71: Thunderous applause crowns the hero!

Everyone held their breath.

Some powerful C-rank Peak experts, who had originally been determined to win the championship, now clenched their fists, their eyes filled with complex emotions.

They were unwilling.

But they also knew very well what they had done in that situation.

No, they had done nothing.

Like the ordinary team members, under the pressure of a Lord-level entity, they didn't even have the right to struggle.

"When everyone was consumed by despair, prostrating on the ground..."

Captain Qin Zhan's voice carried a hint of emotion.

"One person stood up."

"When everyone was thinking about how to escape..."

"One person chose to go against the flow."

"He faced a Lord-level catastrophe capable of destroying a city, all by himself."

"With his courage and actions, he won us all a chance at survival!"

Captain Qin Zhan slowly turned around, extended his finger, and pointed at that figure.

"The champion of this year's individual competition —"

"Jiangcheng Branch, Lin Yuan!"

As his voice fell.

The entire square fell into a dead silence that lasted for several seconds.

No one cheered, no one questioned, only a silence mixed with shock and bewilderment.

"Why?"

A discordant voice rose from the crowd.

It was a team member who had been eliminated in the previous rounds and had not experienced the final fusion space. He loudly protested with a look of indignation:

"He's just a D-rank. Even if he was lucky enough to survive, why should he be champion? I refuse to accept it!"

Before he finished speaking, a hand grabbed his shoulder.

"Shut up!"

The one who grabbed him was his teammate, who had only recently woken up from unconsciousness.

His face was pale, and his eyes still held an indelible fear.

He stared intensely at his companion, growling word by word: "You didn't see it, you have no right to say that!"

This low growl woke up the others.

"Clap."

"Clap, clap."

A crisp applause rang out.

It was the burly man with the shield, who was the first to respond to Su Wanqing's call.

He didn't look at the questioner, but only at Lin Yuan, his eyes full of admiration and gratitude.

One person's applause quickly turned into two, ten, twenty... Finally, thunderous applause echoed through the sky!

Those who had once mocked Lin Yuan, or were preparing to flee, now lowered their heads, clapping with all their might.

As if trying to use this method to cover their shame and insignificance.

In the corner of the crowd.

Su Mingzhe, the favored son of the Su Family, turned pale.

He looked at Lin Yuan, who was the center of attention, and then at his sister not far away, who usually held her head high, now gazing at that man with an expression he had never seen before.

His fists clenched, making a grinding sound.

He lost.

He didn't even have a chance to act, and he lost completely.

He couldn't accept that he would lose to an unknown D-rank!

"He must have used some forbidden technique, or overdrawn his life!"

Su Mingzhe roared in his heart.

"Yes! It must be! Otherwise, how could a D-rank do such a thing!"

He found a perfect excuse for his failure.

However, when his gaze met Lin Yuan's again.

A deeper sense of powerlessness welled up in his heart.

He found that he didn't even seem to have the right to be jealous.

The applause lasted for a long time.

Lin Yuan stood in the center, a little at a loss.

He was not used to this kind of spectacle.

He just wanted to get some upgrade resources and save himself in the process.

How did he become a hero?

He scratched his head, forcing an awkward but polite smile onto his face.

"Uh... everyone, please don't be like this."

"We're all colleagues, it's what we should do, what we should do."

"Mainly, it was just good luck."

His "humble" words, however, sounded like a display of noble character to the crowd.

For a moment, the admiring glances grew even more fervent.

Lin Yuan: "..."

These colleagues are not easy to manage... The applause and cheers continued for a long time before subsiding.

Subsequent comforting and aftermath work proceeded in an orderly manner.

The medical team began to examine everyone, assessing their mental damage.

Lin Yuan, as a "key person of interest," was naturally the first to be pulled in for a "physical examination."

Of course, he had long since used his lightning power to perfectly disguise his internal condition.

The examination results showed: extreme physical weakness, depleted energy, accompanied by slight mental shock.

It perfectly matched the script he had fabricated.

"Alright, you all go rest first."

Captain Qin Zhan dismissed the medical team, then gave Lin Yuan a "follow me" look, turned, and walked into a temporarily erected command tent.

Lin Yuan's heart swelled with joy.

It's here, it's here!

The bonus distribution segment has arrived!

He scampered in after him.

Inside the tent, there were only the two of them.

Captain Qin Zhan operated his personal terminal, then threw an encrypted data card to Lin Yuan.

"Yours."

Lin Yuan fumbled to catch it, then quickly pressed it against his terminal.

A line of numbers popped up: [contribution points Balance: 40000].

Lin Yuan's eyes instantly widened, and he almost drooled.

"Hehehe..."

Lin Yuan looked at his terminal, smiling like a child who had just received New Year's money.

"Thank you, commander-in-chief! The commander-in-chief is mighty! The commander-in-chief is generous!"

"Long live the Dragon Shield Bureau!"

Seeing his money-grubbing appearance, Captain Qin Zhan's eye twitched.

"Don't be happy too soon."

He sat back in his chair, fingers interlocked, placed on the table, and his gaze sharpened.

"Your story, it might fool those youngsters outside."

"Trying to fool me?"

Lin Yuan's laughter abruptly stopped.

"commander-in-chief, what you're saying, every word I said is true, heaven can attest!"

He looked utterly wronged.

"Is that so?" Captain Qin Zhan sneered.

"Then please explain why the monitoring network of the Beijing Meteorological Bureau detected a golden lightning bolt with an energy level far exceeding B-rank, striking the Tower of Heaven?"

"And please explain again, how a D-rank with 'slight mental shock' – oh, no, now a C-rank – was able to throw attacks into the spatial rift in that situation, instead of being scared and fleeing in panic?"

"Your story has more holes than a sieve."

A bead of cold sweat trickled down Lin Yuan's forehead.

Indeed, the older ginger is spicier.

"This..." His eyes darted around, ready to start spouting nonsense again.

"Maybe... it really was a passing big shot?"

"The big shot thought my courage was commendable, so he just lent a hand? Yes, it must be! I'm just a lucky kid who was chosen!"

Captain Qin Zhan stared at him for three seconds.

Then, he suddenly sighed, leaned back in his chair, and completely relaxed.

"Alright, kid."

"I don't care what secrets you have, and I don't care who is behind you."

Captain Qin Zhan's tone became earnest and meaningful.

"Everyone has their own unique encounters. The Dragon Shield Bureau doesn't care about that."

"We only look at the results, and your stance."

He pointed to Lin Yuan's heart.

"As long as your heart here is for Huaxia, that's enough."

Lin Yuan was stunned.

He hadn't expected Captain Qin Zhan to say such words.

"However, I still need to warn you." Captain Qin Zhan's expression became serious again.

"Power that cannot be fully controlled by oneself is not an aid, but a death warrant."

"It will gradually devour your rationality until you become a slave to power."

"You'd better watch out for yourself."

After speaking, Captain Qin Zhan waved his hand.

"Go out, your reward, you deserve it."

Lin Yuan silently exited the tent.

"Power that cannot be controlled..."

He murmured softly.

Returning to his temporary lounge, Lin Yuan immediately locked the door and sat down cross-legged.

He immersed his mind within himself.