They felt that Julian lacked confidence. Even Silas approached Kiera and asked, “Sister Caron, do you have faith in Mr. Bucham when you bet on him? I’ve studied martial arts here for six years, and I’ve never seen anyone who can defeat Caron.” Kiera replied, “I don’t have confidence. I just consider Julian my friend. If no one bets on him, he’ll be embarrassed. I’m just placing a bet on him. Besides, you only have a few hundred dollars in cash. If you lose, it’s just a late-night snack for everyone; it’s not like I haven’t treated you all.” Silas responded with a silent look. Kiera smiled at him and said, “It’s too late to have regrets. Look, they’ve all left.” Silas, looking pale, said, “It’s fine. This money was originally given to me by my mother for late-night snacks. It’s just my budget for a week’s worth of late-night snacks.” The worst part was that he wouldn’t have a midnight snack after class every night following martial arts practice. Kiera reassured him, “Don’t be too downcast. Maybe Julian can win. I’ve seen his moves, and I think he’s quite powerful. He might be on par with your curator and even better than my older brother.” As the fight began, everyone shouted “Come on!” to encourage Julian. Silas, momentarily setting aside his frustration, cheered loudly, “Mr. Bucham, come on! For my midnight snack money, come on! Beat Master Caron!” Kiera burst into laughter, and Julian couldn’t help but chuckle as he dodged Kendrick’s attack, smiling back at Silas, “Don’t worry, I won’t let you miss out on your midnight snack.” Kenneth observed that Julian’s movements were calm and composed. While he didn’t have the upper hand, he wasn’t at a disadvantage either. Each time his older brother attacked, it felt like a punch landing on cotton.

He immediately sensed that something was wrong. Turning to his teammates, he exclaimed, “Why are you all shouting ‘come on’ as if you can’t speak? Although your sister Caron’s bet isn’t large, winning it would be enough for us to enjoy a midnight snack.” With that, the group of teenage boys began to cheer loudly: “Master Caron, come on, beat Mr. Bucham to a pulp and leave teeth scattered everywhere!” “Mr. Bucham, come on, come on!” Not wanting to be outdone, Silas shouted as well. Unfortunately, there were only two of them—himself and Kiera—against more than twenty with Kendrick. Silas cheered until his voice grew hoarse, but his volume paled in comparison to the collective shouts around him. Kiera handed Silas a bottle of water, smiling as she said, “Let’s take a drink before continuing to cheer. I didn’t realize Julian’s boxing and kicking skills were so impressive. He can handle my older brother with ease.”

As Silas drank, he asked, “Sister Caron, do we have a chance of winning?” Kiera replied, “I can’t say for sure. The two of them seem evenly matched. If Julian wins, it will likely be by a narrow margin. But a win is a win, regardless of how close it is.” With the thought of possibly sharing over $10,000 with Sister Caron, Silas felt energized after finishing the water and resumed cheering. He shouted toward Julian, “Mr. Bucham, come on! If you beat Master Caron, I’ll call you brother-in-law and refer to you as Sister Caron’s husband!” Kiera nearly spat out her drink, astonished by what the kid had just said. What on earth is this kid thinking?