Chapter 86

As the most popular TV reality show in the Capitol, the Hunger Games also attract a large number of wealthy individuals. Some of them place bets on the tributes based on their preferences, while others simply have a liking for a particular person. Therefore, the rules of the Hunger Games include a sponsorship clause. If a wealthy individual favors a certain tribute, they can choose to sponsor the Hunger Games and get the opportunity to assist that tribute. During the official Hunger Games, this assistance often comes in the form of supplies, which can be medicine, food, or even tools and weapons. These items are usually delivered by a remote-controlled small parachute, which accurately flies to the side of the sponsored tribute. Thus, how to gain sponsorship is also an important key to winning the Hunger Games.

To win the favor of the audience and the wealthy, the first impression is naturally very important. At tonight's exhibition, the 48 tributes from the twelve districts will all make their debut, so tonight's appearance is particularly crucial.

In the original story, the heroine Katniss's stylist is a gentle and kind man named Cinna; while the hero Peeta's stylist, although not mentioned much, is known to be a woman named Portia. Therefore, based on the principle of gender balance, Male was eagerly looking forward to the organizer assigning him a cute and soft girl. However, when the door opened and the stylist appeared, Male was completely stunned.

"Oh, really, why did I get such an unlovable tribute? I really want to go to Peeta's place~~" The stylist, speaking in a disgustingly high-pitched voice, swayed his hips as he walked in. This "artist" was heavily made up, with eyelashes almost reaching his forehead, a bright purple lip pouting, and multicolored hair styled wildly. He wore a pink tight-fitting outfit with a green belt and shiny silver boots, and with every step, his slender waist swayed three times... This revengeful social appearance was bad enough, but what Male couldn't accept was that this person was actually a man!!!

Seeing this person, even the thick-skinned Male was shocked. He stared at the effeminate man for a long time before managing to say, "Are you the monkey's savior?"

Male said this subconsciously in Chinese, and the stylist didn't understand, thinking it was a local dialect from District 12. His face showed even more disgust: "Hmph, country bumpkin, as a country bumpkin, Peeta is still handsome, but you..." As he spoke, the effeminate man wrapped his arms around and began to examine Male up and down, his eyes showing a hint of surprise. Male saw this expression and felt a chill down his spine, a sense of foreboding rising.

"Although your appearance is rough, your body... is quite strong!" As he spoke, the effeminate man actually came closer and began to knead Male's muscles.

Male felt nauseous, but then an idea came to him. He suddenly grabbed the perverted gay man, roughly pressed him against the wall, and said in an aggressive and provocative tone, "You're quite cute, how about changing my appearance in the toilet?"

The gay man didn't expect Male to be so proactive, thinking he had met a fellow, and happily agreed. The two entered the toilet and found a stall. As soon as the door closed, a scream was heard from inside. A moment later, the door opened, and Male and the gay man came out.

The gay man, though still heavily made up, no longer had the effeminate mannerisms, instead exuding a dry and lethal aura. Male, on the other hand, moved stiffly and mechanically, with a "broken" expression on his face.

The gay man instructed Male, "Go to Peeta and tell him Quinny is sick and on leave, and ask his stylist to help you design your clothes." Male nodded mechanically and turned to leave.

As for the gay man named "Quinny," he looked around, confirmed no one was there, and slipped out of the bathroom, leaving the tribute preparation room.

Suddenly, Quinny's expression changed, and he pulled out a strangely shaped phone from his pocket. The phone was square, with a large "馬" logo on the back, clearly not from this world.

On the other end of the phone, the voice of the twin-tailed glasses girl Lingzhi said, "You glutton, you really used it?" Quinny replied nonchalantly, "Why would I borrow it if I didn't want to use it? To fold paper airplanes?"

"But do you know how dangerous your actions are? This is an entry-level world, but the technology and military power are not weak. If you get caught, you'll definitely be dead. You should still..." Lingzhi shouted into the communicator, but Quinny lazily interrupted her, "Don't worry..." He then took a selfie and sent it to her, "I'm already like this, how could I be discovered?" Lingzhi saw the photo, fell silent for a moment, and then said, "You pervert, I misjudged you!" before hanging up the communicator.

"Quinny" looked at his appearance and felt a wave of nausea, but for the sake of passing the evaluation, he had to go all out. Thinking of this, he stiffly imitated the walk of a drag queen, swaying as he walked onto the Capitol's streets.

It was obvious that this "Quinny" was actually Male in disguise. The real Quinny had been absorbed by Male in the bathroom, and the stiff Male who came out was a paper spirit created by Lingzhi.

From the beginning, Male had no intention of just completing the main quest. Since he had agreed to meet the Persian cat in two worlds, he couldn't just pass this world with a bare minimum. Therefore, Male came up with a bold plan: to infiltrate the Capitol during the four-day preparation period!

Of course, infiltration was easy for Male, who could mimic forms, but the difficulty was in not being discovered. Unlike normal quest worlds, this time the adventurers were given a public identity and were constantly watched by thousands of viewers. In this situation, if Male disappeared for a few hours, it would certainly raise suspicion, and an investigation would likely result in the loss of his participation资格. No matter how many side quests he completed, if the main quest failed, he would definitely fail. Therefore, when Male left, he needed a substitute to appear in public.

Fortunately, his teammate this time was the twin-tailed glasses girl Lingzhi. Not only was she a skilled journalist at gathering information, but she was also an experienced paper spirit user. Using a palm-sized paper figure, she could transform into most animals, including humans. So, Male asked her to create a paper spirit that could transform into him. When the opportunity arose, Male would absorb and mimic, then activate the paper spirit to participate in the exhibition on his behalf.

Although the paper spirit was convenient, it could only last for two hours, and during that time, it could not be exposed to large amounts of water or be attacked. Even a small injury could cause it to revert to its original form. Therefore, most paper spirits were very fragile and could only serve to confuse opponents in battle.

Male was gone for several hours and didn't return until the ceremony began. During this time, Lingzhi secretly switched several paper spirits, and once almost got caught by the Peacekeepers. Fortunately, the girl had high perception and quick reactions, and managed to get away with it.

In the end, the final entry exhibition was completed by the paper spirit. As in the story, the costumes designed by Cinna and Portia were black tight-fitting leather outfits sprinkled with special dyes. These dyes could burn and release special low-temperature flames, which, though visually stunning, were not harmful.

As expected, the entry of District 12 was incredibly impressive, receiving thunderous applause. However, most of the applause was for the lead carriage. The well-groomed Katniss and Peeta were very attractive, with the man handsome and the woman beautiful. This pair of golden children in the flames immediately captured the audience's attention, and every wave and smile from them elicited cheers from the crowd.

In contrast, the Male and Lingzhi combination was not as impressive. They were assigned to the second carriage, and Lingzhi insisted on wearing her thick-framed glasses, which obscured most of her face. As for "Male," the paper spirit was a low-intelligence magical creature that could only maintain its composure with its master's control. In the crowded venue, with countless people interfering, even Lingzhi found it difficult to control its every move. Halfway through the procession, "Male" even tilted his head and drooled! The paper spirit's already dull and mechanical movements, combined with the drooling, effectively told everyone, "I'm a mentally challenged child!"

However, this wasn't all bad. Many viewers, especially women, felt sympathy and condemned the Hunger Games organizers for being inhumane, even catching a mentally challenged person. A philanthropist even offered to sponsor this "mentally challenged Mr. Ite."

Skipping the details, after President Snow's speech, the tribute exhibition ended smoothly, and all the participants returned to the stage. Mrs. Effie excitedly rushed over and said, "We'll be the talk of everyone! Great!" Of course, this was directed at Katniss and Peeta, and the pink Capitol lady selectively ignored Lingzhi and Male.

Haymitch also praised the group's performance, but he paid particular attention to "Male." At this point, the paper spirit, free from the interference of the crowd, had returned to normal, though it still looked somewhat stiff. Haymitch frowned slightly but didn't ask any more questions.

Mrs. Effie planned to lead the four to a building near the venue for accommodation. The entire building was prepared for the Hunger Games, with each district assigned to a floor, and District 12 was naturally on the twelfth floor.

At this moment, Lingzhi's glasses flashed, and the Miracle Badge received a message. Lingzhi paused, then remotely controlled the paper spirit "Male" to say, "Excuse me, I need to go to the bathroom!"

With permission, the paper spirit followed the path Lingzhi controlled to a bathroom, entered a stall, and found the real Male waiting inside.

"What did you do?" Lingzhi asked through the paper spirit. Male chuckled and said, "You'd better not ask, it's too dangerous for you. Since we're from the same district, as long as you cooperate, I'll give you at least 5,000 credit points after the job is done!"

"What if it fails..." Before Lingzhi could finish, Male punched the paper spirit, causing it to disappear in a puff of smoke. Male smiled at the smoke, "No worries, at worst, I'll lose my life!"