Chapter 105: Jiang Jingshi’s Thoughts and Vigilance

Chapter 105: Chapter 105: Jiang Jingshi’s Thoughts and Vigilance

On the arena, Xiao Heqing panted heavily. Sweat drenched her face as she looked down at her fallen opponent with clear almond eyes.

Ever since she began competing against this team, she had truly felt the gap in professional skill between them and the other competitors. They were on a completely different level from the amateur taekwondo enthusiasts she had fought before. But that still didn’t stop Xiao Heqing from clearing her way through, defeating every opponent she faced.

The female competitor from the prospect team lay on the ground, staring up at He Qing in astonishment. Other than Lin Xue from her own team, this was the first time in a long while she had encountered someone her age whose strength completely outclassed everyone else’s.

The referee blew the whistle. "Competitor He Qing wins!"

Xiao Heqing walked over, politely extending a hand to pull her opponent up. "Here."

The girl slowly reached out. After standing up, she praised her, "You’re incredibly strong. I can’t believe you fight this well without any professional training. I admit utter defeat."

Xiao Heqing smiled sweetly. "You’re amazing too."

The girl offered a well-meaning reminder, "With your skills, I’d say you’re at least runner-up material."

"Runner-up?"

"Yeah, because there’s a girl on our team named Lin Xue. Her strength is also leaps and bounds above ours. We all think she’s a shoo-in for the championship. You’ll see if you run into her in the next match." She looked toward another arena where a short-haired girl had just won her Round of 16 match. "Look, that’s her. That’s Lin Xue."

Xiao Heqing followed the girl’s gaze. After getting a look at Lin Xue, Xiao Heqing turned back to the girl in front of her. "I’ll win, no matter who I face."

The girl stared blankly for a moment, marveling at her confidence. She nodded politely, admiring her courage. "I hope so. If you really manage to win, it just goes to show you have a boundless future."

In the stands, Jiang Jingshi glanced at He Qing and then at the men’s arena. Although the boys on her team had won, it seemed they had simply been lucky enough to avoid any strong opponents. After all, purely in terms of strength, those two boys were vastly inferior to the girls over here. With their level of skill, they probably wouldn’t even qualify for the city tournament, let alone the provincial one. Any further investment in them would just be a waste of money.

Jiang Jingshi wore a serious expression. "It looks like this competition is naturally weeding out the weak links in my team."

Lin Zhengran looked toward the short-haired girl. "The strongest one on your team must be that girl with short hair, Jiang, right? Her skills seem way above the rest."

"Yes. Her name is Lin Xue. She’s not from our province; I scouted her during a trip out of state. She has immense talent, though she’s a bit arrogant. Even though He Qing is quite formidable, I don’t think she can necessarily beat her."

Lin Zhengran didn’t say anything.

Jiang Jingshi looked curious. "What? Do you still think He Qing can win, Zhengran?"

Lin Zhengran glanced at Jiang Jingshi, looking a little embarrassed. "Mainly because you just mentioned how much money you spent developing this team, Jiang, so..."

Jiang Jingshi replied, "Just tell me the truth. I prefer honesty."

Lin Zhengran had absolute faith in He Qing, his eyes shining brightly. "I think He Qing will take the championship. And... she will absolutely win!"

Jiang Jingshi’s eyes widened before she suddenly burst into a chuckle. "If that really turns out to be the case, it only proves that there is always someone better out there." Her gaze shifted back to Lin Zhengran. "However, I also have plenty of confidence in my competitor. Let’s see whose prediction is accurate. I bet Lin Xue will win."

Down in the arena, the top sixteen had been decided, and the drawing for the quarter-finals commenced.

Whether it was good luck or bad, He Qing once again did not draw Lin Xue as her opponent, but rather another girl. After a brief rest, He Qing was scheduled to proceed with her next match.

But on her way to the sidelines to grab some water and rest, Xiao Heqing looked toward Lin Zhengran in the distant stands. Suddenly, she noticed that the pretty older lady had somehow sat down right next to him, and the two were chatting away. Xiao Heqing froze, staring blankly with a sudden pang of jealousy.

Fortunately, Lin Zhengran knew Xiao Heqing’s match was over and waved at her. Xiao Heqing broke into a smile and waved back at him. She felt motivated once again.

This scene naturally didn’t escape Jiang Jingshi’s notice. She thought to herself that the relationship between these two seemed to be more than just simple childhood friends.

Suddenly, Lin Zhengran asked, "By the way, Jiang, why did you spend so much money cultivating a prospect team? Doesn’t the Jiang Group deal in physical retail products? How come you’re so interested in a sport like taekwondo?"

Jiang Jingshi smiled. "Call it a hobby. When I was a kid watching the Olympics, I thought this sport was pretty cool. I felt that the girls who practiced it all had elegant physiques, so I looked up to them a bit back then. But since I lack any personal talent for it, I can only cultivate those who do. Of course, I keep an eye on many different fields. This is just one of them."

Lin Zhengran asked, "You have other projects? Also athletes?"

"Oh, no, that’s not it. I also like music and the live-streaming industry. So, currently, I also have a roster of singers, and I’m even hosting a competition next week."

Hearing this, Lin Zhengran blinked, mulling over the mention of a music company. As far as he knew, there was only one competition in town next week—the music contest that Jiang Xueli was going to participate in.

Did that mean Jiang Jingshi was also investing in that competition? And she had trained some singers for it, too?

Seeing him fall silent again, Jiang Jingshi asked, "What’s wrong? Is there something strange about that?"

Lin Zhengran chuckled. "Nothing..."

Jiang Jingshi watched as the quarter-finals were about to begin. "Of course, at my core, I’m still a businesswoman. Even though there’s an element of personal interest, if I can genuinely cultivate some future rising stars, they’ll be people I raised single-handedly. They can provide a lot of profit for my company, and they’ll be relatively more loyal than outsiders. At the very least, I won’t have to spend as much when I need them to shoot commercials or promotional videos."

Jiang Jingshi held up a finger. "You can think of it this way, Zhengran: I’m helping the Jiang Family Group and my younger sister’s company with their promotions. You have to understand that in today’s internet era, whether they are sports stars or music idols, they are worth far more than they used to be. As long as you spend money and generate traffic, even a simple meme can make an ordinary person go viral. Not to mention these professional singers and stars—once I pay to boost their exposure and they blow up, they become incredibly lucrative. It’s beyond what ordinary people can even imagine."

Before Lin Zhengran could speak, an inexplicable look of scrutiny crept into Jiang Jingshi’s eyes. With a hint of both appreciation for talent and wariness, she gazed into Lin Zhengran’s eyes and enunciated every word clearly:

"By the way, what are your thoughts on the future, Zhengran? You have such an aptitude for training competitors, and despite possessing such outstanding abilities yourself, you aren’t competing. I imagine you aren’t doing this purely to help He Qing fulfill her hobby, right? I can’t help but feel you’re playing a bigger game..."

Before she could finish, the results of the quarter-final match in the arena were announced.

"Match over! Competitor He Qing wins!"