Although Li Gang showed mercy to Xu Ming, the other contestants weren't so lucky.
In the subsequent rounds of the competition, the contestants who stepped onto the stage didn't even last a minute before being knocked out by Li Gang with a single punch.
It was only then that everyone realized how terrifying this boxing champion from the animal kingdom truly was.
This was under regulated rules; if it had been an unrestricted fight, the outcome would have been even worse.
After all, the most formidable part of a kangaroo isn't its forelimbs but its hind legs.
Moves like a two-meter leap with a left front kick or a 360-degree spinning right whip kick were all within its repertoire.
The scheduled one-and-a-half-hour competition ended in less than 30 minutes.
When it came time to award the prizes, all the contestants except Xu Ming had injuries on their faces.
However, despite being brutally beaten by Li Gang, their expressions revealed an extraordinary level of excitement.
After all, very few people in the world have the opportunity to fight a kangaroo.
Moreover, the boxing champion was a defeated opponent of Li Gang, and so were they.
So, by a rough estimate, they were practically boxing champions themselves.
Having competed alongside a boxing champion was something they could brag about for the rest of their lives.
With the conclusion of this boxing match, the morning schedule of the event was temporarily brought to a close.
The audience, still yearning for more, left the venue, eagerly anticipating the afternoon's events.
Meanwhile, as the sports event took a break, the scenes from the morning's competition began to explode online.
Whether it was self-media, marketing accounts, influencers, or official media, everyone was reporting on the morning's events.
Even Dragon Country's official sports and comprehensive channels were no exception.
Among the most-watched content were the three video articles related to the competition released by Dragon Country Daily.
As the only official media account with over 100 million followers, Dragon Country Daily boasts 160 million followers on a single platform.
These three videos immediately attracted a massive audience upon release.
Within just half an hour, the videos surpassed 50 million views, and the comment section reached over 1 million comments.
Just saw the video, and the comments are already over a million? That's exaggerated!
"I was lucky enough to watch the morning's competition. It was even more exciting than in the video."
"Is this the official dad's approval?"
"Hahaha, I saw myself in the footage."
"I truly envy you guys who could watch the live stream online. Unlike me, I live nearby and had to watch with a telescope from my balcony."
"@West Rainbow Zoo @West Rainbow Zoo Head Keeper, Yang Director, you and your animals made it to TV."
"Shitifu even got a close-up, but why is he smoking with a mosaic filter?"
"Laughing out loud, the official dad is so meticulous, knowing to blur out the great grandpa's cigarette."
"Sister Hua also made an appearance, along with Gangzi."
"It feels a bit like the Olympics, getting so much attention from the official dad."
"The scale might not match the Olympics, but I think it's more interesting."
"Hope it continues next year. I'll definitely be there in person."
"Next year? How about every six months?"
"Hope TikTok dad can create a medal ranking like the Olympics."
...
With the approval from Dragon Country Daily, the popularity of this unique sports event soared to a new level.
Soon, various social media and software platforms were flooded with content about the event.
TikTok and Houlang Blog, two major platforms, even took suggestions from netizens and created a medal ranking similar to the Olympics.
Shitifu, Sister Hua, and Gangzi's avatars were prominently at the top.
As these animal athletes went viral across the internet, Yang Lin on the other side was once again overwhelmed by advertising collaboration calls.
Just as he picked up his boxed lunch in the backstage area, his phone rang before he could take a few bites.
When he answered, the voice on the other end was somewhat unexpected.
"Hello, Director Yang. This is the business department of Jiangtuan Takeout. We would like to invite Mr. Li Gang from your zoo to be our image spokesperson.
"I wonder if you're available recently. If so, we can send someone over to discuss the details with you."
...
Hearing the other party's introduction, Yang Lin couldn't understand why a delivery company would want a kangaroo as their spokesperson.
"Is it because he's fast and has a pouch?"
However, after hearing the endorsement fee offered, he dismissed all his doubts.
Just as he thought it was over, more calls started pouring in.
"Hello, Director Yang. We are Zhenlong Cigarettes. We would like to invite Shitifu to shoot an advertisement for us..."
"Director Yang, we are Bawanglong Glasses. We hope to invite Shitifu to be our new chief experience officer..."
"Director Yang, we are Liangmiandao Toothpaste. We would like to invite Li Gang to be our image spokesperson..."
"Director Yang, we are Chenshi Heavy Industry. We would like to invite Li Hua to be the spokesperson for our latest heavy truck model..."
...
In just over ten minutes, Yang Lin received over 20 business collaboration calls.
Some invited Shitifu to endorse gold brands, Li Gang for protein powder and creatine, and Sister Hua for large SUVs.
Others invited Shitifu to endorse e-cigarettes.
While these were somewhat understandable, some were downright bizarre.
For instance, a company producing laxative tea also wanted Shitifu to endorse them. Was he supposed to perform diarrhea on the spot?
The most absurd was an invitation for Sister Hua to endorse yoga pants. Yang Lin even wondered if they wanted her entire family to move in.
"Maybe I need to hire someone specifically to handle the zoo's business activities."
It was foreseeable that after this sports event, the commercial value of these animals in the eyes of advertisers would be no less than that of Olympic stars.
The business collaborations would only increase, not decrease.
As Yang Lin pondered how to manage and screen these business activities, time unknowingly moved on to the afternoon.
The afternoon events were about to begin.
According to the organizing committee's plan, the afternoon events would mainly focus on track and field.
The audience's anticipation for this part of the event was the highest.
So even though the official competition was still more than half an hour away, the seats were already filled to capacity.
Soon, the host announced the first event of the afternoon—the 4*400-meter relay.