Fu Bing and Shen Linxing turned their heads at the same time.
Mo Qiang, stared at by two stunningly beautiful women at once, blanked out for a moment.
She cleared her throat. "I am the deputy captain for this competition. My name is Mo Qiang. The captain asked me to inform you that there will be a pre-competition pep rally in the small banquet hall at eight o’clock tonight."
"Thank you. We’ll see you later."
"We’ve all just met. Can I come in?" Mo Qiang unabashedly asked.
She feared that these two didn’t get along.
Shen Linxing said, "Fu Bing and I have some private matters to discuss. We can catch up another time."
Shen Linxing walked past Fu Bing and closed the door.
Fu Bing quietly observed Shen Linxing’s actions.
Seeing that Xiaomei and Mu He were also in the room, Shen Linxing asked, "Could you please ask them to step out?"
"Xiaomei, you and Mu He go downstairs and get two milk teas for me."
Xiaomei and Mu He tactfully left.
"Miss Shen, if you have something to say, please speak directly."
"This competition involves us and a total of ten countries, and it will last for half a month. If you face Hu Yao, I hope you can give me the opportunity."
In her heart, Shen Linxing understood the captain and Elder Jiang’s intentions. They would want Fu Bing to face Hu Yao, allowing her to become famous in a single battle. From then on, no one would dare to underestimate her.
In doing so, the Traditional Chinese Medicine platform that Fu Bing had spearheaded the creation of would also seem more justified.
Fu Bing, unaware of the convoluted details, said, "Can you tell me your reason? If I accept your reason, I will definitely help you. If the reason doesn’t move me, I will follow the arrangements of the captain and Elder Jiang."
The competition isn’t a personal matter; it concerns the nation.
She couldn’t agree easily.
"I have a feud with him!"
"I understand your feelings, but on this matter, I will defer to the captain and Elder Jiang’s opinions. I’m sorry to disappoint you."
"Ten years ago, Ning Wan became disabled after encountering Hu Yao. Lin Yao faced Hu Yao and died. Over the past ten years, Hu Yao has become stronger and stronger. Are you sure you want to confront him?"
Fu Bing looked closely at Shen Linxing. "Do you have a personal grudge against him? Is Lin Yao the fundamental reason you want to face Hu Yao?"
"If it’s within my control, I’m willing to give you the opportunity."
After Shen Linxing left, Fu Bing stood by the window, looking at the distant competition grounds.
In the center of the vast square stood a circular building—the place where they would soon be competing.
Gazing in that direction, Fu Bing’s eyes harbored a desire to win, a desire not seen for a long time.
She had lied to Shen Linxing.
If there was a chance to face Hu Yao, she would take the field herself.
Aunt Ning had been injured in this competition and became disabled.
As Aunt Ning’s disciple, how could she possibly do nothing?
What Aunt Ning had lost, she would help her win back!
「Eight o’clock in the evening.」
Fu Bing confirmed the location of the small banquet hall and headed over from her room.
The small banquet hall was on the same floor as their rooms, making it very convenient to reach.
When she arrived, the others were already there.
Nine pairs of eyes looked her way all at once.
The first person Fu Bing saw was the man wearing a mask, sitting in the primary seat.
He was their captain.
Lu Yuan excitedly waved to Fu Bing, warmly patting the seat beside him. "Fu Ying, sit here, sit here."
Fu Bing walked toward his seat.
On her left was Lu Yuan, and on her right was the masked team captain.
She could feel the captain’s gaze linger on her for a moment before shifting away.
Qin Jinhai spoke slowly, "This competition represents not just us individually, but also the thousands of colleagues who , and our nation itself. I hope everyone can maintain a calm mindset and perform to their true abilities during the matches. More importantly, prioritize your safety when competing against opponents."
"We need honor, but we need you even more!"
Mo Qiang took over the conversation. "Many team members still don’t know each other, so please introduce yourselves one by one. My name is Mo Qiang. During the competition, I’m everyone’s main logistics support. You can come to me for anything."
All eyes turned to Fu Bing. "I’m Fu Bing."
Xin Xin asked, "What’s your specialty?"
"That happens to be Hu Yao’s specialty too," Xin Xin remarked offhandedly.
Upon hearing this, Shen Linxing clenched her fists under the table.
Bai Zhirui, sitting next to Shen Linxing, clearly saw her reaction.
Bai Zhirui commented, "Xin’s words carry many implications, you know."
Xin Xin, who had no patience for overthinkers, retorted directly, "Just take my words at face value; don’t read too much into them."
"If your mind isn’t complex, how would you know I’m overthinking?" Bai Zhirui shot back.
Liang Chuan interjected, "Zhirui, show some respect."
Xin Xin was in her forties, while Bai Zhirui was twenty-six or twenty-seven.
By any measure, Bai Zhirui was the junior, yet she loved to argue.
Traditional Chinese medicine places great emphasis on respecting one’s teachers and elders.
Bai Zhirui, relying on her talent and early fame, had a personality that was somewhat headstrong and prone to extreme views.
Bai Zhirui pouted. "She knows Lin Xing wants to face Hu Yao, yet she deliberately said Fu Bing’s specialty is the same as Hu Yao’s. Isn’t that blatantly trying to sow discord?"
Lu Yuan propped his chin on his hand, enjoying the drama. "Fu Ying, have you heard about Hu Yao before?"
"He used to be on our team, but for some unknown reason, he switched to representing Country A. He’s particularly ruthless towards members of our national team. If you run into him, be very careful."
"Thanks for the warning."
Zhang Yu, Xin Xin, Liang Renhui, and Liang Chuan didn’t have any objections to Fu Bing joining the team. Everyone was there to serve their profession and their country; they just needed to focus on contributing what they could.
However, Bai Zhirui just couldn’t stand the sight of Fu Bing.
Qin Jinhai spoke again, "The next two days are the group stage matches, and we’re up against Country H and Country R. The members representing these two teams are all familiar faces; there are no newcomers. Their information has already been sent to you. What are your thoughts?"
Liang Chuan said, "Let’s follow the original plan set by the captain and Elder Jiang."
Bai Zhirui protested, "I’m not convinced. Why doesn’t Fu Bing have to participate in those idiotic preliminary matches?"
"Idiotic?" Qin Jinhai’s sharp gaze swept over her, and Bai Zhirui instantly felt a chill on her neck.
"I... What I mean is, why doesn’t she have to participate in the matches tomorrow and the day after? We have to go through the group stage matches and exhaust our spiritual power."
Fu Bing took up Bai Zhirui’s point. "I think you’ve misunderstood. I’m a newcomer and haven’t watched any live matches before. If I were to compete rashly without being fully familiar with the situation, winning by luck would be a cause for celebration. However, if I lost, it would affect our team’s morale and be detrimental to subsequent matches."
"You’re just making excuses!" Bai Zhirui persisted relentlessly.
Fu Bing, who normally spoke with a gentle smile, let her smile fade.
"Then what kind of answer would satisfy you, Miss Bai? Let me be frank. Everyone seated here isn’t just representing themselves. On a smaller scale, we represent the companies or families behind us; on a larger scale, we represent our entire industry and country. Elder Jiang and the captain have already given their orders and explanations, and your own teammates are also trying to explain it to you. You dismiss it all as ’excuses,’ and now we’re supposed to rack our brains to provide yet another explanation that satisfies you? Do you really think we will?"