Eating Exhaust Fumes

By convention, this year's Cloud City Summer International Marathon was jointly broadcast live on television and online by Cloud City Television and Cloud City Online.

But unlike previous years, besides those two official platforms, Cloud City Television also livestreamed it simultaneously through its official accounts on QuickSound Video and Sailfish Live.

QuickSound Video and Sailfish Live were both currently blazing-hot new media platforms, each holding the highest market share in its respective field, with registered members and active users numbering in the hundreds of millions.

Although Cloud City Television did not have much attention or many followers on the two major new media platforms, quite a few people were watching the race livestream online.

With as many as thirty thousand participants, they themselves could influence multiplied numbers of friends and relatives. Many runners voluntarily promoted it on their social media feeds, naturally drawing in plenty of viewers.

And Gao Jing's emergence immediately sparked an enthusiastic response on the livestreaming platforms.

"Huh, the guy in first place is handsome!"

"Go, go!"

"Wow, handsome guy, you're amazing."

"He could make a living off his looks, yet he insists on standing out through skill. Support!"

"You have to win the championship!"

"Not bad, young man."

Yet compared with the praise, admiration, and support, there were even more mocking, doubtful, and outright abusive comments flying across the screen.

"Look at him hopping around now. Just wait and see how he dies later!"

"Young man, this isn't how you show off!"

"Running around blindly—he's clearly an amateur!"

"Is he trying to hype himself up? He's gone completely mad."

"I'd bet he won't even make it to the first supply station before dropping out!"

"Such an amateur. Does he think being in front at the start means he can hold on until the end? What a joke!"

"Someone like him doesn't deserve to run a full marathon. A fun run suits him better!"

"Fun run is right for him +1!"

That was actually quite normal, because many of the livestream viewers were themselves sports and fitness enthusiasts.

They had watched Gao Jing's entire charge into first place and were thoroughly unimpressed.

Then there were those who simply felt annoyed at seeing Gao Jing show off.

So what if he was handsome?

Ptooey!

They simply did not believe Gao Jing could last until the end, convinced that he would soon fall behind or withdraw from the race.

There were even people claiming to be professional runners who began educating everyone in the comments, pointing out exactly how improper Gao Jing's behavior was.

The result was that reality swiftly slapped them across the face!

The Cloud City Summer International Marathon had set up a supply point every five kilometers along the route, providing water, drinks, and high-energy food to replenish the runners' fluids and physical expenditure.

Gao Jing was the first to arrive at the first supply point.

He reached out and took a cup of water from the table at the station.

As he kept running forward, Gao Jing drained the entire cup in one gulp.

In the eyes of others, this was another display of his lack of professionalism.

But Gao Jing felt quite refreshed, flicking his wrist and tossing away the empty cup.

From three or four meters away, the empty cup landed unerringly in the trash can by the roadside.

And it was the recyclable bin, at that.

He raised both arms high and crossed them before waving twice at the camera ahead.

That sunny, handsome gesture immediately brought on another wave of comments in the livestream room.

"Wow! I'm a fan, I'm a fan! Does anyone have this handsome guy's WeChat?"

"a9274, go!"

"To whoever said the handsome guy wouldn't reach the first supply station, could you please come out and take a few steps?"

"Hahaha, this guy actually has some ability."

"Sour lemons are hilarious!"

Faced with the counterattack from Gao Jing's supporters, those who had just been mocking and doubting him all fell silent.

But they had not admitted defeat. They were simply waiting for a chance to strike back.

Waiting for Gao Jing to fall behind or quit.

Surprisingly, someone in the Sailfish Live stream actually sent a rocket.

"Here's a rocket! Wishing the handsome guy victory in the championship!"

Daytime was not Sailfish Live's peak period, so fewer people were streaming and naturally fewer gifts were being sent.

The moment the rocket from the ID "Tomorrow After Tomorrow" appeared, it immediately drew quite a few passing spectators into the marathon livestream room.

Running down the broad road, Gao Jing felt the continuous drizzle inside the Copper Anchor, and he was in a great mood.

The utterly dry great sandpit was turning back into a small pond.

And the water was rising!

What would happen once that "water" filled it up?

Gao Jing was immensely excited!

Run, run, run!

But while Gao Jing was happy, the African runners behind him were quite unhappy.

More and more unhappy!

By now, nearly a third of the entire course had been completed, yet Gao Jing still firmly held first place.

He alone formed the first pack!

About thirty or forty meters behind Gao Jing were five African runners, forming the second pack.

The third pack trailed even farther behind.

Naturally, the unhappy ones were the African runners in the second pack.

They had thought Gao Jing would soon fall behind and could not possibly threaten their path to gold.

But after more than ten kilometers, Gao Jing's pace had only grown steadier.

There was not the slightest sign of his stamina running dry!

The few of them sensed that something was wrong.

This was not scientific!

In the field of long-distance running, the advantages of professional African runners were universally acknowledged to be formidable.

Though they were not the very best, in city marathons of this low-to-mid tier, they had truly never encountered evenly matched opponents.

They had thought the tens of thousands of dollars in prize money were already securely in their grasp, only for a Gao Jing to emerge halfway and throw a wrench into the works.

Unbearable!

Two African runners from the second pack suddenly accelerated, catching up to Gao Jing in less than half a minute.

One of them overtook Gao Jing, while the other ran shoulder to shoulder with him.

Hm?

Gao Jing, who had been leading all along, was taken aback.

The finish line was still far away. Were they really going to cross blades with him now?

If they wanted to fight, then fight!

Gao Jing was not afraid at all!

Yet just as Gao Jing was preparing to accelerate and overtake them again, the African runner ahead suddenly shifted position, blocking him perfectly.

At the same time, the other African runner running shoulder to shoulder on Gao Jing's right, whether intentionally or not, suddenly misstepped and crashed into him!

In a city marathon, with so many participants, collisions were perfectly normal.

But after running more than ten kilometers, there were only three people in the leading pack. Their actions were undoubtedly highly abnormal.

Gao Jing immediately sensed the chilling malice from his opponents!

His reaction was exceptionally sharp. With a swift roll of his shoulder, he avoided the collision, then abruptly accelerated and rapidly went around the African runner in front.

Returning to the lead once more!

Not only that, Gao Jing kept accelerating, widening the gap between them.

Using dirty tricks?

Keep dreaming!

The two African runners gave up after chasing him for around a hundred meters.

The physical drain was too great.

Yet they were not the least bit dejected. Instead, smugness showed in their eyes.

In their view, although they had failed to intercept Gao Jing, they had completely disrupted his rhythm.

The faster Gao Jing ran now, the more miserably he would die later!

The final victory would still be their...

Teammate's!

Either way, it was all the same.

At that moment, the Sailfish Live stream room exploded.

The camera on the lead vehicle had clearly recorded the entire process of Gao Jing being sandwiched between them. Even complete outsider passersby could see what his opponents had intended.

"Damn, they can't outrun him, so they're playing dirty!"

"What a pity. He might've had a chance to place if he kept going, but now he's done for."

"Is this even our home ground? It feels worse than an away game!"

"This guy is already incredible. Even in defeat, he deserves honor."

"Stop shouting nonsense. Who says the handsome guy has lost? He's clearly still running in front."

"Heh heh."

"Go! Go! Go!"

That "Tomorrow After Tomorrow" from earlier sent another three rockets in a row!

Not only were the viewers in the online livestream room cheering Gao Jing on, but those watching the television broadcast in front of their TVs, the people watching live from both sides of the road, and even the volunteers were all shouting and applauding for Gao Jing as he pressed forward bravely.

"Go!!"

The drizzle inside the Copper Anchor transformed toward a torrential downpour. Greatly encouraged, Gao Jing seized the momentum in one burst and widened the distance between himself and the second pack to more than five hundred meters.

A full mile!

Gao Jing wanted to see what tricks they could still pull with such a massive gap between them!

Just obediently eat his exhaust fumes!!

He charged past one supply station after another, always maintaining roughly the same advantage.

An advantage that left his opponents utterly despairing.

And shattered the glasses of who knew how many people who had looked down on him.

After running for a full two hours, Victory Memorial Square, with its rainbow arch standing high, was already in sight!

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