American homeless people, surviving in the city

After hearing Choi Seung-ho's words, Lin Qi remained silent for a few seconds.

Then, he chuckled softly:

"...Didn't you say you wouldn't hold back in this match?"

"Why did you suddenly stop, stand there, and start lecturing me about my mindset now?"

Choi Seung-ho didn't seem to care about Lin Qi's question and simply answered calmly:

"While working as a henchman for the Black Hand Gang, I am also a fighter. Due to the rules of the competition, I have to be in top form to face you, a fighter I've already fought twice with, which makes me uneasy."

"My conscience would be tormented if I continued to stand by and watch you fail to unleash your full potential because of your mental state."

"Therefore, if you can unleash your full potential, I naturally won't hold back."

"But until this moment, your actions were so hesitant... that's why I had to speak up."

"On the other hand, there are indeed personal reasons of my own. I've been busy with various matters in life lately, and it would be a real shame to have the opportunity to spar with someone as strong as you... Wouldn't it be a pity if I couldn't experience your full strength?"

After saying that, Choi Seung-ho shook his head:

"However, I have indeed said a bit too much. If this continues, I'm afraid even Jenkins will get restless."

"So, I'll give you five more seconds. If you're not going to surrender and still can't get yourself in the right state, then I'm really going to have to take action."

He slowly assumed a fighting stance, said no more, and quietly waited for the final five seconds to pass.

Lin Qi slowly closed his eyes in front of Cui Chenghao.

All he has to do now is make good use of these last five seconds.

Lin Qi knew that Cui Chenghao was right; he was indeed being disturbed by his complicated and uneasy emotions.

Under normal circumstances, adjusting one's mood is not something that can be done in a short time. People always need to wait for their emotions to calm down, and only with the passage of time can the unease and anxiety in their hearts gradually fade away.

But Lynch did feel that something was different in his heart at this moment.

Lin Qi is an ordinary person who has lived a peaceful life at Dongda University for more than 20 years. The most stressful moment in his life was the college entrance examination. He has never fought with anyone and rarely even argued with anyone.

It was precisely because he was this kind of person that he felt so uneasy and fearful after suddenly being transported to America and finding himself in the midst of a cult.

However, even after he fell into anxiety and fear, he did not remain in these negative emotions for long.

For a brief moment, he also felt a long-lost sense of... peace.

That was the moment to step into the ring.

Unlike the peace he gained by forcing himself not to overthink, Lynch did occasionally feel a gentler, purer peace when he wielded his hunting knife in the ring.

It was an elusive state that Lynch only clearly realized when he went on stage for his first match, after which he refocused on the fight.

But now that his mentality has become the key to whether he can win this game, he really should think about how to find that peace of mind.

But as soon as he closed his eyes, Lin Qi immediately understood where that unique sense of peace came from.

He instinctively gripped the knife in his hand tighter.

The source of my sense of peace is precisely these endless battles.

To be precise, its source is not the battle itself, but the sense of control that can be genuinely obtained through force.

Only this sense of control could put Lin Qi at ease. Lin Qi longed for a world where everything was under his control; at the very least, he needed to be able to control his own life.

Unfortunately, given his current living conditions, he is not yet in control of his own life. But for Lin Qi, perhaps he still has a chance to control this night.

Lin Qi suddenly opened his eyes:

"I see."

He was too weak in the past and did not realize the core of all the problems he was facing.

The reason he could still control the night was because he was strong enough among these gangsters.

To put his mind at ease and to gain more control, he had to become stronger!

There's no reason to waste energy on anxiety and worry; all he needs to do is keep getting stronger!

The first thing to do right now is to win this match, claim the reward promised by the Razor Gang, and complete the system's mission!

He needed to do it, and he had to do it—just as Hemingway said in his book.

A person can be destroyed but not defeated!

As if he had suddenly figured out a knot in his heart, Lin Qi's eyes became exceptionally clear.

At the same moment, Choi Seung-ho, who was standing opposite him, was slightly startled. His intuition told him that the aura emanating from the young Asian man in front of him was somewhat different.

"Incredible...it seems you really did it."

Choi Seung-ho raised an eyebrow, his tone shifting for the first time, a hint of amusement in his voice:

"It seems I've gotten myself into a lot of trouble."

"Perhaps that's true." Lin Qi smiled, cracked his knuckles, and then gripped the hunting knife tightly.

"However, I really have to thank you. Your reminder and the time you gave me really made me realize my problem."

"Heh... If you want to thank me, then show me the full strength you have right now!"

After saying that, Cui Chenghao didn't say anything more. He kicked his legs and flew forward!

He still used a few sharp kicks to clear the way, but after completely eliminating the negative emotions in his heart, Lin Qi's movements were without the slightest hesitation, accurately blocking every single one of Cui Chenghao's moves.

Seeing that his conventional moves were ineffective, Choi Seung-ho took two steps back, took a deep breath, then touched the ground with his left foot, raised his right foot high, and kicked hard at Lin Qi's chin.

It was his tried-and-true killer move again: a front kick!

However, to his surprise, Lin Qi still held the hunting knife high in his hand, as if he still wanted to use the hunting knife to block!

Choi Seung-ho was somewhat surprised to see this posture.

What, is he planning to use the same trick again? But if he blocks in the same way again, his hunting knife will be kicked away again.

Does he really have no other options?

Although Cui Chenghao was puzzled, he didn't hold back any force in his leg strike. Since his opponent had decided to continue fighting, he had to use his full strength!

But to his surprise, just as his kick was about to hit Lin Qi, Lin Qi's hand suddenly moved.

This time, instead of using the blade to parry, he angled the hunting knife at a unique angle, pointing the blade towards Choi Seung-ho!

The next second, Choi Seung-ho's right foot struck the blade of the hunting knife, and his foot slid to the side into the air along the arc of the knife's trajectory!

Finished!

In that split second, Choi Seung-ho suddenly realized that this was the same move Lin Qi had used to deflect Tom earlier!

But it was too late to realize this now, because the kick, which had been built up with all his strength, missed, leaving Choi Seung-ho wide open.

Lin Qi seized the opportunity and launched a powerful kick, striking Choi Seung-ho's left leg, which he was using as a fulcrum, hard!