As time trickled by, Lu Weishen's figure remained conspicuously absent, causing Li Chonglou, who sat alone on the stage, to frown slightly.
The crowd below began to murmur amongst themselves.
“Isn’t that Lu Weishen afraid of losing to our President Li and afraid to show up?”
Someone questioned Lu Weishen’s intentions, but their voice was instantly drowned out by the supporters of Lu Weishen.
“Seriously, are any of you here unaware of President Lu’s strength? Would he be afraid of Li Chonglou?”
“Even if President Lu doesn’t come today, I suspect it’s because he disdains to compete with Li Chonglou. Tell me yourselves, would a city elite care about a rural farmer?”
“That’s not quite right. This competition was agreed upon by both parties. Besides, Li Chonglou is still the president of our association, so the comparison is inappropriate.”
As the discussions grew louder, Li Chonglou on the stage noticed something: Lu Weishen’s supporters seemed to significantly outnumber his own.
The voices defending Lu Weishen below almost completely overshadowed the doubts, with some even openly stating that Lu Weishen intended to give him a show of dominance, claiming that true protagonists always make their entrance last.
Li Chonglou paid no mind to these discussions; however, Lu Weishen’s prolonged absence, forcing him to wait, was undoubtedly a display of arrogance.
With this thought, Li Chonglou’s expression returned to calm. To be honest, if Lu Weishen had faced him in a proper duel, he might have shown respect for him as a senior.
At this, Li Chonglou leaned back in his chair and began to rest his eyes.
Lu Weishen was bound to lose if he came, and even more so if he didn’t. Therefore, Li Chonglou was not anxious at all.
Some of the neutral spectators below secretly admired Li Chonglou’s composure.
The agreed-upon time soon arrived, but Lu Weishen still hadn't appeared. The host on stage seemed a bit lost, while the voices from below gradually unified.
“Indeed, what is President Lu’s status that Li Chonglou can simply summon him for a match?”
“Exactly. President Lu has made so many contributions to our association before, and today he is being challenged by a junior. It’s ridiculous.”
Now, everyone speaking was a supporter of Lu Weishen. Li Chonglou did have supporters, but at this moment, it was clear they were being patronized by the other side. If they spoke up, they would be mercilessly ridiculed by Lu Weishen’s supporters, so they could only remain silent for the time being.
After all, in terms of ‘achievements’ and prestige, Li Chonglou, as the junior, was still far behind Lu Weishen.
Engaging in a war of words at this point offered no advantage to Li Chonglou’s supporters.
However, Li Chonglou on the stage remained unhurried, continuing to rest his eyes.
It wasn't until another five minutes had passed that a commotion arose from the area near the hall entrance.
“He’s here, President Lu is here!”
With a loud shout, everyone quickly turned their heads to look.
At the hall entrance, Lu Weishen, dressed in a master's robe, entered slowly, accompanied by his disciple Lin Ao.
Elegant, with a distinguished bearing, his steps were steady and firm. At this moment, Lu Weishen exuded the demeanor of a master, walking towards the stage unhurriedly under everyone’s gaze.
It was akin to the scenes of immense attention drawn by protagonists making their grand entrances at major events. “Look at this aura, how can Li Chonglou even compare to our President Lu by an iota?”
“Exactly, judging by the presence alone, Li Chonglou has already lost completely.”
Lu Weishen was, after all, an old hand, far more experienced than Li Chonglou in such situations, especially when it came to putting on a show.
The ancient and elegant robe worn by Lu Weishen instantly put Li Chonglou’s Western suit to shame.
Li Chonglou had also opened his eyes at this moment. Seeing Lu Weishen’s attire, he inwardly conceded that, when it came to appearances, he was indeed still a bit green.
However, the success or failure of today was not determined by clothing. Li Chonglou calmly gazed at Lu Weishen, waiting for him to finish his grandstanding.
As expected, after reaching the stage, Lu Weishen did not sit down immediately. Instead, he bowed slightly to the crowd below and said, “My apologies, everyone. I was delayed by a matter, please forgive me.”
“It’s alright, it’s alright. President Lu’s presence itself is a great honor, a little delay is fine.”
“Indeed, indeed. President Lu, please don’t hold back later. After all, some people who don’t know their place need to be taught a lesson.”
The supporters of Lu Weishen below immediately began to fawn over him, causing others to roll their eyes, but they were helpless.
Lu Weishen’s entrance had indeed stolen the spotlight, completely eclipsing Li Chonglou’s understated arrival.
Lu Weishen on stage merely smiled faintly at the words from below, as if it were only natural. He bowed slightly again before finally taking his seat.
The host on stage finally breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that things could finally proceed as planned. However, just as he was about to speak, he realized that Lu Weishen’s treasure was still nowhere in sight. He hurried to Lu Weishen’s side and said respectfully, “Master Lu, your treasure…”
Before the host could finish speaking, another commotion erupted from the crowd below.
“Make way, make way, President Lu’s treasures are here.”
At the hall entrance, over a dozen staff members were queuing up, carrying one treasure covered in gold cloth after another.
This scene once again overshadowed Li Chonglou’s previous method of having Wu Hao carry everything alone.
All attention was immediately drawn to the gold cloth. When the staff members placed ten treasures, matching the number Li Chonglou had, in front of Lu Weishen, the disparity between the two sides became stark.
In terms of size, the total area of Lu Weishen’s treasures was at least double that of Li Chonglou’s. In terms of appearance, naturally, gold cloth was more eye-catching than red cloth.
Undoubtedly, in this second unspoken competition of prestige, Li Chonglou had once again been thoroughly defeated.
At this point, many of the previously neutral spectators began to lean towards Lu Weishen, and even some who had initially supported Li Chonglou had switched sides.
“Looking at it now, President Li is still a bit too young. This competition, I suspect Lu Weishen will be the ultimate winner.”
Someone below sighed, and at the same time, another voice began to spread quietly.
“Did you just see? Li Chonglou’s odds have gone up quite a bit.”
“Damn! No way, I was planning to bet on him, so now I have to reconsider?”
“It’s fortunate the betting hasn’t started yet, but it’s about to. Only a few minutes left, and from the current situation, Li Chonglou’s winning probability is bound to hit rock bottom.”
It was clear that someone had opened an online betting platform. In betting markets, higher odds indicated a lower probability of winning. The increase in Li Chonglou’s odds before the opening clearly indicated that even the bookmakers did not favor Li Chonglou.
To everyone’s mind, this match seemed to have concluded before it even began.