Chapter 82 – Almost Equal
“Ah, one more thing,” Ding Naiqing said with a pained expression. “Sister Ran, if I beg for mercy, you can’t hit me anymore, okay?”
Tu Ran couldn’t help but laugh, nodding in agreement. “Alright, I got it. Can we start now?”
Ding Naiqing weakly nodded, “Y-yes, we can.”
Tu Ran’s eyes instantly turned sharp.
Ding Naiqing: Is it too late to regret this now?
What should he do? He could already picture himself being beaten badly.
A punch came straight at him, and Ding Naiqing dodged, elbowing back as they crossed paths.
“Not bad,” Tu Ran praised.
The two exchanged blows rapidly on the ring, their movements so quick and powerful that they stirred up gusts of wind.
For those watching below, it was a double sensory experience of sight and sound. They could only catch glimpses of the fighters’ afterimages and hear the sounds of their clashes.
Such a level of skill was something they hadn’t reached yet.
Tu Ran had gained quite a reputation these past few days, and people knew she was formidable. However, they were surprised to see that the young man sparring with her was equally strong.
People below began discussing the identity of the young man fighting Tu Ran.
Among them were pioneers from the Pioneer Team’s morning training.
“He’s also from the Pioneer Team. His name is Ding Naiqing,” someone explained.
“The Pioneer Team really is full of talent,” someone remarked.
Tu Ran grew more and more excited because Ding Naiqing was an excellent opponent. He wasn’t as weak as Zhou Ming, who crumbled after a few hits, nor was he as overwhelmingly strong as Xie Xu, whose skills seemed unattainable.
He was at a similar level to her, allowing her to use all her moves and fully unleash her abilities during their spar.
While Tu Ran was thrilled, Ding Naiqing was struggling.
He had already reached his limit withstanding such high-intensity attacks for so long. In contrast, Sister Ran showed no signs of fatigue—her strength and speed were still unwavering.
He was about to collapse.
“Sister Ran, I can’t go on,” Ding Naiqing called out during a brief pause.
Tu Ran wasn’t satisfied yet, but she had promised to stop if he asked. Reluctantly, she withdrew her fists.
“How are you feeling? Are you alright?” Tu Ran noticed his flushed face and asked with concern.
“I’m fine,” Ding Naiqing shook his head and sat down on the ground. “Just a bit tired.”
For those watching from the stands, stopping the match without a clear winner was somewhat disappointing.
They started shouting at the ring, “Keep going! Why did you stop?”
Ding Naiqing: “?”
“Come on, anyone who wants to challenge Sister Ran, step up! What’s the use of just shouting from below?”
The crowd fell silent, looking at each other without saying a word.
Ding Naiqing shot an angry glare at them. This group was so annoying—too scared to step up themselves but egging Sister Ran on to beat him up.
So unfair!
In the midst of the silence, one person raised their hand, “I’ll give it a try.”
Everyone turned towards the voice. It was a burly man, at least two meters tall.
He wore a black tank top, exposing his exceptionally muscular, vein-popping physique.
“It’s Lu Huaiwei from the Executive Department’s A Team, Squad 4.”
“I heard he’s close friends with Zhou Ming from Squad A6. Zhou Ming got sent to the medical department by Tu Ran yesterday. Is he here to avenge his buddy?”
“Very likely. They say Lu Huaiwei won first place in the Executive Department’s guard combat competition and dislocated the second-place finisher’s arm. That guy still uses a mechanical arm.”
