Chapter 135: The Final Rankings

"May heaven be free of female drivers!"

Inevitably, as this sentiment bubbled up in the hearts of the audience, the live stream's chat screen was instantly flooded with this very phrase. At the commentary desk, seeing the viewers' comments, Xiao Qi and Xiao Mo couldn't help but burst into laughter.

Meanwhile, Yang Hao, who had just opened the stream and caught sight of the comments, simply shook his head with a smile. You all are still too naive. If heaven were truly free of female drivers, Yang Hao wouldn't go there even if his life depended on it. With Lin Zijin absent, what meaning would heaven hold for him?

The preliminary round was slowly drawing to a close. Yet, no one had expected that the climax of this match would not come from the final circle's showdown. As expected, Lin Zijin had successfully stolen the spotlight with her "driving skills." Although Yang Hao and Lin Zijin hadn't even made it to the final circle, their presence had completely eclipsed the other contestants, becoming the most brilliant highlight of this preliminary round. This was no longer just about Lin Zijin's fame; it was the series of spectacular moments they had delivered throughout the match, leaving an indelible impression on the audience despite their failure to reach the final circle.

As the match concluded, the ultimate "winner" was Hu Ye, a top-tier streamer from Galaxy TV. Although Yang Hao and Lin Zijin were eliminated unexpectedly, they still successfully finished in the top ten. The audience wasn't surprised by this, as there were very few players left in the match by that point.

Before long, the final results of the preliminary round reached the commentators, Xiao Qi and Xiao Mo. Looking at the final rankings, the two exchanged glances and smiled, as if they had already guessed the outcome. The audience, however, didn't seem particularly focused on the final results; they were still immersed in the discussion about "female drivers." Truth be told, many of them had seen Lin Zijin drive in the game before and felt she was actually quite decent. But her performance just now had completely overturned their impression of her; the label of "female driver assassin" had been firmly and permanently slapped onto her.

Thinking of "Huyou Ge's" dismal experience in this match, the audience couldn't help but want to laugh. It was a mix of sympathy and amusement—they couldn't help it; it was just too funny! Especially those who knew Huyou Ge’s personality; they were already laughing until their stomachs ached. As for Lin Zijin, although she had successfully sabotaged Huyou Ge with her driving and changed the audience's perception of her, they felt this version of Lin Zijin was, in fact, the true goddess in their hearts. The old Lin Zijin had been too perfect—so perfect that she felt unreachable. But after that scene, the audience suddenly discovered that Lin Zijin also had such an interesting, human side.

The topic of Yang Hao and Lin Zijin's car crash continued to gain heat, spreading further and further. Talented fans quickly edited the clips of their crashes into a compilation and uploaded it to the internet. As soon as the video appeared, it immediately caught the attention of many, drawing in viewers who hadn't even watched the match.

"Pfft, is that really Lin Zijin?"
"You've got to be kidding, the goddess's driving is this... mmm..."
"I mean, she is a professional player, isn't she?"
"Heh, what do you know? Do you even understand what a 'female driver' is?"
"Female drivers are terrifying, don't believe me? Try it yourself!"
"Heh heh heh, if you're brave enough, let your wife drive on the way home."

The internet was abuzz. At the same time, many people couldn't stop laughing when they saw the compilation. The comedic effect of these combined clips was simply too strong; it was a guaranteed laugh every single time. Because of this video, another wave of viewers flooded into the live stream.

Simultaneously, Xiao Qi and Xiao Mo, having received the final rankings, began preparing to announce them. At the commentary desk, Xiao Qi looked at Xiao Mo and smiled, "Who do you think will advance from this first preliminary round?"

"Compared to who advances, I'm more curious about who took the top spot," Xiao Mo replied with a smile, her dimples looking particularly charming.

Despite both of them already knowing the results, they played coy at this crucial moment, leaving many in the audience speechless.

"You jokester, Xiao Qi, stop stalling and announce the results!"
"Wow, Xiao Mo's smile is so pretty."
"Commentator, my patience is wearing thin; you better get on with it."
"Same old routine. Keep stalling, and see if I don't show up at your doorstep tomorrow!"
"Hurry, hurry, hurry, tell us the results!"

In an instant, the live stream's chat was flooded with messages. Xiao Qi and Xiao Mo couldn't help but laugh again. While playing coy was an old trick, it was a necessary routine before announcing results to wake up those who might have been nodding off. It was just a way to regulate the atmosphere.

However, they knew better than to drag it out too long, lest they annoy the audience. "Alright, I won't keep you waiting anymore, you clever bunch," Xiao Mo said with a playful pout and a wink.

"Oh, she's so cute!"
"My heart!"
"Miss, my dad says he wants to marry you!"
"Xiao Mo is being playful again, so cute!"
"Well, I've already decided to whisk you home tomorrow."

The beautiful commentator's antics sent the audience into a frenzy, sparking the atmosphere even more effectively than before. Xiao Qi, looking somewhat helpless, began to announce the qualifiers. A preliminary round had five qualifying slots, and since teams consisted of two people, that meant ten players in total.

Beyond the audience, many streamers who participated were also quite concerned about these slots. Whether they could pass this preliminary round and advance to the next stage was crucial for many of them. After all, it determined if they could continue to appear in the subsequent matches, make a name for themselves, and gain a following.

Of course, there were exceptions. Most of those who knew they weren't going to qualify—those who had performed poorly—already knew their fate even without the announcement. A few others had performed well and ranked high, and having calculated their scores, they were already certain they had locked in a spot.

At this moment, half of the results had been announced, and one person was feeling incredibly confident: Hu Ye, the top-tier streamer from Galaxy TV who had "won" this match. Hu Ye wasn't worried about advancing; he was brimming with confidence, waiting for the final results. More importantly, he was certain he had secured first place. If he had any reservations before, they had vanished after Yang Hao and Lin Zijin were unexpectedly eliminated. Even if they had managed to scrape into the top ten, they couldn't possibly compete with his dozen-plus kills for the top spot.

"Third place, Tomato TV, Yanshi!"

On the stream, Xiao Qi announced the third qualifying team. As his voice echoed, Hu Ye, who had been so confident just a moment ago, felt a flicker of unease in his heart.