But it was clear that this young man didn’t recognize him, nor did he know that this Sword Forging Competition was sponsored by him.
He had always enjoyed such encounters; after all, he met the producer of the Sword Forging Competition in a similar way, and he was always happy to befriend those with interesting souls, regardless of age.
The more he looked, the more satisfied he became. Winslow smiled slightly, looked at the painting, and said while turning, "Young man, you might not know who I am, but..."
He hadn’t finished speaking when his expression froze. He blinked, turning his head left and right, and saw only his butler standing there, holding a few cans of paint.
The wind blew, and a newspaper wad spun on the ground.
He asked, "Where did the young man go?"
The butler hesitated before saying, "He... he slipped away."
Winslow didn’t understand: "What do you mean by slipped away?"
The butler gestured slightly, "It’s like the kind of slipping away one would do after doing something bad."
Winslow’s mouth twitched slightly.
Meanwhile, Li Younan had already turned several street corners, sighing in relief: "If they want to find the problems for the Sword Forging Competition, let them bother that middle-aged uncle."
He regretted it as soon as he spoke.
Though not very familiar with Americans, Li Younan was convinced that getting involved in a lawsuit in the United States would be a very painful thing.
But that uncle shouldn’t make me take the blame... that would be so uncool.
However, at this moment, Li Younan suddenly received a system prompt.
[Gained 500 Reputation Points]
[Current Task Progress: 500/2000]
For a moment, Li Younan was a little surprised. So that’s how you gain reputation points?
...
This is a professional indoor sword-forging arena. The center is composed of several independent contestant workstations, arranged in a fan shape, with the bottom lined with thick non-slip steel plates and edges with drainage channels and fireproof coatings to withstand high temperatures and impacts.
Outside the core working area are functional partitions, including the judges’ seats, testing area, materials library, safety station, and control room.
Standing here, Li Younan looked up; the entire space was equipped with professional lighting equipment, packed with high-temperature spotlights and various camera positions.
As for the forging equipment each workstation is equipped with, it’s needless to say: two propane forges, one coal forge, and various models of power hammers, hydraulic presses, anvils, etc.
Today was the official competition day, and it was currently the time for program recording.
He was the first contestant to enter the arena. The host, Wesley, smiled and said, "Young challenger, now that you’ve come to this place, do you feel nervous?"
Li Younan wasn’t paying much serious attention to Wesley’s words at the moment because his attention was already on Changsha People Dog.
As a mature man, he naturally once stopped in front of the speed bump for the Sword Forging Competition.
Dog’s phrase "yiwoQ" was simply too catchy.
And seeing the person in real life now, honestly, it felt quite remarkable.
The veteran swordsmith Nelson and Beck beside him also looked no different from what I’d seen on short video platforms.
While he was lost in thought, the host Wesley called out again, "Are you nervous, young man?"
Li Younan only then came back to his senses, smiled, and said, "I guess a little."
Everyone present laughed heartily. Nelson said to Dog beside him, "Honestly, I have great expectations for this young man. I watched his forging video; he’s a very promising newcomer with strength."
The overall atmosphere was quite relaxed. Wesley offered a mysterious smile and said, "Perhaps you don’t know who your opponent is yet, so let’s invite our second contestant on stage. Please welcome Liu Lin."
Upon hearing the name, Li Younan was slightly taken aback. The heavy iron door of the studio opened, and Brother Liu slowly walked in following the staff, his pace unhurried, each step seeming leisurely.
This was a champion-level contestant, famous online for his handcrafted forging, with the unique trait of using prize money only to buy cigars and donating any surplus, living a carefree life. All his weapons were purely handmade, the entire forging process full of masculine charm.
Then, the third contestant, Hu Jixi, entered.
Li Younan was again a bit surprised. On Douyin, Hu Jixi’s fame was almost equal to that of Dog; anyone who had watched the Sword Forging Competition would be familiar with Hu Jixi.
This guy was a genuinely gifted contestant; some even suspected he came with a built-in sword-breaking system.
The young Chinese warrior Hu Jixi quickly walked into the studio under the guidance of the staff. As he entered, he glanced around, and his eyes first landed on the judges’ seats, with a confident smile on his lips. As he passed by Li Younan and Brother Liu, he gave both of them a high-five.
At this moment, Li Younan’s eyes flickered slightly.
Apart from himself, the other two contestants were champion level.
And that wasn’t all; when Wesley announced the final contestant, Li Younan finally understood the layout of this competition.
"Let’s welcome our final contestant, Ben!"
Upon hearing the name, Dali Ben immediately conjured up in Li Younan’s mind.
This guy had been promoted to judge, why was he back as a contestant?
Then, the studio’s iron door opened slightly, and Big Ben walked in. Everyone present knew him. His eyes swept over the other contestants, his gaze calm.
All four stood firm.
He couldn’t help but feel a bit curious; logically, everyone else were champions, and he was just a nobody, so why were they competing together?

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