The American TV series "Four-Round Boxing Champion Starts with Shameless"

Page 143

The clamor of the press conference that had just ended was still ringing in his ears, but Victor had already found himself in a completely different world—a private salon on the top floor of the MGM Grand Casino.

The air was filled with the aroma of expensive cigars, the mellow scent of aged whiskey, and a silent scent of power.

Viktor still had bandages on his face, and the bruises on his brow bone and cheekbones stood out under the soft golden light of the salon, like medals of honor, and also a testament to the brutality of the boxing match not long ago.

Standing beside him were his coach Ethan, his agent Michael, and his strength and conditioning coach Frankie, who were as silent and vigilant as guardian angels.

Their host, Mr. Chen from Hong Kong, was sitting with a smile on his face on a huge leather sofa. He was lean and dressed in a well-tailored silk suit, with a string of shiny sandalwood prayer beads on his wrist, creating a peculiar mix with the surrounding European-style luxury decorations.

"Mr. Li, you are a promising young man, and you have truly brought honor to the Chinese people."

Mr. Chen picked up his crystal glass and spoke in fluent Mandarin, his voice not loud, yet carrying an aura of absolute control:

"It's not easy for us Chinese to make a living on someone else's turf. The younger generation often ends up as technicians, engineers, or analysts—or, to put it more politely, high-level employees. Even with a million-dollar income, a large portion goes to the government..."

To put it bluntly, the ceiling is there, visible and tangible, but insurmountable. Someone like Li Sheng, capable of carving out a niche for himself and wielding such power in Chicago, is extremely rare. I admire him!

Victor raised his glass in a toast, took a sip of strong whiskey, the liquid burning his throat, which was a little hoarse from shouting.

"Mr. Chen, you flatter me. Hard work is the norm; it's just a matter of doing everything we can to survive and live a better life."

He paused, his gaze sharp as a knife, and stared directly at the other person. "You invited me here not just to drink and praise me, were you? Please speak frankly if you have any advice for me."

Mr. Chen chuckled, leaning back into the sofa, not responding to the question, but instead changing the subject: "I wouldn't presume to offer advice. I'm just a businessman, optimistic about Mr. Li's future. I'm very interested in your next two tough matches against James Smith and Tony Tucker."

"If you'd like to hold these two games in Las Vegas, at my venue,"

He held up four fingers. "I can pay this amount per game, four hundred thousand US dollars. After tax."

Michael's eyes lit up instantly at the number, but Victor frowned slightly.

$400,000 after tax per fight is an absolute windfall for a newly crowned heavyweight champion who has yet to win the title and prove his market value.

Especially considering that his opponents are Smith and Tucker, two boxers known for their toughness and tenacity, but whose box office appeal is not top-tier.

"Mr. Chen, I am very grateful for your generosity."

Victor leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "But I'm a straightforward person. To be frank, I, Smith, and Tucker, don't have the box office appeal to justify this price. You're in business; how do you make money? I don't quite understand."

"Hahahahaha!"

Mr. Chen suddenly burst into loud laughter, tears welling up in his eyes, as if he had heard a brilliant joke.

Victor and his team exchanged a puzzled look.

"Mr. Chen, what are you laughing at?"

Instead of answering directly, Mr. Chen clapped his hands.

An assistant standing nearby immediately understood and placed a thick stack of newspapers and magazines that had been prepared beforehand on the coffee table in front of Victor.

Viktor looked down and froze instantly.

Those were newspapers from all over Asia: *Nanyang Siang Pau*, *Sing Tao Daily*, *Asahi Shimbun*, *Chosun Ilbo*, *Sekai Ilbo*, *Philippine Star*, *Bangkok Post*, and so on.

Viktor hadn't read many books; apart from recognizing a few words of Japanese, he couldn't understand anything else.

The book is covered with dense Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Thai characters, but every newspaper's sports section, and even the front page, prominently features a large photograph of Victor Lee!

In the photos, he is either throwing a powerful punch or roaring after defeating Radok, his boxing gloves gleaming under the lights.

The photo is often accompanied by another picture – of "Razor" Ruddock, whom he utterly defeated.

"What...what is this?"

Victor looked up in surprise.

"Mr. Li, boxing champions have emerged from all over the world, in all sorts of forms, but most of them are Black or White. In the heavyweight division, there has never been a single Asian boxer who has been able to establish a firm foothold..."

Mr. Chen stopped laughing, his eyes turning shrewd and sharp. "Mr. Li, you underestimate yourself and the influence of the title 'Chinese Boxing Champion' in the Eastern world. You think your audience is only in Chicago, only in America? You're wrong!"

He picked up a Hong Kong newspaper and pointed to the traditional Chinese characters on it: "In Hong Kong, in Taiwan, in Macau, you are a hero of the new generation!"

He picked up another Singaporean newspaper. "In Southeast Asia, wherever there are Chinese communities, your name is now known to everyone!"

In South Korea, Japan, and even the Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia—all regions influenced by Han culture—the news of your victory over Tyson (Furry) will be headline news!

Especially since the real Mike Tyson is still recovering from injury, the outcome of the last fight is completely irrelevant!

Mr. Chen's voice was full of confidence: "Do you know why there are so many Asian faces here today? I roughly estimate that there are at least two hundred Chinese Americans who flew in from all over the United States, and even from Canada and South America, to support you!"

Your market appeal, especially in mainland China, will skyrocket to unimaginable heights in the coming months. That's a massive market of a billion people! Our poor brothers now care about even a nobody at a cocktail party, let alone a top-level boxing champion!

He put down his newspaper, his gaze fixed intently on Viktor: "So, four hundred thousand per game isn't just generosity, it's an investment with unlimited potential. I'd like to sponsor your next three games, on the condition that they're held at my casino. And,"

He abruptly changed the subject, finally revealing his true intentions: "I hope we can cooperate more deeply. I'd like to share some of your business in Chicago..."

The salon fell silent instantly.

Ethan, Michael, and Frankie all became serious.

Victor held his wine glass, remaining silent for a long time, simply watching the amber liquid in the glass sway slowly.

He got it completely.

Drinking parties, flattery, the lure of $400,000... everything ultimately points to this last sentence.

This is not just a simple commercial sponsorship; it is a political statement and a request for alliance from representatives of the Chinese community in Las Vegas.

What Mr. Chen values ​​is not only the commercial value of "future boxing champion Victor Lee," but also the resources and power represented by "Victor Lee, the Chinese-American leader in Chicago."

By supporting Victor's cause, he was extending an olive branch to the Chinese community in Chicago, seeking cross-regional cooperation and shared interests.

Victor's mind raced.

Acceptance means gaining access to huge sums of money and the support of the Las Vegas platform, which will lead to a new leap in your career and further expand your influence.

But this also means that he will be deeply tied to casino capital and will need to relinquish some of Chicago's interests.

After a few minutes of silence, Viktor raised his head, revealing his signature smile, a blend of boxer's edge and businessman's shrewdness.

He put down his wine glass.

"Mr. Chen is indeed a straightforward person with a keen eye."

Viktor's voice regained its composure, "Your support is crucial to my upcoming matches. It is an honor to work with you."

Mr. Chen smiled with satisfaction and was about to raise his glass to celebrate the preliminary agreement.

"However, our business in Chicago can only exist with the support of members of Congress."

Victor then changed the subject, saying, "Business in Chicago is complex and requires long-term planning and gradual integration. Personally, I think we can start by collaborating on a simpler, more transparent project to test the waters and build mutual trust."

Mr. Chen's smile faded slightly: "Oh? What suggestions does Mr. Li have?"

"I own a restaurant company in Chicago called 'Snowy Windy City' (SHW), which specializes in Chinese desserts and fast food. It's doing quite well and is expanding nationwide."

Victor said calmly, “I think it can serve as the first touchstone for our cooperation. Mr. Chen only needs to pay a reasonable franchise fee to open a store in Las Vegas, or anywhere else within your reach, using the 'SHW' brand and model.”

We can discuss profit sharing in detail. This is a legal, clean business that can quickly generate cash flow. What do you think?

Upon hearing this, Mr. Chen's smile faded considerably, and a barely perceptible hint of disappointment and displeasure flashed in his eyes.

What he clearly wanted was a more core, more profitable business (perhaps operating in a gray area), not a dessert shop.

The atmosphere in the salon suddenly became somewhat stagnant.

"Mr. Li, I know about the business you mentioned. It can accommodate a large number of our people, which is a very good supplement."

Mr. Chen said slowly, his tone turning somewhat cold, "Fast food restaurants are certainly good, but it seems... a bit too narrow-minded? Perhaps we can discuss more important areas of cooperation."

Victor didn't directly refute him, but instead smiled meaningfully, turned his head, and winked at Ethan beside him.

Ethan, expressionless, like a highly professional assistant, took out an exquisite metal cigarette case from the inside pocket of his suit, took out a hand-rolled cigarette that was shorter and thicker than a regular cigarette, and handed it to Boss Chen.

Mr. Chen took it with a puzzled look: "What's this?"

"This is one of our SHW's 'specialties',"

Viktor leaned forward, his voice low and enticing, "Give it a try. Perhaps it can help you open up a new 'worldview'."

Mr. Chen brought the cigarette to his nose with some skepticism, took a light sniff, and a look of surprise flashed across his face, which quickly turned into intense interest.

He is clearly a discerning person.

His assistant immediately stepped forward and lit the fire for him.

Mr. Chen took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and let the unique smoke swirl in his lungs for a long time before slowly exhaling.

A strange and rich aroma filled the air, completely different from the top-quality cigars he had smoked before.

His expression relaxed, even somewhat intoxicated, his slightly narrowed eyes gleaming with greed and excitement.

He took a few more breaths, feeling the powerful effect washing over his nerves.

A few minutes later, he suddenly opened his eyes, and the look in his eyes as he looked at Viktor had completely changed, filled with unprecedented enthusiasm and admiration.

"Great stuff! High purity, rich flavor, and satisfyingly chewy!"

Mr. Chen's voice was hoarse with excitement, "Mr. Li, you're truly something else! This is the real 'specialty'! This is something that will make those foreigners in the casino dream about it!"

Viktor smiled; he knew that the other party had grasped the enormous potential and value of this second "cooperative project."

This is far more satisfying than a dessert shop and can more deeply bind the interests of both parties.

"Then, Mr. Chen!"

Victor raised his glass again. "Let's start with 'SHW' and get the business under the sun. As for the distribution rights for this 'specialty'... we can discuss that in detail later. Welcome to the Chicago family."

"Haha! Good! Good! Good!"

Mr. Chen burst into laughter, all his disappointment and displeasure vanishing. He raised his glass and clinked it forcefully with Victor's, "To cooperation, to the future! To the cause of us Chinese! Cheers!"

The crisp clinking of glasses echoed through the luxurious salon.

A cross-regional alliance was initially formed amidst the mingled aromas of alcohol and dama smoke.

Chapter 121 Offstage, Onstage, On the Phone

The Nevada sun seems capable of melting asphalt, but the heatwave in Las Vegas is more than just the weather.

Frankie, the promoter, a man in his fifties, demonstrated remarkable efficiency after securing sponsorship from the casino.

His collaboration with Mr. Chen's casino resources quickly coalesced, and the door to the WBO World Boxing Organization was actually opened.

The two matches, which were originally just retaliatory contests, were successfully incorporated into the ranking points system.