Based on the task in the district competition, it was roughly clear that there would be the authority to select and assign people. That was crucial.
Qi Xu didn’t want to easily hand over his own safety to others. Instead of passively waiting for someone else to make arrangements, it was better to personally control the team’s composition, so that amidst unknown risks, he could have a bit more security.
Qi Xu didn’t just want to win; he wanted to keep winning endlessly! He was ready to do everything possible for that victory.
The only frustrating part was that he had performed so poorly in the previous round that he had no idea what the top-tier players encountered at this stage.
Back then, from Qi Xu’s perspective, 1,000 survival coins was already the absolute maximum in resources. Unlike now, where 100,000 or 200,000 didn’t even feel like real money.
So he was even more clueless about the gap between the strongest players and himself at that time, much like a poor person who could never imagine how wealthy the rich could be.
Later, although he got some information from Fortune God’s Only Daughter, her team collapsed far too quickly. Ruan Persimmon was the strongest fighter among them and also the team leader.
But because of his own flaws, his vision was too short-sighted. Often, he even guarded against his own people, so the information Fortune God’s Only Daughter had was very limited.
She was also a bit obsessive, only wanting the team members to be okay. She kept getting stuck on minor details, so her attention and focus were entirely fixed on those around the 444 District.
She was young, and her overall perspective was quite limited. Although she knew a bit more information, it was rather superficial.
The voting officially began. Twelve light pillars of different colors appeared before the crowd. In the very first second, many of the pillars burst into dazzling streams of light.
The pink pillar representing “Invincible Black Whirlwind” shot up first, instantly breaking through the halfway mark and leaving the other colors far behind.
Within just three seconds, its top was already nearing the upper limit of the pillar. That overwhelming advantage made the pillars of the other eleven players seem especially dim.
Ten seconds quickly ended. The final total votes settled at “668,461,381”...
That was a pleasantly surprising number. Qi Xu let out a huge sigh of relief. He had it in the bag. All those days of hard work hadn’t been wasted, and all his goals had been achieved.
But after releasing that breath, he felt a heavy weight on his shoulders. He couldn’t quite describe the exact feeling—only that the reasons not to lose kept growing.
Then, he checked the vote counts of the others.
To his absolute surprise, the second place turned out to be... Xie Shaoning. Qi Xu almost thought his eyes were playing tricks on him, or that he’d misread it, or added an extra digit for Little Xie.
But just by looking at the light pillars, he was certain—Xie Shaoning was indeed second place!
Qi Xu wasn’t the only one shocked. Xie Shaoning himself was stunned. His mind was full of the thought, “I actually snatched nearly 80 million votes right from Invincible Black Whirlwind!”
He kept counting the numbers under his votes, still wondering if he was seeing things.
Finally, amidst the barrage of comments like “Invincible Black Whirlwind well deserves it!”, he spotted a message about himself...
“Support Xie Shaoning! Our eight-time champion, raised by our country, with true roots. Sixteen years of swimming and cutting through waves, eight Olympic gold medals hanging heavy on his chest. From a swimming legend to a survival expert, he’s never lost that fighting spirit! Keep going, Brother Xie! The Ning Crown Corps family will always support you! Wait for me to come find you in District 66! I will follow you to the death!”
After reading it, Xie Shaoning instantly burst into tears, sobbing like a child. As he lowered his head to wipe his nose, he caught sight of comments popping up: “Ning Crown Corps reporting in!” “You deserve it, Brother Xie, don’t cry!” “Ning Crown Corps has already reported to District 66!”, and he suddenly cried even harder, pressing his face firmly into the ground.
To hell with image! He didn’t care anymore! In that instant, he finally made peace with that version of himself from childhood, when no one wanted him. When he gathered the courage to lift his head again, the confusion in his eyes had completely vanished, replaced by... determination and conviction.
The meaning of hard work and struggle had never been about proving to anyone that he was worthy of being loved, but rather that after all these years of sweat, he had actually met a group of people—a group who held the name “Xie Shaoning” close to their hearts, who were willing to call him “Brother Xie,” who were willing to say “You deserve it.”
Standing nearby, Qi Xu also felt his eyes grow hot, overwhelmed with emotion. Xie Shaoning... seemed to have undergone a true transformation. He had witnessed a real transformation of a strong individual, and that had created a tough competitor for himself.
But that was good. Qi Xu truly hoped that everyone around him would grow stronger and stronger!
Third place was Master Huixin, only a few thousand votes ahead of fourth-place Wolf Warrior 005.
Qi Xu suspected that Bad Ball must have helped drum up votes for him!
The audience couldn’t understand Wang Buyu’s skills, so it made sense his votes were low. But Wolf Warrior 005, Endless Longevity, Cheese Foam, and Sparkling Kiss of Moonlight had all performed much more brilliantly than Master Huixin.
Who in this day and age wants to listen to someone moralizing? Many of the monk’s actions were almost indistinguishable from moral blackmail.
Yet his votes managed to surpass those of Wolf Warrior 005 and Endless Longevity, who had performed impressively, showed great strength, had a strong sense of responsibility, and had made significant contributions to the team. Qi Xu couldn’t understand it at all.
However, the three at the bottom of the rankings were exactly what Qi Xu had guessed.
Last place went to Instant Noodle Hair Flower Fairy, who constantly wavered between teams. Although she wasn’t weak and had group control skills, she couldn’t perform properly on her own. In the end, she only survived by luck but was seriously injured, ultimately digging her own grave.
She didn’t come across as particularly smart or strong; last place was quite fitting.
Second last place was HandsomeBoyMe188. Nobody likes someone who is hot-tempered, constantly swearing, and completely lacking in sense. But maybe because he behaved himself during the latter part of the “Gathering of Superstars,” he got a few more votes than Instant Noodle Hair Flower Fairy, who was all over the place.
Third last place was Subway Line 5. Too ordinary, with nothing memorable. The over 8,000 votes he got were probably friendly votes from one district...
[Congratulations to player Invincible Black Whirlwind for becoming the publicly elected leader of the China Server from this “Gathering of Superstars,” and the first owner of a Guild Card! Congratulations also to players Happyending, Master Huixin, Endless Longevity, and Cheese Foam for finishing in the top five and receiving 2,000 points in rewards!
At the same time, the bottom three players have had their points automatically deducted. We hope you take this as a warning and motivation, to learn from the experience, adjust your state, and shore up your weaknesses!
All points for the twelve players have been distributed, including the pool of shared points, which has been doubled and given to everyone. The specific list is as follows. The exchange point is now open—please enjoy the fruits of victory happily!]
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