Chapter 211: Absolutely Certain

Chapter 211: A Sure Thing

If these items were ownerless, their value notwithstanding, one might truly call it luck; yet, every single one had an owner.

No sooner had he picked up the diamond ring than someone descended from the floor above.

The wallet contained an ID card...

Of course, even had no one appeared and no ID been found, Meng Fan would still have turned the items over to the security booth.

If only this could trigger an achievement task related to honesty, that would surely count as luck.

But it did not.

Not when he returned the ring to that middle-aged man earlier, nor now, as he handed the wallet to the security guard for registration.

Meng Fan gave up on the idea; given the system’s moral compass, triggering such a virtuous task was difficult indeed. Perhaps pilfering these items might have triggered something instead.

At this thought, Meng Fan sighed; one could not truly test the edges of danger.

Better to stick to a steady run.

Shortly after arriving at the track, Wu Tong appeared.

"I thought you wouldn't come for a run today," Wu Tong said, warming up beside him. "Nervous?"

She was, of course, referring to the CGL Basketball Championship provincial finals.

Meng Fan smiled confidently. "Not at all. It’s a sure thing."

Wu Tong replied earnestly, "Don't be arrogant, and certainly don't underestimate your opponents. Even if it is a sure thing, there is still that final bit of certainty missing, so you must give it your all!"

Though Meng Fan lacked competition experience, he understood that even a lion uses its full strength to hunt a rabbit. Besides, he had waited so long; he could not afford to lose this one Championship Honor Point. Moreover, winning the provincial finals was the only ticket to the national finals, which meant two more Championship Honor Points.

He nodded, his expression turning solemn. "You're right, there is still one 'kiss' missing."

Wu Tong had a premonition the moment she spoke her previous sentence. Knowing exactly what Meng Fan meant, she rolled her eyes and sprinted onto the track.

Meng Fan felt a tingle of numbness wash over him from that single eye-roll, and he chased after her with a foolish grin.

Now that was what you called testing the edges of danger!

Absolutely thrilling!

Ah, if only Wu Tong had looked back after a few strides and said, "If you catch me, I’ll make up for that missing kiss," how wonderful that would be.

Alas, the run ended, and Wu Tong said nothing of the sort.

Well, even if she had, Meng Fan suspected he wouldn't be able to catch her.

Unless she let him!

After the run, the two stretched and chatted as usual, not just about the provincial finals, but also about Su Qingcen’s concert that evening. Wu Tong mentioned she had plans; after watching Meng Fan’s match, she had to fly to the capital for a traditional Chinese painting exchange event the next day. She had given her ticket to Qu Jingjing, who would go with Wei Zhixue and the others.

Beyond that, they traded jokes and even engaged in some playful scuffling—the scuffling was Meng Fan’s doing, while the hitting was strictly Wu Tong’s patent.

She seemed to have grown addicted to pushing Meng Fan to the ground after that one time; she rarely missed a chance to give him a shove whenever his stretching posture faltered.

Today was no different.

Except, the result was a little unusual.

Wu Tong’s sudden shove didn't send Meng Fan to the ground; instead, she lost her own balance due to the thrill of her sneak attack and toppled over.

She didn't hit the ground; she fell right into Meng Fan.

Meng Fan went completely rigid!

Luck +1!

This was the kind of luck Meng Fan had been praying for!

Was this merely luck? No, this was pure bliss!

Though Wu Tong stood up quickly, though the contact was fleeting, though there was no real substance to it, though... Meng Fan felt invigorated!

...

Shortly after nine, Meng Fan’s group arrived at the venue for the provincial finals.

It was a large, eye-catching entourage.

Meng Fan possessed an innate, overwhelming presence, and as the favorite to win the provincial finals, microphones and cameras swarmed him the moment he reached the mall entrance.

Wu Tong, Wei Zhixue, Wang Yanan, and the other girls from the China Academy of Art—including the four cute maids—were all stunning. It was impossible not to notice a dozen of them walking in a row.

As for Zhang Zhouwei and the others trailing behind, no one even saw them.

From the mall entrance to the arcade, the journey felt like filming a movie.

"Too high-profile!"

Once inside the arcade, Meng Fan greeted Da Fei and the others before hurrying to the contestants' lounge. Before leaving, he handed over his phone; low-key or not, the livestream had to go on.

The provincial finals officially began at 9:30.

There were few contestants, even fewer than in the city qualifiers. In the singles event, for instance, each of Zhejiang’s eleven prefecture-level cities had only one spot, meaning only eleven players entered the provincial singles.

The format for the provincial finals differed from the city qualifiers; it was simple, consisting of only two rounds. The first round determined the top six, and the second round decided the champion.

There was only one spot for the national finals, reserved solely for the winner.

In addition to singles, doubles, and mixed doubles, the provincial finals included a team event, making the schedule relatively tight.

The first event was the first round of mixed doubles, also featuring eleven pairs.

This was followed by the first round of the team event, with only six teams competing to determine the top three.

Then came the doubles, and finally, the singles.

Undoubtedly, the singles event was the main attraction, especially with Meng Fan, the world record holder, in the mix.

The first round consisted of three attempts, with the total score counting toward the final standing.

"Lord Iron Tower, invincible!"

As soon as Meng Fan appeared, screams and murmurs erupted from the crowd. It wasn't just the maid corps shouting; Wu Tong and the others were cheering, too. Zhang Zhouwei, Da Fei, and the other guys were shouting even louder, and other spectators joined in for the fun.

It was as if they had been waiting for this moment. Meng Fan’s entrance didn't exactly blow the roof off, but it certainly inflicted psychological damage on the other contestants.

As fellow competitors, they knew of Meng Fan; they had studied his match videos and even watched his training session from the day before.

They knew his nickname and his maid corps, but the problem was—how had the unit expanded?!

Basketball games had star athletes, but arcade basketball machines? Never.

This treatment was no different from that of a superstar athlete!

We must join forces to defeat him!

The ten kings of their respective cities formed a silent alliance without a word.

Yet, in this singles event, there seemed to be no way to target him.

Could it be...

A sorrowful image suddenly crossed their minds—I’m sorry, I was just bragging!

After the first round of shots, the ten city kings heard the gasps from the crowd. They glanced at Meng Fan’s machine, saw the score, and knew they were finished.

841!

A brand-new world record, exactly one point higher than the previous one!

Is his hand truly that scorching?

He shattered his own world record right out of the gate!

How is anyone else supposed to compete with this?

And what is with that precise one-point increase?

Was it a coincidence, or... intentional?

How in the hell could that be intentional?

Soon, after the second throw of the first round, they had their answer.

It could!

(End of chapter)