Chapter 83 (Second Update Combined)

Zou Shu had a reasonable suspicion that Leng Zhi's behavior constituted outsourcing of paternal love and exploiting his labor as the deputy captain.

He hung up the phone cursing, then picked up his grocery bag and went out.

Zou Lin poked his head out from the second floor: "Brother, aren't you on holiday today? Why are you going grocery shopping again?"

The man's voice was weak and listless: "I do side jobs."

Zou Shu's cooking skills are actually quite good. He used to take on part of the kitchen work, whether at home or in the team, so Jiang Mingzhe stopped complaining after he started eating there.

The white porridge was sweetened with sugar, and the chicken soup was savory and fragrant. Jiang Mingzhe ate it in large mouthfuls in silence.

Leng Zhi ate the same food as him. He secretly took out his phone and sent his brother a thumbs-up emoji.

Zou Shu quickly replied with a middle finger emoji.

Leng Zhi thought to himself, "I still need to explain to President Jiang in a few days that I should bring the family chef back—it might really be going too far to keep squeezing Zou Shu out of business, cough."

In the team interview notice, the manager thoughtfully arranged specific time slots: Leng Zhi at 2 PM and Zou Shu at 5 PM.

Jiang Mingzhe was resting at home today, so there was no need to ask him to get up early, and Leng Zhi also slept in late.

Zou Shu woke up very early. In order to make time for his afternoon interview, he and his younger brother switched shifts and he helped out in the kitchen this morning.

I was chopping vegetables when a new text message popped up on my phone:

[Hello Mr. Zou, I am the team manager of LSG. Your interview time has been rescheduled to any time today. If it's convenient, you can come now. We look forward to your trial.]

Zou Shu: "...?"

When Leng Zhi woke up, his phone had a list of missed calls from Zou Shu and a text message from the team manager.

He and Zou Shu were both rescheduled for their interviews.

This sounds a lot like some kind of test or hint.

After lunch, it was Jiang Mingzhe's nap time, and Leng Zhi took advantage of this time to set off.

To prevent a repeat of the previous situation, he specifically checked the back seat of the car to see if any curious children were hiding there.

Okay, no. "This sounds a bit like science fiction, doesn't it?"

Amidst a chorus of doubts, a little girl with braided pigtails raised her hand.

"Actually... it's not impossible. Last year, a team held an exhibition match where they only looked at the minimap, and the pro players were able to pull it off."

Someone chimed in, "I remember now, but that team was last year's champions... this... they..."

The implication is that the smaller teams in the city tournament certainly don't have that terrifying strength.

Sun Wei actually witnessed Meng Cheng's actions, but he refused to admit it: "Impossible, I didn't see it!"

The person in charge of the city competition backstage was about to faint.

He gritted his teeth, thinking that this farce could not continue any longer.

"I heard he went back to his hometown. He'll probably sign a live streaming contract with some platform and do some gaming companion jobs," Tang Wenshi replied calmly.

"Serves him right," Yu Fu said bluntly.

Players without fame like these generally won't achieve good results if they switch to being streamers. They're just selling their youth for quick money, and once they can't stay up all night anymore, they'll have to go back to society.

The semifinals of the qualifiers are the day after tomorrow, and the LSG team is gathered at Xinxing Internet Cafe for pre-match tactical guidance.

Tang Wenshi happened to be in S City these past two days, and at Leng Zhi's enthusiastic invitation, he appeared at the New Star Internet Cafe.

This led to the conversation we just had about Shen Yingcai.

“Well, according to the rules, I haven’t terminated my contract with PX yet, so I shouldn’t go to other teams.” The older coach looked around the small space that had been set aside in the internet cafe. “However, you can probably consider this a friendly exchange within the internet cafe, and it doesn’t count as going to another team’s base.”

The private rooms in the internet cafe looked somewhat messy. The manager had found a huge blackboard that was much longer than herself and hung it opposite a row of computers. At that moment, it was covered with review and analysis reports of the games, which were now magnetically attached to it.

In addition, there were also disassembled peripheral packaging boxes piled up in the corner.

If we had to find something to praise, it would probably be that this place is relatively clean. The LSG team has had a good habit of not leaving takeout boxes lying around since they were young.

Well, the "Poor Bachelor Team" can be considered a cozy little den for now.

Zou Shu scratched his head: "I've been busy with training."

Leng Zhi said calmly, "There's no need. The qualifiers are over, and there will be a large prize. We'll move to the new base immediately."

Meng Cheng leaned back in his chair: "I want a bigger one! It needs to have a separate training room and an analysis room!"

"Let's build a separate peripherals room!"

"I'm applying for a dormitory! I want to live in the team's dormitory!"

"We could also have a tea room, and a gym too."

His teammates went on and on about their plans, leaving Leng Zhi helpless: "Take it slow, we can only get one this big after we win the playoffs."

Tang Wenshi listened to their discussion, and a look of surprise flashed across his face.

This group of people seems to have never considered the possibility of "losing".

In their words, the prize money for the qualifying rounds and even the playoffs is a sure thing.

Tang Wenshi: "Let's start the game. I've watched your individual match highlights beforehand, but I still don't know enough about it."

"Okay." Leng Zhi put away his joking expression and sat down in front of the computer, his aura subtly changed.

Tang Wenshi is respected in the league because he has an almost intuitive grasp of the players' condition and overall direction.

Unlike tactical masters like Leng Zhi, he is able to provide players with comprehensive guidance on all aspects of the game beforehand.

Leng Zhi quickly confirmed that he had not invited the wrong person.

“Yu Fu, your standing position is too far forward, which makes you easily out of touch with the team.”

"Meng Cheng, you've handled things very well. I haven't found any problems yet."

After only half a day of watching the game, he keenly discovered the details that LSG could improve upon.

He had witnessed how Leng Zhi dealt with those shameless people in his variety shows, and he wouldn't dare let this little referee continue to be arrogant.

Soon, the popularity of this sub-live stream plummeted, and viewers all went to the live streams of other guests.

Lei Ling overheard the cameraman's urgent contact with the director team and realized that the biggest problem now was not him and Xixi getting caught in the rain.

Instead, the audience all ran away! The lights turned scarlet, and the background music became eerie. After the initial voiceover, the haunted house finally got down to business, and the kids who had just been making grand pronouncements couldn't help but shrink back.

Jiang Yijing: "?"

Why did you hang up so soon after you called?

He recalled the fleeting glimpse of a vibrant wedding dress on his phone, and the man with a face as beautiful as a peach blossom against the backdrop of the red gown.

Is the education expert trying to showcase this... special outfit?

Leng Zhi was sweating profusely as he looked at the call Jiang Yijing had made back on his phone.

Damn, I was too fast! I almost forgot that I'm still wearing this shameful wedding dress!

Leng Zhi gripped his phone, feeling as if he had stepped on a landmine that had already been detonated; he couldn't decide whether to leave or stay.

It was urgent, so I hung up on my boss immediately and didn't answer the second call. Does that count as a bad work attitude?

The self-made success of Leng Shen evoked the anxieties of ordinary working people.

The chat was completely overwhelmed, the word spread like wildfire, and even the main stream's viewership was significantly reduced.

Leng Zhi assumed they were just rehearsing lines, but Jiang Yijing actually uttered a single word: "Okay."

He was caught in a dilemma, so he had no choice but to actually get out of bed, prop his phone up on the candlestick on the table, and point it at himself.

Jiang Yijing watched as the image on his phone shook for a moment before settling into a fixed position. The little figure in red stepped back a bit, seemingly worried that the camera wouldn't capture him properly, and then leaned closer for another look before asking anxiously, "Can you see me?"

Leng Zhi's reaction was actually quite fast.

When Zou Shu spotted the bushes where he was, he immediately ordered, "Retreat."

Unfortunately, the one controlling the hero was the clueless Jiang Mingzhe.

He didn't hear what Leng Zhi was saying at all; his little head was full of the previous strategy.

I need to be patient! As long as this person gets close enough to attack the monster, I can "stalk the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind"!

Jiang Mingzhe stared at the grayed-out screen, rubbed his eyes, and asked in disbelief, "Are we... are we dead?"

He smiled and pressed the send button.

Now is the moment Zou Shu has been waiting for. In order to make his act of introducing himself seem less strange, he has been waiting for an opportunity to kill the guest, and then he used this opportunity to say this highly suggestive sentence.

Once Leng Zhi sees him, he will definitely understand who he is.

A conference room on a certain floor of the Jiang Group building.

Li Yang was taking a sip of coffee when he suddenly saw a new message from his junior classmate pop up on his phone.

The meeting was dragging on, so he held his coffee in one hand and quietly turned on the screen with the other.

"puff--"

The coffee he hadn't swallowed sprayed all over the cover of the document.

Li Yang apologized repeatedly to the curious looks from those around him, saying, "I choked, I choked, I'm sorry."

Looking at the team name, Leng Zhi frowned slightly.

In the few days since he arrived, he has done some research on the competitions here. After learning about the playing styles of well-known players and their teams, he marked a few established powerhouses and emerging forces that he could consider.

The photographer tried to calm Lei Ling down: "A backup phone will be delivered soon, but it's hard to locate us on the island, so it might take them a while to find us."

He had a good impression of the guests. Lei Ling was good-looking and had a good figure. He was always polite to the staff, and Xi Xi was a well-behaved child.

He put down the malfunctioning camera, looking somewhat worried about Xixi: "Xixi, my windbreaker is windproof and rainproof, and Uncle also has a small umbrella for you."

"A while? How long is that?" Lei Ling asked eagerly.

The cameraman, unaware of the change in Lei Ling's tone, replied, "Half an hour or an hour? I'm not entirely sure."

Lei Ling felt a little dizzy for a moment.

He came to the variety show entirely to gain viewership. Having been immersed in the influencer industry for many years, he knows all too well how many viewers he will lose during that one-hour break.

The raindrops hit his face with a cool, refreshing sensation, and Lei Ling felt a chill in his heart as well.

Xixi was only wearing a long-sleeved shirt, which was soaked through and hung completely on her back as she shivered.

He gratefully accepted the umbrella from the photographer, but before he could open it, Lei Ling snatched it away.

"Can't even hold an umbrella properly." Lei Ling's tone was icy. He opened the umbrella, but instead of returning it to Xixi, he held it between his own hands and symbolically leaned against Xixi.

"Xixi, did the rain make you stupid? Uncle will help you." Seemingly realizing that his tone was out of character, he added.

Now he's even enjoying the experience of his boss personally picking him up from school, which feels like a dream, making them seem like a real married couple.

However, he still pays attention to the team's image, at least it can't be too messy, otherwise if the other side thinks that he is just taking the opportunity to play around, then he won't be as comfortable as he is now.

Jiang Yijing glanced at Leng Zhi in the rearview mirror. The latter was like a lazy leopard cat, stretching out his limbs in the passenger seat, casually answering the "ten thousand whys" question sitting in the back.

The endless stream of "100,000 Whys" finally quieted down, probably because I was sleepy. It gradually stopped making a fuss, and my eyelids started to droop.

Jiang Yijing finally found an opportunity to start a conversation.

How have the recent competitions gone?

Leng Zhi was relaxed: "Not bad, we've made it to the semifinals now. We're going to participate in the semifinals the day after tomorrow in City C. I'll have to ask you guys to take care of Mingzhe again then."

"It's okay, making it to the semifinals is pretty good. Leave the family to me, and I've finished up my projects recently."

Jiang Yijing said half-jokingly, "If you guys make it to the playoffs, the group can allocate some investment to you. Would you consider this angel round venture capital?"

“President Jiang even knows about the playoffs,” Leng Zhi was somewhat surprised by Jiang Yijing’s understanding of e-sports. “We are determined to win the championship, but the next two games will be tough.”

"PXM and QE? They are indeed two dark horses."

Leng Zhi sat up straight immediately: "You watched the game?"

Jiang Yijing lied without batting an eye: "A friend of mine loves watching this, and I watched a bit with him. He said you guys are all favorites to win the championship. What, are you feeling pressured?"

Leng Zhi had no doubt about Jiang Yijing's words, and he let the seatbelt pull him back into the comfortable seat.

He didn't answer directly, but said softly, "We will definitely be the champions."

Jiang Yijing slowed down, his eyes still on the road, but he sensed Leng Zhi's unspoken meaning.

He said "we will definitely be the champion," but it sounded like he was issuing a military order.

Leng Zhi wasn't actually worried about the team's strength, nor was he worried about his own; his concerns were purely psychological.

Unlike the easy shutout in the round of 64, Leng Zhi could feel that his opponents' level was rapidly improving as the matches progressed.

This ignited the teams' competitive spirit and made the match more interesting.

He is looking forward to the upcoming playoffs – the strength of the opponents shows that there are still many experts in this world, and LSG will have to put in a lot of effort to win in the end.

But with victory after victory, as he gradually made his way to the finals, the cheers from the audience grew louder and louder. Leng Zhi would occasionally recall the match where his hand injury flared up.

Although everything has restarted and my hand feels normal now, the dull pain I felt every day after that game is still vivid in my memory.

Unpopular with everyone, he was forced to retire...

Unfortunately, he couldn't share this terrible mood with his teammates—Leng Zhi didn't want these old issues to affect the team's morale. As the captain, he had to deal with it himself.

Jiang Yijing parked the car on the side of the road and suddenly said seriously, "You're putting too much pressure on yourself."

The car stopped, and Jiang Mingzhe woke up. He blew a big snot bubble and looked a little confused: "Is Dad Leng alright?"

Jiang Yijing's gentle eyes were reflected in Leng Zhi's pupils.

Suddenly feeling the concern from both father and son, he thought of the nightmare he had had a couple of days ago.

The photographer was stunned.

He vaguely sensed something was wrong: it was a small umbrella for one person, not enough for two people, and Lei Ling was holding it towards himself, so that half of Xi Xi's body was exposed.

Why does this guest have two faces in his words and actions?

The camera was small and hidden in the gap between two wooden poles, but its rounded and smooth lens and the faint red light reflected when looking inwards gave it away—it was a camera that was recording video.

Leng Zhi's vision went black, and he collapsed once again.

They were defeated by the production team; it was a complete and utter defeat.

His trembling hand grabbed his phone and tapped the live stream screen again.

The children in the video have entered the courtyard of the haunted house, and the children who were previously divided into two groups have successfully reunited.

Delicious! The crabs are delicious! The fish is fragrant too!

Wow, the potatoes in this side dish have soaked up all the broth, eat as much as you want!

Jiang Mingzhe ate until his lips were covered in the juices of the food. Finally, he hugged his small napkin and wiped his mouth with satisfaction. His little head, which had been hungry for several days, was filled with the delicious food.

A thought vaguely crossed his mind.

I didn't buy any big crabs, so why are they on the table?

And why aren't the spiky balls he painstakingly selected on the dining table?

These misconceptions passed quickly; Jiang Mingzhe, enjoying the satisfaction brought by the food, soon put them behind him.

These dishes were not considered exceptional delicacies by Jiang Yijing; they were merely edible.

He was a little confused, wondering if he had been too stingy with his employees. In his memory, Leng Zhi should be capable of independently preparing quite delicious and nutritious meals; otherwise, he wouldn't have agreed to dismiss the children's nutritionist from his home.

Why order takeout? Is it because we're not making enough money for childcare?

Jiang Yijing decided to first check on Zai Zai's daily life at the dinner table as usual, and then talk to Leng Zhi alone later.

"Are you happy on the show?"

How do you get along with the other children?

What have you been eating lately?

"Do you miss Grandma? Do you want to go stay with her for a couple of days after this is over?"

Jiang Mingzhe behaved very well in front of Jiang Yijing, so Jiang Yijing received satisfactory answers to all of them—except for the last question.

Jiang Mingzhe's eyes lit up when he heard his grandmother's name.

Grandma spoils him the most! Much better than a bad dad!

"Yes! I want Grandma to move in with us! I want to live with Grandma every day!"

Jiang Yijing and Leng Zhi said in unison, "No way!"

The two exchanged a glance and fell into an eerie silence.

The original owner was chosen to take care of Jiang Mingzhe for two reasons. First, his business skills passed President Jiang's test. Second, the Leng family and Jiang's grandfather were old friends. After the Leng family declined, Jiang's grandmother sponsored Leng Zhi to complete his studies. He was a child she watched grow up.

This means that his fake marriage with Leng Zhi can shut his grandmother up from pressuring him to get married.

Little Jiang is fearless, except for his grandmother's nagging.

Sending Jiang Mingzhe to his grandmother's house for a couple of days is fine, but if his grandmother moves in, the fact that the couple is in a fake marriage will be exposed too easily!

Jiang Yijing cleared his throat and explained to Jiang Mingzhe, "Grandma is getting old, you can't always stay by her side. You should go stay with her for a couple of days and then come back."

Leng Zhi nodded slightly, fully appreciating President Jiang's profound understanding of righteousness.

Overall, the meal was cold and uncomfortable.

Jiang Mingzhe alone is not scary at all, and he can fool Jiang Yijing alone with his acting skills, but Jiang Yijing plus Jiang Mingzhe is a complete super employer, creating an extremely high-pressure working environment.

And he continues to stream live.

As required by the production team, the guests' live broadcasts were to continue until 8 p.m., after which a nanny van would pick them up and take them back to the production venue.

Jiang Yijing readily agreed to Leng Zhi's live stream without much thought, only stating that he hoped Leng Zhi wouldn't be on camera too much. After all, it was something he had promised beforehand, and as a public figure, he wasn't afraid of the camera.

The live streaming equipment was handed over to the housekeeper, who was responsible for recording Jiang Mingzhe's every move during dinner.

Le Xinzhou makes a dazzling appearance as the "Chainsaw Shark Maniac," his round shark head is quite adorable. Although he is trying his best to wave the chainsaw model in his hand, the little boy, who has gradually gotten used to the rhythm of the haunted house, does not seem to be afraid.

Jiang Mingzhe: "Wow! It's a great white shark!"

Duoduo: "I want to touch the shark's tail!"

Xixi said with serious concern, "Duoduo, be careful of the saw in his hand when you touch it, it looks scary."

Duoduo nodded vigorously: "Definitely!" and then walked towards Le Xinzhou.

In the background music, the character's voice line, "Chainsaw Killer," hadn't finished playing: "Your adventure is over once you've met me. I'll catch you all and chop you into pieces!"

Le Xinzhou panicked as he watched Duoduo walk towards him step by step.

This isn't his chainsaw cutting the babies into small pieces; he's about to be dismembered into eight pieces by his heartless little cotton-padded jacket!

He involuntarily took a step back: "No..."

Dodo had already grabbed his shark tail: "Got you!"

Then the other little ones gathered around: "Yay! Duoduo caught the bad guy!"

Looking at this bewildered "bad guy," Xiaoyu suddenly had a thought: "Could he also be one of our parents? He seems different from the other haunted house monsters."

With Xiaoyu's reminder, Duoduo immediately noticed the difference.

This chainsaw man is wearing his parents' rings!

"Dad! Is that you?!" she shouted excitedly.

Le Xinzhou's true identity has been completely exposed, leaving him in a predicament where neither advancing nor retreating is an option.

Leng Zhi had no time to sympathize with Le Xinzhou's tragic situation, nor did he have time to think about whether he would face the same problem. He just glanced at the content of the main live broadcast room and quickly scrolled to the sub-live broadcast room below.

As a result, with a gentle swipe of the hand, the scene transformed into the familiar red silk bed curtains, where a crimson figure lay limp on the bed like a corpse.

From the angle, it's the same camera he bumped into when he looked up.

Leng Zhi: "..."

My heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally died completely.

He thought the call wouldn't be seen by the audience, but it had been completely overheard. He even went so far as to put on an extraordinary performance to please his boss.

Leng Zhi clutched his head in anguish, filled with despair at the thought that all of this would become part of his internet criminal record.

On the other side of the haunted house, Yue Xinzhou, whose disguise had been removed, had no choice but to admit his identity under the direction of the production team. He then guided the child to find clues for this level and proceed to the next room in a different way.

What should have been a haunted house was turned into an escape room by the children, and the scary atmosphere disappeared completely amidst their cheerful laughter.

The photographer shook his head, trying to shake off the strange feeling. As a staff member, he shouldn't interfere too much with the guests' behavior, so he could only offer some suggestions: "Why don't we walk further in? There are big trees in the wooded area, which should be much better."

Lei Ling, however, pointed to the exact opposite path, his attitude very firm: "Does the production team completely disregard this situation? Half an hour is too slow. Contact the production team again and ask them to prepare more shelter from the wind and rain. We'll wait on the beach; it's open here, and they'll find us in no time."

He makes a lot of sense. This pressure and accusation against the production team completely overshadows his true intention: Damn production team, can't you reconnect to the live broadcast room within three minutes?

The cameraman could only relay these words to the production team, but he did not agree with the idea of ​​waiting for the rescue team to arrive on the beach.

"Xixi will get sick if she gets soaked in the rain like this."

Lei Ling: "That's also the production team's fault. How could any kid withstand such an activity in this weather!"

The person in charge rushed onto the stage and bowed deeply to the audience: "We apologize to our viewers. Regarding the conflict between the LSG team and referee Sun Wei, as well as the specific reasons for this suspension and the speed of response, the organizer will definitely conduct a thorough investigation and publish the results on the website!"

He winked at Sun Wei and continued, "That concludes today's city tournament. Thank you all for your support, and congratulations to the LSG team for successfully advancing to the qualifiers!"

Sun Wei knew he could save face, so he snorted and said nothing, which was considered an admission of the person in charge's actions.

He knew that continuing the commotion would not do him any good, given his already guilty conscience, so he gracefully backed down.

After seeing off one big shot, the person in charge continued to plead with the next big shot in a polite tone: "Mr. Leng, please rest assured, we will have dedicated staff to conduct a thorough investigation and give you a fair judgment. If the referee, Mr. Sun, has violated regulations, we will not tolerate it!"

He spoke with such conviction that Leng Zhi's heart stirred slightly, and he didn't make things difficult for him any further.

“Okay, we’ll wait for your results,” he said.

After being reassured by the person in charge, the LSG team members returned to the players' lounge.

The host immediately followed up and began reading the closing remarks, trying to downplay the little incident that had just occurred.

S City is a nationally renowned e-sports city with ample supporting facilities. Various competitions can be held here, so many e-sports teams are based here.

The newly formed LSG team was no exception. The team manager chose a conference room in a commercial and residential building in the south of S City as the interview location, which was a short drive away.

As for the team's base, of course there isn't one—the team was established in a hurry and is short of funds, so for the time being there is only temporary land rented on a daily basis. Yu Fushang is still investigating the location of the base.

Although he's a lucky guy and a top-tier esports player with both talent and hard work, he really doesn't have much of a business sense.

Luo Hongshuo had already run out of patience after hearing only half of what he said.

"So what's the difference between what you're doing now and a shell company?"

Yu Fu quickly raised his index finger, signaling him to keep his voice down: "Shh, don't talk nonsense, I'm being serious!"

Do you have a team base?

"Where's the training equipment? You're recruiting people when the team has zero fixed assets?"

"Putting aside the fact that the five of us are being reorganized, even if you offer a high salary, which of the applicants sitting outside would dare to stay?"

Luo Hongshuo's barrage of questions caused Yu Fu to retreat step by step.

He shrank back, revealing a pitiful look in his eyes: "Brother Luo, stop scolding me, or I'll go crazy! Waaah, we brothers have just reunited, and before we've even had a chance to be emotional, you've already scolded me so badly."