Chapter 4 Quite Tricky

• Jaziel's opinion of Caleb took a nosedive, sinking to an all-time low when he heard the conversation.
• Suddenly, Jaziel turned to Vivian and said, “Vivian, I need to tell you something.”
• He then gently pulled her aside. “Caleb has ill intentions toward you. He's no good. I suggest you distance yourself from him,” Jaziel warned.
• Vivian's eyes widened in shock as she stared at Jaziel. “What are you saying? Has prison muddled your mind or something? Caleb has been kind enough to help us. Why are you badmouthing him?”
• Jaziel persisted, “I overheard some people saying that Caleb is engaged. It seems you're just a temporary interest to him.”
• Vivian chuckled, a mix of frustration and disbelief in her voice. “With all this noise and from such a distance, how on earth did you hear that? Jaziel, you've really let me down.”
• As the argument reached Caleb and others, their expressions darkened instantly.
• “Jaziel, right?” Caleb said coldly, his gaze sharp. “I only greeted you just now out of respect for Vivian. I hope you won't say such things again. Keep up with this behavior, and don't expect any more courtesy from me. I'd hate to be rude, but don't push your luck.”
• In Caleb's eyes, Jaziel was nothing more than an ex-convict. His interest in Vivian was the only reason he was even bothering to show Jaziel any respect.
• “I'm warning you too—stay away from my cousin. If you don't, don't expect any mercy,” Jaziel said firmly.
• “You...” Caleb's expression grew darker, his anger palpable.
• Sophie, sensing the escalating tension, intervened. “Caleb, Jaziel has just been released from prison and might not fully grasp the situation. Don't take it personally.”
• Sophie shot Jaziel a sharp glare. “Jaziel, apologize to Caleb right now. How dare you disrespect him? Caleb was a bronze medalist in the city's boxing championship. He could knock you out with a single punch.”
• Jaziel smirked disdainfully. If it weren't for his concern about scaring Vivian, he would have gladly made Caleb vanish without a second thought.
• Having risen to the top of that intimidating prison, Jaziel was not someone to be underestimated.
• “You seem to look down on me, Jaziel? Why don't you step up on stage and spar with me?” Caleb clenched his fists, eager to teach Jaziel a lesson.
• Jaziel scoffed. This kid actually dares to challenge me. Oh, well. It's the perfect chance to put him in his place and make sure he stays away from Vivian.
• Jaziel nodded in response. “All right then.”
• Everyone was momentarily stunned by his response.
• Sophie frowned deeply. “Jaziel, are you a fool? I've already told you Caleb won a bronze medal. Do you really want to challenge him? Are you out of your mind?”
• Vivian quickly intervened, “Caleb, he doesn't know what he's talking about. Please, don't take his words to heart.”
• “No, no,” Caleb said, shaking his head. “Since Jaziel wants to give it a shot, I'll spar with him. Don't worry, I'll go easy on him.”
• As he spoke, a sly grin spread across Caleb's face. I'll go easy on him, sure. But I'll make sure he's bedridden for at least a couple of weeks.
• Jaziel couldn't be bothered to waste time and headed straight for the ring.
• The crowd buzzed with excitement at the upcoming fight.
• “Who does this kid think he is, challenging Caleb? Everyone knows Caleb's punches are notoriously heavy.”
• “I heard he's that girl's cousin who just got out of prison.”
• “So what if he was in prison? Just a few days ago, I fought a guy who'd just been released—he used to be a big shot on the street, skilled in brawling. I nearly had him coughing up blood. Compared to us professionals, ordinary people like him are just trash.”
• The crowd cheered as Jaziel stepped into the ring. Caleb followed, tossing a pair of boxing gloves to him. Jaziel promptly discarded them, letting the gloves fall to the ground.
• “I don't need these,” Jaziel said firmly. True traditional combat arts involved a range of hand techniques, and boxing gloves would only get in the way.
• For Jaziel, handling someone like Caleb, who was merely a small fry, was child's play. He could have taken him down effortlessly without breaking a sweat. His reluctance to wear boxing gloves was simply a matter of preference.
• This young man's so arrogant. Caleb's expression hardened as he clenched his fist and tossed the boxing gloves aside. “Fine, if you don't need them, neither do I.”
• As soon as the referee raised his hand to signal the start, Caleb lunged at Jaziel with impressive speed. In one smooth motion, he threw a powerful punch aimed straight at Jaziel's cheek.
• A cheer erupted from the crowd below.
• Vivian's concern grew as she watched. Caleb had promised to show mercy, yet the force behind his punch was so formidable that it sent a shiver down her spine, even from a distance.
• Jaziel remained rooted to the spot, showing no signs of defense, as if he were momentarily stunned.
• “I thought he had some skills. Is that all he's got?”
• “I bet he'll be knocked out by Mr. Zillen in just one round.”
• A few of Caleb's friends erupted into laughter.
• Just as Caleb's fist was a mere centimeter from Jaziel's cheek, Jaziel moved with lightning speed. He deftly sidestepped, narrowly avoiding the punch. Seizing the moment, he grabbed Caleb's arm and delivered a powerful counterpunch. The blow landed squarely on Caleb's face with brutal force.
• Caleb spun around and collapsed to the ground, completely incapacitated and unable to continue the fight.
• In an instant, the crowd fell into stunned silence.
• Caleb, who had won third place in a professional boxing competition, was now unexpectedly knocked out by a single move.
• Vivian's mouth fell open in shock. In her memory, Jaziel had been nothing more than a frail scholar before his imprisonment. Though he had struck the scion to protect his girlfriend, he had used a knife from a nearby shop and his combat skills had seemed unimpressive at best.
• Sophie was so astonished that her jaw nearly dropped, her words coming out in a jumble. “D*mn, he's incredible...”
• A few of Caleb's close friends quickly gathered around, their hostile gazes locked on Jaziel.
• Jaziel, unfazed, pointed at them assertively. “Who else wants to step up and spar?”
• Upon hearing Jaziel's challenge, the group fell into immediate silence. Caleb was no pushover, and if Jaziel could knock him down so effortlessly, they would only be setting themselves up for humiliation if they accepted the challenge.
• “Cowards,” Jaziel said disdainfully as he turned and left the stage.
• He then said to Vivian, “I'm going to step out for a bit. If anything comes up, just give me a call.”
• Vivian nodded instinctively.
• The next moment, Jaziel stepped out.
• He had given Caleb a harsh lesson, and if Caleb didn't learn from it, he wouldn't hesitate to leave him with a permanent scar next time.
• Meanwhile, Caleb dizzily struggled to his feet in the ring, staring at Jaziel's retreating figure. His fists clenched tightly in frustration.
• I've made a fool of myself today!
• At the same time, a hint of apprehension was evident in his eyes. It's tricky to deal with this cousin of Vivian's.