346: Just an internet celebrity

“Exactly! Kamara is a top marathon runner from Kenya, having won several World Marathon Majors championships. Her best time is 2 hours, 01 minute, and 39 seconds, just shy of the world record. With her here, no one else stands a chance.”

The crowd explained one after another, their tone filled with admiration for Kamara.

Kamara’s strength was indeed formidable. At only 28 years old, she had dominated the marathon scene for many years. Not only was she fast, but her endurance was astonishing; she practically had no rivals.

In their view, Lei Jun and Kamara were not in the same league. It would be good enough if she could finish the race; winning was simply a pipe dream.

“I think she’s just here for the hype, trying to gain attention through the marathon. She’s just an internet celebrity.”

“Maybe she’ll quit halfway through and then make an excuse about feeling unwell.”

These words pierced Lin Xiaoya, Tony, Qin Yu, and Zhao Ya like needles, making them all very angry.

Teacher Tony’s face turned pale with anger. He flicked his orchid-like finger, his voice trembling slightly, “Oh My God! You all have gone too far! My Muse is not that kind of person! She will definitely finish the race!”

Zhao Ya crossed her arms, looking coldly at the mockers, her heroic aura fully displayed.

Having come from the military, she despised people who judged others by appearances the most. She secretly thought that soon she would let them witness Lei Jun’s true strength.

Qin Yu’s face darkened. He looked coldly at those people and said, “Don’t push it too far. Dare we make a bet? If Lei Jun manages to finish the race, what will you do?”

Upon hearing this, those people burst out laughing, their tone becoming even more arrogant. “A bet is a bet! If she can finish, I will crawl three laps around the track!”

“I will publicly apologize to her and admit I misjudged her!”

“I’ll give her my limited edition running shoes!”

Everyone quickly swore severe oaths, utterly convinced that Lei Jun could not finish. Qin Yu gave a cold smile, took out his phone, and recorded each of their swearing, saying in a frigid tone.

“Good, I’ve recorded everything. I hope you all keep your word later.”

He secretly looked forward to seeing how these people would be slapped in the face and forced to fulfill their oaths after Lei Jun finished, or even won the championship.

Lin Xiaoya was still furious. She looked at the man who had just mocked Lei Jun winning the championship and said through gritted teeth, “What if my boss actually wins the championship?”

The man paused, then sneered dismissively, “Win the championship? Little girl, are you crazy? Dare to bet money? One to one thousand odds! Bet as much as you want. If Lei Jun wins, I’ll pay you a thousand for every one you put in. If she doesn’t win, the money you bet is mine!”

Lin Xiaoya became even angrier. She looked at the man and said defiantly, “I have money to bet, but do you have the money to pay?”

The man immediately took out his phone, opened his banking app, and showed Lin Xiaoya his balance screen, which displayed a deposit of five hundred thousand.

“See? Five hundred thousand, enough to cover you. Bet whatever you want. Bet five hundred, and I’ll pay you five hundred thousand!”

Lin Xiaoya looked at the five hundred thousand on the phone screen, and the anger in her heart intensified.

This man was too arrogant, completely disregarding Sister Lei!

She stared at the man and said word by word, “I bet five hundred. If my boss wins the championship, you have to pay me five hundred thousand. Are you really not afraid of losing?”

The man shook his head and scoffed, “Afraid of losing? I can’t possibly lose. Forget winning the championship, it’s questionable if Lei Jun can even finish. That five hundred of yours, I consider it a freebie.”

He turned to the people around him and said proudly.

“Do you think I’ll lose?”

The people around him chimed in one after another: “You’re definitely going to win!”

“Yeah, Lei Jun absolutely cannot win the championship. You’re earning five hundred yuan for free.”

“We envy you, earning five hundred yuan so easily.”

The man looked smugly at Lin Xiaoya, his tone contemptuous: “Thank you for your contribution of five hundred yuan. After the race, I’m going to treat myself to a good meal.”

Teacher Tony trembled with anger, pointing at the man and saying, “The race hasn't even started! Wait until it’s over! Don't be so smug!”

The man glanced disdainfully at Teacher Tony: “Losing is just a matter of time. You all refuse to shed tears until you see the coffin. Fine, I’ll wait and see how Lei Jun loses!”

Lin Xiaoya clenched her fists tightly, secretly praying that Lei Jun could win the championship and severely humiliate this arrogant man.

Qin Yu patted her shoulder and whispered, “Don’t be angry. Boss will definitely make them regret this later.”

Zhao Ya also nodded, saying firmly, “Miss Lei Jun can definitely do it.”

...The starting pistol fired with a crisp 'bang,' cutting through the noise of the stadium.

All the runners gradually started moving, adjusting their pace according to their own rhythm. After all, a marathon is a test of endurance, and no one dared to sprint wildly right at the start.

Only Lei Jun activated the “Ten Thousand Feet in One Line” skill the moment the gun fired. Her body instantly erupted with the speed of a hundred-meter sprint, shooting out like a pink lightning bolt, leaving the main group far behind in an instant.

Lei Jun felt that this high-speed running sensation was quite marvelous.

After the skill was triggered, she felt no fatigue at all. Her muscles and joints bore no burden, and her breathing was unusually steady. Even sprinting at 10 meters per second, her body felt supported by an invisible force, unbelievably easy.

She could even clearly hear the sound of the wind whistling past her ears and the various noises coming from the spectator stands behind her. However, these sounds did not affect her; her attention was focused solely on the track ahead, enjoying the ultimate experience brought by the skill.

The scene was dead silent for one second, then exploded with overwhelming discussion, which quickly turned into undisguised mockery.

“My God! What is she doing? Running a hundred meters?”

“She really is an internet celebrity looking for attention! She doesn't even know the basic common sense of a marathon!”

“A marathon relies on endurance, not a burst of initial speed! Rushing like this from the start will exhaust her stamina quickly. She won’t even make it past the halfway mark!”

The man who had made the bet earlier scoffed and said to Lin Xiaoya, “See? What did I tell you? She’s an amateur to the extreme! With this running style, she’ll collapse after only a dozen seconds at most. I’ve secured your five hundred yuan!”

The surrounding people chimed in, their tone of mockery growing thicker: “Exactly. She can’t even distinguish between a sprint and a long-distance run, yet she dares to participate in an international marathon. She’s purely here to embarrass herself.”

“She probably wants to get some camera time with that initial speed. When her stamina gives out later, she’ll find an excuse to retire. She’s calculated her moves well.”

“I bet she won’t last a minute. It will be quite a show when she cries and quits the race!!!”