Chapter 298: Ni Kuang Eats Shit, Debiao Becomes a God

Ni Kuang and his family of three were ready, and the crowd around them grew larger; Ni Kuang felt as if he were stepping onto the grand stage of life, his desire to perform exploding, and he blew kisses to the surrounding crowd.

Ni Zhen also grew eager, having noticed several pretty female students gazing at him admiringly.

Hmph, watch me pull over the elephant—it'll be insanely cool.

Then the three members of the Ni family all strained together, but the elephant Tian Nu didn't budge an inch.

Ni Kuang, standing at the front, pointed to the red spot and said to Tian Nu: "Look, a banana!"

Tian Nu let out a loud snort, then took a step backward.

"Oh no!" Ni Zhen, at the very end of the rope, stumbled and immediately fell to the ground.

Tian Nu took another step back, and Ni Zhen's face skidded two meters forward across the muddy ground.

This scene was captured by photographers from the Wen Hui Bao and Ta Kung Pao, who knew Ni Kuang all too well.

Tian Nu only retreated three steps before dragging the Ni family across the red line; after winning, it strolled slowly to the banana, curled it up with its trunk, and swallowed it, then lifted its trunk and opened its mouth, letting out cheerful "Ang lo! Ang lo!" laughter.

The elephant laughed happily, the audience laughed even harder, the atmosphere was perfect, and the keepers and zoo officials beamed with joy.

Only the Ni family was unhappy, especially Ni Zhen—who had just been a handsome young lad, now covered in dirt from being face-planted by the elephant, utterly humiliated.

Damn, at least it was dirt—if it had been concrete, this young master would've been scarred for life.

The keeper immediately stepped forward, first praising the Ni family's pioneering spirit, then asking if they wanted a photo.

What photo? They'd already lost all face—and worse, Ni Kuang had made big claims earlier; he couldn't let his words fall flat, so he delivered another grand pronouncement: "This elephant has clearly been trained—it must be full already, so it can resist the banana's temptation. I say no one can beat it—not even fifty people!"

The keeper, Ah Kun, chuckled: "Sir, isn't that a bit too absolute? Just because you can't doesn't mean others can't."

He couldn't let this old bastard scare off other visitors.

Ni Kuang perked up: "I say it can't be done, and I stand by it—if anyone today can beat this elephant, I'll eat one kilogram of shit."

The crowd erupted in shock—but among the spectators was talent.

A middle school student, barely visible above the crowd, asked: "Excuse me—is it elephant shit you're eating?"

"Hahaha!" The crowd burst into fresh laughter.

Ni Kuang remained calm: "Elephant shit's fine too—at least it's fresh."

The crowd surged again; Wei Ming, hidden among the spectators, marveled at how many entertainment seekers Hong Kong had—and how perfectly Old Ni Kuang was playing his part.

Then the middle school student who had spoken stepped out of the crowd—he was short, his face youthful, glasses giving him a scholarly air, but he spread wide sideways; once his uniform was off, his body was packed with muscle, built like a tiny tank.

At his command, over twenty more boys with similar builds leapt out from the crowd.

"We're the bodybuilding team from St. Paul's Co-educational College—we'd like to challenge."

St. Paul's Co-educational College was legendary in Hong Kong, having produced famous singers like Kwan Cheng Kit and Chen Baiqiang, and even Li Jiacheng's two sons had studied there.

Seeing so many vigorous, muscular youths, Ah Kun perked up: "How many of you?"

"Twenty-six!"

Ah Kun decided: "Then we'll give you five bananas."

Ni Kuang snorted: "Twenty-six people? You've got no chance."

He stayed to see the outcome, but his Mianzi -conscious son Ni Zhen had already stormed off—he feared his father might not be able to swallow the shit, and he'd be forced to "taste" it for him.

Wei Ming said to Shen Zidan beside him: "Those muscles are decent—you can't match them. You still need to train."

Shen Zidan sneered: "They can't compare to Biao Ge either."

Dan Zai was now a diehard Biao fan—and these twenty-six bodybuilders certainly weren't a match for an adult elephant—but the old ghost gave Tian Nu a glance; it let out a low "Wu!" and, despite the twenty-six straining together, took a tiny step forward.

The crowd erupted in cheers; other spectators shouted encouragement for the twenty-six youths, as if victory were already in sight.

The crowd around them grew even larger; Liyuan Zoo hadn't been this lively in years.

At that moment, a bald man, surrounded by a group, rushed over to join the spectacle.

"What's going on here?" he asked those in front, and learned it was a tug-of-war between humans and an elephant—with a monthly pass as the prize for the winner.

Tian Nu and the twenty-six strong youths held for a moment; then Tian Nu stopped resisting and began pulling the rope tied to its front legs backward.

One step, two steps, three steps—Tian Nu won again. But the youths still earned the crowd's respect; several female students even flirted with the bespectacled leader.

In the end, they happily gathered around Tian Nu for a group photo, beaming with laughter; every spectator was moved—such youthful vigor was precious; even without winning, just participating felt joyful.

And every time Tian Nu won, it would laugh loudly with its trunk raised, as if celebrating; after twenty-plus years here, it seemed to have forgotten how happy it could be.

Inspired by this mood, visitors began lining up to join the tug-of-war—some teams of five or six, others of twenty or thirty, though the larger teams were mostly impromptu.

Wei Ming judged the moment right and said to Shen Zidan and the others: "It's getting late. Get ready to step in."

"Excuse me, please make way." Wei Ming had barely spoken when a bearded bald man walked up to the registration desk.

"My brothers and I want to sign up—ten bananas."

"Ten?!"

That meant fifty people. Other visitors turned to look and stepped aside; a group of gangsters approached, easily distinguishable by their clothing, hair color, and tattoos—anyone unfamiliar might've thought they were here to seize territory and collect protection money.

The bald, bearded man boasted: "When I, Brother Yong, walk the streets, there are only two things that matter: loyalty and having many brothers."

Wei Ming thought: Isn't it sleeping with your brother's wife?

Someone nearby whispered: "Where are these gangsters from?"

Someone replied: "Looks like Hu Shu Yong from Yau Ma Tei."

"Never heard of him?"

"Minor player. Not even worth mentioning compared to Bo Hao or Beng Ya Ju."

But Brother Yong had indeed brought fifty men, contributing many tickets to Liyuan—and this was by far the most spectacular contest yet.

The keeper and host, Ah Kun, announced: "After this challenge, there's only one match left—because Tian Nu has eaten so many bananas he's sick of them, and we've run out."

These fifty men had hair dyed in wild colors, varied builds, men and women alike; though they didn't look particularly strong, they radiated ferocity and grit—some were even super fat, giving the crowd a flicker of hope: "Maybe they can do it."

But they couldn't—because elephants stand on four legs, with an incredibly stable base; even humans of equal weight couldn't budge an elephant, let alone these fifty, whose combined weight was far less than Tian Nu's.

Still, Tian Nu showed them due respect, feigning effort, even taking a tiny step forward, then roaring and pulling back hard—without any real exertion.

This was the longest stalemate in the tug-of-war—but still ended within a minute: Elephant Tian Nu won!

"Alright, Tian Nu has eaten so many bananas he now feels nauseous at the sight of yellow, and we have only one banana left. We now welcome our final contestants."

Then three people in identical outfits stepped onto the field—their shirts read: "Heroes Emerge from the Young."

The slogan was inspiring, but they looked utterly powerless: Liu Rulong stood just over 1. meters, Shen Zidan under 1. , and little Wu Jing barely over 1 meter—no one took him seriously.

The outcome was obvious; everyone assumed there'd be no excitement left. If the fifty-man team had come last, it would've been a perfect ending. Now, it felt like a letdown.

Ni Kuang was already showing off to those who recognized him: "I told you—no human can beat a trained elephant. I won't have to eat that shit. Too bad I didn't bet on a prize."

"Haha, Brother Ni speaks wisely," the Ta Kung Pao reporter replied with polite flattery.

At first, Shen Zidan, Liu Rulong, and Wu Jing couldn't move Tian Nu at all; the elephant dragged them forward several steps.

But just as they were about to be pulled across the red line, a muscular man in the same outfit sprinted over and shouted: "Why didn't you wait for me, Zhao Debiao!"

He immediately wrapped the long rope around himself and yanked backward with all his might.

Biao's entrance was spectacular—he let out a thunderous roar that seized attention; though in Mandarin, it was crystal clear, and nearly everyone in the crowd heard and understood.

Then came his appearance.

He was massively built—not only bigger than the middle schoolers before, but also taller.

Biao's height matched Wei Ming's—about 1. 3 meters—but standing beside A Long, Shen Zidan, and Wu Jing, he looked towering, godlike.

To enhance this effect, Wei Ming deliberately didn't appear—if he'd been there, Biao wouldn't have seemed nearly as awe-inspiring.

Finally—he actually pulled.

After Biao appeared, Tian Nu, moments from victory, suddenly halted its backward movement; its elephant face twisted in strain, and under some mysterious force, it took one step forward.

"Whoa!" The entire crowd erupted!

"This guy is insane!"

"He looks like a god descending from heaven!"

"In ancient times, he'd be a general who could fight ten thousand!"

"He's as mighty as Xiang Yu or Lü Bu!"

"My god, those muscles—so damn hot! Ah, I can't take it—I'm done!"

"Everyone, look! Look at his clothes!"

"What's happening?"

"What's going on?"

Everyone stretched their necks toward the center of the field; some children sat on their fathers' shoulders, utterly captivated.

"Ah!"

As Biao roared with explosive force, the shirt he wore—already cracked—ripped completely apart across his body.

"He ripped his shirt! Holy shit—he actually ripped his shirt!"

The crowd gasped, eyes bulging, jaws dropping; after the shirt tore, Biao's muscular body looked even more mesmerizing—pure devilish god of muscle.

He'd grown lax after filming and marriage, but to promote his movie in Hong Kong, he'd resumed training and returned to peak condition.

Added to that, the shirt was cut extremely tight, with many seams poorly stitched—hence this effect. Thanks to Aunt Xia Meng's garment factory.

Wei Ming had originally planned to rip his pants too, but Biao said, "I've got dignity."

For a man, his ass is his face—so the pants stayed, only the top tore.

But this moment still stunned—like the global audience's first sight of Arnold Schwarzenegger's bare torso in The Terminator three years later.

Even Tian Nu seemed awed by Biao's overwhelming aura—its face frozen in shock, its long trunk swinging wildly, as if broken.

Thus, under the mighty intervention of shirtless Biao, Tian Nu slowly stepped toward the humans.

Three meters was a short distance for an elephant.

The crowd held their breath, palms sweating, some silent, others shouting encouragement.

Of course, that includes the recently arrived group of athletic high school students and the colorful gangsters in bright clothes.

Although they hadn't succeeded, they hoped someone would—because they believed human will could overcome heaven.

Only Ni Kuang wiped the sweat from his glasses and gasped for breath: "Impossible, absolutely impossible!"

The Next to him, the Ta Kung Pao reporter pretending to be a Ni Kuang fan chuckled: "Mr. Ni, don't worry. If it comes to that, just run away. We don't have to eat this shit—elephant shit's all roughage, indigestible!"

Ni Kuang snorted: "It's not over yet. The outcome isn't decided."

At that moment, the elephant Tian Nu seemed to be summoning strength, locking in a stalemate with the four men just before defeat.

Biaozi's tendons spread like vines across his forehead, as if his body might burst through his clothes. Wei Ming sighed: "Who says our Biaozi has no acting talent? This is real!"

Feeling the stalemate had lasted long enough, Biaozi feared the elephant wouldn't want to keep playing along, so he screamed with all his might: "Break it!"

With that cry, Tian Nu seemed to collapse—finally, he was pulled forward, taking that crucial step.

And after that step, he staggered forward a few more paces, stopping dead before Zhao Debiao, as if halted by an invisible aura of killing intent.

Biaozi stood tall before the elephant, a full meter taller than him, while Zhen Zidan, Wu Jing, and the others all hid behind him, as if protected by his presence.

The Wen Hui Bao reporter snapped the photo—Ah, this picture is so elegant!

Though the victory belonged to the four men, the entire crowd remembered only Zhao Debiao; every cheer echoed for Biaozi alone, so loud it seemed ready to tear open the heavens.

As the mastermind behind it all, Wei Ming was thoroughly satisfied—better than he'd imagined. In this moment, Biaozi was deified in Hong Kong.

Originally, the biggest selling point of the film "Heroes Rise in Youth," the most marketable angle, was the unconventional couple: the mighty husband and the petite wife.

Yanzi had both beauty and martial skill—the exact type of female action star Hong Kong desperately needed—but her belly was swollen; she couldn't perform stunts anymore. Wei Ming had no choice but to shift the hype to Biaozi.

After all, he'd made short films in his past life—he knew exactly what the masses craved.

Though rational people would never believe four men could pull a full-grown elephant, there were too many people, too few rational ones. And today, with so many witnesses and Wei Ming's pre-arranged media, this event would inevitably spread like wildfire through Hong Kong's press—whether positively or negatively.

Even Qiu Degen, the owner of Lih Yuan, would push to make this a sensational story—after all, the amusement park hadn't seen such excitement in years.

The cheers lasted over ten minutes before Biaozi and his team finally stepped into the center of the arena to deliver their victory speech.

But Biaozi was utterly exhausted—he could barely speak.

You thought it was great acting, but he'd truly pushed himself to pull the elephant—he'd nearly burst his liver.

At this point, Biaozi had changed into another outfit, and the crowd erupted in shouts of "Strip! Strip!"

The keeper, Ah Kun, held up the torn shirt and smiled: "I noticed all your shirts have the words 'Heroes Rise in Youth' written on them. What does that mean?"

Zhen Zidan replied in Cantonese: "It's the name of our production. Our movie's about to premiere. The director told us to wear these shirts and walk around crowded places for promotion—but we forgot to write the release date."

Ah Kun immediately asked: "Then when's the release date?"

"This Friday. The day after tomorrow."

Many in the crowd instantly memorized the name and the film. Some even recalled a serialized wuxia novel they'd read—wasn't that the same title?

"Wow, this movie must be amazing! May I ask, what role does this strongman play in the film?" Ah Kun pointed at Biaozi. The crowd erupted again—he was wildly popular now.

Biaozi's Cantonese was poor, so he switched to Mandarin: "I play the main villain."

Ah Long translated for him.

"The main villain? Then the hero must suffer a lot. Are you the male lead?" Ah Kun asked Zhen Zidan.

Zhen Zidan shook his head and pointed at Biaozi: "I play his subordinate."

"Then who plays the male lead?"

Zhen Zidan gently pushed forward the blushing young Wu Jing: "Him."

"What?!"

Everyone was stunned—the boy looked like a little girl. Was he the male lead? This movie was getting interesting.

After expressing his amazement, Ah Kun asked: "So, does this movie have no female lead?"

Zhen Zidan: "It does—but the female lead is pregnant. She can't appear publicly."

"Wow, pregnant? Then what's the relationship between the female lead and the male lead? Mother and son?"

"No, husband and wife," Zhen Zidan smiled, as the crowd murmured in disbelief. He then asked, "Do you know whose child is in the female lead's womb?"

"Whose?"

Zhen Zidan pointed again at Zhao Debiao. Biaozi smiled faintly—he thought his smile looked kind. But to the crowd, it looked like the villain's smug, satisfied grin after tormenting the heroine.

So evil. So powerful! I love it!

This first public exposure, they didn't talk much about the movie—otherwise it would've seemed forced.

They collected their monthly pass rewards for Lih Yuan Amusement Park and Song City, took photos with Tian Nu, when suddenly two of Ah Kun's colleagues, wearing masks, carried something over.

Ah Kun said: "We just learned the first contestant was the famous writer, Mr. Ni Kuang—the author of 'Waisili' and 'Yuan Zhenxia.' As one of Hong Kong's Four Talents, Master Ni is a man of his word, even when he's starving. Now, let's welcome Mr. Ni—eat shit, you!"

…

(End of Chapter)