in your prison?"
"I have no idea. I've never heard of him before!" Warden Niu frowned, a vague sense of unease creeping over him, and called a guard over to inquire.
Right at that moment, a 'ding' bell rang across the arena, signaling the start of the match.
"Damn it, Brother Bao, why did Ye Fei go up there? The Cheetah is in danger!"
"Hell, can someone tell me what's going on? Why is Ye Fei here? And why is he participating in the matches?"
"Brother Bao, should we have the Cheetah forfeit?"
Boss Bao and his men also saw Ye Fei entering the arena, their faces turning utterly dark. They felt certain that Ye Fei had stepped into the ring tonight specifically targeting the Cheetah.
"We can't forfeit. Tonight's match was personally ordered by Warden Niu. If we forfeit, Warden Niu won't let us off. We have no choice but to let the Cheetah fight it out. At worst, he'll just be crippled by Ye Fei. When that happens, Warden Niu will certainly make Ye Fei pay for ruining the match," Boss Bao said viciously.