The Inescapable Celibate Heir Chapter 37: Strong Opponents in the Preliminary Round

Today was the preliminary round for the Snooker Club entrance examination.

Even though the initial screening had already cut the number in half, there were still over a hundred freshmen packed into the pool hall for the preliminary round.

To save time, the matches were set up as best-of-three, with each game capped at ten minutes.

First, they got their numbers, then drew lots to see who they'd be up against.

After getting her number, Mira turned to Victoria, "I'm number 56, what about you?"

Victoria showed her number, "17."

Mira nodded, "Victoria, there are so many people. I hope we both get easy opponents. See that tall guy with the buzz cut? I think his name is Gavin Sherman. I've seen him in competitions; he's the men's champ."

Victoria glanced over, "Doesn't matter."

Mira asked, "Victoria, how good are you at snooker? Did you play in high school leagues?"

Victoria thought for a moment. She'd learned snooker on her own in college and hadn't competed, so she wasn't sure about her skill level.

"Not bad, but I've never competed."

Mira looked worried, "Then you better not draw Gavin. You definitely can't beat him. Please, I hope you get an easy opponent, and don't let it be me!"

The person in charge of the draw called out from the stage, "Number 17! Where's contestant number 17?"

Victoria raised her hand and shouted, "That's me."

"Your opponent is number 98."

"Here!" a loud male voice responded.

In the crowd, he stood a head taller than everyone else. It was Gavin.

Mira covered her mouth in surprise, looking distressed, "I'm sorry, Victoria, I shouldn't have jinxed it!"

Victoria smiled faintly, "It's okay, it's just a draw. Doesn't matter who the opponent is, we still have to play."

Gavin was a top player among the freshmen this year. Many snooker players had faced him in various leagues.

So, a lot of eyes were on the unlucky person facing him, likely to be knocked out in the first round.

They saw a casually dressed, relaxed-looking Victoria.

"This girl is in trouble."

"She didn't even wear sportswear. She must be here just for fun."

"Her name is Victoria, the one who got first place in the military training."

"Oh, it's her. She's really pretty, but looks won't get her into the snooker club. I hope she doesn't cry after losing."

Ella, surrounded by a group of people, watched from a distance with a satisfied smile.

Even if Victoria successfully registered, so what? She had bribed the person in charge of the draw to make sure Victoria faced a tough opponent.

She had asked Joan and Brian and knew that Victoria had never systematically learned snooker.

In such a short time, even with professional tutoring, she could barely play decently. How could Victoria be any better?

Ella thought smugly, 'Victoria, you're so weak, there's no way you can beat Gavin. Just wait to lose and cry. You want to join the snooker club and compete with me for Dennis? Dream on!'

"Ella, your sports outfit looks great, very professional."

"Yeah, unlike Victoria, who looks so shabby. She hasn't even changed her clothes; she's still wearing her casual outfit from the morning."

The girls who came for the exam, especially, had all changed into sports outfits and sneakers.

Ella had even changed into a branded professional outfit, a short skirt showing her thighs, paired with white sports socks, revealing her smooth legs, making people stare.

"Victoria's not here to play; she's here to flirt with guys."

"Exactly, she's going to lose soon anyway, no need to pretend. Unlike us, we're here to play seriously."

Ella laughed happily, "Don't say that. Drawing such a strong opponent, Victoria must be feeling down. Let's go comfort her."

The group, laughing and joking, walked towards Victoria, who was about to head to the designated table when her path was blocked.

Seeing that it was Ella again, Victoria frowned impatiently and said in a cold tone, "Don't block my way."

Ella wasn't angry at all; instead, she spoke gently, "Victoria, I know you're unlucky and feeling bad. But you can't blame me."

"Yeah, you did something wrong, drew an unbeatable opponent, and now you're blaming Ella?"

"Crazy, you're the one who did something wrong!" Mira couldn't stand it and retorted. Clearly, Ella was the one doing bad things, yet these people always acted like Victoria had wronged Ella.

Victoria didn't even bother to respond to Ella.

Ella, looking worried, said, "I heard Gavin is one of the top three freshmen. Victoria, you definitely can't beat him. Why not just forfeit? Save yourself from a humiliating loss."

Ella hoped Victoria would leave in disgrace. Otherwise, with her striking looks, who knew how many people would be attracted to her face.

Victoria snorted coldly, "Mind your own business, get lost!"

She pushed Ella aside and walked towards the table.

Natalia supported the staggering Ella, "Ella, are you okay? Victoria is too much. You were just trying to be nice. She's such a vicious bitch. Stop worrying about her."

Victoria turned back and gave Natalia a cold look, "Watch your mouth and stop using foul language."

Mira rolled her eyes at them, "You came to provoke, and now you're blaming her for not respecting you."

She then caught up with Victoria, comforting her, "Victoria, stay calm. Even if you lose, lose gracefully. Besides, what if he makes a mistake..."

Victoria, in a relaxed tone, picked up the standard cue from the table, "Are you so sure I can't beat him? Maybe I'll win."

Mira looked distressed and thought, 'You don't even have your custom cue. I really don't see how you can win.'

But unconditionally supporting her friend, Mira still cheered her on, "Yes, having confidence is great! Believe you can win, and you might. I believe in you!"

Gavin also approached, expressionless, holding his cue, nodding to Victoria, "We can start."

The referee started the timer.

A professional photographer came to record the match, with the start and highlights projected on a big screen.

Many people noticed Victoria. Her delicate and well-proportioned features, even on the big screen, showed no flaws.

"Look, this freshman is really pretty!"

"Is she from the drama department? She's Campus Belle level."

"Drama department girls are pretty, but this one, she's on par with popular celebrities."

"It'd be great to have a beauty in the snooker club. I hope the president gives her special treatment so we can train with her every day."

"You're daydreaming!"

Ella's match hadn't started yet. Hearing people praise Victoria, she gritted her teeth in anger.

She thought, 'Praise her all you want. Wait until you see her terrible performance, then see if you can still praise her! But Victoria's face, it's really a curse. I wish it would get ruined so she can't attract men with it anymore. If her face is ruined, let's see how she competes with me then!'

At that moment, the tightly closed doors opened, and a group of people walked in.