The Shrek Academy team had just finished their meeting, and at that moment, almost all the participating academies were engaged in mobilization efforts.
The same applies to the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy, which shares the same floor as Shrek Academy.
They almost always came in second place in every major competition, so the treatment they received at the Star Emperor Hotel was almost the same as that at the Shrek Academy.
Their only goal is to be number one.
However, their goal is about to fail once again. With Ma Xiaotao and others around, they have no chance of getting first place.
Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy, conference room.
Two elderly men sat at the head of the table, while fourteen students sat on either side. The students on the left were noticeably older, while those on the right were slightly younger.
The elderly man on the left at the head of the table has a straight nose and square mouth, a dignified appearance, a face like a red date, and broad shoulders that give him a very solid feeling.
His expression was grave as he said, "According to observations Shrek Academy sent thirteen people. Based on intelligence from our inside sources, they are only missing one reserve member. Furthermore, of the seven reserve members who appeared last year, only two have come. The nineteen-year-old female student is also making her first appearance, and she is their captain."
Do you know what this means?
The students on both sides looked puzzled, except for a girl at the very end of the right side who had a vacant look in her eyes and kept smiling blankly.
The elderly man on the right at the head of the table had a full beard and was also tall, with short white hair as straight as steel needles.
The hair at his temples connected with his bushy beard, giving him a fierce and imposing appearance.
He took a helpless drag on his pipe, exhaled a heavy puff of smoke, and slowly said, "This means we're facing a nearly full Shrek Academy. Moreover, Shrek's development of Soul Tool has been extremely rapid in recent years, and our advantage is being slowly eroded by them. As for Soul Power cultivation, we are still far behind Shrek."
The old man's fighting spirit vanished. "I'm afraid we'll miss out on the championship this year."
A male trainee sitting at the head of the starting lineup suddenly stood up.
His appearance was somewhat similar to the old man on the right; he was tall and robust, and also had short hair. He frowned and said with a resentful tone, "Is there really no chance?"
" Shrek Academy. Even if we go all out, we might not be able to beat them," Elder Ma continued.
"Pfft!..."
A burst of laughter rang out sharply in the quiet, tense conference room, drawing everyone's attention to the boy sitting at the head of the class on the right.
A handsome boy, not yet fifteen years old, with bright blue eyes and a tall, slender figure.
Her hands, resting on the table, were exceptionally fair and slender, with a jade-like luster that even girls would find hard to possess.
Xiao Hongchen toyed with the coin in his hand and said with a smile, " Elder Ma, being cowardly before the battle is not your style. If you feel you can't be the team leader, I suggest you retire as soon as possible."
Xiao Hongchen spoke without any politeness, his words filled with the arrogance and sharpness of a young man, showing no regard for the feelings of others.
Elder Ma blushed deeply at his words and was momentarily speechless, unsure how to refute them.
Ma Rulong's face darkened, and he retorted sharply, " Xiao Hongchen, do you really think things are as simple as you think?"
"How dare you be so arrogant if you haven't witnessed their strength in the Shrek Academy tournament!"
Xiao Hongchen raised his head, his smile undiminished. "Look, you yourself said you've never seen anything like it. I really can't understand if you've lost so badly that you're afraid of being beaten?"
"You..." Ma Rulong wanted to argue, but his neck turned red and he couldn't utter a single word in rebuttal.
Even though Xiao Hongchen was extremely contemptuous, he couldn't think of any rebuttal and could only angrily sit back down in his seat.
Elder Ma tapped the table helplessly and instructed, " Xiao Hongchen, I understand that with your talent you can completely rival Shrek. Confidence is a good thing, but this time you should focus on their reserve team, gather more intelligence. They are your opponents, and this will be beneficial for the next competition."
Xiao Hongchen put away the coins in his hand, his eyes dismissive, and said, " Elder Ma, whether they can become my opponents is still unknown. Are you perhaps getting old and your eyesight is failing?"
"Moreover, I believe that my only true opponent is myself."
Ma Rulong slammed his hand on the table, stood up abruptly, and his eyes flashed with murderous intent.
But Elder Ma glared at him and said in a deep voice, "Sit down. Alright, let's arrange the participants for the first round. What Xiao Hongchen said makes sense; we still need to go all out."
Although Xiao Hongchen was only the captain of the reserve team, the two elders sitting in the first seat were somewhat wary of him.
Xiao Hongchen's smile became even more undisguised, and the arrogance deep in his eyes seemed to want to trample everyone under his feet.
The girl sitting at the back, whose features bore a striking resemblance to Xiao Hongchen, looked at the group in front of her with a puzzled expression.
Her adorable expression paired with her stunningly beautiful face was truly captivating, but like Xiao Hongchen, she didn't take the competition seriously.
Xiao Hongchen genuinely looked down on the Shrek Academy reserve team's strength; it stemmed from his confidence in his own talent and abilities.
Unlike Meng Hongchen, the black figure in her mind was already deeply imprinted in her thoughts.
Aside from finding that person, she had no other goals in mind, and naturally, she didn't care about the competition.
Now, the only clue she can find to him is her lost Hongchen.
Even though Elder Ma had already arranged everything and dismissed everyone, Meng Hongchen remained in a daze as if she hadn't heard a thing.
Looking at his sister who seemed to have gone mad, Xiao Hongchen felt helpless. Ever since participating in the Dou Ling Empire's Dou Ling Festival, Meng Hongchen had often acted like this.
Xiao Hongchen reached out and lightly tapped her head, saying with some displeasure, "You're such a strange girl, I wonder what you're thinking all day? Tell your brother."
Meng Hongchen frowned slightly, pouted a little, and said somewhat angrily, "Who told you to hit my head!"
As she spoke, Meng Hongchen reached out to strike back, but Xiao Hongchen easily blocked her.
"Huh? Such a strong reaction? Are you going through puberty, little girl?"
Caught off guard by the sudden remark, Meng Hongchen's pretty face flushed red, and she cried out, "No!... No way!"
Seeing his sister's reaction, Xiao Hongchen froze, then immediately asked, "Holy crap, no way, you really have someone you like?"
"Could it be someone you met at the Dou Ling Festival?"
"You!..."
When Meng Hongchen was caught off guard, she was momentarily speechless before shouting, "It's none of your business!"
With that, she turned and ran out of the meeting room, leaving Xiao Hongchen still in a daze.
"Hey! Is it true or not? You really don't respect your brother at all!"