Xia Huanao returned to the Ming Long Country camp just as Mu Zhishui also arrived back on the island. Seeing Mu Zhishui beaming, Xia Huanao naturally understood she was happy about the successful evolution of her Lycanroc. However, he wondered if her joy had perhaps lasted a bit too long. Two or three days of such cheerfulness?
But then, Xia Huanao relaxed. He was also overjoyed when his own Lycanroc evolved into a unique Dusk Form, and he figured he'd be happy for at least half a month.
With Mu Zhishui's return, the Ming Long Country team was once again complete. Xia Huanao and Mu Zhishui sat at the table in the camp's meeting room, a rare assembly for Ming Long Country before the start of the second phase of the competition.
Meng Tianya walked in with a folder and slapped it onto the table. "I have news for everyone, whether it's good or bad. Our second phase of competition is delayed, possibly until March."
Xia Huanao glanced at the calendar on the wall. "Does this delay even matter? It's almost March already."
Meng Tianya sat down in a chair, speaking with a hint of sarcasm. "Apparently, there was an issue with the broadcast system, and they can't synchronize the live feed. Plus, the construction of the specific competition venues still needs time, so that's how it is."
This explanation wasn't entirely convincing, but there was nothing they could do. From the outset, this tournament had been more than just a simple battle; many things overshadowed the actual combat. Xia Huanao and the others could only endure this change.
After announcing this change, there wasn't much else to discuss in the meeting. It was simply a matter of telling everyone to maintain their competitive spirit and not slack off just because they suddenly had an extra day or two of vacation. Everyone nodded in agreement. Xia Huanao turned to Mu Zhishui and asked, "Have any of your national branches developed any new items recently?"
Mu Zhishui thought for a moment upon hearing the question, then shook her head. "No, I've been keeping an eye on things during my break, and there haven't been any particularly amazing new items. What's up? Have your Awakened Ones developed something new?"
Xia Huanao waved his hand. "Ha, among our Awakened Ones, I'm still the only developer. I've been busy with the tournament, so I haven't had time to research new equipment. But it seems the trend of 'de-Rainbow Starization' has begun."
The term "de-Rainbow Starization" was novel, and those sitting at the table became intrigued. Yu Longdu immediately asked, "Explain, did you get some secret intelligence again?"
Xia Huanao then recounted everything he had seen from Li Xing Country. "...So, I'm still very interested in that box. Although it's just my speculation, I believe this speculation will cause a lot of trouble. That's why I wanted to inquire if the Rainbow Star Group, which has branches all over the world, was involved in Li Xing Country's road development this time. But now it seems everyone is gradually reducing Li Xing Country's influence."
Mu Zhishui seemed to have expected this outcome. "There's no choice. The Rainbow Star Group is too powerful. Even if it's just a commercial group without grand ambitions, it's enough to give everyone a headache. But speaking of which, given Li Xing's technological standards, it's not surprising they'd develop something. Fortunately, if we were to encounter it, it would be at the very end."
...
A day or two after that meeting, time arrived at March 1st, a date that made a considerable portion of the Ming Long Country population feel rather uncomfortable.
School began, especially for third-year middle schoolers and third-year high schoolers. Facing their impending major life exams, they were under immense pressure. However, even university students, after the baptism of a winter break, wouldn't immediately have the mindset for studying.
On the campus of Liu Ling University, Feng Bing stared blankly at Tong Ruo, who was standing at the podium. "Teacher Tong, why did you suddenly change to an indoor class? Outdoor classes are so much better."
Tong Ruo adjusted the projector equipment as he spoke. "Your sister Xiao Xiao arranged this, so you could watch world-class battles and facilitate your growth. Alright, it's ready."
The projector displayed the familiar television broadcast that everyone in the classroom knew well. "The first two matches have concluded. The next match will be the final match of the first half, a two-on-two battle."
Upon seeing the lineup for the two-on-two match, Liu Ling University erupted. After all, Chu Xiaodie was a student at Liu Ling University, and her appearance on such a grand stage representing Ming Long Country was already a source of pride.
Feng Bing's eyes instantly lit up. "Um, Sister Ruo, Chu Xiaodie didn't report back because of this?"
Tong Ruo nodded. "Yes, you all need to learn from her. She's a student in your year, so you absolutely cannot fall too far behind."
Feng Bing slumped back down again. "Forget it. With Chu Xiaodie's achievements, it's obvious it's all thanks to Assistant Coach Xia. How can we possibly compare?"
Tong Ruo reached out and tapped him on the head. "Be quiet and focus on watching the match."
Whether it was the broadcast buff or some other reason, Chu Xiaodie performed exceptionally bravely in this match. She easily secured the victory with Yu Longdu and returned to the Ming Long Country lineup.
And right after this match ended, although the people at Liu Ling University were very excited, Feng Bing still complained, "So, these two official commentators are really not good. They don't sound as exciting as Coach Xia's commentary during last year's University Pokémon Competition. Are these two even trainers?"
Tong Ruo knew the background of these commentators. Although they were official commentators, they were actually just a pair of spoiled brats who had somehow managed to secure commentary positions. But what could he do? Tong Ruo couldn't expose their past, so he could only tell Feng Bing to keep watching the match obediently.
And it wasn't just the people at Liu Ling University who were watching the tournament. Xia Huanao's high school also had battle classes, and the new teaching content that Shen Yu had mentioned involved watching this tournament. However, because high school students had various other courses besides battle classes, each class might have been watching a live broadcast of a different match.
Shen Yu, an unlucky girl, had her battle class scheduled for the third period. By the time class started, a significant portion of the Ming Long Country matches had already concluded. The fifth match was in a tense state and, after a small oversight, ended in a regrettable defeat. The people in the class sighed and began to focus on the final two-on-two match.
Meanwhile, on the island, Xia Huanao had somehow acquired a straw hat and placed it on his head. Every time a Ming Long Country camera lens shifted his way, only the top of his head, covered by the straw hat, could be seen, looking rather mysterious.
After five matches, Su Xiao Jiu came to Xia Huanao's side. "Stop sleeping. It's your turn to play."
Xia Huanao, still wearing the straw hat, sat up. "It's my turn, huh? Alright, let's use them for a warm-up."
When Xia Huanao and Mu Zhishui arrived at the arena, both Liu Ling University and Shen Yu's group, who were watching the broadcast, let out exclamations of surprise. After all, Xia Huanao was a prominent figure at both of these different schools. Shen Yu, in particular, was now surrounded by the gazes of almost all the girls in her class, their envy and jealousy palpable.
Zhang Hong, who had been sitting near Shen Yu, turned to her and asked, "How do you feel seeing this performance from Boss Xia?"
Xia Huanao, of course, was unaware of Shen Yu's inner turmoil. He was discussing with Mu Zhishui which Pokémon to use for the battle. Emotionally, they both leaned towards using Lycanroc to get a feel for the arena atmosphere. After all, the outcome of the match was already decided; Ming Long Country had successfully defeated a round, so how they fought their own match was inconsequential.
However, from a strategic perspective, this was their first match in the elimination round, and getting off to a good start was important. Thus, they decided to use their trump cards directly to secure the win with certainty.
To be fair, the overall strength of Ming Long Country's opponent in their first elimination match wasn't particularly strong. After all, during the group stage, several "groups of death" had forced Xia Huanao and his team to face numerous strong contenders. This resulted in some bracket pairings having incredibly weak match intensities, such as the one Xia Huanao and his team had emerged from.
The match started quickly and ended even faster than imagined. It could truly be described as a swift and decisive victory. After recalling their Pokémon, Xia Huanao and Mu Zhishui high-fived and then returned to the Ming Long Country preparation area.
The teachers and students at Liu Ling University were thrilled by this clean and efficient victory. See? This is the strength of Liu Ling University! Both teachers and students are incredibly capable!
However, the atmosphere in Shen Yu's group was a bit strange. Initially, Xia Huanao's victory had indeed made them excited. But then, amidst the chaotic chatter, someone interjected with a sentence: "Xia Huanao and Mu Zhishui really look like a couple. Even with a seven or eight-year age difference, they don't look out of place at all."
Whatever you think privately about such a comment is irrelevant. Even if you wrote hundreds of thousands of words of fanfiction about the two of them, no one would say anything. But at this moment, Shen Yu was present. Suddenly, the original partner was made to sound like the "other woman." How could anyone bear that? Shen Yu's heart was instantly dealt a heavy blow. She pursed her lips, her heart filled with complex emotions.
Seeing this situation, Zhang Hong quickly turned his head, trying to figure out who had said it, but the class was too chaotic to identify the speaker. Zhang Hong could only place his hope in Xia Huanao. *Boss Xia, you have to give it your all!*
Xia Huanao seemed to have heard Zhang Hong's inner plea. After returning to the Ming Long Country preparation area, he directly took out his phone. After calculating the time difference for Shen Yu's location, he dialed Shen Yu's number.