funbook-pk Chapter 107: National Tournament Filled with Unfair Refereeing!
Chapter 107: National Tournament Filled with Unfair Refereeing!
The main venue of the National Wushu Sanda Championship was packed with people, with no seats available.
Tens of thousands of spectators packed the stands, and media from all over the country set up their cameras, all pointing at the octagonal cage in the center.
But when Lu Jingchen walked into the arena in a plain-colored training uniform, he was greeted not with applause, but with a barrage of boos and mockery.
"Shh—! Get off! Traditional martial arts are just for show!"
"Exactly! Stop embarrassing yourself! Just give up!"
"Chen Tianhao, Champion! Long live Sanda!"
The majority of spectators in the stands were holding signs that read "Sanda will win".
Ever since Lu Jingchen kicked and shattered the steel plate at the pre-match press conference, Chen Shanhe and Liu Jianguo have secretly bribed a large number of media outlets to smear Lu Jingchen.
They said the steel plate he kicked was a prop, that his previous matches were all staged, and even spread rumors that he injured a disciple of Zhenwei Martial Arts School and forcibly occupied someone else's martial arts school.
For a time, the entire internet was criticizing Lu Jingchen as a "traditional martial arts fraudster," and even the forums of Jiangzhou University saw a lot of questioning voices.
Ma Xiaodong, sitting in the first row of the audience, was so angry that his face turned red. He shouted at the stands:
"What nonsense are you talking about! Brother Lu is not a liar!"
"Those are all rumors spread by Liu Jianguo and his gang!"
But his voice was instantly drowned out by a huge chorus of boos.
Su Muyue clenched her fists so tightly that her nails dug into her flesh, her eyes filled with worry:
"Lu Jingchen... They've gone too far."
Lu Jingchen turned to her and smiled, his eyes remaining calm.
"It's alright, they can talk, let them say what they want."
"They'll shut up once I win."
Just then, the referee's voice came over the loudspeaker:
"Next up is the men's 65kg group stage. Red corner: Lu Jingchen! Blue corner: Wang Meng, a key player from the provincial team!"
Lu Jingchen turned and walked into the octagonal cage. Wang Meng, sitting opposite him, looked him up and down with a sinister expression and a mocking smile on his lips.
The referee, a close confidant of Liu Jianguo, walked between the two men, symbolically said a few words about the rules, and then winked at Wang Meng.
"The match begins!"
No sooner had he finished speaking than Wang Meng charged forward like a hungry wolf.
He didn't play by the rules at all. He feinted with his fist, but suddenly raised his foot and kicked hard at Lu Jingchen's knee.
This is a clear foul; if the kick lands, the knee will be permanently damaged.
Lu Jingchen frowned and dodged to the side.
But Wang Meng didn't give up. He launched several attacks that targeted the lowest levels of the body, each move vicious and insidious.
"Referee! He fouled!" Su Muyue shouted anxiously from below the stage.
But the referee acted as if he hadn't seen it, and instead shouted at Lu Jingchen:
"Red player! Don't play passively! Take the initiative and attack!"
The boos from the stands grew even louder:
"Hahaha! Got scared, huh! Don't dare fight anymore!"
"What kind of traditional martial arts master is he? He's just a coward!"
Wang Meng became even more arrogant, grinning maliciously as he said:
"Kid, Vice President Liu said he's going to cripple you today!"
"If you know what's good for you, admit defeat, or I'll break your legs!"
Lu Jingchen's eyes turned cold, and he stopped dodging.
Just as Wang Meng was about to kick his knee again, he suddenly raised his right leg, striking first despite being behind.
"Bang!"
He kicked Wang Meng precisely in the chest.
Wang Meng flew backwards like a tattered sack, crashed heavily into the cage net, slid down, and immediately lost consciousness.
"Match ended! Lu Jingchen (red corner) won by knockout!"
The referee reluctantly raised Lu Jingchen's hand, his face full of resentment.
But the boos from the audience didn't stop; in fact, they grew even louder.
"It's a cover-up! It's definitely a cover-up!"
"How could Wang Meng have been knocked unconscious with just one kick? Lu Jingchen must have cheated!"
"Vice President Liu! Investigate him immediately! Disqualify him from the competition!"
Lu Jingchen ignored the taunts and turned to walk out of the octagon.
The next three days of the group stage were extremely difficult.
Liu Jianguo assigned all the tough guys who could fight to Lu Jingchen's group.
Every opponent resorts to any means necessary, using dirty tricks such as gouging eyes, kicking groin, and choking.
The referee always turns a blind eye, instead frequently warning Lu Jingchen of fouls.
Although Lu Jingchen won all his matches and made it to the semifinals, he also paid a price.
His left arm was injured by an elbow strike from his opponent, and it swelled up badly. He also had a long gash on his back.
The online smear campaign intensified, with hashtags like #LuJingchenKingofShadyTricks# and #TraditionalMartialArtsAreDirty# trending at number one on the hot search list.
Even many netizens who previously supported him have begun to waver.
"Sigh, I used to trust him quite a bit, but now it seems like there really is a problem."
"Yeah, how can an opponent get injured in every match? He must have used dirty tricks."
"He's definitely going to lose if he meets Zhang Feng in the semifinals. Zhang Feng was personally trained by Chen Taidou."
The atmosphere at the stadium reached its peak on the day of the semi-finals.
Zhang Feng received thunderous applause as soon as he appeared on stage.
He was much stronger than before, with grotesque muscle lines and a venomous look in his eyes.
After a month of special training by Chen Shanhe, and the secret use of banned drugs, his strength more than doubled.
Zhang Feng pointed at Lu Jingchen and shouted arrogantly into the microphone:
"Lu Jingchen! Today I'm going to break both your legs!"
"Let me show you that Sanda (Chinese kickboxing) will always be superior to traditional martial arts!"
"I will expose your true colors as a fraud in front of the entire nation!"
The audience erupted in cheers, shouting in unison:
"Go Zhang Feng! Kill him!"
"Champion Zhang Feng! Long live Sanda!"
Liu Jianguo sat on the platform with a smug smile on his face.
He whispered to Chen Shanhe beside him:
"Master, don't worry. Zhang Feng used the latest banned drug. Lu Jingchen is no match for him."
"Today, let's ruin his reputation and make sure he can never touch martial arts again."
Chen Shanhe nodded, stroking his beard, and said:
"well done."
"Traditional martial arts are such dregs that they should have been eliminated long ago."
"After today, no one will dare to mention traditional martial arts again."
Inside the octagon, the referee once again walked between the two players.
The referee for this match was a disciple of Chen Shanhe.
He winked at Zhang Feng, then said loudly:
"The match begins!"
No sooner had he finished speaking than Zhang Feng charged forward like a mad bull.
His speed and strength had increased several times over compared to before, and his punches whistled through the air, carrying a pungent medicinal smell.
Lu Jingchen frowned and instantly understood—he had used banned drugs.
Zhang Feng's fists rained down like raindrops, each strike potentially fatal.
Lu Jingchen dodged while observing his weaknesses.
"What? You're scared to fight now? Weren't you pretty arrogant just now?"
Zhang Feng grinned maliciously and punched Lu Jingchen in the face.
Lu Jingchen dodged to the side, the fist grazing his cheek before hitting the cage net, causing the entire cage to shake.
"Wow! Zhang Feng is amazing! That punch was incredible!"
"Lu Jingchen is no match for him! He's about to be knocked out!"
"I knew traditional martial arts wouldn't work; it's all just for show!"
The audience below the stage went even crazier, and Su Muyue was so anxious that tears were about to come out.
Ma Xiaodong and Shi Lei clenched their fists nervously, their palms sweating profusely.
Zhang Feng became increasingly confident in his fight, thinking that Lu Jingchen was afraid, and became even more arrogant.
"Boy! Kneel down!"
He roared and, with all his might, slammed a heavy punch into Lu Jingchen's chest.
If that punch lands, it would pierce even a steel plate.
Just when everyone thought Lu Jingchen was about to be knocked away, Lu Jingchen suddenly moved.
Instead of dodging, he charged straight at the fist.
Then he suddenly raised his left hand and grabbed Zhang Feng's wrist.
A crisp "snap" sounded.
Zhang Feng's wrist was snapped in two.
"ah--!"
Zhang Feng let out a piercing scream, his face turning pale with pain.
Lu Jingchen casually tossed him to the ground.
Then, looking down at him, he said calmly:
"Using banned substances, and still dares to be so arrogant?"
The moment those words were spoken, the entire room fell silent.
Everyone was stunned, unable to believe their ears.
Zhang Feng lay on the ground, writhing in pain, shouting fiercely but weakly:
"You're lying! I didn't use any banned substances! You're making baseless accusations!"
Lu Jingchen chuckled and said to the referee:
"Whether it works or not, a urine test will tell."
"Or did you already know he used banned substances and deliberately cover for him?"
The referee's face turned deathly pale, and he stammered, unable to speak.
Liu Jianguo suddenly stood up on the platform, his face ashen.
He didn't expect that Lu Jingchen would see through him at a glance.
Lu Jingchen looked at Zhang Feng on the ground and continued:
"I was planning to play with you a little longer."
"But since you're so eager to die, I'll grant your wish."
As he spoke, he put his injured left arm behind his back and beckoned to Zhang Feng with his finger:
I'll give you a handicap.
"I'll admit defeat if you can even touch me."
The audience erupted in uproar once again.
"What? Give him one hand? Is he crazy?"
"Even if Zhang Feng's wrist is broken, he still has one hand!"
"That's incredibly arrogant! I think he really doesn't want to live anymore!"
Zhang Feng was so angry that his eyes turned red. He endured the excruciating pain and used his intact right hand to charge at Lu Jingchen again.
"I kill you!"
He roared and punched Lu Jingchen on the head.
Lu Jingchen stood still, motionless.
Just as the fist was about to hit him, he slightly turned his body, then raised his right hand and slapped Zhang Feng in the chest.
"Bang!"
With a muffled thud, Zhang Feng flew backward like a kite with a broken string, crashing heavily into the cage door.
He coughed up a mouthful of blood, which contained several pieces of broken internal organs, and immediately lost consciousness.
"Match ended! Lu Jingchen (red corner) won by knockout!"
The referee raised Lu Jingchen's hand with trembling hands, his voice shaking.
The entire stadium was deathly silent.
Everyone stared in disbelief at Lu Jingchen in the octagonal cage.
The audience, who had been mocking them relentlessly just moments before, fell silent and looked at each other in bewilderment.
Liu Jianguo slumped in his chair, his face ashen.
He knew it was over.
Once Zhang Feng's use of banned drugs is exposed, neither he nor Chen Shanhe will be able to escape punishment.
As Lu Jingchen stepped out of the octagonal cage, Su Muyue immediately rushed over and hugged him, tears finally streaming down her face.
"Lu Jingchen! You scared me to death!"
"Is your arm alright?"
Lu Jingchen smiled and ruffled her hair, saying:
"It's nothing, just a minor injury."
"In tomorrow's final, I will show everyone that traditional martial arts are not just for show."