Chapter 627

"Every player who has been able to overcome all obstacles and reach the fourth round is definitely not here by luck!"

Her gaze seemed to pierce through the screen and land on every player.

"Among them are seasoned veterans with rich experience and shrewd layouts; rising stars with sharp spirits who dare to fight; and even dark horses who are hidden and waiting for their moment!"

"Starting from this round, every match will be a tough battle! Every move could determine whether you stay or go! Any slight relaxation, any tiny mistake, could cause all your previous efforts and sweat to be washed away in an instant!"

She turned to the main camera lens at the right time, the smile on her face becoming even brighter, while her eyes flashed with a seductive light.

"Of course, along with the increasingly fierce and cruel competition, the prize money awaiting the winners is also increasingly heart-pounding and blood-boiling!"

The giant screen behind her changed in response, lighting up with extremely eye-catching, dynamically growing numerical charts.

"With your first victory, you can securely pocket 10,000 yen in prize money!"

"After that, for every consecutive victory, the prize money amount directly doubles!"

"This means—" she drew out her tone, scanning the entire venue, whetting the appetite of every spectator and player.

"Today, the brave who win in the fourth round will be able to obtain a prize of up to 80,000 yen in one go!"

"And this is just the first step toward glory and wealth!"

Ze Tian Lixiang's voice rose sharply, full of dream-like incitement, and her arm waved powerfully toward the screen.

"As long as you can continue to win! Win the next six rounds in a row!"

"What you will eventually be able to hold up is 40,960,000 yen, enough to change the trajectory of many people's lives!!"

On the giant screen, the astronomical figure "40,960,000" appeared with an explosive golden effect, constantly rotating and enlarging, occupying the entire screen, shining with golden light, dizzying and mesmerizing.

"That's right! It's a super grand prize of over 40 million yen!!!"

Her words were like sparks thrown into hot oil.

The spectator seats were filled with a buzzing discussion mixed with exclamation, envy, and excitement; many people couldn't help but whisper to each other, pointing at the number, their eyes revealing a longing light, and one could even hear the clear sound of swallowing saliva.

In the player lounge, that invisible pressure that had already existed seemed to turn into tangible, scorching fighting spirit and tension.

Those who could sit here had already passed three harsh barriers and had the defeats of three opponents on their hands; there were no mediocre people.

That prize money, which kept doubling and eventually became as heavy and dazzling as a mountain, not only symbolized the highest glory of a player but also represented a tangible, life-changing reality, crazily stimulating the already tense nerves of every player.

That was 40.96 million yen!

For the vast majority of ordinary people, this was a huge wealth that was almost impossible to reach in a lifetime!

Even Natsume Chikage, who was relatively calm, couldn't help but skip a beat when he heard the final number and saw the dazzling golden light on the screen, and then his heartbeat accelerated.

Forty million...

This number circled in his mind.

That was enough to completely change the quality of life for him and Ruri.

If he could get so much money, he could immediately take his sister and move out of their current cramped three-ping apartment and into a more spacious and brighter house.

His sister's tuition, his own future education expenses, their daily living expenses... all the heavy burdens pressing on his heart would vanish like smoke.

Ze Tian Lixiang was very satisfied with the near-fanatical atmosphere she had stirred up.

She smiled and concluded in a relatively calm but still charming voice:

"Dreams are within reach, and the grand prize is waiting! Which player will be able to suppress the crowd, pass the barriers, and finally embrace this unprecedented huge prize? Let us hold our breath and wait, and witness the birth of a legend together!"

"Also, please, audience friends here and in front of the TV, wait patiently for a moment. The exciting match will start on time at nine o'clock in the morning!"

Accompanied by her passionate and expectant closing remarks, and the more impassioned background music that suddenly sounded in the venue, the atmosphere in the hall was pushed to a climax.

The audience looked forward to it, discussing it.

The players either took deep breaths, checked their equipment for the last time, or scanned potential opponents with sharp eyes; the air was filled with a unique smell mixed with money, dreams, and gunpowder.

At this moment.

Natsume Chikage had already passed through the crowd and arrived at the spectator area where Furukawa Masahiro was.

He found that besides Furukawa Masahiro himself, several familiar faces had gathered here: Furukawa Saio, who was excitedly shaking her small legs; the gentle-tempered Horikawa Kaori; Fukuda Tsukasa, who was rubbing his stubble; and... Asahina Akatsuki, Tanabe Yuto, and Suzuki Ryunosuke, who were laughing in low voices.

As soon as he approached, he noticed Asahina Akatsuki turning slightly to the side, carefully checking her makeup with a small, exquisite compact mirror.

Her movements were elegant and skilled; while gently patting on powder, she chatted casually with Tanabe Yuto and Suzuki Ryunosuke beside her, occasionally letting out relaxed laughter.

However, when Natsume Chikage's gaze inadvertently swept over the compact mirror in her hand, his pupils contracted imperceptibly.

A line of text, glowing with a faint white light that only he could see, floated quietly above the mirror.

【Beauty-Loving Compact Mirror】

【Quality: White】

【Effect: After equipping this item, you can set your hairstyle and makeup.】

【Introduction: There are no ugly women, only lazy ones!】

Natsume Chikage felt a slight surprise in his heart.

He had never expected that Asahina Akatsuki, who looked cheerful and lively, would actually possess a special piece of equipment.

But the effect of this equipment... was it actually setting makeup?

For women who pay attention to their appearance, it was undoubtedly a quite practical and even attractive attribute.

But for him, a boy who basically didn't wear makeup, the practical value of this effect was indeed not great.

Though it could be used to 'set' a hairstyle, it was still okay.

It was just that he didn't need it most of the time.

However, that didn't matter.

One of his main purposes for collecting these items was to gather three pieces to activate attribute point rewards.

Whether the effect was directly useful could sometimes be considered secondary.

It was just... how to obtain this compact mirror from Asahina Akatsuki needed careful consideration.

Asahina Akatsuki seemed to sense Natsume Chikage's gaze; she raised her head and happened to meet his eyes.

Two faint blushes instantly flew onto her cheeks; she hurriedly closed the compact mirror with a "snap" and tucked it into her small bag.

She quickly adjusted her expression and gave Natsume Chikage a bright smile with a hint of shyness:

"You're here, Natsume-kun."

Natsume Chikage's expression remained as usual, and he nodded slightly in response:

"Mm, good morning."

Suzuki Ryunosuke, who was on the side, saw Natsume Chikage and seemed to recall Tanabe Yuto's defeat last time, with clear hostility of a competitor on his face.

He snorted lightly, his tone carrying provocation:

"Natsume-kun, I was 'lucky' enough to be randomly assigned to the first session for this fourth round. You better be careful."

"You defeated my close friend Yuto before, and I'm keeping a record of that debt. If I meet you on the court, I absolutely won't show mercy!"

Facing this direct challenge, Natsume Chikage just smiled indifferently, his tone peaceful but carrying unquestionable confidence:

"Mm, I understand. Please feel free to bring it on, Suzuki-kun."

And Tanabe Yuto, who was on the side, had a complex expression on his face, but compared to the gloom and unwillingness after his miserable defeat last time, he seemed much more relieved and calm.

He waved at Natsume Chikage, his tone much lighter than before:

"Natsume-kun, morning."

Natsume Chikage also nodded slightly at him, considering it a greeting.

Furukawa Saio couldn't wait any longer; she patted the empty seat beside her vigorously, her small face flushed with excitement:

"Big Brother Natsume, sit here quickly! Sit here quickly! Saio specifically left a good seat for you!"

Natsume Chikage showed a gentle smile on his face, walked over, habitually ruffled her fine, soft hair, and then sat down beside her.

The seat he sat in happened to be right next to Tanabe Yuto.

After sitting down, Natsume Chikage first turned to Furukawa Masahiro, Horikawa Kaori, and others, greeted them politely, and exchanged a few simple pleasantries.

Fukuda Tsukasa rubbed the slightly coarse stubble on his chin, his gaze lingering on Natsume Chikage for a moment, snorted lightly through his nose, his tone carrying a hint of unexpected emotion:

"Come to think of it, I really didn't expect... that you, Natsume-kun, could make it all the way to this fourth round."

Horikawa Kaori, who was sitting diagonally across from him, although she had never liked Fukuda Tsukasa's tone, had to nod slightly at this moment to show agreement.

She looked at Natsume Chikage, her tone sincere:

"Indeed... frankly speaking, I didn't expect it either."

"But regardless of the initial expectations, Natsume-kun, you have proven yourself with actual results; your strength has far exceeded the imagination of many of us."

Her eyes became serious and encouraging:

"For the upcoming matches, please cast aside all distractions, use all your strength, and give it your all! Don't leave yourself with any regrets!"

In her view, Natsume Chikage had already earned back several times the registration fee in prize money and was under no financial pressure.

Since that was the case, he could just unload the burden and challenge stronger opponents with the purest mindset. ===== CHAPTER 628 =====