CHAPTER 63: CHAPTER 63: THE PRODUCER’S LIVE BROADCAST PROMOTION

The bus’s onboard television displayed highlight reels of victors from the preliminary rounds. While watching live hadn’t felt particularly thrilling, the edited clips, replayed on screen, ignited an excitement that reached a fever pitch.

Among the various close-up shots of triumphant moments, the final ones featured Wang Lan and Hu Qing’s victorious scenes.

Though in reality, they had each won with a single move, the footage was edited and synchronized with the music to make it appear as if Hu Qing and Wang Lan had endured a grueling battle before delivering their finishing blows.

The screen split into two, with both fighters charging toward their respective adversaries at the same time.

Hu Qing, with her agile dodging, evaded her opponent’s Sword Qi. Meanwhile, the masked Wang Lan transformed into a gust of wind. At the precise moment an air wave detonated, he sliced through it with a palm strike, then, using a dragon-like movement technique, circled to his opponent’s back.

He patted his opponent on the shoulder affectionately, then unleashed three punches in rapid succession to claim victory.

His fluid movements, combined with the imposing aura of the mask, instantly created a vivid image in the audience’s minds. This was further enhanced by a dramatic pause in the music just before its crescendo.

"Three seconds, I ended the fight in three seconds!"

"KO!"

The high-octane scenes left the viewers’ scalps tingling.

Almost everyone who saw this promotional video was left with a single, compelling thought—I have to watch this!

「That same night, the event organizer’s online comment section exploded.」

"Damn, were the preliminaries real combat this time? It’s different from last year. They didn’t actually start playing for real, did they?"

"The third season of Star Martial Warrior Battle has been promoted as pure real combat from the start—a genuine battle between Star Martial Warriors. I thought it was just the same old story, all talk. But it turns out... there’s really something to it."

"Cut it out. One well-edited clip and you’re all fooled. As for me, I don’t believe they’d go for real. A talent show is a talent show; I’ll forever despise this trashy program."

"My friend participated in the competition, and he said the preliminaries were actual combat."

"This ’friend’ you speak of... wouldn’t happen to be you, would it?"

"Making friends out of thin air."

"This season’s Star Martial Warrior Battle is explosive! Although they’ve done promotion before, the effect isn’t nearly as good as this year’s."

"Not bad. They’ve adopted a blockbuster movie promotional style, cutting together the most exciting moments for maximum impact. Every spectacular frame makes you want to go back and watch the entire fight."

"Looking forward to the main competition!"

"Looking forward to it +1"

"Fake is fake, I don’t believe it anyway. This is all staged by the director, just like a movie trailer. Those contestants are definitely actors."

"I heard that to reclaim viewership, the organizers in Suzhou City invested a lot of money to hire a genius variety show director for the production, and it has had an immediate effect. Every promotional ad makes you itch to watch the event."

"I hope it’s real this time and they abandon the scripted content..."

"My thoughts differ from the previous comment. Even though it’s clear they’re faking it, when I’m watching... it’s actually quite enjoyable!"

"The ’Delicious Fake’ Theory +1"

"The ’Delicious Fake’ Theory +2"

"The ’Delicious Fake’ Theory +10086"

"Director Min, Star Martial Warrior Battle’s publicity has exploded..."

In the office of the Star Martial Warrior Battle organizers, a staff member excitedly waved a data report and spoke with passion.

"Star Martial Warrior Battle’s first season was a massive hit. However, the second season lost its core. We mistakenly believed the first season’s success was due to a few idols, so we discarded its strengths and kept only the heavily criticized elements. Fake fights, deceiving the audience—a program that had been a raging success was tragically ruined in its second season. This time, we’ve changed the competition format to feature genuine Star Martial Warrior combat, and coupled it with intensified advertising. Success was only natural."

Min Jian leisurely sipped his coffee, his lips curving slightly upwards. Though his words suggested this success was expected, deep down, he felt exceedingly pleased. The downfall of the second season of Star Martial Warrior Battle wasn’t just a slip in reputation, but a complete collapse.

In the later stages of that competition, the organizers had colluded with the competitors behind the scenes, even pre-determining winners and losers. Eventually, even the general public could see through the program’s charades.

Taking on Star Martial Warrior Battle this time, Min Jian switched his approach from the very beginning. Ordinary people were unfamiliar with Star Martial Warriors, as these warriors spent most of their time on battlefields protecting the world. The public was both in awe of and curious about them. They were eager to understand the true nature of Star Martial Warriors, to see their genuine selves.

The real appeal of Star Martial Warrior Battle lies in its authenticity; showcasing the true battles of Star Martial Warriors is what the audience craves, Min Jian thought. All that talk about excessive gore and violence not passing censorship... Nonsense! Who complained about blood and violence when Star Martial Warriors risked their lives? When Exotic Beasts slaughtered the populace, who accused *them* of gore and violence? Peace and tranquility? What peace and tranquility? It’s the Star Martial Warriors who have always carried the burden for everyone. Real combat won’t make the populace feel it’s gory or violent. On the contrary, it will instill a sense of security. These Star Martial Warriors, with their immense fighting power, are the protectors of Jade Country. Who would dare criticize their battles as gory or violent? Without that bloodshed, would ordinary people still lead such comfortable lives? Star Martial Warriors are warriors, and warriors are meant to engage in real, passionate combat.

"What are the comments online like?" Min Jian asked indifferently.

"Although we’ve deployed a large number of internet shills, last season’s reputation completely collapsed. Most people online don’t trust the show; some are even actively boycotting it. Our shills are doing their best to salvage the situation."

"Don’t bother with the internet shills anymore; facts speak louder than words. Let’s dispel these rumors with a truly high-quality match. In the first round of preliminaries, did you identify any promising seeded contestants?"

"Not many showed their strengths in the first round. So far, we’ve only identified two who might be masters, but we need to observe them further to be sure. The rest... haven’t showcased their abilities yet. There must be some hidden dragons and crouching tigers, but we haven’t discovered them."

"Keep a close watch. How many of the experts we invited have arrived?"

"Less than ten... After all, they harbor a lot of mistrust towards our show."

"Alright. Get me the files on the two potential experts we’ve identified."

Wang Lan’s current level was Star Shine Three. His Basic Combat, Basic Body Skill, and Basic Swordsmanship were all Silver Two. Inch Strength Fist and Star Cloud Sword Dance were at Silver Five, Flame Sword at Silver One, and Healing at Silver Nine.

Being at the Star Shine Stage with all silver-level skills was an incredibly impressive feat. If bronze-level skills were considered professional grade, then silver-level skills were at the level of specialization.

Take, for instance, a Star Martial Warrior at the Star Shine Stage. Possessing just one silver-level skill would signify specialization in that area. But in Wang Lan’s case, all his skills were at the silver level, meaning he was specialized in everything. Such versatility was likely unbelievable to most.

A person’s energy is limited. It’s incredibly difficult to train even one skill to a professional level within the Star Shine Stage, let alone achieve specialization in everything. This was why Wang Lan could instantly defeat Fan, despite their Star Martial Stages being relatively close.

When someone is so overwhelmingly outclassed in skill that they can’t even deploy their Star Martial Skills, who else is there to instantly defeat but them?

「The next morning, the second round of preliminaries began.」

To decide on one hundred official contestants, three rounds of battles were necessary.

The second round was held in the morning, with subsequent matches continuing in the afternoon.

Wang Lan’s new number was forty-four. A bit unlucky, he thought.

Upon entering the Suzhou City Sports Arena, Wang Lan immediately sensed something was off. Compared to yesterday, the venue was filled with many more attractive young women, each holding up their phones and filming.

"Good morning, viewers of Qiuqiu’s live stream! It’s seven-forty AM, and I’m inside the Suzhou City Sports Arena! You guessed it, I successfully sneaked in!" a nearby streamer chirped into her phone.

A comment popped up on her screen display: "Qiuqiu, did you get the voice control password right this time?"

Another followed: "That Qiuqiu joke, I could laugh for a year."

And another: "Don’t ask how Qiuqiu sneaked in; it definitely wasn’t by saying the right voice control password..."

Qiuqiu continued, "Many friends asked me to infiltrate the Suzhou City Sports Arena and stream the Star Martial Warrior Battle preliminaries live. I planned the infiltration all night, even considering using my charm as a last resort! Luckily, the infiltration went smoothly, and I managed to preserve my pristine reputation. But it looks like a lot of other streamers have sneaked into the venue too... Should I report them?" she playfully asked her audience.

"Are you crazy, Qiuqiu? Didn’t you sneak in too?" a comment read.

"Qiuqiu really is ruthless, so harsh she doesn’t even spare herself!"

As Wang Lan wondered what was going on, the beautiful streamer, Qiuqiu, happened to sit just behind him. The auditorium seating was arranged in tiers, sloping upwards. With the twenty-thousand-seat venue holding fewer than five hundred people, it was quite sparse. So, even though Qiuqiu was seated two rows behind Wang Lan, her view was unobstructed.

He glanced back, then quickly reminded himself: Look, but don’t leer.

"Oh, this masked young man seems so shy!" Qiuqiu said to her stream. "He took one look at me and quickly turned away. He must be stunned by my devastating beauty... Should I go flirt with him, everyone?" she teased.

A comment appeared: "Qiuqiu, as someone with experience, let me tell you a secret: my favorite summer pastime is riding the escalators in the mall. Don’t ask why it’s fun; lots of people do it every summer."

"LOL... The guy above is a genius! Bus stops are too hot, but malls have AC. How did I never think of that?" another viewer chimed in.

"You two pervs! Speaking for all of us in the safety shorts brigade, I despise you..."

As a seasoned veteran of the live-streaming world, Qiuqiu instantly understood the implication of the nearly fifty-degree seating incline and the unobstructed view from a row behind... She quickly pressed her knees together and tugged her skirt further down.

"LOL... The veteran streamer Qiuqiu is blushing!" a comment flashed.

"Alright everyone, settle down!" Qiuqiu announced. "The matches are about to start. Yesterday’s promotional clip was explosive, and today I’m here to give you a front-row seat. My camera is your eyes; I’ll be quiet in a bit so we can all just watch the fights."

「At eight o’clock sharp, the matches officially began.」

Just moments before the competition commenced, Hu Qing finally arrived at the venue, looking utterly exhausted.

"Late, aren’t you?" Wang Lan commented.

"Something came up last night; I didn’t sleep at all." Hu Qing’s eyes were as red as a rabbit’s.

Due to the tight schedule, the organizers didn’t waste time repeating the rules, and the competition started swiftly.

Contestants whose numbers were called proceeded to their duels. Twenty platforms hosted forty contestants battling simultaneously—a truly spectacular sight for any newcomer.

Qiuqiu exclaimed to her stream, "Wow, the preliminaries really are one-on-one duels! And with twenty platforms going at once! This format means no outside interference; advancement is purely based on strength."

"Suddenly, I feel confident about the third season..." a viewer typed.

"Me too."

What’s so shocking about this? Wang Lan wondered. Meanwhile, the sound of virtual gifts flooding Qiuqiu’s stream from her phone behind him was incessant, like a barrage of fireworks.