Several boys sat chatting in the contestants' seats. Their leader was a boy of thirteen or fourteen dressed in blue. His bright eyes were clear as water and shone with sincerity, confidence filled his brow, and a composed smile rested on his face. He was Chen Jianzun.
"The day's finally here! Today I can cut loose and really go all out-and have a proper fight with you, Jianzun!" Chen Jianjun said, brimming with excitement.
Chen Jianjun was a battle maniac. Once he caught someone, he would not let them leave. At first, Chen Jianzun had been quite interested in sparring with him. These days, though, he was quick to dodge him.
Chen Jianzun flashed a sunny smile. "Jianjun, you'd better watch out. Your half of the bracket won't be easy."
Chen Jianjun rubbed his hands together. "Jianzun, yours isn't weak either. We're in the same boat. Just don't meet your Waterloo when the time comes."
Chen Jianzun looked a little bewildered. "Waterloo? What's Waterloo?"
"One of Xiaojun's 'new words.' Waterloo apparently means running into an iron cart sliding downhill on a mountain road. It's a metaphor for a crushing defeat. Xiaojun saw it in an ancient book," Chen Jianjun explained. "That's what it means, right, Xiaojun?"
"Mm," Chen Xiaojun replied, his expression a little odd.
When Chen Jianjun had first asked him that question, he had been so dumbfounded that he had nearly broken into a sweat.
This world had no Belgian town called Waterloo, much less a Battle of Waterloo. Luckily, he had thought quickly and attributed it to an ancient book. Ever since then, Chen Xiaojun had been a little more cautious with his choice of words.
"Sixth, you're not usually this quiet." His older cousin Chen Feng found Chen Xiaojun's reaction rather strange today.
"Maybe I'm a