Chapter 186: Go Easy on Me
Li Houliang was also completely baffled. In all his years on the job, this was the first time he'd encountered such a situation.
He walked over to Zhou You, wanting to say something but not knowing what to say.
His lips moved for a long time before he finally said to Zhou You, "Protect yourself."
Zhou You understood the meaning behind those words: strike when you need to, don't hesitate—there's no room for mercy in the arena.
But Zhou You was also conflicted. People often saw "KO" in fighting rings and thought it was no big deal, casually assuming that even if someone got knocked out, the physical damage wouldn't be severe.
In reality, whether professional or amateur, being KO'd is extremely dangerous.
Physical injury is inevitable, and in severe cases, it can even lead to death.
The mental blow is also heavy; some need a long time to recover, while others completely lose their fighting spirit and withdraw from the combat sports circle altogether.
Everyone who signed up had some confidence in themselves, but faced with this situation, they had no idea what to do.
The crowd buzzed with chatter.
But no one stepped onto the stage first.
Zhou You didn't go up either. Watching how they'd push things forward was like watching a spectacle, something worth remembering.
Too bad Old Chen wasn't around; if he'd recorded it, the memory would be much more vivid when looking back later.
Thinking it over, Zhou You asked Li Houliang to record as much as possible on his phone and send it to him later for safekeeping.
This incident also reminded Zhou You that he should have more cameras on hand in the future. At worst, he could just set up fixed positions and try different angles.
The person announcing the rules up on stage probably knew he was messing things up. After finishing the announcement, he stepped down and washed his hands of the rest—he couldn't be the only one taking the heat for this.
This martial arts event was personally decided by the new principal; otherwise, such a bizarre situation wouldn't have occurred.
Now everyone was looking at him, waiting to see what he'd do.
The teachers had already been unhappy about being forced to participate, and now with this mess, they were all waiting to watch the joke unfold.
The principal was also in an awkward spot. He'd wanted to try something innovative, but it had turned out like this. If word got out, he'd be a laughingstock for sure. If it reached his backers, his next move could be ruined.
But in this situation, he was completely helpless.
All he could do was glare fiercely at the event organizer—the first person to pledge loyalty to him. The principal had put him in charge, planning to use this as an excuse to promote him afterward.
Now that things had gone off the rails, he was definitely going to take the fall.
The event organizer was sweating profusely. But since he'd agreed to this martial arts competition in the first place, he'd thought he had it under control. He was familiar with all the clubs.
As a student affairs cadre, he dealt with clubs every day.
He hurried down from the stage and called the club leaders over: "What's going on? Why isn't anyone stepping up? Don't want your clubs to exist anymore?"
"Teacher, how are we supposed to compete? The fighting styles are different, and the rules don't match," the taekwondo club president complained. He'd been the first to respond and was one of the closer allies.
Many students ran their college clubs like mini-societies, mimicking adults and putting on airs—it was laughable. Only after graduation, when society gave them a harsh lesson, would they realize how ridiculous their naivety had been, cringing at the memory.
"I don't care about that. You go up now. All of you take turns. Whether it's a performance or a real fight, just keep the show going. Otherwise, I'll dissolve your clubs," the organizer said viciously, resorting to outright threats.
College kids.
No matter how much they pretended to be adults, they couldn't muster that ruthless edge. When they saw the teacher getting tough, they caved.
The taekwondo guy was the first to jump up.
But with no opponent, what now?
He could only look at the organizer, as if to say: I'm up, now what?
The organizer shoved the wrestling guy forward: "Go."
The wrestling guy looked just as confused, standing on the stage without moving.
The two of them stood there, staring at each other.
The referee didn't intervene. Seeing them both on stage, he quickly blew his whistle: "Match start."
Then he stepped down.
He was afraid of getting caught in the crossfire too.
Luckily, the students weren't stupid. The moment they heard the rules, they all put on protective gear, each one more heavily padded than the last.
Headgear, foot guards, waist guards, leg guards—they were practically wearing armor.
The wrestling guy was at a disadvantage, constantly trying to close the distance, but his opponent was faster than a rabbit, occasionally landing a few kicks.
The audience was having a blast.
An exhibition match.
Just laugh it off.
After a few minutes of chasing around the stage, the taekwondo fighter's stamina began to wane, and the wrestler got in close. With a single takedown, he pinned him to the ground.
Once he had him, he didn't let go. The referee didn't blow the whistle or step in to separate them, apparently treating it like no-holds-barred fighting.
The pinned taekwondo fighter couldn't take it anymore. His arms and legs were locked, and it hurt.
"Dude, it hurts, it hurts. I give up. You can get up now."
The wrestler heard him and stood up. The taekwondo fighter limped off the stage.
The wrestling guy stood alone on the stage, unsure what to do.
Was this a gauntlet match or a round-robin? Someone tell me.
Below, there was still silence.
The event organizer said nothing, cursing inwardly: I'm going to be a laughingstock now. Damn it, what a mess. He stopped caring about his future and just played dead.
Zhou You was amused watching from below. Fun, interesting.
Seeing no one step up, he decided to go up and have some fun himself. He was getting bored down there, and his skills were itching to show off.
He quickly climbed onto the stage.
Cupping his fists in a salute.
The referee blew the whistle immediately. Match start.
The wrestler, riding high on confidence, strode toward Zhou You.
Zhou You saw his center wide open as he carelessly approached. Noticing the chest guard he was wearing, Zhou You delivered a straight kick.
It hit him square in the chest. The wrestler flew backward, sliding two meters before hitting the ropes and stopping.
The audience thought it was another comedy match, but then a powerhouse appeared.
Seeing such a clean kick, they all cheered.
The wrestler conceded immediately and stepped down. How could he keep fighting? One move and he knew the gap was too big. He hadn't even reacted before he was sent flying.
Zhou You addressed the crowd below: "Since everyone's here today, let's treat it as a sparring session. Come up one by one. I'll be the temporary champion."
Hearing this, the fighters below looked at their protective gear again. Since no one was in charge anymore, they might as well treat it as an exchange.
A student nearly two meters tall stepped up.
He first cupped his fists in greeting, then said, "Brother You, go easy on me."
Zhou You was startled: "You know me?"
The student replied sheepishly, "I've been to the training hall a few times and seen Brother You in action. Everyone calls you that, so I just went along with it."
He didn't expect to run into a trainee.