"Big brother, are you planning to leverage these manufacturers to put pressure on that Huaxia person and force him to participate in our arena battle?" Ogawa Sho, who hadn't spoken much, suddenly said while stroking his chin. Ota Shun glanced at Sato Hikaru, then at Ogawa Sho, and immediately revealed a sinister look, saying, "But it's not entirely correct; you've only touched on one aspect of it." "This Huaxia person is very arrogant; I can tell from what you've told me. Being an arrogant person means he's easily angered by small matters." "Just time, I'm pressuring those manufacturers to prevent them from cooperating with the Shu Ya Group to provoke this Huaxia person and force him to accept our arena invitation." With his fingers gently tapping the table, Ota Shun showed a cold smile, "I don't believe this Huaxia person would ignore the newly established branch in our East Ocean!" "Haven't you noticed?" At this point, Ota Shun suddenly asked, and Sato Hikaru and Ogawa Sho displayed puzzled expressions. They didn't question him but waited for Ota Shun to continue, as in their trio, Ota Shun not only had greater strength but also thought more quickly. Knowing their personalities, Ota Shun began to explain, "I learned from others that this time the Huaxia person came over because of the issues with the Shu Ya Group's branch in East Ocean. The president of Shu Ya Group, Shu Ya, brought him over." "Including this Huaxia person, Shu Ya brought over five subordinates. I've already identified the other four; they're insignificant Huaxia people. It's just this Huaxia person who defeated Yamamoto Ichiro whose identity is somewhat murky. I've used all my connections but still couldn't find out who he is." Ota Shun's face showed some displeasure as he said this. It's the first time something happened. Before, regardless of who he wanted information on, he could always find something about them, no matter their status. But with this Huaxia person, he couldn't get anything useful. The meager information he got, if any, was irrelevant or outright fake. "Can't find anything?" Upon hearing this, Ogawa Sho's expression changed slightly, hesitated for a moment, and said, "Big brother, what do you think his identity is? Why is it so mysterious?" "Based on his strength, which surpassed even Brother Yamamoto, he's definitely not unknown in Huaxia. Yet, we can't find any information on him. Isn't this odd?" "Or perhaps his identity in Huaxia is rather special?" It's not surprising for Ogawa Sho to think this way. Mainly because Hao Jian's data itself presents a suspicious scenario. In today's information explosion era, you can find some information about anyone, even presidents or prime ministers. For someone like Hao Jian, whom you can't find anything on, it's as though they do not exist. Even the leaders of the world's major organizations might have some traceable information. "Don't worry too much." Ota Shun didn't intend to dwell too much on Hao Jian. Instead, he looked at the two and sneered, "Regardless of that guy's identity, just because he defeated Yamamoto Ichiro, he must face our challenge!" "Our reputation was built up through life-and-death battles; we can't allow a Huaxia person to trample on it at will! Haven't you noticed? In just the past few days, numerous people online are saying we've grown old and should retire!" "Tell me, before anything happened, who dared to say such things? I'm going to let those people know that even without Yamamoto Ichiro, our strength is almost the same as when we were four!" Upon hearing this, their eyes flashed, and they nodded heavily. They understood Ota Shun's reasoning for saying these things. Previously, the top fighters in East Ocean numbered four, but after Yamamoto Ichiro died, countless people wanted to showcase their strength to fill the void he left. Follow current ɴᴏᴠᴇʟs on 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝⟡𝕗𝗂𝗋𝖾⟡𝕟𝕖𝕥 Regarding this situation, Sato Hikaru and Ogawa Sho didn't care much as long as no one disrupted their interests. However, upon hearing Ota Shun's words, it seemed he intended not to let a fourth person emerge, suggesting that soon the four top fighters of East Ocean would be reduced to three! "Haha, you two are smart; I won't speak cryptically. You understand yourselves." Seeing the understanding expression on their faces, Ota Shun smiled proudly, then looked out through the window with a somewhat cold gaze. If it weren't for Hao Jian's appearance, he wouldn't have made this choice. The four of them had cooperated for many years, monopolizing the interests in this line of work. Now that Yamamoto Ichiro had died, the chain of interests presented a huge gap. Fortunately, Ota Shun promptly adjusted, evenly distributing the gap among the three of them, thus stabilizing the current situation. If a fourth top fighter or something like that reappeared, the benefits they had already received would be forcefully divided. In this regard, Ota Shun believed not only himself but also the other two absolutely wouldn't agree to it. Why should they give up what they've already secured? Upon hearing this, their eyes sparkled, and they nodded heavily. Sato Hikaru said, "Big brother, rest assured, we will definitely handle this matter well, and unless someone stronger than the three of us appears, I will never agree to open this fourth position!" "Big brother, I feel the same!" Once Sato Hikaru finished speaking, Ogawa Sho quickly expressed his stance, a gleam in his eyes, also pondering deeply. Seeing them agree, Ota Shun suddenly stood up and laughed loudly, "Alright, let's avenge that fool Yamamoto Ichiro first! Then we'll discuss this matter!" "After all, that fool was our brother. Now that he's mysteriously killed, we haven't found the murderer yet. Once we do, we'll tear him to pieces!" "And before that, we know of someone: that Huaxia person. He wounded Yamamoto Ichiro. If he hadn't crippled Yamamoto Ichiro, could he have been vulnerable and lost his life?! So, this matter is largely that Huaxia person's responsibility!" Speaking fervently, Ota Shun's tone was agitated. How much sincerity was in his words is not something they should debate. For people like them, no sentiment is more reliable than interests. Speaking of Yamamoto Ichiro's matter, if he could bring them great benefits, they might fight with all their might for revenge; why not? Ultimately, lost possessions will come back. Now that Yamamoto Ichiro is dead, avenging a deceased person isn't worth it for them. This kind of effort with no reward wouldn't be undertaken by Ota Shun and Ogawa Sho. If not for their reputation, they wouldn't bother to set up an arena. This action is merely an attempt to reclaim their reputation. As long as they can eliminate Hao Jian, they can recover their lost reputation and even elevate it further. This is a choice driven by interests, seemingly about brotherhood but fundamentally about benefits. Sato Hikaru, on the other hand, found the situation rather ambivalent. He was Yamamoto Ichiro's friend and confidant, as well as his rival, so Yamamoto Ichiro's death was complex for him. When he first heard about it, Sato Hikaru immediately thought of avenging Yamamoto Ichiro, as this person defeated his rival, stripping him of motivation. For martial artists, losing motivation is akin to being killed because it means no room for growth. Essentially, it's a stagnation in progress. But as Ota Shun prodded, Sato Hikaru's view shifted, although not completely; he found himself torn, unsure which direction to take. Understanding Sato Hikaru's dilemma, Ota Shun wasn't concerned. As the top among the four fighters, he knew the thoughts of the remaining two. Despite Yamamoto Ichiro's death, he still understood what they were thinking. Ota Shun believed Sato Hikaru was a smart person who knew what choice to make, especially since, besides his fighting prowess, he had no other standout qualities. Since they're out there in the world, benefits are paramount. Abandoning this source of income would lead Sato Hikaru into a life of destitution, away from the spotlight and limelight. "Big brother, when do we take action?!" Ogawa Sho looked at Ota Shun, his eyes filled with fiery excitement. After Ota Shun's words, he knew what he should do. That is to defeat or even accidentally 'kill' Hao Jian! As long as one of these outcomes is achieved, Ogawa Sho's fame will undoubtedly exceed Ota Shun's in an instant, given the magnified situation. With Hao Jian and the remaining three top fighters thrust into the limelight, whoever wins or loses represents a shift in hierarchy!