Chapter 177: The Little Skeleton's Hot Pot
Chapter 177: The Little Skeleton's Hot Pot
As Team 002 suffered defeat, the familiar battle music of the Little Skeleton rang out, and deafening cheers erupted in the arena once more.
042 became the new beacon of hope for Jiangnan Province.
Lu Wu, however, remained remarkably composed in the face of this development.
It was Lin Jianying and Fang Bai who displayed overt excitement.
Lin Jianying felt relieved that she could finally be of assistance to Lu Wu, while Fang Bai's emotions were in turmoil, his eyes red with frustration.
The moment the referee declared the match over, Fang Bai rushed off to see the Griffin, leaving without a second thought.
No sooner had Fang Bai left than Team 044 arrived.
Captain Wang Jun extended his hand to Lu Wu, "Congratulations!"
Among the three outsider teams, Lu Wu had the best rapport with Team 044, and they had few issues recorded in his diary.
Thus, Lu Wu's attitude towards them was noticeably more amicable.
As he shook Wang Jun's hand, he glanced at Fang Bai still on the stage and said with a hint of regret, "I thought it would be a tougher match, but Team 002 didn't put up much of a fight."
Unexpectedly, Wang Jun nodded in agreement, "Indeed, it wasn't a closely contested match, but that's alright. Tomorrow is our turn, and I'm eagerly anticipating the competition!"
"Me too!"
Their handshake tightened with shared determination.
Their eyes locked, sparks of anticipation flashing between them.
The camera quickly focused on them, heightening the tension for the live audience, akin to the buildup of a century-old rivalry.
Fang Bai, hugging the Griffin in the arena with a look of disbelief, was also captured in this shot.
As Lu Wu and Wang Jun shook hands, their deep connection evident, Lin Jianying, accompanied by a Goblin, once again headed for the bathroom.
There was no mischief intended; he likely just had a frequent urge to urinate.
Despite both instances involving the bathroom, Lin Jianying's state of mind was entirely different this time.
Previously, he had been anxious and insecure, frantically washing his face at the sink to cope with his psychological issues.
Now, with a more positive mindset, he was addressing a physiological need.
As he finished and turned to wash his hands, a particularly enthusiastic voice reached him from outside.
"Hey, isn't this Lin? Good to see you!"
Lin Jianying turned to see a member of Team 003. He nodded, "Hello!"
"I watched your match today, and you performed exceptionally well!"
"You flatter me!" Lin Jianying responded, unaware of the speaker's ulterior tone.
"No, no, no flattery here. Your performance was truly outstanding.
Especially that hysterical roar, it deeply moved me."
"What? I don't want to hold him back!"
The speaker sucked in a breath, his face contorting in disgust, "Your words make my skin crawl. How can you utter such revolting things?"
Lin Jianying's face froze; even he, not the sharpest, understood the other's intentions.
Ignoring the speaker, he tried to leave, but the other person blocked his path.
The Goblin, seeing its master accosted by a stranger, grew angry and was about to intervene, but Lin Jianying stopped it.
He couldn't afford to cause trouble for Lu Wu on the eve of the finals. A conflict now might impact their performance tomorrow.
The speaker clearly sensed Lin Jianying's vulnerability and became more aggressive.
"You don't actually think you contributed to this victory, do you?
You didn't contribute at all.
Was the Goblin's evolution because of you? Even you should know who's responsible for its evolution; you have nothing to do with it."
Lin Jianying, determined to ignore him, pushed past and started to walk away, but the speaker's next words halted him in his tracks.
"Your only role in this match was to embarrass your captain.
You have no value to him whatsoever."
"What's even more tragic is that this situation will likely follow you for life. Unless something unexpected happens, you'll forever live in his shadow, a dispensable shadow."
"Enjoy your life like this."
After saying this, the speaker patted Lin Jianying's face and left, leaving Lin Jianying stunned in his place.
As the speaker exited the bathroom, Captain Sun Qing of Team 003, who had been waiting outside, approached.
Glancing at Lin Jianying, still withdrawn in the bathroom, Sun Qing shook his head and whispered, "Not to criticize, but why create unnecessary trouble by picking on a minor character at this crucial time?"
"I can't help it; I have this habit of sowing seeds in fertile ground."
Smiling, the speaker turned and left.
...
Upon Lin Jianying's return, Lu Wu immediately noticed his emotional distress and asked with concern, "What's wrong?"
"I'm fine!" Lin Jianying managed a smile.
But his smile didn't convince Lu Wu, who was well aware of his teammate's personality. Knowing he wouldn't volunteer much, Lu Wu looked to the Goblin and saw its state.
Anger: Master is accosted by a weirdo again. That disgusting weirdo upset the master. Goblin wants to beat him up next time!
"A weirdo?"
What kind of freak? Didn't Old Lin just go to the bathroom? Could it be...?"
Li Wu's mind was flooded with rather explicit images, and he shuddered, suddenly understanding why Old Lin's face had turned so grim, and why he refused to speak further.
At that moment, Li Wu decided not to press the issue any further.
But soon, a new realization struck him: "Wait, that's not right. Why did the Goblin say 'again'? Does he often encounter such things? Now that I think about it, Old Lin does have a more delicate appearance."
This thought filled Li Wu with sympathy as he looked at Lin Jianying.
A sense of duty welled up within him, and as the team captain, he felt he should protect his teammates. He decided to have a chat with the Goblin later to find out who the freak in the bathroom was.
He couldn't retaliate against the one who had attacked from the shadows, but he could at least help Old Lin get some revenge on the freak from the arena bathroom.
After all, today's performance by Lin Jianying, or rather, the Goblin, had been truly remarkable.
The comeback victory against the Little Devil was an advertising dream come true.
In the 16th round, 9th match, 1st book, 1st bar, 1st look, the flawless version!
Ever since the Goblin defeated the Little Devil, Li Wu's sales of the Goblin's Injection Series had skyrocketed.
As of now, just this series had earned him over 100 points.
While it didn't sound like much, consider how recently the Goblin's comeback had been. It had been less than a full day, and everyone's attention had been on the match.
Li Wu had a hunch that after the match, the Goblin's Injection Plan would bring him a substantial profit.
Moreover, he noticed the audience's keen interest in the Goblin's evolution. If he could figure out the secret to its evolution, it would be another significant source of income.
Given these circumstances, Li Wu was determined to deal with whoever dared to bully Old Lin.
After returning home, Li Wu discreetly pulled the Goblin aside. He searched the official website for information on the participants and staff who had access to the arena bathrooms during the event, and asked the Goblin to help identify the culprit.
Upon hearing this, the Goblin, who had been bullied to help find the bully targeting Old Lin, became very excited. It eagerly assisted Li Wu in identifying the freak.
However, after successfully finding the culprit, Li Wu suddenly turned on the Goblin and began to bully it.
"Damn it! I've been so good to this guy, and he calls me a freak?
This jerk deserves a beating! What's so freakish about me?
Just because I touch it a few times and give it a few injections? Infuriating!"
Li Wu became angrier the more he thought about it, and he had Xiao Gulong take the Goblin out for a beating.
Afterward, Li Wu turned his attention to the upcoming match against Team 044.
Despite Team 044 not being a significant concern in his notes, Li Wu respected their abilities. He anticipated the match with a heightened sense of excitement.
"A match free from personal grudges only makes me look forward to it more."
Indeed, what he truly anticipated was the rewards that would come with a victory in the finals tomorrow.
If he could defeat Team 044, he would become the first team in recent years to crush an external team from Jiangnan Province.
The rewards would not only be limited to honor but would also include tangible benefits.
The advertising revenue would be substantial, and the Jiangnan Province officials would undoubtedly offer additional incentives.
Furthermore, the first-place prize in the Jiangnan Province High School League would be significant, which explained why Team 044 had gone to great lengths to secure it.
It was certain that the reward was not merely purchasable with money or points.
Otherwise, Fang Bai and Wang Jun wouldn't have bothered to come, as Li Wu could tell that both of them had substantial financial backing.
Especially in the case of Wang Jun, Li Wu had noticed that he hadn't been as excited as others when he saw the Little Goldfish. Upon recalling the attributes of that summoner's beast, Li Wu was even more convinced that he had to secure the first-place prize.
"If we aim for first place, our current strength might not be enough.
Team 044 is stronger than Team 002, and while I easily defeated the Griffin today, it was largely due to Xiao Gulong's Three-Faced Wall countering the Griffin's abilities.
The Griffin's strength was average, and it wouldn't be as easy against Wang Jun.
So, we need to keep stewing the soup!"
Fortunately, Li Wu had already mastered the breeding plan for the White Bone Boar, and he quickly devised a new plan for Xiao Gulong.
Little Skeleton Stew
The first version of the Little Skeleton Stew was now ready for use.
Li Wu made a call to Zhao Kai, who promptly arranged for the necessary materials to be delivered from the Vocational Center for preparing the stew.
With the materials at hand, another pot of soup was soon simmering.
"What are you waiting for? Get in there!"
Li Wu kicked the Little Skeleton standing by the pot, sending it tumbling inside.
He closed the lid, turned up the heat, and while the stew cooked, he added ingredients through the lid's cracks.
As the stew simmered, Piggie wandered over, sniffing the air...
...
I have a prior engagement tonight, so I'll aim for three chapters if possible, or two chapters if not, and I'll make up for it with three chapters tomorrow.
(End of Chapter)
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