Chapter 83 of 100

Chapter 83

16 min read3,892 words

Gale is Katniss's friend. In Katniss's eyes, he is a confidant with whom she can share everything, but there is no romantic feeling between them. Whether it is due to a girl's reserve or dullness, Katniss indeed sees Gale this way. However, in Gale's eyes, Katniss is not just an ordinary presence. Gale likes Katniss, or more accurately, he loves her.

In the original plot, only one victor is allowed in the Hunger Games, so even two tributes from the same district must inevitably fight to the death. Under such cruel rules, Gale would naturally not volunteer for the Hunger Games. But now it's different. Due to the intervention of the City War system, there can be two victors! In this situation, after much internal struggle, Gale finally decided to step forward and share the trials with Katniss!

What a beautiful and pure love, the young man willing to follow the girl to the most dangerous place, even if it means dying together... This kind of romance is enough to move all the teenage girls, but it doesn't move Ma Le.

Can Ma Le not be upset? If this spot is taken by Gale, not only will the main quest be incomplete, but the efforts of last night will be in vain! Therefore, Ma Le also shouted, "I'm willing to go too!" and walked out of the crowd, blocking Gale.

Gale, dissatisfied, grabbed Ma Le's shoulder and said, "Hey, who are you?" Ma Le shrugged off Gale's hand, "Who cares who I am? Get lost!" Gale was furious and was about to hit Ma Le, but at that moment, the host Effie tapped the microphone to get their attention: "What a wonderful moment, District 12 has three volunteers at once! The two brave boys don't need to argue, there's still one spot on stage!" Effie then came to Peeta, who was still crying, and asked him in a gentle and cheerful tone, "Child, now that two boys have volunteered for the Hunger Games, even though I know it will take away the honor that might have been yours, I still need to confirm, are you willing to give up your spot?"

Peeta wiped his tears, looked at Effie, looked at Ma Le and Gale in the crowd, looked at his family in the crowd, and finally looked at Katniss on stage. After a moment of hesitation, he made a decision that surprised everyone: "No, I don't want to, I want to participate in the Hunger Games!"

This was a statement no one expected. Those who knew Peeta knew he was a gentle and kind boy. Even those who didn't know him would never think he had the courage to stay, seeing his pitiful crying face. But Ma Le and Lingzhi, who knew the plot, understood that this was also for love. This Peeta, like Katniss, harbored a secret affection. Although they had hardly ever communicated, at most passing each other in the school corridor, Katniss had long taken up residence in Peeta's heart. Compared to the brave and strong Gale, Peeta's persistence, despite his weakness, was even more touching.

"Very well," Ma Le turned to Gale and said, "See, Peeta doesn't want to give up his spot, so you should go home and cool off!"

Gale was not willing to agree. He struggled to break free from the Peacekeepers and rushed to Ma Le, glaring at him fiercely, "Then let's have a contest!" Although Gale was not as muscular as Ma Le, he was slightly taller. At this moment, he looked down at Ma Le, his eyes particularly infuriating.

"A contest?" Ma Le snorted and instantly grabbed Gale's neck, lifting the boy, who was over 1.9 meters tall, off the ground with one hand. Gale struggled, punching and kicking Ma Le. He was strong among ordinary people, but in Ma Le's eyes, his punches and kicks were like caresses.

After a while, Gale, due to lack of oxygen, was on the verge of fainting. Katniss, worried about him, was about to rush down. At this moment, Ma Le let go of Gale, leaned close to his ear, and whispered, "I know what you're thinking, but you're still too weak. In this battle, you can't protect anyone!" Then he released Gale, letting him fall to the ground, not knowing if he had heard.

Ma Le raised his right hand in victory and shouted to the camera, "To the participants from other districts, I don't care where you come from or how capable you are, but if you participate in the Hunger Games, then sorry, your life ends here!" As he spoke, Ma Le extended his right thumb and forcefully turned it down, his demeanor so flamboyant that it made people want to punch him through time and space.

After making his victory declaration, Ma Le, ignoring Katniss's resentful gaze, walked up to the stage, waving to the numb crowd below, looking like a big star.

The event ended quickly, and the four tributes were escorted by Peacekeepers to the courthouse. According to the rules, each of them would be confined to a separate room, and each family member would have three minutes to visit and say goodbye. However, in the identities arranged by the City War system, Ma Le and Lingzhi were from the same family, so they were placed in the same room.

There were no cameras in this room. As soon as they entered, Lingzhi complained to Ma Le, "Why did you do such a conspicuous thing? This will make us the target of everyone's attacks!" Ma Le plopped down on the sofa and lazily replied, "I'm a defense specialist, and drawing attention before the battle is common sense!"

"What are you joking about?" Lingzhi angrily said, "Do you think this is a game? In the City War system, no one can win by taking hits!" Ma Le shrugged, "What can I do? The words are already out there. Besides, aren't you confident too? You were calm when we entered the world, why are you panicking now?"

Lingzhi shook her head, "I was confident because I saw your attributes. You are a strong combat type with high stats, and together we should have an advantage. But now it's different. The adventurers from other districts are also elites. How can they tolerate such provocation? When they attack us en masse, even the strongest combination can't withstand it... No, I will stay away from you once we enter the Hunger Games, you're too dangerous!"

"Calm down..." Ma Le comforted her, "I'm not stupid, I have my reasons for doing this. Don't worry, I won't drag you down!" Lingzhi looked at this somewhat unusual giant, and for some reason, she felt she should trust him, even though Ma Le hadn't given her a clear explanation.

The visiting time passed quickly, and the four tributes were taken to the train station and boarded the train to the Capitol.

"Two hundred miles per hour, but so smooth you can hardly feel it moving!" Effie Trinket introduced. Following her guidance, the four entered a large hall, which was spacious and luxuriously decorated, surpassing the wealthiest homes in District 12. The tables and shelves were filled with all kinds of tempting food, a powerful temptation for the often hungry people of District 12. Katniss and Peeta couldn't help but hold their breath, hardly believing they were on a speeding train.

Effie arranged for the four to sit down and then went to find their mentor, Haymitch. District 12, known for its poverty, had a very low chance of winning the Hunger Games. In the seventy-three years, only two victors came from here, and Haymitch was one of them, the only one still alive. Notably, Haymitch participated in the 50th Hunger Games, which was a Quarter Quell with forty-eight participants... No, due to the rule changes caused by the adventurers, there were ninety-six participants, twice the usual number. In other words, Haymitch was the only victor who had fought against double the number of opponents, a living legend and a true expert.

Katniss, as usual, was silent, just glaring at Ma Le with some annoyance. Ma Le didn't care, picking up food and eating it casually. Although Lingzhi wasn't hungry, she couldn't resist the temptation of sweets and took two pastries to taste. Only Peeta was eagerly awaiting Haymitch's arrival.

Haymitch soon arrived, but he was far from the tall and perfect image Peeta had imagined. This tall middle-aged man had messy medium-length hair, his clothes were buttoned wrong, his shirt was unbuttoned, and he wasn't wearing shoes, looking extremely disheveled. As this disheveled man approached, a strong smell of alcohol wafted over, making Lingzhi cover her nose.

Haymitch ignored the four tributes and started picking out a bottle of alcohol in the room, eventually finding a satisfactory one, pouring half a glass, and sitting down on the sofa in front of them.

Ma Le and Lingzhi were prepared for what was to come, so they didn't say anything, just slowly eating. As in the plot, Peeta couldn't hold back and asked the "mentor" about the plan, but this irresponsible drunkard only said, "Be prepared to die, you know I can't help you much!" This statement angered Katniss and Peeta, and Peeta almost got into a fight with Haymitch, but was quickly subdued by the experienced fighter. "I'm here for tea and snacks. If you spill my drink, I'll go back to my room." With that, the drunk left the dining car.

Peeta chased after him, and Katniss tried to stop him but failed. Ma Le and Lingzhi continued eating.

"Why do you seem completely unconcerned?" Katniss frowned and questioned the two. Lingzhi shrugged, looking at Ma Le innocently, who stuffed a piece of cake into his mouth and mumbled, "What's there to worry about? Victory won't run away, just go and get it."

This confident declaration didn't encourage Katniss; instead, it made her more anxious. The seemingly calm but still naive girl left the two, angrily returning to her room.

Ma Le swallowed the cake in his mouth and said to Lingzhi, "Effie should have provided video footage of the other districts' tributes. Go back to your room and study it. I'll go talk to Haymitch; Peeta can't handle him!" With that, he also left the dining car.

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