Inside the venue, with the introduction of an event involving Su God and a few others setting a world record, the competition experienced a slight delay.
Only after Su Feiren finished being interviewed by a multitude of media reporters, was the competition allowed to proceed.
Unsurprisingly, this round continued with a track and field event.
It was, however, a shot put match, which tends to favor strength.
At first, everyone expressed intrigue and curiosity when they heard about this event.
Most of the spectators believed that the majority of animals wouldn't be capable of participating in this event.
After all, only a handful of primate species could perform a throwing movement.
If Grandpa Wei hadn't already participated in a shooting event, he might have been able to try, but his chance of beating humanity was probably slim due to his old age.
Old Man Qiang the gibbon had already committed to the single and double bars competition.
Aside from these two, the only primates left in the West Rainbow Zoo were monkeys.
Just as everyone expected the monkeys to take the stage for the shot put, a figure appeared in the field, stunning everyone present.
Even spectators in the live broadcast room could clearly see without any need for zooming in. It was an adult African elephant.
The nearly four-meter-tall elephant was wearing an oversized pink vest.
"Damn, how is this even playable, can you tell me?"
"Indeed, this is hardly different from cheating."
"Hahaha, really Zoo Director, this is such an insult, having an elephant toss the shot put, pure bullying.”
"The weight of a shot put is pretty much negligible to an elephant."
"I almost forgot that elephants can use their trunks. Would that be considered a foul?"
"The director doesn't seem to want to give us a chance to win."
"It'll probably throw it hundreds of meters away."
"Go on, toss it quickly."
"No, no, although humanity is sure to lose this round, I still want to watch."
"Right, it doesn't matter if we lose, I want to see how far an elephant can throw a shot put."
"Don't overwhelm the roof of the venue."
"An elephant's strength can flip a car, throwing a shot put is akin to flicking a booger for them."
Clearly, the spectators were not the only ones curious. The athletes participating in the shot put were equally intrigued by the appearance of the elephant.
Concern was utterly absent.
They stopped worrying the moment they saw the elephant, there was no need for worry.
In no time, the burly men sprinted over to the elephant, full of enthusiasm, much like children.
"Damn, its legs are so damn thick, like pillars."
"Such rock-solid muscles, so enviable."
"It seems so good-natured."
"Why does it have an extra leg here?"
...
No man could resist the presence of this strongest terrestrial animal, much like no child could resist a digger.
Before long, the venue had turned into a grand fan meet-and-greet.
Even the referee nearby could no longer stand it.
"Contestants, please refrain from touching and interfering with other competitors."
"Please maintain a dignified appearance."
"What are you guys doing over there, clinging onto the leg of the elephant?"
Enjoying the spectacle, the competitors reluctantly parted from their interaction with the elephant after a stern rebuke from the referee.
Their half-hearted attempts in the competition that followed seemed merely for show.
Once deprived of their chance to interact, they hurriedly went to sit on the railings on the side, transforming from being participants to being very important spectators.
Their antics caused some in the audience to wonder if these individuals had registered for the competition merely to get a close-up viewing of the events.
When the pink-vested elephant sauntered to the center of the field, these flamboyant men cheered wildly.
The entire venue echoed with the trumpet of the elephant, as it effortlessly picked up a 15 kg shot-put with its long trunk.
The sight of the elephant lifting the heavy shot-put with ease left the seated contestants in awe.
Under the thrilled gaze of the bystanders, the shot-put traced a long parabola through the sky and swiftly flew towards the end of the arena, akin to a cannonball's flight.
Cheers erupted spontaneously, except for the spectators at the receiving end of the shot-put.
At first, they exhibited no fear, but as the shot-put got menacingly close, panic set in.
"Shit, it could hit us."
"If it does, we'd die instantly."
"Lose our head, in fact."
"Is it too late to buy insurance now?"
"If we die from an animal attack, do we buy life, beast, or man-animal insurance?"
"If I charge upfront and kill the elephant right now, would it count as urgent risk-avoidance?"
"No, it would just mean you are one badass."
"Chances of being killed by an elephant should be much lower than that of a meteorite."
"Lower, but not non-existent."
"Damn it, it's really coming this way!"
...
Just when everyone believed that the high-energy shot-put was going to hit the stands, it finally landed with a thud 10 meters away.
It created a sizeable crater on impact.
Seeing this, everyone exhaled deeply and a thunderous cheer erupted from the crowd, as if they themselves were the ones who had achieved this feat.
At this point, it seemed more like a one-elephant show than a competition to the crowd.
When the final score was announced, a number far beyond most people's imagination appeared –
254 meters!
A terrifying number, surpassing ten times the human shot-put record.
And there was a palpable feeling among all that the elephant had taken it easy.
In other words, 254 meters was the limit of the field, not of the elephant.
At the moment when the results were announced, the human contestants immediately rushed to join the elephant.
The incredibly harmonious interaction between humans and animals were quickly captured by the multitude of media present at the scene.
It's believed that it won't be long before this image graces the covers of all major nature magazines.
For most people, having the opportunity to witness the ultimate speed and strength of land creatures in a single day is an honor in itself.
Moreover, they believe that in the subsequent days of the competition, they will be able to see many more fascinating facets of these animals.
However, just as everyone was filled with anticipation, sudden exclamations erupted from the side of the stands. As the camera zoomed in on the stands, an extremely thrilling scenario emerged in the viewers' field of vision.
Six chapters have been completed today, and we’ll continue with six more tomorrow.
Furthermore, I’d like to ask your opinion. Should the sports event storyline be continued at length, or should we not go into such detail and transition to the subsequent storyline?
Lengthening the story is not a problem, given the ample content every day. The plot will wrap up in a couple of days regardless.