Chapter - 5932

The following day, Charlie accompanied Claire and Loreen on their flight to Tokyo.

Once on the plane, the two women animatedly discussed their plans to shop in Ginza and Omotesando. Claire, however, had no interest in shopping; nonetheless, her mother Elaine had specifically asked her to bring back some Japanese jewelry and cosmetics. Unable to refuse, Claire agreed to her mother's request.

Claire had always been good at treating everyone fairly. Since she promised to buy gifts for her mother, she couldn’t neglect her father. So, she informed Loreen that she intended to spend 300,000 yen on gifts for both parents, splitting the amount equally at around 150,000 yen each.

Loreen immediately volunteered to help her plan the shopping spree. They decided that once they landed in Tokyo and checked in at the hotel, they would drop off their luggage and go out shopping together.

Then Loreen turned to Charlie and asked, "Charlie, are you coming with us?"

Charlie quickly responded, "I can join you for shopping, but there’s a Sanda match happening in Tokyo tonight that I want to attend. If you’re interested, we can go together; if not, I’ll go by myself. Just so you know, I won’t be having dinner with you then."

"Sanda match?" Loreen repeated thoughtfully, "I’ve never really had any interest in that kind of sport."

She then turned to Claire and said, "Claire, I think it’s better if we skip the match. Let Charlie go alone. Instead, let's indulge in some delicious food tonight. My good friend in Japan has invited me out for dinner, so let’s join her."

Claire asked a little hesitantly, "Loreen, is your Japanese friend a man or a woman?"

"Of course it's a woman," Loreen replied. "Don't worry, I won’t take you to dinner with some random single guy."

With a glance at Charlie, she added with a smile, "Charlie, don’t worry, I’ll make sure to take care of Claire tonight. You can go to your game, and we’ll meet back at the hotel later."

Charlie felt a wave of relief at Loreen having friends in Japan and said, "Alright, but don’t stay out too late."

After they landed, the three took a taxi to their hotel. Once they checked in, Charlie accompanied the two women to Tokyo Ginza for a bit of shopping. While there, he checked the schedule for Aurora's match online. The women’s final was set to start at 7 PM, so he bid farewell to the two at 6 PM and took a taxi to Tokyo Budokan by himself.

Even though Sanda, boxing, and wrestling events are popular worldwide, the overall level of competition among college students tends to fall between professional and amateur, resulting in a smaller audience and lower popularity for these matches.

Charlie had initially expected to buy tickets from scalpers upon arriving at the venue, but to his surprise, discounted tickets were available at the box office outside.

Spotting some empty seats in the front row, which offered the best view, he didn’t hesitate to purchase one.

Inside the venue, the attendance was about 70%, creating a lively atmosphere. At that time, the event had not yet officially started, but the big screen showcased the four main events scheduled for the night.

The finals featured the top four competitors in both the women's and men's divisions.

The first event was a match for third place, where both the third and fourth placers from the men's and women's divisions faced off.

The event lineup was as follows: the women’s third place match first, then the men’s third place match, followed by the women’s championship match, and finally, the men’s championship match.

This meant that Aurora’s match would be the third event of the night.

Charlie spotted the name of Aurora’s opponent on the screen: Haley Swain, an American.

Although he wasn’t sure where Haley Swain hailed from, he was confident that Aurora had improved significantly compared to her previous performances. Plus, with the elixir he had given her to enhance her muscles and meridians and the martial arts techniques he passed on to her, her combat skills had undeniably improved. He strongly believed she would win tonight.

At 6:50 PM, the host appeared on stage to kick off the event. With the host's energetic efforts, the crowd quickly became animated.

The first match featured two female competitors, both equally matched and fiercely competing. After each won a round, the third round became particularly intense, building a thrilling atmosphere among the crowd filled with cheers, applause, and whistles.

Just as the third round reached its peak tension, one of the players from Africa made a sudden move that disrupted her opponent's rhythm, ultimately securing victory.

The audience was taken by surprise at how tense and exhilarating the opening match turned out to be, making them all the more eager for the second event.

What everyone certainly didn’t anticipate was that the second match would not be as closely contested. A local Japanese player was dominated by a European competitor throughout the match, quickly losing both rounds with ease.

The host returned to the stage, brimming with excitement: "The next match is the women’s championship, an event that countless viewers have been eagerly awaiting. The competitors are Aurora, the top seed from China, and Haley Swain, the fifteenth seed from the United States. It's worth noting that this is Haley Swain's first time participating in this tournament. The experts had high hopes for her and ranked her fifteenth, yet no one expected her to dominate her previous matches with crushing 2-0 scores to make it this far. She has truly become the biggest surprise of the tournament!"

"Tonight, she will challenge the number one seed, Aurora. Let’s see if she can succeed!"

He then shouted, "Next, let’s give the warmest applause for our number one seed, Aurora!"

The crowd erupted in cheers.

Aurora, with her striking looks, tall stature, and cool demeanor, had been considered a goddess in this field, especially after Nanako Ito withdrew from the competition. Naturally, she had a large fan following.

As Aurora made her way onto the stage amidst the cheers, the host turned curiously to her: "Miss Quinton, tonight Haley Swain is here to challenge you. Are you confident you can defeat her and defend your title?"

Aurora boldly declared, "I am absolutely confident!"

The host nodded, smiling, "Many of your fans are here today, eager to see you defend your title once again."

He then announced, "Now let’s continue with loud applause for Aurora's challenger – Haley Swain!"

To Charlie's astonishment, as soon as the host finished speaking, a chorus of boos erupted from the audience.

Puzzled, Charlie thought, "Is Haley Swain really that unpopular? Why are so many people booing her? It’s common for away players to be booed at home, but Aurora represents China, and this is Tokyo, Japan—not Aurora’s home ground. It seems inappropriate for the audience to boo a challenger like this."

Just as Charlie found the audience's reaction strange, a figure sprinted into the boxing ring, and the boos reached a crescendo.

In that moment, Charlie couldn’t help but drop his jaw in disbelief. He stared at Haley Swain in the ring and thought, "Wait... isn’t that a man? Even with long hair, the prominent Adam's apple is clearly visible. How did he even enter a women’s competition?!"