Chapter 104: Jiang Jingshi’s Seeded Team

Chapter 104: Chapter 104: Jiang Jingshi’s Seeded Team

During the lunch break, Jiang Jingshi, as the top boss here, provided everyone with relatively luxurious free boxed lunches. Everyone scattered to find their own places to eat.

However, because of their brief encounter last time, Jiang Jingshi made a point to approach Lin Zhengran before the meals were distributed.

"Zhengran, and little He Qing, do you two want to eat in my car with me? There aren’t many places to sit around here. I happen to have some extra dishes in my car, and you two can rest there after eating," she offered.

Xiao Heqing wondered why this older woman was treating Lin Zhengran so well. Hadn’t they only met once? She didn’t say a word, simply looking at Lin Zhengran.

Lin Zhengran declined. "Thank you, Jiang, but we’ll pass. We can just eat here. I plan to take He Qing around to observe the venue in a bit."

A faint joy suddenly crept onto Xiao Heqing’s face, but she kept her expression tight, trying her best not to show it. Instead, she worked hard to put on a natural look as she stood by his side.

Jiang Jingshi smiled and didn’t push the matter. "Alright then, I won’t disturb you two. Good luck with your matches this afternoon, He Qing."

Xiao Heqing gave a sound of acknowledgment, blinking her eyes.

Jiang Jingshi then left. As she made her way back to her car, every coach she passed would politely address her as President Jiang, and she would give them a simple nod in response.

Xiao Heqing stared at the older woman’s elegant, mature figure and demeanor. Seeing how respected she was, who knew what was going through the little girl’s head. She was so lost in thought that she didn’t even hear Lin Zhengran call her name.

"He Qing, there are two types of boxed lunches. Which one do you want to eat?" he asked.

It took him calling her twice before she snapped out of it. "Either is fine! I’ll eat whichever one you’re having!"

After lining up to get two boxed lunches, Lin Zhengran and Xiao Heqing sat in the audience stands to eat alongside everyone else from their Taekwondo studio. The meals were quite hearty, featuring meat, vegetables, and a bowl of pork rib soup.

Xiao Heqing picked up a piece of meat from her container.

Knowing exactly what the girl was about to do, Lin Zhengran reminded her, "Just focus on yourself today. I’m only a spectator this afternoon; you’re the one competing."

In a rare move, he transferred a piece of pork rib from his own portion into Xiao Heqing’s bowl. Staring at him, flattered and overwhelmed, she gave a silly, sweet smile before giving him a bit of the other kind of meat instead.

"Then you have some of this. I can’t eat this much," she said.

Though the little glutton said that, her appetite was nothing to scoff at. She essentially ate twice as much as a normal girl. After all, while Xiao Heqing appeared soft and squishy, her seemingly slender limbs were incredibly strong. Combined with her well-endowed upper body, she wouldn’t be able to sustain her physical exertion and development without eating a substantial amount of food.

Halfway through the meal, Xiao Heqing swallowed a mouthful of rice and gently tugged at Lin Zhengran’s clothes with her small hand.

"What is it?" Lin Zhengran asked curiously.

"Um... how do you know that lady?" she asked. "How come I’ve never heard you mention her before?"

"Oh." Lin Zhengran told the truth, as it was nothing to hide. "President Jiang is actually Jiang Qian’s sister. I bumped into her by chance at the supermarket last week. She found out I was her sister’s desk mate, so we chatted for a bit. That’s all."

"Jiang Qian’s sister?!" Xiao Heqing exclaimed in surprise. "Isn’t Jiang Qian the girl you’re betrothed to? That’s her sister?"

"Yeah. Why, are you curious about her?"

Xiao Heqing blinked. Her appetite suddenly returned, as she figured she was overthinking things. Jiang Qian’s sister was probably only treating Lin Zhengran so well because of her younger sister. There shouldn’t be any other reason.

She grinned. "No, just asking."

Seeing her appetite recover, Lin Zhengran went back to eating his own meal.

The afternoon matches were in full swing. All the competitors wore neat Taekwondo uniforms and participated in the drawing of lots. The tournament was split over two days, with males and females competing separately in an elimination format to crown the champion.

Since there was a warm-up period after lunch, Lin Zhengran took the time to observe everyone’s movements. He noticed one team that was exceptionally strong. They didn’t seem like they were just practicing for fun; they looked like a high-potential squad specifically trained for competitive tournaments.

Moreover, Jiang Jingshi was currently standing in front of that team, speaking to them.

The coach on Lin Zhengran’s side explained, "That team is personally managed by President Jiang. They’re all quite talented, and their Taekwondo forms are standard. If He Qing is going to face any real challengers, it’ll be them."

Xiao Heqing tied her belt tightly, brimming with confidence. "Don’t worry, I won’t lose to anyone!"

Soon, the referees called for all competitors to get ready for the first round of the elimination matches. Lin Zhengran sat with the various coaches, keeping a close eye on the fights in the competition area.

However, given Xiao Heqing’s natural talent and Lin Zhengran’s years of guidance, she essentially crushed her opponents instantly. None of the other girls could even fight back.

Likewise, the team led by Jiang Jingshi also showcased their prowess in the elimination rounds. Out of their seven competitors—five girls and two boys—not a single one was knocked out.

Xiao Heqing stood in the competition area and looked over at them, and they stared right back at her. Both sides seemed to recognize who their true rivals were in this tournament.

After an afternoon of successive rounds, the competition quickly narrowed down to the top sixteen. He Qing did another simple stretch and stepped back onto the mat, still carrying an air of inevitable victory.

At that moment, Jiang Jingshi walked over in her high heels. "Zhengran, this little girl named He Qing is truly quite strong. I’ve been watching her all afternoon, and she seems to be on par with the competitors on my side."

Seeing her approach, Lin Zhengran greeted her and looked toward the competition area. "He Qing is strong. After all, her goal in coming here has always been the championship."

Jiang Jingshi sat down beside him. The woman carried a unique fragrance of her own. Unlike Han Wenwen’s seductive scent, hers had a profoundly reassuring and comforting aroma.

Her red lips parted slightly, her voice laced with a natural tenderness. "How did you find her? A little girl with such talent is rare in this city. Moreover, the coach on your side mentioned that you’re the one who taught her?"

Lin Zhengran never saw the need to hide public information. "Yeah, I did teach her. But I didn’t find her; I’ve known her since we were very young. He Qing is my childhood friend. So, ever since I found out she liked Taekwondo, I started teaching her, all the way up until now."

Jiang Jingshi looked at him curiously. "So you also started learning Taekwondo from a young age? Then why didn’t you sign up?"

"Because I have no interest in participating myself," Lin Zhengran replied. "At best, I just have a little bit of knowledge about it."

Jiang Jingshi had seen her fair share of people in her life. The corners of her lips curled up, knowing full well which words were true and which were false. She gazed at He Qing in the distance.

"You’re being a little too modest, Zhengran. No matter the industry, a layman can never direct a professional. At the very least, for a competitor like He Qing—who hasn’t received formal professional training but has achieved this level of strength—her coach wouldn’t have been able to teach her without genuine skill."

She paused for a moment before continuing, "You really are someone who easily piques others’ curiosity, Zhengran. The coaches for my team are all highly professional, yet it seems they might not even measure up to you."

Lin Zhengran let out a laugh. "Now you’re the one being modest, Jiang. I don’t have that kind of ability."

Jiang Jingshi stared at him with profound meaning in her eyes. "I wish I were just being modest. After all, I’ve spent a lot of money cultivating this team, hoping to raise at least one athlete capable of reaching the pinnacle. But instead..." She let out a sudden sigh. "In the blink of an eye, three of them have already been knocked out by this little girl named He Qing."