Tang Miao: Want to Make a Bet?

Thirty-two flags hung in the sky above Venice. As the sun rose, magical cannons boomed throughout the beautiful city nestled in the bay. Brilliant and sacred light shone down, falling upon the young and energetic faces of the teams from various countries. Listening to the soaring Italian magical war song, and basking in the envious, admiring, and hopeful gazes of people all over the world, countless student mages dreamed of this day!

Because from this moment on, they were no longer unknown little mages...

Instead, they were dazzlingly renowned monks who could potentially enter the Parthenon Temple, the Temple of Freedom, the Holy Court of Judgment, or the St. Peter's Basilica, and whose mere mention of their names could elicit a gasp of admiration wherever they went.

Of course, Tang Miao, for example, had absolutely no interest in these forces.

After all, these so-called powerful forces are all just arrogant and overconfident. In reality, they don't have much influence.

The Black Vatican alone is enough to keep them completely at their mercy.

While it's true that the cardinals of the Black Vatican are known for their intellect, are there no other people in the world with sharp minds?

They certainly possess them, and there are quite a few of them.

However, to possess both a brilliant mind and exceptional abilities, Tang Miao felt that there were very few people like him.

Moreover, even if someone stands out, without any background, even if they join these powerful forces, they may not necessarily be valued by them.

Of course, it's possible, but... he has no interest in such a slim chance.

"..."

After the opening ceremony was completed, representatives from almost every country were named.

With the combined efforts of these forces, even when students are simply going out for training, their safety is greatly guaranteed.

The venue for this opening ceremony was not large, but those sitting inside were likely all world-renowned mages. The power and influence they represented made it a sacred place that all mages yearned for.

The head representative from Huaxia was Pang Lai, the Chief Court Mage Imperial Palace. The Court Mage of Huaxia represent the strongest group of mages in the country, ranking above the Judges, the Pearl Mage Group, and the Imperial Guard Mage Group...

Zhao Manyan was quite familiar with the important figures of the various forces. There was no way around it; he had lived among so-called "celebrity" mages, and being familiar with the major forces and their leaders was basic common sense required by his family!

After his detailed explanation, Tang Miao said she was getting sleepy...

"Damn, Tang Miao, you're not thinking of starting your own aristocratic family, are you?" Zhao Manyan said with a hint of joking.

Tang Miao nodded and said with a smile, "Otherwise, do you think I would live under someone else's roof?"

"Holy crap..." Zhao Manyan was startled...

He was just saying it casually, and didn't really believe it was true. But... to his surprise, this guy actually thought so?!

"Big brother, you're not joking, are you?" Zhao Manyan asked incredulously.

"Who's joking with you? Living under someone else's roof has never been what I wanted," Tang Miao replied seriously.

"Do you own land? Or do you have money?"

To Zhao Manyan's statement, Tang Miao bluntly admitted, "No."

"Ugh~"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Manyan felt that this person was just mocking him... and said with utter disdain, "You're just bragging, be careful you don't bite off more than you can chew."

Tang Miao didn't explain further, and then asked, "What if I really establish a powerful clan?"

"Impossible!" Zhao Manyan shook his head without even thinking.

Are you kidding me? Are aristocratic clans something that can be established so easily?

Moreover, this is something that is neither money nor power; it seems like a pipe dream.

"Want to make a bet?" Tang Miao asked with a playful expression, his mischievous intent to trick Zhao Wugui resurfacing once again.

Seeing his expression, Zhao Manyan couldn't help but feel a little flustered...

After all, he'd never won a bet against that bastard. By now, the value of the items he'd lost to Tang Miao was roughly fifty or sixty million...

But this time, he felt it was all a load of bull!

It's impossible no matter how you look at it!

Although he was panicking, Zhao Manyan felt that it was still worth a try!

However, he didn't rush to agree. Instead, he looked at Tang Miao and said, "Even if you can establish a clan, there has to be a time limit, right? Otherwise, if it's a lifetime commitment, wouldn't I be destined to lose this bet?"

"Hmm, not bad, quite clever. How about three years then?" Tang Miao said calmly, still unhurriedly, despite the sudden burst of wit from this "silly dog."

Actually, it won't take three years, but as someone who's used to tricking Zhao Manyan, he's genuinely afraid of being caught off guard and suffering a setback. This idiot is definitely going to gamble big this time!

"Okay, it's a deal!" Zhao Manyan hurriedly replied as soon as Tang Miao finished speaking.

"You haven't said what you're betting on yet?" Tang Miao shrugged.

"This time, let's bet on what I lost to you... alright, let's bet fifty million." After a quick calculation, it was over fifty million, but not quite sixty million, so he was being a little polite.

Seeing that the bastard still had some conscience, Tang Miao was inexplicably moved. Looking at him, she said, "You lost almost sixty million to me, how about we bet sixty million?"

Whether you swindle 100 million or 120 million, it's still a scam. So why not swindle even more?

Seeing him like this, Zhao Manyan couldn't help but feel a little guilty.

After all, he didn't know if this scoundrel was extorting him. But no matter how he thought about it, he didn't believe that Tang Miao, that jerk, could build a family of his own without any power.

"Don't try to scare me, let's bet!"

"..."

While the two were joking around, the opening ceremony came to an end, and then the tense and exciting lottery session began.

Thirty-two National Team —which country will clash with which? This has created a gambling pool overflowing with money all over the world. Why are ordinary people, who aren't so concerned with national affairs or the magical battles, so enthusiastic about watching the World Academy Competition?

On the one hand, this has become a hot topic every four years, relating to the prosperity and glory of one's own country. On the other hand, and more importantly, the flow of funds in gambling operations during this period can rival the import and export volumes of a country...

As the captain of the National Team, Ai Jiangtu was responsible for drawing lots, and his first opponent was Little Japan.

When he drew their names, the other party was actually quite pleased with themselves, seemingly thinking that encountering Huaxia was an incredibly lucky thing!