Chapter 390: Chapter 390 Dantian Qi Release_1

Bang!

With the sound of a gun, eight dragon boats shot out like arrows released from their strings, speeding ahead rapidly.

In the first 500 meters, everyone was neck and neck, differing by only a hair’s breadth, the competition incredibly fierce.

But as the distance stretched out, dragon boats in lanes 1, 6, 7, and 8 began to fall gradually behind.

Another 500 meters passed, and the first and second echelons had clearly pulled away from the pack.

The struggle for the remaining 2000 meters was now between the Flying Dragon team and their three competitors.

And the real show was just beginning to unfold.

At first, the Flying Dragon team had a slight lead of about a quarter of a boat length.

But soon, the competitors in lane four started playing dirty.

They deliberately veered off course, closing in on the Flying Dragon team.

When they were close enough, they intentionally mixed their oars with those of the Flying Dragon team.

The rhythm of both boats was immediately disrupted, their speed significantly reduced.

The dragon boats in lanes two and five took advantage of this, quickly pulling ahead by two boat lengths.

A gap of one boat length in dragon boat racing is already hard to catch up with, let alone two.

However, the other team didn’t seem satisfied; the boat in lane four kept looking for ways to break the Flying Dragon team’s rhythm.

But it has to be said, the Flying Dragon team indeed possessed strength and soon threw off their opponents, surging forward to catch up.

Zhao Wenming frowned as he saw this, glancing at his lackey beside him.

"What’s going on?"

The lackey chuckled, "Boss, don’t worry, the drug’s effects will kick in any minute."

No sooner had he spoken than every member of the Flying Dragon team seemed to have a collective stroke.

They jerked in unison a few times.

This was the final side effect of the neutralized weak water working its way through their bodies.

Because of these spasms, the speed of the dragon boat was greatly affected.

Not only did the competitors in lane four manage to overtake them, but the four boats of the second echelon also passed them.

The Flying Dragon team was suddenly left lagging behind.

At this point, there was less than a thousand meters to the finish line.

And the distance between the Flying Dragon team and Zhao Wenming’s Viper team had reached an astounding two hundred meters!

To make up a two hundred meter gap in the remaining thousand meters was an impossible task in dragon boat racing!

Up in the VIP seats, Zhao Wenming and his friends had already started celebrating prematurely.

"Hahaha, Zhu, what did I tell you? I said your guys weren’t up to scratch, yet you stubbornly pretended to be strong. Now you’ve lost, convinced both in heart and by word, haven’t you?"

"Do we even need to ask? Just look at Zhu’s face—he must be utterly convinced by now! But hey, there’s a silver lining for Zhu, that tens of billions in prize money is saved now, right?"

"Tsk tsk tsk, listen to you talk. Zhu’s not exactly short on cash, is he? The man does pride himself on his reputation. But... Zhu, unless I’m mistaken, didn’t we make some sort of bet just now, did we?"

"Hahaha!"

A few people jeered back and forth with sarcastic remarks.

They all but had Zhu Guangbo seething with suppressed rage.

His face was flushed red, his stomach puffing out with irritation, as if a few more moments of anger might cause him to explode.

"Mr. Ye, look at this, this—what are we to do now? I can’t possibly have to strip and slap my own face in public, can I? I might as well be dead!"

There was a noticeable hint of blame in Zhu Guangbo’s voice.

This was Ye Fei he was talking to—had it been anyone else, Zhu Guangbo would have likely burst out swearing.

Yet Ye Fei just smiled faintly, calmly like an angler waiting for a bite.

"What’s the hurry? There’s still a long way to go before the finish line. You have to believe in your team, they will surely overcome the difficulties and ultimately win."

"Ah?!"

Zhu Guangbo glanced over at the river.

Thinking that there was only five or six hundred meters left, with a two hundred meter gap—how could it possibly be caught up? Mr. Ye, are you playing with me again?

Zhao Wenming and the others heard Ye Fei’s words and laughed so hard they doubled over.

"Hahaha! Zhu, where did you find this friend of yours? The game is as good as over, and he’s still deceiving you? Either he’s nuts or you are a fool, huh?"

"Look at that pretentious face, acting like he’s something special. I thought he might actually be some kind of expert. Turns out, he’s just a complete idiot."

"Oh Zhu, Zhu, you’ve made some poor friends there, buddy. I really do sympathize with you. Next time you make friends, you’d better open your eyes wider, got it?"

The three old guys stood up clapping their hands, assuming the posture of victors.

And the hundreds of thousands of spectators at the scene unanimously shared their sentiments.

They believed this year’s Dragon Boat Festival would see the Flying Dragon team defeated again, and in a most humiliating way.

So, everyone’s attention turned to the first echelon, eager to see who would claim this year’s championship.

The Flying Dragon team, lagging far behind, was no longer the focus of any attention.

Even the members of the Flying Dragon team had lost all spirit.

But at that moment, the team members suddenly felt a powerful force exploding in their Dantian, rapidly spreading throughout their bodies.

Then they felt that they were filled with all energies.

Their morale surged to its peak.

"Charge!"

Then, with a roaring cry, the Flying Dragon team shot towards the finish line like an arrow released from its string.