Chapter 177 - Brackets Drawing!
Just like a spell was being cast, the raging public was all silenced, waiting to see how were those changes going to affect the commoner teams.
Thankfully, they were exactly what they wanted. As Mr. Jones said that only family teams with 4 bloodliners+ would remain intact, as for the rest? They will all drop their ego and join the commoners' teams.
Obviously, the news didn't please the families which failed to fulfill the requirement, but it is what it is.
They couldn't sound their complaint while being streamed on national TV and make themselves public enemies. They didn't want to have everyone boycott their products or business services.
...
After an hour or so, Felix's team welcomed four new additions to their ranks. Two girls and two boys. Olivia's cheerfulness made it easier for those commoners to fit right in the team.
When they were chosen to join the Maxwells, they were excited about being part of such a strong team but also anxious about being looked down upon by them.
After all, the tale that the Maxwells actually had 9 juniors awakened was already widespread in the media. The elders would be fools to not brag about it. Thus, when the commoners were being cherry-picked by the top families teams, which were, the Maxwells, Hiltons, and Waltons, they were eager to be picked especially in the ranks of Felix's team.
Felix being the captain of the team chose those four bloodliners, who excelled a bit better in the qualifiers. His reason? Was to make his team as strong as possible, so he wouldn't need to make a move.
Felix wasn't a retard to chose randoms or trash players just to appear cool and confident. He knew that in the final tournament, they would be just a drag to the team, forcing him to save the day more than he needed.
After the teams rearranged themselves, the lines got reduced to 10 from the previous 15. two families and three commoners teams' names were removed from the list. But, now each team had a full roster.
"Just like the qualifiers, the battles will be played out team vs team in a tournament-based format." Mr. Jones pointed his finger at a whiteboard that had ten empty numbered brackets and said, "As you can see, four teams will have to compete first in order to make a perfect 8 teams brackets tournament."
Everyone understood what he meant, as the 10 bracket tournament wasn't balanced like 8 bracket or 16 brackets. This meant, two teams needed to be eliminated first.
"Why didn't they make the final tournament a 16 teams bracket?" Confused, Olivia tilted her head as she asked the elders.
"There is no point in prolonging this tournament by adding extras to fill numbers." Robert shook his head and clarified, "The end game was to make the best team possible in the US to be sent as representative in the World Competition."
Just as Olivia tried to ask again, she was interrupted by Charlotte, "Alright, no more questions. After they explain the rules, you will understand what he meant."
Soon, everyone on the team refocused on Mr. Jones, who unveiled a crystal see-through bawl, resembling a small fish tank. The bawl had inside of it many small colorful balls.
Mr. Jones went back to the podium and said, "The placement in brackets will be done by drawing numbers. All you have to do is pick a ball, show the number to the camera, then go write your name in the placement you picked."
Mr. Jones paused to see if they understood him or not, after seeing that no one was planning to ask questions, he moved on, "The captain of each team will do the drawing. Starting off from left to the right."
Since the Maxwells were the last to arrive, they were put at the far left. This meant Felix was the first captain who needed to draw a number!
Indifferent to the looks he was getting and the cameras focusing on his face, Felix walked towards the stage with his hands in his jacket's pockets. The distance wasn't that far, so he arrived in a jiffy.
The moment he stepped on the stage, he saw that everyone's eyes were on him.
Click click!...
Anyone with stage fright would have thrown up by the pressure of being looked at by those authoritative figures, tens of cameras flashing lights, not to mention the hundred or so down the stage.
However, Felix merely gave a polite smile and went to shake hands with Mr. Jones, who warmly received him. After so, he went to the crystal bowl and picked one small ball randomly.
He cracked it open and took a small paper that had a number drawn on it. Before seeing the number himself, he displayed it before all.,
Based on the envious looks he received, he knew that he dodged a bullet.
'Number 4?' He glanced a the number in the paper while walking toward the whiteboard. As expected, the bracket he picked wasn't one of the four brackets that needed to compete for an extra battle.
Honestly, based on his luck in the previous game wheels, Felix believed that he would land on those four brackets.
Thankfully, that didn't happen. The last thing he wanted was to fight another battle against those toddlers.
After writing his family name in the bracket he picked, he returned to his place under the excited cheers of his teammates and the elders. Just like him, they also felt glad about his pick. Though, for a different reason.
Soon, the next team in line sent their captain on the stage. He didn't appear as calm and collected as Felix, however, he still managed to pick a number and write his teams' name on the whiteboard.
luckily for his team, they neither picked the four cursed brackets nor landed on the same side as Felix's team.
Afterward, teams' captains kept going one by one and filling the empty whiteboard with names. Some were unlucky and some were lucky.
As a show that the drawing wasn't rigged in any way or form, the Walton family, one of the strongest candidates to win the competition actually landed on one of the cursed brackets!
Of course, they could easily get out of it, especially after being placed against a commoner team. However, that wouldn't happen without exposing their abilities. That would give a slight edge over their rivals.
On the other hand, the Hiltons landed on the other side of the board away from the Maxwells. The only way for them to meet was during the finals.
For the elders, it didn't matter if they met at the quarter-finals or the finals, as long as they meet, they will wipe the floor clean with them.
...
After a couple of hours, the gathering ended and everyone swiftly went home with their new teammates.
They needed to try their best to understand adapt to each others' abilities. That would take a lot of time. However, they only have half a day to make it happen, as tomorrow morning the battles would officially start.
Mr. Jones explained that the battles would be only one round each. This meant each team had only one opportunity to win and climb up the brackets. You lose, you out!
Now, all the teams were rushing to shape themselves up for tomorrow, Maxwells' included.
...
"Good Morning America!" A good looking broadcaster smiled at the camera and said, "Behind me are standing ten teams made of the best of the best bloodliners in the entire states. However, only one team could be chosen to represent us against the world!" He extended a finger, "But first, let's hear what our president has to say on such a glorious day."
True enough, the president of the USA, was standing on the same stage as yesterday in front of a podium. Reporters were gathering around it, taking pictures of him and the authoritative figures behind him.
Meanwhile, the teams were lining up properly below the stage with the elders and instructors just like yesterday.
On the other hand, the stadium was packed to the brim with spectators akin to a superball match. Everyone was cheering and screaming at the top of their voices.
Peep! Pep!
However, they soon quieted down gradually after seeing the president hitting the microphone lightly with his finger, expressing his desire to speak.
"Good morning my fellow Americans." The president smiled and said, "Today is going to be etched in our memory and history books for eternity. We should all be grateful to be a part of it." He looked at the camera and continued, "This tournament will hopefully give us the first USA bloodliners team that would dominate the rest of the world, and also the civilizations outside of our solar system!"
"Let's be real for a second." He paused, "We have been exposed to the universe for about a year or so, and based on what we have been seeing, we are lagging behind in everything." He began naming a few, "Resources, talents, reputation, power, and most importantly technology!...."
Utterly bored, Felix kept yawning while listening to this long ass speech for the 2nd time now. He knew that the president would keep going on and on for about half an hour until their heads start to puff out smoke. but, he could only whine inside while waiting until he finished.
Just like he thought, the speech ended half an hour later only after the president started receiving signals to wrap it up.
"Thank you for your time and god bless America." The president waved his hands in the air, responding to the loud cheers by the audience.
He soon left the stage while being accompanied by his people. No one knows if he was going to watch the tournament in the VIP rooms, or he was leaving the stadium for other matters.
"Please give one last round of applause to the president." Mr. Jones said with a merry smile while clapping his hands. Everyone clapped their hands and whistled as a send-off.
After a while, the excitement died down, returning the stadium to normal. Mr. Jones gestured with his hand to a staff member, who immediately spoke in his radio after seeing the signal.
"Before we begin the battles, we first need to motivate those juniors into putting their very best in this competition." Mr. Jones smiled mysteriously and said, "That's why we have put a reward to the champion team!"
Elated, the juniors all had their eyes focused on ten staff members carrying small black boxes on red pillows while climbing the stairs of the stage. After they took their positions next to Mr. Jones, he requested, "Open them up please."
Woah!!!
Shocked and excited, the majority of the juniors all exclaimed out loud at the sight of ten AP bracelets, glittering with a silver l.u.s.ter.
This was the reaction of the juniors who were in contact with the AP bracelet most of the time, don't even mention the commoners, who never saw it outside of screens before.
The stadium rumbled, as the spectators all had eyes glowing with greed and envy like those bracelets were elixirs of immortality.
After seeing such an intense reaction by the crowd, Mr. Jones quickly ordered the staff to close the boxes off and take them away.
God knows if everyone will start jumping from the seatings, storming the arena to steal them. Teasing those commoners who would probably not touch the AP bracelet until 10 years or so, was a quite stupid move.
"Let the battles begin!" In an attempt to change the situation for the better, Mr. Jones rashly started the tournament.
The juniors followed their elders and instructors outside of the arena, going to their own team resting area. Soon, the staff members came and took down the wooden stage, cleaning the arena from any obstacles.