Chapter 177 - 173: Champion and Rewards

Chapter 177: Chapter 173: Champion and Rewards

The Dragon Country Rongcheng Official Sports Association and the Rock Climbing Competition Organizing Committee issued a joint special statement that day.

"After investigation and evidence collection, two of the athletes participating in this rock climbing event were found to have used performance-enhancing drugs. Considering personal privacy issues, their names will not be disclosed.

"However, following discussions by the organizing committee, these two athletes are permanently banned from participating in rock climbing events.

"Please rest assured that there are no issues with our Dragon Country athletes. The competition will continue tomorrow, so please look forward to it."

When this news came out, the entire internet was in an uproar. Although the official media’s statement was very subtle, everyone clearly understood the underlying meaning. Netizens left a flurry of sarcastic comments.

"What a huge drama! Who would have thought? We didn’t know until they investigated, but it turns out the ones with problems are the contestants from other countries."

"I’m dying of laughter! Isn’t this the textbook definition of shooting themselves in the foot?"

"I’m so curious! Which country’s athletes are they?!"

Compared to the subtlety of the official media, various private media outlets completely let loose. This was especially true for the statement from the Moriyama Group: "A thief crying ’stop thief’! If you can’t compete, then put your effort into another direction!"

The post included a data analysis and insinuated which two countries’ athletes it might be. For a time, the netizens once again displayed their mastery of local creative swearing, ruthlessly cursing out a highly suspicious delegation. The public also paid even more attention to the rock climbing event, while our main protagonist was actively preparing to continue his championship run.

The night passed without incident.

The next day, Phoenix Mountain Stadium was packed to the brim. The citizens of Rongcheng showed up with fiery red enthusiasm, the vast majority of them coming to support the unfairly treated hero—Su Yunzhou. This atmosphere caused the morale of the entire Dragon Country delegation to surge, while the other delegations were met with a sky full of boos the moment they stepped onto the field.

In the audience, a middle-aged man wearing a red Dragon Country t-shirt had a large drum set up beside him. He beat it forcefully with both hands and shouted chants.

"Dragon Country! Invincible!"

"Beautiful Country! F**k!"

"Little Life, go f**k yourselves, you shameless bastards!"

The home-field advantage acted like a buff for the Dragon Country athletes. They broke out one after another and achieved excellent results.

Su Yunzhou’s competition was about to begin. In lead climbing, the athletes needed to use ropes to climb a rock wall over fifteen meters high. The time limit was six minutes, and they were not allowed to preview the route in advance. This competition required the athletes to fully utilize their physical and mental capabilities.

At this moment, Su Yunzhou stood beneath the climbing wall, his mind having already mapped out an effective route. Cheers of encouragement shook the heavens around his ears. He bowed slightly and waved to the audience, causing the entire stadium to gradually quiet down.

The staff members returned Su Yunzhou’s gesture with a smile. After exchanging a glance, Su Yunzhou gathered his strength and waited for the signal.

BANG!

The starting pistol fired. He shot upwards with extreme speed, like an arrow released from a bowstring. In the blink of an eye, he had climbed five meters. Ahead was an extremely difficult protruding hold. This was the most challenging spot, a place where many athletes wasted their time.

But Su Yunzhou did the exact opposite. Under the astonished gazes of all the athletes, he pushed hard with his legs and leaped up, continuing his ascent in this unbelievable manner. After advancing a few more meters, an incredibly difficult slanted surface appeared before him. Climbing this section was a challenge to an athlete’s physical limits.

Su Yunzhou did not disappoint the crowd. Relying solely on the strength of his fingers, he traversed it as effortlessly as a monkey crossing a mountain, easily completing this section of the climb. After that, there were no more hiccups, and he smoothly reached the top.

CLAP CLAP CLAP.

Thunderous applause rang out. In the stands, everyone cheered fiercely.

"Wow, he’s so handsome!"

"Badass! This is what a true man of Dragon Country looks like!"

"Su Yunzhou, I want to have your babies!"

After a flawless, gorgeous girl nearby shouted this, the crowd in the stands was instantly stunned into silence for a few seconds before returning to normal.

The judges in the stands secretly clicked their tongues in amazement as they looked at the time on the big screen. It was another new world record! This person was truly a genius! And without a single exaggeration, his two records would be unbeatable for a very long time.

When the other athletes saw this result, only bitterness and despair remained in their hearts. How were they supposed to compete with this? The first-place score was a minute and a half ahead of the second place. This gap was interdimensional; it was like an adult competing against a child. What was the point, no matter how skilled the child was? The disparity was simply too vast.

The day’s competition ended just like that. Su Yunzhou remained far in the lead.

Returning to the hotel that night, Su Yunzhou received passionate encouragement and small gifts from numerous fans the moment he stepped out of the car. Having never seen such a grand spectacle, he appeared a bit reserved. In the end, it was Yan Peisheng who came to his rescue, reciting a speech he had prepared in advance to the fans and media friends.

Back in his room, Su Yunzhou breathed a sigh of relief. Facing passionate fans felt more exhausting than the actual competition. He listened to Coach Yan’s advice and tried his best not to go out, waiting for the hype to die down over the next few days.

After their video call that evening, Lilia sent another invitation, but Su Yunzhou chose to decline. The foreign beauty’s initiative made him slightly uncomfortable. Or were all foreigners just this uninhibited? However, Lilia repeatedly confirmed their date for after the competition ended, as her visa only had a few days left.

A new day. It was also the final day of this grand tournament. Today would feature the last bouldering competition.

The athletes were required to climb an incredibly complex six-meter-high rock wall within a limited time and with as few attempts as possible, all without the use of any ropes. The entire rock face was set at an extreme angle. The protruding holds were all composed of irregular rocks with very small contact surfaces, posing a supreme challenge to the athletes’ physical condition and technique.

The most perverted aspect of this route was the location of the final touchpoint. It was a trap that severely tested an athlete’s accuracy and finger strength. The first few athletes who tried it all failed at this exact spot, silently cursing the route setter’s sadism, convinced that such a route was absolutely impossible to finish.

After cursing the sadistic route designed by the setter, everyone helplessly thought of a certain someone. If it were him, there would definitely be no problem, right?

Next, the first competitor to complete the bouldering route was Little Life’s Suzuki Ichiro. After landing on the ground, his arms trembled uncontrollably; he had clearly pushed his strength to the absolute limit. At this moment, the arrogant swagger he had worn on his face a few days prior had completely vanished. The existence of a certain someone was like an insurmountable mountain. This kind of despair made it hard for him to eat or sleep.

The second person to finish was surprisingly Pan Yong, the former number one climber in Dragon Country. He completed it right at the time limit after several attempts. Upon descending from the rock wall, he was completely drained of energy, but he still forced himself to wave in gratitude to the audience.

Beautiful Country’s Bojack also successfully completed it, taking the current first-place spot. However, everyone knew that this "first place" was only temporary before that certain man began his climb.

Half an hour later, Su Yunzhou stood at the base of the bouldering wall, rubbing chalk on his hands as he began to prepare. The sound of drums echoed from the stands.

"Su Yunzhou, keep it up!"

"Su Yunzhou, champion!"

The fervency of this moment made his blood boil, bringing his physical state to its peak.

HUFF.

Su Yunzhou took a deep breath and focused his attention. Now that he had reached this stage, he absolutely could not afford to make any mistakes. As the starting pistol fired, he walked with a firm stride toward the first boulder.

HUFF—

Every step Su Yunzhou took was incredibly steady, the immense strength in his arms giving him confidence. He leaped and maneuvered through seemingly impossible gaps, setting a wildly exaggerated score. He landed on the ground, beads of sweat breaking out on his forehead.

Yan Peisheng and a few other athletes rushed forward in excitement.

"We won!"

"Champion!"

"Su Yunzhou, you are the well-deserved champion!"

Yan Peisheng was so thrilled he was practically dancing with joy. He had anticipated this moment, but now that it had actually happened, his emotions were simply beyond words. A champion! A champion who broke multiple world records!

The rest of the competition was devoid of suspense. Su Yunzhou’s overall score and points created a massive gap between him and the second-place finisher.

At three o’clock in the afternoon, the award ceremony was held. In the women’s rock climbing division, Lilia, possessing both beauty and strength, seized the crown. Holding her trophy, she looked at the smiling, silent Su Yunzhou and thought, "Only the first place is the perfect match for the first place!"

A moment later, the men’s rock climbing award ceremony began.

First place, Su Yunzhou.

Second place, Bojack.

Third place, Suzuki Ichiro.

Draped in the red glory of his nation, the champion stood on the highest podium. The moment the national anthem began to play, the entire stadium was shaken. The crowd sang along in a grand chorus. Many people even shed tears of excitement. The resounding melody of the national anthem lingered throughout Phoenix Mountain Stadium.

Not far away, Yan Peisheng saw this inspiring scene. His eyes glistened with emotion, and his face flushed red. He had finally achieved the honor he had dreamed of; it was the goal he had pursued his entire life.

Athletes like Lin Wei, Ning Xiangwu, and Pan Yong were also completely convinced. People were just like that—if the gap wasn’t large, they might still harbor feelings of resentment. But when faced with an unattainable disparity, they could only feel awe and envy.

Su Yunzhou accepted the trophy, his brows and eyes brimming with joy. What fine young man wouldn’t like winning glory for his country? Yet, he knew exactly who had brought him this moment of honor. He silently murmured in his heart, "Tong, thank you!"

[Ding!]

[Host has unlocked the hidden achievement: United as One.]

[Please claim the special item reward manually.]

"Ah? A hidden achievement?" he thought. "So there’s this kind of feature too! Tong is really too awesome. I wonder what kind of surprise it will bring this time."