Chapter 428: At Your Disposal

Li Hao received congratulations from Principal Long at the first opportunity, who urged him to keep up the good work and scale new heights. As for "heights," he didn't dare say, but at least he had his return ticket; having fought to this point, all that was left was to pray.

Li Hao arrived at the meeting spot with A Youyou in high spirits, only to find Dita and Su Yu there too. This was...

"Why the resentful look when you see us? It seems Team Leader Li has some opinions about us," Su Yu teased with a smile.

"Shall we go then?" Dita stood up. "It seems we are no longer worthy of being with the final four..."

"Oh, what are you saying? This is my honor, I was just too shocked."

The humble Li Hao went online instantly; he couldn't afford to offend any of them, not to mention he still had a headache over how to smooth things over regarding Zuo Xiaotang later.

Su Yu looked Li Hao over, feeling quite emotional. This kid had actually beaten the Fire God Team—it was so unbelievable. Advancing to the final four, Tianjing Mecha Martial Arts Team—something she wouldn't even dare dream of. Yet, she couldn't sense any excitement from Li Hao. Was this normal?

"Li Hao, when is my item arriving? You've been dragging it out for quite a while," Su Yu asked.

Li Hao was stunned for a moment, only then remembering. Before he could speak, Dita, who was to the side, became interested. "What item? Being all mysterious."

"My Ocean Heart," Su Yu said, full of anticipation. After all, she had already bragged about it; in their circle, face was more important than anything else, especially since those rivals would poke at her from time to time. Being so vain, how could she endure it? She was already committed; if Li Hao couldn't get it, she would have to borrow A Youyou's to keep up appearances.

"What!" Dita was startled. "Li Hao, you can get this?"

Li Hao waved his hands helplessly. "This isn't exactly..."

"Li Hao, we're good sisters, right? Did I not come through for you when you were in trouble? Now is the time to test our friendship..."

"Sister Dita, Li Hao is only trying; the chances are slim." A Youyou hurriedly tried to help Li Hao out of his predicament. They couldn't get it either, and she had heard that something had gone wrong on Kepler; all resources related to Kepler were now priceless and unavailable, let alone an Ocean Heart.

"A Youyou, that's where you're wrong. You don't understand Li Hao enough. This person is unfathomable and can do what ordinary people cannot. Li Hao, the time to test you has come." Dita wouldn't let it go. She had been so excited after seeing A Youyou's that she hadn't been able to sleep for days. Girls simply couldn't resist it. If it were anyone else, she would have already snatched it.

"It's not impossible. Give me some more time; it should be fine after the S Tournament ends," Li Hao said. In fact, he had hidden two Ocean Heart fragments when he took down that Leader last time, but he couldn't consume the energy to bring the items back to Earth during the S Tournament.

This time it was the three girls' turn to be speechless. Dita stared at Li Hao, dumbfounded. She had actually just been making noise and was envious; she never expected Li Hao could really get it. This thing couldn't be bought with money. It was fun to tease Li Hao and watch him look troubled.

But this...

Su Yu grabbed Li Hao's hand. "You mean the goods will arrive after the S Tournament? Are you sure?"

"There shouldn't be any problem, it's just that it won't be as big as A Youyou's. These things are rare and cannot be sought."

"Do I have one too?" Dita pointed at herself.

"Ahem, there happen to be two this time; there really won't be any more after that." Li Hao didn't dare brag anymore. If some aunt, cousin, or fourth sister showed up, where would he find another Leader? That would be risking his life.

Dita gave Li Hao a charming roll of her eyes and linked her arm with A Youyou's. "How can this be? A Youyou, how is your luck so good? You just go on a trip to Tianjing and pick up a Li Hao. Next time there's such a good thing, bring me along."

Su Yu was also beaming from ear to ear. She was already impatient to see the faces of those plastic sisters. Li Hao had one merit: he didn't talk nonsense. She still had some judgment on that; she had the eye to see if someone was capable or not.

Under the table, Li Hao and A Youyou's hands were already joined. He squeezed A Youyou's little hand gently to reassure her. Although he might be destined to live off a woman, he still thought...

... about living off a woman with dignity.

Su Yu and Dita, the two singletons, wouldn't miss the chance to tease the pair. As long as Li Hao kept it within limits, Su Yu wouldn't mind. Besides, having taken something, one's mouth is soft. Dita was actually more concerned about the semi-final situation; Li Hao was clearly aiming for the championship.

"How are your preparations for the semi-finals? Do you have confidence?" Dita asked while eating.

"Ah, prepare for what?" Li Hao was eating quite well, wondering if they were going to make him pay the bill.

"You're not preparing?"

"With A Youyou, the lucky star, here, victory is certain!"

"Damn, then why did I lose? Look at how smug you two are."

"Li Hao is right; A Youyou really can bring luck. Your loss was because your strength is too poor. Half the credit for Tianjing Mecha Martial Arts Team reaching the final four belongs to A Youyou." Su Yu accepted any praise for A Youyou without reservation.

"Indeed, A Youyou has too many fans. We really relied on her to advance to the final four this time," Li Hao said.

A Youyou gently nudged Li Hao. "What are you saying? So cheesy."

Li Hao quickly brought up the matter of motivating Zuo Xiaotang. Eating a meal definitely wouldn't be a problem, but the issue was how to do it as Arths without causing trouble for A Youyou.

"I also know it's quite difficult. Everyone, help me think of a way," Li Hao said. "Once I stand Zuo Xiaotang up, the semi-finals will definitely collapse."

Zuo Xiaotang had become the most reliable "loose cannon" of the Tianjing Mecha Martial Arts Team; as long as his madness flared up, he would cut down whoever he saw.

"Just this little thing?" Su Yu was stunned. "You're also strange; you look quite stupid at times but are actually quite smart, and when I think you're smart, you're a bit stupid. Just have the Tianjing Mecha Martial Arts Team have a meal with you all, and Arths can go, right? You've always had a good relationship anyway."

Li Hao showed an expression of admiration. "Auntie is truly amazing!"

"You brat, you even dare to tease me. Alright, nothing to do with me, I'm leaving first. A Youyou, go back early!"

As she left, the satisfied Su Yu didn't forget to give a final instruction. Seeing that this kid was so sensible, she would just turn a blind eye.

After Su Yu left, Dita also sensibly found an excuse to leave. Finally, the two were left alone, eyes meeting...

"Do you want to hear my new song?" A Youyou gently bit her lip.

Mm-hmm~

A joyful night, and the next day the semi-final groupings were released.

Hailong Team vs. Beikarosai Team; Tianjing Mecha Martial Arts Team vs. Galaxy Team. These four teams also had unprecedentedly distinct characteristics. Hailong Team was jokingly called the "Pay-to-Win Team" by fans. Xilian once again verified that money can do whatever one wants; his "money power" directly lifted Hailong Team into the final four, and he hadn't even fought much himself. But facing Beikarosai, there wasn't much time left for him.

The Nine-Headed Dragon of Beikarosai had always been called the "uncrowned king." For Chao Qinglong, this was truly an excellent opportunity. The outside world generally believed that compared to the other three, Hailong was the weaker one. After Tianjing and Galaxy collided, whoever entered the finals would have to shed a layer of skin. Beikarosai had already become the hot favorite to win the championship.

Tianjing Mecha Martial Arts Team and Galaxy Team—before the S Tournament started, mentioning these two teams together would have been an insult to Galaxy Team. But now, even Galaxy's supporters didn't dare say they were guaranteed a win.

Tianjing Mecha Martial Arts Team had become the biggest dark horse in history, called the "dark force" by fans. They had slaughtered kings all the way, and in the semi-finals, they encountered the hot favorite, Galaxy Team. Past dark horses often had good luck, with opponents either not strong enough or suffering from injuries. But this time, Tianjing Mecha Martial Arts Team had encountered top-tier powerhouses all the way. Looking at it now, they were truly terrifying. If they could pass the Galaxy hurdle, everyone wouldn't know what to say.

Regarding current injuries, Galaxy was fully healthy and could fight at full capacity. On the Tianjing side, Wuzang could return in time for the semi-finals, but his condition would certainly be affected; the situation was actually not very optimistic. Not to mention Galaxy Team's home-field advantage, God of War Maxis was invincible when healthy. His championship's value was much higher than Fan Liwei's, and people like those were also his defeated opponents. This year, Galaxy's lineup was also unprecedentedly strong and hadn't suffered too much

... wear and tear in previous matches. Rationally speaking, it was very difficult for Tianjing Mecha Martial Arts Team to break through.

Unless... Li Hao and his team members could create another miracle. Everyone, actually including those on Earth, felt the same. On paper, Galaxy Team was indeed the most terrifying, but Li Hao seemed very adept at dealing with this kind of thing. It could only be said that this was a match where no one knew the outcome.

Galaxy Team possessed the best logistics system and had analyzed the characteristics of every member of the Tianjing Mecha Martial Arts Team flawlessly. The only uncertain point was Li Hao.

Mecha combat is a hero's battle. The final collapse of the Fire God Team had a lot to do with Basta's failure, which was also an important factor in why Tianjing Mecha could make it this far. Could Li Hao defeat God of War Maxis?

In Galaxy Team's war room, the 3D projections of Li Hao, Cheng Konghai, and others were floating in the air, with various data analyses on the side. The team leader and tactical analyst, Zola, had started preparing this detailed counter-strategy very early.

Maxis, Weijia, Taichen, Zizi, Mendoza, Kuixing—they had no experience with this semi-final opponent, or rather, they had known it would be this way. Zola had already made a prediction: their semi-final opponent would be Tianjing Mecha Martial Arts Team. Actually, Zola had tried to change the fortune; the future was uncertain and contained variables. If they could choose, they would want to meet Beikarosai, but fate could not be shaken at all; they had to face Tianjing Mecha Martial Arts Team.

Zola was also a member of the Apocalypse and possessed a relatively unique ability. Although he was non-combat personnel, combining his precognition ability with a set of ancient algorithms could produce effects far exceeding those of Dita.

The Fire God Team had provided them with a good demonstration: if they couldn't finish off the Tianjing Mecha Martial Arts Team in the singles matches, then preserving strength to enter the team battle was very necessary. Basta had walked close to victory but fell short at the final step. Actually, even if Basta had given up the fifth match, the team battle might not have been won, but it could have allowed Galaxy Team to see more.