Chapter 147: The Olive Branch
Chapter 147: The Olive Branch
The moment the skeleton phone appeared, Li Wu felt like he had almost secured the championship in advance.
Well, that might be a bit of an exaggeration.
He was still a bit far from the championship, and if he were to face those ace teams, Li Wu wasn't entirely confident about winning.
If the skeleton could level up by one star, the needles for the goblins were ready, and Doudou's bond skill could be activated, then Li Wu would have locked in the championship ahead of time.
However, no matter what, Li Wu believed that at the very least, he should be able to secure a spot in the top eight.
After all, in the preliminaries, he had only surrendered to those three teams, and had fought and won almost all the other matches.
Although there were still three days left, with nine matches remaining, it was an easy task for Li Wu to secure those 9 points.
Therefore, barring any unexpected events, Li Wu's team should be able to advance to the top four of Group A with a total of 39 points, thus securing a spot in the quarterfinals.
Yep, the competition among the strong was as simple as that.
However, what should have been a straightforward competition suddenly stirred up waves on May 17th.
It wasn't that Li Wu encountered another super dark horse and lost, but Team 001 had actually suffered a defeat.
Li Wu received this news right after finishing a match and was in the midst of reaping the rewards from his opponent.
Just as he was halfway through collecting the spoils, Lin Jianying came over to inform him of this surprising development.
"What's going on here?"
Li Wu was taken aback. "How did Team 001 lose? Did they encounter Team 002 or the dark horse Team 003?"
Li Wu racked his brains, and it seemed that Team 001 might only lose to these two teams.
Lin Jianying shook his head. "Neither. Team 001 lost to Team 018!"
"Team 018?"
Li Wu recalled the information about this team. "They're one of the seed teams, and they're quite capable, but it seems unlikely for Team 001 to lose to them, right?"
"The two teams didn't even fight, and Team 001 surrendered as soon as they took the stage!"
As Lin Jianying spoke, Li Wu's eyes narrowed.
The fact that they surrendered without even fighting made Li Wu suspect a conspiracy, and he immediately asked the crucial question, "What's Team 018's record so far?"
Lin Jianying had clearly done his homework and promptly replied, "With this victory over Team 001, they've now won 34 consecutive matches! They still have eight matches left, including against Teams 002, 003, and us."
"In other words, even if Team 018 loses all three tough battles, they'll still end up with 39 points?"
"Yes, but if they win even one of those three matches, they'll reach 40 points!"
If that were the case, then Li Wu's team, which was almost guaranteed a top-four spot, might no longer be so secure.
This made Li Wu quite unhappy.
He had been preparing for the finals, but now an unexpected obstacle had emerged in the preliminaries.
"Investigate what's going on with Teams 001 and 018!"
Li Wu now strongly suspected that they were being targeted!
Someone was trying to manipulate the scores, pushing them out of the top eight.
Li Wu's suspicions were correct.
Almost simultaneously as Li Wu received the news of Team 001's defeat, Zhuang Yan, the captain of Team 001 who had just lost a match, approached Team 002.
Zhuang Yan got straight to the point. "Captain Fang, I have a matter I'd like to discuss with you.
I'm hoping that in your upcoming match against Team 018, you could let them win."
Team 002's captain, Fang Bai, gave him a cold look. "And if I say no?"
Zhuang Yan smiled. "That's your decision, and I have no right to interfere. I'm merely making a request.
But, our match hasn't even started yet."
"Are you threatening me?" Fang Bai's eyebrows arched, and his expression grew colder.
"I wouldn't say it's a threat, but I believe you're not afraid of facing us, and you might not even consider us a threat.
However, I think you wouldn't want to engage us prematurely, exposing some of your hidden cards, right?
The other two teams have been keeping a close eye on you."
"If you let them have this win, we'll return the favor and concede a match to you. It's not a bad deal for you, is it?"
After saying this, Zhuang Yan didn't wait for Fang Bai's response and turned to leave.
After leaving Team 002, Zhuang Yan went to the dark horse Team 003 and made the same request.
It was clear that Team 001 was attempting to manipulate the scores to push Team 042 out of the top four.
This behavior was quite despicable, but in the High School League, it wasn't considered a violation.
After all, Team 001 didn't offer any benefits to Teams 002 and 003; they merely made a threat.
Without any transaction of interests, this behavior could only be classified as a competition tactic, not a violation, and Team 001 couldn't be penalized.
While Team 001 was manipulating the scores behind the scenes, Li Wu's side had also roughly investigated what was going on.
Of course, it wasn't Lin Jianying who figured it out; his efficiency wasn't that high.
It was Zhang Wentao who personally called Li Wu to explain the situation.
Apparently, the score manipulation by Teams 001 and 018 was because these two teams had signed guaranteed admission contracts with Jiangbei University.
And Jiangbei University was said to have some grudges with Jiangnan University.
The two universities had been competing for teaching resources for many years, constantly setting traps for each other.
In this situation, Li Wu was an innocent bystander.
Upon hearing that Jiangnan University, their rival, had a guaranteed spot in the provincial tournament, the administration at Jiangbei University decided to intervene and ensure Li Wu's defeat in the quarterfinals.
When Li Wu learned of this, he almost spat out a mouthful of old blood.
"Damn, I can't believe I'm dealing with this even before starting school! Zhang Lao and the others are so pathetic, they let themselves be bullied right in front of us."
As Li Wu cursed, someone knocked on the door of his rest area.
"Who's there?"
Doudou, thinking it was a competitor who had heard of his fame, went to open the door.
A middle-aged man in a suit, with glasses and an air of scholarly refinement, entered as the door opened.
"Who are you?" Doudou asked, puzzled by the unfamiliar visitor.
The man introduced himself, "Allow me to introduce myself. I'm the Director of Admissions at Jiangbei University, my surname is Jiang, and my name is Jiang Beifeng."
As he spoke, he extended his hand to shake Doudou's hand.
But before Doudou could react, Li Wu quickly stepped forward and shook the man's hand, blocking Doudou.
He wanted to shake his wife's hand? No way.
Li Wu's action was swift, but he forgot his hand had transformed into a pig's trotter, and his face turned dark from the pain.
However, he couldn't show his discomfort in front of others, so he endured the pain and shook hands briefly before releasing his grip.
The man noticed his discomfort and immediately offered assistance, "It seems like Li Wu's hand is burnt. I have a special ointment for burns, Li Wu."
"No need! What brings you here? If there's nothing else, we need to prepare for the next match."
It was clear Li Wu was hinting for the visitor to leave.
Obviously, Li Wu didn't take kindly to this man's attempt to shake his wife's hand.
And with the recent interference from Jiangbei University, Li Wu's previously secure spot in the quarterfinals was now uncertain.
This left Li Wu with a negative impression of Jiang Beifeng, believing him to be a typical schemer.
"Li Wu, there might be a misunderstanding. I'm here on behalf of Jiangbei University to extend an invitation.
We hope Li Wu will join our Jiangbei University."
"I've already signed a guaranteed admission contract with Jiangnan University!" Li Wu interrupted, having guessed the man's intentions and refused without hesitation.
Jiang Beifeng, however, was not easily deterred.
Adjusting his glasses, he continued, "I know, and forgive my bluntness, but Jiangnan University is not the right fit for Li Wu.
In recent years, their university ranking has plummeted, now placing them outside the top fifty.
This decline has significantly reduced their resource allocation, pushing them to the brink of bankruptcy.
Their financial struggles are evident in the meager welfare package they offered you.
As far as I know, Li Wu, you signed an A-Class Welfare Growth Program with Jiangnan University.
But for a genius like you, the so-called 'A-Class Welfare' is hardly a benefit; it's an insult.
The entire package amounts to a mere 3000 points, which Li Wu could earn in a week. How can that be considered welfare?"
Jiang Beifeng was quite persuasive, quickly diminishing Jiangnan University's reputation and subtly creating an atmosphere of opposition between Li Wu and his current university.
But this was just the beginning.
"However, if Li Wu joins us at Jiangbei University, the benefits will be far greater.
I can assure you, on behalf of Jiangbei University, that you will be granted associate professor-level access.
All resources and research findings related to breeding within the university will be at your disposal.
Additionally, we will construct a state-of-the-art research lab exclusively for you.
Furthermore, you will receive a monthly research fund of no less than 10,000 points."
This promise left Li Wu stunned.
He now understood why Seed Teams 001 and 018, originally from Jiangnan, ended up at Jiangbei University.
It wasn't a lack of integrity but the sheer magnitude of the offer.
Even Li Wu had to admit that when presented with such conditions, his initial negative impression of Jiangbei University and Jiang Beifeng almost wavered.
And then, Jiang Beifeng delivered his final blow.
"There's something else I believe you should know.
As I mentioned, Jiangnan University is on the verge of bankruptcy.
If their ranking doesn't improve this year, their resource allocation will decrease further, worsening their situation. By next year, they might face bankruptcy.
As the primary creditor, Jiangbei University will initiate a clearance procedure, and Jiangnan University will likely become a part of Jiangbei University.
This means, even if you choose Jiangnan now, you'll eventually become a member of Jiangbei.
But by then, you won't enjoy the benefits I've promised, and you might not even make it to the quarterfinals!"
With Jiang Beifeng's final words, Li Wu's eyes narrowed in determination.
(End of Chapter)
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