Chatter Endlessly

"Are you done or not?" Eveleigh yelled.

"Wait, I'm collecting money. Oh, what's your name?" Chen Zhao was taking notes.

"Pete."

"Okay, Pete, $200."

"If you lose, you'll pay us all, right?"

"Of course. You have so many people. I won't even dare to not pay up, right?"

He collected more than $1,000. No one else made bets, so he put the money away.

He retreated to 30 meters away, jogged, sprinted, and jumped. He created an arc in the air and landed steadily in the sand.

"Seven point fifty-one meters."

Everyone stared at him dumbfounded. No one moved.

"No, no way. You're cheating." Eveleigh couldn't figure this out, so she reflexively thought that Chen Zhao was cheating. It wasn't possible under everyone's scrutiny though. "Did you step on the line?"

"Go look."

The line was drawn in white paint. It was easy to see if he stepped on the line or not.