NOVEL NEXT Chapter 41: It costs money
The Police Chief, along with the Vice Chief, the top brass, and most importantly, the two clueless, dumb ass rookies, were all bowed at a perfect ninety-degree angle, their regret practically radiating off them.
"We apologize to the Esteemed Generals!" They shouted passionately.
"Let's just go back to the coffee shop." Professor Maru sighed even as his lips curled into a helpless smile.
"Yeah, let's go. I need my coffee," Professor Liang, the oldest among them at nearly a hundred years old, croaked.
He was particularly indignant about being included in the arrest. Not because he was a high-ranking retired general, but because he was just too damn old!
How on earth did they mistake him for a pervert?
It had been years since he'd last managed to get 'it' up!
"Please go in peace!" All of the police officers shouted while maintaining their bowed position.
"Go in peace your head!" Professor Riki snapped and smacked the Police Chief on his head. "Little Wang, I will call your mother later and have a word with her."
"Yes General!" Police Chief Wang winced and replied.
"I uh, I think I'll go buy some coffee for you guys." Damien Bloodbane said as he edged towards the exit.
"I'll go with you, bro!" Athena exclaimed happily.
As Damien edged toward the exit, the old men immediately sensed betrayal.
"Oi, oi, oi! Where do you think you're going?!" Professor Riki barked, pointing a trembling finger at Damien like he'd just caught him stealing military-grade secrets.
"You're abandoning us right after we've been publicly humiliated?!" Professor Maru gasped half in mock surprise, half in actual surprise and half in surprise that he was actually surprised.
"You brat, after all we've suffered together?!" Professor Hong Fei grumbled, arms crossed.
"Do you think you can just walk away after getting us dragged into a police station?!" Professor Xian Fei added, narrowing his eyes.
Damien Bloodbane had reached the door.
He turned to Athena.
"Run."
And with that, he bolted.
"DAMN BRAT, GET BACK HERE!"
The old men shouted after him, but Damien Bloodbane and Athena were already gone, slipping through the door and disappearing into the streets.
Athena laughed carefreely, her golden hair bouncing as she ran down the bustling streets hand in hand with Damien Bloodbane. The two weaved through the crowd, their hurried steps light and full of energy, though only one of them knew where they were going.
After a couple of minutes, they realized that the old geezers weren't chasing after them.
"Phew! We managed to escape those old perverts! Bleeee!" Athena blew raspberries at the direction of the old perverts.
Damien Bloodbane blinked and smiled.
Even though he knew she wasn't as innocent as she made herself out to be, he still found her very cute.
Damien Bloodbane exhaled and shook his head lightly. "Alright, fun's over. I need to find a job."
Athena blinked up at him, still smiling. "A job? Why?"
"Because I used the last of my money to pay for your Wagyu Prime Cuts!" Damien Bloodbane glared at Athena who merely tee hee-d at him.
"And I also need money to pay for my school fees at Pearl Institute." Damien Bloodbane sighed. "And unless you have a secret stash of cash lying around, I have to start working soon."
Athena's eyes lit up mischievously.
"Then why don't you just join the BGA daily competition at the local BGA net café? You're so good, you'll definitely win!"
"BGA competition huh?" Damien Bloodbane was instantly intrigued.
"It's a daily competition for a cash prize. But more importantly, the winners for this month would be able to join a bigger competition with a bigger cash prize, and then go on to the sectoral competition before ending in a citywide competition." Athena explained.
Damien Bloodbane felt his pulse quicken as he absorbed Athena's words.
A daily competition was already a great way to earn quick cash, but this?
This was bigger.
He had heard whispers of the Battle Gods Arena tournament circuit before, but he had never paid much attention.
Until now.
Athena's eyes sparkled with excitement as she continued. "The BGA competition isn't just some random net café event. It's THE tournament for mecha pilots!"
Damien Bloodbane's eyebrow raised slightly. "Go on."
Athena grinned. "First, you have the daily competitions. They are small fights, local matches, but they're still full of competitive players. If you win, you get the cash prize and an entry ticket for the monthly qualifiers."
Damien Bloodbane crossed his arms, listening carefully.
"Then the winners from every net café in the district clash in the monthly event. The best players move on to the sectoral competition, where they face pilots from different regions."
She leaned in closer. "After that, it's the citywide championship. And that's where things get serious."
Damien Bloodbane felt the weight of her words.
The citywide championship wasn't just some glorified local match.
It was where professionals scouted rising talent.
It was where military academies secretly monitored new prospects.
It was where legends were made.
Athena clapped her hands together. "And guess what? The top winner of the citywide competition gets one hundred thousand dollars!"
Damien Bloodbane's eyes widened slightly.
One hundred thousand.
Exactly what he needed.
Athena beamed. "And after that… the national rankings begin. That's when the whole country starts watching."
Damien Bloodbane exhaled slowly as his mind raced.
He had two choices.
Find some miserable part-time job and struggle for years to make enough money…
Or win fights, climb the rankings, and walk away with a hundred grand.
The answer was obvious.
"I'm in."
Athena cheered happily, clinging to his arm. "Yay~! Bro's gonna be famous!"
The local BGA net café was a massive, neon-lit building, but it wasn't the biggest in Beijing. With a solid 100 BGA simulation pods, it was a respectable establishment.
And judging from the noise coming out of it, it was also extremely popular.
When Damien Bloodbane stepped inside, he could already feel the energy of the place.
The distant hum of machinery, the constant chatter of gamers, and the unmistakable excitement of competition was quite infectious.
Damien Bloodbane could feel his blood start to boil slightly.
He walked up to the counter, glancing at the competition details.
Entry Fee: $10
Super Soldier Damien Bloodbane blinked.
"It costs money to enter? Damn it. I'm completely out of money."