Future Masters in Modern Times

Chapter 20: The Matter Settled

The prison floor was a scene of utter devastation. The riot that had just taken place had claimed the lives of over a hundred people; aside from the prisoners killed by the Delta Force, the rest had all fallen at Zhao Wuji’s hands. The prison guards arrived at the scene littered with corpses, unable to suppress the urge to vomit. The bodies were unrecognizable—some with heads twisted at grotesque angles, others with limbs torn to pieces. They glanced from a distance at Zhao Wuji standing in the center and couldn’t help but shudder. The inmates, having regained their composure after the riot, returned to their cells amid the guards’ shouts. Having just experienced such extreme emotional highs and lows, they were now completely drained of energy; more importantly, their minds were even more exhausted than their bodies. All of this was the doing of the former Block B boss—Zhao Wuji. In the midst of this tragedy, the prisoners of Blocks A and C finally witnessed the true face of the Block B boss—but at the cost of nearly their very lives. The punishment for their actions would be announced shortly, and it was certain to be a catastrophe for them. A long water hose was dragged over, and as the valve opened, a torrent of water slammed into the blood-soaked floor, slowly washing away the bloodstains. Captain Jero of Delta Force cast a cold glance at Zhao Wuji, waved his right hand, and led his team forward to surround him. Filled with fear, the team members slowly closed in to surround Zhao Wuji, yet dared not make a move. Jero furrowed his brow, his eyes brimming with hostility. It wasn’t merely that Zhao Wuji had escaped on his own—though that was part of it—but rather the fear displayed by his own soldiers. This was absolutely unacceptable. The Delta Force had its own pride; they would never bow to anyone. Yet now, they were actually showing fear toward a prisoner. Even if this prisoner was powerful, so what? A prisoner was still a prisoner—he had no right to inspire even the slightest fear in his soldiers. At this thought, a flash of murderous intent flickered in his eyes. It seemed that finding a pretext to kill Zhao Wuji on the spot was the only way to help his soldiers emerge from this shadow. Zhao Wuji’s keen intuition picked up on that flash of murderous intent. He turned around and stared coldly at Jero without saying a word—a move that clearly enraged Jero. Jero’s face twitched slightly, then he swung his arm and roared, “Arrest him! If he dares to resist, shoot him on the spot!” Jero clearly intended to provoke Zhao Wuji into resisting, so he could then shoot him on the spot. “Yes, sir!” Soldiers are soldiers—even when gripped by fear, they carry out every order from their superiors without hesitation, let alone these highly trained members of the Delta Force standing before him. They raised their rifles, muzzles trained on Zhao Wuji. Zhao Wuji remained expressionless as he scanned the area. He could see the high alertness and a faint trace of fear in the soldiers’ eyes, and he snorted coldly to himself. “What are you doing!” A sharp, angry command rang out. Catherine strode forward, glaring at Jero, and headed straight for them. In no time, she had reached the outer edge of the circle surrounding Zhao Wuji. “Move aside! Do you hear me?!” Catherine was furious. She never expected these Delta Force members to treat Zhao Wuji this way. In her eyes, Zhao Wuji was a true hero; she viewed his lethal tactics as a means to heroism, yet now these despicable Delta Force members were treating him this way. Catherine recognized Jero at a glance and shouted angrily, “Did you give that order? Let Zhao Wuji go right now—do you hear me!” “Miss, please step back,” one of the team members said to Catherine. Catherine ignored him and continued to glare at Jero. Jero’s eyebrow twitched sharply. He wasn’t stupid; he knew full well that the woman in front of him was no ordinary person. But no one could stop him from doing what he had to do—unless he received orders from above. Jero sneered inwardly. Who did she think she was? Did she really think the higher-ups would issue orders directly to him? What a joke. Therefore, Jero turned a deaf ear to Catherine’s words, pushing her completely out of his mind and ignoring her entirely. Suddenly, a cold, haughty voice rang out, causing his heart to skip a beat. “Captain Jero, you’d better release Zhao Wuji as my sister said, or you’ll face the consequences.” Jero’s gaze sharpened as it settled on the man walking toward him. Though his clothes were somewhat disheveled, they could not hide the arrogance within him. It was Adelaide and her group; having just emerged from their predicament, they were all seething with anger. Jero asked tentatively, “Who are you?” “This is the first in line to inherit the Du Pont family—Young Master Adelaide,” the warden hurriedly interjected. He couldn’t escape blame for everything that had happened in the prison today, so he was doing his best to make a good impression. The heir to the Du Pont family—Jero was stunned. To him, this family was practically out of reach; it was, after all, a family that stood at the very pinnacle of the world. “So you’re the eldest son of the Du Pont family!” Jero changed his expression, smiling politely as he spoke. Adelaide remained silent, simply staring at him—implying that he should release the prisoner by now. If he didn’t, it would mean he truly didn’t hold him in any regard, or even the Du Pont family. Jero was in a difficult position. Naturally, he didn’t want to offend the Du Pont family, but Zhao Wuji was currently a criminal suspect, and he had to keep him under control. Adelaide’s expression darkened slightly. Seeing this, Jero explained, “Young Master Adelaide, this Zhao Wuji once killed members of our Delta Force. Without orders from above, we really can’t let him go!” Adelaide furrowed his brow, while Catherine, standing nearby, scolded him in exasperation, “Brother, couldn’t you just make a phone call to sort this out?” Zhao Wuji, on the other hand, was now the least anxious of them all. He stood with his hands behind his back, watching the situation unfold with a cold gaze. Housekeeper Amanda leaned in close to Adelaide and said, “Young Master, making that call is easy enough, but I’m afraid you’ll have to agree to some of the Master’s conditions.” “That’s easy enough—I’ll agree to whatever it takes!” Adelaide was determined to help Zhao Wuji resolve this trouble. Amanda nodded, dialed the number, and a moment later, the call connected. Amanda explained the situation over the phone, nodding repeatedly as if listening intently. A short while later, the call ended. Amanda stepped forward and said to Adelaide, “Young Master Adelaide, your father has agreed to resolve this immediate problem, but there are two conditions you must agree to.” Adelaide already knew in his heart what conditions his father had set for him—it was nothing more than the usual ones. “Housekeeper Amanda, go ahead!” Adelaide nodded, gesturing for Housekeeper Amanda to continue, while Catherine, standing nearby, pricked up her ears, waiting to hear what came next. “First, Master Adelaide, you must return home to begin taking over part of the family’s business, in preparation for the future.” Adelaide pursed his lips, thinking to himself, *Just as I expected*, and continued listening to the next condition. “Second, it concerns this Zhao Wuji.” At this point, Amanda paused and glanced at Zhao Wuji, who was sitting idly by. Zhao Wuji sensed her gaze, the corners of his mouth curving upward as he met her eyes—only to find Adelaide smiling slightly. “Housekeeper Amanda, just get to the point.” Upon hearing news about Zhao Wuji, Catherine immediately grew anxious—truly, worry clouds one’s judgment. Though Adelaide said nothing, her gaze conveyed the same sentiment. Amanda smiled at them and continued, “Zhao Wuji can’t go back to the United States with you—at least not for another year.” At this point, Amanda explained, “The prison riot that occurred this time isn’t exactly major, but it’s not minor either, and Zhao Wuji has a significant connection to this incident.” Housekeeper Amanda was referring to the massacre Zhao Wuji had carried out in prison. “And on top of that, he previously killed members of the Delta Force, so it’s not appropriate for him to return at this time.” Adelaide nodded; this was the truth, absolutely correct. It would do her no good at all for Zhao Wuji to return to the United States with her right now—it would only cause trouble. Although Catherine understood this logic, she asked with some doubt, “Then where should he go after he leaves prison?” Adelaide reached out and ran her fingers through Catherine’s hair, causing her to turn her head away in displeasure. “My dear sister, have you forgotten how skilled Zhao Wuji is? I’ve long since planned to send him to that place.” “Where is that, Adelaide?” Catherine asked, somewhat puzzled. A faint smile played at the corners of Adelaide’s mouth as she turned toward a certain direction and said, “Siberia!” The moment that word was uttered, it sent a shiver down the spines of everyone present—including the bodyguards and the Delta Force operatives. Adelaide looked at Zhao Wuji, who was standing to the side, a look of satisfaction on her face. She said to him, “After you finish the Siberian Training Camp, fight for me in underground boxing matches for a year. By then, I’ll give you a clean record and let you truly regain your freedom. How does that sound?” The underlying implication of Adelaide’s words was this: if you, Zhao Wuji, obediently serve me for a while, I’ll naturally grant you your freedom in the end. But if you have any other ideas, given your still-uncleared status, life won’t be easy for you. Adelaide also understood that he couldn’t keep Zhao Wuji tied to him forever, so this current request was, after all, quite reasonable. “I agree!” Zhao Wuji nodded. The demand wasn’t excessive, and the prospect of regaining a clean record was highly tempting to him. Siberia is famous for its Siberian Training Camp! Boxers who emerge from there are the darlings of the underground boxing world, but at the same time, it’s a place teeming with danger. Compared to Lobestan Prison, the stench of blood there seems even thicker. Death was truly insignificant; every death served only to forge the finest fighters. Although the mortality rate there was astonishingly high, many people still volunteered to enter this training camp to undergo the most brutal training. Listening to their descriptions of the Siberian Training Camp, Catherine’s face paled slightly. “Sending Zhao Wuji there—won’t that be dangerous?” Adelaide smiled and patted Catherine on the shoulder. “My dear sister, rest assured. Setting aside the fact that I’m the one sending him there, based on his own abilities alone, who in the Siberian Training Camp could possibly stand a chance against him?” Everyone present wholeheartedly agreed with this statement. Could this “God of Death” possibly be in danger at the Siberian Training Camp? What a joke—if anyone’s in danger, it’s those boxers. Adelaide had gotten Zhao Wuji admitted not so he could train—with his skills, he didn’t need any training at all—but for one purpose only: to brand him as a member of the Siberian Training Camp. Then, he could rightfully send shockwaves through the entire underground bare-knuckle fighting world!