Chapter 137: Arms Deal

Chapter 137: Chapter 137: Arms Deal

To an ordinary person, a black market boxing match might be exciting and intense. But for Ye Xing, with his Martial Arts Third Realm cultivation, the bouts were little more than children playing house. He’d have to be bored out of his mind to watch that kind of competition.

"Okay, well, if you decide to go, remember to call me!" Alice said. "The Demon King Competition starts at eight tonight. If you can get there before ten, you’ll probably catch the best part. You really have to come!"

"Mm, this is my stop. I’ve got to get out," Ye Xing said, taking his wallet out of his pocket.

"Ye Xing, what are you doing? I’ll pay the fare, just get out!" Alice shouted.

"I’m a gentleman. How could I let a lady pay? You just sit tight. I’m off! See you around!" After paying the fare, Ye Xing immediately got out of the car.

This was Ye Xing’s first time in the foreign city of New York, and he wasn’t familiar with the area. Luckily, his English was decent; all those years of study hadn’t been for nothing.

The Starbucks Coffee Shop was fairly well-known in the area. After asking a few passersby, Ye Xing finally found it.

Inside, the coffee shop’s decor was elegant, and the atmosphere was serene. Customers were sipping their drinks; some were reading, others were on their laptops. The few who chatted did so in low voices.

Ye Xing made his way to the pre-arranged private room, number 009. Inside, he saw a large, middle-aged white man who was slightly heavyset.

"Hello, Mr. Ye Xing. It’s a pleasure to meet you!" the large man said with a smile as he stood up.

"Hello, Mr. Frank," Ye Xing replied, taking a seat.

"Any friend of Mr. Wu Qiang’s is a friend of mine," Frank said. "I’ve known Mr. Wu Qiang for a long time. He’s a formidable man. How has he been lately?"

"Wu Qiang isn’t involved with the gangs anymore," Ye Xing said with a smile. "He’s been staying behind the scenes for the past few years, running businesses like KTVs, bars, and martial arts schools. He’s doing quite well."

"I see. So, how many handguns are you looking to buy this time, Mr. Ye Xing?" Frank asked.

"I’m buying more than just handguns. I also need submachine guns, timed bombs, sniper rifles, rocket launchers, and so on," Ye Xing said with a slight smile. "Here’s the purchase list. Could you give me an estimate, Mr. Frank? How much will all this cost?"

With that, Ye Xing took a slip of paper from his pocket and handed it to Frank.

Frank quickly took the paper. As his eyes scanned the list, he couldn’t help but exclaim in shock, "This much?!"

"If I remember correctly, your home country of China has extremely strict gun control laws, doesn’t it? I’m afraid you won’t be able to get this many firearms and munitions back home," Frank said, utterly bewildered.

"You don’t need to worry about that, Mr. Frank," Ye Xing said. "You just need to get the armaments ready for me. The only question is whether you can actually acquire everything on this list."

"This arsenal is no problem at all. I can get it done." Frank’s eyes flickered. He took out a calculator and his fingers began to fly across the keys.

A moment later, Frank looked up. "Mr. Ye Xing," he said thoughtfully, "the total for all the armaments on your list will be around one million US dollars."

"Fine, no problem," Ye Xing said in a low voice. "When can the transaction take place? The sooner, the better. I’m on a tight schedule."

"Er, I’ll need to get things ready... The earliest would be tomorrow morning or afternoon," Frank said after a moment’s thought.

"That works. Morning or afternoon is fine, as my flight is tomorrow night," Ye Xing said.

"Ah, in such a hurry to head back, Mr. Ye Xing? You’re not planning to stay in New York a few more days?" Frank asked. "It would be great if you could, so I’d have a chance to show you some proper hospitality."

"Haha, I appreciate the kind offer, Mr. Frank, but I’ll have to take a rain check. I really do have some urgent matters to attend to back home. I hope you’ll forgive my haste," Ye Xing said.

"Very well. Since you’ve made up your mind, Mr. Ye Xing, I won’t press the matter." An idea suddenly occurred to Frank. "By the way, are you free this evening?"

"Hm? It’s nothing urgent, I hope?" Ye Xing asked, puzzled. "What did you have in mind, Mr. Frank?" ’Actually, I don’t have anything planned for tonight. I was going to stay in my room, cultivate a bit, read a novel, and just relax.’

Frank said, "That’s wonderful! There’s a Demon King Competition on the black market boxing circuit tonight. It’s going to be absolutely spectacular. I was wondering if you might accompany me."

"..." Ye Xing was at a loss for words. ’I really don’t want to go watch a bunch of ’kindergarteners’ fight. It’s just so boring.’ However, he felt it would be rude to refuse Frank’s invitation. After all, he was counting on this man for a major arms deal tomorrow; it wouldn’t be proper to turn him down.

’Ah, what the hell,’ Ye Xing thought. ’It’s only for one night, and I’m leaving tomorrow anyway. I guess I’ll bite the bullet and keep the gentleman company.’ He then nodded and said, "Alright, let’s go check it out."

"Excellent! I already have the tickets. Come on!" Frank said, immediately getting to his feet. "This Demon King Competition will definitely be incredible." With that, he led Ye Xing out of the Starbucks Coffee Shop.

"It’s close by, so we won’t drive."

Frank led the way. After a couple of turns off Zanming Road and a short walk, they arrived at a large park. In the middle of the park was an entrance to a basement, flanked by two rows of burly men in suits. A steady stream of people was flowing in and out.

The park was quiet, but the entrance to the basement was bustling with activity.

"Mr. Frank, I’ve heard that black market boxing is incredibly vicious and that fighters getting killed is a common occurrence. Isn’t that illegal here in the US?" Ye Xing asked curiously.

"Of course it’s illegal, but enforcement is lax. You have to understand, black market boxing is an incredibly violent sport. The matches are brutal and bloody, which people find thrilling. That’s why, even with the exorbitant ticket prices, there are still plenty of people willing to pay to see it." Frank paused for a moment before adding, "Besides, anyone who can run an operation like this is guaranteed to have powerful official backing. They’ve got everyone, from top to bottom, in their pocket."