108. Having settled matters, he departed with a flick of his sleeve.

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In truth, the instructions Flavie received were not to “give the three contestants a chance to debut as stars,” but rather to “find a way to make them give up the gene repair serum.” After all, Radiant Bird Corporation never truly expected the contestants to complete the hidden mission. The twelve doses of gene repair serum were merely tantalizing bait, never truly intended to be handed out.

It was much like every variety challenge show setting a “grand prize.” Perhaps no contestant would ever claim it, but the prize had to exist to whet the appetites of both the audience and participants.

The gene repair serum was produced in scarce quantities; even the wealthiest tycoons were willing to spend fortunes to acquire it. Thus, even if a contestant did complete the hidden mission, Radiant Bird would not easily part with the prize but instead would try to offer a more alluring reward.

After all, most contestants entered the grand tournament not just for the rewards, but to make a name for themselves and consider their future prospects.

The champion would quickly become a hot topic, and as long as an entertainment company was willing to package and promote them, they could swiftly rise to fame and become a well-known star in Night City.

Even those mercenary teams who initially fought for the prize money would seek advertising agencies afterward to transform themselves into renowned “ace mercenaries.”

But the reality was far from ideal. Being champion and being a star were not always synonymous. In previous seasons, some champions were exploited by third-rate entertainment companies, failing to rise and instead wasting time and money, missing their prime window for promotion.

Once the hype faded, these champions were abandoned by the entertainment companies and faded into obscurity. Many, unable to bear the fall from grace, would spiral into self-destruction, eventually squandering their winnings and ending up on the streets.

Hence, Radiant Bird’s promise to provide professional teams to package the champions was a rare and precious opportunity. Most top-tier resources in Night City were monopolized by tycoons; for commoners, becoming a star was the only way into high society.

By comparison, the twelve doses of gene repair serum, though priceless on the market, were ultimately mere commodities measurable by money. Everyone understood the peril of “possessing a gem that invites envy.” If any contestant dared take that hot potato, they would sooner or later meet the same fate as the Chu family from Kunlun District.

Therefore, in the original timeline, the boxing champion Torrison unhesitatingly chose to “become a star,” and with the dual backing of Radiant Bird Corporation and the Xu Group, he rose to fame as the household name superhero known as the “Cityman.”

“Enough talk. Hand over the prize money and the serum.” Chen Shao took the microphone and spoke calmly to the host. “We’re pressed for time.”

Flavie was taken aback, seemingly not expecting the Phantom Thieves’ leader to say such a thing.

“Phantom Thieves, you’ve truly surprised me from start to finish!” Flavie maintained her praise, though her tone carried a hint of regret:

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“But this is such a golden opportunity, all three of you! Planner, aren’t you going to remove your disguise and show the audience your true face? Big Sword Guy, take off your helmet and let the viewers see you!… Miss White Fox, it doesn’t matter for you since you’ve already shown your face, but perhaps you could introduce yourself again and let the audience admire your charm! You all have the potential to become stars and have bright futures!”

As an experienced host, Flavie immediately recognized their potential to become idol stars. For both public and personal reasons, she hoped they would accept the “become a star” reward.

From the moment they won the championship, Flavie had already mapped out their future plans in her mind.

Though Miss White Fox had a unique physiology, she looked quite sexy in leather and a mask; she could become a popular “assassin idol” and endorse various weapons for Radiant Bird Corporation.

Big Sword Guy Hunter was taciturn and low-key but possessed formidable combat strength and exuded the aura of a strongman. Given his age listed as 58 on the registration, Flavie imagined that beneath the mask, he was a seasoned, distinguished gentleman who, with some packaging, could attract a devoted following among middle-aged fans.

As for the “Planner” wearing glasses and a mosaic-covered face, although his registration age was 24, Flavie felt his hands looked more youthful, like those of a teenager.

It was well known that children had limitless plasticity. Especially such a cunning, bold, and meticulous “young champion.”

If he wished, the organizers could definitely connect him with the best entertainment companies in Night City to cultivate him into a future nationwide idol. Of course, he would have to serve Radiant Bird Corporation in the future, sharing his income accordingly. But even a 30-70 split would still afford them lifelong wealth through astronomical acting fees and endorsements.

With these thoughts, Flavie wanted to persuade them further not to limit their sights so narrowly.

However, Chen Shao smiled warmly into the microphone: “We want the gene repair serum. We’re not interested in being stars.”

“Uh… very well. We respect the Phantom Thieves’ decision.” Flavie felt awkward but could only comply, clapping her hands to signal the drones to deliver the prizes to the three contestants.

“Are you sure you don’t want to reconsider?” Flavie asked one last time before handing over the prizes.

Since this was a live broadcast, the organizers could not renege in front of the entire audience, even if reluctantly, they had to pretend to hand over the serum.

“Give it here.” Seizing the moment while Flavie hesitated, Chen Shao snatched the box containing the gene repair serum.

Immediately, an unmanned pickup truck sped onto the arena at high velocity, performing a burnout spin in place.

The three silently climbed into the vehicle as its tires kicked up dust, quickly leaving the arena.

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Watching the three champions depart so decisively, Flavie could only shrug and deliver the closing remarks for the grand tournament, ending with a sponsor advertisement.

Inside the driverless pickup, Chen Shao opened the box and casually took out one dose of the gene repair serum.

The slender glass tube contained a pale blue liquid, bubbling occasionally. This was the medicine that could stabilize the gene chain responsible for acquired mutations, effective even for special cases like White Fox.

When White Fox had been captured for human weapon experimentation, the experimenters had intended to use the gene repair serum on her.

They planned to stabilize her genes and then use her as a “genetic mother” to breed more explosive human soldiers through mating and cloning.

Fortunately, White Fox escaped. Although she endured ten years of suffering, she was finally nearing the end.

Suddenly, a broadcast came through the pickup’s speakers—Black Caris’s voice: “Xiao Chen, I’ve detected several off-road vehicles tracking us. They should be Radiant Bird Corporation’s operatives.”

“Oh? They’re so impatient already, trying to reclaim the gene repair serum?” Chen Shao sighed and smirked mockingly:

“A petty-minded company like this will never achieve greatness.”

With that, he decisively made a call: “Swordsman, it’s time for you to act! This time, our enemies are mercenaries from Radiant Bird.”

“Got it!” Upon hearing “Radiant Bird,” Chu Jianlai’s tone grew noticeably excited.

Then Chen Shao turned off his phone and ordered, “Black Caris, escort Big Brother Hunter back first!”