The underground hall was vast, spanning four to five thousand square meters at a glance.
Originally built as an underground parking lot, it had been repurposed by the organizers of underground boxing into an arena.
Furthermore, the entire hall was circular, with the boxing ring at its center and rows upon rows of tiered seating surrounding it.
Though the crowd was not yet at its peak, the atmosphere within the arena was already electric.
As they passed through the entrance, a dozen or so pretty girls in short skirts and stockings swarmed towards them.
"Esteemed guests, would you require escorts?" they asked, their smiles eager and their bodies swaying alluringly as they approached.
Wang Ziqing shot a stern glance at Han Wei and snapped, "Get lost, don't bother us!"
The girls' faces immediately fell. Discerning the situation, they grumbled and moved aside.
Chen Fan's gaze swept over them, landing on a girl who managed a strained smile, appearing somewhat reserved.
He raised a hand and pointed. "You, accompany me tonight!"
The girl paused, her expression brightening with a hint of resignation. She quickly bowed and said, "Greetings, esteemed guest. I am delighted to serve you!"
Han Wei and Wang Ziqing both turned to look at Chen Fan.
Wang Ziqing appeared surprised. Chen Fan had been so quiet, she had barely noticed him.
She had assumed he was with Han Wei, perhaps a companion. Now, it seemed that wasn't entirely the case.
Han Wei didn't overthink it, merely showing a slight hint of surprise.
"Let's go," Han Wei said.
Wang Ziqing promptly led the way.
The girl approached Chen Fan, offering him a flattering smile.
Chen Fan ignored her, following Wang Ziqing into a private room.
The room was not large, but its decoration was undeniably luxurious.
There were many similar rooms, clearly intended for distinguished guests of status. The fact that Wang Ziqing could secure one suggested her position here was not insignificant.
Through the room's window, they had a clear view of the boxing ring from above.
A small screen within the room also displayed a live feed of the arena.
On a small tea table, fruits, pastries, and tea were laid out.
"This room is nice. What's the charge?" Han Wei inquired.
"The rooms are complimentary, but if the bets placed are less than one million, the person who brought you here will lose the privilege of booking a room," Wang Ziqing explained.
In essence, Wang Ziqing served as a kind of sales agent within the underground boxing circuit.
Those wishing to attend had to be guided by an agent like her, or they could not enter.
This was a measure to prevent infiltration by officials or reporters.
Given Wang Ziqing's standing and connections within the underworld, she likely received a share of the profits, however small.
The girl seated demurely beside Chen Fan was merely a hostess, relying on tips from guests for her livelihood.
Chen Fan glanced at the other private rooms. With his sharp eyes, he observed several where guests were enjoying themselves with their hostesses.
He turned his gaze back to the entrance.
Someone handed in a glossy brochure.
Wang Ziqing took it and passed it to Han Wei, then instructed an outside server to bring drinks and snacks.
Han Wei glanced at the brochure and then turned it over to Chen Fan.
"These are the codenames of tonight's fighters, and the numbers beside them indicate their win-loss records," the girl accompanying Chen Fan explained nervously.
Indeed, Chen Fan saw animal names on the brochure.
The first codename was "Tan Lang" (Greedy Wolf), with twenty-one wins and zero losses.
Second was "Qi Lin" (Kirin), with eighteen wins and one loss.
Chen Fan asked, "Are all the fighters' names on here?"
"Not necessarily. These are just the confirmed fighters for tonight. Some might be added at the last minute. These are usually fighters brought by the guests themselves," Wang Ziqing replied.
"Some guests will bet heavily on their own fighters to win."
"The organizers also have their own masters. Their names don't appear on this list. They only step in when a guest's fighter is gaining too much momentum."
Chen Fan smiled and asked, "So, the strongest here is this Tan Lang?"
"Tan Lang is the ace fighter of the underground boxing circuit," Wang Ziqing stated. "He's a trained martial artist, his attacks are brutal, and his opponents either die or are crippled. He holds significant sway here. Whenever he fights, gamblers bet on him to win."
"What about the odds?"
"The odds will appear on the scrolling screen. Let me see." Wang Ziqing looked outside and said, "The first three matches have been set, and the odds are within the normal range."
Chen Fan followed Wang Ziqing's gaze. Above the ring, a scrolling screen displayed the matchups and odds.
Match one: Guo Shan Hu (Mountain Overcoming Tiger) versus Ao Quan (Dragon Dog), odds 1.45 to 1.76.
Match two: Huo Li (Fire Fox) versus Shan Ji (Mountain Chicken), odds 1.35 to 2.25.
Match three: Bei Ji Xiong (Polar Bear) versus Hua Bao (Leopard), odds 1.5 to 1.5.
"These fighter codenames are quite interesting," Han Wei mused. "Do the more imposing codenames mean stronger fighters?"
"No," Wang Ziqing replied. "The codenames are assigned randomly, and the fighters have no say in them. Only top fighters like Tan Lang and Qi Lin, after a series of consecutive wins, earn the right to choose their codenames."
Judging by the odds, they weren't excessively skewed, even appearing reasonable.
This wasn't entirely surprising. If the odds were too far off, a shocking upset could lead to losses for the organizers.
Furthermore, Chen Fan surmised that these odds would fluctuate constantly.
At that moment, a host ascended the stage.
The already noisy underground arena's atmosphere intensified.
The host was a handsome man in his late twenties, with a hint of roguish charm in his eyes. He seemed quite popular here.
"Welcome, esteemed guests. You are all our benefactors, and we thank you for attending. Many of you are familiar faces, returning to support us. We also welcome new faces. Regardless, thank you for gracing us with your presence."
"I know you're all here for excitement, so I'll keep the pleasantries brief and introduce the fighters for the first match..."
The host began warming up the crowd, introducing the fighters for the first three matches.
These initial fighters were all relatively unknown. Guo Shan Hu and Hua Bao had fought twice before, both winning, while the others were newcomers.
This segment was still part of the warm-up, featuring less famous fighters to pique the gamblers' interest.
"Alright, now please welcome the fighters for our first match, Guo Shan Hu and Ao Quan!"
The two fighters entered the ring, guided by staff.
Both were bare-chested, displaying their muscular physiques.
Despite their ferocious appearances, their entrance elicited screams of excitement from many of the women present.
The match wouldn't begin immediately. The host briefly introduced their backgrounds to familiarize everyone, then urged the gamblers to place their bets.
"Shall we bet?" Han Wei asked Chen Fan.
"Of course. Bet one hundred thousand on Ao Quan."
Han Wei nodded and signaled Wang Ziqing to place the bet.
Wang Ziqing instructed her subordinate to retrieve one hundred thousand in cash and leave the room to place the bet at the counter.
The underground hall was equipped with numerous betting stations, making it convenient for gamblers to place their wagers. The arrangements in this regard were quite thorough.
At this point, the odds began to shift. Though the changes were minor, they indicated that the organizers were adjusting the odds based on the volume of bets being placed.
This suggested that, in these underground gambling matches, the organizers were essentially guaranteed to profit.