Chapter 335: Sports Star

Hua Wu Yue?
Lin Dong was stunned. Though he couldn’t see the person’s face, the lace-trimmed silk robe immediately brought to mind the image of Hua Wu Yue. Moreover, the person in front was holding a small spirit stone fan, from which a gentle breeze kept blowing out.
It was just early summer, and not under the sun, yet such a cool breeze—Lin Dong had only seen someone like this in Lingnan City before, namely Hua Wu Yue.
“Young master, isn’t this archery skill a bit poor?”
Beside him, a man dressed like a guard turned to look at the person suspected to be Hua Wu Yue, his tone tinged with disdain.
“It is a bit poor! But with Lin’s Gymnasium’s management style, in a few more years, it should become more interesting.”
Hearing this, Lin Dong was convinced—this voice belonged to Hua Wu Yue.
“What could be interesting about it? They don’t even allow warriors to compete,” the guard muttered skeptically. “In my opinion, not in a few years, but even decades, there won’t be any interesting competitions held by the academy. After all, the participants in the academy’s competitions are all warriors.”
“That’s precisely where Lin’s Gymnasium is wise. The academy and Lin’s Gymnasium are actually the same—only the academy prohibits people other than students from competing. If outsiders participated, aside from the fights themselves, it would likely fail within a few years. Even if they did compete, the quality would decline year by year. After all, the academy can’t afford to reward top fighters. Once a few profit-driven fighters show up, the huge skill gap makes it uninteresting. And if those top fighters keep competing for two or three years, others will surely lose motivation. Besides, since everyone already knows who’s number one, there’s no reason to look forward.”
Hua Wu Yue replied calmly, “By restricting warriors from competing, Lin’s Gymnasium can use ordinary people—just with silver, they’ll fight with full enthusiasm. Their skills won’t differ so much that the outcome is obvious without a match. Although they’re ordinary people and can’t surpass warriors no matter how hard they try, the advantage is that there are more participants. The more people, the greater the suspense. If these competitions could be more exciting, at least I’d ensure there’s no gap in matches during the final month when the winner is decided.”
The guard uttered an awkward sound, clearly not understanding the meaning. But Lin Dong behind him couldn’t help but look at Hua Wu Yue with new respect—this analysis was exactly the development strategy he had envisioned when founding Lin’s Gymnasium. This young master Hua, aside from his strength not matching his appearance, also had remarkable analytical skills.

“How far in advance can tickets for Lin’s Gym be bought?” Hua Wuyue suddenly asked.
Before coming here, the guard had bought the tickets first and had also asked about such things, so he replied without hesitation, “Tickets for ten days in advance can be bought.”
“When we leave, buy all the tickets within ten days—all four matches.” Hua Wuyue stood up, his spirit stone fan humming softly.
“All four matches, tickets for ten days?” The guard hesitated. “Young master, if you keep coming to Lin’s Gym every day, it’ll be hard to explain to the master!”
“What’s there to watch in this crappy competition?” Hua Wuyue said dismissively.
“Then… young master, should I buy the tickets…” The guard was utterly confused.
Hua Wuyue smiled without saying anything. Instead of explaining, he gently swayed his spirit stone fan and turned away leisurely.
The moment his gaze accidentally fell on Lin Dong, his smile froze instantly, stiff and unchanging.
“Young Master Hua, not watching the match?” Lin Dong greeted with a smile.
Hua Wuyue couldn’t utter a word, inwardly groaning. In just a few days, he had only gone out three times, and each time he ran into this manager of Lin’s Inn.
Was this month cursed?
The first time, he was knocked unconscious with a slap. The second time, he was forced to write a guarantee. This third time… Hua Wuyue was sure misfortune was inevitable, though he wasn’t sure if it would be worse than the previous times or slightly better. Judging from the previous misfortunes—shame the first time, humiliation the second—things should… get worse.
The humming spirit stone fan kept spinning, drawing many people’s attention to Hua Wuyue standing there. But when they saw the sound coming from the first row and originating from the spirit stone fan, they chose to remain silent.
To obtain a spirit stone fan at Lin’s Inn, one needed to accumulate the cost of ten taels’ worth of food and drinks. To already have one in hand the next day meant this person must be quite wealthy.
The guard beside him was clearly not the one Lin Dong had met before. Seeing Lin Dong greet him, he thought his young master had indeed met an acquaintance. Noticing Lin Dong looked unfamiliar, he paid no mind and stood by, waiting for Hua Wuyue.
Lin Dong remained smiling, unfazed by Hua Wuyue’s silence. “Young Master Hua, is this handheld spirit stone fan easy to use?”

Hua Wu Yue was anxious, unsure of what misfortune might strike next. He originally didn’t want to answer at all, but fearing that the bad luck was caused by ignoring people twice in a row, he forced a smile and nodded, saying, “It was no trouble. Thank you, Manager Lin, for your generous gift.”
“You’re too kind, Young Master Hua,” Lin Dong said with a smile, pointing at the competition area. “Go ahead with your tasks. I won’t disturb you anymore.”
Hua Wu Yue’s eyes widened instantly, his expression one of shock, as if he had heard something utterly unbelievable.
“Young Master Hua, are you alright?” Lin Dong asked kindly.
“Huh?” Hua Wu Yue stared at Lin Dong in confusion.
“I’m asking, are you okay?” Lin Dong’s patience was surprisingly good.
“I’m… I’m fine!” Hua Wu Yue quickly shook his head.
“If you’re fine, then go ahead. I’ll find you to drink tea sometime,” Lin Dong said, his smile becoming even warmer.
Hua Wu Yue nodded repeatedly. Though still skeptical about why Lin Dong would let him go so easily, he mustered courage, bypassed the guards, and carefully entered the passage.
Watching Hua Wu Yue’s stiff figure gradually fade away until he disappeared completely, Lin Dong’s gaze then turned to the competition area. In his heart, he had already made up his mind to visit Peach Blossom Tavern sometime.
This Young Master Hua was indeed interesting.
In the competition area, a few workers were counting scores. Once all the arrows from the targets, which were marked with red circles, were removed, another man carrying a bow and arrows came in through the passage.
The man was in his early thirties, strong and muscular, and from his appearance, clearly a hunter.
He went straight in front of the first target and removed the long bow from his shoulder. Then, with his left hand, he reached toward the quiver behind him, and in the next second, a whooshing sound was heard.
Buzz!
Thirty meters away, right at the center of the target, the tail feathers of an arrow were gently trembling.
Huh…
Suddenly, the entire Lin’s Gymnasium erupted in excitement.
“Wow, that drawing speed with a bow—even Ning Qiang from the Ten Thousand Methods Academy probably can’t do that!”
“He probably can’t. I remember Ning Qiang’s archery relies on strength. At thirty meters, if it were Ning Qiang, we wouldn’t even see the arrow leave, let alone know it would easily pierce through the center of more than a dozen targets. But compared to this man, his drawing speed is slower. Look at him—he seems to have eyes in the back of his head. He picks up an arrow without any adjustment and shoots it right away.”

“Ning Qiang is trained in martial arts. I heard he’s already at the sixth level of the Lingdong phase. Such strength is certainly beyond ordinary people. If this person also has the sixth level of Lingdong strength, they could surely shoot through more than a dozen targets with a single arrow. But then again, I remember Ning Qiang’s drawing and shooting speed isn’t slow either. People who practice martial arts should have faster hands.”
“It’s not slow, but it gives a different impression. Look at this person—how should I describe their movements…”
Lin Dong couldn’t help but interject, “Fluent as flowing clouds? Done in one go?”
“That’s right! Exactly!” A clap suddenly came from behind. “Ning Qiang’s movements are fast, but he has to pause when reaching into the arrow quiver, probably to find an arrow. Then, when the arrow reaches the bowstring, he has to pause again to adjust the fletching. And before shooting, he seems to pause too, likely to locate the center of the target. Although his overall speed might be faster than this person’s, it still seems a bit unsmooth. This person, on the other hand, doesn’t pause at all throughout the process. It means they know exactly where the arrows are in the quiver and can instantly remember the exact position of the target’s center. Without talent, it’s impossible.”
Lin Dong couldn’t help but turn back. Sitting behind him were two men in their fifties.
“Two esteemed elders, you seem to have great expertise in archery!”
“Of course. We were both archers in the army back then and could be considered skilled marksmen,” said one of the elders, stroking his long beard with a smile. “But compared to this competitor, decades of practice are useless.”
“You’re too modest,” Lin Dong replied politely with a smile, then turned his attention back to the competition area.
By the time they finished speaking, the young hunter had already walked slowly to the fifth target, drawn his bow, and shot in one smooth motion. He didn’t even glance at the arrow he’d shot before moving on to the next target.
In this way, he hit the center of all ten targets, taking only one-third of the time compared to the previous competitor.
Boom…
When the last arrow hit the center, the entire Lin’s Gymnasium erupted in excitement.
“Great kid! If he joins the army, he’ll definitely be chosen for the imperial guard. If he can also learn martial arts, he might even become an inner palace guard.”
“I think his name is Wan Xiliang. With such archery skills and using his left hand just like me, I’ll definitely watch every match he has in the future.”

“Call me when the time comes. I bet he’ll be first in the archery competition.”
“That’s not necessarily true. Don’t forget—there are ten events in the archery competitions at Lin’s Gymnasium, and none of them focus on who can shoot arrows faster or more beautifully. With my archery skills, I’m confident I can score full marks in all ten events. Even if I miss one or two arrows out of a hundred, it still means I can at least make it to the final spring competition. The events in the spring competition seem to rely more on physical strength. Despite being young, he might not have as good stamina as me.”
“That’s true, but if I had to choose, I’d still pick him as first.”
“That’s not up to you.”
“Who said that? Look at the cheers and his smooth movements—even those who don’t understand archery can see his skill. There must be many who like him. If Wan Xilang isn’t first, who will come to Lin’s Gymnasium anymore? I certainly won’t. After all, the owner of Lin’s Gymnasium wants to make money, right? He must find a way to make Wan Xilang the first.”
“That’s not necessarily true!” Lin Dong couldn’t help but interject again.
“Could it be that the owner of Lin’s Gymnasium wants to lose money?” the old man grunted.
Lin Dong smiled and said, “I mean, even if Wan Xilang isn’t first, you might still come to Lin’s Gymnasium. Besides, Wan Xilang will be competing next year. Can you resist not coming?”
“It seems…” the old man said helplessly, “I can’t resist.”
“Besides, Wan Xilang isn’t the only skilled archer. What if there’s an old man in his eighties with the ability to hit targets from a hundred paces away?” Lin Dong chuckled. “Wouldn’t the two of you quickly support that old man instead of Wan Xilang?”
“Well…” The two were speechless. There were indeed old men in their eighties with such skills. If they took good care of themselves, they might be able to do it by that age. The reason they didn’t compete was simply that, having been skilled archers for decades, the military subsidies covered their needs for life, so they weren’t interested in the prizes at Lin’s Gymnasium.
But it was possible they might get tempted to sign up after watching too many competitions.
As fellow elders, they would naturally support someone their own age.
Inside the competition area, the scores had already been calculated. After removing the arrows from the transparent targets and placing them back in position, another competitor entered shortly after.

After just watching three arrows, Lin Dong lost interest. To be honest, this person’s archery skills were actually quite good—both the first and second arrows hit the bullseye, with only the third arrow deviating slightly from it. Yet, after seeing Wan Xiliang’s performance, his movements paled in comparison, lacking any sense of ease or fluidity.

With his eyes slightly closed, Lin Dong began to think of ways to boost the appeal of Lin’s Gymnasium.

To increase its attractiveness, the skill level of the competitors was undoubtedly the most important factor. But this could not be improved in the short term. Changing the competition rules or shortening the duration also wouldn’t work.

Then…

Suddenly, Lin Dong remembered a conversation between two elders behind him. They had said they would come to watch any match featuring Wan Xiliang.

There must be quite a number of spectators attracted by Wan Xiliang’s smooth and seamless archery style. It was impossible to have him compete every day, but if each day there were one or two competitors with similar skills or unique characteristics, it would ensure a steady stream of loyal fans for the archery competitions.

Loyal fans… stars!

Lin Dong suddenly saw the solution—he needed to bring in some sports stars. By identifying competitors with distinctive skills and finding ways to promote them widely, he could build a loyal fan base, significantly increasing attendance at the archery competitions.

The same approach could be applied to the other three sports as well.

Just this alone could revitalize Lin’s Gymnasium.

With a plan in mind, Lin Dong’s depressed mood instantly turned excited. By relying on sports stars to get through the tough times, and as the competitors’ skills improved over time, along with the loyal fans they brought, it would be hard for Lin’s Gymnasium not to become popular.

To cultivate sports stars, it was first and foremost necessary for them to have truly appealing unique qualities.

After some consideration, Lin Dong came up with an idea. In terms of appeal, the audience was the best test. He could create a popularity ranking, allowing ticketed spectators to vote once each. Then, he could assign people to gather information on the top-ranked competitors, ensuring there would be no shortage of candidates to promote.

Moreover, this popularity ranking could serve as an effective marketing tool. It would also encourage spectators to buy tickets to support their favorite competitors, indirectly boosting ticket sales for Lin’s Gymnasium.

Three goals achieved at once!

There are four major competitions, with each person getting one chance to participate, taking about ten to fifteen days. If the popularity rankings can be determined early, one round can be used to identify distinctive participants, and another to observe their features and gather information, allowing the first batch of sports stars to be announced in just over twenty days.

Next is the aspect of promotion. Given the high level of publicity development in this world, Lin Dong wasn’t worried about a lack of ideas. After a brief thought, he made up his mind. He would place several large billboards on every street, hire top artists to create powerful full-color portraits on them, and include detailed descriptions of the participants’ unique traits, notable achievements, or interesting stories. Within ten to fifteen days, everyone would know them by heart.

Additionally, large posters could be displayed around the streets to promote sports stars competing on the same day or in the same event—whether it was a duel between two top contenders or a competition among three. With such excitement, there would be no shortage of people buying tickets.

Now that the selection of sports stars and their promotion strategies were in place, the remaining task was to ensure everything went smoothly. It was crucial to prevent these stars from withdrawing midway or refusing to compete in the following year after becoming well-known. Otherwise, although the promotion costs were minor, losing the audience’s trust in Lin’s Gymnasium would be a bigger loss.

Moreover, Lin Dong believed that once Lin’s Gymnasium became popular, other gyms like Wang’s, Liu’s, or Ma’s might emerge. Although these newer gyms had the disadvantage of not being able to build transparent roofs, it was hard to say which would have the upper hand if they tried to poach Lin’s stars.

It was necessary to sign contracts with these selected stars. If they had urgent matters preventing them from competing, it could be understood. But if they were poached and refused to compete, they would have to pay tens of thousands of silver coins—or none of them could be taken away.

Fortunately, in this world, even household servants had contracts. As long as a certain amount of silver was offered as a reward, along with a clause restricting them to compete only at Lin’s Gymnasium for thirty to fifty years, there should be little resistance.