Chapter 141

Xu Jintang paused for a moment, then said, "That works too."

I'm just killing time anyway.

Soon, Xu Jintang followed the staff to the backstage area.

The reporter was already seated and waiting. Upon seeing Xu Jintang, she immediately stood up, a smile spreading across her face. "Hello, Miss Qian, I admire your name."

Xu Jintang politely shook hands with the other person, saying, "Hello, hello."

The reporter gestured for her to sit down, "Let's begin the interview."

At the same time, the live interview session also started automatically.

[No, the competition over there hasn't even finished yet, and they're already starting the champion's acceptance speech and interviews here?]

[There's nothing we can do; that Foodie is just too powerful, he directly and forcefully melted the core formation of the Sealed Lock Inscription.]

[I bet the Foodie will be recruited by the Command Bureau. People like that won't do badly in the future.]

Chapter 141

The young reporter smiled and offered her the microphone.

"Miss Qian, I'm the reporter in charge of this interview. If there are no further questions, let's begin."

Xu Jintang nodded. "No problem."

Nearby staff quickly brought over a microphone stand and placed it in front of Xu Jintang.

The staff member helped test the sound, and after confirming that there were no problems, gave an OK sign.

The reporter raised the microphone and began the first question:

"I heard that you not only participated in our Inscription Master Competition, but also just won the championship in the Ability User Competition next door. What are your thoughts on this?"

Xu Jintang cleared his throat. "It's alright, as expected."

The reporter smiled slightly, "Then, may I ask how you discovered that you possess two superpowers?"

Xu Jintang succinctly stated, "I suddenly discovered it one day when I woke up."

The reporter continued, "Could you elaborate a bit more?"

Xu Jintang said without changing his expression, "I discovered it suddenly after I woke up on a beautiful, sunny morning."

Reporter: "..."

She chuckled twice and quickly changed the subject.

"Our third question is the one with the most online fan votes. What do you have to say about the rumors that have been circulating online recently about you and Shen Mucheng?"

Xu Jintang was stunned when the question was asked.

She asked incredulously, "The rumors about me and Shen Mucheng?"

When did she get involved with Shen Mucheng?

The reporter continued smiling, "Yes. Haven't you heard?"

Xu Jintang was a little dumbfounded.

She had never heard of any rumors about herself and Shen Mucheng.

[Hahahaha, I'm dying of laughter! The Foodie was completely dumbfounded.]

[No, this rumor sounds like a hoax, how can any fans actually believe it?]

[Huh? Is it a rumor? I thought it was true; I've been shipping this couple for so long.]

[It's obviously fake. How could Foodie that be associated with Shen Mucheng?]

[It must be because the Mask Squad participated in the show last time and filmed with Shen Mucheng's group, which made the CP fans start shipping them.]

[Speaking of which, this is actually Shen Mucheng riding on her coattails. Foodie is popular, so he got a free boost in traffic by getting a rumored relationship with her, hahaha.]

"Nonsense, that's completely untrue." Xu Jintang snapped out of her daze and immediately denied it.

The reporter probably anticipated this answer.

She chuckled twice. "Okay, let's continue."

The interview is still ongoing.

At the same time, the most crucial moment of the competition finally arrived.

Jiang Xiangyang's final attempt to break the Sealed Lock Inscription failed once again.

He shook his head dejectedly and put down the tools in his hand.

Mu Zhongbai, standing at the front of the field, reminded everyone, "There is only one minute left in this match. All players, please prepare to wrap things up."

The countdown on the screen turned into bright red text.

Each flash represents the passage of time.

Both Xue Zhongqi and Jiang Xiangyang gave up the idea of continuing their research at this moment.

The other contestant also put down his tools early, ready to await the competition results.

"There are only three seconds left in the game countdown."

"Two seconds left."

One second.

"Beep, the match is over." The electronic notification sounded.

Jiang Xiangyang and the other two immediately put down their tools, stood up, and bowed slightly to Mu Zhongbai.

Mu Zhongbai bowed politely to the three of them, saying, "Thank you for your hard work."

About two seconds later, the competition records of the three contestants automatically popped up on the light screen in front of them.

[Jiang Xiangyang: I've memorized half of the core formation. I've attempted to break it twice, but both attempts failed and triggered the self-destruct program of the Sealed Lock Inscription.]

[Xue Zhongqi: Memorized 30% of the core formation, but has not yet attempted to break it.]

[Song Hongyu: Memorized 20% of the core formation, but has not yet attempted to break it.]

Mu Zhongbai, Sun Yuantian, and the other two exchanged glances.

They had expected this result; the reason they set such a difficult challenge was simply to test the contestants' mental resilience.

The three of them huddled together and discussed it for a while.

Then, Mu Zhongbai stepped forward and announced with a smile, "The task of breaking the Sealed Lock Inscription is indeed very difficult. For the three of you to have such a level at this age, you have far surpassed your peers. According to the consensus of the three judges, based on the completion of the assessment task, the one ranked first should be Jiang Xiangyang."

Second place: Xue Zhongqi. Third place: Song Hongyu.

If you have any objections to this ranking, please feel free to point them out.

The result was completely unsurprising.

Jiang Xiangyang remained silent for a while, then lowered his head and did not speak.

Xue Zhongqi and Song Hongyu remained silent, each keeping their heads down.

To be honest, all three of them felt somewhat ashamed of this ranking.

They didn't even manage to memorize the core formation, let alone break it.

Jiang Xiangyang also had mixed feelings.

Since the start of the competition, he has always regarded Qian Duoduo as his benchmark.

In the crucial final match, the opponent achieved legendary status.

He couldn't even catch up with him.

"Since everyone agrees, this concludes our Inscription Master Competition. Next, we will have the awards ceremony and acceptance speeches for the contestants. Please be prepared," a staff member announced.

[Huh? It's over so quickly? Is there nothing else?]

[No wonder the Inscription Master Competition got so little attention; it wasn't interesting at all, no exciting moments. It was just people sitting there studying inscriptions the whole time.]

[Luckily I arrived early and just in time to see the Foodie.]

The number of viewers in the live broadcast room for the competition gradually decreased.

Meanwhile, the live interview with Xu Jintang is gaining increasing popularity.

The reporter then asked the final question, "With the Mask Squad's current popularity, practically becoming the focus of the entire internet, do you have any plans to enter the entertainment industry, or perhaps capitalize on this popularity by participating in other competitions?"

"I don't have that plan at the moment, thank you," Xu Jintang replied crisply.

The reporter smiled. "Okay, that concludes our interview."

The competition and interviews concluded successfully, followed by the award ceremony and acceptance speeches, which proceeded according to procedure.

After completing all the procedures, Xu Jintang and Xue Zhongqi finally emerged from the venue.

By this time, the sun had slowly set on the horizon.

The orange-red afterglow of the setting sun bathed the earth.

Xue Zhongqi stretched and relaxed, sighing, "It's finally all over. I can finally get some rest."

"Hmm." Xu Jintang also breathed a sigh of relief, put his hands behind his back, looked at the beautiful sunset in the distance, and his expression softened a lot.

Chapter 142

Both the Ability User Competition and the Inscription Master Competition have concluded.

A week later, the hype surrounding the Mask Squad and the Foodie's dual superpowers gradually subsided.

Early morning, outside the villa dormitory.

Golden sunlight streamed onto the newly sprouted grass outside the courtyard.

The door was pushed open, and Jiang Shiyi, who was preparing to start her morning exercise as usual, walked out.

She sported a high ponytail today, and her fair face exuded a cool and aloof air.

"Sister Shiyi, we're going to see the Commander-in-Chief this afternoon. Could you help me decide what to wear?" Yan Yuting's voice came from inside the room.

Jiang Shiyi, who had only taken half a step, had to retract her foot, a hint of helplessness on her face. She turned and went back into the house. "What clothes?"

Yan Yuting held a formal suit in her left hand and a casual sweatshirt dress in her right, blinking her eyes with an expectant look.

Jiang Shiyi pondered for a moment, then pointed to the suit on the left, "Wouldn't it be better to wear something more formal?"

Yan Yuting glanced down at the suit jacket in his left hand and immediately nodded, "You're right, after all, we're going to see the Commander-in-Chief. This suit will do."

After saying that, she immediately turned around with a happy smile and ran upstairs to try on clothes.

In the living room, Xu Jintang was lounging on the sofa, holding a steaming cup of refreshing tea, looking quite relaxed.

Jiang Shiyi glanced at her. "What do you think the Commander-in-Chief wanted to see us for?"

"It's because they value talent," Xu Jintang said, picking up his refreshing tea and taking a sip.

Jiang Shiyi pursed her lips, walked to the opposite side of the sofa and sat down. "If the Commander-in-Chief plans to incorporate us, won't that create conflict with the military academy?"

Xu Jintang paused, his hand holding the teacup still.

She hadn't thought about that.

"He should be able to tell that we're still in military academy, right?"

Jiang Shiyi lowered his head, lost in thought, and remained silent for a long time.

Until Song Tianqi rushed downstairs, "Look! I've changed my clothes and I'm ready to go!"