I took a defensive stance, while Owl immediately lowered his center of gravity, ready for a takedown. Kien smirked and sneered:
"Is this lame martial arts act just for show? Hahaha!"
We remained motionless, waiting for an opportunity. But it seemed he had already seen through the hesitation in our eyes. A smug grin appeared on his face, and then suddenly, he charged at us like a raging bull!
Shit!
Owl and I were both caught off guard by his sudden burst. He clenched his fists tightly, rushing forward with full force, like a pair of sharp horns ready to gore everything in his path. I could hear the wind whistling past my ears, feel the heavy thud of his footsteps pounding against the ground. He was getting closer… too close!
I could see every strand of his hair whipping backward…
Shit!
I had been too scared to react in time. He was already within the danger zone. His reach was too long—just one swing and I'd be sent straight to the hospital. In that moment, everything seemed frozen in time. Each second crawled by, marking the thin line between life and death.
His right hand was slowly coming toward me, only an inch away from my face…
My body wouldn't move. I was done for!
"CHAIRMAN! SINGLE LEG TAKEDOWN!"
Owl's shout rang like a bell, snapping me back to reality.
Time suddenly returned to normal!
In that critical moment, Owl lunged forward, tightly grabbing Kien's left leg and throwing all his weight forward! At the same time, Kien's fist grazed my cheek by a hair's breadth. He stumbled, his balance lost.
THUD!
Kien crashed to the ground with a heavy impact.
Perfect, Owl! You're truly the MVP of the company!
I shouted in excitement:
"ROUND KICK!!!"
I had no idea why I had to yell that out loud, but at that moment, my body had only one thought: FIGHT!
I twisted my hips, planted my left foot, and swung my right leg in a powerful arc, like a baseball bat being swung with full force.
WHACK!
The kick landed straight on Kien's temple while he was still struggling on the ground. A sharp jolt of pain shot from my foot to my brain, making me almost lose my balance. Looking at him, I saw Kien dazed, clutching his head, his face twisted in agony.
Our chances of winning had just jumped to 80%!
Now, all we needed was a flurry of punches in kickboxing style to finish this fight.
I turned to Owl, my voice filled with excitement:
"That was amazing! Thanks to you, we—"
Suddenly, a furious roar interrupted me:
"AAAAAAAAAAAA!!! MOTHERFUCKER!!!"
The entire crowd fell silent. No one dared to even breathe.
Kien was on his knees, but he no longer looked like a defeated man. He was growling like a wild beast about to break free. Owl was still trying to pin him down, locking his arms and legs.
It was time to end this.
I stepped toward him slowly, my gaze cold and unforgiving. But just as I raised my hand to deliver the finishing blow, a voice shrieked from behind:
"BABY!!!"
I froze.
The scene… was indescribable.
Duyen came running, tears streaming down her face, her cheeks flushed red as if she were about to faint.
"BABY!!!"
Her voice was choked with sobs, trembling as if her heart was breaking. I had never seen her like this before.
At that moment, I suddenly felt like a cruel villain.
I turned to Owl, about to tell him to let Kien go. But the moment I looked away…
Kien broke free!
Gritting his teeth through the pain, he gathered all his strength for one final strike.
WHACK!
A sharp elbow strike slammed into the back of Owl's neck!
WHACK!
Another one!
WHACK!
Owl let out a pained grunt, then released his grip… and collapsed.
I glared at Kien, my rage igniting like wildfire.
"DIE!!!"
I lunged at him, my fist clenched, pouring every last ounce of my strength into one final punch. But…
WHACK!
Before I could land my hit, a left hook smashed straight into my face!
The world around me started spinning. Everything blurred…
This time, I was truly…
Falling.