The way Uma Musume looks at me is so scary!

Xiu Xingmeng stood behind her, and gave a wry smile.

Minamino Sumire hasn't been dressing up lately, but she's channeled all that energy into her dolls, even going outside to secretly study them so the other racehorse girls won't notice.

Instinctively feeling that Minamino Sumire's actions would be dangerous for her, Xiu Xingmeng broke out in a cold sweat. She tiptoed back, trying to pretend she hadn't seen anything.

Just then, Minamino Sumire stood up while muttering to herself, as if she were going to get something.

"No, this one doesn't quite suit my style. I really need that one."

When she turned around, she happened to see Xiu Xingmeng sneaking around. The two looked at each other in silence, and then Xiu Xingmeng forced a smile as she looked at Nan Yejin, whose face was gradually steaming.

"Hi?"

Minamino Sumire did not respond, but she did not make any radical move either. She simply picked up the plush toy, lowered her head, and walked past Xiuxingmeng.

Just when Xiu Xingmeng thought the incident was over and she could finally breathe a sigh of relief, she suddenly heard Nan Yejin's whisper in her ear.

"I'm going to splatter you."

Xiu Xingmeng's heart skipped a beat when she heard this, and she only dared to turn around and wipe her sweat after Nan Yejin's footsteps had completely disappeared.

"Isn't this doll a little too popular...?"

Xiu Xingmeng thought to herself, still feeling lingering fear.

She noticed that ever since the plush toy started being sold as merchandise at Kasamatsu Racecourse, it seemed like everyone around her had bought one.

Let's not talk about Golden Ship and Kobayashi Kaze, those two childish brats who imitated Xiu Xingmeng's way of speaking.

Besides Minamino Sumire, Saddler Suzune also spends all day gesturing at Xiuxingmeng's doll with her equipment magazine, muttering to herself. The numerous professional terms she uses make Xiuxingmeng feel like she's listening to a sutra when she passes by.

Xiyuan Mucao also bought several dolls and placed them on top of the scarecrow in their own farmland. Every time Xiuxingmeng passed by, she would see that expressionless flat face.

Even Oguri Roman, whom she always thought was the most serious, is no exception. As the second strongest horse girl in Kasamatsu Tresen, she also has her own merchandise.

Once, when Xiu Xingmeng was passing by her dormitory, she happened to catch a glimpse of Xiao Liluoman pretending to race with her and Xiu Xingmeng's dolls. She even added her own narration.

Besides Uma Musume, there were also a few adults. Sato Takeru placed a Hippie Star Dream doll in the car as decoration, while Haibara Kotaro added a small Hippie Star Dream to his phone charm and placed it next to Oguri Hat.

Although Haibara Chizuru and Kitahara Yuzuru bought dolls with everyone, Hidehoshi has not yet seen what they look like carrying around.

After all, they are legitimate trainers, and they have trained other racehorse girls before, so they should be used to this kind of merchandise.

Xiu Xingmeng thought to herself, it seems that besides herself, the only other decent people left in this Kasamatsu Tresen are these two trainers.

Just as Xiu Xingmeng was pondering, she suddenly heard a familiar voice as she passed by the playground.

"Now Xiuxingmeng is in the lead! Xiuxingmeng is in the lead! What do you think? Can Xiaoli Luoman catch up with the fleeing Xiuxingmeng on the final straight?!"

Kitahara Yutaka was actually running and exercising on the track while entertaining himself by playing a game with two horse girl dolls.

So Oguri Roman learned from you?

Moreover, Kitahara Yutaka was more professional than Oguri Roman, who simulated the race in his dormitory. Kitahara Yutaka even braved the scorching sun to come to the gravel and dusty track to conduct the simulation.

Such professionalism impressed Xiu Xingmeng.

It would have been better if he hadn't been holding his own doll.

Silently removing Kitahara Minoru from Kasamatsu Tresen's list of only three decent people, Hidehoshi Yume learned her lesson and quietly left.

I should go find Chizuru Haibara; at least she's serious about analyzing the schedule with me.

Chapter 83 Overthrowing the Central Government Single-handedly

As she entered the teaching building, Xiu Xingmeng familiarly turned right on the first floor and entered the third classroom. After pushing open the door, she saw Haibara Chizuru holding a pen and writing something in her exercise book.

Hearing the sound, Haibara Chizuru looked up and, seeing that it was Hideyuki Yume, smiled and waved to her, signaling her to come over.

Without further ado, Xiu Xingmeng moved a chair and sat down opposite Haibara Chizuru.

"Sister Qianhe, has the central government made the decision regarding the competition?"

Chizuru Haibara and Yuzuru Kitahara have been debating how to participate in the Classic Triple Crown Tournament since last year, but after the Kyodo Communications Cup, they can no longer delay and the registration deadline is approaching, so this question must be answered.

"Yes."

“Trainer Kitahara and I have been unable to persuade the other party, so we want to leave this choice to you. We will tell you our thoughts so that you can make a better choice.”

"Will it start with the Satsuki Sho... or will we face the Gold Master again in the Japanese Derby?"

"The decision must be made today."

Chizuru Haibara slammed the training book shut, her expression turning serious for the first time in a long time. Xiuxingmeng even saw the melancholy she had felt when they first met in her eyes.

Seeing Haibara Chizuru's sudden change in attitude, Xiuxing Meng straightened her back as if she had realized something, waiting for the trainer's words.

Why did Chizuru Haibara, who had previously served as a trainer at the Central Training Center and whose insight and data collection abilities were recognized by Kitahara, return to Kasamatsu? Why was she initially so dejected? And why did she insist on choosing to fight the Gold Master in the Japanese Derby?

Xiu Xingmeng had a gut feeling that all the mysteries might be completely revealed today.

After a long silence, Chizuru Haibara slowly spoke.

"I have never told Trainer Kitahara the reason why we should avoid the Gold Master."

"I originally intended to keep this matter buried in my heart for the rest of my life..."

"But... who brought you to Kasamatsu? Who made that vow and brought you to this point?"

"For your future, I have no choice but to say it."

Haibara Chizuru took out her phone from her pocket and searched through the photo album for a while before finally stopping. She hesitated for a moment before handing the phone to Xiuxingmeng.

Upon receiving the phone, Xiu Xingmeng looked up in surprise the moment she saw the photo on it. Staring at Haibara Chizuru's face, she was momentarily speechless.

"As you can see, I once spent some time with the Gold Master."

The phone screen displayed a group photo, one of whom was naturally Chizuru Haibara, whose eyes were full of enthusiasm just like those of every novice trainer.

Beside her stood a racehorse girl who had not yet fully matured, her little face held high, her golden and white hair shimmering in the sunlight—she was the young Gold Master.

After returning the phone to Haibara Chizuru, Xiuxing asked in confusion.

"That's a Gold Master, why did you go back to Kasamatsu when you could have become her trainer?"

Hearing this, Haibara Chizuru chuckled self-deprecatingly.

"What trainer? You overestimate me."

“When I was admitted to Central University, all the female racehorses of that year had already been selected. With nothing to do, I happened to see an advertisement for a part-time trainer position at the Golden Family Club, and I signed up to earn some living expenses.”

"After all, with the title of Central Trainer, it was easy to successfully join as a trainer assistant. It was then that I first met the Gold Master."

At this point, Haibara Chizuru paused for a moment. She didn't continue the topic but instead turned to Xiuxing Meng and asked.

"Xingmeng, how much effort do you think a person is willing to put in for victory?"

"That depends on what kind of victory it is."

If victory determines whether the main quest is completed, then one must seize it even if it means risking one's life.

Having experienced her first script assignment, Xiu Xingmeng silently answered in her heart.

"Determining the degree based on the weight of the victory is an interesting statement."

After hearing this answer, Haibara Chizuru stroked her chin and pondered for a moment before continuing.

"If this is true, then the Gold Master must have already borne a weight as heavy as Mount Tai when he was young."

"The pride of a prestigious family, the future of Japan, the hope to break the curse—this title is not a recent one; it has been circulating since the talent of the Gold Master was determined."

"She has carried the expectations of everyone since a very long time ago."

As she spoke, Chizuru Haibara's expression gradually became serious and suppressed.

"And what shocked me was—"

"The Gold Master did not feel even the slightest bit awkward about bearing such expectations."

"On the contrary, she quite enjoyed everyone's expectations and was proud to believe that she would definitely become the queen of that reigning generation."

Listening to Haibara Chizuru's introduction, Xiuxing Meng suddenly thought of good opera. She also had the same indescribable confidence and considered herself a queen. But hadn't she also defeated such a good opera?

She looked up and interrupted Chizuru Haibara.

Even the greatest kings can fail.

To Xiu Xingmeng's surprise, after saying this, Haibara Chizuru did not deny her, but nodded in agreement, though her face remained gloomy.

"That's right, the Golden Master isn't invincible. She's also a racehorse girl, and she can also fail."

"The Golden Family would occasionally invite racehorses from the Central Government to come and conduct competitive training together. The Golden Master was never invincible, but—."

"After each defeat, she would improve her abilities at an extraordinary speed, and immediately shatter the confidence of the opposing racehorse in the next training session."

“I…I witnessed the moments when countless racehorse girls’ dreams were shattered there.”

Chizuru Haibara looked at Hoshino, her dark eyes filled with fear and confusion as she recalled the past.

"Can you imagine? A racehorse girl who hasn't even started to become a professional racehorse girl can crush many racehorse girls who have worked their hardest to get into the Central Division, and is increasing her power at a speed that they can never achieve in their lifetime."

"After witnessing that scene, their dreams, which they hadn't even had a chance to strive for, were shattered."

"How could they possibly win against such a monster? If they couldn't win, why did they run? All their fighting spirit and competitiveness were torn apart and shattered in the confrontation with the Golden Master."

"Although the Central team was once suppressed by the big names, there were still geniuses who could win the championship in G1."

"But ever since the Golden Masters defeated those still-developing geniuses time and time again, the confidence of the Central Racecourse Girls has been completely shattered."

"Once the older generation of Central Racehorse Girls retire one after another, how will these racehorse girls, whose dreams have long been shattered by the Golden Master, compete with Central? In the end, they will only suffer defeat after defeat."

"It's all because of the Gold Master; she single-handedly overwhelmed Central Treson."

Chapter 84 Irrationality (Third Update)

After finishing her long speech, Haibara Chizuru took a deep breath, as if she was almost suffocating from the fear in her heart.

Xiu Xingmeng did not respond, quietly waiting for Haibara Chizuru to recover. She knew that the conversation was not over yet.

Suddenly, the only sound in the office was Haibara Chizuru's heavy breathing. Even the leaves outside the window seemed to hold their breath and stop fluttering in the breeze. The whole world seemed to stand still, quietly waiting for Haibara Chizuru.

After a long while, she finally regained some of her strength, but her face was still somewhat pale, indicating that recalling this past event was a great burden for Chizuru Haibara.

"Back then, I dreamed of finding my own racehorse girl and chasing our dreams together on the central stage."

"After witnessing Central Tressen's repeated failures, I, like the racehorse girls, had my hopes shattered. I felt that there was no way I could win in this racecourse dominated by prestigious teams, and I returned to Kasamatsu in disgrace."

"This is my story... the story of a coward."

This act of exposing one's most vulnerable side to others naturally makes Chizuru Haibara extremely uncomfortable.

But now she is a trainer for Embroidery Star Dream, and no matter how painful it is, she must convey her words to the other party.

Chizuru Haibara placed her hand on Hoshino's shoulder, looked into her equally dark eyes, and spoke seriously.

"But you still have hope."

"The pressure that Central Racewoman can put on Golden Master is limited. Without those repeated failures and victories after pressure, it is impossible to maintain that terrifying momentum through training alone."

"The Golden Master hasn't been defeated in a long time, and this is precisely when she is most vulnerable. Only at this moment is there a chance to defeat her when she has become complacent!"

"We can only beat her once; there won't be a second chance!"

"That's why I wanted to avoid the Golden Masters in the schedule. Compared to the Satsuki Sho, the Japanese Derby will be a much bigger stage."

"Winning this once is enough! Then, we'll avoid the Golden Master in the next round, and once she's back in form and achieves a dazzling result, our victory will shine even brighter."

"We will become the only racehorse girl in this generation to defeat the Golden Master, and the entire Kasamatsu region will be revitalized because of your existence!"

Chizuru Haibara gripped Hideyuki's shoulders tightly, so tightly that her nails dug deep into them.

Xiu Xingmeng looked at Haibara Chizuru in front of her. Sweat streamed down her cheeks, her black hair was disheveled with excitement, and a flame of despair burned in her pupils hidden in her dark circles, like the last dying struggle of a terminally ill patient.

This was the last and only chance, and that was Chizuru Haibara's understanding of the Gold Saint.

"Star Dream! We only have one chance to become heroes, and we only need to win once!"

Once, once, and again—this phrase was repeated countless times by Chizuru Haibara, as if she were using the sheer number of repetitions to convince herself that her choice was correct.

But both Xiu Xingmeng and she herself understood that this so-called one-time chance was just an escape. It was precisely because they lacked the courage to face the Golden Master that they had to resort to such a tricky method to seek victory.

Chizuru Haibara was scared. She had been scared ever since she was an assistant trainer at the Golden Family's club years ago. That's why she slunk back to Kasamatsu and felt so hopeless.

Even though Hideyuki had already made a vow in her debut match, swept through the local area and become synonymous with Kasamatsu, and even won the Kyodo Communications Cup with an absolute advantage in the central area, Haibara Chizuru was still afraid.

The thought that Xiu Xingmeng's opponent would be the Gold Master made her start thinking about her escape route.

For an ordinary person, escaping is not a big mistake; it may even become a source of strength for future rise.