Chapter 340
In the arena, strength is always the deciding factor. Let's wait and see who is superior!
Spokesperson Mackey made it clear last night that there would be Black Whistle Big Mouth Mob today.
To prevent any mishaps, he stayed up all night writing several versions of the script to prepare for any eventuality.
"The first contestant to enter is the Lucky Knight, who has won all the way from the common people. It is said that so far, no Knight has been able to crack his mysterious Originium Arts."
Upon hearing the commentator's introduction, Shi Lei walked out of the player tunnel and into the center of the arena.
"Next up is the Nightmare Chaser Knight, a rising star who fought his way up from the bottom to the quarterfinals. His record is equally impressive. Now, let's welcome the Nightmare Chaser Knight, Tola!"
Shi Lei looked towards the other side of the contestant passage, his Psychic Power extending to the end of his vision.
The Nightmare Chaser Knight did not come as agreed, no longer challenging opponents against whom he had no chance of winning.
As no one appeared in the athletes' tunnel for a long time, the spectators in the stands couldn't help but boo.
"What's going on? You're not coming to participate again?"
"Exactly, what's wrong with this year's Knight Competition? Players keep skipping events. Do they think this place is a toilet, where they can come and go as they please?"
Big Mouth Mob quickly notified staff to check the locker room and corridors, while trying to stabilize the situation:
"Dear viewers, please be patient. We have already gone to urge them on, and the contestant will be on stage soon."
Even as the match officially began at 9 o'clock, the Nightmare Chaser Knight still hadn't shown up.
The referees on the sidelines were all in cahoots and were prepared for Black Whistle.
As long as the Nightmare Chaser Knight gain even the slightest advantage, they can declare victory from a technical standpoint.
After so much deliberate preparation, no one expected that the contestants would not show up.
It's like buying condoms, but the other person doesn't show up for the date, which makes you feel upset and resentful.
According to the rules of the Knight Competition, failing to enter the arena within the allotted time is considered a forfeit. However, the referees looked at each other, and none of them announced such a result.
The wait continued until 9:10 PM, when the impatient spectators in the stands began to curse. Only then did they reluctantly announce that Nightmare Chaser Knight had forfeited the match.
You're such a disappointment!
Why not take advantage of such a great opportunity?
Big Mouth Mob felt like he was punching cotton, but he forced himself to continue his explanation:
"La Signora and gentlemen, we apologize for keeping you waiting. After verification by the referees and staff, it has been confirmed that Nightmare Chaser Knight is not participating. According to the competition rules, the winner of this special tournament's quarterfinals is— Lucky Knight!"
Upon hearing this result, the audience erupted in uproar:
"What the hell are you guys doing?"
"Maria's opponents always forfeit, why are Lucky Knight's opponents doing the same thing?"
"I heard that the Commercial Union manipulated the match results behind the scenes, trying to make Maria the champion."
"Didn't they hold a press conference to say that what's online is a rumor? So who should we believe?"
"You're too naive. They say it's all rumors, and you believe it all? Didn't you notice how easily Maria won every game in the special tournament? I'll bet you a pack of cigarettes she'll forfeit this afternoon. To put it bluntly, it's the Commercial Union manipulating things behind the scenes."
"Let's bet, I'm not afraid of you! Maria Saria has encountered three players who have forfeited: the Rust Copper Knight, the Decaying Knight, and the Tomcat Knight. It's already the quarterfinals, surely no one else will forfeit?"
Upon hearing the commentator announce his victory, Shi Lei left the venue through the players' tunnel.
Public criticism of the Commercial Union is growing increasingly intense. This is not something that can be completely resolved by simply holding a couple of press conferences.
At 12:40 pm, Shi Lei arrived at the First Club Arena again.
This is the second quarterfinal match of the day, featuring Maria Saria against Little Bluebird Knight.
There were significantly more spectators at the event than in the morning.
Looking around, the place was packed with people. A preliminary estimate suggests the occupancy rate was around 80-90%.
Following suit, Shi Lei used his Psychic Scan the locker room of Maria's opponent.
To prevent any accidents from happening to the Little Bluebird Knight, the Commercial Union hired the city's top bodyguards.
Even so, Shi Lei still managed to make the Little Bluebird Knight faint through remote operation.
With the match about to begin, commentator Big Mouth Mob cleared his throat and turned on his microphone:
"La Signora and gentlemen, welcome to the arena sponsored by the First Club."
The next contestant, I believe, needs no introduction. Please give a warm round of applause to welcome Maria Saria, the little Knight of the Nearl Family!
"Go, little Knight!"
"Maria, is the Commercial Union really going to make you the champion? I'm betting everything on you this time, give them a good beating!"
When Maria appeared on stage, the spectators in the stands stood up and cheered her on.
"Next up is the Little Bluebird Knight, renowned for his speed. It is said that he inherited the mantle of the Bluebird Knight, and his attacks are so swift that they are impossible to defend against!"
Will he defeat Maria today, causing the fall of the Little Knight of the Nearl Family? Or will he become Maria's backdrop, personally sending her into the final four? The answer will soon be revealed. Now, please welcome the Little Bluebird Knight!
After Big Mouth Mob finished speaking, he saw that no one came out of the contestant passage, and his heart skipped a beat.
No way, not again?
The audience seemed to realize something and began to peer into the empty contestant passage.
"What's going on?"
"Could it be that they've withdrawn from the competition again?"
"In the morning's match, Nightmare Chaser Knight didn't come to the arena. Little Bluebird Knight arrived early for this match, so why isn't he coming out? I heard the Commercial Union even hired bodyguards at a high price to protect his safety."
"Hahaha, that's hilarious. If we go by your logic, Maria is guaranteed to win this round."
"Why?"
"Recently, the news about the Commercial Union fixing matches has caused quite a stir, hasn't it? They paid bodyguards to protect the Little Bluebird Knight, but when the match time came, they didn't show up. Think about it carefully."
The outcome was exactly as the audience had predicted.
The Little Bluebird Knight still hadn't shown up by 1 p. m. when the game was supposed to start.
This made the audience even more disgusted, feeling that they had been humiliated by the Commercial Union.
They're fixing matches, and they don't even bother to back down. They've practically barred the players from even getting into the arena. Are they finally giving up on their act?
Maria stood in the center of the arena, unsurprised by the outcome.
She had discussed it with her sister a few days ago, and they expected the Commercial Union to send her to the finals.
When Maria and Margaret clash, it will be an internal power struggle within the Nearl Family. They will use this as a gimmick to attract more viewers and generate buzz.
So, is this another victory achieved without a fight?
In the stands, the ten referees looked at each other in bewilderment.
After announcing the Lucky Knight' victory in the morning, they were severely reprimanded by several directors of the Commercial Union.
We must do everything we can to delay this match.
But dragging it out like this isn't a good idea.
It wasn't until half an hour later, when a large number of audience members left in anger, that they announced the final result.
The referees felt much like the commentators: frustrated, disgusted, and powerless. To put it bluntly, it was like eating shit.
The Commercial Union had set up the stage, including referees, commentators, online trolls, newspapers, television programs, and expert interviews. However, the entire plan fell through because the Little Bluebird Knight couldn't perform.
Hearing the constant jeers from the audience, Mob, the Big Mouth Mob, felt that earning a salary was really hard. Upon receiving the referee's verdict, he immediately explained:
"La Signora and gentlemen, we have an urgent announcement. Little Bluebird Knight is unable to participate in the arena due to illness. Despite on-site treatment by the medical staff, she remains unable to recover. After deliberation by the judges, it has been concluded that the winner of the second round of the quarterfinals of this special tournament is— Maria Saria!"
The announcement of the results did not quell public anger. On the contrary, the spectators in the stands became even more furious.
"***, give me my money back!"
"Does the Commercial Union have no shame at all?"
"Are you guys so blatant about fixing matches now? Don't you care about the audience's feelings at all?"
After announcing the results, Big Mouth Mob was quickly attacked with water bottles and fled the scene in a panic.
Maria also did not linger, and with the cover of Sophia and the other two, she withdrew through the contestant tunnel.
Audiences who had watched two consecutive disappointing shows vented their anger on the Commercial Union.
They shared the situation on-site, along with their own feelings, on various social media accounts, further fueling the rumors of match-fixing.
At 4 PM, the final quarterfinal match was scheduled: Fire Dragon Knight versus Yellow Robe Knight. However, this match didn't attract many spectators.
Even though the two fought fiercely on the battlefield, they couldn't salvage the audience's negative impression of the Commercial Union.
After a fierce battle lasting half an hour, the Yellow Robe Knight in overalls emerged victorious.
With this, the four finalists for the 24th Knight Competition have been determined.
Number 15 is the match between the newly returned Bright Knight and the Lucky Knight who won by default.
On the afternoon of the 16th, Maria faced off against the Yellow Robe Knight.
Considering the physical and mental strain of the battles, there will be a day of rest on the 17th. On the 18th, the final two competitors will compete to determine the champion of this year's Knight Competition.
Although the quarterfinals have ended, the match-fixing scandal is far from over.
The internet is flooded with rumors of match-fixing and attacks on the Commercial Union; there's just too much to delete.
Furthermore, actions such as deleting posts and banning users can trigger a backlash from netizens. If one account is banned, they will register multiple accounts and continue posting.
If the forum raises the level requirement for posting, they will spread the word in places where they can post. They even gather offline and take to the streets in protest.
Behind these incidents, the shadow of the Supervision Committee can be found. They would never let go of such an opportunity to kick someone when they're down.
Even though the Commercial Union knew that the Supervision Committee secretly making underhanded moves, there was nothing they could do. Because these were all facts, without any exaggeration or fabrication.
The world is vast and its opinions are endless; it's impossible to silence everyone.
It's extremely difficult to completely reverse public opinion.
Many Competitive Knight had normal physical indicators before entering the arena. However, once they entered the locker room, they would inexplicably faint. No matter how many tests were conducted afterward, no specific cause could be found.
Initially, the Commercial Union suspected it was a problem with the venue. Several different arenas were subsequently used, but the fainting spells persisted.
Later, the Commercial Union hired bodyguards to prevent unauthorized personnel from approaching. However, contestants would still suddenly faint in full view of everyone.
This left executives and Doctor completely baffled, unsure of what was going on.
Such a bizarre thing cannot be explained by scientific principles.
Some people have suspected Lucky Knight because his Originium Arts are related to mysterious cause and effect.
However, the Knight who fought against him usually only experienced symptoms such as slipping, stomach aches, or missing shots; they never suddenly fainted. Moreover, the review of the surveillance footage did not reveal anything wrong with the Lucky Knight.
The current situation is that the Commercial Union knows something is wrong, but doesn't know what it is.
Holding repeated press conferences before clarifying the truth will only backfire. If certain questions arise that cannot be answered, it could easily make matters worse, giving the Supervision Committee an opportunity to exploit the situation.
July 15th, 10:00 AM
At 10:00 AM sharp, Margaret called a press conference with reporters from newspapers and television stations. In front of the media, she announced her withdrawal from the Knight Competition.
This explosive news immediately caused an uproar among the audience.
Since Blood Knight withdrew from the competition, only Lucky Knight remains as a contender in the upper bracket. None of the players in the lower bracket pose a threat to Bright Knight.
Everyone thinks that as long as Margaret makes it to the semi-finals, she will win the championship no matter who she faces.
With the championship trophy within reach, he suddenly announced his withdrawal from the competition. This left the media present with not only regret but also many questions. They raised their microphones, pointing them at the Bright Knight on the stage:
"Was your sudden withdrawal from the competition influenced by rumors of match-fixing by the Commercial Union?"
Margaret for a moment, then responded directly:
"You could say that, or you could say that. Perhaps you've all heard about the incident a while ago where Infected Knight self-destructed on the field."
He wouldn't have exploded originally, but was surrounded and attacked by other members of the Knight Order. Forced to use Originium Arts to parry and save his life, he ultimately caused the tragedy. This is how the Infected are treated in Kazimierz.
The Infected Knight won the match in the arena, and should have reclaimed their rightful dignity. But sadly, what good did it all do?