There are very few true all-rounders in this world. If you asked Einstein to carry a bag, he would be exhausted in three days. If you asked Tyson to study relativity, three days would be enough for him to hang himself. Therefore, everyone must learn to play to their strengths and avoid their weaknesses, and learn to hide their shortcomings. The same applies in the ring. Everyone has their weaknesses, but they need to hide them so that their opponents cannot discover them, or at least prevent their opponents from exploiting those weaknesses to attack them.
After seven matches, Zhang Lei and Song Yukui are now in the direct qualification positions. Although Zhang Lei qualified second, the difference is not significant. At most, Zhang Lei's future opponents will be slightly stronger, but we know that Zhang Lei doesn't care about that.
"I told you, when we fight again, I won't let you win. Take note!"
Episode 4: An Eye for an Eye, a Teeth for a Fist - Chapter 103: Not a Tian Feng (Part 1)
After the top two finishers emerge, the third and fourth place finishers in each group will participate in a revival round. During this revival round, the top two finishers will have time to relax, rest, or reflect on their training.
Zhang Lei doesn't need any special training or practice. As long as he doesn't let his guard down, most of his opponents pose no threat to him whatsoever.
If we were to use a weapon as a metaphor, Zhang Lei would be a tank, while the other experts would be more like cannons. Their attack power might be roughly equal, but a cannon becomes ineffective against a gunman at close range. It's not that the other experts aren't good at close combat, but rather that in a low-probability event, they too would be defeated by the weaker opponent. However, for a tank, no matter how the gunman attacks, it's useless. With all attacks ineffective against Zhang Lei, how could someone a level below him possibly have a chance of victory?
Since Zhang Lei was going to put on an act anyway, there was no reason for him to only deceive one type of person; of course, he deceived the bookmakers as well. Although the bookmakers lowered his odds in the last few games, and Zhang Lei didn't bring too much money with him this time, he still made a fortune in the last six games.
Gambling that guarantees a profit is no longer gambling; it becomes robbery, fraud, giving away money, or finding money—call it whatever you want. The key is whether you have the ability to make a profit without ever losing.
Moreover, these bookmakers adjust the odds based on actual purchases. In fact, as long as the amount purchased each time is not outrageously large, the bookmaker will never be the one who loses money.
"Brother Leilei, I missed you so much!" As soon as Zhang Lei returned to the hotel, a chubby body rushed into his arms.
"Oh my, who is this? She's so plump and feels amazing!" It would be a fool not to take advantage of a good deal. Zhang Lei won't lose anything by touching her.
"Ugh! Brother Lei is such a pervert too!" It was Chen Xiaosi who spoke. There were many photos of her in the letter she wrote to Zhang Lei. Zhang Lei recognized her at a glance. A faint blush rose on her cheeks. Her tone was reproachful, but it also contained shyness, ... and a little encouragement.
"Hehe, did you miss me? Let me see, my little Xiaosi has grown so big!" Chen Xiaosi's face still looks a bit like a baby's, Zhang Lei was referring to certain parts of her body.
"Oh my god, hee hee!" Chen Xiaosi was reluctant to take her hands off Zhang Lei's neck. One hand was still hooked around Zhang Lei's body, while the other hand pulled Zhang Lei's hand to her waist. "Don't move, it tickles!"
Her waist rubbed against Zhang Lei's lower body, making it impossible for Zhang Lei to remain unmoved, although Zhang Lei was not exactly a gentleman to begin with.
"Did your grandfather bring you here?" Zhang Lei asked, whispering in her ear. To be honest, Zhang Lei didn't want her grandfather to bring her, because that would mean Tian Xiao and Liu Ning would also come. Although Taiji Chen was there to oversee things, this wasn't his territory after all, and Tang Guo didn't have the authority to fully utilize the Tang family's power. In any case, coming here would cause a lot of trouble.
"No, Grandpa is the bad one! He knew my brother was coming back, but he tricked Sisi into coming. Then he didn't want Sisi to come looking for my brother. Sisi is smart; she didn't go to Grandpa's place at all. She came directly from home to find my brother!" Chen Xiaosi's little tongue went in and out of Zhang Lei's mouth. It was amazing that she could still say the whole sentence.
In fact, Zhang Lei had already guessed that Tai Chi Chen probably hadn't come. If he had, no matter how bold this little girl was, she wouldn't have been so affectionate with him. He just didn't know why she was so bold, considering it was only their second meeting.
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"That girl is incredibly bold! She didn't even say hello before daring to go all the way to Sichuan by herself. What kind of place is that? It's a gathering place for martial arts masters!" Tai Chi Chen said, holding the phone. "Who are those masters? They're all pretty much no better than Zhang Lei in character!"
“Dad, let’s forget it. You can’t force him to stay. If Zhang Lei is really like you say, I think it’s not impossible for Xiaosi to be with him. Besides, if he really gets to the Third Garrison District, we’ll need his help a lot in the future. We brothers don’t have your prestige, and you don’t want us to…” The voice coming from the other end of the receiver was probably Chen Xiaosi’s father.
"Alright, you want to use your daughter to gain benefits, don't you? How can you be so shameless!" Tai Chi Chen stomped his foot.
“Dad, I didn’t force Xiaosi. It was entirely her own choice. I just couldn’t stop her. And, Dad, you don’t know! She…”
"What's wrong with her?" Taiji Chen's voice was somewhat anxious. Among his younger generation, this granddaughter was the one he doted on the most, and she was also the one who liked to come and visit her grandfather the most. The others, when they had time, only knew how to go out and have fun. Who would pay attention to such a boring old man? "Tell me quickly!"
"After being frightened by you last time, Dad, this girl has been acting strangely since she came back. Later, we discovered that her orientation is somewhat distorted. She doesn't like men; she likes girls, but not in a normal way. Do you understand, Dad?" The voice on the phone was hesitant. Even speaking to her own father, the child's grandfather, these were not easy words to utter.
His voice was muffled, as if he had phlegm in his mouth. Taiji Chen understood what was going on and what his eldest son was thinking. For parents, it was already a blessing that their child was willing to turn back. They didn't care what kind of person he found. Besides, Zhang Lei was actually a good person as a family member. It was just that he already had two women, which made Taiji Chen somewhat dissatisfied.
But what can he do?
"Dad, let's not talk about that. Can you be sure that Zhang Lei will make it to the finals?" Tai Chi Chen's son changed the subject.
"Yes, I read the report. If he wants to secure the position of chief of security, he needs to at least reach the finals, or even win the championship! I know Zhang Lei well; he's the type who would never entrust his fate to someone else. So, he absolutely won't lose in the elimination rounds!" Taiji Chen calmed down. Children and grandchildren have their own fortunes; don't meddle in things you can't control, lest you end up like enemies. You have to understand, there aren't many Cao Caos in this world, but there are many Yuan Shaos. Tian Feng can't be like that.
Episode 4: An Eye for an Eye, a Teeth for a Fist, Chapter 103: Not a Tian Feng (Part 2)
Zhang Lei spent the whole day playing with Chen Xiaosi, completely unaware that he had become someone else's cash cow. Sometimes, that's how it is; you unknowingly become someone else's money-making tool.
If you know the outcome, it would be foolish not to gamble. The eldest son of the Chen family is not that kind of fool, and neither is Zhang Lei.
Although Zhang Lei has already made it through the group stage, his odds, whether for a single match or for winning the championship, are not low. This is because the opponents after the group stage will inevitably become stronger, and Zhang Lei's weaknesses are too obvious. When the later opponents exploit his weaknesses, they will not be as incompetent as those in the group stage.
So these odds made Zhang Lei almost laugh out loud.
Some people say that if you gamble big, be careful that the casino won't care and won't pay you out, or they might even rip off the customer. Zhang Lei, on the other hand, is looking forward to such a thing.
"Brother, are you asleep?" Chen Xiaosi sneaked into Zhang Lei's room, clutching a pillow.
"No, come in and close the door!" The little white rabbit went into the big bad wolf's room by herself. If the big bad wolf let her go, he'd have to go chant Buddhist scriptures. Besides, even if he did chant scriptures, Zhang Lei would chant the Joyful Buddha!
"Mmm!" Chen Xiaosi lowered her head, her face flushed, and was about to bury herself in the cushion. She had her own room, and coming to Zhang Lei's place on her own initiative had exhausted all her courage.
Chen Xiaosi originally thought that these were no different from the girls, except that they had an extra stick. But when the time came, she realized how scared she was.
No one, including Zhang Lei and Tai Chi Chen, knew that Chen Xiaosi's first crush wasn't Zhang Lei, but Li Yang, who had temporarily come to her house to avoid trouble.
Although they only brushed past each other, Li Yang's somewhat eerie handsomeness completely captivated her. Although Zhang Lei would never admit it, Li Yang was indeed more handsome than him, much more handsome.
Girls who are just beginning to experience romantic feelings love to fantasize. The princes they fantasize about are all handsome, dashing, and charming, and Li Yang possesses all of these qualities.
Chen Xiaosi was kidnapped by Li Yang when she went to spy on him. At that moment, all her fantasies were shattered. She never expected that her Prince Charming would suddenly turn into a monstrous dragon. So when Zhang Lei rescued her, Zhang Lei not only replaced the Prince Charming, but his position became even more secure, firmly embedded in her heart.
After that incident, Chen Xiaosi instinctively rejected all men except her family, inevitably leading her down the path of lesbianism. However, there was still one man in her heart: Zhang Lei. Therefore, she hadn't completely fallen for him and still hoped to reunite with him.
"I think this is a bad move of yours before the competition!" Chen Xiaosi turned around, opened the door, and tried to run away. "You should conserve your energy!"
She felt she should go outside, then peek out with half her head, give him a charming smile, and stick out half her tongue. That way, Zhang Lei might not be angry, and might even find her cute.
Unfortunately, these are all just hypothetical scenarios. If Zhang Lei lets the meat in his mouth slip away, not only will Old Ghost not let him off the hook, but all the great readers will also not let him off the hook. Of course, whether he can actually defeat him is another matter.
Zhang Lei rushed over and slammed the door shut just as she had opened it halfway. If anyone had seen his speed, the betting odds would have been completely rewritten.
"Xiao Xiaosi, what are you doing? Trying to run away again?" Zhang Lei looked at her with amusement. Of course, if she really escaped, Zhang Lei probably wouldn't find it funny.
"They're doing this for your sake. You have a match tomorrow! You need to conserve your energy!"