It was as if Tang Meng had anticipated that Xie Junyan would participate in the gamble. He smiled politely and pointed towards the school field with his thumb. Then, he calmly said, "Since Mr. Xie is interested, please place your bet soon. The fatty has already completed half a lap, how many laps are you betting on?"
All the students, who had already placed their bets or were intending to place their bets, held their breaths and fixed their gazes on Xie Junyan. It was obvious that everyone trusted his judgment more.
Xie Junyan did not say a word but instead focused his gaze on Ling Yun who was still on the field. He keenly observed each step, each move, his breathing and even his expression in his eyes, as if he was observing the racehorses on the race course.
Xie Junyan's brows furrowed even more. He became more puzzled and conflicted following his observations.
Tang Meng saw what he was doing and could not help but tease him, "Mr. Xie, do you think this is horse racing? You've been observing for so long, don't join us if you're going to be a sore loser. Many people are waiting to place their bets!"
Xie Junyan straightened his eyebrows the moment he heard those words and quickly looked away from Ling Yun who was still running slowly. There was an indescribable carefree expression on his face as he smiled and replied, "This year, it seems as if even horses are better than humans, so what if I treat it like horse racing? I'm betting $5000 on four rounds!"
"Ah? …"
"What? That's crazy. Xie Junyan actually betted on Ling Yun running four laps while carrying a sandbag, that's 1600 meters!"
"We're done for, Xie Junyan's judgment should be rather accurate, I only betted on him finishing one lap, I'm going to lose for sure!"
The students, who crowded around, were sent into a state of shock. Some of them did not believe that Ling Yun could finish four laps while others were pining over the loss of their weekly allowance. However, most of them were bewildered by the faith that Xie Junyan had in Ling Yun.
Amongst the crowd, Zhuang Meina was definitely the angriest and most shocked one; especially since she had just betted a whopping $2000 on Ling Yun finishing one lap at most. Now that Xie Junyan had predicted that Ling Yun would finish four laps, was that not a direct slap on her face?
She was not worried about losing the $2000, she was more concerned about losing face in front of so many people!
"Hmm, four laps? 1600 meters? That fat pig? It'd be a miracle if he could even finish three laps without carrying the sandbag!" Even though Zhuang Meina knew that Xie Junyan would not dig his own grave, she was still unable to hold in her disdain.
When Tang Meng heard that, the big banker's eyes twitched involuntarily.
Since his nickname was Little Gambling God, he definitely did not set his odds blindly before he started his gambling event. He also observed Ling Yun's posture and action closely and his prediction was exactly four laps too!
Whereas for five laps and above… That was a sure win for him, whoever betted on that would definitely lose. If one did not undergo specialized training, which high school student would be able to carry a 25kg sandbag and run 2000 meters?
Even though Xie Junyan had him in a tight spot, Tang Meng remained calm and replied, "Mr. Xie has a keen eye for this, $5000, 4 to 1, you're taking away $20000 if you win. I suppose you're trying to win more than what you lost the previous round?"
Xie Junyan noticed the brief moment of Tang Meng's uneasiness since the beginning. He seemed confident and smiled, "It's only fair and polite, isn't it? You won my $10000 the previous round. If I win an extra $10000 this round, that evens it out. Do you need me to get cash?"
Tang Meng chuckled, "It's not as if I don't trust you, Mr. Xie. Zhao Lei, record it down, Xie Junyan, $5000 on four laps!"
"Alright!" Tang Meng's little assistant, Zhao Lei, quickly scribbled it onto a little notebook.
Before he could finish scribbling, Tang Meng took one deep breath and yelled, "Anyone else wants to bet?"
"I'm betting $1000, between 5 to 10 laps!" Cao Shanshan parted her lips slightly but her voice was filled with confidence and determination.
"Sss…" A wave of gasps filled the air as everyone there was petrified!
"Ah?! This…" Many students were stunned as they looked at Cao Shanshan with disbelief written all over their faces!
Even Xie Junyan could not hold it in as an awkward expression crept onto his face after he heard that. He could not believe that the ridiculously unapproachable ice queen campus belle would have that much confidence in Ling Yun.
Amongst the crowd, Zhang Ling and Ning Lingyu were the most shocked!
"Shanshan, are you having a fever? Just look at Ling Yun, he probably can't even finish two laps, let alone five." Zhang Ling quickly tugged at Cao Shanshan's sleeve and tried to persuade her out of it.
If a crowd was not present, she would have likely rested her hand against Cao Shanshan's smooth forehead to see whether this beauty was having a fever.
"Alright! The prettiest campus belle Ms. Cao. bets $1000 on Ling Yun running five to ten laps! If she wins, she'll take away an extra $5000!" Tang Meng was beyond elated because that was a sure win.
This was no longer about how much money he could earn. Just imagine if Tang Meng was able to earn $1000 from the famous campus belle Cao Shanshan back in his high school days, he would have the rights to boast about it in the future. It was definitely a dream come true.
Ning Lingyu could only stare at Cao Shanshan with her glassy eyes as she wondered whether she misheard anything just now!
Cao Shanshan thought this highly of her own brother? Could it be the rumor from that morning…
Tang Meng giggled as he made his minion, Zhao Lei, record it down. However, he did not show any concern about collecting the money from Cao Shanshan. After that, he quickly pointed at the school field.
"Fellow students, look at this fatty's drive, he is definitely exerting all his energy to run. However, there's only a few more minutes before class begins—" His eyes swept the classroom as he reached that part of his sentence, before continuing, "If everyone has faith in my gambling ethics, I, Tang Meng will head down to the school field now and track the number of laps Ling Yun completes!"
"As for the crowd, you guys should go back to class and wait until class is dismissed. I'll let everyone know how many laps Ling Yun finishes in the end!"
'Of course, if those who placed their bets with me are worried, you could skip classes and come along with me to count the laps!"
Tang Meng's eyes, however, were fixed on Xie Junyan's face by the end of his high-sounding speech.
His reasons were obvious. Xie Junyan had placed the highest bet, so the question was whether he would return to class or follow him to the school field to count the laps.
Xie Junyan smiled as he shook his head. He put on a generous exterior and said, "Why would anyone in Qingshi High not have faith in Tang Meng's gambling ethics? The number of laps would be the same no matter what, I'm not interested in counting laps for someone…"
After he was done, he smiled and nodded at Cao Shanshan out of politeness before holding Zhuang Meina's hand and heading back to class.
Tang Meng was ready to dismiss the crowd before he heard a loud cry.
"Wait!"
That piqued the interests of the students who were prepared to run back to class. They all stopped in their tracks and looked towards the source of the voice.
All they saw was Ning Lingyu with her brows furrowed together. She moved forward slightly before looking at Tang Meng with her bright eyes. Then, she said, "Tang Meng, since you're using my brother to start a gambling event, I'd like to place a bet, is that alright?"
Even though Tang Meng was crude and brave, it was still a little awkward for someone's little sister to come upfront after he had used her brother for a gambling event. Especially since he was the one who secretly had a crush on her out of the Four Big Bullies in Qingshui High.
Tang Meng was feeling a little guilty. He smiled sheepishly and said, "Haha, Ning Lingyu, it's a misunderstanding. I'm just having some fun. I don't mean anything else…"
"I don't care what you mean!" Ning Lingyu's expression remained grim as she dug out the only $500 that was left in her wallet and handed it to Tang Meng.
"Listen carefully, here's $500. I'm betting on my brother running more than ten laps!" Ning Lingyu did not bother to mask the anger within her eyes, she knew that she was flushing her money down the drain but she did not care.
Everyone in the corridor was in shock.
"Ten laps? That's… That's impossible!"
"I know, running 4000 meters while carrying a 25kg sandbag? This isn't a fantasy novel…"
"I'd believe it if it was someone from the special forces, but Ling Yun, hehe…"
The corridor was filled with cries and discussions among the students.
"Ning Lingyu. *cough cough* I'm telling you, even though we're gambling for fun here, I won't return you the money if you lose the bet. There's really no need to do this out of sheer spite…" Tang Meng knew that Ning Lingyu's family was in a tight spot, thus, he didn't accept the money Ning Lingyu handed to him. Instead, he tried to convince her out of it.
Xie Junyan also tried to gently advise Ning Lingyu, "Ning Lingyu, it's impossible for your brother to run more than ten laps, don't waste your money… Tang Meng is a vicious and greedy person, you really can't afford to do this…"
It was indisputable that Xie Junyan was a master of manipulation, as he belittled Tang Meng while comforting Ning Lingyu.
Cao Shanshan, who was standing beside them, did not say a word as she observed Ning Lingyu with her clear and bright eyes. She was secretly admiring this girl's bravery and fiery nature.
An extremely unfriendly voice thundered enigmatically, "I say, Xie Junyan, did you forget your medications today? Someone's willing to waste her money for her brother, what's that got to do with you? God d*mn it, I betted $2000, why didn't you even bat an eye?"
Naturally, the owner of the voice was Zhuang Meina. She had already been upset with Xie Junyan since the start. Xie Junyan had repeatedly defended and sided with Ning Lingyu even though Zhuang Meina was officially his girlfriend. Based on her temper, it was already considered an admirable feat that she could hold it off till then.
If it was not for her considerations about the power Xie Junyan's family held, she would have screamed her head off.
Ning Lingyu could not be bothered to entertain Zhuang Meina. She forcefully shoved the $500 into Tang Meng's hands before turning around and dashing back to her classroom.
Tang Meng could no longer maintain his composure after he saw the anger and hatred in his crush's eyes. His expression was hard to read as he casually threw the $500 into Zhao Lei's hands and said with annoyance, "Dismissed, dismissed. I'm heading to the field. Those who are interested can follow me!"
After he was done, he could not even be bothered with Zhao Lei as he squeezed through the crowd and ran towards the staircase.
He wanted to witness for himself how many laps could Ling Yun run.
*Ring*
The school bell rang as Tang Meng exited the school block but truancy was merely routine to him. He could not be bothered by it at all.
How long could Ling Yun persevere? How many laps could he run?
It was not just those who participated in the gamble, this seemed to be a question in every student's mind.
"How heavy is that sandbag?" Tang Meng asked while walking towards Cheng Zhiye. At the same time, he tossed him a pack of cigarettes.
Whenever there were any sports meet or physical competition within the school, Tang Meng would be there to start a wager on Cheng Zhiye and the other sports program students. As a result, everybody knew who he was.
After regaining his composure, Cheng Zhiye took a glance at his teacher in charge, Ma Lingfeng, who was busy teaching a Grade 11 class. After making sure that his teacher was well engrossed in his task, Cheng Zhiye then took a cigarette from the pack, lit it up before taking a long and deep puff.
"26kg," Cheng Zhiye replied.
Being a competitive long-distance runner, maintaining a pair of strong and healthy lungs was vital for Cheng Zhiye's performance. If his teacher saw him holding a cigarette, he would probably have the daylight beaten out of him.
"You guys started a wager on that bloke?"
Tang Meng's eyes focused solely on Ling Yun who had just finished his first lap around the track.
"It was just a joke. I didn't expect Xie Junyan to actually agree to the bet… he even placed $5000 on Ling Yun!" Tang Meng exclaimed while nodding his head.
"You guys are betting on the rounds?" Cheng Zhiye quizzed.
"Yeah," mumbled Tang Meng before finally turning his attention to Zhiye.
Tang Meng looked at Zhiye and asked, "If you were to carry this same sandbag and run with everything you've got, how many rounds do you reckon you would be able to complete?"
Looking at Tang Meng's serious expression, Cheng Zhiye could only force a smile before replying, "Look at my lanky body, do you think I would even be able to lift this and run?"
Tang Meng seemed to be in a deep thought. He looked at Cheng Zhiye and asked, "If I reduce the weight to 15kg or a weight that you can handle, how many rounds do you think you can run?"
Having understood Tang Meng's intentions, Cheng Zhiye gave it a thought before looking back at him.
"If that's the case, I reckon I can pull off at most 3 rounds, no more than that," Cheng Zhiye replied in a serious tone.
Tang Meng breathed a sigh of relief after he seemed to compare the two of them in his mind. After much thought, he figured that there was no way he would lose. Losing the money was one thing but he just didn't want Xie Junyan to have the last laugh. To Tang Meng, Xie Junyan was an arrogant and conceited brat that he hated. Therefore, winning him in this bet would be much sweeter than a few thousand dollars.
"Talk to you guys later, I want to see how far this Ling Yun thinks he can run". Tang Meng exclaimed before finding a suitable seat to observe Ling Yun attentively.
As Ling Yun ran past his area, Tang Meng thought to himself. After staying low for 3 years I didn't expect you to pull such a wager on me… this should be interesting.
"Amazing! He finished one round!" Someone in the stands shouted.
"Huh… huh… huh…" Ling Yun breathed heavily as he shouldered the sandbag and ran. He was perspiring continuously and his body was drenched from head to toe. His wet clothes stuck to his chubby body as he ran.
As exhausted as he may be, his tempo and speed remained unchanged. He took deep breaths with each step to absorb as much oxygen into his fatigued body as possible. The sandbag hanging on Ling Yun's right shoulder felt like he was carrying Mount Tai. It seemed to be getting heavier with every step that he took. It was as if he was walking on cotton and his knees were so stiff that he thought he had lead inside.
As Ling Yun continued his run, a mysterious painful soreness could be felt in his muscles, bones and even his blood which further impeded his task.
Despite all these obstacles, the fight in his eyes got brighter. Ling Yun's expression was that of pure determination and he could feel his will getting stronger with each step. This will of his was no ordinary will. it was one tempered through countless trials during his time in the Cultivation World as he advanced into the Tribulation Stage. This undying will of his was from his dao heart.
Ling Yun also knew that once this painful and sore sensation spread to his whole body, his mind would enter into a zone that would allow him to run non stop.
In addition, by using his will to push this body to its utmost limits, the energy stored in the Shichiyou herb within his body would be absorbed and released into every single meridian, muscle and his blood. That would rejuvenate all the cells in his body, cleanse his body and give him the energy to continue running.
He was exhausted but his smiling expression could not hide his excitement. He put in some effort to straighten his back and he noticed that he was actually able to go faster.
He was actually smiling in the face of such pain.
"What the h*ck? 400 meters down and he's still getting faster?" Tang Meng shouted in disbelief as he stands up from the stands.
"This bloke is insane!" Cheng Zhiye mumbled to himself as he stood up and looked at Ling Yun. What was supposed to be a total joke of a bet was turning out to be something else entirely.
Cheng Zhiye couldn't believe his eyes. He was the champion long-distance runner in Qing Shui City. Even for him, he would not have been able to run more than 50 meters with such weight on his body. However, this fat Ling Yun had run over 400 meters and was actually speeding up.
At the start, Ling Yun used small steps and his pace was so slow that it could hardly be considered as jogging. He took more than 20 minutes for him to complete his first round.
However, despite his body facing such pain and soreness from overworking, he was starting to get used to the weight. With his new tempo, it was as if the weight had become a part of his own body.
The reason behind all this was that Ling Yun possessed something no one else had. Even though he could no longer use spiritual energy or any movement skills, he still possessed his overwhelmingly strong soul.
He had attained this soul through enduring tough times. It had been tempered by the pandemonium he experienced during the heavenly tribulation in order to reach the Tribulation Stage.
"This bit of fatigue is nothing to be afraid of," Ling Yun laughed to himself.
While gritting his teeth and holding on to the sandbag tighter than before, Ling Yun braced himself. He widened his steps and he started running much faster as he began the second round.
It was at this moment that all the audience including Tang Meng and Cheng Zhiye realized that Ling Yun had not been using his full strength from the start.
"Come on, you can do it! Don't give up!" a person shouted.
A minute later, an earth-shattering roar followed. Almost all the audience joined in and cheered for Ling Yun. This made the desire within Ling Yun burn even stronger than before and gave him the energy to go even faster.
In the classroom of Grade 12 Class 6.
Cao Shanshan could hear the deafening roar of cheers coming from the stands even in class. She did not know what was going on but she was certain that it was due to the fact that Ling Yun was still running. Cao Shanshan's lips puckered up to form a slight smile almost like that of Mona Lisa's. In her three years of studies, this was the first time that she was distracted in class.
In the classroom of Grade 12 Class 1.
During this time, Ning Lingyu was no longer listening to the lesson. She was having a hard time holding herself back from running out of the class to go and cheer for her big brother.
When the witty Zhuang Meina heard the deafening cheers, she immediately knew that Ling Yun had already finished his first round. It was obvious since before Meina entered the class, Ling Yun had already finished half a round. More than 7 minutes had passed and the eruption of cheers clearly proved that Ling Yun was still running.
Zhuang Meina was now gnashing her teeth with anger; so much that her face was distorted and ugly. On the other hand, Xie Junyan was listening in class attentively. When he heard the cheers, he just smiled slightly which showed his satisfaction of making the correct judgment in this bet.
7 minutes passed.
Under the earth-rocking cheers and support of the audiences, Ling Yun finished the second round like a bolt of lightning as he proceeded on to the third round.
He only took about 13 minutes for the second round.
Even though Ling Yun was feeling giddy and he couldn't think properly, he continued to push his body forward like a machine.
"By finishing this round in the same tempo, this painful soreness will definitely permeate through my entire body!" Ling Yun screamed to himself as he pushed his body forward.
The pain that Ling Yun was experiencing was one that would only occur when a person pushed himself or herself to the absolute limit. This pain would induce sleepiness in the person as the body would attempt to shut itself down.
However, Ling Yun was actually trying to use this pain to his advantage! By using his incredibly strong will and soul, Ling Yun was trying to convert this pain into a driving force for movement.
To train one's body, one must strengthen the heart.
Without a strong heart, how would one master the flow of energy?
"It's already the third round and he's not even slowing down! Where is he getting all the energy from?" Tang Meng exclaimed in exasperation as his eyes followed Ling Yun closely. As for the already dumbfounded Cheng Zhiye, he stood at the same spot motionlessly and repeatedly mouthed the word, "Impossible".
7 more minutes passed.
Ling Yun was already three quarters done with the third lap. With each breath and each step, he was moving closer to the audience stand. Everyone watched intently as he ran, it was almost as if they were running with him.
As planned, the painful sensation had spread throughout Ling Yun's entire body and he was keeping his eyes open with just his will. However, he knew that he had not reached his true limits. In order to reach that limit, he decided to use everything that he had left to speed up even more.
"He is going even faster!"
"He's so strong! Even though he seems to be at his limit…" the girls in the field exclaimed with an anguished tone as they watched on.
"Come on! Let's go closer and cheer him on!" One of the girls shouted as she ran towards Ling Yun.
Sometimes, all it takes is one incident to change people's perspectives.
In the whole of Qing Shui High, who didn't know about Ling Yun? Who had not ridiculed Ling Yun before?
However, at this very moment, everyone's perspective of Ling Yun was changing drastically from this single incident.
This included the students taking sports classes, the sports program athletes, Cheng Zhiye, Tang Meng, the sports teachers and even Ma Tian Feng!
"This kid…" the tall and muscular sports teacher, Ma Tian Feng, mumbled under his breath in disbelief as he watched Ling Yun. If he had seen Ling Yun's running when he was Grade 11, he swore he would have pulled Ling Yun into the track team by hook or by crook.
Just as Ling Yun ran pass Tang Meng, the image of Cao Shanshan's expression when she made the bet floated into Tang Meng's head.
"Maybe she was right… if he doesn't faint, he might really go beyond the fifth round." Tang Meng said softly.
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