Elemental Card King.

Chapter 103: A Toast to Future Legends, Bearing Reputation

puff!
puff!
After several crisp sounds, golden champagne gushed out like a fountain, foaming and splashing everywhere.

The entire hotel private room was filled with the unique fruity aroma of the wine.

After the final group photo, each training team returned to the hotel to hold a celebration banquet.

"Minors are not allowed to drink alcohol," Teacher He Yun urged.

Nearly half of the team members are already eighteen years old, and some, including Xu Zigui, are quite interested, so they go along with Teacher Wu Zhongming to drink with him.

Seventeen-year-old Su Chen was just drinking juice; he continued his habit from his previous life and wasn't interested in alcohol.

"A total of 18 members of the Donghua training team won awards, so this provincial competition was definitely worthwhile," researcher Li Xiu exclaimed.

In addition, 30 of the top 250 are from the team.

Only two unlucky ones were eliminated.

It must be said that Wang Liyang, who led the team, is indeed very capable and skilled. No wonder the provincial association is willing to hire him as a special advisor.

"Let's raise a toast to that great devil Wang!"

At this moment, Xu Zigui, whether due to being drunk or simply being his usual reckless nature, shouted out Wang Liyang's nickname right in front of him.

The once lively scene suddenly became quiet.

Xu Zigui noticed all those gazes directed at him and immediately realized he had said the wrong thing.

I don't drink alcohol.

However, Wang Liyang did not dwell on the issue and responded quickly.

At that moment, everyone realized that the other person neither smoked nor drank alcohol.

This young and promising lieutenant colonel has very strict requirements for his physical condition. He will not touch even a drop of ordinary alcohol or nicotine, which are no longer addictive.

"Juice bar."

Wang Liyang didn't completely lose the conversation, so he casually opened a bottle of juice to make do.

Amidst the cheers and jeers from those around him, Xu Zigui forced a smile and awkwardly clinked glasses with him.

After the little incident, everyone started eating.

This celebratory banquet was quite expensive, costing over 3 yuan per person, all of which was reimbursed and paid for by the provincial competition organizers.

As the first winner of the grand prize, Su Chen promised to treat everyone to a nice farewell dinner after landing on the way back.

"Our flight is at 8 a.m. tomorrow. You have half a day to go out and have some fun. Please note that you are not allowed to go far alone. You must travel in groups, and you must report your itinerary to me before you leave," Teacher He Yun reminded her after she finished eating.

When they are away from home, these supervising teachers still have a responsibility to look after and supervise them.

"Great!"

The students were very enthusiastic.

To be honest, after being in the provincial capital for so many days, none of us have actually gone out to explore.

With such a short half-day holiday, although you definitely won't be able to visit the very famous Universal Dimension theme park, it's still worth a visit to the nearby bustling commercial area.

At Fan Xin's suggestion, many students began to respond.

"Brother Chen, are you going?" someone asked.

"it is good."

Su Chen hesitated for a moment, then agreed.

He initially considered going home, but returning to the empty house would only increase his confusion and worries.

Aunt Jing is away on a business trip.

My cousin, Tong Li, had something come up.

Before heading back, he did need to buy some souvenirs, so a trip to the shopping center would be a good idea.

Soon, with Su Chen and Xia He echoing, the entire team was suddenly included, and even the instructors joined in.

Not long after the meal, the Donghua training team, except for Wang Liyang, set off for a bustling commercial area less than 1 kilometer from the hotel.

Since then.

The group stepped into a street filled with elements of online celebrity card culture.

This place features collectible card shops, card design workshops, antique stores, flea markets, and creative workshops.

Each shop's walls are adorned with various exquisite cards, and some of the stunning murals, presented with dynamic light and shadow, exude a unique artistic feel.

In the distance, there are even quite a few cosplayers at the card-themed park, with many female cosplayers vying to portray the most popular humanoid summons such as Yuki Onna, Wisteria Princess, and Sky Striker Princess.

"Everyone here looks younger," Ms. He Yun remarked, noting that the things these young people like create a slight disconnect between them and the younger generation.

Su Chen walked into a creative workshop shop, which sold some handmade art pieces.

Near the door, there are many exquisite and beautiful art cards on the counter, and the backs of the cards even have various custom designs, all of which match the current trend of custom card backs.

'Flash Card': Damage increased by 50%.

'Clear Snow Card': Increases ice-type damage by 45%.

'Fire Emblem Card': Increases fire damage by 45%.

The different colors, such as 'wave purple', 'deep sea blue', 'ceramic green', 'glacier cyan', and 'rose gold', paired with different card back designs, truly make them look very exquisite.

However, these art cards do not provide any real boost; they are simply for show.

The young female boss at the front desk had intended to greet the handsome young man who had just entered, but upon seeing that he was accompanied by a female companion, her initial enthusiasm for getting up ultimately gave way to her laziness.

"It seems that the Galaxy card back you just got goes well with any color."

A soft, elegant female voice rang out from inside the store, and the female boss, who had been struggling with sleepiness, suddenly woke up with a smile.

Her shop doesn't sell the Galaxy design either, and the actual Galaxy card back hasn't appeared in the market for several years.

"Girl, is the man you found reliable?" she thought to herself.

Suddenly, the female boss raised her head again and began to scrutinize the tall figure not far away.

She suddenly realized that this tall, well-proportioned, and handsome young man was very likely the provincial champion.

After all, the celebratory fireworks rising from the Yundu Arena not far away had already announced that the champion had been born.

Just then, the couple left the store.

Out of curiosity, the female boss immediately logged onto the provincial association's official website and, sure enough, found a group photo in the latest announcement that perfectly matched the model's figure and appearance.

Good heavens, it really is him!

Oh no, I didn't get a photo with her! The female boss scratched her head frantically, feeling like she had missed a business opportunity. It would have been so wonderful to display her shop there later.

at the same time.

Xia He, who had just suggested leaving the store, said, "The boss was making fun of you earlier."

"I didn't care," Su Chen said truthfully. However, seeing all kinds of artistic card backs as soon as he entered the store still made him a little embarrassed, since in a sense he had taken the real custom card back from Xia He.

Xia He pondered for a moment, then asked curiously, "Is there anything you want to buy?"

"I want to buy some cat-themed souvenirs and fitness equipment for my aunt, and some good wine for my uncle," Su Chen said.

Upon hearing this, Xia He seemed to think of something and looked at Su Chen for no apparent reason.

At that moment, a group of team members and teachers who had come out from various shops along the street gradually gathered together.

Ultimately, this large group split into two groups.

We continued exploring the card culture street.

On the other hand, they went to the nearby commercial center to buy local specialties, delicacies, and souvenirs.

Xu Zigui, Xiang Xing, and others decided to go to the A-star card store ahead to queue up and buy a set of the newly released Green Forest series blind box cards, Snow Maiden series cards, and various corporate limited cards.

It has been more than two months since A-star started developing the Green Forest dimension, and they have already released three Green Forest series cards.

Most of them don't collect related card sets, but the cards themselves don't necessarily have to be contracted; they inherently possess a certain potential for appreciation in value.

The various trading card centers and card trading markets around them also tempted the group, making them want to try their hand at gambling.

"Don't let them buy more."

Teacher He Yun had a headache. These young people had just received a large bonus, and it seemed they were about to be ruthlessly fleeced by the capitalists.

Wu Zhongming, a card collector, was also a seasoned gambler. Fortunately, he was still somewhat reliable and knew the consequences, so he strictly limited the spending of a group of students.

The whole day was spent shopping.

Su Chen successfully purchased the items he needed.

He even bought some brand-new tech products for himself and his cousin at the Universal flagship store, replacing their phones, watches, and headsets.

Tong Li hasn't set off yet.

After Su Chen asked her for an address, he sent the package directly from the store.

Based on delivery efficiency, it can generally be delivered within two hours.

That night.

Tong Li sent a long list of her best friends' contacts directly to the messaging app.

"Brother, pick a card."

Wealth and honor do not return to their hometown, just like walking in brocade at night.

The next morning, everyone boarded a plane and began their return journey.

Only the participants in the actual competition will return first. The math and physics competition teams, which are also from Donghua City, will not be able to depart until tomorrow because of the post-competition problem-solving and explanation session.

It's worth mentioning that Huang Haoliang won the first prize, while the special prize was won by a talented young girl from the Yundu training team by a large margin.

It is reported that the girl's parents are both members of the renowned Tianyu School, which is already the most sought-after academic clique.

At this point, many team members on the flight started cramming in a different way, not through meditation or practice, but by rushing to finish their homework.

Having been away from school for so long, everyone has felt some academic pressure to varying degrees.

Especially recently, some people have given up their studies, and the pressure to catch up on their homework afterwards is immense.

Su Chen is alright.

Because he had already prepared ahead of the time it was covered in class.

And this morning.

The provincial team roster has also been officially released.

"The initial recruitment for the combat team is 30 people. Note that this is not the final list. Only 18 people are needed to represent Qingyun Province. That means 12 people will be eliminated during the two-month training camp," said Teacher He Yun.

In addition to the top 16, the provincial card game association also selected some players based on their outstanding performance.

A typical example is Su Hongsheng, this madman would never have left in the top 64 if he hadn't met Su Chen.

“Su Chen, Xia He, and those early favorites to win the championship are unlikely to be eliminated, which means there aren’t many spots left to compete for.” Fan Xin felt some pressure; as one of the top 16 contestants, she was naturally called up.

However, her luck with the draw was quite good before. If there is no improvement in the next two months, she will likely be eliminated.

Unfortunately, only three players from Donghua City were selected for the team.

However, Wang Liyang himself has finally confirmed that he will serve as a special advisor to the provincial team.

I don't know if he was just being perfunctory, but his explanation to the public was that the organizers gave him too much.

This seemingly wandering lieutenant colonel did not return home immediately, but instead stayed in the provincial capital.

To be honest, many team members, having spent so much time with him, genuinely hope that this "big devil" Wang will return to the army soon.

This should not be the stage for him to shine.

Around 10 a.m., the return flight landed at Donghua City Airport.

"This meal will be on Mr. Su's plate," Xu Zigui shouted.

After leaving the airport, they took a bus directly to Jinxiuyan Zhenxiulou Restaurant, where they chose to have their last farewell dinner at this restaurant where they had previously collaborated.

As the first winner of the grand prize, Su Chen, who held a huge sum of money, sincerely treated everyone to a final meal before parting ways.

Of course, under Teacher He Yun's stern gaze, no one dared to overcharge.

However, there was a small incident during the trip. When the manager of Zhenxiulou Restaurant learned that the Donghua training team had returned with a lot of honors, he specially went up to greet them and offered them a 5% discount.

The price was a photo of the restaurant's chef and Su Chen.

"Eat without worry."

Su Chen knew that Teacher He Yun wanted to save him money, and now that there was a 50% discount, there was no need to make unnecessary savings.

"Hmph, no taste, not offering a free meal is really stingy."

After the meal, Xu Zigui, who had drunk a little wine, was still somewhat resentful. He said, "This is a future legend. There isn't a single photo of him with a legend in this restaurant's exhibition hall."

For a moment, the private room, which was already filled with a sense of parting sorrow, became even more silent.

After this farewell dinner, many of them may be seeing each other for the last time.

Especially compared to Su Chen, most of them have fallen behind and can no longer keep up with his pace.

As for how far the other party can go, whether they can continue the legendary experience of the previous generation of elemental rulers, they no longer know, and they may not even be able to personally experience and accompany the other party all the way in the future.

This inexplicable sense of harsh reality is enough to make many sentimental young men and women feel sad.

These top students were the elite group of the best in Donghua City.

Today, they have also been divided into tiers by the bloody reality.

"Let's raise a toast to the future legend, and of course, take a group photo to remember our youth." At Fan Xin's suggestion, whose face was streaked with tears, everyone stepped forward to take a separate photo with Su Chen.

Even the coaches of the Donghua training team were eager to take photos with this promising young man.

It will definitely appreciate greatly in value in the future. Teacher Wu Zhongming, who had just realized this, was already cursing himself in his heart for forgetting that there was a treasure trove right next to him.

The collector quickly tried to salvage the situation, being the first to step forward and ask for Su Chen's autograph, and even managed to steal one of Su Chen's pens.

The label "Legendary Card Master's Pen" has already been placed on Wu Zhongming's mind.

now.

Su Chen was both amused and exasperated. To be honest, although he could maintain a calm demeanor amidst the sadness of parting around him, his heart was still somewhat affected by the emotions.

Finally, he looked at Xia He, who had already finished eating, and said, "You're the only one left."

Xia He turned to look at the other person, and gently raised the corners of her mouth, revealing a charming smile like spring water breaking through ice.

That smile was breathtakingly beautiful.

She laughed and said, "No need for a photo. Do you think I can't keep up with your pace?"

(End of this chapter)