Chapter 311
It's time.
Inside the lounge, the Rust Copper Knight stood before the full-length mirror, admiring his own imposing figure. He occasionally twitched his nose, as if he were about to take illicit drugs.
As soon as he stood up, the Rust Copper Knight suddenly felt a dizzying sensation. Before he could react, his will was instantly overwhelmed by unparalleled Psychic Power.
His pupils were unfocused, his slightly parted lips were not closed, and a little saliva was dripping out.
Meanwhile, the host, Big Mouth Mob, rang out through a megaphone throughout the venue. The show opened with familiar advertising slogans:
"La Signora and gentlemen, I am here again to commentate on this highly anticipated match."
Howling Guard and protect your safety! The first 100 callers will enjoy a 5% discount for a limited time. Don't miss this opportunity! Call XXX-XXXXXX and act now!
Okay, okay, stop booing me. I know you're all anxious, but I'm just as anxious as you are.
Come on, stop dawdling. I believe many of you are here today specifically for this contestant. She was born into one of the oldest Knight families. Let's all shout her name: Maria Saria!
It has to be said that Big Mouth Mob is a master at creating a lively atmosphere. With just a little encouragement, the audience started chanting Saria's name in unison.
"Saria! Saria! Saria!"
"Saria! Saria! Saria!"
These two words seem to possess a magical power, constantly stimulating the audience's senses.
"La Signora and gentlemen, I believe that the youngest daughter of the Nearl Family has already felt your warmth."
Will today's match repeat the miracle of the last one, or will we be defeated by the more cautious Rust Copper Knight?
Come on, let's give Maria Saria of applause!
Amidst screams and whistles from the stands, Maria slowly walked into the center of the arena. She slung her shield behind her back and waved to the audience.
Regardless of whether her opponent in this match is an actor throwing the game or taking it seriously, Maria will give it her all and accept all the consequences.
After Maria takes the stage, it should be the Rust Copper Knight's turn to appear.
Big Mouth Mob held the microphone, his tone impassioned:
"Next, let me introduce him! This wicked fellow who has crippled countless people is the Arena Butcher from the Blood Knight Legion, a brutal Knight who never lets his opponents leave the arena unscathed! Come, let's welcome—Olmer Ingla!"
The audience's reaction was noticeably less enthusiastic than when they chanted for Saria. This was partly because the Nearl Family had a war hero, something the Ingla family couldn't compare to. Secondly, Olmer had a poor reputation and extremely low public appeal.
It's already good enough that they didn't smash Kun Dan, let alone welcome him?
Daydreaming!
Some gamblers admire Olmer's ruthless fighting style. It's not that they particularly like him, but rather they support whoever makes them money.
Following Big Mouth Mob's lead, everyone's eyes turned to the west.
However, the tall, Rust Copper Knight was expected did not emerge. Everyone waited in silence for nearly two minutes, but still no one appeared.
What's going on?
Maria stared at the entrance Passage Entrance to the west, a look of confusion on her face. The depths of the passage were pitch black, like a gaping maw of an abyss ready to devour anyone at any moment.
Where is the Rust Copper Knight?
Is he afraid that he won't come out? Or does he want to suddenly appear and surprise everyone?
Big Mouth Mob was completely stunned. He hadn't received any prior notice and had no idea what was going on.
Out of professionalism, he began to try to find excuses and buy time for the Rust Copper Knight.
"La Signora and gentlemen, there's been a minor incident at the competition venue, but please don't worry. Our staff are on their way to investigate. We'll get back to you as soon as we have any updates."
Although the match hasn't started yet, I can already smell the tension in the air from the commentary booth! I'm really looking forward to seeing what kind of exciting game these two will deliver!
In addition, Howling Guard Company has just launched an unprecedented mega-promotion. The first 100 customers who call the customer service hotline to order the Jack 2 armor will enjoy a 50% discount! This is an unprecedented offer. Don't miss out!
If the conversation at the beginning was about recent events, the audience could barely tolerate it. But the later commercial break, where they offered to sell the armor that had been involved in yesterday's incident at half price, became unbearable.
"Damn it, are we going to fight or not?"
"Exactly, don't waste my time!"
Hearing the complaints from the surrounding audience, Big Mouth Mob was at a loss. He didn't know what had happened either, and could only try to stall for time.
The staff said they would check, but why haven't they replied yet?
Big Mouth Mob, frantically checked his phone, looking as anxious as an ant on a hot plate. Finally, the notification sound of a text message brought a sigh of relief to his heart, which had been hanging in suspense.
After reading the text message, he looked astonished and found it hard to believe.
"La Signora and gentlemen, I have some unfortunate news to share. The Rust Copper Knight, Olmer Ingla, is currently in a coma, and his agent has surrendered."
In other words, the winner of this Knight Competition is Maria Saria, the youngest daughter of the Nearl Family!
The news caused an uproar.
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379 The Flames of Suspicion 3K
What the hell? You lost already?
Both those who supported Maria and those who supported Olmer found this outcome difficult to accept.
"I came all this way to watch this game, only to find it was all for nothing. What's going on?"
"This is outrageous! I paid five times the price for an inner-circle ticket from a scalper. And now it's over before the game even started! Are they kidding me? This is so damn outrageous!"
"If the Rust Copper Knight were defeated head-on, that would be due to inferior skill, and I have no complaints. But in this situation, being declared the loser is something I truly cannot accept!"
In the previous match, although Maria was completely dominated by the Plastic Knight Sergiac, she was not injured, demonstrating her outstanding defensive capabilities.
As for her offensive capabilities, Maria only used two moves in total. The first was a leaping attack that made the opponent's shoulder armor smoke. The second was a backhand stab that ended the match.
Therefore, both the general public and laymen are eagerly anticipating Maria Saria's battle today. They hope she can engage in a thrilling and exhilarating match with the Rust Copper Knight.
The problem is that it's over before we even started, and the enthusiasm we had just built up has been extinguished.
It's like taking a shower before doing that, and then coming out to find that the person has disappeared—that's the same feeling.
Anyone would be furious in this situation.
Verbal abuse is considered mild; some viewers with explosive tempers may even resort to extreme actions.
Hearing the various insults from the audience, Big Mouth Mob, sitting in the commentary booth, felt like he was sitting on pins and needles, with a fishbone stuck in his throat. He kept wiping his sweat, unsure how to salvage the situation.
"Ring ring ring".
Just then, my phone rang. The caller ID showed it was the head of the Commercial Union.
Big Mouth Mob, as if seeing a lifeline, quickly asked what to do next after the call was connected.
"What did you say? Oh... okay... um... okay... I understand."
After hanging up the phone, Big Mouth Mob answered two more calls. Only then did he turn the microphone back on and announce to the audience who hadn't yet left the venue:
"La Signora and gentlemen, I have just received an update from the Commercial Union. Just minutes ago, Mr. Olmer Ingla, the Rust Copper Knight, tragically passed away. According to the rule of 'Competitive Knight fail to enter the arena within the time limit for a loss,' the result of this match remains unchanged. As the investor of the Howling Arena, Howling Guard Company are willing to fully refund the tickets. We hope that everyone will continue to support the matches held at the Howling Arena in the future."
Additionally, if you purchased your tickets from scalpers, you will only receive a full refund at the original price. Offline reselling is not protected by Kazimierz law.
The cause of death of the Rust Copper Knight is still under investigation by the Commercial Union. The public can follow the progress of the case through television, the internet, or other media channels.
I will be here the day after tomorrow at the same time to provide commentary on Miss Maria's next match. That concludes today's commentary. Enjoy the match!
After saying that, Big Mouth Mob quickly made his escape. He dared not stay any longer, lest he get himself into trouble.
The situation unfolded as he had predicted. His previous explanation failed to appease everyone.
The audience members who came to buy tickets today can be roughly divided into three categories based on their nature.
The first type of audience comes to watch the game.
Whether they supported Maria or the Rust Copper Knight Olmer, including some Competitive Knight came to gather information, they were all there to watch the match.
Now that Olmer Ingla has passed away, they can't say anything more. Besides, Howling Guard Company promised a full refund, so they didn't lose too much.
The second type of audience members are not primarily interested in watching the game itself, but rather in getting the results of the match as soon as possible.
Recently, the Commercial Union has been sparing no effort in promoting Maria Saria. Many ticket-buying audience members have participated in this betting game.
With odds of 1.98 to 2.12, no matter how much you bet, your winnings will double if you bet correctly.
Those who bet on Maria to win were naturally overjoyed and pocketed their money without a doubt. Moreover, she hadn't been injured during the match, revealing more of her tactical reserves.
This makes it less likely to be targeted, which will greatly increase the chances of winning the next battle.
The third type of spectator were those who bet on the Rust Copper Knight to win. Those who placed large bets on this game, in particular, lost everything.
They could not accept this outcome.
Olmer Ingla may have questionable sportsmanship in the arena, but his skill is undeniable. Many gamblers increase their bets on him defeating Maria Saria because of his willingness to go all out.
Whether the Rust Copper Knight lives or dies is of no concern to them. But will the Commercial Union refund everyone's bets just because a player dies?
The indignant audience members stood up and vented their dissatisfaction on the departing crowd:
"It's a fixed match! This must be a fixed match!"
"Everyone, don't rush off! Listen to me! This must be the Commercial Union's plan. They know Maria can't win, so they're assassinating the Rust Copper Knight!"
Seeing that no one paid any attention, they then spread various conspiracy theories to the TV cameramen and the contestants in the audience.
Maria reached the edge of the arena, just about to explain to the spectators, when Sophia interrupted her, forcefully dragging her away through the eastern Passage Entrance.
At times like this, no amount of explanation will help. In fact, saying the wrong thing could make you the target of public criticism.
Upon seeing this scene, Shi Lei grinned, revealing a satisfied smile beneath his mask.
Kazimierz has a different economic focus than other countries, and its development is somewhat distorted.
The Commercial Union, in particular, has amassed a fortune through Knight Competition. It has already gained a significant number of seats in the National Assembly, influencing the entire nation's trajectory.
With Shi Lei's capabilities, destroying the Commercial Union would be a piece of cake. But capital is not a living thing.
When one Commercial Union falls, another Commercial Union will rise.
The Knight Competition, for example, has been held in Kazimierz for over seventy years and is deeply entrenched. Furthermore, the surrounding industries are exceptionally developed. It's impossible to eradicate it entirely by suppressing one organization.
What Shi Lei is doing now is undermining the credibility of the Commercial Union.
Only when more and more viewers begin to question the fairness of Knight Competition can its foundation be shaken.
One game isn't enough, then two. Two games aren't enough, then three.
As more and more people suspect foul play in Knight Competition, they will be more cautious when placing large bets and less likely to go all in.
The flame that Shi Lei ignited in the hearts of the people of Kazimierz was called suspicion.
Although those who want to bet will still place their bets, this concern can make some gamblers who are about to place large bets think twice, thus avoiding situations where they are ruined.
When a gambler knows that the house is rigging the game, the probability of him going all in will decrease significantly.
As the saying goes, a little gambling is harmless, but excessive gambling is harmful.
Kazimierz still has many derivative industries related to Knight Competition, which cannot be directly cut off.
Small bets can still promote economic development and will not stifle existing industrial models.
The difference is that the Commercial Union and the capital behind them can no longer make as much money as before.
Shi Lei my opinion, it is extremely foolish to sympathize with wealthy capitalists.
Even if they earn very little, it's still an amount that many people can only dream of achieving in several lifetimes. Only those whose own interests are affected will have the audacity to complain about the capitalists.
Seeing those gamblers, their mentality shattered by defeat, running in front of the camera and screaming at the top of their lungs about match-fixing, will only fuel the flames of suspicion to burn even further and brighter.
As the instigator of all this, Shi Lei turned around and blended into the departing crowd, concealing his merits and fame.
June 27, 5:51 pm
Martin's Bar.
Sophia, along with Maria, Old Fu, and Koval, left the arena of the Knight Competition.
As for whether Doctor Zhong was responsible, she didn't dare call to confirm. At this critical juncture, phone calls in the city were easily tapped. What might have been concealed could easily be exposed by her own actions.