"Tch!"
When Han Feng finally woke up, a splitting headache hit him like a hammer. He clicked his tongue in annoyance, rubbed his head hard, and muttered to himself, "Never drinking again! "
He instinctively sat up and realized he was in a private lounge at the Great Spirit Arena.
This didn't surprise him. After all, Shrek Academy was quite far from here. If Ning Rongrong and Tang San had wanted to drag all six of them back last night, it would've been nearly impossible—what Han Feng didn't realize yet was that Tang San had been completely drunk when he saw him yesterday!
"You're awake!? "
Han Feng hadn't noticed the pink-haired figure lying on the sofa. When he sat up, she immediately stood, grabbed a glass of honey water that had been prepared on the table, and walked toward him with a gentle smile.
"Your head must hurt, right? Drink this—it'll help."
Growing up in a clan like hers, Ning Rongrong had seen plenty of people suffer from hangovers, so over time, she learned how to take care of them.
Han Feng glanced at the honey water in her hand, then at her slightly tired but beautiful face, and felt something strange stir inside him.
But the throbbing pain of a hangover left no time for extra thoughts. He took the honey water and downed it in one gulp.
"Thanks."
Hearing this, Ning Rongrong actually felt a little flustered and quickly waved her hands.
"It's nothing, really! "
Han Feng gave her a strange look, wondering if he'd been too harsh on her before. His tone softened.
"You should get some rest. You probably didn't sleep well last night, did you? "
"Really? I can? "Her beautiful eyes flicked toward the still-warm bedsheets, and her cheeks instantly flushed red.
Han Feng had no idea why she was acting so shy and replied matter-of-factly, "Of course."
Ning Rongrong's eyes lit up at once, and she murmured with a drifting gaze, "Then... I'll rest for a bit."
"Mm." Han Feng nodded, rubbing his temples. Suddenly, he remembered how she had gotten him drunk last night, and a guilty feeling crept up his chest. Scratching his hair awkwardly, he changed the subject.
"Uh... Do you like drinking that much? "
"Huh? "Ning Rongrong tilted her head in confusion.
"No, not at all! Yesterday was actually my first time drinking."
"Then why...? " Han Feng blinked, surprised.
"I don't know. Maybe... genetics? " she said after thinking about it.
Han Feng nodded, coughed twice, then turned his face away, asking cautiously, "Um... After I got drunk last night, I didn't... Say anything weird or do anything strange, did I? "
In both his previous life and this one, it was his first time getting drunk. He was terrified of being a bad drunk.
Ning Rongrong was silent for a moment, then tilted her head playfully.
"Like what? Does snoring count? "
Hearing her teasing tone, Han Feng let out a sigh of relief. He nodded solemnly.
"Right. You go rest. I'm leaving."
And with that, he bolted for the door—open, exit, slam shut—all in one smooth motion!
Inside the room, Ning Rongrong also breathed a sigh of relief before slipping under the blanket, giggling to herself as if in an excellent mood.
——
Outside the lounge, Han Feng spotted Ao, the head manager of Soto City's Great Spirit Arena, speaking with the Grandmaster and Flender. Their faces were grim.
Feeling awkward, Han Feng realized it was too late to turn back. He walked over and greeted them.
"Uncle Ao! Grandmaster! Dean! Good morning! "
All three turned to look at him.
Manager Ao smiled warmly.
"Xiaofeng! We meet again."
The Grandmaster only nodded, while Flender gave a sly grin and chuckled meaningfully.
"Han Feng, you're finally awake."
That tone gave Han Feng the chills, though he didn't know why. Ignoring him, Han Feng looked at Ao and the Grandmaster.
"Uncle Ao, Grandmaster... I probably shouldn't be here, right? Want me to leave and pretend I never showed up? "
Ao's expression turned a bit stiff—being overheard discussing this matter by a junior wasn't great for his pride.
But the Grandmaster remained calm and shook his head.
"No need. It concerns your team anyway. You might as well hear it."
"Our team? " Han Feng frowned, puzzled, but stayed put and turned his eyes toward Ao.
Ao gave a dry laugh.
"Here's the situation: A while back, we invited a team to compete at the Great Spirit Arena. They're incredibly strong. In just over ten days, they made us a fortune. But as their matches piled up, the big gamblers caught on..."
Han Feng sighed inwardly and finished the thought for him.
"And now, you can't get rid of them. The high rollers have realized how strong they are and have bet huge sums on them. In no time, the Arena has not only lost everything it earned but now also has a massive financial gap. If this keeps up, you'll collapse."
He wasn't wrong. Han Feng had worked at a Spirit Arena before, so he knew how things went.
— That's exactly how the last manager of Stan Arena went under.
Being so blunt, Ao could only give an embarrassed chuckle.
"As sharp as ever, Xiaofeng... hahaha."
Han Feng forced a smile and stayed quiet. He knew this wasn't something he should decide, so he waited for the Grandmaster and Flender.
"What do you want from us? " the Grandmaster asked calmly.
Ao cleared his throat.
"We need a team that can beat them—a team strong enough to break their monopoly on the betting floor. To be honest, we've got no other options left. Maybe... The Shrek Team is our last hope."
Before Ao could finish, Flender roared, "No way! You're trying to use my students as tools! "
"Agreed." The Grandmaster closed his eyes and shook his head.
"Shrek won't accept a match against a team with an unknown background."
Ao didn't seem surprised. Instead, he pulled a sheet of paper from his pocket and handed it over.
"Here's their profile. At least take a look."
The Grandmaster accepted it. Ao continued.
"They call themselves the Emperor Battle Team. Their team badge rank is Silver. Their record at Soto Arena: thirty-eight wins, zero losses."
"Emperor Battle Team!? "
The three of them—Flender, the Grandmaster, and Han Feng—shouted at once.
Han Feng instantly understood why this scene felt so familiar. Ah, this is that part of the story!
The Grandmaster had heard of them before. Flender even knew their instructor personally.
The Grandmaster's eyes narrowed as he scanned the paper. When his gaze landed on the first name, his pupils shrank, and his grip on the document trembled slightly before returning to calm. After finishing the profile, he pondered briefly, then spoke:
"We'll take the match."
"Xiaogang!"
Flender shouted in shock, about to protest, but the Grandmaster raised his hand to silence him. Knowing his old friend's stubbornness, Flender swallowed his words and decided to wait until later.
Han Feng, on the other hand, wasn't surprised at all—he'd already guessed what the Grandmaster would say.
Ao practically jumped for joy.
"Really!?"
The Grandmaster nodded.
"Absolutely."
"Great! I'll schedule the flight right away! " Ao dashed off like a man escaping death itself, terrified the Grandmaster might change his mind.
"Han Feng, take a look." The Grandmaster handed him the profile.
Han Feng accepted it casually and began reading. His memory of past events had blurred, except for the major plot points. As for Yu Tianheng and the others—their ranks, their spirit abilities—he'd long forgotten.
Meanwhile, the Grandmaster turned to Flender, who looked like he was about to explode.
"Let's talk outside."
"Fine." Flender didn't want to argue in front of Han Feng, so he agreed.