Chapter 147: The Counterattack

The people in the channel, having heard that the latest message concerned Wang Chen—who had remained silent throughout the ordeal—felt their curiosity piqued. They all clicked on the score tally of Wang Chen’s team to investigate.

What they saw left them stunned.

Wang Chen’s team score was skyrocketing! It was as if their points had boarded a rocket, surging higher with every passing second. Their ranking, previously languishing in the lower-middle tier, was now making a triumphant charge, smashing past one team after another with unstoppable momentum.

In no time, they had broken into the top one hundred, showing no signs of slowing down. Almost in the blink of an eye, they surpassed a dozen more teams. The momentum continued to build, and the rate at which they were gaining points grew faster and faster.

The students watching the display, initially bewildered, suddenly erupted into a frenzy.

"What the hell! How are their rankings soaring so fast? Are they hacking?"

"Hack your mother! This is the Inter-High School Tournament! Are you insane? Show me how to use a hack like that—do you think this is a video game?"

"This is terrifying! How can points increase this quickly? We’re getting points in single digits, and Wang Chen is pulling in tens of points at a time!"

"The beasts are asking me why I’m kneeling while watching the leaderboard!"

Cai Kun was also monitoring the changes in Wang Chen’s score, and the sight made his eyes burn with rage.

"Dammit! Why! What kind of blind luck has Wang Chen stumbled upon to make his score jump like this?"

Cai Kun roared in impotent fury. His teammates, witnessing his unhinged state, merely exchanged glances, looking at him with the pity one reserves for the mentally ill.

"The scoring system must be glitching! It has to be!" Cai Kun gritted his teeth. "I’m reporting this malfunction!"

Just then, the wild surge in Wang Chen’s score suddenly slowed.

Seeing this, Cai Kun paused, then rejoiced. "I knew it! It was just blind luck! He must have stumbled upon a group of dying beasts! Now that he’s finished them off, that’s as far as he goes, haha!"

Cai Kun immediately switched back to the chat channel, intending to throw some insults. However, a message from Wang Chen appeared on the public screen first.

***

After a rapid trek, Wang Chen’s group had finally arrived at the Silver Zone. Wang Chen had gone all out, grinding monsters to make up for the points lost during their travel. Because he was so focused on movement and combat, he hadn't had a spare second to check the chat channel.

In any case, the channel was meant for students to coordinate resources, and since Wang Chen’s team was leading the charge into the Silver Zone, there was no one left to coordinate with. He hadn't paid the channel any mind until Tang Ruotong, wanting to check the score, accidentally opened it and discovered the wave of attacks directed at him.

Only then did Wang Chen realize Cai Kun was causing trouble again.

He paused his point-grinding crusade and replied: "I was busy slaughtering beasts and didn't check the chat channel."

"Cai Kun, is your rear end itching again? Starting trouble, are we? If it itches, go lay an egg! Don't come out here and make a fool of yourself."

"You say I’m a disgrace to the First High School? You, spreading lewd rumors about female classmates—you’re the one who has absolutely no shame."

"Those anonymous messages stirring the pot earlier were from you, right? What kind of coward hides behind anonymity?"

"Did you forget the 300,000 you lost to me before? Is your wallet feeling heavy again? Fine, let's bet 50 million Heavenly Dragon Coins! Let's see which of us ends up ranked first in the tournament!"

"Oh, wait, I forgot you’re such a loser you can’t even compete with Lu Shiyu. Let’s change the bet: I’ll bet I’ll definitely be first! Do you have the guts?"

Wang Chen unleashed a verbal barrage on Cai Kun before turning his warning toward the freeloaders in the channel.

"If some of you can't control your mouths, use a needle and thread to sew them shut! If I see anyone else spreading rumors, I’ll be waiting at the venue entrance after the tournament—let’s settle it one-on-one!"

"Running your mouths based on hearsay every single day. Do you even use your brains, or do you just follow the trend because you don't have a mind of your own?"

"And don't bother promoting yourselves in the channel. Honestly, have some shame."

"Take a piece of advice from me: if you really can’t make it in life, sell that unused brain of yours as a pork delicacy. It’s fresh, since you’ve never used it anyway!"

"Or, I have connections in the red-light district. Should I introduce you to a life of selling your bodies?"

Wang Chen displayed the true expertise of a professional internet troll, sending several long paragraphs of text into the public channel. The few messages that had been relentlessly smearing him were instantly drowned out by his violent output.

Furthermore, Wang Chen had cleverly inserted an unsubstantiated attack against Cai Kun. Whether Cai Kun had actually been the one sending anonymous messages was debatable, but in the current climate, even if he hadn't, everyone would now believe he had. It was much like the situation between Wang Chen and Lu Shiyu—there was nothing between them, but thanks to the power of public opinion, a lie had become the perceived truth. Wang Chen was simply paying him back in his own coin.

***

Sure enough, after Wang Chen’s outburst, the mood in the channel shifted instantly.

"The boss’s aura is so intense!"

"A bet of 50 million? Wow, that’s scary. Is the boss really that rich?"

"This is the boss’s confidence. He doesn’t think he can lose. He probably didn't bet 100 million because he was afraid Cai Kun couldn't afford it!"

"Is this the logic of the strong? Absolutely terrifying!"

"He could have left Cai Kun with nothing, but he only asked for 50 million. He’s truly... I’m going to cry."

Because everyone had witnessed the crazy surge in his points, no one doubted that Wang Chen was just blowing hot air. Instead, they all felt the "keep yapping and I’ll crush you" aura radiating from him.

Of course, there were still some stubborn ones—perhaps feeling personally slighted by Wang Chen’s insults—who continued to act out, telling him not to be so arrogant.

At this moment, Long Wushuang entered the public chat, concise and to the point: "Wang Chen is my brother. I am Long Wushuang from the Second High School."

"If you all don’t rein it in, as my brother said, see us at the venue entrance after the tournament. I don't care how many people you bring."

For a few seconds, the public channel went silent. Then, messages began to refresh at lightning speed.

"Long Wushuang? The 'Devil of the Second High School' Long Wushuang?"

"Wow, I thought it was just a name coincidence, but it’s really him?"

"Listen, you loudmouths, take some advice: shut those traps of yours, or you’re going to end up with broken ribs. Don't ask me how I know."

The weight of his reputation was immense. Long Wushuang’s message was enough to silence even the most persistent agitators. Some even began to grovel, begging "Brother Chen" for forgiveness.

Wang Chen glanced at Long Wushuang, surprised. "You’ve spent three years at the Second High School and you’ve become this legendary? What, are you a gang leader now?"

Wushuang chuckled. "Just some empty street fame, not worth mentioning."

Wang Chen made a twisted face and rubbed his temples. "Damn, I just got out-showboated by you!"