Chapter 306

If a response cannot be given before then, asking Doctor Zhong for help again will be pointless. He can't even get into the competition venue; how can he help Maria clear the obstacles?

"Actually, I called because I found a way out. It can protect Maria's safety and allow the Nearl Family to retain their title of Knight nobles. However, this will come at a price."

Maena Saria, being a businesswoman herself, knew very well that there's no such thing as a free lunch.

"The cost is part of the contract. Help without any cost is something to be wary of. I'm starting to wonder, what exactly is the plan?"

"Dobermann from Rhodes Island introduced me to a very capable person. He can register Maria for the Knight Competition, secretly protect Maria, and eliminate any opponents she might encounter. If Maria can obtain the title of Knight, she can retain her family's crest."

The price is that the Nearl Family needs to do something for this person. They haven't decided what exactly that is yet.

But he assured me that he would absolutely not do anything immoral or illegal. I asked about the general direction; it should be related to business.

"This is utterly ridiculous!"

Maena knew that behind the Knight Competition were the Commercial Union and the Supervision Committee.

To think that Maria's next opponent could be eliminated right in front of them is nothing short of a pipe dream.

"Sophia, I don't care who this person you found is, immediately terminate your cooperation with him!"

Even if you've never been in business, you should understand a simple principle.

In this dog-eat-dog world, it's impossible to accumulate massive wealth without committing heinous and illegal acts.

I'm sure what this person is plotting is far more complex than it appears!

You should know that the titles of Knight nobles and the crest of the Nearl Family are nothing but empty names.

The Knight of the Nearl Family never need the approval of others to guide their path.

Even in Kazimierz today, every path is shrouded in darkness. They have neither the right nor the qualification to award medals to the Nearl Family!

That's true, but everyone has different opinions. For Sophia, she can't regard the former glory of the Nearl Family as nothing more than empty fame.

Furthermore, Dobermann enthusiastically introduced the situation, stating that he had collaborated with Doctor Zhong for three months. He often helped Rhodes Island quietly and selflessly, accomplishing many things without expecting anything in return.

"Maena, I understand your reasoning. But Maria has already stepped into that damned arena. Do you have a better way to stop or protect her?"

"..."

Silence, a long silence.

Maena had already advised Maria, but the girl ignored him completely, letting the advice go in one ear and out the other.

Banning Maria is only treating the symptoms, not the root cause.

As long as she doesn't give up on participating in Knight Competition, she'll find all sorts of ways to participate in the future, and there's no way to stop her.

Seeing that Maena remained silent for a while, Sophia sighed with some complicated feelings and took the initiative to end the conversation:

"Okay, that's all for now, bye."

After hanging up, she waited for ten minutes, but Maena didn't call back. Clearly, he couldn't think of a better solution than himself.

Regardless of what Doctor Zhong wants, the Nearl Family has now fallen to the point where their titles are almost revoked.

Anyway, there's nothing of value or worth in the house, so he can take whatever he wants.

Conversely, if Doctor Zhong truly has the ability to protect Maria during the battle until she earns the title of Knight, then paying a certain price would be worthwhile.

Thinking of this, Sophia bit her lip. A very bold idea flashed through her mind.

Otherwise, she could offer her body and serve this benefactor who revitalized the Nearl Family.

Oh my god, what am I thinking?

Sophia pressed her fingertips to her temples, trying to banish the damned thought from her mind.

Just as Maria said, the Nearl Family is now at its wit's end. As a member of a collateral branch of the family, she cannot stand idly by and watch the family decline.

***, let's give it our all!

After much internal struggle, Sophia finally made up her mind. She took out the contact number she had gotten from Dobermann and called Doctor Zhong.

June 25th, 9:00 AM

Early in the morning, Shi Lei arrived at the Knight Competition Arena to register, covering his face with the gray stone mask.

Today is the last day to register for the preliminary rounds; those who register after the deadline will not be able to participate in subsequent rounds.

There are so many people...

The number of citizens rushing to register on the last day was greater than the number of people queuing at the prediction sites.

There are no registered Knight here, only ordinary citizens.

Both Competitive Knight with Knight orders and wandering Knight without Knight orders signed up to participate very early on.

Currently, those who have signed up for the competition are all ordinary people who want to make a quick buck and leave.

Shi Lei asked a passerby and learned that the competitions the Knight participated in were different from those the citizens participated in. Moreover, the rules of the two were also different.

In layman's terms, the Knight Competition is the highest level league in Kazimierz. The league for ordinary citizens is the second-tier league.

Only the top finishers in the citizen competition are eligible to participate in the special tournament as wandering Knight.

If they perform well and defeat the Knight, who are at the bottom of the standings, they might catch the eye of an advertiser.

Then they will be able to leap over the Lungmen, earning in a month what they used to earn in one or two years, thus achieving upward social mobility.

It is precisely because of these benefits that countless young people in Kazimierz have signed up to participate, hoping to change their destiny through their own fists.

"Jenny, I was wrong! Please, please, give me another chance, Jenny!"

"Get out! I told you to get out!"

Shi Lei was in line when he suddenly noticed a man clinging to a woman's leg. The other citizens in line simply assumed it was a spectacle and didn't intervene.

"Jenny, for the sake of the child, please give me another chance, okay? I won't gamble again!"

"Pierre, you stole the money meant for the baby's formula and used it to buy that damn Knight Competition. How dare you even mention the baby in front of me?"

"Jenny, it's all my fault! I wanted to earn more money to provide a better environment for my child. But that Competitive Knight cheated on me, damn it! If he hadn't gone easy on me, I could have earned three times, no, five times the money!"

"Pah, Pierre! Let me tell you, we're fucking over! I'm getting a divorce! Your attitude disgusts me. Let go! Let go now! If you don't, I'm calling the police!"

"Jenny, I was wrong, so wrong. You're all I have now, please don't leave me."

"Get out! If you have any remorse, go pay off all your loans. I was too soft-hearted last time and took on several jobs to help you pay off tens of thousands. Are you coming back again?"

Wow, so he's a gambler.

Gambling addicts certainly don't deserve sympathy.

Shi Lei withdrew his gaze, no longer watching the commotion. Not long after, police arrived and took the two away.

There were so many people queuing up today. He arrived at the registration site at nine o'clock and didn't get a turn until almost noon.

A Kuranta male staff member sat in a chair, mechanically asking routine questions:

"Gender."

"Male."

"Race."

"Dragon."

Upon hearing this, the staff member looked up and glanced at Shi Lei, only to see that he was wearing a mask and showed no intention of checking him.

Anyway, that's how it is with citizen competitions; once the top few are decided, agents will naturally follow up.

"What's the code name? Knight?"

Shi Lei pondered for a moment, then suddenly thought of something very funny, and a grin spread across his face beneath the mask:

"Let's fill in Lucky Knight."

The staff handed over a disclaimer, which essentially stated that participants' lives in the competition were at the mercy of fate. If anyone was injured or killed, the operator would not be held responsible.

Once Shi Lei signs the Lucky Knight's name and affixes his red fingerprint, the contract is considered complete.

"At 3 p. m. sharp, the citizen competition will be held in Hall B1. If there's nothing else, you can go next."

Ark Pictures

374 Lucky Knight 3K

June 25th, 2:00 PM

Big Mouth Mob, the host of this Competitive Knight, is resting near the stairwell.

He glanced to the side and saw the Plastic Knight who was supposed to fight Maria that afternoon appear, and jokingly said:

"Isn't this the new contestant from the Howling Knights? He's here really early. The match doesn't start for another two hours. Did he come early to prepare?"

Plastic Knight Sergiac is a starting member of the Howling Knights Special Tournament. He uses a blue-bladed sword and a crossbow as his weapons during the competition.

He wore a grey Knight robe and a brightly colored plastic helmet with a cyberpunk vibe. His entire face was covered, except for a pair of Kuranta ears.

The Plastic Knight ignored the host's teasing and turned his gaze to the center of the competition field:

"I just haven't played in a place like this for a long time, and I really miss it."

Howling Knights the Big Mouth Mob chuckled and asked the question that had been bothering him:

"If I remember correctly, your points are already among the top in the Knight Order, right? You don't need to participate in today's battle at all."

Speaking of this, the Plastic Knight sighed:

"Sigh, there's nothing I can do, it's the boss's requirement. I was on vacation, but I had to come back after just one phone call."

Big Mouth Mob shook his head. Whether it's a host or Competitive Knight, they're essentially just working people.

"Alright, I happen to be the commentator for today's match. I look forward to your performance."

As the two were talking, a man named Kuranta, dressed in a black shapewear, approached and politely said:

"I'm sorry to interrupt your conversation. May I speak with Mr. Sergiac alone?"

The Plastic Knight secretly sized up the man in front of him, feeling that the other person was completely unfamiliar:

"Who are you..."

"Yes, Mr. Sergiac. I am a staff member of the Special Tournament preliminary rounds. This is my business card, please take a look."

The Plastic Knight took the business card and glanced at it, but still felt puzzled:

"What do you need me for?"

"Mr. Sergiac, Howling Guard Company requires you to equip yourself with the latest Jack2 Armor model for your one-on-one combined duel with Maria Saria and to do your best to prolong the battle."

The Plastic Knight, being knowledgeable, was quite puzzled:

"That can't be right. The material of the new armor isn't designed for Knight Competition at all. In a real fight, it might very well..."

"It's okay."

The staff member interrupted, explaining:

"The return of the Little Knight of the Nearl Family will attract a lot of media attention, which is a great opportunity."

Howling Guard Company has paid a huge price to win the bid for the National Assembly contract.

All that's needed now is a stage and an opportunity to showcase it. It's both a test and a promotion.

The chairman promised to reward you with three times your after-tax income from last year. Mr. Sergiac, this amount is enough to buy a village in your hometown; I hope you won't refuse so hastily.

Was it really necessary to go this far?

"Mr. Sergiac. Exposure and sales are secondary. The buzz and revenue from special tournaments will give Howling Guard Company more say at the Commercial Union. You know what I mean?"

The Plastic Knight initially didn't want to agree, because changing armor at the last minute would affect his performance in the game.

However, the chairman gave far too much.

"Alright, since it's the boss's request and he's being so generous, I have no reason to refuse."

"Mr. Sergiac, thank you very much for your cooperation. I will send the instructions for the new armor and the complete set of equipment to your lounge later. Please remember to change into them before the match begins."

"Yes, I know."