Chapter 139: Putting On a Little Show

"We actually won! Haha!"

Several of the artists on the guest team were on the verge of tears from sheer joy. Faced with an impossible mission, they had managed to overcome the obstacles and endure immense pain to see it through. They had defeated an opponent that seemed nearly impossible to overcome. When the moment of victory truly arrived, they all huddled together, laughing and crying while rubbing their sore feet.

Zhao Lijing only then remembered the excruciating pain in her knees, not to mention her feet. As she rubbed her knees and her petite feet, her bright, watery eyes were filled with crystal-clear tears—tears born of pain, but even more so of joy.

Bai Xinhong, being as clever as he was, scrambled off the acupressure mat the moment the referee’s whistle blew. Collapsing onto the ground, he wailed happily, "Ah, that was killing me! You guys from the production crew better pay me extra; I really put my life on the line today! My feet are practically ruined! And my backside feels like it's been shattered!"

Peng Liang, the short-statured clown of the group, rolled around on the ground nearby to add to the effect, groaning, "My butt is already shattered—it feels like it’s been split into eight pieces! It hurts so much!"

Fa Zai praised, "Master Pao is no joke! Those chants he shouted really boosted our morale!"

Li Xuan sat to the side, rubbing her snow-white feet, and remarked, "What Master Pao was shouting wasn't just a chant—it was a battle hymn."

Everyone turned to look at Zhang Qiyang, who was still splayed out in a star shape on the acupressure mat. This extreme outburst of effort had truly wiped him out. Lying there on the mat, he couldn't even feel the sharp points anymore; he only felt the various pressure points on the soles of his feet throbbing with blood, the lingering pain making his body go soft. He didn't even have the strength to crawl up.

Luo Zhikang, gasping for air, limped over to Zhang Qiyang and pulled him up, praising, "Everyone did a great job!"

Zhang Qiyang nodded in approval. Although some of the group hadn't been giving it their all at the beginning, after being inspired by his battle hymn, everyone had pushed with every ounce of their strength, which was the only reason they had won the match. If even one person had slacked off, they would have had to endure the pain for much longer before securing this victory.

Bai Xinhong arrogantly goaded the stunned hosts, "Are you convinced now, Wang Dawei?"

"Convinced of what? Someone come give me a hand! Ouch, my feet are completely shot!"

Having lost the match, Wang Dawei was still slumped on the acupressure mat, his feet aching so badly they felt numb. Eventually, Xu Xian endured the pain to walk over and help him off the mat.

Feng Sheng, Lü Cheng, and Lu Kai had already left the mat and were huddled together, reflecting on their defeat. They simply couldn't accept the fact that they had lost to the "old, weak, sick, and disabled" guest team. They couldn't understand how the other side had erupted with such powerful fighting spirit. Was it just because of the encouragement from the battle hymn? That sounded too ridiculous!

Lu Kai refused to believe it. As soon as Wang Dawei approached, he immediately complained, "Dawei, can you stop slacking off in the next round? You weren't even pulling, were you?"

Wang Dawei cried out in frustration, "You think I wasn't pulling? I was using every bit of strength I had, like I was giving birth! Look at the soles of my feet—they're almost punctured! Ouch, this production crew is sadistic, designing such a cruel game for the final episode."

Lü Cheng summarized their strategy: "In the next round, everyone must keep their center of gravity low and dig their heels into the mat; that way, the pain will be a little more manageable."

Su Fei suggested, "I think we need someone to lead the chanting so we can focus our strength. I think our efforts were scattered, while theirs were all directed toward the goal, which is why they beat us."

Feng Sheng agreed, "Yeah, I felt it too. Every time Master Pao shouted a chant, their force became rhythmic—it was wave after wave, so perfectly synchronized."

Wang Dawei volunteered, "Then I'll lead the chants for our side next round!"

Lu Kai interjected, "Don't you do it; I'll do it. You just scream whenever it hurts; you won't be able to lead properly. I’ll do it, and we’ll unite our strength and definitely get our revenge!"

"Absolutely! Let's go! Let's go! Let's go!" Lü Cheng and the others expressed their determination to stage a comeback and defeat the guest team in the second round.

Unlike the gloomy atmosphere on the hosts' side, the guest team was full of cheer. Peng Liang laughed triumphantly, "Haha, we are too strong! We actually beat the 'Big Devil' Feng Sheng. Once this airs, we'll have plenty to brag about!"

Luo Zhikang said realistically, "It’s all thanks to Qiyang’s chanting. It’s truly astonishing that he could keep shouting even when things were so intense."

Li Xuan’s eyes sparkled as she praised, "It wasn't just shouting—he was singing a complete song."

Zhao Lijing, still rubbing her knee through her pants, asked Zhang Qiyang in awe, "Is that true? Master Pao, were you singing?"

Before Zhang Qiyang could answer, the show's producer, Xiao Qiang, trotted over with a joyful expression, asking, "Master Pao, what kind of chant was that? Was it a boatman's work song? It was so invigorating! When I get back, I’ll have the post-production team add a full musical arrangement to it. This tug-of-war was absolutely spectacular!"

Zhang Qiyang glanced at the middle-aged producer, whose face was shaped like a peculiar, pointed date pit, and then looked at the expectant gazes of his teammates. He decided to take a moment to show off and make them admire him even more.

"What I shouted wasn't a boatman's work song; it was a song I wrote on the spot."

"A song written on the spot?" Everyone was shocked.

In the middle of such a brutal competition, this guy could actually write a song? That was just too absurd! Even Li Xuan, who knew of Zhang Qiyang’s amazing creative ability, was stunned. Her mouth hung open, unable to believe that this energizing battle hymn had been improvised by Zhang Qiyang!

Zhang Qiyang said nonchalantly, "Tug-of-war on an acupressure mat is intense—really stimulating. The ancient melody 'General's Command' popped into my head, and suddenly I felt filled with heroic spirit, so I just filled it with new lyrics. I sang whatever came to mind that was encouraging and uplifting. Thinking about it now, I think the song turned out pretty well. Let’s call it 'A Man Should Be Strong'."

The crowd was stunned once again. By the sound of it, the song really was improvised by Master Pao! He truly was a musical genius. To be able to write a song under such circumstances—he was practically defying the heavens!

Zhang Qiyang told the shell-shocked Xiao Qiang, "If the production crew needs to add post-production music, I'll polish the song properly after we finish recording today and send it over to you."

"Great, great! Master Pao, you are truly a brilliant talent!" Xiao Qiang was sucking up to Zhang Qiyang a bit, but he was also genuinely stunned by him.

Bai Xinhong and the others nearby all agreed with Xiao Qiang’s assessment. To be able to write an inspiring battle hymn while playing tug-of-war on an acupressure mat—they had never seen an artist so incredible.