Chapter 131: Playing for Such High Stakes?

Ten minutes passed in the blink of an eye.

By now, the young man facing Jiang Yun was no longer standing as straight as he had been at the start. His posture had faltered, and his imposing demeanor had dimmed somewhat. Yet, he still had no intention of moving. After all, as the old saying goes, he had already stood there for ten minutes—if he gave up now, wouldn't all that previous effort have been for nothing?

The standoff between the two had begun to draw attention. Passersby slowed their pace, casting strange looks at the pair. Some, tired from standing, simply sat down on the curb. What started with one or two people soon grew to four or five, then seven or eight. Gradually, they were surrounded by a crowd of onlookers. Others, seeing a large group gathered, assumed there was something interesting to see and rushed over to join in. Even some viewers watching the live stream showed up at the scene to observe in person. The crowd surrounding them only continued to grow.

By now, Jiang Yun and his opponent had been locked in this standoff for half an hour. The young man had toyed with the idea of giving up, moving his feet, and handing over the money—he was, after all, quite tired—but the sheer size of the crowd left him trapped. He was riding a tiger and could not get off.

The viewers in the live stream recognized the young man's awkward predicament and began to tease him.

"Oh no, he can't back down now even if he wants to."
"With so many people watching, whoever chickens out first loses all face."
"Well, at this point, he really can't leave even if he tries."
"The guy facing Brother Yun: His hanging heart has finally died; there's no escaping now!"

Another half hour passed. The young man felt his legs going numb; he truly wanted to quit. But the moment he made the slightest move, someone nearby shouted, "Yo, looks like someone's about to tap out! If you can't take it, just admit it—it's no big deal!"

The other onlookers, though unaware of the full context, could see that Jiang Yun and the young man were locked in a stubborn battle of wills. Seeing that someone was on the verge of breaking, a smile spread across their faces.

The word "can't" hit a nerve. The young man’s resolve, which had been wavering, tightened once more. No man likes to be told he "can't," especially with so many people watching. He pretended to roll his neck as if stretching, masking the embarrassment of his near-surrender.

Jiang Yun, meanwhile, looked at the person who had shouted with a hint of suspicion. He had a feeling the guy had done it on purpose.

When he looked over, the man winked at him.

Jiang Yun: "..."

Confirmed. It was definitely one of his fans causing trouble. Just like that, a standoff that was nearing its end had been extended by this interloper.

At this point, besides the young man, there was one other person who felt she was suffering immensely: Dai Xiaomei. She didn't quite understand this strange, competitive male ego. However, seeing the number of viewers in her live stream rising with no sign of dropping off, she had no choice but to stifle her boredom and continue broadcasting.

"How much longer are they going to stand there? My butt is starting to hurt from sitting," Dai Xiaomei muttered to herself.

The viewers in the stream scolded her for the comment.

"Shut up! You old woman who doesn't understand men!"
"Hold your phone steady, stop shaking it!"
"If you don't understand, just watch! There's a reason our Boss Jiang is a top streamer!"
"With Brother Yun’s temperament, if he were transported into an anime, he’d definitely be the type to close his eyes, shout about 'friendship' and 'love,' and charge headlong at the final boss."

Even though Dai Xiaomei didn't understand men, she could tell that the mischievous "old sixes" in her stream genuinely enjoyed watching this kind of "boring" content. She pouted and continued holding the phone steadily.

Soon, another three hours passed. The crowd of onlookers surrounding Jiang Yun had cycled through batch after batch, but strangely, there was always a group lingering to watch. It seemed everyone loved a spectacle.

The protagonist of the situation, the young man facing Jiang Yun, had a different look in his eyes now. The initial defiance and the subsequent stubbornness were gone, replaced by a numbness that even the viewers through the screen could feel. He was truly drained. For an average person not used to intense physical exertion, standing still for four hours was agonizing enough—let alone doing so under the gaze of a crowd, unable to move his feet or make small adjustments, and having to keep his back straight just to avoid looking pathetic.

He looked around, truly ready to give up this time. But just as he prepared to lift his left foot, Jiang Yun spoke.

It wasn't much—just two words.

"Is that it?"

Those two words, dripping with heavy mockery, stopped the young man’s foot in mid-air. He looked up at Jiang Yun again. There was a hint of exhaustion in Jiang Yun's eyes, too. After all, while standing still didn't require immense physical fitness, it was a grueling test of willpower. Even he was tired.

But that didn't matter. Because he was stubborn! Whether he was tired or not was irrelevant—his attitude had to remain ironclad!

Their gazes locked once more. This time, it was Jiang Yun who projected the challenge. He didn't care about the money, but he couldn't stand someone being stubborn with him!

The viewers in the stream saw the look in Jiang Yun's eyes.

"Brother Yun: 'Is that it? You're weak, go practice more!'"
"Brother Yun: 'You think you can challenge me with this level? You're twenty thousand years too early!'"
"Brother Yun: 'Everything that female police officer took from me last time, I'm going to take back from you!'"
"The guy above, is this 'taking' you're talking about appropriate?"
"I want to 'take' Brother Yun too."
"Damn! You guys are truly perverts."

Watching the barrage of comments, Dai Xiaomei felt a sense of speechlessness so profound it was almost overflowing. She didn't get it—she didn't get it at all. How could anyone be bored enough to stare at each other for four hours without moving? And the most ridiculous part was that people were watching, and kept watching! And the "old sixes" in her stream wouldn't even let her talk!

Just as Dai Xiaomei was lost in her frustration, the young man opposite Jiang Yun pulled out his phone, seemingly sending a message.

Ten minutes later, a few other young men squeezed through the crowd with difficulty and reached his side. They glanced at the young man and then at Jiang Yun, before silently pulling out an empty sports drink bottle.

Seeing this, Dai Xiaomei’s eyes widened.

"Holy crap, they aren't going to..."

It wasn't just her; the viewers in the stream exploded.

"Holy crap, holy crap, holy crap! This guy is playing for real?"
"With so many people here, does he really dare?"
"If he actually does it, I’ll admit he’s a man!"
"That’s not being a man, that’s being a pervert!"

Dai Xiaomei immediately tilted the camera upward, locking it onto the young man’s upper body. She didn't dare show even an inch of his lower body—not even a little!