Tong Wu, a host renowned in Shangjing, secured the hosting gig for the inaugural Strongest Bodyguard competition. He'd invested heavily, eliminating several rivals both openly and behind the scenes to earn his spot on the stage.
Understanding the law of the jungle, Tong Wu did his homework after securing the opportunity. His goal was to shine on this stage and catch the eye of influential figures. This included learning how to discern strong contenders.
Though not originally from this circle, Tong Wu, through deliberate training, could now roughly gauge strength. Therefore, selecting Li Chonglou wasn't a coincidence but a calculated move!
"This kid is getting so much attention, his skills must be mediocre! The first match, the weaker the opponent, the more exciting the later rounds!"
Tong Wu offered Li Chonglou a standard smile, feeling incredibly astute.
As for the subject of his attention, Li Chonglou's face darkened the moment he realized what was happening. He shot Hua Yin a deeply resentful look, only to see her beaming with pride.
"How will you thank me after this? If you win, will you give me half the prize money? You know, without my help just now, you would have missed a golden opportunity."
I'm truly grateful, you piece of work!
Even with his years of cultivated composure, Li Chonglou couldn't help but internally rail against Hua Yin. If it weren't for her, this situation would never have arisen!
However, with nearly everyone's gaze fixed on him, and Hua Yin's words whispered low, he was left with only two choices.
Either step up or walk away.
Li Chonglou sighed deeply and slowly walked towards the stage.
A million dollars for a win – such a lucrative opportunity was too good to pass up. Even for someone who never found making money difficult, the temptation was undeniable.
Crucially, this move had another benefit.
His upcoming plan was to start a company, taking a merchant's path. Resources and connections would be paramount. Gracing the stage among these wealthy heirs would undoubtedly be highly beneficial for his future business ventures.
Yet, this wasn't how Li Chonglou had originally intended to make his presence known. "Making a presence known" was meant to be a subtle introduction, not to attract immediate attention!
Now, before he had even stepped onto the stage, he had become the center of attention.
As he ascended the stage, Tong Wu leaned in and whispered,
"Brother, do me a favor. Try to hold on a bit longer, and I'll reward you handsomely afterwards!"
Li Chonglou blinked in surprise, looking at Tong Wu. But the latter, as if nothing had happened, maintained his signature smile and boomed to the crowd,
"Alright, who wishes to challenge? Please raise your hands!"
Tong Wu dared to speak to Li Chonglou that way because he had absolute authority over the hosting.
As this was the inaugural event, the organizers had placed no specific demands on the host. This meant Tong Wu's performance, good or bad, wouldn't draw any direct feedback from them.
But this was only on the surface. Tong Wu was well aware that if he could host this event flawlessly and satisfy the organizers, he would very likely be contracted for the second and third editions as well!
Thus, Tong Wu wasn't afraid of making potentially offending remarks. As long as the competition ran smoothly, what harm could offending one or two people do?
Especially when the target was a seemingly weak individual with no apparent background.
After Tong Wu finished speaking with a smile, a flurry of excited reactions erupted from the audience.
"Me! I'll do it!"
"Pick me! Pick me!"
"Damn, is the host picking the opponents? With so many people, will my million dollars be a gamble?"
Below the stage, the spectators eyed Li Chonglou like wolves stalking a lamb, viewing him as easy money and fearing they might miss out.
"Letting the host pick is too boring, why not let this brother choose his own opponent?"
A distinctly different voice suddenly captured everyone's attention. Turning, they saw Jiang Jiaxing standing there with a cold smirk.
"That actually makes sense, why not let the defender choose their opponent?"
"That won't do, won't the first people up just pick off all the weaklings?"
"Right, it's better for the host to pick. That way, it's fair and just."
Hearing the counter-arguments, Jiang Jiaxing's brow furrowed. If this was the case, how would he get his revenge? How would their bet be fulfilled?
Just then, Liu Qiang, who also had a wager with Li Chonglou and was the reason for his presence, spoke up.
"Host, my bodyguard has an agreement with the person on stage. They are to settle their differences here, so let my bodyguard go first."
Liu Qiang casually glanced at the four individuals on the elevated platform and spoke calmly. Yan Bao, standing behind him, was already fixated on Li Chonglou, and it was obvious to anyone with a discerning eye that they weren't speaking idly. These two truly had a grievance!
Sensing the surrounding gazes, Liu Qiang couldn't help but feel a surge of pride.
Unlike Jiang Jiaxing, whose motive was purely revenge and prize money, Liu Qiang sought public attention, especially from those four on the high platform!
He didn't have much of an issue with Li Chonglou. Forcing him to participate and challenging him were all for Shen Er, Yan Bao.
Therefore, with an opportunity to capture everyone's attention, Liu Qiang felt heaven was aiding him and couldn't help but feel triumphant. Especially when he noticed a gaze locked onto him from the elevated platform, he instinctively puffed out his chest, adopting an air of unruffled composure as if facing Mount Tai's collapse.
However, the owner of this gaze was Long Shi, standing behind Zhong Mingguo.
"Who is this guy? How dare he harbor ill will towards Long Eleven?"
Long Shi's brow furrowed slightly. He had already committed the appearances of Liu Qiang and Yan Bao to memory, resolving to thoroughly investigate them once this mission concluded.
To dare harbor malicious intent towards someone from the Dragon Group!
On the other side, on the stage, although Jiang Jiaxing's remark had slightly disrupted the flow, Tong Wu felt he was still in control. He responded to Liu Qiang's statement with a smile.
"Please, everyone, remain calm. Since this entire event has been entrusted to me to host, please rest assured of my professionalism. I absolutely will not disappoint you."
Before responding, Tong Wu first praised himself. The audience exchanged bewildered glances, astonished by his sheer audacity!
Only then did Tong Wu directly address Liu Qiang's request.