Wang Rui "heh"ed, but said nothing more.
Although he occasionally found this guy annoying, he had to admit that in terms of strength, he was qualified to talk big.
Qiao Sang from Shengshui Middle School, despite his despair-inducing talent, was still two grades junior.
In beast tamer competitions of equal level, the older participants tended to be somewhat stronger.
After all, those years weren’t for nothing.
Li Zonglin, unable to withstand the silence, saw that both had stopped talking and opened the conversation, "Fu Xiaodan and the others will be coming to Kainan City for the competition in a couple of days, should we go and watch?"
Fu Xiaodan was a member of the junior year team at Litian Royal Beast High School, except that she participated in individual beast taming coordination competitions.
Coordination competitions focused on showcasing spectacular skills and usually took place in the evening, so they didn’t conflict with individual beast taming battles.
"Not going," Wang Rui refused.
What a joke, it’s a critical moment in the competition; they need to rest and gather strength after getting back each day to prepare for the next day’s competition. There’s no time to watch a beast taming coordination contest.
They’d be better off preparing a few more tactical plans with that time.
"Ding bro, you’ll go, right?" Li Zonglin asked Ding Yanjing in a teasing tone.
It’s often said high schoolers shouldn’t date early because it can affect their studies. Although that’s the official line, there’s no shortage of those who secretly date anyway.
Ding Yanjing was among them.
As a notable figure on campus, the teachers knew a bit about his relationship with Fu Xiaodan, but since both had achieved great success in the province, the teachers turned a blind eye to students whose futures didn’t depend solely on university entrance exams.
Ding Yanjing picked up his phone again and said, "Not going."
Li Zonglin, surprised, said, "It makes sense for Wang Rui, the single dog, not to go, but why won’t you?"
Ding Yanjing answered without lifting his head:
"A girlfriend isn’t as important as a competition. Ruan Yunwen from Wuchai Middle School isn’t the same as before; she’s my obstacle in this elimination round. Without absolute confidence in winning, I won’t waste time here when it matters most."
Li Zonglin instantly looked at Ding Yanjing with new respect.
Wang Rui looked at Ding Yanjing, his face a mix of feelings.
Yes, he had almost forgotten the reason Ding Yanjing had his current strength wasn’t solely due to talent.
When he first joined the team as a freshman, Ding had trained harder than anyone. It was only after that he had no rivals in his grade, which gradually changed him and made Wang Rui almost forget what Ding Yanjing was like in the beginning.
Just then, the phone rang.
Ding Yanjing glanced at the caller ID and answered the call.
"Hey, of course, I was just thinking about you."
"You’re coming the day after tomorrow? What time is the match in the evening?"
"Time? Of course, I have time."
"I promise to be there to cheer for you; I’ve even thought of a cheer already."
"I just asked Li Zonglin and the others if they wanted to go."
"You know what Wang Rui is like; he isn’t interested in coordination competitions. Li Zonglin will come along with me."
Outside the Kainan Pet Beast Battle Field.
A number of reporters were broadcasting.
"It’s time for the annual National School Beast Taming League. Behind me is the Kainan Pet Beast Battle Field, where today’s elimination rounds will take place. Many people are familiar with this competition," said a pretty female reporter with a smile to the camera:
"As the competition has reached this stage, the remaining contestants are also among the top talents of this year’s high school seniors in Zhehai Province."
"This year’s provincial league isn’t dominated by Litian Royal Beast High School as in previous years."
"Ruan Yunwen from Wuchai Middle School, Xu Yixuan from Shengshui Middle School, Liao Chaonan from Shengding Beast Taming High School, and the 15-year-old Qiao Sang from Shengshui Middle School who is competing in the senior year, have all given stunning performances in the preliminary and group stages."
"As the top-ranked high school in our province, Litian Royal Beast High School has been stable, and Ding Yanjing, Wang Rui, and Li Zonglin have all made it to the elimination rounds."
"So who will stand out and represent Zhehai Province in the regional competition? Let’s turn the camera inside the venue!"
At the same time, a plump pigeon with headphones carrying a camera immediately aimed the camera below from high up inside the Kainan Pet Beast Battle Field.
Students in their school uniforms were gathering together.
"Which school is that in the brown uniform? They even brought cheerleaders? Isn’t today Wednesday? Don’t they have classes?" A male student with a buzz cut looked at a spot in the stands with a tone of envy and jealousy.