Half an hour later, Benedict, who had just finished receiving his IV drip, followed Charles to the small basketball court behind the laboratory.

A professional lawyer was already there, and motivated by the lucrative remuneration, he had swiftly drafted two liability waiver forms.

With no holds barred, the fight might result in the death of one party, and if that happened, the other party wouldn’t be held responsible for whatever happened.

Charles and Nico signed their names and affixed their thumbprints on the two documents, respectively, under the supervision of the lawyer.

Zendaya considerately brought two small stools over, one for herself and the other for her brother. She also prepared two packets of caramel sweets, one box of strawberries, and a plate of cut melon.

“Benny, come quickly. I can’t hold all these things on my own.”

Benedict glanced at her, noticing the pile of food stacked to her height on the stools she was carrying, and a hint of disdain flashed across his eyes. “You’re such a glutton. Can you even fit that much food in your stomach?”

Zendaya chuckled. “This isn’t just for me. I’ve also prepared your portion. After Uncle Nico and Uncle Charles finish fighting, they will surely be parched and want to eat too.”

Her thoughtfulness extended to everyone.

“Girls are so troublesome,” Benedict complained while going over to help lighten his sister’s load by taking some food from the stool.

“You’re the best, Benny. I know you’re just a soft-hearted person with a sharp tongue.”

He snorted indifferently, but his eyebrows were slightly arched. After all, he couldn’t help but feel a little proud, being praised by his little sister.

After watching the lawyer finalize both documents, Charles strode over to help Zendaya carry the stools to the outermost part of the basketball court against the wall.

He squatted down and caressed Zendaya’s petite face, uttering worriedly, “The fight may get a little bloody later. You may feel uncomfortable witnessing it, so why don’t I get Mr. Mallory to bring you to the shopping mall to watch a movie? What do you say, Zendy?”

The little girl was upset for a while after seeing Charles’ hand bleed when he split open the durian with his hand previously, so he reckoned she might feel more distressed this time.

“No. I want to cheer you on, and I’m not afraid.”

“Be good, Zendy.”

Benedict chimed in from the side, “It’s best to get her out of here, or she’ll surely cause trouble later.”

Zendaya shook her head firmly, unwilling to leave.

Charles couldn’t change her mind, so he finally gave up. “Zendy, if you feel uncomfortable watching the fight, take a break, all right?”

“I got it. When did you become so nagging, Uncle Charles?”

Charles didn’t explain further and simply picked Zendaya up onto the stool, then helped her unwrap a packet of caramel sweets and fed her a piece of candy.

After doing all that, he got up and walked back to Nico.

The basketball court wasn’t big, but it was more than enough to accommodate a fight.

The basketball court wasn’t big, but it was more than enough to accommodate a fight.

Benedict and Zendaya were the only two spectators.

The lawyer acted as a referee of sorts, standing by the wall to observe the fight, ensuring the fairness of the bet.

Nico and Charles stood opposite each other, three meters apart.

Before they began, Nico raised his brow mischievously and said, “Charles, do you want to lose or win?”

Charles glanced at Benedict, who was eating melon by the wall. “Of course I want to win.”

Nico laughed. “That’ll have to depend on how capable you are, then. I also want to win. After all, I don’t want to wear women’s clothing, much less clean the toilet. Although you were the director of the Central Intelligence Agency, you haven’t trained for several years, and your skills are probably not as good as before, right? Why don’t we do this? I’ll cede the first three strikes. You can make the first move.”

Nico stood with his hands behind his back, wearing a provocative and confident smile on his handsome face.

Charles shook his head in refusal. “I’ll win fair and square. I don’t need you to give me an advantage.”

“In that case, I won’t go easy on you.” With that, Nico instantly launched an attack.

Charles sidestepped and quickly retaliated.

The two exchanged blows, fighting with great finesse.

Zendaya watched intently while munching on a strawberry. “Wow. It’s so entertaining and pleasing to the eyes to see two handsome guys with long legs fight.”

Benedict snorted derisively. “You might not think so in a little while. I hope you don’t cry later on.”

Zendaya, not understanding what he meant, continued to watch Nico and Charles fight.

They thrust every punch with all their might without holding back their strength.

Zendaya was so focused on the brawl that she even forgot to eat her strawberries at times. It seems like they’re equally skilled.

She immediately complimented Charles, “Wow! You haven’t trained for so long yet you can still be on an equal footing with Uncle Nico. You’re amazing, Uncle Charles!”

After hearing that, Charles was momentarily distracted and was struck in the face by Nico’s punch.

His cheek quickly turned black and blue.

Zendaya covered her mouth at once, feeling both distressed and guilty. “I’m sorry. I’ll shut up.”

Charles didn’t blame her and continued to tangle with Nico.

In fact, at the start of the fight, both of them had held back to test out each other’s abilities.

After about twenty moves, Charles remembered the words Benedict had said to him alone in the room. I must win, but not too easily. I’ll have to get battered and bloodied up. Only then will Benny be satisfied.

At that thought, Charles dialed back his strength by a fraction, adopting a defensive stance instead of attacking.

Nico happened to swing his fist more forcefully in Charles’ direction at that moment. The latter dodged a split second too slow and was hit in the face again.

A metallic taste spread in his oral cavity, and blood trickled down the corner of his mouth. Charles staggered several steps backward before stabilizing himself.

Nico paused and stared at him sternly. “Are you looking down on me, Charles? You could’ve dodged that hit just now. If you dare to lose to me on purpose, I’ll teach you a lesson by beating you up first.”

Charles wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and laughed nonchalantly. “That’s not it. I haven’t fought in a while, so I’m not as good as I once was. I have to admit that my combat prowess is indeed inferior.”

Nico smirked. “So, are you giving up?”

“Not at all. Unless I’m being carried off the court today, I won’t admit defeat. Let’s continue!”

The bet wasn’t over yet, so the two grappled with one another again.

This round, it seemed Charles was taking a hit every couple of moves, at times on the arm, other times on his knees.

His body was covered in injuries. Still, he had to conserve his stamina to win the bet.

Nico showed no mercy, but he also didn’t exert his maximum strength.

Zendaya watched with increasing tension, and her heart palpitated. She tugged at her brother’s sleeve weakly. “Benny, who do you think will win? Uncle Nico or Uncle Charles?”

Benedict blinked his dark eyes, sat upright, and curled his lips into a smile. “Of course Uncle Nico will win.”

“Oh…” She cupped her cheeks and furrowed her brows, observing Charles and Nico’s fight with growing anxiety. Uncle Charles is hurt. There’s even blood dripping down the corner of his mouth. I don’t want him to lose, but I also wish to see him in a dress.

After ten minutes of fighting, Charles fell to the floor three times, and his body was covered in wounds.

On the other hand, Nico was unscathed. Judging by the situation, the fight was obviously progressing one-sidedly.This is from .

The two retreated a few steps, keeping a safe distance between them once again. Drenched in sweat, Nico casually rolled up his sleeve. “Charles, just admit defeat. You can’t win against me. I don’t want to beat you into a pulp today and carry you off the court on a stretcher.”

Charles staggered a little, momentarily losing his balance as every part of his body ached. Benny should be satisfied after seeing me get beaten up to this state. It’s time to find a way to end this fight now.

“I’m fine with that. As long as I can still stand, I won’t surrender today.” Charles’ eyes shone with determination.

He launched himself at Nico again, this time sparing no effort. Nico was taken aback, seemingly not expecting Charles to suddenly fight back with such ferocity.

He, too, received a punch in the corner of his mouth, causing his cheek to turn discolored. 

The bet was still up in the air.