Chapter 441: Honoring the Bet

Charles Davis’s chest heaved like a bellows, fast and furious. More than anger, it was humiliation. After one hard slap to the face, two more rang out crisply, shoving him into the abyss.

The first slap was from Lu Ke, the second from the public, and the third from the producer of “Inside the Alliance.” Each one was fiercer than the last, more vicious, piling all the shame upon his head.

Just a moment ago, the show’s producer had sought out Charles for a private conversation.

The content of the conversation was simple. The fallout from this news event had far exceeded their imagination, and the production team needed Charles to fulfill the terms of the bet. If Charles refused, the team would have no choice but to fire him and issue a statement of condemnation.

In other words, the production team would not clean up Charles’s mess.

‘How could I have forgotten? This is Hollywood, a world of fame and fortune, a gladiatorial arena.’ Profit was king, and entertainment was a fight to the death. For ratings and ad sponsorships, they would stop at nothing. If necessary, any pawn could become a sacrifice. What’s more, Charles himself had started this whole affair; they had no reason to let it go.

The producer, with an expression of deep pain and helplessness, repeatedly stressed that if it weren’t for the overwhelming impact of the incident—not just the uproar online, but also the attention from other TV stations—the matter had already spun out of ESPN’s control. Otherwise, they would have definitely been willing to protect Charles’s “honor.”

But now, “Charles, you have to understand our difficult position.” Those were the producer’s final words. After saying them, he turned and left without waiting for Charles to argue or refute.

As for how exactly Charles was supposed to fulfill the bet, that wasn’t the producer’s concern. They had just casually shifted all responsibility onto Charles, shed some crocodile tears, dusted off their hands, and left. Now they were just waiting with their legs crossed to watch the show.

‘Damn that Lu Ke.’

‘It’s all because of that guy, that arrogant punk who doesn’t know his place.’ Charles’s fists clenched involuntarily, tighter and tighter, until his arms began to tremble faintly. His eyes turned bloodshot. Whether in his career as a professional player or as an analyst, he had never suffered such a humiliation.

‘From this day on, this will never be over between us!’

‘That guy had better pray he can keep his winning streak going. He not only needs to keep winning, but every single performance needs to be spectacular. Otherwise, I’ll make him regret ever being born. Make no mistake, everything before this was just child’s play. The real war starts today!’

Who would have the last laugh remained to be seen.

Not long after, Charles left the dressing room and headed to the studio to film today’s episode of “Inside the Alliance.” Only then did the staff enter the room to tidy up, only to be met with a scene of utter chaos—

All the furniture and decorations in the room were smashed to pieces. The powder compacts and eyeshadows from the vanity were scattered on the floor, mixed into a mess. Even the sofa was torn to shreds, its stuffing exposed as if it had been disemboweled. Shards from the table lamp’s bulb and a water glass were strewn across the floor. The only saving grace was that the vanity mirror hadn’t been shattered.

Staring at the dressing room, which looked as if a tornado had passed through, the staff all looked at each other in dismay. And then… then they started snapping photos like gossip mongers, collecting evidence that slowly began to circulate within their circles.

Now everyone knew: the feud between Charles Davis and Lu Ke was truly one to the bitter end.

But who, exactly, had started this war?

…

It was time to film another new episode of “Inside the Alliance.” For the ten analysts, this had become a fixed weekly routine since the regular season began. The prep work and the filming itself held few surprises, gradually settling into a nine-to-five habit that had lost its excitement.

Today, however, was an exception.

It wasn’t just the analysts; even the host, Edward Bowen, was full of anticipation and bubbling with excitement. They had just come off a weekend full of spectacular plays and juicy topics. Now, everyone was looking forward to today’s taping—and most importantly, to Charles’s response.

Spencer Larson was chatting with Melissa Anderson, Jessica Kani, and others, a triumphant expression revealing his good mood. His brilliant smile was further proof of his excellent spirits.

The joy and relief of surviving a close call are often magnified. This week, the San Francisco 49ers’ victory let Spencer truly taste the rollercoaster of emotions in competitive sports—the way it brings both elation and anxiety. The vicarious thrill was like riding the fastest rollercoaster ten times in a row. By the time he came to his senses, it felt as if his soul had almost left his body, but it was… exhilarating!

When Charles entered the studio, all discussion stopped. Appraising gazes turned toward him. Beneath the calm, silent atmosphere, a turbulent undercurrent could be clearly felt. The anticipation and excitement exchanged in their glances were almost impossible to hide, and the pity and sympathy mixed in were a further insult to Charles.

Charles straightened his back and strode over to Edward Bowen. The two of them moved to the side and whispered for a moment before returning to their seats.

Soon, the show officially began taping.

Facing the camera, Edward gave a quick and simple opening, welcoming all the viewers to this episode of “Inside the Alliance.” But then, he cut right to the chase without any further ado.

“Last week, a shocking wager took place on this very show, a showdown between Charles Davis and Spencer Larson.”

As Edward spoke, the studio cameras focused on Charles and Spencer. Although both men were expressionless, the subtle details in their eyes and demeanor revealed completely different psychological states. For the audience at home, this was an absolutely explosive, once-in-a-lifetime moment.

“For last week’s game between the San Francisco 49ers and the New York Giants, our two commentators each backed a side and placed their bets. Now, the result of the game is in, which means it’s time to settle the wager.”

After saying this, Edward turned to look at Charles, and the show’s cameras focused solely on him, truly making him the center of attention.

In the ratings surveys that followed, the viewership numbers and ratings for this moment set a new high for the 2011 season, becoming the highlight of the season for “Inside the Alliance.” Both sets of data were the highest for the entire season, a record that not even the later Super Bowl special could break.

Not only that, but when the video was later uploaded to YouTube, its view count surpassed ten million in less than twenty-four hours and continued to multiply at a visible rate, quickly becoming one of the biggest trending topics of 2011.

Before the bet, this was something no one had anticipated. But after the bet was settled, it wasn’t surprising in the least. This was the spirit of the age: entertain to the death.

For Charles, this was a memorable moment in his career, seared deeply onto his pillar of shame. Likewise, the two quarterbacks, Lu Ke and Eli Manning, became famous far and wide because of this bet.

But all that came later. Back in the studio, under the countless gazes, Charles gritted his teeth. He clenched and unclenched his fists several times before the roiling emotions subsided slightly. The thick taste of blood filled his mouth, but he didn’t even dare to open it to breathe.

He had to steel himself. If he let that resolve falter for even a moment, he didn’t know if he’d still have the courage to go through with the bet.

Then, Charles stood up and walked to an open space next to the round table. He pulled an enlarged world map from his pocket, spread it out completely on the floor, and looked up at the camera. Forcing himself to appear strong, he announced, “The New York Giants lost the game, and I lost the bet. I will now fulfill my promise!”

On camera, Charles was seen standing on a starting point—the location of Los Angeles. He then walked forward, step by step, in the direction of the Pacific Ocean. On this world map, which had been enlarged tenfold, it took him a full seven steps to reach the location of Beijing.

Finally, mimicking a gymnast finishing a routine, Charles raised his right hand high to signal that he had fulfilled the bet.

It was a loophole-exploiting way to do it, and by not crawling on his knees, he avoided greater humiliation. But the bet was ultimately fulfilled, and the spectacle came to an end.

After completing the actions, Charles turned to face the camera. The sense of shame and humiliation washed over him in endless waves. His face was flushed crimson, and he was so choked with emotion he couldn’t speak a word. But he still held it all in and raised his middle finger to the camera.

For a moment, everyone at ESPN was stunned. The director froze for a second but ultimately didn’t stop Charles. Since it was a pre-recorded show, they could just edit this part out before it aired, so it wouldn’t be a problem. To be honest, they were a little curious to see what Charles would do next.

Then they saw Charles’s face, flushed red with veins bulging, looking like he was about to explode at any moment. He snarled, “Fuck! Lu Ke-fucking-Skywalker! I bet that after this season is over, you’ll disappear completely like a shooting star! Vanish without a trace! This war isn’t over! We’ll see who gets the last laugh! Fuck!”