As the largest annual youth competition in the entire Southwest region, the Southwest Inter-School Tournament naturally attracted massive attention.
Even though the matches had not officially begun, the city of Chengdu was already buzzing. Decorations, banners, and giant advertisements across the city made one thing clear—the tournament was just around the corner, igniting excitement everywhere.
At the same time, the number of visitors traveling to Chengdu surged. Many hotels were fully booked days in advance.
This was exactly why cities competed fiercely to host major events like this. Beyond prestige and influence, large-scale tournaments significantly boosted the local economy—and this year, it was Chengdu's turn.
In the Classroom
"Students," the homeroom teacher announced,
"Tomorrow is the weekend, and also the opening ceremony of the Southwest Inter-School Tournament. Members of our school team include students from our class. If you're free, go cheer for them in person!"
All eyes immediately turned toward Oliver and Jiang Shuyun.
Everyone already knew they were part of the school team.
"Oliver, you have to win!"
"Show everyone what Chengdu No.1 High can do!"
"Good luck!"
"I'll be there cheering for you!"
Oliver smiled calmly at his classmates.
"Don't worry," he said confidently.
"This time, first place is ours."
As for Sun Yan—ever since he ran out of the classroom that day, he had never returned. Rumor had it he had transferred schools.
Some said it was because he had completely fallen out with Oliver, and once Oliver's innocence was proven, he had no face left to stay. Others believed it was because he had been beaten by Jiang Shuyun, couldn't fight back, and already had poor relationships in class, so transferring was the easiest escape.
Either way, it no longer mattered.
To Oliver, Sun Yan was nothing more than a forgettable passerby in life.
The only one troubled by this was the homeroom teacher—after all, with the class monitor gone, a new one had to be appointed.
He initially wanted Oliver to take the position, but Oliver declined politely, explaining that he was too busy to manage class affairs. Instead, he recommended Jiang Shuyun.
The teacher said nothing at the time, only nodding thoughtfully.
Not long after, Jiang Shuyun was officially appointed as the new class monitor.
Final Team Preparations
After school, Oliver and Jiang Shuyun headed to the team training room.
This was their final day of preparation before the tournament.
Over the past few days, Oliver had already battled every team member—including Jiang Shuyun—and fully understood their strengths and weaknesses.
After each match, he gave targeted advice to help them improve. Some of his insights were so sharp that even Coach Liu was left astonished.
This kid… even had views like that?
Coach Liu clapped his hands, signaling everyone to gather.
"Tomorrow is the opening ceremony," he said.
"I won't assign heavy training today. Based on our strength, even compared to previous years, first place is well within reach. Don't pressure yourselves—just give it your all."
"Don't worry, Coach! We'll bring the trophy back!"
"After the captain's guidance, I feel like I can even challenge advanced-level Pokémon now!"
Coach Liu's mouth twitched slightly.
So my guidance meant nothing, huh?
"Alright," he said helplessly,
"That confidence is good. Go home, rest well, and fight without regrets tomorrow."
He then handed out five cards.
Oliver took one and looked it over. The front bore the Southwest Inter-School Tournament logo, while the back listed the participant's information.
"These are your competitor IDs," Coach Liu explained.
"Use them to enter the backstage area tomorrow."
The Night Before
It was a sleepless night for countless young trainers.
Excitement kept them awake until dawn.
Even Oliver found himself unusually eager.
Of course, what he looked forward to most were the system rewards.
So far, every reward from the system had been incredibly useful. This tournament granted rewards based on ranking—and items from such an event were guaranteed to be extraordinary.
Opening Day – Chengdu Sports Center
The opening ceremony was held at Chengdu Sports Center, the largest stadium in the city, capable of accommodating 40,000 spectators at once.
Even so, tickets sold out almost instantly.
Scalpers flooded online platforms, with prices soaring to 5,000 Alliance Credits per ticket.
At dawn, crowds already packed the area outside the stadium.
March weather was still chilly, but the atmosphere was blazing hot. For safety, traffic police blocked off the entire surrounding district—only pedestrians were allowed.
Seeing the massive crowd at the main entrance, a reporter from Chengdu Daily shifted her attention toward the back entrance.
That area was reserved for staff and competitors, with far fewer people—an ideal spot for interviews.
"Hello everyone," she said into the camera.
"Today is the opening of the Southwest Inter-School Tournament. Talented trainers from across the region have gathered in Chengdu to compete for the title of strongest. We're now at the back entrance to see if we can interview some contestants."
As she spoke, she spotted a young man approaching from a distance.
He wore a red-and-white jacket, a baseball cap, and a mask that obscured his face.
But his upright posture and unique aura made him stand out instantly.
"Excuse me," the reporter called out,
"Are you a contestant? I see you're holding a competitor card."
Oliver turned toward her. After confirming she hadn't recognized him, he relaxed slightly.
Otherwise, there'd be no way to enter the venue smoothly.
"Yes," he replied.
"How can I help?"
"We're reporters from Chengdu Daily. Would you mind a short interview?"
Oliver glanced at the time. There was still plenty of time before the ceremony.
"Sure."
"Which school are you from?"
"Chengdu No.1 High School."
The reporter's eyes lit up.
A local contestant—perfect.
"Then may I ask, do you have confidence in this tournament?"
Oliver smiled.
"Of course. We're very confident about taking first place."
At that moment, five contestants from Chengdu No.2 High School were walking toward the backstage entrance.
One of them—Meng Ming—caught a glimpse of the interviewee's back.
For some reason…
That figure looked strangely familiar.
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