Stepping on the Demoness to become the strongest-Chapter 476 - 72 Tang Xiaolian’s Insightful Analysis
Chapter 476: Chapter 72 Tang Xiaolian’s Insightful Analysis
The next day, on the eve of the press conference.
The interview order was Zhenhai Team first, followed by Huofeng Team. Therefore, everyone got up early to have Xie Ruoxi apply makeup to them in turn—after all, appearing on camera without makeup was simply not flattering, and the girls in the team absolutely couldn’t accept that.
Yan Yu also wanted to sneak away, but Lin Ning caught him red-handed and forcibly sent him to the makeup room.
“Captain, do you prefer the sunny look, the heroic look, or the domineering look?” Xie Ruoxi asked as she meticulously combed his bangs in front of the mirror, smiling as she spoke, “By the way, I recommend the domineering look! It really suits your current vibe!”
“I choose the minimalist look,” Yan Yu said impatiently. “Just finish up quickly and let me go.”
“Ehh—” Xie Ruoxi let out a cry of dissatisfaction, like a disappointed fawn.
...
“We’re going to a press conference, not matchmaking!” Yan Yu said coldly. “Can you focus on what’s important?”
“But, Captain!” Xie Ruoxi argued, “No matter how handsome you are, showing up on camera like this won’t do! It will upset your adoring fans!”
Those words did move Yan Yu somewhat. She was right, after all, I am the handsome cultivator obsessed over by countless girls. If the attractiveness I display on camera doesn’t reach a perfect level, it would indeed damage my public reputation.
Being the strongest in this world, I must also score full marks in managing my self-image!
Hmph, that beautiful waste from my previous life was truly a top-tier skin-bearer; he not totally useless in this regard.
Forget it, I’ll indulge her!
He then ceased resisting and allowed Xie Ruoxi to take the small brush, patting and dabbing all over his face.
“Captain Yan!” An energetic voice suddenly rang out from outside the door. “Bet you didn’t expect me to come looking for you… huh?”
Tang Xiaolian stood in the doorway, looking at Xie Ruoxi and Yan Yu inside, and immediately showed an awkward smile:
“Am I interrupting you guys?”
“Have a seat,” Yan Yu said. “What brings you here?”
Tang Xiaolian deliberately winked and glanced at Xie Ruoxi, as if hinting, “I have a secret to tell you, can you please send your attendants away, Captain Yan?”
Yan Yu pretended not to understand her hint and said:
“The press conference is about to start, and we need to hurry with the makeup, no time to entertain you.”
Failing to deceive him, Tang Xiaolian sighed and candidly said:
“Never mind, no need for hospitality. I just came over for a visit.”
She ran over to Xie Ruoxi’s side, stared at Yan Yu for a moment, then suddenly burst into laughter, covering her mouth and saying:
“That’s so odd, why did you make him so pale?”
“Is there a problem with being a bit pale?” Xie Ruoxi was somewhat unhappy. “Do you know you look darker on camera? Personal photographers can add exposure to make you look better, but official media cameras typically don’t have exposure compensation. If you’re so confident, don’t wear makeup and see just how dark you look on camera, okay?”
“Okay, alright~” Tang Xiaolian quickly apologized with a giggly smile, “I was just teasing him; I didn’t mean to criticize your makeup skills.”
“Don’t tease our captain!” Xie Ruoxi became more vigilant instead, “Yan Yu, she’s from a rival team, coming here to probe for information, she must be an enemy spy, execute her!”
Yan Yu hadn’t spoken yet, and Tang Xiaolian already started defending herself:
“No, no! I really just came to visit Captain Yan, I promise not to mention anything about the upcoming match.”
“That makes you even more suspicious!” Xie Ruoxi thought that was precisely her fear but then said, “Captain! Let’s kick her out!”
“Enough,” Yan Yu made a “stop” gesture. “Jealous quarreling ends here, there are more important things to do next. You can settle who’s better after the match is over…”
“I’m not jealous over you!” The two girls protested at the same time.
“Enough!” Xie Ruoxi burst out in frustration and quickly added the final touches, “Done! Now go away and call the others over!”
Yan Yu stood up, patted his bottom, and walked away.
Tang Xiaolian followed closely behind. On the corridor, she caught up with Yan Yu and said:
“Captain Yan, I won’t tell you the Huofeng Team’s order of appearance, you know.”
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“Nonsense, I’m not interested.” Yan Yu replied.
“Oh dear.” Tang Xiaolian sighed and said, “That’s no fun. How about Captain Yan you try to probe me, then I can righteously refuse you, and you can send a message to Deputy Captain Zhang saying ‘that little Tang in your team really keeps tight-lipped, I asked for a long time and she wouldn’t say a word’, how about that?”
“What’s in it for me?” Yan Yu asked.
“You can gain my favor,” Tang Xiaolian responded.
Yan Yu frowned, turned around, and sized up the girl who had come to find him… Tang Xiaolian, in fact, resembled Chen Lingyun somewhat. Both were the delicate and sweet girl-next-door type, but Tang Xiaolian was around 1.64 meters tall, which simply blew Chen Lingyun out of the water. Although she liked to play pranks too, in terms of personality, she wasn’t as annoying as Chen Lingyun, who always seemed to stir up trouble without a cause.
Tease her a bit.
“What use is your favor?” Yan Yu joked, “If it were Zhou Hongyu’s favor, I might consider it.”
“Aha! Captain Yan indeed has unscrupulous designs on our Captain Zhou…” Tang Xiaolian exclaimed loudly. Before she finished her sentence, Yan Yu dragged her to the back of the corridor and put his hand over her mouth:
“What are you shouting for? There are staff members living on the same floor in this hotel, don’t spread rumors that we both end up losing from.”
Tang Xiaolian blinked, pulled his hand from her mouth, and said:
“Hmph, wouldn’t that just work out to your advantage? I wouldn’t hurt Captain Zhou like that.”
She walked a few steps forward, then turned back and asked:
“Do you think there might be some underground palace ruins deep beneath the Yarlung Tsangpo Grand Canyon?”
“How would I know?” Yan Yu was bewildered, but quickly caught on, “Who told you to say that?”
“Captain Zhou,” Tang Xiaolian replied, “The higher-ups really hope we can win, but Captain Zhou feels… winning you over with such underhanded tactics would be more painful than a straightforward loss to you.”
“I see.” Yan Yu nodded, “I got it, you can go now.”
“You’re dismissing me just like that?” Tang Xiaolian protested, “I took a huge risk coming here to relay a message for you, don’t you know to at least treat me to a milk tea?”
“Definitely next time!” Yan Yu laughed, “I won’t forget your merit!”
“Hmph, I’ll note it down then.” Tang Xiaolian turned to leave, proudly saying, “This is like a high-interest loan, the longer you owe me, the more you’ll have to pay back, so be careful~”
Watching Tang Xiaolian turn away and leave, Yan Yu could only shake his head with a wry smile, suddenly remembering the clash with the Flying Dragon Battle Team. Back then, Cai Qianlong had also been “tipped off” in advance but couldn’t get past that psychological barrier, hence he came clean with the members of the Zhenhai Team.
After all said and done, it was because the influence of the live broadcast of the competition was too great. The Huofeng Team represented the Pingxi Army, and if they were defeated, people across the nation would know that the top combat forces of the Pingxi Army had lost to the Zhendong Army… rounding up, it meant the Pingxi Army just wasn’t up to par.
Furthermore, with the internal strife within the Pingxi Army not being monolithic, naturally, there were some “not so by-the-book” individuals attempting to covertly influence the outcom of the match, much like what the Dingbei Army had done before.
This was, after all, an old tradition in Lu Country. For example, in the much older Red vs. Blue exercises, the outcome was always biased by the directorate, never arranging for a completely fair confrontation for both sides.
But it didn’t matter. Didn’t Zhou Hongyu want a fair and square defeat? I’m a person who values old acquaintances! For the sake of our past friendship, I’ll grant her wish!
