045 Media-91, truly formidable
Black and red are both red, and at last, Li experienced this firsthand.
The surge of “crazy remix” videos brought him copyright fees from four video platforms, and his once silent song “Only Mother Is Good in This World” actually earned him money. Even more absurd, this viral wave shielded Li from a round of malicious attacks.
Guangling’s “Grand Vision Film & TV” had hired internet trolls, but their assault coincided perfectly with the “crazy remix” phenomenon. By the time Chen Pi realized, the autumn sports festival at Jianye Art Academy had already begun.
Thanks to the dog system’s bodily enhancements, Li was bouncing around energetically, dragging Su Mengyao along from event to event.
ShowTime!
Dressed in athletic wear, with the number “Media-91” pinned to his chest, Li rode his bicycle to the sports ground for the competition, Mengyao perched behind him. Her long hair floated in the wind, a vision of beauty.
Yet all the muscular men on the field had their eyes glued to Li.
Wearing protective goggles, Li’s physique was unnaturally defined—his muscles didn’t look like those of a typical athlete. Yet the school’s sports recruits all knew: Li was indeed a top-level athlete.
“Wow, Brother Li, so many people! Is that a TV station?”
“That’s normal. Our school has many famous alumni—the heads of the Cultural Bureau both came from here, and this time the deputy mayor is here for a work inspection. Culture and sports thriving together—that’s the hallmark of a prestigious school. Having TV stations filming is perfectly reasonable.”
Few students from the Media Academy participated in the field events—javelin, discus, shot put weren’t exactly crowd-pleasers. But since Li signed up for every event he could, the Media Academy’s student council sent a luxurious logistical support team, led by counselor Guo Rong. They surrounded Li on his bicycle, occasionally asking about his condition.
As for Su Mengyao...
What’s wrong with an athlete bringing a family member?
Perfectly reasonable.
“Old Li, later, give it your all and wipe the floor with the Design Academy!”
“Wait, Rong, do you have a problem with your father? Why the grudge against Design Academy?”
“What are you talking about? Design Academy is Design Academy, Industrial Design Academy is Industrial Design Academy. Two different departments.”
“...”
“As a student of Jianye Art Academy, you don’t even know the departments we have? That’s a bit embarrassing.”
“Rong, ignorance is no crime. I’ll break a record for you, that’s enough.”
“Be sure to crush the Design Academy!”
“Consider them crushed.”
Before meeting the dog system, Li’s javelin had reached semi-athlete level—his best was 70.1 meters, well above the top athlete threshold of 66 meters.
After extracting benefits from the dog system, his physical abilities soared. Elite athlete status was a given; whether he could reach international level was uncertain. Every 0.1 meter of improvement required a bit of luck, and he hadn’t trained professionally in a while. He entered the competition with a spirit of brute force creating miracles.
Previously, he aimed to build goodwill with Guo Rong. Now, he had an extra motive: to use this chance to promote “Masked Gourd Hero.”
Jianye Art Academy’s autumn sports festival drew representatives from the Jiangsan Provincial Department of Education, Department of Culture, Media Group, and more for the opening ceremony and select events.
So, the media present included not only the school and Canglong District TV stations, but also Jianye City TV and Jiangsan Provincial TV.
Though there was no live broadcast, they could film a few scenes.
Most importantly—first place guaranteed camera time!
At least, that’s what Guo Rong promised, and Li believed him.
Once the athletes were checked in, the javelin event began—not because there were many participants, but because there were only eight across the whole school. So, the preliminaries were the finals: three rounds, then rankings.
The triple jump was happening simultaneously, and Li signed up for that as well.
“Old Li, want some cola to boost your energy?”
“Rong, don’t be nervous. Victory is certain.”
“My bonus depends on you, Li!”
“Relax, relax.”
After warming up, Li took off his jacket and, receiving a red mask from Mengyao, slipped it on when no one was looking.
“...”
Guo Rong was stunned. “Wait, what are you doing?!”
“Teacher Guo, as a modern college student, it’s perfectly reasonable to have hobbies beyond academics, right?”
“What does that have to do with you wearing that thing?”
“I’m a huge fan of Masked Gourd Hero!”
“...”
“Number ninety-one, Li Jie!”
Before Guo Rong could persuade him further, the referee called his name.
Li jogged over, picked up the javelin, and practiced his stance with a few steps.
“What’s he wearing?!”
“A mask?”
“Hahahaha...”
Laughter erupted as the field was cleared.
On the command platform’s big screen, the school TV’s cameraman zoomed in for a close-up of Li’s face.
The whole stadium burst into laughter.
Then, as the camera switched angles, a wave of astonished exclamations.
“Oh~~~”
“Wow, those muscles!”
“Unbelievable!”
“That’s the perfect figure for a sketch.”
“Which department is he from?”
“Media-91, he must be from the Media Academy.”
Amidst the chatter, Li found his rhythm. He accelerated in his approach, his form impeccable—never before had he been so acutely aware of his posture in competition.
It felt as if every muscle could be activated at will.
His whole body was like a drawn longbow, the javelin poised like the arm of a trebuchet...
“Ha!!!!!!!”
With Li’s shout, he froze mid-motion, and the javelin shot forth like an arrow, piercing the air.
The school TV cameraman caught the scene, his “iron hands” following the javelin’s flight.
“Wow! Incredible!”
“Wow!”
“That’s definitely a record breaker!”
“Unbelievable!”
Thud!
The javelin plunged into the turf, dirt flying, the crowd roaring.
The referee was stunned, quickly estimating—this exceeded international athlete levels, approaching eighty meters, maybe even beyond.
Too bad it was only the school sports meet; the results wouldn’t be officially recorded. Still...
What a prodigy!
The referee hurried to confirm the result.
Eighty-one point eight meters!
Unbelievable...
Did he just break the national university men’s javelin record?
“Stu-stu-stu-stu...student! I’m from the sports group...”
“Sir, I have the triple jump prelims starting, I need to hurry.”
Wearing his Gourd Hero mask and rippling with muscle, Li strode over to the triple jump venue.
Meanwhile, on the command platform, leaders from several Jiangsan Province departments, hearing that someone had broken the national university men’s javelin record, immediately perked up.
Interview! A must!
A fierce interview!
Counselor Guo Rong’s smile stretched to the back of his head, chasing after Li, asking, “Brother Li, tired? Any signs of exhaustion? Need water or an energy drink? Want a massage? My massage skills are top-notch...”
Crowds of students gathered to watch the spectacle. The javelin event was usually just to fill numbers; second place barely managed forty meters.
No one expected “Mr. 91 Li” to be so ferocious!