Chapter 207: You’ve Got Quite the Cunning Plan
Chapter 207: You've Got Quite the Cunning Plan
Even just on the deck of Rhodes Island, there were already over a thousand people gathered.
But even with so many people, those shameless enough to actually participate in this utterly childish tournament were still only a minority.
For most, this was simply just another festival party—nothing worth thinking too hard about.
Of course, Steven wasn't about to force anyone to participate either.
This whole thing was just for fun, if you liked it, you joined in.
If you didn't, you could just watch from the sidelines.
Both options were perfectly fine.
But even with that in mind, this year's Swivel Chair Championship still turned out to be the largest one yet.
The Engineering Department almost couldn't supply enough chairs for all the participants.
They even had to borrow a batch from the Medical Department just to barely meet the demand.
Steven easily received his "steed" from the Engineering Department—
A plain-looking, white, round rolling chair.
It didn't even have a backrest.
And the three wheels underneath?
They didn't look very reliable at all.
Staring at the chair's design, Steven suddenly recalled a certain unsettling GIF from his mental archive of psychological trauma.
He'd never been a fan of these round stools.
There was always this nagging thought in the back of his mind—
If you applied too much force, wouldn't the round seat just get impaled by that smooth, slender metal pole underneath?
Wouldn't that mean… a direct hole-in-one?!
Just imagining it made his spine tingle.
That kind of feeling had to be pure agony.
Which was exactly why, whenever possible, Steven preferred wooden square stools.
Sure, they were a bit harder to move around on, but at least they kept his rear-end safe, right?
Of course, this was a race, so Steven wasn't too hung up on it this time.
Taking a seat, he gave the chair a test push and effortlessly glided across the deck.
However, due to the three-wheeled design, controlling the direction was a bit tricky.
He almost crashed into someone right away.
Off to the side, Specter's eyes lit up.
She seemed very intrigued by the chair, to the point where she even looked like she wanted to sit on Steven himself to try it out.
As for Gladiia, for some reason, she was unusually quiet today.
She simply stood there, silently watching Steven, lost in thought.
Meanwhile, Skadi, holding the idea that if she beat Steven, she might be able to get the way and news of returning to Ægir from him, decisively got her own small chair from the engineering department, and was now clumsily trying to figure out how to ride it.
"All registered participants, please move to the designated area in the center— the race is about to begin!"
Closure's voice rang out once again over the speakers.
Steven had no choice but to stop what he was doing, pick up his chair, and head over to the cleared-out competition area.
There, dozens of participants were already eagerly seated on their chairs, raring to go—
A mix of both Rhodes Island operators and patients.
Many of them were familiar faces to Steven.
For example, nearly all of the male elite operators were here.
There was also Ceobe, that silly dog, spinning around in circles on her chair.
And Gavial, who was sneakily tampering with her own chair.
But of course, the true heavyweight competitor was none other than, a certain green-haired feline sitting amidst the crowd.
Yet, despite being seated among everyone else, people still instinctively left a clear space around her.
It was as if she had some innate aura that commanded respect and caution.
With arms crossed, Kal'tsit sat perfectly still on her chair.
Her face wore its usual deadpan scowl.
That expression of hers always made people feel like she was in a terrible mood.
It was truly unimaginable, why was the usually stern and serious Kal'tsit even participating in such a childish competition?
It wasn't just the other contestants who were confused.
Even the spectators were rubbing their eyes in disbelief, all with the same existential crisis written on their faces.
"We're not blind, right? That really is Dr. Kal'tsit?"
One thing was for sure, Kal'tsit's reputation on Rhodes Island was immense.
The moment she appeared, she instantly became the center of attention.
But the more people stared, the more Steven could feel an overwhelming aura of resentment coming from her.
By contrast, the one sitting beside her, the actual leader of Rhodes Island, Amiya, was positively beaming with excitement.
Well, it made sense.
She was still a teenage girl, after all.
It was perfectly normal for someone her age to enjoy silly games like this.
Nothing weird about that.
As for the other participants, he didn't really know most of them.
Rhodes Island was huge, and a lot of patients and operators tended to just stay in their rooms.
It wasn't often they all gathered like this.
"Alright, everyone, take your positions! Before we begin, let me go over the rules!"
Closure's voice rang out over the speakers, finally calming the excited crowd.
Gotta give it to that Sarkaz girl, when it came to event organization and logistics, her talent was undeniable.
Steven was even starting to consider giving her a raise or something.
At the very least, her crowd control skills were top-notch.
Casually making his way over, Steven stood beside Kal'tsit, where no one else dared to approach.
He greeted the scowling feline with a cheerful grin—
"I mean, come on. Did you really have to be this unwilling just to get that request from me? This whole thing is supposed to be fun, you know. But I seriously can't see even a hint of joy on your face."
Kal'tsit raised an eyebrow, clearly debating what kind of expression she should make at this main culprit.
"Oh? You're aware of that? Then tell me—who exactly do you think is responsible for this situation?"
If it weren't for Steven's potion and his promise, not even death itself would've made her join this ridiculous competition.
Especially not in front of so many people, making a fool out of herself.
"…It's not me, right?"
Steven's smile widened.
Just seeing Kal'tsit in this state was already reward enough for him.
The race hadn't even started yet, but he already felt like he was enjoying the show.
"Heh."
Kal'tsit let out a cold chuckle, then simply ignored him.
Shifting her posture slightly, she took on a ready-to-go stance.
At that moment, Closure's voice once again echoed through the speakers—
"The racecourse is exactly 1,000 meters long. Your goal? Use every advantage you have to reach the finish line as fast as possible. Whoever crosses first—wins."
"And to make things more exciting, you are free to use any personal skills or Originium Arts—as long as they don't harm other participants, nothing will be considered cheating."
"Power is king. Speed is everything. Competition first, friendship second! These are the official rules of Rhodes Island's Third Swivel Chair Championship!"
"The top three winners will each receive a bottle of the legendary Healing Elixir, generously sponsored by Operator Steve! This miracle potion has been verified by our esteemed medical staff and has shown exceptional effectiveness in treating most external injuries."
"And the grand prize for first place? The champion gets to make a personal request to Mr. Steve himself!"
"So, competitors, give it your all! Victory awaits! Fortune and glory are just within reach!"
While announcing the rules, Closure didn't forget to advertise the hell out of Steven and his potion, making it sound like some legendary treasure.
Steven blinked, then turned his head to glance at Kal'tsit.
"…Did you teach her to say all that?"
He had never planned on publicly revealing himself as the sponsor, let alone advertising his own product.
But Closure had just thrown him under the spotlight, practically shouting to the world—
"Ladies and gentlemen! Everything today is on Sir Steven!"
Sure, this would skyrocket his reputation within Rhodes Island…
But it also came with trouble.
A lot of trouble.
For starters, people were definitely going to start pestering him about his potion.
Especially those corporate-affiliated doctors over in Medical, who had already begun eyeing him like he was some rare specimen.
The most obvious ones?
Those two owl-looking scientists from Rhine Lab.
Their intense stares were practically those of a predator spotting prey.
Kal'tsit, however, didn't even spare him a glance.
Her response was flat and matter-of-fact—
"A sponsor must be publicly acknowledged. And if the prize isn't properly explained, how else would it attract participants?"
Steven's mouth twitched.
"Alright. I'll be sure to settle this 'tab' with you later."
Damn, Kal'tsit was a real strategist.
She'd used this event to reveal his identity, while also highlighting his potion's effects.
By doing this, she had subtly pulled him closer to Rhodes Island's faction.
Of course, this wouldn't have been a problem If he hadn't been dumb enough to sponsor the damn event in the first place.
But honestly?
Steven didn't mind all that much.
If others were interested in him, well, we was interested in them too.
He was bored, anyway.
So if some people wanted to bother him, he welcomed it.
If they wanted to talk, fine.
But if some idiots wanted to cause trouble, then that was just free WAP for him.
Stretching his waist, Steven set aside all unnecessary thoughts.
He could deal with the aftermath of this later.
Right now, there was only one thing to focus on—
The race.
And since Kal'tsit was so determined to win first place…
She might want to think again.
Because if she pissed him off, that first place was about to become a distant dream.
She seemed to forget that he was also a participant.
Winning?
Maybe he wasn't guaranteed to win.
But making sure someone else loses?
Oh, that—
That he could do easily.
At that moment, Closure's voice boomed over the speakers—
"Alright! That's all for the rules! Now, racers, take your positions! The highly anticipated Swivel Chair Championship is about to begin!"
As all the contestants settled onto their chairs, the final countdown began.
"Three."
"Two."
"One—"
"BEGIN! SHOW US WHAT YOU'VE GOT!"
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