Song Ying glanced at Feng Haoyu with a hint of disdain, then turned to discuss the matter with the judges. One judge said, "At this point, we can only send a few professional divers down to check if Mr. Gao Jianfei is safe."
Upon hearing this, Feng Haoyu thought to himself, "If a professional diver were to go underwater and discover Senior Brother Situ and the others, wouldn't that be terrible and troublesome?"
Immediately, Feng Haoyu spoke up, "Alright, no need! I saw Gao Jianfei when I came out of the water just now; he was retrieving the iron ball. That kid is a very good swimmer, just as good as me. Don't worry about him, and don't send divers down to search for him; that would disrupt my match with Gao Jianfei!"
"Did you really see Mr. Gao?" a kind-looking judge asked emphatically.
"Stop rambling! I already said I saw Gao Jianfei three minutes ago! Alright, I'm going into the water now!" With that, Feng Haoyu jumped into the water again.
Song Ying and the judges exchanged glances, and in the end, they resisted the urge to send divers into the water.
And so, time passed by, second by second.
The wind and rain poured water five times in a row, with four iron balls thrown in each time, for a total of 20 iron balls.
Meanwhile, Gao Jianfei, while searching for and retrieving iron balls, also seized opportunities to rob. Once he had collected 28 iron balls, he stopped both searching and robbing. That makes sense; with 50 iron balls, whoever retrieves more than 25 wins, so there's no point in searching further.
As for Situ, Huang, and Ma, the three disciples of the Holy Land, they were all robbed by Gao Jianfei. They dared not speak of it, for it would be too shameful! They could only suffer in silence!
"Hehe, done, that's it!" Taking advantage of the fact that no one was around, Gao Jianfei went into the ghost's den, took out all 28 iron balls, found an ordinary plastic bag, put the 28 iron balls in, and then swam directly to the other side!
ashore!
More than two hours have passed.
"Hey! What happened to Jianfei? No! We must send a diver down to check. We absolutely can't listen to Feng Haoyu's nonsense anymore! I asked him three times in a row, and each time he said that he encountered Jianfei and that Jianfei was safe. However, Jianfei hasn't come out of the water yet. We can't delay any longer!" Song Ying urgently called the judge over.
After a brief discussion, everyone agreed to send 10 divers into the water!
Most of the audience members didn't want to see any contestant have a problem during the competition, and they strongly agreed, chattering and demanding that the organizing committee send someone down to check on the situation immediately.
At this very moment...
"puff!"
A head popped out of the lake!
His face was full of smiles, and water droplets rolled down his face. It was midday, and the sunlight was dazzling, reflecting a smile as pure as jade on his face!
Gao Jianfei!
"Wow! Gao Jianfei is out of the water!" The audience erupted in thunderous applause! The applause also carried a sense of relief... thankfully, nothing bad happened! Thankfully, he's out of the water!
"Jian...Gao Jianfei, are you alright?" Song Ying was already on the verge of tears, but seeing Gao Jianfei emerge from the water, she was more excited than anything else and immediately went to the shore to ask him.
Gao Jianfei only peeked out, freeing his left hand to thank the audience.
At this moment, Feng Haoyu was also on the shore. He had just surfaced and brought over four iron balls. He saw Gao Jianfei surface for the first time and was unsure how many iron balls Gao Jianfei had retrieved.
"Damn it, I saw him waving to the audience, and he only wore shorts when he went into the water. How many iron balls can he hold in one hand? Probably just a few! Besides, half of these 20 iron balls were found for me by my three senior brothers, while Gao Jianfei probably can't find many iron balls by himself... Hmm, don't be afraid of him, don't be afraid of him!"
Gathering his courage, Feng Haoyu gave Gao Jianfei a disdainful smile. "Gao Jianfei, you really are a turtle! You can hold your breath underwater for so long! Hahaha! Don't mind me, I was just joking. But how many iron balls did you retrieve? Since they're already out of the water, let's see them. I've already retrieved 20 iron balls. If I retrieve 6 more, I'll beat you! Haha!"
"Hehe, only 20? That's so few!" Gao Jianfei laughed heartily, grabbed the rocks on the shore with his left hand, and leaped out of the water!
Under the sunlight, tens of thousands of spectators in the stadium, as well as those watching on television, could clearly see... Gao Jianfei was carrying a plastic bag in his right hand, filled with iron balls!
"Uh..." Feng Haoyu almost choked!
"Hahaha! I don't know how many iron balls I retrieved in total, but I estimate it must be more than 20, right? Come on, please let our host and all the judges count the number of my iron balls for me." Gao Jianfei laughed as he handed the plastic bag to Song Ying and the judges, and then took a towel from the staff member who looked on with admiration and wiped his body.
Over there, Song Ying was already clearly counting in her sweet voice... "1! 2! 3..."
The audience got excited and joined in the cheering and chanting. "Four! Five! Six..."
With each count, Feng Haoyu's expression grew more and more unpleasant!
Chapter 453: Venerable Zhenming
Chapter 453: Venerable Zhenming
Song Ying, along with tens of thousands of audience members, completed the counting of the plastic bag full of iron balls in Gao Jianfei's hand.
"There are 28 iron balls in total!" Song Ying announced in a sweet voice. She was very proud because it was clear that her man had won another round against Feng Haoyu. Moreover, this time, the victory was quite technical... without relying on any equipment, he submerged for two hours in a lake that was a kilometer long and hundreds of meters wide, finding 28 small iron balls. Amazing!
The entire audience rose to their feet and applauded!
Gao Jianfei had dried himself off and changed into a down jacket handed to him by a staff member.
The chief judge immediately announced, "In this competition, Feng Haoyu has collected 20 iron balls; Gao Jianfei has collected 28 iron balls! The organizing committee released a total of 50 iron balls. That means the two contestants have a total of 48 iron balls, which is 2 short of the total number we released. So, even if Feng Haoyu retrieves these 2 iron balls, he will only have 22, compared to Mr. Gao's 28... Ha! Alright! Mr. Gao wins the fourth event of the World Genius Challenge! The overall score is 3 to 0! The next match will be held in 3 days, and the event is... gambling skills!"
The final score is 3-0!
This made the audience's applause even louder!
While applauding, the audience members were also discussing amongst themselves.
The discussion revolved around surprise and a sense of disbelief… Before the match, Feng Haoyu's online support was significantly higher than Gao Jianfei's, by several tens of percentage points. The audience also largely favored Feng Haoyu. Everyone expected Feng Haoyu to unilaterally crush Gao Jianfei; in an optimistic scenario, Feng Haoyu would win two matches, while Gao Jianfei would struggle to win one – that was roughly the probability.
However, once the competition started, the trajectory of events completely contradicted what most viewers expected!
Gao Jianfei went to brave the wind and rain!
It's still brutally cruel!
Two wins in a row! In football, Gao Jianfei's performance has been even more impressive than a storm. If it weren't for the unforeseen circumstances, Gao Jianfei would have been unleashed in the football match as well. And today, Gao Jianfei won again. A beautiful victory!
3-0, let us tell you the truth... the gap between Gao Jianfei and Feng Haoyu!
Everyone knows who the genius is and who's next. Although there are still six games left, the audience doesn't believe Feng Haoyu has much ability to turn the tide!
As a result, the audience's gazes toward Feng Haoyu were subtly filled with sympathy and pity.
The audience's impression is that a relatively weak person deliberately tries to show off by challenging a powerful, seemingly weak but actually strong individual to a competition, only to be humiliated and trampled on like a clown. People generally feel pity for the weak.
At this moment, Feng Haoyu's gaze was blank, his lips twitching as if he wanted to say something but couldn't utter a word. He stared blankly at the calm lake water, then let out a long sigh. He truly had nothing to say about this competition. In previous brewing and carpentry competitions, Feng Haoyu would always shamelessly argue after losing, but this time, he really had no reason whatsoever… What else was there to say? They had set the rules for this competition, and it was four against one Gao Jianfei; to lose like that, there was truly nothing more to say!
Feng Haoyu's body began to tremble. Only then did he realize how foolish he had been! He had originally wanted to make a name for himself and use Gao Jianfei as a stepping stone to reach the pinnacle of the world! But he never expected that he would become Gao Jianfei's stepping stone! As he looked around and saw that the eyes of the many audience members were full of pity, Feng Haoyu suddenly felt a chill run through his body and began to tremble.
"Huh?" Gao Jianfei put on his down jacket and a scarf, walked up to Feng Haoyu, and said with concern, "Feng Haoyu, are you cold? Then change your clothes... Uh, I have to go now. There's a gambling competition in 3 days, which is my forte! Feng Haoyu, you should go home and prepare too. We'll see each other again in 3 days!"
After saying that, Gao Jianfei gave Song Ying a flirtatious wink, and then left Taimi Lake under the watchful eyes of tens of thousands of spectators.
Feng Haoyu's entire body began to tremble violently. The audience began to leave, and no one paid him a second glance!
…… …… ……
As soon as Gao Jianfei left Taimi Lake, Liu Liping's car drove up and took him back to the resort.
Of course, Liu Liping witnessed the entire competition clearly, without missing a single detail. Now, Liu Liping felt an immense, irresistible curiosity about Gao Jianfei. After each event, Gao Jianfei would deliver a near-miraculous performance for Liu Liping. She had never imagined that someone like Gao Jianfei, possessing such extraordinary skills, existed in this world!
Holding your breath underwater for more than two hours without any equipment is no ordinary feat!
Back at the villa, Liu Liping wanted to stay in Gao Jianfei's room and chat with him; she longed for that. However, Gao Jianfei simply ate the lunch brought by the maid, seemingly oblivious to the fact that he and Liu Liping didn't exchange many words.
Liu Liping had many questions for Gao Jianfei, but for a moment, she couldn't ask a single one. After holding back for a long time, she finally mustered up her courage and mumbled, "Mr. Gao, you've already won 3 games and drawn 1, leaving 6 games. That means if you win 2 of these 6 games, you can defeat Feng Haoyu 5-4 on aggregate. You...you must be quite confident now, right?"
Gao Jianfei chewed on a piece of pigeon, put down his chopsticks and said, "Feng Haoyu's confidence has been shattered by me. There's no need to play the next 6 matches! He's bound to lose! In his current state, even in the two events I'm not good at, stone carving and Western abstract painting, he can hardly say he can beat me... He's finished!"
Gao Jianfei's eyes revealed strong confidence and an air of complete control.
Liu Liping's heart trembled for no reason. She was a very strong-willed woman, but she never expected that Gao Jianfei, who usually seemed so carefree, actually harbored a heart even stronger than hers!
After lunch, Gao Jianfei took a hot bath, then lay down on the bed for a nap.
He checked the virtual display screen and saw that his exorcism points had recovered to 35,000. However, Gao Jianfei didn't plan to spend them for the time being. He wanted to save them.
"Judging from the current situation, Feng Haoyu is no longer worthy of fighting me. So, will the people of the Holy Land remain calm? Will they wait until this match is over before making their move against me? It's hard to say! What if they make their move beforehand? Hmm! I must also prepare to run away in advance!"
…… …… ……
The hotel where we stayed during the heavy rain.
Feng Haoyu, Senior Brother Situ, Senior Brother Huang, and Senior Brother Ma—these four stood beside Senior Brother Gou with their heads bowed, like children who had made a mistake. Their expressions were a mixture of fear and shame.
"Bang!"
Senior Brother Gou slammed his hand heavily on the coffee table and abruptly stood up… “Useless! A bunch of useless trash! You’re a disgrace to our Holy Land! Useless things! A bunch of useless things! Tell me, what happened underwater? The four of you were searching for the iron ball, and you still lost to him alone! You also took ‘water-repelling pills’ beforehand… How could you possibly lose? Give me a reason! Give me a reason! Junior Brother Situ, you tell me! Remember, tell me the truth!”
As he spoke, Senior Brother Gou glared coldly at Senior Brother Situ. His gaze emitted a tangible, electric light that shot directly into Senior Brother Situ's eyes!
Senior Brother Situ was deeply shaken. Originally, he was concerned about his reputation and intended to keep certain things to himself, never to utter a word. However, after being glared at by Senior Brother Gou, Senior Brother Situ immediately spoke the truth... "Senior Brother Gou, in fact... the reason we lost this competition... this... we can't entirely blame Junior Brother Haoyu. We... we also bear some responsibility..."
"Keep talking!" Senior Brother Gou continued to exert strong pressure on Senior Brother Situ.
"Senior Brother Gou, Junior Brother Ma, Junior Brother Huang, and I were at the bottom of the lake helping Junior Brother Haoyu retrieve the iron balls. Logically, the four of us retrieving the iron balls together should have been more efficient than Gao Jianfei doing it alone. However, that despicable Gao Jianfei actually robbed us…robbed us of the iron balls we retrieved…To be honest, Junior Brother Ma, Junior Brother Huang, and I all had quite a few iron balls stolen from us by Gao Jianfei. It's less that Gao Jianfei won by retrieving the iron balls himself, and more that he won by robbing us…"
"Robbed?" Senior Brother Gou was furious. "All these years of training have been for nothing? All the high-grade pills that the Holy Land distributes to you every year have been wasted? Gao Jianfei stole them? Why don't you just die!"
"No! Senior Brother Gou, listen to me!" Senior Brother Situ argued. "We really underestimated Gao Jianfei! Although we were robbed by Gao Jianfei partly because we're terrible swimmers and can't perform at our best in the water, on the other hand, we have to admit that Gao Jianfei's ancient martial arts skills are far superior to what we imagined! Originally, we thought Gao Jianfei's ancient martial arts skills were inferior to Junior Brother Haoyu's, but now, after facing him head-on, I can objectively say that Gao Jianfei's ancient martial arts skills are... far superior to mine..."
"Much taller than you?" Senior Brother Gou's face darkened.
Senior Brother Huang and Senior Brother Ma immediately chimed in, "Yes, Senior Brother Gou, Gao Jianfei's martial arts skills are probably no less than yours!"
Actually, they wanted to say that Gao Jianfei's martial arts skills were probably even better than yours, but they didn't say it out of consideration for Senior Brother Gou's feelings.
"Shut up!" Senior Brother Gou waved his hand, interrupting his fellow disciples. Then, his eyes darted around rapidly before he finally said, "Alright, in three days, Junior Brother Haoyu, you and Gao Jianfei will have a gambling competition. I'm heading back to the Holy Land immediately to inform the Venerable One of all this. Junior Brother Haoyu, I don't expect anything from that gambling competition. I only hope that you will fight with all your might for your own dignity and for the face of the Holy Land. Hmm, alright, I'll set off for the Holy Land immediately!"
Realizing the seriousness of the situation, Senior Brother Gou did not delay and left the capital city directly, secretly returning to the Holy Land.
Chapter 454 Torrential Rain...Self-Harm!
Chapter 454 Torrential Rain...Self-Harm!
Night. The night is cool and still.
After the swimming competition today, Gao Jianfei took a nap and had dinner. He felt energetic and in great shape.
However, Gao Jianfei didn't go out for a stroll. He sat in front of the computer in his study, intently researching some information.
This is the list of all spectators who purchased tickets to watch the games live and the list of all those who purchased VIP room tickets, as registered by the organizing committee for this World Genius Challenge.
Gao Jianfei has already begun preparations to leave the capital!
Of course, this could also be seen as an escape! It's not shameful; it's essentially an escape. After all, the Holy Land is a massive, mysterious organization with a history spanning over a thousand years. Gao Jianfei currently lacks the foundation to confront the Holy Land head-on!
Of course, there's no need for that, no need for a head-on confrontation. Although Gao Jianfei's power is inferior to that of such an organization, his advantage lies in his high mobility and small size. Once he leaves the capital, it will be extremely difficult for the Holy Land to track down Gao Jianfei's whereabouts.
How can I leave the capital?
Now that Gao Jianfei is a public figure, and it's during the competition, if he wants to leave Beijing, he will definitely have to disguise himself.
Therefore, Gao Jianfei wanted to find the information of a VIP who came to watch this genius challenge in the computer data and impersonate him.
Furthermore, Gao Jianfei was well aware that after his escape from the capital, the people of the Holy Land would definitely turn the entire city upside down! Therefore, Gao Jianfei wanted to take all those with whom he had obvious close relationships with him with him!
After much deliberation, the only people they could take with them were Song Ying and the Emei Sect women, including Li Yun.