Chapter 483: Hidden Stakes of the Duel

In the core stands, over thirty high-ranking officials from the Political Department and the Military chatted idly, patiently waiting for the death duel to begin.

The major players hadn’t arrived yet, but the entire death duel arena was already packed.

Yet as these top brass looked down at the ‘lively’ and excited crowd below, many furrowed their brows.

Seated on the lower side of the core area, a middle-aged man in civilian clothes noticed that General Ge of the Army, a fellow officer, appeared rather displeased.

“General Ge, are you interested in this sort of thing as well?”

With a hint of ingratiation, the middle-aged man quietly sat next to General Ge, gesturing toward the crowd placing their bets below.

“Interested? Ha! There’s no way I could be interested in such matters.”

“Send someone down to keep order! These death duel bouts are between Third-Stage mid-level officers of the Military. If those from the Merchant Guild dare pull such stunts, their nerve is astonishing!”

“If Committee Member Lu finds out that bets are being placed on his affairs, these people are in for a rough time!”

General Ge’s eyes flashed with deep discontent as he replied coldly.

He knew that behind the Merchant Guild were some major figures—some of whom he couldn’t afford to offend. Though his tone was curt, he only hoped things wouldn’t be blown too far out of proportion.

Betting on the duel between two committee members? That’s utterly ridiculous!

Listening to General Ge’s displeased tone, the middle-aged man smirked and leaned in conspiratorially:

“General Ge, you see, it’s all orchestrated by Committee Member Lu…”

“He doesn’t even care himself—who would?”

“Committee Member Lu intends to dole out favors… you know what I mean.”

With that, the middle-aged man’s smile grew even more eerie, as if hinting at a deeper significance behind these odds.

Hmm?

General Ge paused at the sound, then saw the middle-aged man hand him an electronic tablet while casually scrolling through the options.

“If Yenir can hold on for one minute, that’s the safest bet. It means Committee Member Lu held back, sparing Yenir an utterly humiliating defeat… and nobody profits.”

“Thirty seconds? That’s a bit risky—a sign of fierce combat, and some money on the line.”

“If he lasts only ten seconds, it means Committee Member Lu went all out, crushing him, and everyone stands to gain big.”

“Five seconds… three seconds… that’s virtually a quick kill—and even higher payouts!”

As he spoke, the middle-aged man grinned and scrolled to the final bit of information:

“If Yenir ends up severely injured, the odds will skyrocket… after all, everyone believes that although the Military approved the death duel, they’d surely protect our prized ‘Genius’.”

“So if Yenir unfortunately loses an arm or has one leg chopped off…”

“Tsk tsk, the odds would be staggering! No one would believe it!”

A trace of mockery flashed in his eyes, and in an instant, the previously nonchalant General Ge was jolted by a sudden shock.

The worse Yenir gets injured, the higher the payout!?

He understood! At last, he grasped what this sudden betting line was really about!

His expression shifted slightly—even though he was aligned with Lu Tianming and deeply dissatisfied with Yenir, once he pieced everything together, he couldn’t help but be stunned.

“If Yenir dies on the duel platform, the odds are almost as good as if he won!?”

“Under Military protection, who would ever think Yenir would die on stage!?”

What cunning calculations! Such ruthless strategizing!

Lu Tianming, lowering his own status, initiated these odds—a clear move to amass wealth while buying support with ample incentives!

Just imagine if a referee, or even an entire faction, were to collectively bet on Yenir getting gravely injured… what would they do?

Even a slight delay in rescue, given the scale of funds in play, could mean billions—maybe even tens of billions! Such an enormous sum might be trivial to a state, but to an individual, it’s astronomical!

Remember, true elites wouldn’t stoop to such measures.

But…

They all have descendants, relatives…

If money weren’t on the line, these people wouldn’t care about who loses or wins, or whether Yenir gets hurt.

But when the entire death duel is tied to immense profits, everything changes.

Seeing that General Ge had caught on, the middle-aged man’s smile deepened:

“General Ge, would you like to support Committee Member Lu as well?”

“Honestly, it’s not just us betting here. No exaggeration—the bets include half of the Third-Stage mid-level officers from the Huaxia Battle Zone and every major Merchant Guild. The Private Faction is wagering even more aggressively!”

“After all, it’s a duel between two committee members… a spectacle unparalleled in all of China’s history.”

“Right now, the funds in the stands might even break through a hundred billion, or perhaps even one trillion!”

Rubbing his fingers together, the middle-aged man marveled, as if even he were shocked by the enormous sums out there.

Without mincing words, he declared that everyone wants a cut—this much money could easily sway part of the elite.

A hundred billion!? A trillion!?

General Ge’s pupils constricted suddenly; he hadn’t imagined the situation would escalate this far.

Such a grand scheme, such deep strategizing—it’s no wonder Lu Tianming has so many supporters behind him.

This game likely began on the very first day Yenir proposed the duel!

Indeed, everyone knows that kid’s habit of rashly challenging others to death duels is all about what?

Isn’t it his ability to bring more ‘benefits’ to the Authorities? His potential is terrifying—but as long as the other side’s interests are huge, no one truly cares about the kid’s life or death!

After all, China’s internal factions aren’t a solid block; each pursues its own interests!

Taking a deep breath, General Ge realized that this so-called betting line was nothing other than a grand gift from Lu Tianming to certain people! Anyone who sided with him would profit immensely!

What cunning strategies! The old always outsmart the young!

“How do we bet?”

Clenching his fists silently, General Ge—despite being a high-ranking Military officer—couldn’t help but feel excited as he pieced it all together.

Or rather, he didn’t mind siding with Lu Tianming.

“Sir, I’m not quite sure how to place my bet.”

“But I’ve heard that Committee Member Lu intends to give that kid a proper thrashing.”

“When that blow lands, there’ll definitely be blood…”

The middle-aged man, eyes full of meaning, touched his wrist thoughtfully:

“Right now, most people outside are betting that Yenir can hold out for about ten seconds before the Military steps in to save him…”

“After all, the kid is a genius. Committee Member Lu isn’t one to favor outright assassination and can’t attack in his typical fighting style… heh heh heh heh…”

His eyes flickered; picking up on the hint, General Ge gave the middle-aged man a long, penetrating look.

He knew that conversations like these were likely happening with many others.

Some of the Third-Stage mid-level officers safeguarding the duels have probably been ‘bribed’ too—not forced by pressure, but willingly taking sides.

Yenir is unlikely to die, but he could very well be crippled…

It’s not out of the question!

“Alright!”

“Then I support Committee Member Lu! Ten million, plus my treatment quota for the next ten years!”

As soon as the words were spoken, General Ge calmly slid out a card and slowly tapped on the highly lucrative betting option.

All eyes fell on the option, boldly stating:

【End the Duel in Nine Seconds, Severing All Limbs】!

He bore no deep grudge against Yenir.

Yet at that moment, he oddly hoped for Yenir to get into trouble!

After all, cutting off someone’s income is like cutting the head off a family— and vice versa.