The next day, Shen Feng went to the auditorium. Such a formal occasion as a medal ceremony could not be held in a shabby place. The auditorium was also equipped with cameras for live broadcasting, and numerous media outlets were seated, recording the day's events. On the stage of the auditorium, a red carpet had been laid out, and tall flower baskets were neatly arranged around it.
The medal ceremony was not exclusively for ability users; in fact, many brave soldiers would also receive awards. Thousands of people waiting to be recognized were seated below the stage.
Shen Feng arrived at his designated table and chair. After sitting down, he realized he had been tricked. Why was he still wearing the wolf fur cloak? It was too conspicuous! Looking at Xiao Sheng, Jin Zijue, and the others, they were all wearing military uniforms. Although they didn't have ranks, their uniformity was striking.
Sitting in his seat, Shen Feng gritted his teeth and looked at Xiao Sheng and the others. "Why didn't you guys remind me to wear military uniforms? I thought we were supposed to dress as elaborately as possible. Now look at me, I have to walk up there in furs. It's too eye-catching."
Xiao Sheng saw Shen Feng's attire and shrugged. "You're not an official person, so wearing a military uniform wouldn't be appropriate. I thought you'd wear a suit to the ceremony. But now, your taste is quite good. Walking on stage in those clothes, you look incredibly imposing!"
Shen Feng didn't believe Xiao Sheng and immediately asked Zhang Zi beside him. "Miss Zhang, do you think this outfit is appropriate for me?"
Zhang Zi, with her high emotional intelligence, quickly replied, "It's incredibly appropriate! Look, in many historical dramas, people wearing such attire are always the main characters. When you walk up there, you'll surely be the center of attention."
Zhang Zi's answer was flawless, but Jin Zijue couldn't resist chiming in with a jab. "As expected of you, Shen Feng. Your attire truly surprises us. You wear formal wear for such occasions, but you, on the other hand, look like a mountain bandit. Anyone who sees you will laugh at your ignorance."
Shen Feng was embarrassed. He hadn't studied relevant knowledge beforehand and didn't know what kind of attire was appropriate for formal occasions. Now he had made a public spectacle of himself.
In reality, formal occasions call for formal wear. Suits and military uniforms are considered formal wear, as are some overcoats and Zhongshan suits. For women, professional attire is sufficient, and evening gowns can be considered acceptable. However, Shen Feng was unaware of this. Such training was usually given during graduation. Shen Feng's ignorance was understandable for causing such a faux pas.
Shen Feng turned around and saw a row of soldiers sitting behind him. He found a young man and asked, "Hey, brother, can I borrow your uniform for a moment? I'll return it after I get off the stage. It's just for receiving the award. I need your help!"
However, the soldier he asked ignored him. When pressed, he impatiently replied, "No borrowing. It's a matter of principle. Besides, you're a civilian, and wearing a military uniform isn't appropriate. I advise you to give up!"
Shen Feng was speechless. He looked at others and spotted Li Xiankang and Wang Aoye sitting in the distance. They were also participating in the award ceremony. Although their awards were not comparable to Shen Feng's, they were still awards. Both of them were wearing suits and sitting in their seats.
Upon closer inspection, one could see that Li Xiankang's leg was quite thick. This was because he had fallen from Zhang Jue's back and broken his leg, which was still in a cast. Even ability users couldn't recover in just a few days.
Shen Feng quickly called out to them, "Li Xiankang, Wang Aoye, brothers, can I borrow your suits? I'll return them later."
Upon seeing Shen Feng's fur cloak, Li Xiankang and Wang Aoye couldn't help but show a mocking expression. They turned their heads away as if they hadn't heard anything. Their plan was simple: to watch the show! The medal ceremony was being broadcast live nationwide, and someone appeared wearing such attire. They had to see how things would unfold.
Unable to borrow clothes, Shen Feng couldn't help but take off his cloak. He was wearing a vest and a shirt underneath, which would be impeccable when he went on stage.
At the same time, Shen Feng grumbled inwardly, "Is Chu Chaoyan doing this intentionally or does she not know the importance of the occasion? She chose such an outfit for me."
After waiting for a short while in the auditorium, the ceremony began. The host, dressed in a red gown, walked onto the stage and delivered the opening remarks, introducing those participating in the medal ceremony. Without further ado, the ceremony commenced.
The hosts, a male and a female, were both dressed in festive attire. The man wore a tailcoat, and the woman wore an evening gown. The female host was the focus of attention because her evening gown covered her chest and then cinched at the waist, trailing to the ground. Her shoulders, arms, and back were exposed, revealing her alluring curves. How could she not attract attention?
The headquarters also sent representatives to participate in the medal ceremony, primarily responsible for presenting the awards.
The first to be awarded were the Ten Heroes. As the individuals who directly changed the course of the Yan Jing battle, the media had been hyping them up for days, with many considering them saviors. Coincidentally, there were twenty-seven people in the decapitation operation, but many rumored that there was another person named Li Keyi, who discovered extraterrestrial elements. This brought the total number of participants to twenty-eight, which coincidentally corresponded to the twenty-eight constellations.
Some media outlets, eager to stir up trouble, were even hyping that the twenty-eight individuals were constellations descended to earth and that temples should be built for them. Such superstition was astonishing.
The slender female host walked onto the stage first and announced to the cameras, "Now, let us invite the ability users who saved Yan Jing, killed the Corpse King, and changed the course of the battle to the stage. We have selected ten ability users with the greatest contributions for awards, ranked from highest to lowest contribution: Xiao Sheng, Jin Zijue, Shen Feng, Qin Ke Wei, Zhang Zi, Fang Qing Hao, Yue Heng Yi, Chai Ke Fu, Lu Yi Zhen, Zhang Jue! Let us welcome them with applause."
The auditorium erupted in warm applause, welcoming the ten heroes to the stage.
"Strange, I'm not first?" Shen Feng was somewhat confused. He seemed to be the organizer of the decapitation operation, yet he was ranked third. This was very strange.
Shen Feng didn't have time to ponder this further. He stood up and walked out. Third place was third place; he didn't care about the ranking.
Unexpectedly, Jin Zijue, in his enthusiasm, brought Shen Feng's cloak left on his seat and draped it over Shen Feng's shoulders as they walked, whispering, "My name is Lei Feng. You don't need to thank me!"
"I..." Shen Feng felt like killing someone at this moment. Jin Zijue was deliberately trying to make him look foolish.
Shen Feng, originally wearing just a vest and white shirt, was now draped with the wolf fur cloak. He was walking on the red carpet, and it was too late to return to his seat. He could only grit his teeth, wear the wolf fur cloak, and walk onto the stage with a grim expression.
The host seemed surprised by Shen Feng's attire, but fortunately, the male host reacted quickly and said, "Let's welcome Mr. Shen Feng to the stage. His title is 'Strong Grass in the Wind.' As far as I know, this phrase comes from an ancient poem, 'A strong wind reveals strong grass'..."
As Shen Feng listened to the host's rambling, he walked to Jin Zijue's side and glanced at him sideways, thinking, "You little brat, you made me lose face in public. Just wait until the ceremony is over. I'll see how good your skills are!"
Shen Feng had initially given up on the cloak, but Jin Zijue had draped it on him halfway, causing Shen Feng to appear in furs in front of the entire nation. The nine people around him were all wearing military uniforms, making him stand out like a sore thumb.
Many in the audience whispered upon seeing this, "Is that Shen Feng? He's dressed so unusually."
"Indeed, very unusual. He's dressed like the mountain bandit from the old days, just without the beard. But this could be a younger version of the mountain bandit."
"Don't talk nonsense. Look, isn't that mountain bandit over there? The one with a pair of black wings on his back. That's the real hawk."
Zhang Jue's face darkened when he heard the discussion below. Could this be related to him?
"I think Shen Feng did this deliberately. Look at his arrogant expression, his face full of bitterness and deep sorrow, his brows furrowed. He's clearly looking down on everyone else."
"That's right. Isn't Xiao Sheng the one with the highest contribution? As the organizer, Shen Feng is naturally dissatisfied with this judgment, so he deliberately wore non-compliant attire to receive the award. He's truly cunning!"
Shen Feng, with a grim expression, couldn't be bothered to listen to the murmurs from below. He stood with his hands behind his back and his legs spread apart, appearing nonchalant, as if he didn't care about anyone. In reality, his mind was elsewhere. As long as he wasn't embarrassed, then others would be.
The presenters quickly handed the medals from the trays to the ability users present. The host also explained appropriately, "Everyone, please look. Mr. Xiao Sheng is receiving the 'Doomsday Hero' medal. His title is Zhu Rong, the ancient God of Fire. Mr. Xiao Sheng's ability is to use flames. Flames at seven thousand degrees can burn everything..."
The scene in the auditorium was broadcast nationwide. When Chu Chaoyan saw Shen Feng on television, she couldn't help but bend over and pound the ground, laughing heartily. "Haha... Shen Feng is too foolish! Can't he read the atmosphere? I thought he would come on stage wearing a vest and a shirt. Why is he so dense?"
As it turned out, Chu Chaoyan had done it intentionally. She had deliberately chosen such an outfit for Shen Feng, successfully drawing a wave of attention to him.
Chu Chaoyan's thinking at the time was simple: Shen Feng just needed to realize the inappropriateness of the occasion and take off the wolf fur cloak. However, Shen Feng didn't do that, resulting in public embarrassment.
In Rongcheng, He Liping and Shen Yu, mother and daughter, were also watching the live broadcast. When He Liping saw Shen Feng appear, she couldn't help but frown and mutter to herself, "Why is Ah Feng dressed like that? He looks like a nouveau riche."
Shen Yu, however, paid no attention to this. Instead, she pointed at Xiao Sheng on the television and said, "Mom, look quickly, Xiao Sheng is here! He'll be back in Rongcheng in a few days, and his attire is very fitting."
He Liping nodded and said, "Yes, he's also very handsome. These ten young people are the hope for the future!"
Even in Yuzhou, Chang Jianyi took a break from her office to watch the live broadcast on television. When she saw Shen Feng's entrance, she was stunned, not expecting Shen Feng to be dressed like that.
Chang Haojie saw this and excitedly said, "Sister, look quickly! My brother-in-law is dressed better than everyone else. Such a prominent position, truly majestic."
Chang Jianyi nodded and smiled, "You think he looks majestic too? Then I'll have someone make one for you too someday."
As Chang Jianyi watched television, she thought to herself, "The war is over now. It's time for him to return. He's been gone for so long, I really miss him."
On stage, Shen Feng appeared calm and collected, with a look of indifference. In reality, he was stunned. His composure was merely a forced effort to endure until this moment. Only after all ten people on stage had been awarded their medals and the host had announced their titles was he finally released.
After coming down from the stage, Shen Feng gritted his teeth and glared at Jin Zijue. "Don't leave after the ceremony! I'll be waiting for you at the entrance!"
Jin Zijue shrugged, looking wronged, and said to Shen Feng, "I was just showing concern for you. Yan Jing's temperature has dropped these past two days, and you weren't wearing a coat. I was worried you'd catch a cold or a fever, so I draped my clothes on you, and you're still blaming me!"
Shen Feng pointed at Jin Zijue's nose and said, "Stop the nonsense. I lost face in public, and it's all your fault. If I don't beat you up to vent my anger, do you really think I'm easy to bully!"
Jin Zijue spread his hands indifferently. "Hit me if you want. We're both fifth-tier ability users. Am I afraid of you?"
Shen Feng began to wait. Five hours later, the ceremony ended. Jin Zijue used the excuse of going to the restroom and never returned.
"Jin Zijue, I didn't expect you to lose all face and escape like a coward. Don't let me catch you. If I do, you'll definitely regret it!" Shen Feng was furious. After much thought, he couldn't swallow his anger and could only utter a harsh threat before turning to leave.