435 Press Conference (1/2)

”All students finished the competition? 100 percent completion rate? It's impossible! Are they all from the SEALs?” Max shouted hysterically.

Max's reaction was understandable. None of his students finished the competition, while all of Dai Li's students finished it, which would drive anyone a little crazy. It was like if a parent's child got a zero on a test, while the neighbor's child got a perfect score. It would let any parent down.

A minute later, Max calmed down and said, ”That can't be true. It was the 24-hour Frogman Challenge. It can't have 100 percent completion rate. It's a lie, a fraud. It's false publicity! We must expose him!”

”So, what do you want to do?” the beard asked.

”We are not enough for this. We need to unite other training centers to make the event bigger. We'll make sure all people in Los Angeles know that Coach Li is a liar. We'd better take this opportunity to get him out of Los Angeles!” Max said savagely.

...

The 100 percent completion rate indeed displeased others. As for the 24-hour Frogman Challenge, it was difficult for a high-level training center to reach a half completion rate, even if the center was selective in who they recruited for training. For example, Cruise was an athlete, and only people like him could finish the 24-hour Frogman Challenge after formal training. For people with no basis of sports, it wouldn't even be possible to run 58km.

However, Dai Li got a 100 percent completion rate. It was a big deal, and a slap in the face to the other training centers. It wasn't even possible for everyone to pass the exam, but Dai Li had somehow gotten a full score.

Many fitness training centers in Los Angeles were united together spontaneously, believing that Dai Li was lying to generate publicity and recruit students. It seemed that they were trying to kick Dai Li out of Los Angeles.

The media also fanned the flames of the controversy. Though California was a place with a large number of Chinese people, discrimination against Chinese still existed. How could those traditional white people allow a Chinese man to walk on them? For the media, the incitement to racial confrontation was always a great way to catch people's attention.

...

”You seem to have touched the interests of many people. You've become the public enemy of all fitness training centers in Los Angeles. Maybe someone will accuse you of false publicity!” Blake said with a smile.

”I didn't do it. We did it.” Holding a cup of black tea, Dai Li asked, ”Is everything ready for the press conference?”

Blake nodded. ”No problem! Hassel has sent us his old pictures, so we can hold the press conference anytime.”

”Let's begin! Time to take advantage of public opinion.” Taking a deep breath, Dai Li said smilingly, ”Prepare more food and drinks for the press conference as well as some small gifts. These journalists have come to give us free publicity, so we can't let them go home empty-handed! As a Chinese saying goes, courtesy costs nothing...”

...

Wearing a stiff suit, Blake stood upon a makeshift podium, next to a projection screen.

There were some journalists in the audience, and some people had come just to watch.

Dressed in a plain tracksuit with a peaked cup covering most of his face, Max stood in a very humble position. He seemed to be a client coming to a training session, only to come across a press conference here and join the crowd.

100 percent completion rate, that is impossible! I want to see how you defend yourself, you liar! Max thought in his mind.

At this time, Blake waved for silence and said, ”This spring, our fitness training center started a fitness training program for clients who wanted to participate in the 24-hour Frogman Challenge. This training program was very successful, and our students all finished the challenge. However, many people doubt that it is possible for our training center achieved a 100 percent completion rate. Therefore today, we are holding the press conference to explain this to the public.”

Blake paused and then said with a solemn expression, as if to announce something very important, ”The first thing I want to say here is that our training center achieved a 100 percent completion rate in this 24-hour Frogman Challenge. They all finished it.”

”So how can you prove it?” someone asked.

”If I was allowed, I would show you the results of all the students in our fitness training program. However, we can't do it for the confidentiality of our clients,” Blake said.

”So, you can't prove it at all.”

”I knew it. They are just bluffing. It's impossible to achieve 100 percent completion rate in 24-hour Frogman Challenge.”

”I thought there would be big news, but this is no news at all.”

”This training center is lying, and its false publicity!”

People began to whisper.

Blake on the stage was in no hurry. He didn't listen to the murmurs of disapproval, but raised his voice and said, ”Although we can't disclose the information and results of our clients, we still can invite one of them. I believe he will provide ample evidence for the 100 percent completion rate.”

”Humph! Can only one of them prove that all finished the challenge? Every training center in Los Angeles has students who can finish the 24-hour Frogman Challenge. It's common to find a gifted student to talk about his training experience!” said a short man not far from Max, full of disapproval.

Many people agreed with that, except Max. He was upset because his Ironman Training Center couldn't find a student who had completed the race.

Blake didn't take it seriously. He motioned backstage and continued, ”Let's welcome Mr. Hassel!”

Hearing his name, fat Hassel trotted up to the stage.

For an instant, the scene was quiet. Everyone looked at Hassel in great astonishment. And then the discussion began like a sudden riot.

”This guy looks a little fat!”

”I don't know how many pounds he is, but he must be fatter than me.”

”Such a fat man completed the 24-hour Frogman Challenge? Probably not. I mean, the challenge is really difficult, right?”

”If such a guy can finish it, I think I can too.”

”Maybe this guy is lying for the training center!”

Blake smiled and once again motioned the audience to be quiet, and then said to Hassel, ”Mr. Hassel, would you show us your certificate of completion?”

”Sure.” Hassel nodded. At this time, people discovered that Hassel had a hard folder in his hand. He opened the folder and placed it before his chest like an award certificate, facing the audience.