Red Side LP: 8000 -> 0
<WINNER: BLUE SIDE>
[DUEL ENDED]
Crack————
A terrifying bolt of electricity exploded across Mu Ningning’s body, only to be absorbed by the pitch-black shadow of <Natasha>.
“Ahhh!!!”
Mu Ningning clutched her head and let out a piercing scream.
Her body was unharmed, but her mind had lost control.
Her eyes were bloodshot, and her fingernails dug deep into her scalp, leaving bloody scratch marks.
She showed strong signs of violent aggression.
“Hey hey hey, get to work.”
Agent Mickey from the Soul Binding Department clapped his hands and shouted to the surrounding riot control robots.
Le Tong was the first to step onto the dueling platform, approaching cautiously.
Several riot control robots followed, stepping onto the platform with heavy, clanking mechanical sounds.
Working in sync, Le Tong and the robots quickly subdued the berserk Mu Ningning and escorted her away.
Only once the situation had stabilized did Mickey dare to follow.
“Another one’s gone mad.”
He picked up his camera and snapped several photos of Mu Ningning, capturing the scene before sending them to the group chat.
From a distance, Qin Dongzhu watched the scene unfold, his lips trembling slightly as waves of pain seized his heart.
“Sister Ningning…” Tang Xin covered her mouth halfway, her face filled with sorrow.
“Player Wang Gu…” Commentator Zi Cai covered the mic and lowered her voice so only she could hear herself, “He didn’t even need to use <Wightprincess> for that much damage…”
“Scumbag.”
The sorrow between people is never truly shared.
Wang Gu was raising both arms high, basking in the crowd’s cheers.
If he behaved like that on Earth, he’d be blasted on the red list for years, but in Biantana, no one condemned him.
A win was a win.
A loss was a loss.
The audience only cheered for the victor.
“Three-in-one!”
“Three-in-one!”
“Three-in-one!”
The score reached 2:4.
[Next player from Bianyuelong, please prepare.]
[03:22]
The AI referee issued a cold prompt.
With one life remaining, Bianyuelong had three choices:
The rookie main player, Tang Xin.
The backup, Numbered Citizen Qiqi.
Or forfeit.
“Captain…” Tang Xin stood up from the cold bench, ready to walk toward the main player’s rest area.
Lin Yu pressed her back down and said in a low voice, “Let him sit for 2 minutes.
He’ll tell you if he’s made up his mind.”
On the bench in the main players’ rest area, Qin Dongzhu sat alone, his head hanging low.
The fortress management wouldn’t approve the budget to hire a coach.
The director dropped the team off and washed his hands of them.
The agent didn’t try to get sponsors either.
Bianyuelong’s management didn’t seem to care.
He was like an outlier.
An outlier who actually wanted a championship, completely out of sync with the higher-ups.
He shouldered almost all team duties.
When something went wrong and they needed a scapegoat, he paid out of his own pocket.
Qin Dongzhu sat there alone, hunched over.
From a distance, he looked like a stray dog.
The collapse of an older man often takes just a moment.
“Hey, hey.” Mickey nudged Qin Dongzhu’s shoulder and said casually, “You subbing in or not?”
“If not, we’re leaving.”
The Soul Binding Department was a public institution.
They had no direct stake in Bianyuelong.
They were just here to test a Deck.
Qin Dongzhu slowly raised his hand, gently pressed a button on the controller, and said quietly, “Let him go.”
“No one else should fall.”
“We forfeit.”
A small “click” came from the metal strip on Li Guanqi’s mouth.
The locking mechanism at the back of his head disengaged, and the strip loosened.
He could finally speak.
More accurately, he was free.
“You’re good to go!” Mickey shouted from afar toward Li Guanqi, repeating, “Your captain’s forfeiting.”
“Captain…” Lin Yu and Tang Xin turned to Qin Dongzhu, their faces filled with shock.
Forfeiting meant the points Qin Dongzhu and Jiang Yan earned would be canceled, and it would be recorded as a 0-5 loss.
On a larger scale, it meant Bianyuelong’s honor and reputation would take a hit, and they’d become a laughingstock.
As the captain initiating the forfeit, Qin Dongzhu’s professional career was basically over.
Li Guanqi removed the metal strip from his mouth and didn’t say anything.
He just looked, from afar, at that man who had lowered his head, bent over, and lost his dream.
So defeated, it was like he had died.
He really wanted to reach out to that man, after all, the guy spent 150,000.
But what could he do?
He was a piece of trash too.
No money.
No deck.
No connections.
No identity.
No memories of this world.
“If only I had a Deck…”
Li Guanqi lowered his head and muttered helplessly.
Tang Xin buried her face in her hands, sobbing with guilt.
“Next round…” Lin Yu started to speak, then sighed and stood up, heading toward the officials’ table.
Mickey passed by him, slapped his shoulder casually, and said cheerfully, “No worries.
Just win the next six rounds and it’s all good.”
“Thud——-”
A hand suddenly shot out and grabbed Mickey’s wrist, startling him so much he flinched.
“Dude…” Mickey looked at Li Guanqi gripping his wrist, unable to break free.
Nervously, he said, “I know I’m pretty popular…”
“Calm down, okay?”
“Can I use this Deck?” Li Guanqi asked with his head down, voice low and hoarse.
Lin Yu stopped in his tracks. This chapter was copied from g.com without permission.
Tang Xin slowly lifted her head.
Everyone looked at Li Guanqi in shock.
“Deck?” Mickey looked down and finally realized he was still holding the test Deck.
Li Guanqi wasn’t grabbing him, he was grabbing the deck in his hand.
His grip was terrifyingly strong, like a drowning man clutching at a life-saving straw.
“Uh…” Mickey answered honestly, “It’s a substitute Deck but…”
“It’s fine.” Li Guanqi said firmly.
Mickey frowned.
“You haven’t even looked at the Deck.”
“No need.” Li Guanqi cut him off again.
“Next round.
I’m up!”
His voice wasn’t loud, but it rang clearly in everyone’s ears.
Qin Dongzhu lifted his head slightly.
No one knew where that confidence came from.
Mickey, Tang Xin, and Lin Yu all stood stunned.
Li Guanqi took the Deck from Mickey’s hand, got up, and walked toward the main players’ bench.
Looking straight at Qin Dongzhu, he said firmly:
“I’ll win this round.”
“Will that be worth your 150,000?”
Qin Dongzhu’s eyes flew wide open.
Blood surged through his veins as he growled:
“If you can win, I’ll give you another 150,000!”
“Deal.” Li Guanqi smiled faintly and walked toward the dueling platform.
“Hey———” Lin Yu stopped him and tossed over his jacket, saying seriously, “If we’ve fought on the same battlefield, then we’re comrades.”
“Good luck.”
He said it quietly, not really expecting anything.
Li Guanqi put on the jacket, feeling much warmer.
He turned back and said, “Thanks.”
Step by step, he walked toward the dueling platform.
Mickey followed behind, curiosity getting the better of him.
He reminded him:
“The Deck’s cursed.
Once it’s slotted into the duel disk, it’ll———”
“It’s fine.” Li Guanqi replied.
“You’re not afraid?” Mickey frowned.
“Afraid?” Li Guanqi smiled faintly and turned his back, leaving behind a cryptic sentence:
“This Deck…
wanted to come to me.”
Mickey froze in place, heart racing.
[Beep———–]
The AI referee let out a resonant alert.
Tens of thousands of spectators and the two commentators fell silent, waiting for the announcement.
[Final player from Bianyuelong———–]
[Numbered Citizen————]
A slight pause in the broadcast.
[0748]