On the opening day of the tournament, Thong Nhat Stadium was packed. The vibrant atmosphere was broadcast live on the national sports channel.
In a small house in Binh Thanh district, Mr. Lam Dao and Mrs. Mai were glued to the TV screen. Beside them, Lam An was screaming and waving a small flag with the Tran Hung Dao High School logo printed on it.
"Big bro is on TV! So cool!" Lam An said excitedly.
"This rascal, instead of focusing on his studies, he's out fighting," Mrs. Mai grumbled, but her eyes couldn't hide her worry and a hint of pride. Mr. Lam Dao was silent, but his hand resting on his knee had been clenched tightly for some time.
In the staging area for the teams, the Tran Hung Dao team, in their blue uniforms, received all sorts of contemptuous looks.
"Captain, aren't you annoyed?" Hoang Long asked through gritted teeth.
Lam Minh, who was pretending to be nervous, wiped non-existent sweat from his forehead and replied in a slightly trembling voice, "Of... of course I am! It's my first time in a big tournament like this, my hands and feet are shaking."
Hoang Long and Le Van Hung sighed upon hearing this. It seemed their captain was just a rookie with an unsteady mentality. It looked like the two of them would have to carry the team.
The drawing ceremony took place, and the fateful lot bearing the name "Tinh Anh High School" was drawn for Tran Hung Dao.
In the stands, Hung 'fat' was sitting with a group of Tran Hung Dao students. He yelled, "Go, Brother Minh! Show those Tinh Anh guys what you're made of!"
In the Blacklight surveillance area, Quynh Nhu sat with her legs crossed, chewing gum and looking at the big screen with a bored expression. "A tough opponent right in the first round. Let's see what my debtor can pull off."
The match began.
As per the discussed strategy, Hoang Long went out first. Despite his best efforts, he still lost to Tinh Anh's Judo master, Trinh Khai, after a hard-fought match.
The Tran Hung Dao stands fell silent. On TV, the commentator said sympathetically, "A result that is not too surprising. Tran Hung Dao High School tried very hard, but the difference in skill level is quite clear."
At home, Mrs. Mai nervously clutched her husband's hand. "We lost, dear..."
"There are still two matches left," Mr. Lam Dao said in a low voice to comfort her, though he wasn't very optimistic either.
Le Van Hung, the team's second member, stepped onto the stage. He was a Vovinam specialist with a more flexible style. The match between him and Trinh Khai was incredibly dramatic. Both were exhausted. Finally, in an exchange of blows, Le Van Hung launched his signature scissor kick to the neck, but Trinh Khai also managed to execute a throw. As a result, both of them fell out of the ring.
The referee declared a draw.
According to the rules, both contestants were eliminated. Tran Hung Dao was left with only Lam Minh. Tinh Anh still had two members: Captain Phan Vu and member Kieu My.
The situation was hanging by a thread. Lam Minh had to defeat the two remaining opponents by himself to win.
"All hope is lost," the commentator shook his head. "Tran Hung Dao High School is down to their captain, a 10th-grade student with no competition experience."
Lam Minh took a deep breath and walked out from the waiting area. He deliberately staggered a bit, his face pale, feigning extreme nervousness.
"You can do it, Captain!" Hoang Long and Le Van Hung patted his shoulder.
He gave a weak nod and stepped onto the stage.
His opponent was Kieu My, a pretty girl specializing in Wushu. Her fighting style was focused on speed and flair.
The match began. Kieu My attacked immediately. She moved like a butterfly, unleashing a series of beautiful combination kicks and punches.
As for Lam Minh, he had only one strategy: dodge and run.
He dodged with extreme difficulty. Sometimes he would stumble and fall, other times he would nearly roll out of the ring. His clumsy, awkward appearance made the entire stadium burst into laughter.
"Haha, what kind of captain is that?"
"He's probably so scared he's forgotten how to fight."
Phan Vu, the captain of the Tinh Anh team, stood below and sneered. "It's over."
At home, Mrs. Mai was so worried she had to cover her eyes. "Oh my god, my son is being chased around and beaten up!"
Only To Quyen in the coaching area frowned. She felt something was wrong. Although Lam Minh's dodges were pathetic, not a single one of Kieu My's attacks had actually touched him. Every time it looked like he was about to be hit, he would "luckily" dodge at the last possible second, in a way that was unbelievably fortunate.
After nearly five minutes of running around the stage, Kieu My was starting to tire. She was panting, and her attacks were no longer as sharp.
Lam Minh, who had run even more than she had, looked just as miserable. He leaned on his knees, gasping for breath, his face drained of all color.
"An opening!" Kieu My yelled, gathering all her strength for one final spinning kick.
This time, Lam Minh "failed to dodge." He raised his hands to block in a clumsy manner.
THUD!
He was pushed back several steps by the kick, staggering as if he were about to fall. But, in that instant, as Kieu My landed and hadn't yet regained her stance, he suddenly tripped and... fell forward.
His head "accidentally" rammed straight into Kieu My's stomach.
"Oof!"
Kieu My, caught off guard by the unexpected ram, doubled over in pain and collapsed onto the mat, unable to get up.
The stadium was silent for a few seconds, then erupted in laughter and jeers.
"Oh my god! He won by headbutting?"
"That's some unbelievable luck!"
"This is the joke of the year!"
Lam Minh scrambled up, scratching his head, a bewildered look on his face as if he didn't understand what had just happened.
[System Activated!]
[Won in a dramatic and humorous fashion. The audience and opponent both believe it was luck. The "playing the pig" performance was successful. Reward: 300 Immortality Points.]
"Hehe, an easy 300 points," Lam Minh chuckled inwardly, but kept a look of confusion on his face.
Now, for the decisive match. Lam Minh versus Captain Phan Vu.
Phan Vu stepped onto the stage with an extremely angry expression. Losing to a lucky guy like this was a complete humiliation.
"Kid, your luck has run out!" Phan Vu roared.
He attacked immediately, unleashing his signature flurry of punches.
Lam Minh continued his old trick, dodging with great difficulty. But this time, he was "less lucky." He was grazed by a few punches, looking utterly pathetic.
"That's right! Beat him up and teach him a lesson about relying on luck!" the Tinh Anh fans cheered.
At home, Mrs. Mai was sobbing. "My son... my son is being beaten black and blue, dear!"
The match dragged on. Phan Vu was tired, and Lam Minh looked like he was on the verge of death. He was out of breath, his body covered in bruises (which he had created himself with qi to make it look real).
Taking advantage of the moment Phan Vu threw a punch, exposing a 0.5-second opening just as To Quyen had analyzed, Lam Minh did something no one expected.
He closed his eyes and flailed his arms forward wildly, like a drowning man grasping at straws.
One of those punches, by some "miracle," managed to slip through Phan Vu's defense and connect squarely with his chin.
THWACK!
Phan Vu, hit by a "heaven-sent" punch right on a weak point, saw stars, and his whole body crashed to the floor, unconscious.
Thong Nhat Stadium. Silence.
The silence lasted for five seconds.
Then...
"WE WON!!! TRAN HUNG DAO HIGH SCHOOL WON!!!"
The Tran Hung Dao stands erupted in disbelieving joy.
The TV commentator screamed, his voice cracking: "Unbelievable! Absolutely unbelievable! With two miraculously 'lucky' blows, the captain of Tran Hung Dao High school has single-handedly turned the tables! This will surely go down as the most insane match in the tournament's history!"
Lam Minh, after delivering the decisive punch, also collapsed to the floor, panting heavily, feigning complete exhaustion.
[The "playing the pig to eat the tiger" performance has reached its peak. Successfully deceived the entire audience, the opponents, and even the coaching staff. Reward: 700 Immortality Points.]
[Total Points: 1000. Congratulations, Host!]
Lying on the stage, Lam Minh flashed a discreet smile.
First round, an easy 1000 points in the bag. Not bad at all.