As Li Gang the Red Kangaroo made his grand entrance, the audience was stunned, while the contestants began silently praying.
They prayed that they wouldn't be paired with such a massive opponent during the upcoming draw.
Even Xu Ming, a current boxing champion who had won multiple gold belts, was no exception.
He was well aware that while his skills would give him an edge under normal circumstances—same weight class and level—none of that mattered when facing someone like Li Gang.
But as the saying goes, the more you fear something, the more it comes true.
With a look of horror on his face, the host announced the first-round matchups through a draw.
"First match, Ren Liang vs. Chen Chong."
"Second match, Cai Wen vs. Li Xiaohu."
"Third match, Xu Ming vs. Li Gang."
...
"Winners advance to the next round; losers are eliminated."
"Now, let's all look forward to the upcoming matches."
As the host finished speaking, the expressions of the crowd varied—some excited, some expectant.
The contestants were no different, especially those who hadn't drawn Li Gang.
They looked as if they were celebrating a holiday.
On the other hand, Xu Ming looked as if he had been forced to swallow a lump of excrement.
If the matches proceeded according to this list, the former boxing king, who was the most likely to win the championship, might be eliminated in the first round.
Just as he was feeling this way, the host approached him with a microphone.
"Xu Ming, as a multiple gold belt winner, I'd like to interview you before the match. What are your thoughts on the upcoming competition?"
Upon hearing the host's question, Xu Ming's expression grew even more grim.
He even suspected the host was doing this on purpose.
However, he quickly regained his composure and smiled.
"Actually, I didn't come to this competition to win a prize. I'm here for my daughter."
When the audience heard this, they thought he had some touching story to share.
But his next response left everyone chuckling.
"My daughter is a fan of the animals, and we couldn't get tickets to West Rainbow Zoo before.
"This time, I signed up to bring her to see the adorable animals in person.
"Also, I'd like to ask the organizers if I can get an extra mascot after the match, as I have another little one at home."
Xu Ming's sincere response brought laughter from the crowd.
They hadn't expected the boxing king to be such a doting father, which explained why he had entered the competition.
Just as the audience was touched by Xu Ming's words, he added one more sentence.
"If Director Yang is watching, please tell your kangaroo to go easy on me. I have to save face, too."
As soon as he finished speaking, the camera panned to Yang Lin sitting nearby.
Yang Lin, in turn, gave a cooperative response.
"Don't worry. Our Li Gang may look big, but he hasn't had professional training. He's a bit lacking in technique."
But no sooner had he finished speaking than Li Gang, the Red Kangaroo, began his warm-up routine next to the ring.
He hopped back and forth on his hind legs, occasionally performing a perfectly timed dodge.
His front paws, wearing boxing gloves, swung rhythmically—jab, straight punch, hook, uppercut—the speed of his punches was so fast that ordinary people could barely follow them.
Seeing this, everyone's gaze toward Yang Lin changed.
"I can see now, Director Yang isn't being honest.
"This is what you call unprofessional?"
"If this is unprofessional, then what am I, someone who's trained in martial arts for five years?"
"This kangaroo's talent is off the charts. Send him to the national team; don't waste his potential."
"Is Li Gang a citizen of Dragon Country? Without him, I won't watch the next Olympics."
"Is there a rule in the Olympics that athletes must be human?"
"I don't think so."
...
As the crowd buzzed with discussion, the boxing match that had already been decided began.
The first two human matches were incredibly exciting, with the contestants performing at their best.
Even so, the audience seemed somewhat distracted.
It wasn't until the host announced the start of the third match that the crowd erupted in thunderous cheers.
In the next moment, under the audience's eager gaze, Xu Ming, representing humanity, and Li Gang, representing the animals, emerged from opposite sides of the ring.
In front of them was a one-meter-high square ring.
While Xu Ming climbed up carefully, Li Gang stylishly jumped over the one-meter-high barrier with a front flip and landed firmly on the ground.
"Wow! Cheating, pure cheating."
"Can kangaroos really jump that high?"
"What do you mean 'can'? Kangaroos can normally jump over four meters high and jump 13 meters long."
"So jumping high and far is the kangaroo's real specialty, huh?"
"Director Yang made a miscalculation here, putting such a long jumper into boxing."
"I think West Rainbow Zoo has even stronger competitors in those events."
...
With this small display of skill, the atmosphere in the venue reached its peak.
Then came the highly anticipated human-kangaroo showdown.
Neither disappointed the crowd. Xu Ming showcased his boxing king skills and exceptional physical prowess, moving fluidly and trading blows with Li Gang.
Li Gang was equally impressive, blocking, defending, and attacking with moves so precise they rivaled those of professional human boxers.
But as the match went on, the audience sensed something was off.
Based on Li Gang's earlier demonstrations of size and skill, the match shouldn't have lasted this long.
A barely plausible thought crossed their minds.
"Is Li Gang going easy on Xu Ming?"
"I think so too."
"Although I don't know much about boxing, I can tell Li Gang isn't giving it his all.
"I remember Director Yang whispering something into Li Gang's ear before the match started."
"Wow, this big kangaroo not only knows boxing but also knows how to handle social situations."
"He must have realized Xu Ming's daughter is watching and didn't want him to lose too badly."
"If that's true, then he's truly a genius."
...
As the audience began to guess this, they felt a warmth from the massive kangaroo.
When the match reached the 15-minute mark, the long-standing stalemate between the human and the kangaroo finally ended.
Li Gang from West Rainbow Zoo won by a narrow margin.
As the referee announced the result, the venue erupted in applause.
At the same time, a cute little girl who had been waiting nearby proudly threw herself into Xu Ming's arms.
Seeing this, Li Gang the Red Kangaroo once again showed his big, white teeth.