Chapter 170: The Quarterfinals Begin
Chapter 170: The Quarterfinals Begin
May 27th.
At the Fucheng First Summoner Training Center.
The quarterfinals of the High School League officially commenced.
During the preliminary rounds, the matches were not open to spectators. Aside from the competing students and individuals like Jiangbei Feng from the admissions office, others were generally not allowed in the arena.
However, the quarterfinals were different.
The quarterfinals allowed live spectators.
As a result, Lu Wu witnessed a completely different atmosphere in the arena compared to usual.
The audience seats for the first arena were packed with people, many of whom held various cheering banners and props.
Lu Wu took a glance, and the banners mostly read things like "Go Team 042!" "Sweep Away the Foreign Teams!" and "Proclaim the Might of Jiangnan!"
When Team 042 appeared in the arena, a deafening roar erupted from the crowd.
Instantly, the entire arena reverberated with cheers for Team 042.
It was evident that the entire audience was rooting for Lu Wu's team.
However, this wasn't due to Team 042's immense charm, but rather because Jiangnan had endured several years of frustration in the High School League.
Every year, the top two spots were snatched by foreign teams, leaving Jiangnan's students feeling trampled.
This year, Jiangnan was filled with resentment, but despite their anger, they never considered blocking the path for outsiders to participate in their league.
In their view, doing so would be like admitting defeat and proving that Jiangnan was inferior to others.
The people of Jiangnan couldn't bear this, and they would rather see Jiangnan produce a powerful team that could crush all foreign teams!
Consequently, this situation wasn't unique to this year.
For the past few years, it had been the same every year. The people of Jiangnan placed all their hopes on the annual ace team, much like soccer fans pinning their dreams on their favorite team.
And the result, of course, was similar to that of soccer fans—they were left with nothing but disappointment.
But the following year, they would still pin their hopes on Jiangnan's ace team, just as they were now placing all their faith in Lu Wu's Team 042.
The entire arena, both offline and online, was cheering for Team 042.
This was a source of encouragement but also an immense pressure.
Lu Wu, on the other hand, was slightly better at handling the pressure, as he had relatively strong mental resilience. However, his two teammates didn't possess the same level of coping ability.
Amidst the cheers, Dudu, with her chubby hands, clung to Lu Wu's clothes, once again seeking shelter behind Lu Wu's not-so-broad figure to hide her plump self.
Meanwhile, Lin Jianying's forehead glistened with beads of sweat, and her face turned deathly pale.
This scene felt familiar to Lu Wu.
Yes, there had been a similar instance during the Quancheng Cup.
This time, it was Lu Wu's turn to comfort his teammates.
Lu Wu held Dudu's chubby yet soft and cotton-like hand and rubbed her head.
"Don't worry, I'm here!"
No wonder they say that innocence brings happiness.
For Dudu, who only had eyes for Lu Wu, there was nothing more reassuring than Lu Wu's words.
With just those words and a gentle pat on her hair, the tense Dudu gradually relaxed.
Lin Jianying, on the other hand, wasn't so easily comforted.
Although Lu Wu didn't show the same double standards as he did when facing Hao Zhijian, he did offer comfort. However, instead of relaxing, Lin Jianying became even more anxious.
Lu Wu noticed his teammate's situation and was about to offer some reassurance.
At that moment, a staff member called them for their preparation.
This time, the staff member wasn't referring to the match preparation but the opening ceremony.
As the start of the main event, there would be an opening ceremony.
Similar to the previous round, it would take place on Stage 1, where the host, the Governor of Jiangnan Province, Jiang Yuesheng, would preside.
The difference was that instead of 84 teams, only 4 remained.
Team 042, originally in the second row, was now seated in the front row, closer to Jiang Yuesheng, allowing Lu Wu a clearer view.
Lu Wu initially thought that Jiang Yuesheng would deliver the same speech as before and then leave.
However, to Lu Wu's surprise, Jiang Yuesheng repeated the same speech but didn't depart immediately. Instead, she walked straight towards Lu Wu.
Watching this well-endowed, elegant lady approach him, Lu Wu, who was unprepared, felt a sense of unease.
As Lu Wu pondered, Jiang Yuesheng had already reached his side.
"With your appearance, the hopes of Jiangnan rest on you this year. Don't let me down." Governor Jiang Yuesheng's words were soft but carried a weight that surprised Lu Wu.
This wasn't the typical speech one would expect from a leader at such an event.
Moreover, Lu Wu felt there was something odd about how Governor Jiang looked at him, as if she was attracted to his seemingly ordinary appearance. Was she harboring some ill intentions towards him?
Before Lu Wu could fully process this, Governor Jiang had already left the stage.
The arena erupted again with deafening cheers for Team 042, the volume increasing as Lu Wu's summoning prowess became the talk of the crowd.
This didn't sit well with Team 002, standing not far from Lu Wu. Fang Bai, in particular, wanted to stomp on Lu Wu's face, reminding him that capturing a King-grade Summoned Beast through sheer luck didn't make him invincible.
Team 002 had already scouted the strengths and weaknesses of Lu Wu's Little Goldfish. Without its minions, the fish was only Elite-grade, and they were confident of victory.
But this wasn't the time for provocations.
Fang Bai could only glare at Lu Wu.
As he did, he saw Lu Wu's shirt move, and a fish head emerged from his collar, looking directly at him.
It was a 16:9, 1:1, 1080p version of a fish!
The fish's gaze met his, and it quickly displayed a look of disgust, as if Fang Bai's appearance was repulsive. It quickly looked up at Lu Wu, seemingly relieved, and then retreated back into his shirt.
It was as if it didn't want to see Fang Bai.
This made Fang Bai furious, and he swore that his failure to capture the fish was due to its preference for Lu Wu's looks.
He vowed that if given the chance, he'd smash Lu Wu's face.
...
The opening ceremony of the quarterfinals concluded swiftly.
The day's matches were already arranged.
Compared to the preliminary rounds, the quarterfinals had a more relaxed schedule, with each team playing only one match.
There would be four matches in total.
Match 1: Team 044 vs. Team 018
Match 2: Team 042 vs. Team 054
Match 3: Team 002 vs. Team 073
Match 4: Team 003 vs. Team 066
When the draw results were announced, Lu Wu strongly suspected foul play by the organizers.
All four top teams were placed in separate matches.
Lu Wu's opponent was a regular seeded team.
Initially, when he saw it was from Group B, he had hoped it might be Hengheng Guai.
But it wasn't her team; Team 073 was paired with Team 002.
"It seems I'm not destined to make Hengheng Guai cry in person, but watching her get beaten by others might be just as good."
Lu Wu rarely spoke ill of others, but on the rare occasions he did, it seemed someone was always listening.
Coincidentally, the person he spoke about was the same both times.
As he finished his sentence, he heard the same cold huff he'd been hearing for over a month.
Without turning, Lu Wu knew he'd been caught. But he didn't feel embarrassed; instead, he greeted Hengheng Guai, "Hey, it's Hengheng Guai. Long time no see..."
"Don't call me Hengheng Guai!" Hengheng Guai stomped her feet in anger.
"I'm telling you, don't get too cocky. I won't keep losing to you. One day, I'll win!"
"Is that so? I look forward to that day. I hope it comes soon, but not at the same time as my head-on collision!"
"You... Humph!"
Hengheng Guai was asking for trouble, and Lu Wu's words made her huff in anger again. She turned and swished her ponytail, walking away.
Watching Hengheng Guai, nearly in tears again due to his words, Lu Wu's heart swelled with generosity.
He didn't notice the many eyes on them, including Governor Jiang, sitting in the front row of the audience, acting as a mascot.
Perhaps it was just a feeling, but when she witnessed this scene, her gaze turned dangerous.
Lu Wu, who had just driven Hengheng Guai away, suddenly shivered for no apparent reason.
"What's happening? Why does it feel like the weather just turned cold?
It's as if someone is twisting my head and calling me a jerk!
It must be my imagination. Even if it's true, they shouldn't call me a jerk. I, Lu Wu, am the most faithful, just like my dad!"
Lu Wu's complaints seemed to make the cold worse.
...
A reader suggests giving the Little Skeleton a name, and Nu Xiao is collecting suggestions.
(End of Chapter)
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