Ren Yuanhao analyzed the data while also paying attention to Ye Lan's feedback, his mind uneasy. He even glanced towards the exit several times, feeling agitated.
The arena remained one-sided. Jin Wei's punches and kicks rained down like a storm. Although Chen Hao managed to block some of them, he inadvertently lost two points to his opponent. The first round concluded with a score of 2-0.
However, at the start of the second round, Chen Hao, a technical fighter, initiated the attack. Punches and kicks were exchanged, and continuous combat techniques were displayed, dazzling the spectators. In a blink of an eye, they had fought dozens of rounds, still without a clear winner.
"This is bad. Chen Hao's fighting style is quite outdated, and his insight isn't nearly as sharp as Peng Lin's. If this stalemate continues, it might not end well."
As Ren Yuanhao worried, Chen Hao on the stage indeed showed an opening and was directly kicked out of the ring by his opponent's double side kicks!
The referee's whistle had just sounded, and before the match result was announced, Ren Yuanhao and Yang Lingxue rushed forward to help Chen Hao up and inquire about his injuries.
"I'm fine. It's my fault for being useless, for not forcing him to reveal his weaknesses."
Chen Hao's self-recrimination was filled with unwillingness. Similarly, from the slight tremor in his arm, both could feel that Chen Hao was exhausted.
At this moment, Leng Ziyu looked down from above with a cold gaze and said, "Hmph, this is Shen Lan Ni's disciple. Not only is he not pleasing to the eye, but he's also useless. I think this kid is already spent. He should just go home and stay there!"
"Yes, yes, yes, a fierce man comes from a fierce woman. Don't get too arrogant, be careful you don't climb too high and fall, and break that nose job of yours."
Yang Lingxue's natural beauty outshone her influencer face.
Her vulnerability exposed, Leng Ziyu frowned and snorted, then left the stage with Jin Wei, who had won the first match.
"Chen Hao, you should go rest for a while. The finals are still waiting for you."
Although Ren Yuanhao had a headache, negativity was unacceptable. Moreover, he didn't have much confidence in this particular match.
"Brother, we must win the next two matches. I..."
"Don't worry too much. You've worn down the opponent's second strongest fighter, and your contribution is immense. I sent you up there to let you fight freely, to gain some experience for the upcoming finals."
Ren Yuanhao spoke matter-of-factly, as if they still had a chance to enter the finals despite losing one person and the initial defeat.
But it was precisely his matter-of-fact expression that gave Chen Hao an inexplicable sense of confidence. He immediately said playfully, "So, Brother, you sent me to wear him down. Sigh..."
"You brat, you can't say that. I think highly of you. It's just that your fighting style is too simple, and your moves are too cautious. In the ring, you need to be both relaxed and tense, scattered in form but not in spirit. You must strike decisively when the time is right. That's why you were too cautious and didn't force out the opponent's weaknesses."
In many competitive matches, the spectator often sees more clearly than the participant. With Ren Yuanhao's guidance, as Chen Hao recalled the previous matches, he realized that there were many times he could have taken a risk and steered the situation towards a favorable outcome. But he didn't. He failed to create an opportunity for a decisive blow, unlike Peng Lin.
"Can we really eliminate Yufang City and enter the finals?"
"I don't decide such things, nor do the opponents. As long as you kids believe it, you definitely can."
As they spoke, Leng Ziyu brought Mo Cong forward again. After whispering something, Mo Cong merely nodded without speaking, his gaze as sinister as a circling vulture.
"Yuanhao, Mo Cong is the weakest among them. For a safer approach, should we let Gao Chenfei take the first match?"
Yang Lingxue knew that losing two consecutive matches meant handing over the entire team battle. However, Ren Yuanhao walked towards another person, Qi Yunyi.
"Wait, this is too risky."
Yang Lingxue reached out to stop him, but Ren Yuanhao turned his head and said, "If I pit our strongest person against him now, the next match will likely be disastrous."
"But this is safer. What if Peng Lin arrives?"
"Even if he arrives and wins, what's the point? A 2-2 score is equivalent to a loss for us. Think about it, those guys are physically strong and have much more stamina than us youngsters. And if it's a draw, it will inevitably lead to an overtime match. How much stamina will these kids have left to cope?"
Yang Lingxue nodded slightly, finally understanding Ren Yuanhao's thoughtful intentions.
However, pitting their third strongest fighter against the opponent's fourth strongest fighter to win the match would still be difficult, as the gap between them was more than just a single rank.
"Alright, the remaining two matches are up to you two. I know that if I demand you to win, the pressure on you will be immense. I only have one thing to tell you now: relax. Only by relaxing can you see things you normally wouldn't, break through, create, and challenge."
Ren Yuanhao pointed towards the exit and said, "If we lose, we'll still have a seafood feast tonight. So, just go and do it, don't worry about the consequences."
At this moment, both were extremely nervous, their faces pale. Qi Yunyi habitually looked towards the northeast corner. Although his grandfather would never appear in that direction, that place was always his spiritual totem!
In a daze, he seemed to hear his grandfather's raspy shouts and the not-so-loud applause. All of this made him feel as if his grandfather was still watching him from not far away.
He loosened his clenched fists and relaxed completely.
Ren Yuanhao naturally noticed the change in Qi Yunyi. He handed him his phone and said, "You have 30 seconds to thoroughly study your opponent. The future belongs to you."
A moment later, Mo Cong and Qi Yunyi took the stage. The audience held their breath, even forgetting to wave their glow sticks. This match, though seemingly only the second, was a life-and-death situation for Ai Shen City.
And at this very moment, bad news arrived from Ye Lan!
"Yuanhao, come look!"
Ren Yuanhao strode over and saw on Ye Lan's minipc screen five red dots heading towards the sea!
"What's going on?"
"I just called Shen Lan Ni. She said they've already left the service area. One of the listening devices is being interfered with by static, and I don't know what they've been saying."
Ye Lan's brows were furrowed, her hands flying across the keyboard, but no matter how she adjusted, she couldn't get the audio to come through.
Just then, Ren Yuanhao suddenly remembered what Yue Ran had said last night—Shen Yunshu was found by him on the seaside.
"Could it be that their destination is the coast where Shen Yunshu was found?"
As he spoke, the five moving red dots instantly flickered out!