Chapter 226: The Badminton Battle! Cheating vs. Absolute Power!
Soon, the group arrived at the badminton court complex.
It wasn't just a "court." It was a private sports club rumored to be opened by a retired World Champion. The floors were made of imported shock-absorbing wood, the lighting was professional-grade anti-glare, and the air conditioning was set to the perfect temperature for athletic exertion without chilling the sweat.
High-end, classy, and exclusive.
Declining the eager coach's guidance and the sales pitch for a VIP membership card (Shen Anyu just waved a black card), they went straight to a private VIP room that occupied an entire floor.
Whack! Swish!
Liu Mi held a professional-grade badminton racket, testing its tension. She looked at Shen Anyu excitedly, her eyes sparkling with competitive spirit.
"Brother Shen! I'm actually very good at badminton. I was the runner-up in the Modu University Cup!"
She puffed out her chest slightly, a hint of heroism appearing on her charming and delicate face. Her eyebrows danced with delight, clearly very confident in herself.
"Team up with me, and I'll lead you to victory! We will crush Tongtong and Feifei until they beg for mercy!"
Shen Anyu smiled and nodded. He glanced casually at Wen Feifei, who was stretching her petite body on the other side of the net.
"Okay. I'll be the burden then. I'll watch you lead me to victory."
His tone was leisurely, lazy even.
Lin Shutong immediately became distressed. She looked at her temporary teammate.
"Feifei... how are you at badminton? To be honest, Mi Mi is really good. She destroys me every time."
Wen Feifei tied her short hair back, revealing her slender, white neck. She flashed a sweet, harmless smile.
"Don't worry. I'm very good too. Trust me."
At the same time, in the privacy of her mind, Wen Feifei issued a desperate command.
'System! Spend 3,000 Points! Exchange for [Top-Tier Badminton Skills (Grandmaster Level)]! Now!'
The [Entertainment Domination System] could exchange various skills and abilities from its shop. The logic was simple: As long as it could help dominate the entertainment industry, it was available.
Since there were quite a few sports-themed movies and idol dramas, being proficient in badminton was considered a "necessary acting skill."
However, Points were not easy to obtain.
They required [Fan Popularity Points]. And in this strict System, one real fan—a living, breathing human who genuinely liked her—could only provide one Popularity Point.
Top-tier badminton skills required 3,000 Points. That meant 3,000 real fans.
In the age of digital farming, don't look at those Weibo celebrities with millions or tens of millions of fans; 90% of them were "Zombie Fans" (Bots) bought by agencies. A top-tier influencer was impressive if they had even ten thousand real active fans. That was why their movies often flopped at the box office despite "high engagement."
Wen Feifei was only a junior at the Magic City Drama Academy. She hadn't officially debuted yet. Her first attempt to get a role ended with Director Jia Quan trying to molest her in a parking lot. Naturally, she had zero real fans and zero points earned.
Fortunately, the System's [Novice Gift Package] included 10,000 Points as a starter fund.
Wen Feifei decided to go all out.
She wanted to make Shen Anyu's eyes light up. She wanted to impress this "Lucky Star" with her competence and beauty in motion.
So, she burned 30% of her starting capital to instantly become a Badminton Grandmaster.
Buzz!
A warm current flowed through her limbs. Muscle memory engraved itself into her nerves. Suddenly, the racket felt like an extension of her arm.
As for other supernatural abilities? The System stated it was powerless unless Wen Feifei could evolve it by breaking through the "Mortal Limit"—which would require at least a billion real fans.
Wen Feifei felt that this System was quite humorous.
'A billion real fans? That's the population of a continent! With that many fans, I'd already be the Empress of Earth, let alone the entertainment industry. I wouldn't need a System then!'
[System: ...Host, please focus on the match.]
...
The game began.
Wen Feifei and Lin Shutong were on one side. Shen Anyu and Liu Mi were on the other.
It was a massacre.
Wen Feifei, who had just downloaded the muscle memory of a World Champion, was like a Great Demon King dominating the entire court.
Smash! Drop! Drive!
She moved with terrifying speed and precision. She didn't even need Lin Shutong's help; she practically played 1v2.
Liu Mi, the "University Runner-up," was left scrambling.
"Ah! Too fast!"
"Wait! That was on the line!"
Within ten minutes, Liu Mi's face had turned pale. She was gasping for breath, her chest heaving violently, her body covered in a layer of fragrant sweat that made her skin glisten. She looked like she had just run a marathon.
In reality, Wen Feifei was holding back. She was deliberately feeding balls to Liu Mi to tire her out, executing a cruel "cat playing with a mouse" strategy. Otherwise, she would have ended the game in five minutes with zero points for the opponent.
On the other side of the court, Shen Anyu stood calmly.
He held his racket casually, leisurely, as if he were holding a wine glass at a picnic. He barely moved, letting Liu Mi do all the running.
His deep, observant eyes scanned Wen Feifei across the net.
He wasn't looking at the shuttlecock. He was looking at her.
Beneath her black athletic shorts were plump, fair, and tender beautiful legs. Although not long like Liu Mi's, their contours were excellent—smooth, soft, and full of youthful vitality.
'If she were to wear white silk stockings that hugged those legs... coupled with a pleated skirt... she would undoubtedly be a top-tier weapon of mass destruction.'
But the main attraction was higher up.
Her pure white short-sleeved top fluttered violently as she jumped and smashed.
Bounce!
Every time she leaped to hit the shuttlecock, her ample chest seemed ready to burst forth from the fabric, obeying the laws of inertia with hypnotic intensity.
Wen Feifei's half-court movements were a feast for the eyes. It was "Sports Anime Physics" brought to life.
"However..." Shen Anyu mused, a smirk playing on his lips. "Does Wen Feifei truly not know her charm?"
A good actor must be perceptive of human nature and body language. Wen Feifei's acting skills were top-notch. How could she not know how much destructive power her movements had on the male psyche?
Earlier, in the crowd at the school gate, she deliberately protected her chest with her arm, acting shy.
But now? In this private room?
She was jumping higher than necessary. She was stretching further than needed. She was practically flaunting it.
'She is doing it on purpose. She is fishing.'
Furthermore, Shen Anyu noticed something else.
Wen Feifei's badminton ability was... unnatural.
Her footwork was perfect. Her swing mechanics were textbook. Her reaction time was professional.
'Is this the skill a university student from a performance major—who claims to be a sports idiot—should possess?'
Even a real World Champion would be nothing more than this. It was too sudden.
"It should be an ability from that [Entertainment Domination System]."
Shen Anyu guessed the truth instantly. She was cheating.
"Brother Shen... huff... huff..."
At this moment, Liu Mi walked over, leaning on her racket for support. She was drenched in sweat, her hair sticking to her forehead.
"I... I can't do it anymore. She's a monster! Please help me..."
She looked at Shen Anyu with pleading eyes. She originally thought she could show off her sporty side and lead Shen Anyu to victory, winning his praise. But she didn't expect Wen Feifei to be a hidden boss, completely overwhelming her.
It was humiliating.
This was also normal. After all, no matter how excellent a mortal is, can they contend with an opponent who is literally downloading skills from a System?
Shen Anyu patted Liu Mi's head.
"Rest. Take a drink of water."
He stepped forward, his aura changing slightly. The laziness vanished, replaced by a calm, focused sharpness.
"Alright. Then watch me."
The game resumed.
Wen Feifei served.
Whoosh!
The shuttlecock flew over the net.
Shen Anyu didn't run. He simply... jumped.
It was an explosive vertical leap that seemed to defy gravity.
BANG!
With a sound like a gunshot, Shen Anyu smashed the shuttlecock.
It turned into a white blur, traveling at an astonishing speed that the naked eye could barely track.
Zip!
It grazed past Wen Feifei's ear like a bullet, slamming into the back line before she could even raise her racket.
"!!!"
Wen Feifei's beautiful peach-blossom eyes widened. She froze, feeling the wind from the shuttlecock ruffle her hair.
She looked at Shen Anyu in genuine surprise.
'So fast! Is he a pro too?'
Although she had been careless just now, she didn't expect Shen Anyu—a rich young master who looked like he never lifted anything heavier than a champagne glass—to be so secretly skilled.
"Brother Shen! Come on! Charge!"
Liu Mi, revitalized by the point, cheered from the sidelines, jumping up and down. "Crush her!"
Lin Shutong also simply gave up. She realized she was just an NPC in this battle of gods. She sat next to Liu Mi, grabbing a bottle of water.
"You two great masters... just start your PK (Player Kill/Duel). Let's see who's better. Mi Mi and I will just be the cheerleaders."
Wen Feifei quickly reacted. Her competitive spirit was fully ignited.
'I spent 3,000 Points for this skill! I can't lose!'
She smiled at Shen Anyu, a challenging glint in her eyes.
"Brother Shen... you surprised me. But don't get cocky. Watch how I'll crush you now!"
"Watch the ball!"
Shen Anyu's expression was strange. He glanced at her chest, then at the shuttlecock.
"Watch the ball? Which one?"
He joked internally, but outwardly he said amusedly:
"You're quite confident for someone who just lost a point. Then let's try it. Show me what you bought."
"Hmph! I'm super good!"
Wen Feifei felt that with her [Grandmaster Badminton Skill], she could even challenge Lin Dan (The Legend). She would definitely be able to thrash a rich amateur like Shen Anyu.
On one hand, beating him would make Shen Anyu look at her in a new light—as an equal, a talented woman, not just a vase.
On the other hand, it would let her vent some frustration for his earlier rejection.
'Take this!'
The next moment, Wen Feifei tossed the badminton shuttlecock high.
She leaned her upper body forward, winding up her arm as if to hit a powerful, thundering smash to the back of the court. Her body formed a beautiful arc, deceiving everyone.
But at the last millisecond...
Her forearm smoothly and lightly flicked.
Pa.
Instead of a smash, the shuttlecock traced an unexpectedly low, soft arc. It was a drop shot.
It barely cleared the net, dropping straight down like a stone.
A perfect deception.
From the astonishing speed of Shen Anyu's previous shot, Wen Feifei judged that Shen Anyu was a "Power Type" player—lots of strength, but maybe lacking finesse and agility.
'A weak woman like me can't contend with brute force. I must use technique! I'll break his ankles with net shots!'
This shot was world-champion level finesse. Even a pro would struggle to retrieve it.
'Can you receive it, Mr. Rich Guy?'
In the depths of Wen Feifei's beautiful eyes, there was a look of triumph and excitement as she watched the shuttlecock descend.
"Oh no! Brother Shen is too far back! He's in danger this round..."
Liu Mi grasped the bench, her face full of worry.
However.
At this moment.
Shen Anyu moved.
He didn't run. He seemed to... glide.
He took a single step forward.
Flash!
That one step seemed to span several meters, shrinking the ground to inches.
With lightning speed that blurred his figure, he arrived at the net instantly.
Before the shuttlecock could fall below the net height, his racket was already there.
Tap.
Ideally, he should have just lifted it over.
But Shen Anyu looked at the astonished Wen Feifei, who was still in her follow-through pose.
He tilted his head and smiled—a devilish, victorious smile.
"Don't space out. You know... in the face of absolute power, tricks are useless."
Whack!
He flicked his wrist. The shuttlecock shot straight at her body.
Wen Feifei's pinkish-white small mouth opened slowly.
It formed a perfect 'O' shape as she looked at Shen Anyu in total shock.
Her sparkling peach blossom eyes held an expression of utter disbelief.
'How... how is that physically possible?'
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