Chapter 90

" THERE was a girl I've always been infatuated with, but I think... until the moment I was recruited as a tribute, she didn't even know I existed..." Peeta's eyes dimmed as he slowly recited the classic line from the original plot.

Caesar's face showed a look of disappointment, and he encouraged, "Listen, Peeta, win this game, return home in glory, and that girl will surely be waiting for you at the station. Then you can ask her out. A handsome boy like you, no girl would be unmoved... Don't you think so, folks!" He shouted the last sentence to the audience, who responded in unison with a resounding "Yes!" expressing their support for Peeta.

"She won't wait for me..." Peeta said heavily, lowering his head. Caesar lightly slapped his shoulder with the back of his hand, "Don't be like that, young man, be more confident!" Peeta shook his head, "She won't be waiting for me at the station... because she came here with me..."

Hearing this, the audience let out a collective sigh of regret. Caesar raised his hand to signal for quiet, then asked with concern, "Let me guess, the girl you love is..." "The Girl on Fire!" Before Caesar could guess, Peeta revealed the answer himself, which once again stirred the audience. Although she also appeared in a fiery outfit, Lingzhi, as an adventurer, had always kept a low profile, clearly not as eye-catching as Katniss. Therefore, the title "The Girl on Fire" was a unique title for the female protagonist Katniss, and the most famous and popular title of the 74th Hunger Games.

However, because the rules were different from the original, allowing two survivors, Caesar did not feel too sorry, but only expressed sympathy and good wishes, hoping that this ill-fated couple would ultimately win.

After Peeta's interview, the twin-tailed glasses girl, Lingzhi, finally walked onto the stage. However, from her expression, she seemed quite sad and gloomy. After Caesar introduced her name, he got straight to the point, "Miss Nue, you seem... not very happy?"

Lingzhi shook her head and said with a sob, "I'm sorry, I just... just found out that the person I've always had a crush on already has someone in his heart..." After saying this, she actually lowered her head and sobbed.

It must be said that this twin-tailed glasses girl really had acting talent. Her crying immediately aroused the sympathy of the audience. Caesar asked with concern, "You mean, the person you love is... Peeta?" Lingzhi gently sniffed and nodded silently. Caesar suddenly understood, "So, you volunteered for the Hunger Games to fight alongside your love?" Lingzhi nodded again.

The audience was in an uproar. Whether in training or evaluation, this glasses girl had never shown outstanding abilities, and many people had considered her just an ordinary girl with a feverish brain. But now, the audience in the Capitol was deeply impressed by Lingzhi, a gentle girl who had bravely participated in the dangerous Hunger Games for love!

The people of the Capitol lived a life of abundance and did not engage in labor. They only liked to pretend to be refined, pursuing exaggerated art and beauty. Therefore, neither tragic backgrounds nor hardships could move them, but the Capitol people had a soft spot for love! A tragic and pure love story was the most touching to the Capitol people!

Encouraged by the audience and Caesar, Lingzhi walked off the stage. At this moment, everyone remembered this glasses girl, who earned a reputation as beautiful as "The Girl on Fire," known as "The Glass Girl of Love"!

Next, the last of the forty-eight participants, Male, stepped onto the stage.

Unlike Lingzhi's melancholy, Male was clearly angry. His hair stood on end, his eyebrows furrowed, his eyes glared, and his mouth twitched. Anyone who wasn't blind could see that he was extremely angry.

"Uh... Mr. Yi, is there someone you hate in the audience?" Caesar asked tentatively. Male panted heavily, taking a while to calm down, "Not in the audience, but outside!" This answer confused Caesar, the usually composed and quick-witted host, who looked puzzled, "What do you mean by that...?"

Male suddenly slammed the table, stood up, turned to face the row of tribute photos behind the stage, pointed to the third from the bottom, and shouted loudly, "Peeta Mellark, I, Yi, challenge you here! I will beat you to the ground in the Hunger Games and win Miss Nue's favor!" Then, he turned to Lingzhi, who had just walked off the stage and was still staring at him in shock, and bowed deeply, "Miss Nue, my goddess, I am your most passionate suitor. I will prove with my strength that I am stronger and better able to protect you than that cowardly guy!"

After making this challenge and declaration of love, Male sat down again. Caesar and the audience were still in shock, and it took several seconds for the audience to react with disbelief. Caesar asked uncertainly, "Mr. Yi, you mean... you... are Miss Nue's suitor... and Mr. Peeta... is your rival?"

Male nodded, "Otherwise, why do you think I volunteered?" The audience was in an uproar. District 12 was really full of surprises, with three volunteers and a love quadrangle, which was incredibly exciting!

Caesar, somewhat disbelieving, asked, "Mr. Yi, please forgive my rudeness, but I have to doubt whether this is a show put on by District 12, and whether you have planned it together?" Male glared at him with fiery eyes, then stood up again and declared to the audience, "You will see in the Hunger Games. I will prove my love for Miss Nue to everyone! It is a love that no one can stop!" This final declaration sparked another small climax, and Male walked off the stage to applause and cheers, completing his interview.

After Male left the stage, Lingzhi confronted him angrily, "What were you thinking? A gimmick once is enough, why make it so complicated? You might fool ordinary people, but how can the higher-ups and sponsors believe such a clumsy story?!"

Male smiled faintly, "Don't worry, as long as we stir up the crowd, it's enough!" He pushed Lingzhi, "There are reporters ahead, you go first and act like you don't want to deal with me. Since we've started acting, we have to see it through to the end!"

Sure enough, as soon as they left, the four tributes from District 12 were surrounded by reporters. People were extremely interested in their love quadrangle. The four of them managed to avoid any slip-ups and returned to the apartment without incident.

The love quadrangle gimmick could fool the characters in the story, but not the adventurers. All the adventurers knew that these two were up to something, but no one could figure out the true intentions behind it.

At least one thing was certain: the two from Miracle City definitely had no plans to kill the characters. This made Helias very unhappy. Although he had never expected to cooperate with Male from the beginning, this open opposition still made him feel that his authority was being challenged.

Moreover, it wasn't just a matter of stance. As the famous female protagonist of a death world, Katniss's data had been studied by many adventurers. Although her strength was not outstanding, her agility and stamina were high, and her perception was not weak. Combined with the physical fitness honed by years of hunting, this slender girl had an additional talent that increased her health by 200 points. Of course, the most lethal aspect was Katniss's bow and arrow. She was known for her sharpshooting in District 12, reputed to be able to shoot any prey in the eye without damaging the fur. According to the city battle system's calculations, Katniss's bow and arrow proficiency was as high as 379 points, a level that was difficult for ordinary people to reach. Even elites would struggle if hit by her cold arrow.

Now, Miracle City's actions were clearly trying to win over two characters. If Male and Lingzhi really befriended Katniss, it would be a significant threat to other adventurers.

To deal with this situation, many adventurers began to show kindness to the characters in their groups, while those who didn't want to be friendly made early preparations. A considerable number of adventurers considered Male their primary enemy and formulated strategies accordingly. Male's taunting tactics seemed to be quite successful.

The next day was the official start of the Hunger Games. On the last night, Katniss and Peeta had their first heart-to-heart conversation, while Lingzhi could only stay in her room and control her shikigami remotely, and Male had run off again...

However, participating in the Hunger Games was the main quest, and shikigami could not replace it. So, the next morning, Male had to return obediently to make the final preparations.

Haymitch sent the four participants to the airport, where they boarded four transport planes. A staff member with a large syringe approached and began injecting trackers into each participant's arm. During the injection, Male encountered the same awkwardness as when his blood was drawn; the syringe had difficulty piercing his skin...

He had to use the same trick again, pointing outside and shouting "UFO" to distract the staff, then controlling his wrist to split open a small gap to insert the needle. This was a new ability Male had recently mastered. Frequent absorption and mimicry had made his original form talent more proficient, and now Male could control his body freely, allowing for small changes in shape. At the moment the tracker was implanted, Male received a notification from the Miracle Emblem that he could not remove it before completing the Hunger Games, or it would be considered a voluntary withdrawal.

Then, the plane took off, carrying all the participants to the arena of the Hunger Games. After landing, the participants were separated and randomly assigned to different rooms to change into their Hunger Games uniforms and enter the glass tubes. When the time came, the forty-eight glass tubes rose simultaneously, sending all the participants into the arena.

The 74th Hunger Games were about to officially begin...

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