137: Chapter 137 The Arrogant Qin Ye

Inside the contestant tunnel.

Zhao Dahai's mouth hung open, wide enough to fit a tea egg.

"...Wei Xiaoyu is with Qi Yuan?! Qi Yuan—the same one who posted a three-thousand-word essay on the Sanctuary Forum scolding Su Bai for losing his touch?!"

"The same one." Lin Xiao unscrewed her thermos and screwed it back on.

"Thunder God Xiao Juehan is with the military?! Is he related to Deputy Commander Xiao Hongyan—wait, Thunder God Xiao Juehan's surname is Xiao—what is his relationship to Deputy Commander Xiao Hongyan?!"

"Military internal records are not public." Lin Xiao's voice was as calm as a weather report. "But my sister looked into it. Thunder God Xiao Juehan was personally handpicked by Deputy Commander Xiao Hongyan from an orphanage in the Northern Theater. Not her biological son, but her personal protégé."

Zhao Dahai's chubby face twitched twice. He opened his mouth to say something—then closed it. Because the fourth spotlight had hit the stage.

The spotlight did not land on the arena. It landed at the exit of the contestant tunnel.

———

Chief Commentator Lu Ming's voice suddenly paused.

He glanced down at the teleprompter, then looked up at the direction of the spotlight. Then, on that face so precise it could be written into a textbook, a rare expression appeared—one that professional training could never teach: confusion.

"...Uh, the director just told me that the fourth contestant to be introduced is—hmm?"

Someone was crouching in the spotlight. More accurately, someone was doing push-ups. Qin Ye.

She was wearing simple black shorts and a shirt, revealing her calves and a pair of old sneakers with the paint worn off. She was supporting herself on the ground with two fingers. Her index and middle fingers. Her body was taut, forming a straight line.

Up and down. Up and down. The speed was not fast, but every movement was as steady as if calibrated with a spirit level.

Chief Commentator Lu Ming's mouth opened. Closed. Opened again.

"...This is—a Magic Card Master from the Jinghai Card Creator Academy—Qin Ye. She is the only contestant in this National Competition to advance directly to the Top 16 as a Tier 4. She is also, to date, the only one—"

He paused. "—to be doing push-ups on the finals stage."

The entire arena went quiet for a beat. Then, laughter poured down from the audience like a floodgate opening.

"Push-ups?! Doing push-ups at the finals?!" "Two fingers?! She's using two fingers!!"

"Wait, wait, wait—she's Su Bai's Magic Card Master, right? Does that mean she turned into a Magical Girl? Is this Qin Ye the black-skirted lolita who was trending recently?"

"Wasn't that Chu Yin on the trending list?!" "It's not Chu Yin!! It's a new one!! Completely different from Chu Yin!! But why isn't she transformed today? I don't think there's a restriction on that in the competition, is there?"

"The rules don't say, but anyone with a sharp eye knows you have to use newly created cards. You definitely can't use a Magical Girl."

The crowd was buzzing with discussion. Qin Ye did not look up. She continued doing her push-ups, her breathing rhythm completely steady.

Chief Commentator Lu Ming cleared his throat. As a gold-medal commentator who had hosted three consecutive National Competitions, he had seen all sorts of flashy entrances—fire-breathing, teleporting, descending from the sky, riding summoned beasts. But doing push-ups on the finals stage was a blank spot in his professional resume.

He walked down from the host platform. He walked up to Qin Ye. The spotlight moved with him.

"Contestant Qin Ye."

Qin Ye did one more push-up. Then, supporting herself with one arm, she flipped over and stood up. The movement was as crisp as a switchblade snapping open.

"...What." Her voice was raspy. Devoid of any emotion.

——— In the VIP section of the audience. Su Bai leaned back in his chair. The lollipop in his hand was still unlit.

[Su Bai. The heart rate curve during Qin Ye's warm-up routine just now was extremely stable. Maximum heart rate was seventy-four beats per minute.]

"...She's always like this."

[Her Mental Power wavelength shows no signs of pre-match nervousness. Comparing to other contestants in the same area—Wei Xiaoyu's heart rate has already exceeded one hundred, Thunder God Xiao Juehan's electric output power is continuously rising, and Master Mage Chen Taixu appears to be meditating but his breathing rhythm is actually three beats faster than usual.]

"Are you saying only Qin Ye is not nervous?"

[No. What I mean is—she might not know what nervousness is at all.]

Su Bai put the lollipop back into his mouth. Lin Xiao sat to his left, her fingers flying across her phone screen.

"Number one on the trending list. 'Push-up Magical Girl'. Four million discussions. The comment section is all asking who she is—no, asking who you are. Because on her profile page, the Card Creator section lists you."

Zhao Dahai leaned over from the right.

"Four million discussions?! The match hasn't even started yet!!"

"Now it's six million." Lin Xiao flipped the screen over to show him. "The title changed. 'Su Bai's Secret Weapon'. The accompanying images are a screenshot of Qin Ye doing push-ups with two fingers and that photo of you being hugged by Zhao Dahai at the Monthly Exam site—I don't know why these two pictures were stitched together."

"...Delete it."

"Can't delete it. It's been reposted two hundred thousand times."

——— In the center of the arena. Chief Commentator Lu Ming held the microphone out to Qin Ye. He was a head taller than her, but his posture at this moment looked for all the world like he was looking up at her.

"Contestant Qin Ye. As the only Tier 4 Magic Card Master to advance directly to the Top 16 in this National Competition—and also the contestant currently ranked number one on the trending list—do you have anything you want to say to the audience?"

Qin Ye lifted her eyelids. Those dark golden pupils swept across the audience. The roar of over one hundred thousand people slammed against the protective barrier, exploding into colorful light a few meters above her head.

Then she spoke. "...Yes."

Chief Commentator Lu Ming moved the microphone closer. The entire crowd of over one hundred thousand people held their breath in unison.

Qin Ye untied the knotted part of her skirt. The dark gothic-style pink lace draped down layer by layer, once again covering the old scar on her knee from her gladiator days. The dark golden gear pattern on the back of her hand rotated once.

"Today." She paused. "I am going to use the Stand Card designed for me by Card Creator Su Bai—"

She raised her right hand, her index finger pointing straight at the three peerless geniuses on the opposite side of the arena. Wei Xiaoyu's brow furrowed. Thunder God Xiao Juehan's mouth twitched. Master Mage Chen Taixu remained with his eyes closed, but his eyelid twitched.

"—to send all my opponents home."

——— Silence. Absolute silence. It lasted for a full three seconds. Then the audience erupted like someone had shoved a crate of dynamite underneath them.

"Su Bai!! Su Bai!! She said Su Bai!!" "Su Bai's design!! Qin Ye is using a Su Bai card!!" "The Card Creator of the Push-up Magical Girl is Su Bai!!"

"That's the Su Bai who got an SSS grade for making a ragdoll in the Monthly Exam!!" "And that's the same Su Bai who was scolded by the whole internet for losing his touch!!"

"Stand System!! The special weapon she mentioned is the Stand System!!"

The roar of the crowd piled up layer upon layer upon layer. The surface of the protective barrier began to show visible cracks from the vibration. On the dome, sixty-four holographic projections switched screens simultaneously—on the left, a video of Qin Ye using a rear-naked choke to lock down a strongman in a gladiator cage; on the right, a live stream screenshot of Su Bai displaying the Kyubey Card at the Monthly Exam.

Between the two images, a line of gold-stamped text appeared: [Su Bai × Qin Ye. Stand System. First combat appearance.]

Chief Commentator Lu Ming gripped the microphone. On that face so precise it could be written into a textbook, a completely uncontrolled expression finally appeared for the first time today. Pure, bone-deep, irrepressible excitement.

"Not to mention anything else, it would be even more interesting if Qin Ye could turn into a Magical Girl to fight... ahem, no, be serious! But upon hearing this name, the audience might have already guessed what will happen next—Su Bai—this name itself is a walking trending topic. The last time he appeared in public was half a month ago in the Imperial Palace, where, in front of Her Majesty the Empress and the entire imperial court, he declared that the Stand System requires striking a Jojo Pose and shouting 'Za Warudo'."

Chief Commentator Lu Ming took a deep breath. He turned to the camera, his voice trembling slightly. "Today. He has arrived. Bringing his Magic Card Master. Bringing that Stand System of his that has been mocked by the entire internet for a full half-month. Bringing something we have never seen before—a Special Card!"

He swung his arm. "The opening match of the finals—Qin Ye versus—the draw results are about to be revealed!!"