Uma Musume, do I have to tell you that I know how to use the Santa Hat special move?

But as a sister, she couldn't possibly undermine Stardust Illusion's confidence, so she could only cheer her up:

"It's okay, Xingchen. You and she are both Uma Girls with 1 win now, so the gap is not that big. As long as you can keep running, I will definitely support you to surpass the Emperor of the East Sea!"

"With my sister's support, I will definitely keep winning until I defeat the emperor."

Stardust Illusion still has great respect for this sister. After all, when he first came here, it was she who took care of him when he wanted to give up.

However, on the other end of the phone, my sister sitting on the hospital bed was even more embarrassed.

She said this so calmly, did she really think she could beat that superstar?

What if I lose? How can I comfort myself?

In order to avoid her encouragement really raising her expectations too high, the elder sister immediately chose to end the topic:

"By the way, Xingchen, you said last time that you were going to Central Tresen College to study, right? When are you leaving? And do you have any plans for the next competition?"

"You can start school at the beginning of next year. As for the next game, you are ready to participate in the G1 Kyoto Mare Special on January 27 next year." Stardust Illusion replied.

"Eh? Can I directly participate in the G3 level event?" my sister asked in surprise.

"My place of origin will be transferred to Central Teresin College this year, so next year I can directly participate in the classic level competition as a central horse girl."

Stardust Illusion answered honestly that this was a method she discovered after studying the rules of the game these days. It can skip some OP-level games and start directly from G3.

"So there's only one month left? Then we have to work hard, because the first match is the classic G3 level match, and the opponents there are not as easy as the previous matches."

The elder sister quickly seized the opportunity to dispel the arrogance of Stardust Illusion that even the Emperor of the East China Sea was in her eyes.

However, at this moment, Stardust Illusion recalled the thunderous applause from the spectators when he reached the finish line.

That view of everyone celebrating her victory... Once she tasted it, she never wanted to lose it.

Stardust Illusion thought so and said to the other end of the phone:

"Don't worry, sister. I'll make a promise with you."

“I, Stardust Illusion, will never underestimate any opponent. No matter what race it is, I will try my best and… continue to win like I did today!

————————————————————

Stardust Illusion and other contestants in the arena don't know yet that the impact of this game is brewing.

Zhongjing won the last Uma Musume race of the year, but she won by escape!

In a short time after the end of this game, the news had spread throughout the circle of Umamusume fans in the entire Nagoya city area.

"Hey, Sato, didn't you come to watch the game today? Escape! Today's game is your favorite!"

"Such high-quality undefeated races are rare. There are actually two exciting races in a row this month. Is the Zhongjing Racecourse really going to be popular?"

"It seemed like she was the one last time, but she lost to the Emperor of the East Sea by half a horse length in the end."

"Only half a horse length behind that East Sea Emperor? This is incredible... Stardust Illusion is a local horse racing girl, right? How can she be so strong?"

"A local horse girl, coupled with this strong control over the field, reminds me of the monster who is about to have his retirement match."

In Neon, there are many horse racing tracks that are qualified to host competitions. The competitions held are divided into local competitions and central competitions according to the scale and prize money.

Among them, the largest ones are the Tokyo Racecourse, Kyoto Racecourse, Hanshin Racecourse and Nakayama Racecourse.

It can be said that currently almost all classic G1 events are monopolized by these four major racecourses.

The Chukyo Racecourse, which spans the two cities of Nagoya and Toyoake, is a racecourse with a very special status as it is sandwiched between the local and central governments. It is currently in a situation where it is neither up nor down.

Both local and central horse racing girls are allowed to participate here, so it can barely be considered as a central category.

However, due to its lukewarm popularity, it has never been able to obtain the right to host G1 level competitions.

Only the people from the two local districts came to show their support for their hometown, and this resulted in quite a few Umamusume fans, which was a pleasant surprise.

This situation is really embarrassing, so everyone is dreaming about how to bring the popularity here to a new level.

I hope the racecourse can go one step further and become popular enough to host G1 events. This has almost become the obsession of all horse racing fans in the two cities...

For this purpose, the administrator even met with the Emperor under great pressure.

Doesn't he know that this is disturbing others?

But there is no way. If you want to get ahead, sometimes you need to be in this state of not being able to understand the atmosphere.

His previous attempt to build momentum for the debut match of the Emperor of the East China Sea was quite effective, attracting a lot of new spectators to the Zhongjing Racecourse in December.

But the Emperor of the East Sea is, after all, a horse girl from the Central Tresen Academy. It is impossible for her to really cooperate in much publicity for Zhongjing. She is a randomly refreshed elite monster that is hard to come by.

If it weren't for the popularity brought by the East China Sea Emperor's debut match that gave everyone hope, under normal circumstances, a mere year-end victory-level competition would not be worth their attention.

This time, it was extremely rare to see a horse girl lead the entire race and win. Naturally, the name of Stardust Illusion was spread to everyone.

You know, this is a world blessed by the three goddesses. Almost all ordinary people will pay attention to the Uma Musume competitions, not to mention the heavy fans who are already in the circle.

Everyone knows that winning a Uma Musume competition may involve some luck, but leading the entire race and making a big escape by just one move is definitely not a coincidence.

In other words, Stardust Illusion's hard power has crushed all other contestants!

Not long after, inside the Zhongjing Racecourse Network Center.

The employees who are responsible for maintaining the official website and updating the game videos are discussing the game videos that have just been uploaded.

"That Stardust Illusion is definitely extraordinary. Even the giants were defeated by her."

The employee who was sipping instant noodles nearby echoed:

"Yes, that giant - Daita Tendou. I heard that he always crushes other horse girls in every training session in the local area. There are even rumors that he might be recruited into the Central Academy... I didn't expect that he only fought with Stardust Illusion for a few seconds at the start before being completely left behind."

"It's really amazing. The stardust illusion ran like a gust of wind, blowing away the others."

“With this kind of strength, I think it’s a sure thing that she’ll be able to enter a classic competition in the future. Great, now our Umamusume in Chukyo will have another signature brand!”

"She doesn't seem to be a student of Zhongjing Horse Training College, right? I remember she is from the countryside..."

"So what? She's a local horse girl, and she debuted in Zhongjing. Who would object to her saying she's from Zhongjing?"

"Hey, I remember she was only half a length behind the Emperor of the East Sea in her last debut match. Plus, she was 10 lengths ahead the entire time this time. This Stardust Illusion has had two such exciting matches. Is our racecourse going to attract another wave of popularity?"

Before the employee finished speaking, everyone seemed to suddenly understand and quickly checked the data from the website's video recordings.

Internet popularity is also a major component of the popularity of the competition. As the Internet becomes more and more developed, this part has even begun to occupy a pivotal position. If we can make a breakthrough in this regard, it will also have a huge impact on the Zhongjing Racecourse.

And the video recording of this game... maybe it can create a new wave of success?

"It has increased! The number of visitors has increased a lot!"

The employee sitting in front of the computer immediately moved away and showed the backstage panel to others.

“It’s really increased… It’s only been half an hour, and there are already thousands of people watching the video of this game?

Even her last match with the Emperor of the East Sea increased the number of views by more than a thousand!"

The head of the network center exclaimed and ran straight out to the administrator's office.

He knew how long the manager with a beer belly had been worrying about how to increase the popularity of the racecourse!

Chapter 23: Next, I will announce my appearance [Three more chapters]

"Because I consumed too much energy during the whole escape, I can't go on the winner's stage. Is this reasonable?"

At this moment, Stardust Illusion is arguing with the staff.

She really didn't want to go on the winner's stage, even though doing so would also win people's applause and even love, but dancing in a little skirt was simply not something she could do!

"But you're making a great escape this time, and everyone is looking forward to seeing your performance costume."

The person who was persuading her was a female staff member, Koharu Furutani. In fact, the two knew each other as she was the one who gave the Stardust Illusion a massage last time.

For this reason, it is not easy to reject Stardust Illusion in a too humane way. One can only appeal to its emotions and reason with it, so as to avoid spreading a bad reputation.

"I'll have a chance to wear performance clothes sooner or later. Don't G1 level competitions require wearing performance clothes?"

"You want to avoid the winner's stage until you participate in G1?!"

Only then did Fūtani Koharu understand the girl's plan and was immediately shocked.

She had never heard of a horse girl who had signed up actively but refused to stand on the winner's stage. That was where the true winner could show off. It could be said that only with that, the whole race was complete. How could someone be willing to run but not stand on the podium? !

"I have my difficulties." Stardust Illusion was also helpless. She couldn't say that the little bit of self-esteem in her heart as a time traveler didn't allow her to be an idol, right?

"But--"

"Okay, Xiaochun, let me tell you next."

The voice coming from outside the door interrupted their conversation. Xiaochun turned around and found that her immediate superior, the manager of Zhongjing Racecourse, was standing at the door with a smirk on his face.

"You come out first." The manager, with his beer belly sticking out, waved happily at the woman, indicating that she should leave first.

"I am Lin Yongyi, the manager of Zhongjing Racecourse."

Beer Belly first politely introduced himself to Stardust Illusion, who hadn't figured out the situation yet, and then sat down in the seat in front of her, smiling and asking about her well-being:

“Is it because the competition was too intense that you can’t participate in the winner’s stage? It’s okay, I’ll have someone go over to coordinate. It’s just an undefeated competition anyway. How can the winner’s stage be more important than Uma Musume’s health?”

Stardust Illusion looked at the slightly flattering smile of the middle-aged man in front of him and felt a little uneasy.

Just now she was trying to convince the organizer to let her escape from the winner's stage, but now this man easily agreed, which made Stardust Illusion feel that there was some conspiracy...

"Is it really possible not to participate?"

"Of course. We at Chukyo Racecourse have always put the physical condition of our horse girls first!"

Beer Belly immediately made a promise, then called his men to coordinate in front of her.

When he put down his phone, he smiled a little flatteringly and said:

"Is that reassuring? But since you're not participating in the winner's stage, I might need your help with a small favor, Stardust Illusion. Is that okay?"

Hearing the man's request, Stardust Illusion breathed a sigh of relief. Since he needed his help, at least he didn't have to worry about him having any bad intentions.

"It's like this. There is a press conference after today's game. We originally planned to interview all the contestants after the winner's stage. But now you can't go on stage, right? Why don't you help deal with the reporters and answer some questions!" continued Beer Belly.

"Just a reporter's interview?"

Stardust Illusion spoke to confirm.

After all, if you have to choose one, then the press interview is much better than the winner's stage.

“Well, some media outlets near Nagoya probably want to interview Uma Musume, so…?”

Stardust Illusion couldn't help but laugh at this middle-aged man with a beer belly that was much bigger than his two lifetimes combined, looking at him with an inquiring look.

What? He looks like a good guy?

The slight guard she had against him just now was swept away, and she also confirmed the other party's purpose.

Zhongjing Racecourse has been trying to increase its popularity in order to host the G1 classic event, and Stardust Illusion is also aware of this.

In fact, in the future before the time travel, the Chukyo Racecourse did host the short-distance G1 grass race called Takamatsunomiya Kinen after several years of hard work.

So they want to use me to liven up the atmosphere?

【Use this game to announce your appearance to your goal! 】

At this moment, Stardust Illusion couldn't help but think of Rokuhei Ginjiro's words again, and nodded to his beer belly:

"Then go now, I will give you a satisfactory answer."

"One more thing."

Seeing Stardust Illusion standing up and about to walk out, Beer Belly quickly stopped her and continued, "It's like this, Stardust Illusion, you graduated from a local college in the countryside, right?"

"Yes." The Stardust Illusion replied.

"Have you ever considered joining the Uma Musume Academy at the Chukyo Racecourse? What I mean is... as a Uma Musume who debuted in Chukyo, we can provide you with a lot of conveniences, but in exchange - in the future, you have to claim to be a Uma Musume from Chukyo when you go to other places, how about that?"

Stardust Illusion looked at the beer belly in front of him, somewhat puzzled as to why the other party would spend so much money on him:

"I only participated in two competitions, right? Is it necessary to do so much?"

Beer Belly laughed in silence. He immediately realized that the other party also understood what he meant, and then he simply explained:

"Since you know what we mean, it's easier to explain. This is an investment, you understand? Places like Kasamatsu have become more popular because of the emergence of Oguruma... We also want to do the same."

"Little Kurimao? Do you think my potential can compare to a monster like Little Kurimao?"