Chapter 140: Holy Crap, Again?

The staff members were all ignited with passion by this unexpectedly spectacular game of tug-of-war. Amidst the clamor, the entertainers from both sides stepped back onto the acupressure mats, preparing for the second round. If the hosts lost this round as well, they would be facing a humiliating defeat right out of the gate.

Drawing from the experience of the first round, both teams adjusted their formations. For the hosts, Feng Sheng remained the anchor, and Lu Kai, who was in charge of calling the cadence, stayed in the penultimate position. Ahead of them were Xu Xian, Su Fei, Wang Dawei, Pan Ziwen, and Lü Cheng, in that order. They had placed their strongest members at the ends and the weaker ones in the middle.

Coincidentally, the guest team adopted a similar strategy. Li Xuan and Zhao Lijing, who had previously stood at the front, were moved to the back, flanking Zhang Qiyang to provide stability. Everyone had been quite worried after Zhao Lijing’s fall; the last thing they wanted was for an artist to get hurt right at the start. Safety was the top priority for today’s filming. Standing behind with Zhang Qiyang’s superhuman strength as their guard, the two girls were no longer in such immediate danger. Further ahead, the guest team lined up Luo Zhikang, Peng Liang, and Fa Zai, with the heaviest member, Bai Xinhong, placed at the very front.

Once everyone was in position, Zhang Qiyang specifically reminded Zhao Lijing, who stood before him, "Be careful when we start; don't fall again."

"Mm." Zhao Lijing felt his concern and smiled warmly. In her mind, she was still savoring the battle song Zhang Qiyang had just performed. Titled "A Man Should Be Strong"—the name sounded so incredibly imposing to her! Even as a girl, hearing such a powerful title stirred a burning, exhilarating sensation within her.

Li Xuan felt the same. Her delicate soles were aching from the bamboo spikes, but after donning the "steel boots"—as she mentally dubbed Zhang Qiyang’s performance—a sense of indomitable pride surged within her! "A Man Should Be Strong"! What a brilliant title! It was so invigorating! They were determined to give their all to win this round, if only to honor the magnificent and powerful work Zhang Qiyang had created.

Both sides gripped the rope, the intense and painful battle ready to erupt. The referee stepped forward, aligned the red ribbon in the center, and blew the whistle.

"Tweet!" The second round officially began!

"One, two, three, pull!" On the Infinity team's side, urged on by Lu Kai’s rough shouting, the hosts focused their strength and seized the initial advantage, dragging the rope several dozen centimeters toward their side.

The sounds of agonizing wails erupted from the acupressure mats once more. Suffering for the second time, Wang Dawei and Bai Xinhong were on the verge of tears, immediately dropping to sit on the mats to endure the pain with their backsides. But unlike the first round, not everyone gave up; this time, only Bai Xinhong and Wang Dawei surrendered early. On the guest side, Peng Liang and Fa Zai gritted their teeth, unleashing their full strength from the start to fight the hosts tooth and nail. Inspired by the prospect of victory and the powerful declaration of "A Man Should Be Strong," Luo Zhikang tapped into a rare, fierce determination. Pushing his middle-aged body to the limit, he pulled the rope with everything he had.

Zhao Lijing, with her small frame, nearly fell again when the hosts gave a violent tug. Fortunately, Zhang Qiyang was well-prepared this time. After the hosts’ sudden pull, he braced his feet firmly, feeling the sharp, stinging pain, and let out a surge of pride! With a muffled roar, he forcibly halted the rope, which was wrapped around his waist, preventing the momentum from shifting any further toward the hosts.

"One, two, three, pull! ... One, two, three, pull! ... One, two, three, pull!" Lu Kai screamed at the top of his lungs, his neck veins bulging. Under his command, the hosts launched wave after wave of attacks against the guest team. It was clear that the rope was being pulled toward their side in sudden, jerking motions.

Yet, miraculously, despite the hosts pulling for all they were worth, the red ribbon barely moved in their direction. It felt as if they were trying to pull a ten-thousand-ton tanker! No matter how hard they strained, the other side remained unshakable.

While the guest team stood firm, their feet and backsides were enduring sheer agony. Every time the hosts surged forward, the guests had to absorb the violent, piercing pain. They were gritting their teeth, but how much of this repeated, stinging shock could anyone take? Zhang Qiyang was resisting the hosts' flood-like assault with his own strength, the pressure on his feet unimaginable! It felt as if the bamboo spikes were piercing right through his soles! Even worse, the spikes were cruelly targeting his acupoints, causing him a pain so intense it felt as if his very insides were being twisted.

"Ah—!" Reaching his limit, Zhang Qiyang let out a wild roar! His body surged past its peak, burning with heat. A rush of blood surged from his core to every inch of his skin, and he unleashed a terrifying amount of power once more.

With a shake of his arms, he began to pull back! The earth-shattering battle song erupted again! This time, unlike the first round, he started with a high note so powerful it made the blood boil! He was clearly aiming to end the match right there!

"Let the sea and sky gather energy for me!
Go and carve out a new world! I will charge forward for my ideals!
Let the blue waves surge and the vast sky expand with noble spirit!
I am a man, and I must be strong!"

Hearing the battle song, the guest team members felt instantly revitalized! Their "inner universes" exploded, and they pulled back in unison with Zhang Qiyang. The hosts, hearing the overwhelming momentum of the song, couldn't help but think, "Oh damn! Not again!" Panicked, their rhythm was ruthlessly disrupted.

"One, two, three, pull! Pull!" Feeling the immense, unstoppable force coming through the rope, Lu Kai was going mad, desperately shouting for everyone to pull harder. But compared to Zhang Qiyang’s sky-piercing anthem, his cadence sounded as weak as a child’s plea.

Feng Sheng, who hated the idea of losing a test of strength more than anything, had his eyes wide open. He held his breath, his face puffed up like a bun, the veins on his forehead ready to burst! But even so, he could not turn the tide. He felt as if they were being dragged by a heavy truck! This unstoppable force was completely beyond Feng Sheng’s imagination. Having dominated the variety show circuit with his strength for so many years, he had never encountered such a terrifying opponent! In that instant, Feng Sheng even began to wonder if he was still competing against a human at all!

"Brothers, victory is right in front of us! Keep it up!" The slender Fa Zai was ecstatic! Seeing the red ribbon being pulled to their side, he cheered them on frantically, even giving Bai Xinhong a kick to urge the guy to get up and stop slacking off!

Just at the most critical moment, Zhang Qiyang’s song, which seemed intent on toppling the heavens, rang out once more:

"Stand tall with chest held high, we are the pillars! Be a hero!
Use my hundred degrees of heat!
To shine a thousand times brighter!
Be a true man!
With hot blood, hot heart, and hot passion!
Brighter! Than! The! Sun!"