Free Web NovelChapter 326: Chapter 271: Mission Complete: Skill Upgrade
"An S-rank rating, Fang Tangtang! Do you still want your S-rank rating or not?!" With no other choice, Gao Neng leaned close to Fang Tangtang’s ear and whispered again.
But this made the posture between him and Fang Tangtang a little awkward.
"..."
The surroundings fell silent.
’What a beast!’
’Let go of that cute little girl who can fire neutron bombs! If you’ve got a problem... take it out on Shen Ning’Er!’
"BANG!"
Just then, Gao Neng went flying.
It looked as if Fang Tangtang had suddenly snapped out of it, unleashed immense Divine Power, and sent Gao Neng flying with a single punch.
But the truth was...
After Gao Neng was sent flying...
...Fang Tangtang scrambled toward the edge of the arena, shouting as she went, "Ah! I, Death God Fang Tangtang, am about to fall off the stage! My hands are so slippery! So slippery... I can’t control myself! I’m really going to fall off! Somebody save me!"
"..." The surrounding reporters and disciples of the Huashan Ancient Sect were dumbfounded.
’This plot is a little weird!’
Just a moment ago, Fang Tangtang had been so imperious, especially when she unleashed that neutron bomb. She was impossibly domineering. But now, in the blink of an eye...
...she was like this?
"..." Gao Neng was also a little dumbfounded.
’Damn it, I already sent myself flying, and Fang Tangtang still doesn’t get it? And now she’s even planning to fall off the stage herself?’
’Slippery hands?’
’Could you *be* any more fake?!’
’She can’t even come up with a decent excuse!’
’Slippery hands, so you just slide right off the stage? Is that it?’
’So naive!’
Gao Neng couldn’t possibly give Fang Tangtang that chance. His mission was to ensure both he and Fang Tangtang achieved an S-rank rating.
Even if he had to lose, he couldn’t let *her* lose.
At this thought, he immediately yelled out.
"Oh no, my foot slipped! It’s so slippery... I can’t control myself! I’m sliding off the stage! Somebody help me!"
As he shouted, Gao Neng slid toward Fang Tangtang.
Watching this scene, the reporters and the Huashan Ancient Sect disciples felt as if they’d been slapped hard across both cheeks. They could barely breathe.
’One has slippery hands, the other has a slippery foot?’
’This kind of wild stunt...’
’...It’s not something an ordinary person could come up with.’
Most importantly, this was a live broadcast with over fifty million people watching. ’Are you two really not afraid of being struck down by Celestial Thunder for pulling a stunt like this?’
Of course, regardless of the method...
...at least in terms of the result...
...Gao Neng’s move was effective.
Just as Fang Tangtang was about to fall off the stage, Gao Neng "slipped" and lunged forward, "accidentally" tackling her back onto the stage.
"Ah?! Gao Neng, haven’t you had enough? I’m not fighting... Mmph!!!" Fang Tangtang wanted to say, ’I’m not fighting anymore, I surrender,’ but before she could finish, Gao Neng clamped a hand over her mouth.
She was indignant and ashamed.
She began to struggle with all her might.
But she wasn’t strong enough to break free.
"Don’t move! Listen to me!!!" Gao Neng wanted to end this fight quickly and cleanly, but the crux of the problem was that Fang Tangtang had completely lost her will to fight.
’How was he supposed to deal with an opponent who was dead set on losing?’
Fang Tangtang refused to attack.
This meant he couldn’t execute his original plan.
His plan wasn’t to lose to Fang Tangtang. If he just needed to lose, he could simply play dead right now. It would be simple and clean. But he had never intended to be defeated.
His plan had always been a draw!
He didn’t want his plan to create an uncontrollable situation. If he lost to Fang Tangtang, there was a chance the Dragon List Special Affairs Team would rank him 61st.
Although that possibility was slim...
...Gao Neng still refused to let it happen.
A draw was the only way!
As long as the two of them fought to a draw, they would be tied for 57th place on the Dragon List.
The Dragon List Special Affairs Team would have no opportunity to interfere. They would have no choice but to grit their teeth and award both him and Fang Tangtang an S-rank. That was the perfect solution.
But with Fang Tangtang so determined to lose, engineering a draw became much more difficult.
A draw required cooperation.
"Mmph!!!" Fang Tangtang was still struggling.
"You, Death God Fang Tangtang! To think your ultimate secret weapon takes a minute to take effect! My whole body is losing strength... but even if I die, I’m taking you down with me!" Gao Neng figured he needed to lay some groundwork before forcing the draw.
’And this groundwork should be enough to get through to Fang Tangtang... right?’
Thinking this, he picked up Fang Tangtang and slammed her down hard in the middle of the stage.
"BOOM!" A huge crash echoed.
The two of them crashed onto the stage floor together.
The heavy impact allowed Gao Neng to "cleverly" let go of her.
He needed to see if Fang Tangtang had gotten the message.
And the result was...
With her mouth freed, Fang Tangtang’s expression turned to one of utter horror, her eyes flashing with shock. "You actually want to take me down with you?! We have such a great relationship, and you’re going to do this just because I hit you with a neutron bomb? Gao Neng, how can you be so petty!"
"..." Gao Neng wanted to curse someone out.
’The plan!’
’Isn’t our plan to get a draw?’
’Isn’t a draw basically the same as taking each other down?!’
’I can’t just scream the word ’draw’ out loud right now!’
"No need for explanations! You want to take me down with you, is that it? Fine! Then I, Death God Fang Tangtang, will fight you to the bitter end! I can do more than just use neutron bombs, I can also use hydrog—Mmph!"
Fang Tangtang’s mouth was covered once again.
He had no choice but to cover it.
Gao Neng knew perfectly well that Fang Tangtang’s brain had short-circuited. ’Can this girl really not understand the meaning behind my words?’
’Looks like I’ll have to use force.’
’First, I’ll knock her out. Then, I’ll pretend to pass out at the same time.’
’That way...’
’...it will still be ruled a draw.’
’A tie for 57th place on the Dragon List!’
’Not only would Fang Tangtang get her S-rank rating, but I also wouldn’t have to worry about Zhang Hongying retaliating by deliberately revoking my S-rank.’
’Perfect!’
’Alright, time to get to it.’
"THUD!"
A muffled thud rang out.
Gao Neng slammed his head into Fang Tangtang’s forehead.
’Your brain is broken, huh?’
’Short-circuited, is it?’
’Gotten rusty, has it?’
’Lost a few IQ points, have you?’
’Then I’ll just knock you out!’
Gao Neng was confident his own head was very hard—at least, much harder than Fang Tangtang’s.
And he was right. After the first hit, Fang Tangtang’s gaze grew dazed, her eyes twinkling as if she were seeing stars.
Gao Neng didn’t hold back.
Seizing the opportunity, he headbutted her five more times in quick succession.
"THUD!"
"THUD!"
"..."
A series of muffled thuds echoed out.
The reporters and Huashan Ancient Sect disciples below the stage were stunned. Was this fighting style really what a battle for a spot in the Dragon List’s top 57 looked like?
And what did Gao Neng mean by what he said earlier?
’The neutron bomb’s effect kicks in after a minute?’
’Is that for real?’
Of course, none of that was important.
What *was* important was that after Gao Neng headbutted Fang Tangtang five consecutive times, her eyes finally rolled back into her head, and she started to teeter.
’Is she finally going to pass out?’ Gao Neng rejoiced inwardly, but on his face, he put on a show of being about to collapse himself, his head swaying back and forth.
Seeing Fang Tangtang finally about to collapse...
...Gao Neng immediately fell down as well.
"THUMP!"
The two of them collapsed to the ground in unison.
"..."
The surrounding reporters and Huashan Ancient Sect disciples...
...were speechless. ’They just collapsed like that?’
’And they both went down together? So... who won and who lost?’
"So that was his plan!" Sect Leader Hua and the two Elders understood the moment they saw it happen. After all, they were old and cunning figures.
Gao Neng had an agreement with Zhang Hongying of the Dragon List Special Affairs Team.
The agreement was that anyone below the fifth tier who entered the top 60 of the Dragon List would be given an S-rank rating. The entire Federation knew about this matter.
And now, with Gao Neng and Fang Tangtang collapsed on the ground together...
...he naturally understood the purpose behind it.
"This kid is quite shrewd. By forcing a draw to end it, Zhang Hongying can’t interfere even if she wants to, can she?" one Elder commented.
"Mm, that’s right," the other Elder nodded.
...
「Federation Government Building.」
Inside the offices of the Dragon List Special Affairs Team.
"A draw?!" The team members’ eyes went wide.
"Just as I predicted. Hong Ying, he didn’t give you a chance to exercise your authority," the middle-aged director said with a wry smile.
In truth, he had suspected this might happen for a while.
Because only a draw could force the Dragon List Special Affairs Team to swallow a bitter pill, leaving them completely unable to do anything about him.
"Give Fang Tangtang the S-rank rating. The two of them will be tied for 57th on the Dragon List. All subsequent ranks will be shifted down one spot," Zhang Hongying said, biting her lip before finally giving the order.
"Team Leader Zhang, are we really giving Fang Tangtang an S-rank rating?"
"Giving an S-rank to a human-shaped nuclear weapon is not a problem. The Federation Government won’t think we did anything wrong, and neither will the Military Department. On the contrary, now that Fang Tangtang has revealed her secret, we’d be criticized if we *didn’t* give her an S-rank," Zhang Hongying replied casually.
"Team Leader Zhang is right. As a human-shaped nuclear weapon, she is indeed qualified to receive an S-rank rating," the middle-aged director agreed with a nod.
"Understood! I’ll go update it right now!" The team member was stunned for a second, but then he understood and immediately set about updating the Dragon List’s data.
Soon, the Dragon List’s data was updated.
The battle between Gao Neng and Fang Tangtang ended in a draw. They were now tied for 57th place on the Dragon List.
Furthermore, both of them had been awarded an S-rank rating.
The entire Federation was shaken.
All major online platforms, television networks, and newspapers immediately ran it as their top headline. Even though the challenge match had been laughably fake...
...the surprises it contained were absolutely explosive.
Fang Tangtang’s neutron bomb.
Gao Neng’s power.
All of it was enough to make people understand that the two of them deserved their S-rank ratings without a doubt.
And just as this news was released, a mechanical voice rang out in the mind of Gao Neng, who was still on the stage pretending to be unconscious.
"Ding! Congratulations, Host, for completing the mission! You will receive two skill upgrade opportunities!"
