Kobayashi Haruo's pathetic appearance drew a wave of laughter.
Zhao Yuan didn't laugh. Instead, his expression was grave as he asked coldly, "Do you have anything to say for yourself now?"
Kobayashi Haruo's mouth hung open, but no sound came out.
Before coming to the Jing City Acupuncture Association, he had considered countless possibilities, but he had never imagined he would be exposed and defeated. And the one to expose and defeat him was a young man not even twenty years old!
He had lost!
Utterly and completely lost!
Lost so badly there was nothing left to say!
Kobayashi Haruo remained silent, but someone else spoke up.
Chairman Cui said thoughtfully, "Since Kobayashi Haruo cheated in the Finger Power and Spiritual Snake Nine Probing Needle Technique competitions, could there have been issues with the previous matches as well?"
This question sparked a flurry of discussion among the crowd.
"There were definitely issues!"
"As the saying goes, a dog returns to its vomit!"
"I think so too! Kobayashi Haruo's character is just awful. A guy like that wouldn't just resort to tricks once or twice. He probably cheated in every single match!"
Faced with the accusations, Kobayashi Haruo instinctively retorted, "No! I didn't cheat in the previous matches! I won all of them with my true abilities!"
"Talk is cheap! Let's have a rematch in front of Zhao!" a member of the Jing City Acupuncture Association exclaimed. He had competed against Kobayashi Haruo before and been defeated in his own area of expertise, a loss that had gnawed at him ever since. He had been longing for a chance at redemption, and now, he finally had one.
"That's right, a rematch!"
"We couldn't tell if you were cheating before, but now we have Zhao! If you dare to pull any tricks, he'll see right through you in an instant!"
The acupuncturists who had lost to Kobayashi Haruo all chimed in, and even Chairman Cui agreed with the proposal.
Kobayashi Haruo's face turned green.
Just as everyone suspected, he had indeed cheated in the previous matches.
As Kobayashi Haruo stood there, at a loss, Zhao Yuan didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
Zhao Yuan never would have thought that the people from the Jing City Acupuncture Association had such immense faith in him, practically treating him like a human lie detector... Still, their proposal was very much to his liking. If the matches were redone, he was certain he could acquire several more Secret Acupuncture Techniques with the help of his miraculous Witch Doctor inheritance.
So, he also chimed in, "I agree! Let's have a rematch!"
'Baka!' Kobayashi Haruo couldn't stop himself from cursing inwardly. His face, which had already been green, turned completely black.
He had already witnessed Zhao Yuan's sharp eyes. He had no doubt that Zhao could see through all the tricks he'd played. He had lost enough face already; he didn't want to lose any more.
So, the moment Zhao Yuan's words fell, Kobayashi Haruo shrieked, "No need for a rematch! I admit that I cheated in the previous matches!"
It wasn't just Zhao Yuan; everyone was completely stunned.
The bullet comments in the two live stream channels also went blank for a moment. But this didn't last long. As people snapped out of their shock, a flood of comments reappeared on the screen.
"Did I hear that right? Kobayashi Haruo actually admitted to cheating in the matches! What's going on? Did he grow a conscience?"
"A despicable and utterly shameless person like him having a conscience? Impossible! He only admitted it because of the Great God!"
"Exactly! Didn't you guys see? The moment the Great God agreed to a rematch, the look on Kobayashi Haruo's face was just awful, like his parents had just died. He was clearly scared shitless by the Great God!"
"Why would Kobayashi Haruo be scared by what the Great God said? Someone please explain!"
"The person above has questionable intelligence. Let me explain. If they did it all over again, Kobayashi Haruo would definitely be exposed and have his face slapped several times. If that were you, wouldn't you be scared? That's why he just confessed. Admitting to cheating is much better than getting his face slapped over and over again!"
"I give this explanation full marks! Although it's satisfying to see Kobayashi Haruo forced into admitting his wrongs, I'd much rather see the Great God expose him and slap his face again and again!"
This sentence spoke for everyone, and soon the live stream was flooded with comments like 'We want to see the face-slapping!'
Zhao Yuan was also disappointed.
Kobayashi Haruo's voluntary confession meant one less opportunity for him to obtain an Acupuncture Secret Skill. Although he couldn't use these Secret Techniques for the time being, who would ever complain about having too many good things? 'If I can't use them now, I'll just save them. I can use them later when I start learning the Acupuncture Technique properly.'
Still feeling unsatisfied, Zhao Yuan said, "Kobayashi Haruo, don't be in such a hurry to admit it. I think you really should have another match. I might not necessarily be able to see through all your little tricks."
Hearing this, Yu Ke, who was standing to the side, couldn't help but let out a "PFFT" of laughter. The others at the scene either laughed like Yu Ke or trembled as they desperately tried to hold it in. As for the online live streams, they exploded with activity.
"Hahaha, the Great God is so mischievous!"
"The Great God must be from the Divine Sect of Face-Slapping! Kobayashi Haruo already admitted to cheating, but he still won't let it go. He's insisting on another match because he definitely wants to keep slapping Kobayashi Haruo's face!"
"Despicable! (Nicely done!)"
Kobayashi Haruo's vision went black, and he almost fainted from anger.
'Is there no justice in this world? I've already admitted to cheating, so why are you still latched onto me and refusing to let go? Do you really want to slap my face that badly? No, no matter what, I can't let you get your wish!'
Taking a deep breath, Kobayashi Haruo said with an ashen face, "There's no need for another match. And regardless of whether you can see through my tricks, I must admit that I used dishonorable methods to win the previous competitions. Here and now, I solemnly apologize to the Jing City Acupuncture Association!"
As he spoke, he gave a deep bow to the surrounding members of the Jing City Acupuncture Association.
This scene left everyone stunned.
"The Great God is truly amazing. With just a few words, he forced the arrogant and conceited Kobayashi Haruo to admit his wrongdoing and apologize!" someone muttered in astonishment.
His words, spoken to himself, echoed the thoughts of many!
"I will not go back on my previous promise. I will publish a statement of apology in well-known medical journals both at home and abroad as soon as possible! Farewell!"
Tossing out these words, Kobayashi Haruo turned to leave. However, the reporters he had brought with him didn't follow. Instead, they raised their cameras and video recorders and started frantically snapping pictures of his desolate, retreating back.
"Stop him!" Zhao Yuan suddenly shouted.
His prestige within the Jing City Acupuncture Association now surpassed even Chairman Cui's. Although no one knew what he intended to do, they still moved at once to block Kobayashi Haruo's path.
"What do you want?" Kobayashi Haruo spun around and glared at Zhao Yuan, demanding in a blustering tone that barely concealed his fear.