After leaving the base of the extreme players, Sweet Chocolate was still in disbelief.
Finally, he couldn’t help but ask, “Was the document I was holding all along that important?”
“Are you really that confident to leave such things in my hands?”
Lu Qingjia stroked the cat’s fur and replied, “Not entirely. The paper version is mainly for convenience in distribution. If there are any omissions, I still have the USB drive.”
Sweet Chocolate was speechless.
“Now that you’ve almost integrated all the remaining players, you should be able to rest easy, right?”
Lu Qingjia smiled, “How could that be? This is just the beginning.”
“Do you think the Hero Association is just for show?”
“True, they can’t just let you smoothly win the championship,” Sweet Chocolate said. “But I don’t understand why they would let you out.”
“Keeping your contestant status and restricting you within the castle would obviously be the best choice, right? Even if you can communicate with the outside world, there’s still an information gap.”
“If they let you out, it would be like encouraging you to make moves during the selection period.”
Lu Qingjia said, “Because the Hero Association and its interest groups have never been passive in defense. Do you have some misunderstanding about this seemingly gentle organization? I thought after seeing the documents just now, you wouldn’t have such naive thoughts anymore.”
“I took down the God Envoy and freed them from control, so in their evaluation, I must be at least as dangerous as the God Envoy.”
“Such an uncontrollable hero, they certainly wouldn’t be at ease with my currently not so strong attitude.”
“The more generous they appear, the faster they will act. They put on a grateful, giving green light attitude, and these past two days they’ve been actively pulling me into the game, involving me in bigger table stakes. They are putting on such a grand show just to lower my guard, making me think the situation is under control.”
“But in reality, if it were really the heroes of this world, they would probably have fallen into their trap.”
“After all, for the ability users of this world, the greatest honor is nothing more than becoming the head of heroes and having a seat in the ultimate discourse. After seeing these within reach, most would choose to play it safe rather than do something unnecessary.”
Lu Qingjia sent a few emails via his terminal and said to Sweet Chocolate, “Just wait, the net they’ve woven for me is about to drop.”
Sweet Chocolate no longer thought that Lu Qingjia’s casual work was meaningless.
Even just sending an email could be an unexpected layout.
In the following days, he met many people, including media professionals, business tycoons, politicians, and military leaders.
It was unclear how he contacted these people, but given Mudslide’s current industry status, it wasn’t that exaggerated.
He didn’t just visit the famous and wealthy; there were also some who looked incredibly down-and-out, like beggars.
Once, Sweet Chocolate followed him to meet a beggar living under a bridge in a tent.
The man had gray hair, a scruffy beard, wore mismatched shoes, and carried a bag of flattened plastic bottles and cans, obviously making a living by collecting trash.
Sweet Chocolate was honest but not a fool. The moment he saw the man, he could sense a strong threat.
This was a player who had been in a state of struggle for a long time, instinctively judging the strength of those around him, and his intuition was accurate.
But Lu Qingjia was very familiar. At first, the old man was somewhat resistant, but Sweet Chocolate finally saw how well this guy could charm the elderly.
Without using interests or moral high ground, he actually helped the man plan a more efficient trash collection route.
“I noticed your efficiency isn’t very high, and the competition for trash collection spots is quite fierce.”
“If you take this route, you could collect more every day,” Lu Qingjia unfolded a map of the area and started drawing lines.
He added, “You don’t really need to go to XX Park. Although there’s a lot of foot traffic and many empty bottles, the competition is also high. I can see you’re too shy to compete with those old ladies.”
“Oh, and a few days ago, it seems you had a dispute with them. One old lady accused you of harassment and acting like a hooligan. Spending your energy on ‘territory disputes’ while being at a disadvantage isn’t worth it, especially since the security there also chases you away.”
“Instead, these residential areas have strict access control, high-end residents, and no competition from family members or outsiders.”
“But you haven’t noticed that their trash is centrally collected. There’s a vehicle that comes daily to collect it, and the property’s cleaning department pushes it out through the freight passage.”
“Because the garage’s terrain isn’t very good, the cleaners find it a bit strenuous to push it out. If you help them, with your strength and professional level of not making a mess everywhere, they won’t mind.”
“After collecting that area, you can smoothly go to the recycling station two kilometers away. I’ve counted the number of trash bins along the way to maximize your efficiency.”
“After selling the recyclables, you can take a detour south to your favorite barbecue stall. Eating barbecue and drinking beer before heading back is much better than your current routine, isn’t it?”
Sweet Chocolate was speechless.
The old man was also speechless.
Damn, how are you even this good at collecting trash?
In the end, Sweet Chocolate didn’t know what Lu Qingjia and the old man chatted about. It seemed like they reached some consensus, but there didn’t seem to be any major keywords.
When Lu Qingjia left, he even took some catnip the old man was growing next to his tent.
The old man loved cats and grew this to attract stray cats to play.
Lu Qingjia noticed that Char Siu didn’t seem very interested in it. While he was talking to the old man, the cat was still clinging to him.
Lu Qingjia planted the catnip in a flowerpot on the balcony and said to the cat, “Char Siu, you’re a mature cat now. You should know how to find your own fun.”
Sweet Chocolate said, “So to keep the cat from clinging to you, you’re encouraging it to get high?”
Lu Qingjia clicked his tongue, “A kitten that only knows how to curl up in someone’s arms won’t find a mate.”
“It’s neutered. What mate is it going to find?” Sweet Chocolate retorted.
“Oh right, I always forget that,” Lu Qingjia said, picking up the black cat. “Sorry, I took away a bit of your happiness, but Dad did it for your own good.”
Char Siu: “…”
The black cat’s face was full of confusion and helplessness, already imagining 108 positions for when it catches up with its owner.
As Lu Qingjia expected, the Association made their move.
The next morning, a breaking news story topped the headlines of major online platforms.
[Blood and Tears Accusation: Mudslide’s Persona Collapses?]
The news summarized that internal personnel from Constellation Company, unable to bear the oppression, finally rose up to expose Mudslide’s true colors.
Several heroes directly used their hero accounts to speak out.
First, they accused Mudslide of being two-faced, never fulfilling the promises made after taking power to treat the company’s heroes well and plan better development paths for them.
Apart from helping to sue former agents and executives for show and spending money to redesign the heroes’ images and package their appearances, it was essentially the same old routine, completely disregarding the employees’ development, diverting everyone’s popularity to himself to enhance his competitiveness for the Hero King title.
The heroes in the company actually didn’t see any improvement in their treatment; it’s just that Lu was better at putting on a show than Wang. After all the previous acts, anyone who now says they’re dissatisfied with him is accused of being ungrateful.
Second, a female hero claimed that Lu Qingjia was inherently lecherous and vile. Before he rose to prominence, he often took advantage of fellow female heroes or employees at the bottom, and no woman in the company wanted to be near him.
Now that he’s flipped the script and become the boss, he’s even more unrestrained, frequently sexually harassing female employees. A recording was released, featuring Lu Qingjia’s voice. Although there was no explicit statement, the implication was that the female hero should be bolder and more willing to sacrifice for her career prospects.
If these two points weren’t enough, the final accusation was truly devastating for a hero.
It was alleged that Mudslide used ability-enhancing stimulants, which for heroes is equivalent to athletes using performance-enhancing drugs, if not worse.
While the composition of a hero’s popularity is complex, the affirmation of their strength is always mainstream, and this absolutely cannot be cheated. Otherwise, when fans and the public find out it’s all a sham, there’s no way to explain it away. Traditional idols can excuse poor professional skills with aesthetic differences and various reasons, but combat strength has no room for excuses.
Since the whistleblowers were all employees of Constellation Company, and the one who accused Mudslide of using stimulants had a close personal relationship with him before his rise to fame, the credibility was high.
Moreover, the whistleblowers were cunning. The entire exposé article was long, filled with subtle hints and concept swaps, requiring careful reading to spot the issues.
But the vast majority of netizens don’t have the patience to read such lengthy articles, so the summaries posted by marketing accounts, along with the comments from seemingly well-informed netizens and those who’ve followed Mudslide since his debut and can casually bring up his past scandals, became the irrefutable conclusion for the general public.
In the online world, those with real judgment are always in the minority. And this minority, while questioning, will also be cautious and not rashly voice their opinions. Most are those who think they’ve uncovered the truth from the materials others want them to see, and the vast majority are the masses led by the wind.
Overnight, it seemed like all media and marketing accounts had sealed Mudslide’s fate. Even his fans and career supporters tried their best to argue, but frankly, Mudslide hadn’t been around for long, hadn’t done much, and hadn’t interacted with fans. Since his rise to fame, he had always kept a distance from his fans, who didn’t really know him, and his company hadn’t established a team to manage and guide the fans.
So at this time, they couldn’t provide strong arguments or organize a unified front, their combat effectiveness seemed low, and as they were criticized more, fewer dared to step forward.
Lu Qingjia was eating breakfast when he received a call from the public relations department, which urgently explained the situation.
They added, “We checked those media and marketing accounts and got information from within the industry. It’s from the companies that previously employed Smoke Soldier and Metal Hammer. This time they came prepared, deploying a large number of water armies. In just two hours, they’ve almost sealed the deal.”
“Now we’re contacting people to delete posts and having other heroes from the company forward refutations, but they obviously anticipated this. As soon as a hero refutes, water armies disguised as fans express heartache for them being controlled and not daring to tell the truth. These fan accounts aren’t new; they have a lot of previous support records in their backends, making the clarifications seem like confirmations of the rumors.”
“I think it’s best if you speak out personally, but it will take some time to get strong evidence. We’ve drafted a PR statement for you to release first, to let the public hear your voice, so those who can speak for you online can also speak up, and have the water armies emphasize being rational and objective, not trusting just one side’s story. Luckily, they don’t have any decisive evidence.”
To be fair, Constellation’s PR department was quite capable, reacting quickly and providing the right approach.
Because Lu Qingjia offered high salaries and generous benefits, this also increased the employees’ work enthusiasm.
But Lu Qingjia knew very well that although this matter seemed like the two companies had torn off the gloves, if one could only see this layer, then they seriously underestimated his ability to overview the chessboard.
Lu Qingjia smiled, “Don’t worry, public opinion will turn around, and we won’t even need to do much ourselves.”
“It’s just that it won’t be as flawless as before.”
Lu Qingjia was very clear about the purpose of this move.
Sure enough, the internet was filled with doubts about Lu Qingjia’s strength, with calls to disqualify him from the competition everywhere. Even his recent replacement of the God Envoy as the Demon King player was suspected to have blackmails.
“If he can use stimulants, then the so-called defeat of the God Envoy might not have been a fair fight, right?”
“Who knows? It was just them at the time. I always thought the God Envoy’s abilities were so strong, how could he have lost so easily.”
“Maybe it was a sneak attack?”
“No, wasn’t Sweet Chocolate also seen coming out? In recent hero street photos, Sweet Chocolate is always following Mudslide like a bag carrier. Could it be they teamed up to gang up on the God Envoy?”
“If you add Sweet Chocolate, then it’s possible.”
“The God Envoy is so pitiful. There’s a strong demand to thoroughly investigate the behind-the-scenes of the God Envoy’s withdrawal.”
“Forget it, the Hero Guild issued a statement. They’ve already agreed on it.”
“Ha, impressive. Then why even compete? Just have a bunch of heroes accompany Mudslide for a run? The Hero Association might as well directly give the Hero King title to Mudslide.”
The God Envoy’s fans seized the opportunity to voice their grievances. Fans of other heroes, fearing that their hard work would just be for a run, also started questioning the fairness of the competition system and joined the resistance.
By noon, the event had become a national hot topic, even those not concerned with online public opinion heard about the development from people around them.
Yet, at the center of the storm, Lu Qingjia nonchalantly finished his breakfast and even found time to give the cat a bath.
Unlike other cats, Char Siu didn’t seem to mind the bath, not struggling wildly but rather stiff in the tub, the whole cat straight as a board.
No matter how Lu Qingjia moved him, he just stayed in that position, with a silly expression on his face and slightly erratic breathing.
Lu Qingjia thought it was too scared of water to move, so he kissed its forehead, “Good boy, just a little longer.”
Little did he know that the cat’s inner self was like a person rolling in boiling water.
Maybe being a cat for life isn’t so bad?—No, no, can’t have such dangerous thoughts.
Even the Horror Game couldn’t help but pop out to say sourly, “Last time I wanted someone to give me a bath too, then her husband came in with a steel wool ball.”
Zhong Liyu: “So I’m your black history trash can? With this, you still have the nerve to say I’m always making up stories about you everywhere? I don’t want you to give me the opportunity either.”
Game: “I—”
Zhong Liyu: “Shut up, you’re interrupting my enjoyment, Jiajia is scrubbing my back~~”
The Game was so angry it wanted to bury itself in someone’s chest and cry.
After drying the cat, what Lu Qingjia was waiting for arrived, sent by Poison Skin and the others.
Sweet Chocolate, who was initially a bit anxious about the online direction, now felt like he might have been influenced by the real God Envoy, his brain rusted.
The kind of things that the company, being a public entity, found hard to investigate, were easily handled by the organizations controlled by the extreme players.
With people from all walks of life, there’s nothing they can’t get their hands on. Many things, without the constraints of rules and morals in the shadows, were very efficient.
While the PR department was busy looking for several people, questioning the reasons for their actions, and being repeatedly hung up on and dismissed, Poison Skin and his subordinates had already arrived.
Lu Qingjia sent the materials to the PR department, “Help me refine and polish this, I’ll use my hero account to post it later.”
The PR department, upon seeing the materials, was overjoyed.
By lunchtime, just as most people had put down their bowls and started scrolling through their terminals to digest, Mudslide made his statement.
The format was simple, with a big “Clarification” at the top.
Below were three images.
The first was of the hero who accused him of exploiting employees, showing recent gambling debts, phone recordings of transactions, and a large sum of money recently added to his account.
Attached was a paper version of the company’s dismissal notice, stating that the hero was fired last week for poor conduct, sloppy work, and stealing important items from colleagues.
However, Constellation didn’t want to end his career, and with the busy Hero King Cup, the termination was kept secret.
Naturally, the words of a gambling, thieving liar who recently received a large sum of money of unknown origin lacked credibility.
The second image was Mudslide’s long-term testing records, from the Mudslide period to before entering the selection castle. Like athletes, heroes are also subject to random drug tests.
This record debunked the stimulant rumors, and the so-called close friend of Mudslide had a clean account.
However, his distant cousin’s account had a significant sum of money added. She lived in the city, a single mother raising a child alone, without a job or income.
The cost of living in a first-tier city isn’t low, and her parents and ex-husband were in rural hometowns with limited financial resources.
Upon closer inspection, it was found that the child bore some resemblance to the hero. With the advanced genetic testing technology available, results could be obtained in minutes.
Poison Skin’s people found the child, secretly plucked a few hairs from his head, and upon comparison, it was indeed the hero’s biological child.
And the hero actually had a wife and child, so the affair and incest were too scandalous.
But the third image was even more explosive.
For the female hero’s accusation, Lu Qingjia didn’t offer much defense, only releasing the full version of the recording provided by the female hero.
The full version wasn’t long, but it was clearly not the same as before. The previous recording was taken out of context; it was simply the boss feeling that the employee’s professional ability was lacking and her psychological quality was poor, offering some routine encouragement.
However, after the recording ended, a still frame appeared with a sentence from Mudslide’s response—
[Thank you, I like men.]
This statement once again set the entire internet on fire.
Everyone was stunned. Usually, when others refute rumors, they list evidence seriously. Mudslide’s refutation brought even more explosive gossip.
Compared to his coming out, the affair and incest of the third-tier hero were nothing.
“Is he serious? He wouldn’t be trying to divert attention by lying, would he?”
“If the full recording is out, why would he need to lie? That would be redundant.”
“Ah!!! Mudslide and the cat are real.”
“Get out, Mudslide and Sweet Chocolate are real.”
“CP fans, die! Why do you have to ship everything?”
“The clarification brought more gossip than the rumor, I’ve learned something new.”
“A homosexual? I don’t want a homosexual to represent heroes.”
“Zombie from the coffin, how’s the feng shui there? Got any mold? Did your parents get buried with you?”
“My god, same-sex marriage has been legal for years, and there are still people publicly making such stupid remarks?”
“Isn’t the focus being diverted here?”
Subsequently, Constellation Corporation also issued a statement, announcing that they would sue the individuals spreading rumors as well as all the media and marketing accounts that had previously fabricated stories.
Typically, such lawyer’s letters are just a formality. As public figures, Heroes are inevitably subject to public discussion, and these letters are more about emphasizing a stance.
Taking the matter to court not only complicates the process of determining guilt but also risks exposing actual scandals about the Heroes. There have been instances in the past where the outcome backfired, and the trial recordings were mocked online.
However, Mudslide was, to put it bluntly, a nobody in the past, living a simple and unassuming life with no dark secrets. His rise to fame has only been within the last month.
He has no issues on his end and has provided evidence of transactions between marketing accounts and the troll farms.
Thus, when the online sentiment shifted a couple of days later, everyone realized this was serious.
The mainstream sentiment was naturally supportive, but there were also those who mocked Mudslide for being petty and unable to handle criticism. These idiotic remarks were naturally chased and criticized by online justice warriors across the internet.
Ironically, when Mudslide’s scandal emerged, it was these same people who rushed to insult him.
After Mudslide and Constellation made their statements, those who had previously collaborated with him but dared not take a stand also confidently expressed their support.
The Hero Association issued a stern statement, asserting that Mudslide’s current achievements were solely due to his own capabilities, with the association president personally witnessing his battle against God Envoy, and there was no collusion with Sweet Chocolate to cheat.
They also severely reprimanded the three Heroes who fabricated rumors and directly revoked their licenses.
Regarding the issue of performance-enhancing drugs, the association stated that they take such matters more seriously than anyone else. If Mudslide’s statement was not sufficient, the association would personally investigate to clear his name.
When Lu Qingjia saw the association’s statement, he laughed and said to Sweet Chocolate, “So, this is where it’s at.”
Sweet Chocolate naturally understood that the real mastermind behind this scandal was not those two companies. Although they were the ones who acted, with the current scandals surrounding the two leading Heroes and facing Lu Qingjia’s strong stance, they would never have made such a decision without someone’s guidance and assurance.
“The Hero Association, they deliberately release major scandals to target you, yet they publicly support you. What exactly are they doing?”
Sweet Chocolate analyzed, “Could it be that they are compromising to make you the Hero King but isolating you from public opinion, forcing you to rely on their official stance?”
Lu Qingjia replied, “How is that possible? I’ve already said that the Hero Association is not so soft-handed. For Heroes they cannot control, they would never compromise or take risks. Otherwise, everything they have built would be meaningless.”
“Actually, their strategy isn’t that complicated. This move, rather than targeting me, is more about manipulating the market.”
“Although the rumors have been clarified, the impression that I am powerful, well-connected, and absolutely supported by the Hero Association has already taken root in people’s minds.”
“The Hero Association has analyzed me and naturally knows my recent style of handling matters. They also know that such a clumsy smear campaign can be quickly cleared up by someone of my capability.”
“What they want is this speed. If I were slow to act, they might even present the evidence to me themselves.”
“In less than four hours, three scandals that would typically doom a Hero were uprooted, with ironclad evidence. This includes not only the original recordings from insiders but also the drug test records from specialized departments, and even the well-hidden affair involving their employees.”
“Looking at the entire industry, and even the traditional entertainment industry before the rise of Hero idols, no one has ever debunked rumors in such a manner.”
“While the public enjoys the drama, they can only marvel at our formidable influence. Even if it wasn’t handled urgently within four hours, the fact that we have access to so much information suggests terrifying capital and operational capabilities behind us.”
“Adding to this, the association president personally vouched for my strength, with subtle hints that I am already the Hero King. Guess who has the most bets in the current betting pool?”
Lu Qingjia opened the betting interface and pointed at his odds: “What’s even funnier is that despite the association’s stance, my odds are not the highest.”
“This creates an illusion that betting on me is a sure win, tempting even those without a gambling habit to give it a try.”
“Then, the association left the issue of performance-enhancing drugs open. They said they would strictly investigate to prove my innocence, rather than directly affirming the authority of my report. This redundant move clearly has an agenda.”
Sweet Chocolate said, “They originally planned to make their move during the finals, leaving you with no room to react.”
“But they must have considered your ability to resist, so the security level at the venue that day was unimaginably tight. The same goes for the other Heroes; they were probably already given hints.”
Lu Qingjia nodded, “On the day of the finals, it will be a grand event to crown their chosen Hero King, with me as the sacrificial lamb.”
“I suppose I will be portrayed as a villain to be defeated? The combat abilities of Heroes in this world are not inferior to Players. A single Bullethead can suppress more than half of the Players in this Game, and there’s more than one or two with similar strength.”
Lu Qingjia tapped the nose of the black cat looking up at him and raised his head.
His face showed excitement: “I can’t wait.”
Sweet Chocolate was momentarily speechless. In the Infinite City, there are indeed such freaks who revel in conflict and slaughter, but Lu Qingjia usually comes across as too calm and rational. It’s hard to imagine that his true nature is like this.
Finally, he couldn’t help but ask, “You said you like men, is that true?”
Lu Qingjia replied matter-of-factly, “Why would I lie about something like that?”
Sweet Chocolate awkwardly said, “I thought you used that as a more interesting piece of news to divert attention from the performance-enhancing drug issue.”
“Do I seem like someone who acts with ulterior motives in everything I do?” Lu Qingjia asked.
Sweet Chocolate: “…”
Aren’t you?
Lu Qingjia said, “I was just telling the truth.”
Alright, as long as you’re happy, Sweet Chocolate thought to himself.
But he caught sight of Mudslide’s cat, proudly puffing out its chest, though it was unclear what it was so pleased about.
As the final selection came to an end, the last five Heroes advanced to the finals.
As expected, Bullethead ultimately stood out, which meant that Constellation Corporation had two representatives in the finals.
This was more than most major economic companies. If they made it to the finals, Bullethead and Mudslide would naturally form an alliance, leading to even more people betting on Lu Qingjia to win.
On the day of the finals, the five contestants were directly transported by helicopter to the stadium. Their grand entrance was thrilling and cool, immediately igniting the atmosphere.
The tens of thousands of people in the stadium erupted in excitement, with official factions waving their support banners, different colored light sticks, and chanting grand slogans.
While Heroes usually live under the spotlight, such a direct spectacle of nationwide adoration was a first.
Everyone was emotionally charged, filled with ambition, and dreamed of the golden cup on the award podium.
Except for those on duty, Heroes from all over the country were present at the scene. The security inside and outside the venue was extremely tight, with not only police and armed forces but even superpowered troops deployed.
Unlike Heroes, the armed forces, though lacking the top-tier abilities of Heroes—since those with top-tier talents would naturally choose an easier path to success—are rigorously trained and execute missions in harsh environments. Their actual combat capabilities are absolutely not to be underestimated.
The association president gave the opening speech, and the finals began.
The rules of the finals were simple: pure one-on-one battles.
The five Heroes selected from the preliminary rounds, plus the eight top-tier Demon Lord Competitors with inherent competitiveness, made a total of thirteen contestants.
The big screen started randomly assigning opponents. At this moment, Bullethead stood next to Lu Qingjia and said, “What if it’s just the two of us left in the end? Should I just concede, or go through the motions?”
Lu Qingjia smiled, “Don’t worry, it won’t be you left in the end.”
Bullethead was displeased, “Are you looking down on me? Honestly, if it weren’t for the fact that you hold my job, I wouldn’t need to let you win.”
Of course, this was just bravado. In reality, he also understood that his combat strength was inferior to Lu Qingjia’s.
While they were casually chatting, many people, taking advantage of the lull during the draw, suddenly received a major piece of news.
It was an apology statement issued by the Hero Association.
The gist of it was that they were sorry for the previous controversy regarding Mudslide and had spoken out hastily.
Based on the investigation, Mudslide indeed had a history of using performance-enhancing drugs, with the last instance even being on the day of the opening ceremony.
Recalling Mudslide’s exceptional performance that day, some people couldn’t sit still. No wonder he displayed strength far beyond his previous level; he was on drugs.
The Hero Association expressed regret over this and announced the disqualification of Mudslide from the finals, emphasizing the need for more cautious statements in the future.
In the rules of the Hero King Cup, the prohibition of all banned substances is a critical clause.
Those who saw the news were shocked and shared it with those around them. In no time, the audience section was in an uproar.
Numerous media outlets on the scene rushed to the contestant area, pointing their microphones at Lu Qingjia—
“Mudslide, what do you have to say about the statement just issued by the Hero Association?”
“Do you think it’s unfair to other contestants that you entered the finals by using performance-enhancing drugs?”
“What do you have to say to the fans who trusted you?”
Staff quickly intervened to drive away the reporters, as the contestant area wasn’t just for Lu Qingjia.
But the distance didn’t prevent the sharp questions from the media from reaching everyone’s ears.
Bullethead was about to explode with anger, but Lu Qingjia pressed him down, “You stay here.”
He stood up and locked eyes with the association president and the industry’s elite sitting not far above.
They offered a condescending smile, as if he were a mere clown who had mistakenly stumbled into a place where he didn’t belong.
Mudslide’s disqualification caused an uproar in the stadium. Most of those who had bet on him, now facing significant losses, naturally vented their frustration on him.
For a moment, the insults hurled at him were as numerous as the tide. Despite the chaos and his predicament, Mudslide appeared as composed as ever.
At this point, the association president stepped onto the stage and glanced at the notification information now projected onto the big screen.
With a grave expression, he said, “It’s unfortunate that such an incident occurred before the start of the match. This is a failure on the part of our association.”
“But we strictly adhere to the principles of fairness and justice. Therefore, when the investigation results came out, we did not choose to conceal the truth even though the event had already started.”
“What I want to say is that anyone who undermines the sacred fairness, regardless of who they are, should be nailed to the pillar of shame.”
The president declared with righteous indignation, “Thus, I announce—”
Before he could finish, the audience gasped in surprise, as Mudslide had somehow appeared behind the president.
Bodyguards quickly drew their weapons and aimed them at Lu Qingjia, while most Heroes were on high alert.
However, he had no intention of harming the president.
He was tall, nearly a head taller than the president, and with a hand on the president’s head, he effortlessly pushed him away from the podium.
The president, never having experienced such embarrassment, was about to order those around him to attack on the grounds of violent resistance.
But as Lu Qingjia’s voice rang out, the ceiling and all exits of the venue swiftly closed, and a massive soap bubble enveloped the entire stadium.
Police and armed forces aimed their weapons and ability-ready gestures at those from the association who wanted to maintain order.
Hundreds of Ability users hidden among the audience jumped out, controlling Heroes from various factions.
In just a moment, the situation was reversed, with the alignment of forces leaving the Hero Association utterly baffled as to why they would side with Mudslide.
After all, he was just a capable new force in the capital world. How could he possibly mobilize the police and military’s special forces?
Then, Lu Qingjia spoke, “It’s unfortunate that such an incident occurred at the start of the match.”
Using the same opening as the president just moments before, Lu Qingjia’s words turned the other’s face pale.
Lu Qingjia continued, “The Hero King Cup is a sacred and serious event for me. I will not allow anyone to tarnish its fairness, nor will I permit my efforts to be wasted in a conspiracy.”
“Since the situation here is chaotic, I’ll have to take control of the scene and maintain order.”
The association members, seeing the rebels and the countless Ability users who had appeared out of nowhere, were in disbelief. “How did they get in?”
The Hero Association had been vigilant against anti-Hero organizations potentially launching a surprise attack during the finals, hence the strict screening of the audience. Yet, so many had managed to infiltrate.
Lu Qingjia smiled, “We’ll address that later.”
He looked into the camera, his gaze seemingly meeting the eyes of the tens of thousands watching the big screen in the stadium and the global audience tuning in live.
Then, he smiled, “Good evening. I believe those in front of the screen are already aware of the situation.”
“That’s right, all seventy thousand people here are now my hostages. Please remain calm. Next, we will bring you an exciting final match.”
