章 36: The Next Day, at the Bronze Arena
The day had gone well between Lowo N'air and Smile, and at no point did they ask questions related to the secret that Mindini had mentioned. When Lowo N'air wanted to know more about this mysterious figure, all Smile could say was that Mindini was someone far above those who lived in that city. It could be said that he was untouchable by justice, and no one dared to even raise their voice to him. Except for Lowo N'air, there was no known instance of Mindini ever being disrespected and the offender remaining alive.
Under the circumstances, fearing that Smile would ask questions about Daubhania, Lowo N'air decided not to inquire further about Mindini. Instead, they focused their attention on the event awaiting them as night fell. The Bronze Arena was an immense place where important events for the city took place, and this was certainly one of them. Lowo N'air and Smile decided not to arrive too late, as they wanted to explore the entire environment, which only Smile partially knew. As for Lowo N'air, he had never been to that place, and his interest was even greater now, considering that the location might become part of his routine if everything went as planned.
Smile's watch read 3:59 PM, and they were already near the entrance of the Bronze Arena. Everything was well-organized. After all, fights involving the champion Sandoval always drew large crowds. The Bronze Arena was a medium-sized stadium with strict security, where everyone who entered had to go through a detailed inspection. Despite this, in some cases, the guards would turn a blind eye, either due to bribes or knowing the person entering.
The entrance fee wasn't too expensive, and even though Smile didn't know the details of Lowo N'air's bank account, he suspected that his friend's balance was well-stocked. Being a longtime friend and completely trustworthy, Lowo N'air didn't bother hiding this, although he never revealed the exact amount. In total, he had approximately 340,000 liras, which, translated into foreign currency, was something like 170,000 dollars—a small fortune for someone who had recently been cold and hungry.
The ticket cost no more than 15 liras, except for the seats closest to the ring or the VIP stands, occupied by visitors from the region. Since Galini had announced them as VIP guests, Lowo N'air didn't bring money to buy tickets and was, of course, blocked when he tried to enter without them in hand. A small argument began, and since the entry staff had the backing of the local security, they naturally enforced their will on anyone trying to enter without paying, such as Lowo N'air and Smile.
The argument dragged on for over five minutes, and the issue wasn't that Lowo N'air didn't want to pay for the ticket, but that it would take precious time—time he didn't have—to fetch money from home, preventing him from exploring the Bronze Arena. But before things escalated, a luxurious car stopped near the entrance, from which eight security guards emerged, followed by a futuristic-looking mobile wheelchair removed from the vehicle's trunk. Afterward, the figure Lowo N'air had met the previous day was carefully handled by two beautiful women until he was comfortably seated in the curious vehicle.
"Look who we have here, right off the bat!" said a familiar voice. "Good afternoon, my friend Lowo N'air!"
At first, Lowo N'air didn't recognize Mindini and thought he was intruding inconveniently since he was in the middle of an important matter: entering the stadium. But as soon as the local guards realized that Mindini was greeting Lowo N'air, they apologized and immediately authorized his entry into the Bronze Arena without complaint.
"Thank you very much, Mr. Mindini. As soon as possible, I will pay you for these tickets."
"Oh, come now, my dear Lowo N'air. We are friends, and friends are for these kinds of things."
Lowo N'air wanted to protest; after all, when did he give permission for some stranger to call him a friend? But since he had entered the Bronze Arena without any trouble thanks to Mindini, he decided to just accept it.
"And what are you doing here today, my dear friend?" asked Mindini, as if he knew nothing.
"How can you ask me that, Mr. Mindini, when you told me 'see you tomorrow' just yesterday? So, it's obvious you knew I would come today."
Mindini merely smiled slightly.
"I'm impressed by you. And look, anyone who knows me knows that I am not easily impressed."
Suddenly, Lowo N'air felt curious to look at Smile's face, as he hadn't heard anything from him. When he looked, he saw that his behavior was similar to that of a stray dog afraid of an abusive owner.
"You're right, Lowo N'air, I really was expecting you here. After all, I'm curious about this fight."
"So, you also enjoy bloody sports, Mr. Mindini?"
"You misunderstand me, Mr. Lowo N'air. What I enjoy is protecting my investments, and if I'm not mistaken, today I could lose one of them."
Lowo N'air pondered this statement for a moment and finally said, "Then I believe the champion Sandoval is your investment, right, Mr. Mindini?"
"Once again, Mr. Lowo N'air, you surprise me with your deduction. But that's exactly right: the champion is a long-term investment, and I would indeed be sad if I had to give him up."
"So, why don't you do something where both of you benefit? Make a generous bet against him and share the profits with me…"
"Haha, I had forgotten how amusing you are. What makes you think, Lowo N'air, that I would bet against the house when I own the house?"
"My answer is simple: if you have a long-term investment and suddenly get a tip that it might bring you losses, the next step would be to transfer that investment to someone else before the loss reaches you."
"Are you suggesting that I should get rid of Mr. Sandoval?"
"No, Mr. Mindini. Men of honor don't discard people like they discard dogs. My opinion is that this time, you should bet against the house."
"And you're that confident in the fearless Galini's victory?"
Lowo N'air wasn't surprised to hear Mindini mention something that no one, except Smile and Galini, knew.
"Yes, I am 100% confident that he will win. I'm sorry if you take a loss, but since I've given you important information, you can turn that loss into an opportunity. And I'd be rude not to accept at least half of that opportunity."
"I have a better proposal for you, Lowo N'air. But before we finalize it, I'd like you to come with me alone, please."
Lowo N'air looked at Smile, who nodded in agreement, while one of the guards approached Smile with a bundle of notes, which was very likely Mindini's bribe for Smile to have fun buying whatever he wanted, leaving Lowo N'air and Mindini free to spend time together.
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