Chapter 419: Welcome to the Stage of Mediocrities!

Welcome to the Stage of Mediocrities!

Everyone fell silent.

Just as the noise and uproar were about to sweep through the entire venue, this single small gesture from the Chosen One instantly rendered the whole hall deathly quiet.

Cheng Shi was dumbfounded, his jaw nearly dropping to the floor.

Wait, bro!?

You just sat yourself right in the Grand Marshal's lap like that?

Huh?

What, the Marshal has to bring his "little darling wife" along on campaign now?

Cheng Shi was stupefied.

Not just him—every single person present was left staring in disbelief.

Only the refined-looking man seated in the front row alongside Hu Wei seemed to have anticipated this; upon seeing Chen Shu choose Hu Wei over himself, he quietly let out a breath of relief, then curled his lips into a faint smile.

But to be fair, this Chosen One of 【Silence】—his ability to manufacture silence was truly...

Eye-opening.

Incredible.

Cheng Shi found it entertaining, the crowd found it amusing, but the parties involved certainly didn't see it that way.

Veins bulged on Hu Wei's forehead as he looked at Chen Shu sitting on his lap; he instantly drew out a greatsword surging with blood and fire. But just as he was about to make his move, the massive crystal magic lanterns on the dome above suddenly went dark.

Everyone's vision plunged into darkness, leaving only the flames churning atop that greatsword, illuminating Chen Shu's bald head and the Grand Marshal's grim expression.

But at this moment, no one cared about the relationship between those two stacked together in the front row. The crowd was greatly alarmed, and cries of shock erupted throughout the venue.

Nearly everyone assumed a defensive stance, wary of someone causing trouble amid the chaos, but given the sheer number of people, some rather discordant sounds still came from certain directions—even screams and wails.

But the biggest commotion was still in the front row.

No one saw clearly what happened there; the crowd only saw a streak like a blood-red rainbow flash past, and then a wave of scorching breath surged through the entire venue.

Within those towering waves of heat, the sound of fists meeting flesh rang like metal striking metal, and the overflowing fiery aura caused many nearby to retreat in fear.

Cheng Shi's heart gave a jolt, and he likewise leaned back a fraction—but it was precisely this movement that nearly caused Cui Cui Qiushi behind him to strike on instinct.

Cui Cui Qiushi's heart clenched sharply, and a small shield materialized in his palm.

Fortunately, the person in front only defended and made no further moves, but this reaction of his only deepened Cui Cui Qiushi's confusion.

"He never once looked back, and even dared to press his back against me—why?

How can he be so certain I won't harm him?

Does he know me?

No, I'm certain I've never seen him before.

So... who is he? Is it him?

No, that's not right. He said he'd act on his own and wouldn't meet up with us. It can't be him."

But regardless of who it was, unless true malice was revealed, Cui Cui Qiushi would not strike first.

He stared at the back of Cheng Shi's head in the darkness for a moment, then decisively chose to retreat back by one seat.

Cheng Shi sensed Cui Cui Qiushi's movement and twitched the corner of his mouth, speechless.

"......"

Oh no—he'd made his big bodyguard go on high alert.

But this sort of thing wasn't easy to explain, so he'd just have to sit like this for now.

And just at that moment, the venue that had been plunged into darkness for several seconds suddenly lit up again. Several dazzling spotlights struck the center of the stage, revealing a short-haired man wearing a cartoon mask and a black tailcoat.

The scene instantly fell quiet. Whether the conflict had already ended or the filth lurking in the shadows couldn't bear the light, in any case, everyone present welcomed the arrival of this "host" with a "tacit silence."

Cheng Shi took the chance to glance forward and discovered that at some unknown point Chen Shu had already vanished, and Grand Marshal Hu Wei had also returned to his seat.

But judging by his posture, beneath his feet... he seemed to be stepping on something.

"......"

But clearly not everyone's attention was on Hu Wei and Chen Shu. The vast majority were drawn to look at the center of the stage, eyeing this man who had suddenly appeared and caused chaos with wary, suspicious gazes.

The masked man laughed loudly, bowed deeply in a full 360 degrees to the encircling audience, then spread his arms and shouted at the top of his lungs with a tone tinged with excitement:

"Good evening, and welcome to the Stage of Mediocrities.

With tonight's enchanting moonlight, I extend my sincerest welcome to all the... mediocrities present."

Those words sounded like an insult, yet no one in the venue bothered to refute him. Everyone observed the host who had stepped onto the stage with composure, each harboring their own thoughts.

The masked man seemed to relish the feeling of being the center of attention. He elegantly spun in a circle, presenting his image to every person without a single blind spot.

Honestly, based on his appearance, his hosting style, and what Cheng Shi had observed in the venue earlier, he could already rule out a few faith options for this host of an unknown belief.

【Prosperity】, 【Order】, 【Folly】, 【Silence】.

But this was only speculation. After all, some 【Silence】 believers could also be quite talkative, so it wasn't impossible for 【Folly】 believers to be sociable, 【Order】 believers to not maintain order, or 【Prosperity】 believers to not keep long hair.

Just as Cheng Shi was lost in random thoughts, the masked host on stage continued in a high-spirited tone:

"Perhaps you've all already guessed—I am the convener of this gathering of mediocrities, and the most self-aware mediocre among all the mediocrities present.

My surname is Gong. If you don't mind, you may call me..."

"Old Gong?" a voice shouted loudly.

"......"

"......"

"......"

The venue fell silent again, but soon after, suppressed chuckles rose from all around.

Cheng Shi's mouth twitched, and he looked toward Hu Wei's direction without a shred of surprise.

And that "Old Gong" had come from the 【Silence】 Chosen beneath his feet — Chen Shu.

Yes, beneath his feet.

Chen Shu was seen struggling not at all, pinned under the Grand Marshal's boot, lying face-down on the ground, tilting his head up to answer, his expression so flat it was as if everything he was going through was the most perfectly normal thing in the world.

But probably no one besides him would find it normal.

Cheng Shi was done. Completely done.

He felt this so-called Chosen was absurdly, unexpectedly strong.

That single "Old Gong" from Chen Shu had silenced even the masked man on stage.

He froze for a moment, then raised a hand to rub his own forehead, shook his head with a helpless laugh, and after a beat quickly pulled himself back together.

He looked in Chen Shu's direction and laughed, entirely unbothered:

"Calling me Old Gong is moving a little fast. If you're serious, you can contact me privately after the gathering is over. Whether you're a follower of 【Nurture】 or a devotee of 【Corruption】, I think I can spare a little of my humble strength for your devotion.

But for now!

My time belongs to every mediocre person present."

The masked man elegantly sidestepped the topic of "Old Gong" with a slightly suggestive joke, then let out a clear laugh and prepared to continue his speech.

But what he hadn't expected was that Chen Shu had no intention of shutting up. He fished out a phone from god-knows-where, pressed the number keys with both hands, and asked again with the most serious face:

"Awesome, what's your number? I'll note it down and contact you the moment the meeting's over."

"......"

"......"

"......"

The hall fell silent again. The masked man stood frozen on the spot for a long while before turning his head to look at him again.

But this time he didn't answer. Instead, with a half-smile that wasn't quite a smile, he turned to the Grand Marshal Hu Wei and asked:

"I don't suppose, Mr., this was something you instructed him to do?"

Hu Wei gave a derisive snort, pressed his foot down a little harder and drove Chen Shu's face straight into the carpet, then said:

"Apologies. The dog at home has always loved to chatter ever since he learned to talk. I'll keep an eye on it."

The masked man stared blankly for quite a while before slowly nodding, then looked off in another direction again, preparing to continue his lecture.

But just then, the trampled Chen Shu interrupted his speech once more.

"Woof Woof Woof......!"

"......"

"......"

"......"

You really are a dog!

Cheng Shi was numb. He watched the scene, not knowing whether to laugh or cry, and suddenly felt a little sympathy for 【Silence】.

Does that omnipresent Deity know what kind of person His follower is?

While other people's Chosen are being aloof, mysterious, pointing the course of empires, or sitting calmly behind the scenes, His Chosen is down at someone else's feet barking like a dog......

Putting on such a hilarious show probably wouldn't be the carrying out of His will — it looks more like something 【Fraud】 would pull. So, God of 【Silence】, you wouldn't happen to be......

A sock puppet of 【Fraud】, would you?