The next day, the National Number One Martial Arts Competition started officially. The Dragonâs Den was packed bright and early in the morning. Reporters surrounded the building, squeezing to the front of the crowd while clicking their cameras non-stop.
A black sedan drove over from afar. It slowly came to a stop outside the Dragonâs Den. Someone came down from the car.
âQuick, take a picture.â
âLook, the president of the Martial Arts Association is here too!â âThat is the⦠governor!â
The bosses arrived at the scene one by one. Under the protection of the staff, they strode into the Dragonâs Den.
The people outside were excited and kept talking with each other.
It was hard to see these bosses during normal times. Now, all of them had appeared in one place. They didnât know where to look, feeling like they had expanded their horizon.
When they went back, they could boast that they saw this and that person in Capital Xia.
Lin Chuhan and her roommates had arrived a long time ago. They came to Capital Xia a few days earlier, just like Wang Teng. They had been playing for two days, but they didnât meet each other. After all, Capital Xia was huge, and their itinerary might not be the same.
Tian Xiaoxiao smiled and tiptoed. She glanced around her and said directly, âChuhan, why didnât I see your love?â
âPfft, what do you mean by love? Donât say that.â Lin Chuhan immediately turned red.
âHaha.â Tian Xiaoxiao laughed evilly. Xu Wantong pursed her lips and smiled. âThe important figures will come first before the participants. However, I heard that they will go through a special passageway.â âSpeaking about it, I wonder if our seniors have a chance of entering the top ten,â Tian Xiaoxiao suddenly said.
âItâs hard to say. The National Number One Martial Arts Competition is filled with talents. Our Donghai University never had a good ranking in the past,â Xu Wantong said dejectedly.
âWhat about Huanghai Military Academy?â Lin Chuhan couldnât help but ask.
âOh my, Chuhan, you are here, but your heart is somewhere else. This is outrageous.â Xu Wantong pretended to be angry. âIâm not. Iâm just asking.â Lin Chuhan felt embarrassed. Was she too obvious?
âI remember that Senior Xiao Yunfan has good feelings towards Chuhan. He never stopped looking at you during the last school event.â Tian Xiaoxiao nudged Lin Chuhan.
âI think so too. Chuhan, Senior Xiao Yunfan is outstanding. I heard that the Ali Corporation has high hopes for him and signed a contract with him already. He has a bright future ahead. Do you want to consider him?â Xu Wantong teased her.
âThereâs nothing between us. We never met each other again after the school event. Donât talk about this, or Iâll get angry,â Lin Chuhan said sternly. âAlright, alright. Weâre just joking. Look at how agitated you are.â Xu Wantong noticed that she really was unhappy this time, so she shrugged and stopped teasing her. She continued, âHuanghai is stronger than us. Normally, they can enter the top ten. They even got into the top three last year. That was their record high. However, itâs hard to tell if they can get into the top three again. After all, the competition for the top three positions is strong.â âLook, another important figure is here.â Tian Xiaoxiao suddenly shouted.
Glaring lights shone continuously. One could always believe in the reportersâ lightning speed.
âItâs CEO Ma from Alibaba!â
âThatâs the car of Tencentâs CEO. They came together. So punctual.â âMany top figures in the business world have come today.â
Besides reporters, the hosts from various live broadcast channels were present too. The atmosphere was bustling, and the splendor of the occasion surpassed anything seen yet. The bosses entered the venue quickly. Then, the staff opened the audience passage and allowed the audience to enter the venue.
The crowd was already getting impatient. Once the passageway was opened, they started pushing one another to get in.
The entire Dragonâs Den was close to 300 thousand square meters. There were close to ten thousand audience seats, and it could hold many people.
The audience surged into Dragonâs Den through the different passageways. Very soon, the Dragonâs Den was packed, and no seat was left empty. A vibrant and boisterous atmosphere filled up the entire venue. It was electric.
Keeping the large numbers in mind, the entrance alone took more than 20 minutes.
A lot of staff was present to maintain order. The internal arrangement of the Dragonâs Den was unique. There were big and small arenas scattered around the venue.
The arenas at the edge were smaller. The closer they got to the center, the bigger their size became.
In the middle, there was a high platform with tables and chairs on it.
All the important figures were already seated on the platform in the middle. Suddenly, someone stood up and shouted, âSilence!â
His voice wasnât loud, and he didnât use any loudspeakers. However, his voice formed sound waves that spread throughout the venue. It covered all the other noises.
Everyone turned quiet!
He was a formidable martial warrior.
âEveryone, please maintain silence and find your seats. âThe martial arts competition is a grand national event. I hope that everyone will treat it with respect.â
The audience immediately turned quiet. They could sense the respect the important figures placed on this event. Most of the people present were ordinary. Although they didnât understand martial arts, they still felt something special. The martial warrior glanced around and nodded in satisfaction.
âNow, let me announce the official launch of the National Number One Martial Arts Competition!â
Everyone was stunned.
This was it?
Shouldnât the leaderâs speech be long and lengthy? Shouldnât the important figures reveal themselves one by one? This wasnât how the script should go!
The audience was used to hearing long-winded speeches from their leaders, so they couldnât get used to this pace. At that moment, voices suddenly came from the loudspeakers.
âLadies and gentlemen, nice to meet you! Iâm the martial arts commentator, Zhang Jun.â
âIâm the martial arts commentator, Su Xiao.â
âWeâll be hosting the National Number One Martial Arts Competition this time.â
More than ten large screens were hanging in mid-air in the middle of the Dragonâs Den. At the moment, the cameras were focused on a lady and a man.
âZhang Jun and Su Xiao. They are commentators for CCTV. What a surprise.â
Many people recognized the two people on the screen, and a commotion arose in the spectator stands.
Zhang Junâs voice came from the screen again. âIâm delighted to be hosting this martial arts competition. Now, let me explain the rules of the competition.
âThe competition will be in single-player elimination mode. The opponents will be picked randomly by the computer.
âThere are 108 arenas in Dragonâs Den. They will be split into 16 sections, and competitions will be held simultaneously in these sections until the top 16 appear. âOf course, to be fair, there will be a revival system too. Some martial warriors who lost can return to the arena through the revival matches and continue the competition.
âAfter the top 16 are out, they will continue the ranking competitions in the big central arena and fight for the championship title.
âToday is the opening ceremony, so letâs meet the young and talented martial warriors from all around our country!â
Zhang Jun paused at this moment. Then, Su Xiao opened her mouth.
âNow, letâs welcome all the talented martial warriors from the various universities and factionsâ¦â