Over here, Tong Yuan had recovered her composure. She gratefully said to Xiang Yu, "Brother Xiang, thank you." Xiang Yu publicly identified himself as Xiang Yu.
A slender figure appeared beside Xiang Yu, her hand casually resting on his waist, and she chuckled softly, "A hero saving a beauty." A hint of jealousy was palpable to everyone. Xiang Yu was startled, frowning as he asked Zhang Bing, "Did I do something wrong?" Zhang Bing smiled and said, "I was just joking."
Tong Yuan first glanced apologetically at Zhang Bing, then turned to look at Hu Sanniang, who had been protecting her all along, and smiled, "Sister, it's a pity I can't meet you on the arena."
Hu Sanniang waved her hand: "Why talk about this now? The important thing is to recover from your injuries."
Tong Yuan gracefully flipped herself to her feet and said, "I'm fine now, but your match..."
Hu Sanniang slapped her bald head and looked at her own arena; the referee was gone. Duan Jingzhu leaned over and said, "The referee said our match counts as your forfeit, and I even signed my name."
Tong Yuan apologetically put her arm around Hu Sanniang's waist and said, "Sister, I'll have a good fight with you sometime."
Hu Sanniang kicked Duan Jingzhu away and patted Tong Yuan's shoulder affectionately: "That's exactly what I've been waiting for." The two smiled at each other, but I suddenly felt a chill. How could this scene not remind people of Dongfang Bubai and his mistress in the movie?
Xiang Yu is now the center of attention, yet he shows no discomfort as he and Zhang Bing gradually fade from public view. He has finally become a hero again, the only regret being that his concubine, Yu Ji, seems a bit petty.
There's another thing I'm worried about, which is what I should say if someone asks me. I find it hard to explain how a steamed bun shop owner could have such amazing skills...
I've been thinking for a long time about how to play the team competition against Yucai. They say petty arguments are pointless, and while the young people from Beijing might be a bit rude, it's all for the sake of "Yucai." As for our Yucai team, we seem to have attracted too much attention already. As for Secretary Liu, I think making it into the top eight would be a decent result. At the beginning of the competition, Secretary Liu was extremely nervous on team competition days, especially after a match when he asked about the results—his tone was incredibly anxious. But since we made it into the top 32, he's become completely silent. According to Wu Yong's analysis, Secretary Liu doesn't know what to say, afraid of affecting morale. A harsh tone might put pressure on us, a soft tone might make us arrogant, so he simply lets us play freely. However, I think there's another reason besides that: once we're in the top 32, he can watch the live broadcast to find out the results.
I bet Lao Liu is secretly overjoyed. What more could you ask for than a school built in the middle of nowhere, like a remote inn, making it into the top eight in a competition teeming with top talents? He probably supported us with a "nothing to lose" mentality back then, and now that "nothing to lose" has turned into a dark horse. That's more than enough.
So, whether or not to aim for the top four—I've been thinking about this since last night, and even as I was putting on my protective gear, I was still pondering it. The conclusion is that if the opponent is truly strong, we should stick to our original plan and call it a day. After all, training in this day and age is incredibly difficult, and it wouldn't be fair to throw away decades of hard work for a mere squabble. If we're really angry, we can always have Shi Qian steal their money, credentials, and everything else after the match…
Just as I finished lost in thought and was about to tell Lin Chong and the others my decision, I suddenly felt someone tap my shoulder. I turned around and was surprised to see it was the chairman of the organizing committee!
I didn't know why this old man was in our shed, so I could only smile politely. The old man was very kind; he looked at the heroes in the shed with a smile and said to me, "Come with me."
I was even more confused about what he was up to, so I stammered, "I still have a competition to play..."
Unexpectedly, the old man said quite readily, "Anyway, we don't need you, so come with me."
"As the chairman of the organizing committee and a judge, isn't it unfair of you to say this about our opponents?"
The chairman chuckled and patted me on the shoulder: "Stop talking nonsense, just say I gave you special permission to compete with only four people." I sensed the warning in his light pat. With a pained expression, I pulled my newly donned protective suit to the ground and said, "Let's go then—"
Lin Chong asked, "Little... Team Leader Xiao, how should we proceed with the competition?" I understood what he meant; he was asking whether they should win or lose. As the competition drew to a close, the heroes grew impatient. There was no doubt that if the competition ended today, they would all be on the subway heading to Liangshan tomorrow.
The question is, what should I say? Should I say "If we can lose, we should lose" in front of the chairman, or should I say "If we should win, we should win"?
I could only say vaguely, "Let's stick to the original plan."
Lin Chong nodded: "Understood."
Before leaving, the chairman made sure to greet the heroes, which shows that the old man was indeed very approachable.
But as soon as we stepped outside, his face changed. He walked ahead silently with his hands behind his back, and I could only follow him nervously. We took a shortcut and arrived at the house where we had met with the group of leaders last time. The other four judges had already gone to watch the competition, and only a young man was cleaning.
The chairman habitually picked up his glass teacup, turned around and smiled at me, saying, "Sit down, Team Leader Xiao. I just invited you here for a chat, don't overthink it."
My competition is still outside. As the chairman of the organizing committee, he called me here just to chat? I don't believe it. I'll wait and see what he says next.
Seeing my serious expression, the chairman smiled and said, "It's true. I didn't sleep well last night. Actually, I was just a little curious."
I wiggled my butt on the sofa and said, "What are you talking about?"
The Chairman held his glass and gazed out the window. Just then, a group of 300 soldiers walked by in the distance. He pointed at them and said, "These students were all taught by you personally?"
"Uh... no. Actually, I found them in a remote village. I recruited them for free because they were strong and healthy."
"Oh, I knew it. These children couldn't have been taught by one person. I only discovered yesterday that many of them use ancient martial arts techniques when they fight, and some of the moves are only incomplete records now."
"Hehe, right? Maybe it's all inherited from our ancestors." In China, the term "inherited from our ancestors" is a mysterious concept that exists somewhere between superstition and science. It can explain many things, especially when it comes to martial arts schools.
Sure enough, the chairman nodded, moved on from the previous topic, and asked, "Were all four of your teammates in the team competition locals?"
"...from Shandong."
"I know some famous martial arts masters from Shandong, but this is the first time I've met these four."
"...I found it in another remote little village."
"So these four aren't from the same place as your students?" The chairman chuckled. "Team Leader Xiao has traveled extensively."
"Yes, yes, our Chinese nation has a civilization history of five thousand years," I said, seemingly out of nowhere. At the same time, I suddenly had a very bad premonition…
Chapter Twenty-Two: Iron Palm
I don't know why I feel this way. If I had to explain my current situation, it would be that the martial arts-obsessed chairman, after discovering Lin Chong and his gang, became itchy with curiosity and couldn't wait to know more about them. But that explanation is just self-deception. I, Xiao Qiang, am a nobody, but that's precisely why I have such a strong sense of crisis. I was originally just a pawnshop clerk who made a living by swindling and cheating, relying on my intelligence, courage, and the favor of Lady Luck—of course, if you insist that I got to where I am today through a thuggish mentality, bricks, and Liu Laoliu's unreasonable demands, then I can't argue with that. Anyway, now I run a small bar, own a small villa, and have a beautiful woman... Looking at it, I feel that not every thug can achieve what I have, so I cherish it all the more. Who knows why I ended up leading a bunch of thugs to show off here by sheer coincidence? In short, it's all because of Principal Zhang's influence and Secretary Liu's money. The influence is outdated; the money is just a little bit of money that can't do anything for a school.
Seeing my eyes darting around, the Chairman picked up a glass, poured me a glass of water, and handed it to me, saying, "I have encountered similar situations. China is a vast country with abundant resources, and there must be quite a few so-called hermit masters among us."
I nodded quickly: "Yes, you're the one who understands."
The chairman smiled and looked at my hand holding the cup, saying, "Team Leader Xiao, you really have excellent skills."
I yelled "Ah!" and threw the cup down, only to realize that the water in my hand was as hot as a branding iron. I blew on the blisters on my hand and jumped up and down. This old guy had deliberately tested me with a cup of hot water.
The chairman laughed and said, "I thought Team Leader Xiao had practiced Iron Palm, but I didn't expect it to be a higher level of transcendence. If Master Ku Bei were here, he would definitely praise it highly."
I couldn't tell if the old man was serious or just mocking me. The cleaning staff came over and swept away the broken glass. He straightened up, looked outside, and said, "Team Leader Xiao, your Yucai team has already won two games."
I was startled: "How did they win again? Didn't we agree..." The chairman glanced at me, and I quickly changed my words, "These guys started fighting before I even got there—well, if you don't have anything else, I'll be going now."
The chairman waved his hand at me: "No rush, no rush, it's too late for you to go now. Why don't we have a proper chat? By the way, Team Leader Xiao, what do you think of the tall guy who suddenly appeared in Duan Tianlang's game yesterday?"