Chapter 293: Olympic Torch Relay·Flame Technique Shock

Zhao Xing's hand was still pressed against the time plaque, the metal chill creeping up his fingertips. He was about to touch it again when Zhao Jianguo's voice came from behind.

"Don't bother, it won't sound a second time."

Zhao Xing pulled his hand back, not turning his head, "Just now, did you hear that sound?"

"Hear what?"

"The bell."

Zhao Jianguo walked over, stood beside him, glanced at the plaque, "Maybe it's a system self-check. The new equipment just went online; a little noise is normal."

Zhao Chen was debugging a communication wristband not far away, looked up and said, "My earpiece also made a sound, like an old alarm clock."

"Coincidence." Zhao Jianguo waved his hand, "Don't scare yourselves. We still have business today."

"What business?" Zhao Zhao Yang asked.

"The Olympic torch, three p. m., main venue."

The three of them froze simultaneously.

"Which segment?" Zhao Xing asked.

"Ignition." Zhao Jianguo took out his phone, typed a message, "The Organizing Committee just replied, approving you to go on stage. The Technical Service Bureau issued an official letter, saying you are the 'Special Energy Technology Representative'."

Zhao Chen chuckled, "That title is pretty big."

"It's not me bragging," Zhao Jianguo put his phone away, "If I hadn't made three calls and pulled institutional permission, they wouldn't believe it. A middle schooler going up to light the torch? Their first reaction would be to call the police."

Zhao Xing lowered his head to look at his hand. The faint blue line on his palm was still there, hardly visible when not glowing.

He knew it wasn't a birthmark.

"Has the safety agreement been signed?" he asked.

"Signed. Full monitoring, energy output can't exceed level three, ignition time limited to ten seconds." Zhao Jianguo patted his shoulder, "Don't be nervous, just treat it like an experiment."

Zhao Xing said nothing. The lab's events were still unclear—camera turned red, image stretched, time display garbled… none of that could be explained by test error.

But he didn't have time to think about it now.

At three minutes to three, he stood in the torch relay starting area. A Organizing Committee representative in a dark blue suit walked over, holding a schedule sheet.

"Zhao Xing, right?" the person glanced him up and down, "Your age is indeed enough. But can you really do without a pilot flame?"

"I won't use one." Zhao Xing said.

"Then how will you ignite it?"

"I'll bring my own fire."

The other frowned, "This is no joke. Global live broadcast, fifty thousand on site—there can't be any slip-up."

"There won't be a slip-up." Zhao Xing slipped his hand into his coat pocket and felt the silver wristband. It was issued by the lab, able to stabilize energy output.

Cheers came from afar. The torch relay had begun; the first leg was a retired athlete, and as he ran the track the crowd applauded.

Zhao Xing stared at the flame, and suddenly a lab scene flashed in his mind—purple mist spreading, virus carriers kneeling, the three of them's blue light converging into the main control console.

He closed his eyes briefly.

"Are you okay?" the Organizing Committee person asked.

"I'm fine," he said, "just a bit hot."

Actually he wasn't hot. On the contrary, his palm felt a bit cool.

The second leg was handed over, the third leg began to accelerate. It was getting closer.

"Remember," the Organizing Committee representative lowered his voice, "if you can't light it in the end, we have a backup plan. Don't push yourself."

Zhao Xing nodded.

The fourth leg rounded the bend, the fifth leg took it steady and surged forward.

The sixth leg stopped and handed the torch to him.

The whole venue fell silent for a moment.

The camera focused on him. The director switched to a close-up.

Zhao Xing took the torch, not rushing to move. He first checked the interface position, making sure the guide flame groove was clear. Then he raised his left hand and pressed the silver wristband against his chest.

A system prompt sounded in his mind: 【Energy channel open, output mode: controllable combustion】.

He exhaled, right palm facing up, eyes closed.

A cluster of dim blue flame rose slowly.

It didn't come from the air, nor was it produced by friction. It simply appeared, flickering quietly, temperature not high but color extremely deep, as if lighting up the night sky.

No one in the venue spoke.

The director forgot to switch the camera.

Zhao Xing gently guided the flame from his palm toward the torch's mouth.

The flame crawled up the conduit, speed not fast but very steady. Upon reaching the top, it suddenly unfurled, forming an arc of light that swirled once in the air, like a bird spreading its wings.

Someone shouted, "What is that?!"

The blue flame continued rising, climbing the spiral track of the main torch tower. Each time it passed a node, the light pattern brightened a notch. When it reached the summit, the entire torch tower lit up instantly.

Finally, the firelight burst open.

A phoenix made of pure blue flame unfolded its wings in the air, lasting a full three seconds before slowly retracting, turning into a steady holy fire pillar.

The venue erupted in a roar.

The announcer stammered: "What… what everyone is seeing…… is the first ever fuel‑less ignition in Olympic history…… we're not sure if this is technology or…… something else…… but it did light the holy fire!"

The camera panned over the stands. Someone held up a phone to record, hand shaking. A foreign reporter stood up, turned to the camera and said, "I have to say, this isn't scientific, but it's too beautiful."

Zhao Xing stood where he was, hand still raised. The blue fire had receded, hidden beneath his skin.

He heard a familiar prompt sound in his ear:

【Detected major public‑event impact peak, created Olympic history's first fuel‑less ignition record, reward: 【Sports Technology Specialty】】.

A new stream of information rushed into his mind. This time it wasn't a manual, but a whole set of sports data models—human limits, oxygen consumption, muscle coordination, endurance allocation……All calculations related to sports were automatically categorized, clear and adjustable.

He shook his head slightly, adapting to the influx.

"You did it." The organizing committee representative walked over, his expression changing. Just now he had wanted to start the backup plan, but now he handed over something.

It was a miniature torch model, with a line engraved on the base: **34th Summer Olympics·Torch Lighter·Zhao Xing**.

"It's an official souvenir." He said, "They've never given one to a non-athlete before."

Zhao Xing took it, feeling heavy.

"Should I say something?" he asked.

"No need." The other smiled, "What you just did speaks louder than anything."

The venue's music sounded, fireworks launched from all around. On the Screen, the ignition moment was replayed repeatedly, slow motion showing the phoenix spreading its wings.

Social media exploded instantly.

The top ten trending searches, six related to the "Blue Phoenix".

#Chinese youth uses magic to light the holy fire#

#This isn't special effects, right? #

#Please explain the principle behind that blue fire#

Zhao Jianguo watched the livestream backstage, a lollipop dangling from his mouth, unwrapped.

"Not bad, kid." He said quietly, "Now the whole world knows who you are."

Zhao Xing was led by staff to the interview area. A Central Television reporter approached with a microphone.

"Student Zhao Xing, was that blue flame just now produced by you yourself?"

"Yes."

"Is this a new type of energy technology?"

"You could say so."

"Can you tell us its name?"

Zhao Xing paused, then said, "It's called Flame Technique."

The reporter stared, "Flame…technique?"

"Yeah." He nodded, "It's been passed down in my family."

Those around laughed, thinking he was joking.

After the interview, he was arranged to rest in the VIP area. The Screen continued to loop playback of his ignition footage.

He lowered his head to look at his hand.

The lines on his palm were lighter than before.

But he remembered that at the moment of ignition, something had been drawn from his body. Not strength, nor energy, more like a small fragment of memory, or time itself.

He lifted his head to look at the sky.

The holy flame burned, blue and steady.

But as he stared, the flame suddenly flickered.

Not the wind.

The shape had changed.

In that instant, the flame's outline turned into an hourglass.

It lasted only half a second.

He sprang to his feet and walked toward the torch tower.

"Zhao Xing?" a staff member blocked him, "You can't go in there."

"Let me pass." He said, "The fire is wrong."

"What's wrong? It's burning fine."

Zhao Xing didn't listen, detouring around people and moving forward. The closer he got, the more he felt the air was a bit sticky.

Like walking under a roof after rain, but the ground was dry.

He reached out, wanting to touch that protective layer.

His fingers were still ten centimeters from the glass when they suddenly stopped.

He saw it.

At the deepest part of the flame, there was a circle of extremely fine black line, looping around the blue fire once before disappearing.

It was as if someone had made a cut in time.

He stepped back, his wristband vibrated.

【Warning: Abnormal spacetime fluctuation detected, source unknown】

He told no one.

Returning to the rest area, he sat down and placed the torch model on the table.

The characters on the base sparkled.

He stared at it for a long time.

Until he heard a soft sound.

Click.

Like the sound of an old clock ticking.

He jerked his head up.

On the top floor of the opposite building, behind a certain window, a shadow moved slightly.

A hand wearing black gloves was just moving away from an old machine.

The machine screen lit up, numbers jumping:

**Historical correction progress: 1%**