The man’s demeanor was overly gentle, his neatly pressed clothes and fair skin made him look more like an office clerk at some base company.
Such a person was either a true expert — or completely useless. Zhou Ming leaned toward the latter.
Not every Beast Tamer pursued the path further after awakening.
Some used the title merely as a stepping stone to climb social ranks, securing cushy positions within the bases.
For such Beast Tamers, Zhou Ming could easily handle them with a single Thunder Type-2 Revolver. If it were against a Mutated Animal rather than a Ferocious Beast, even a Blood Hunter Type-1 Handgun would suffice.
Still, since Uncle Wang had invited him, Zhou Ming kept his thoughts to himself and greeted politely.
“Hello.”
He Yong gave a faint nod in response, his eyes carrying a hint of disdain — perhaps because Zhou Ming looked too young.
“Wang Yan, everyone’s here. Tell the waiter to bring the food.”
Perhaps trying to ease the awkwardness caused by He Yong’s cold reaction, Uncle Wang turned to instruct Wang Yan.
“Uncle Wang, no need. I’d rather first understand tonight’s duel situation. As for food, we can have a victory banquet afterward.”
Hearing that, He Yong’s lips curled slightly — as if mocking Zhou Ming’s arrogance.
“This…”
“Dad, let’s listen to Zhou Ming.”
Though his father had hired He Yong, Wang Yan trusted Zhou Ming far more. If nothing else, Zhou Ming had ventured into the wilds twice — something He Yong couldn’t even dream of.
If not for their family’s lack of money and connections, Wang Yan would never have agreed to let He Yong take part in the duel.
To the Wang father and son, this duel was practically lost already. They were only holding on for the sake of face.
After all, their opponent had issued a formal duel challenge. If they refused, Uncle Wang might not even be able to keep his small foreman job.
“Alright then. Here’s what I’ve managed to gather — only general information, but it should help.”
He pulled several sheets of paper from a file bag and placed them before Zhou Ming and He Yong.
Though the pages were few, Zhou Ming took them seriously, studying each line carefully and analyzing the opponent’s strength in his mind.
In contrast, He Yong flipped through them perfunctorily, his attitude half-hearted. This made Wang Yan frown deeply, though in the end, he could only sigh and suppress his anger.
“By the way, it’s a best-of-three match. Don’t tell me, Wang Yan, you’re one of the participants?”
“Of course. How could I let you take the stage while I sit and watch?”
“Zhou Ming, this duel isn’t a life-and-death battle. We’ve agreed beforehand that if things go bad, we can concede.”
Uncle Wang explained the rules — the reason he had allowed Wang Yan to participate.
“Alright. I understand the situation. Then let’s wait for the time to come — and begin tonight’s show.”
Zhou Ming’s casual tone stood out against the tense atmosphere of the room, leaving the other three unable to tell what he was really thinking.