Gao Qiang was smiling noncommittally, looking as if he had gotten exactly what he wanted.
It was likely intentional.
Tang Xiaomin said coldly, "Stop, no one is allowed to move!"
Shu Ya gritted her teeth in anger. "This guy is too arrogant, let's go teach him a lesson!"
It wasn't just Shu Ya; the entire Class Thirteen felt the same. At some point, this group of people had become so united, ready to fight for Tang Xiaomin's honor.
Tang Xiaomin's heart warmed; her anger vanished.
"Forget it. If you have any complaints, we can settle them during the competition."
"Xiaomin, he's in the boys' division, and you're in the girls'. You probably won't get to compete against him."
Hearing this, Tang Xiaomin smiled faintly.
"What's so difficult about that? I can just tell the student council president to arrange it. There will surely be a chance."
Seeing Tang Xiaomin accept the challenge so defiantly, Gao Qiang's expression turned serious.
"Not bad, you are indeed different from the rich kids around you. I'm starting to appreciate you."
"No, you've got it backward. I'm exactly the same as these rich kids."
Since others were standing up for her, Tang Xiaomin naturally had to stand with them.
"You..."
Under the mocking gazes of those around them, Gao Qiang left dejectedly.
The pressure was now on Ye Lingyun. The sports meet had established rules beforehand, and he, as the student council president, couldn't arbitrarily change them.
With a wave of his hand, he arranged a separate competition specifically for Tang Xiaomin and Gao Qiang.
As a result, the initial excitement for the sports meet diminished considerably.
The entire school eagerly awaited the end of the sports meet to watch Tang Xiaomin and Gao Qiang's competition.
The school sports meet lasted for three days.
Tang Xiaomin participated in each event as scheduled, still adopting a laid-back approach. Her results were mediocre, neither particularly high nor low, and she didn't even win a single award.
However, this made everyone worry about her upcoming match against Gao Qiang.
After all, the physical strength difference between males and females was too great. For a girl to compete against a boy was inherently unfair, even a form of self-inflicted humiliation.
On the third day of the school sports meet, the entire school gathered on the sports field.
Ye Lingyun looked helplessly at the man and woman facing off, unsure why Tang Xiaomin was taking this so seriously.
"Best of three. Each of you will choose one event, and I'll pick a third one."
Tang Xiaomin said, "I want to compete in the shot put."
"What did you say?"
Gao Qiang thought he had misheard and couldn't help but laugh.
"You want to compete with me in shot put? Are you serious?"
Even the onlookers looked at Tang Xiaomin as if she were an idiot.
Look at the muscles on Gao Qiang's arms, bulging prominently, comparable to a bodybuilder.
Then look at Tang Xiaomin; her slender arms were so thin.
"Let's just do shot put. I'm afraid you'll be at a disadvantage in other events," Tang Xiaomin said.
"Hahaha..."
Gao Qiang burst into laughter.
"Fine, fine, shot put it is. I'll compete with you in rock climbing. By the way, you're not afraid of heights, are you? If you are, I can change it."
Tang Xiaomin ignored Gao Qiang and turned to Ye Lingyun.
Ye Lingyun said calmly, "One thousand meter sprint, rock climbing, and shot put. If both sides have no objections, we can start immediately."
Without any dissent, Tang Xiaomin and Gao Qiang stood at the starting line of the track.
At this moment, Tang Xiaomin suddenly said, "Just competing is too boring without any stakes. I want to add some conditions."
Gao Qiang sneered, "Sure, however you want to play, I'll go along. Anyway, in the end, you'll be the one facing the consequences. I'm not forcing you."
"It's simple. I want all your prize money and trophies from the sports meet championship."
The prize money at a prestigious school was not insignificant, amounting to two hundred thousand yuan.
To deal with someone like Gao Qiang, one had to not only shatter his confidence but also strip him of his honor.
At this point, Gao Qiang's expression grew solemn.
He had entered this school through his athletic talents. He wasn't like those rich second-generation students. That two hundred thousand yuan was very important to him.
Seeing his hesitation, Tang Xiaomin continued, "If I win, I get your prize money and trophies. Conversely, if you win, I'll give you five hundred thousand. Everyone present can be a witness; I won't renege."
Five hundred thousand!
Gao Qiang's eyes lit up. All hesitation vanished.
"Alright, the young lady is generous. I'll bet with you."
Under the temptation of money, Gao Qiang disregarded everything else.
After all, Tang Xiaomin was just a girl. In a sprint, rock climbing, or shot put, Gao Qiang was one hundred percent confident he could beat her.
"Have you finished discussing? Then please be ready."
Under the reminder of the sports teacher and the watchful eyes of the entire school faculty and students, Tang Xiaomin and Gao Qiang prepared themselves.
A whistle blew, and both started simultaneously, sprinting rapidly towards the finish line not far away.
One thousand meters was not a long distance, testing speed, explosive power, and so on...
As soon as the race began, Tang Xiaomin accelerated with all her might. Her light body combined with high explosiveness allowed her to put Gao Qiang twice her speed behind her.
Gao Qiang looked at Tang Xiaomin's retreating back and, without further hesitation, sprinted with all his might.
However, no matter how desperately he ran, he couldn't catch up to Tang Xiaomin. He could only watch her pull further and further away, and soon she crossed the finish line first.
"Yeah! Xiaomin, you ran so fast, just like the wind!"
"Exactly, some people rely on their burly build but are actually as clumsy as an ox and can't run fast at all."
"I wonder who gave him the courage to compete with Xiaomin. He really has no idea of his own limitations."
"Liang Jingru did, probably."
"Can't even outrun a girl. I really doubt if our academy's special admission process was flawed, recruiting this kind of person. I reckon my aunt's 200-pound son could get in too."
"Don't compare fat people to certain individuals. Fat people have thick skin, but they don't humiliate themselves."
Hahaha...
Amidst the laughter, Gao Qiang crossed the finish line, finishing half the time behind Tang Xiaomin.
Although it was only one thousand meters, he was still panting heavily after a full burst of effort.
In contrast, Tang Xiaomin's face was not flushed, her heart rate was normal, and she wasn't out of breath, as if she had done nothing.
"This is impossible! Absolutely impossible!" Gao Qiang shouted loudly.
His outburst drew even more contemptuous glances from the crowd.
"What, can't take a loss? Stop being a man, be a woman instead."
"Hahaha..."
"Can't even outrun a girl. Don't say you're from our academy when you go out; you're embarrassing us."
Gao Qiang's face turned pale with anger, but he didn't lose his judgment because of it.
"Tang Xiaomin ran faster than me, and she wasn't even out of breath after finishing. Isn't that strange? How can a normal person be like that? Everyone, take a good look at her."
Gao Qiang's observation was sharp, but what of it?
After all, Tang Xiaomin could even defeat Liu Feng, and she had easily defeated Ye Die, the young lady of the Ye family. Even if she were a bit more unusual, no one would be overly surprised.