Chapter 43: Awakening
Chapter 43: Chapter 43: Awakening
Zhao Tianxiong spoke eloquently, describing how the club would tilt its resources in their favor, arrange opponents that generated more buzz, handle their publicity and packaging, and ultimately mold them into the new faces of Geta—and even the entire underground boxing arena of Jinchuan City.
His words were incredibly persuasive. Hong’s eyes lit up as she listened. Cai Long also dropped his casual posture, and even Monk, who usually remained expressionless, looked much more focused.
Fang Chen listened, but his mind remained crystal clear. It was strikingly similar to the operational models of commercial sports leagues and competitive tournaments he had seen in his past life. To maintain a tournament’s popularity and appeal, leagues or clubs constantly needed to resort to "star-making" or even "idol-making," creating focal figures that audiences could project their emotions onto and sparking discussions.
Looking at the irrepressible excitement and longing on the other three’s faces, it was as if they could already envision a future where their worth was a hundred thousand, their monthly income reached a million, and they stood in the spotlight of the masses. But Fang Chen knew things would never be that simple.
The so-called "star-making plan" was essentially a meticulously choreographed script; strategies could be adjusted at any time based on market reactions and player performances. Generally, a mature operational system heavily promoted several different archetypes of star players to generate buzz and popularity:
The first was "the Descended God." The second was "the Crowned King." The third was "the Tragic Hero," also known as "the Uncrowned King." The fourth was "the Supernova," which was exactly what they were right now—possessing limitless potential, a promising future, and carrying the audience’s anticipation for fresh blood and unknown possibilities.
Only by creating enough characters, sufficiently convoluted plotlines, and intense conflicts could they attract more people to invest their emotions and money.
However, in Fang Chen’s view, the empty promises of a "four-person poster child" team that Zhao Tianxiong was currently painting might not be the ultimate goal. The four of them were probably not all candidates Zhao Tianxiong genuinely wanted to heavily promote.
In the end, whether it would evolve into a script of a "twin stars" rivalry or a drama of a "peerless prodigy" emerging from nowhere to crush their contemporaries would depend entirely on their performances in the upcoming matches and the audience’s reactions to set the tone. There was even a chance that none of them would be chosen; if this batch failed to take off, they would simply be used as stepping stones for the next wave of rookies.
Zhao Tianxiong observed the excited expressions on their faces and, knowing the timing was right, continued, "For this period, our internal match scheduling will try to keep the four of you apart. This is to ensure you can all maintain your winning streaks and continuously accumulate victories and popularity."
His gaze swept over the four of them, carrying profound meaning. "Once each of you has attracted enough loyal supporters and formed your own die-hard fanbases... that is when matches against one another will push the hype to its absolute climax."
He didn’t explicitly state the latter half of his thought, but everyone present knew it clearly in their hearts—the so-called "four-person poster child" plan would ultimately likely only heavily promote one of them! Resources were finite, and the dead center of the spotlight typically only had room for one. In an instant, as the few of them exchanged glances, the camaraderie they previously shared diminished, replaced by subtle scrutiny and a sense of competition.
Zhao Tianxiong was very satisfied with this effect; this kind of healthy internal competitive pressure was exactly what he wanted. He waved his hand. "Alright, that’s all for today. If there’s nothing else, you’re all dismissed. Prepare well for your upcoming matches."
"Goodbye, President Zhao!"
"Thank you, President Zhao!"
The few of them stood up one after another and took their leave.
Just as Fang Chen was also preparing to leave, Zhao Tianxiong called out to him alone, "By the way, Feng."
Fang Chen stopped in his tracks and turned around. "What is it?"
Looking at him, Zhao Tianxiong spoke in a casual tone. "For your next match, the club will directly arrange an opponent with a bounty of fifty thousand for you. His name is Sea Dog. We want to pull your bounty up to the thirty thousand mark as soon as possible, so you’re consistent with the others."
He added, "Rest assured, this guy is a veteran hustler. His true strength is only around the thirty-thousand mark. He coasted his way to a fifty-thousand bounty purely relying on experience and some dirty tricks. You shouldn’t have much of a problem. Good luck."
Fang Chen understood perfectly. They were going to start padding his record to let him skip ranks. Of course, if he couldn’t beat the opponent, he would naturally be dropped from this star-making plan. He nodded. "Understood. Thank you, President Zhao."
Stepping out of the Geta Club, the evening breeze carried a hint of chill. Fang Chen patted the "Iron Wall Strike" manual in his jacket and looked up at the sky.
He wondered, "Should I enter Time Stop now?"
Fang Chen shook his head; no one understood what loneliness meant better than he did. In that unchanging world, he had to endure the solitude of being the only living person. He could only train desperately, watching himself grow stronger day by day to remind himself of the meaning of perseverance. Broad daylight was fine, as he would wake up every day to beautiful sunshine. But if he entered Time Stop at night, he would be facing endless, sunless darkness. That would result in a completely different state of mind.
Moreover, at this hour, most restaurants were closed, and the vegetable markets had packed up long ago.
He thought, "It’s better to wait until noon tomorrow when the school cafeteria starts serving food before entering the Time Stop Domain to cultivate. That way, the days spent practicing in the Time Stop Domain will be longer." His mind made up, he rode his bike home.
At noon the next day, at the gate of Jinchuan Seven Great Schools.
Fang Chen had just walked up to the school gate when he noticed the atmosphere was a bit different. Many students were gathered there, whispering amongst themselves, all casting their gazes in the same direction.
"Wow, look! She’s so pretty!"
"Is she a newly transferred senior? I’ve never seen her before."
"She doesn’t look like one. She’s not even wearing a school uniform..."
Fang Chen followed the crowd’s gaze, only to see a familiar figure standing gracefully under a plane tree. Sunlight filtered through the branches and leaves, sprinkling dappled spots of light over her. Seeing him, the figure instantly lit up with joy, bounding forward to greet him like a cheerful Little Deer.
"Ta-da! Hmph! Chen, you didn’t even come look for me."
Fang Chen took a closer look; it was indeed Xia Chu. The murmurs of the surrounding students drifted into his ears much more clearly:
"So it’s Fang Chen’s girlfriend... No wonder..."
"She’s gorgeous, like a celebrity..."
"Sigh, I knew it. With Fang Chen’s high standards, how could he possibly have eyes for the girls at our school..."
Fang Chen walked up to her, somewhat surprised. "Why did you come to The Three Greats? Don’t you have classes today? And why aren’t you wearing your school uniform?"
Xia Chu chuckled and leaned in close to him. She tilted her face up, her eyes sparkling with mystery and anticipation. "Chen, look! What’s different about me today?"
Fang Chen was completely baffled. "Did you put on makeup? Are you wearing new clothes?"
"Oh, come on! Feel it more carefully!" Xia Chu stomped her feet and pouted playfully.
Fang Chen looked at her face that was mere inches away. A faint, almost imperceptible fragrance lingered at the tip of his nose. He hesitated, "...Did you wear perfume?"
Xia Chu was speechless. Puffing out her cheeks angrily like a little hamster, she said, "No! You dummy! It’s me—I’ve broken through to the True Martial Realm! It’s all thanks to your help. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have known when I’d finally be able to break through."
Hearing this, Fang Chen’s expression turned serious. "Really?" He concentrated on sensing the Aura around Xia Chu. Sure enough, a faint yet solid and unwavering True Qi fluctuation was subtly emanating from her body.
"Not bad! Your foundation is very stable; this wasn’t a forced breakthrough." A hint of approval flashed in Fang Chen’s eyes, and he felt genuinely happy for her. "So, you’re planning to go for your Spirit Awakening?"
Xia Chu nodded vigorously, her face beaming with excitement and longing. "Mhm! The Spirit Awakener of Jinchuan City has already left and returned to the branch in Jing’an City. I’m setting off this afternoon. I’m going to the big city! I wonder if I’ll be able to awaken a Superpower!"
Fang Chen nodded. "You’ll be fine. Stay safe on the road."
Xia Chu looked at his calm demeanor and blinked. "What’s wrong? Are you worried about me? Sigh... If a certain classmate with the last name Fang was willing to ask for two days off and personally escort me to Jing’an City, who knows how grateful and touched this lady would be~"
Fang Chen shook his head helplessly. "With that acting skill of yours, you wouldn’t survive past the third episode in a historical drama." As if thinking of something, his tone became gentle yet carried a hint of distance. "With your family taking care of you, I’m naturally at ease. After all, when it comes to the path ahead... you’ll eventually have to walk it on your own."