Chapter 105 (part 2): Rebirth of the Tool Man in a Pampered Protagonist Novel

Furthermore, the ones who started the provocation were from the U.S. team. Who would dare to confront them? The U.S., along with countries like Germany and the UK, have always been arrogant and domineering, their international status and technological advancements leading the world. No one wanted to confront them head-on.

However, this did not apply to China.

China had long-standing grievances with these countries. After years of being bullied, they had finally caught up, and the country had become much more assertive in its diplomacy. Chinese citizens abroad no longer had to endure the indignities of the past. The negative image of China abroad was mostly due to the deliberate demonization by unscrupulous foreign media.

This live broadcast of the tech competition was the best opportunity for China to reshape its image in the eyes of the world. Before departure, officials had told the team to be bold and assured them that the country had their back!

The awakening of the Eastern dragon would show the world its true strength and heal the historical wounds and humiliation suffered by the nation. Tolerance? Not this time. They were ready to roll up their sleeves on foreign turf!

Professor Yu gave a signal to the team.

Immediately, a young man stepped forward, mimicking the exaggerated, provocative tone of the U.S. team,

“Oh my, isn’t this the U.S. team? Professor, I’m so scared! Should we go to Chinatown and the church to get a protective charm and a crucifix? I’ve heard the U.S. team is super lucky. Any team that goes up against them ends up in trouble, like last year’s third-place team from Germany, whose captain got diarrhea during the match. How unlucky!”

Before coming here, each team member received detailed information on the previous tech competition. The officials provided this to familiarize them with the competition’s process and rules, prepare them for any potential “accidents,” and give them an idea of the underhanded tactics of some countries.

The U.S. had won the last competition with outstanding tech achievements, but they also engaged in many dirty tricks, leveraging their “leader” status. The most notable incident was during the final match against Germany, where Germany’s captain got diarrhea, impacting their performance and costing them the championship. The German audience was both regretful and outraged.

No one was naive; it was obvious that something fishy was going on. However, due to the lack of attention and the U.S. team’s strong presence, the issue was swept under the rug. Back then, fairness was just a façade for the powerful.

Because of this, Germany led a coalition of weaker countries to protest, resulting in a shift from recorded broadcasts to live broadcasts for this competition. Although this wouldn’t entirely prevent dirty tricks, it significantly limited the bullying and manipulation by powerful countries.

The other teams were aware of this. As the U.S. team’s arrogance grew, the expressions of those around them changed from amusement to seriousness. Germany’s team members clenched their fists, clearly remembering the previous injustices.

The U.S. team members felt the shift in atmosphere but didn’t feel guilty. They didn’t believe their predecessors would stoop to such tactics. They were the mighty Western leaders, standing atop the world. How could they do something so despicable? These losers were just sore losers, throwing baseless accusations.

Scoffing, the U.S. team members dismissed the Chinese team. “Oh, the losers who went out in the first round last time are getting cocky. Should we aim even higher?”

“Come on, they have Tang Xun this time. He’s one of HF’s top graduates, can’t underestimate that.”

“Right, we might have some competition. Tang Xun is my senior. Competing with him is an honor. Haha, maybe this competition will be HF Senior vs. Junior…”

Their laughter was filled with mockery and disdain. Even Tang Xun, now famous, didn’t faze them. To them, he was just another HF graduate, learning their country’s technology. Even if China did better this time, it wouldn’t count as China’s honor.

Such arrogance and disdain infuriated the Chinese team.

But Tang Xun remained calm. He looked at the U.S. team, then at the hotel manager, “The hotel rooms aren’t strictly assigned. If teams agree, rooms can be swapped, right?”

The manager was taken aback but didn’t respond. Tang Xun didn’t wait for an answer and turned back to the U.S. team, “How about a bet?”

“What kind of bet?” The U.S. team was puzzled.

Tang Xun didn’t mince words, “First round, attack and defense. Bet that your team will only qualify last. Deal?”

His words instantly darkened the faces of the U.S. team members, their eyes blazing. This wasn’t a bet; it was a blatant insult, a challenge to their pride.

“What do you mean, Tang Xun?”

“With your record, you dare to bet with us? Don’t forget, you were first-round losers last time. How dare you make such a claim?”

“Why should we waste our time betting with you losers?”

Their shouts didn’t faze Tang Xun. He cut them off, “Enough talk. One question: Do you dare or not? If you lose, we swap hotel rooms. If we lose, we quit the competition.”

Fang Ziyang and the others stepped forward, their voices united, “Do you dare?”

Their powerful declaration echoed, their unity intimidating.

The crowd was momentarily stunned by this show of strength. Even the U.S. team was taken aback, unable to retort.

At that moment, a voice with a foreign accent called out from the back of the crowd,

“How can we miss such an interesting bet? Sophis, accept the challenge.”

The crowd parted to reveal a handsome red-haired man in a suit and a beautiful Chinese man pushing a wheelchair.

The U.S. team members looked relieved to see them. Fang Ziyang noticed the handsome Chinese man and smirked slightly.

xxx

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