"Tsk." Lin Mingfei looked over the invitation again and again, then softly said, "Hulu Team."
"Has our Team P really fallen to this point?" Shi Ya sighed and held her forehead with her hand.
"But fortunately, there are still teams willing to play training matches with you, so it's not too bad." He Youjin said, "And I didn't ask for it. Their manager took the initiative to invite me."
"Oh?" Shi Yaqi asked: "How did you meet?"
"I had just left the Jiu Tou Niao club. That guy...was in the middle of nowhere. Taxis were impossible to get, and my phone signal was constantly down. I thought I was going to die in a foreign land. Then I crashed into the Hulu team's van," He Youjin recalled. "Then their manager gave me a ride and kept complaining to me about how they might not qualify for the qualifiers if they didn't win another live match this year. BLABLA."
"So you hit it off right away?" Lin Mingfei asked.
"Yes, he kept thanking me and saying that I have a spirit of dedication." He Youjin said softly.
“…”
There was silence in the Withering Team's clubhouse.
Xia Tong poked his head out from behind Lin Mingfei, his little eyebrows wrinkled into a ball, and there were traces of tears in the corners of his eyes. He slowly pouting his lips, the pout getting higher and higher, until his little nose wrinkled.
"I don't know why... I feel so! Angry!"
Bo Yu: "Me too."
Zhou Yanjun: "Same, more angry than not being able to schedule a training match."
Lin Mingfei tapped her arms with her five fingers in turn, then turned to look at He Youjin.
"And what did you say to him?"
He Youjin sneered, "As for me, I held his hand and said from the bottom of my heart, I'm sorry, big brother!"
"You are very good at saying harsh words." Lin Mingfei said.
"What if you lose? I'm really afraid the sponsor will ask me to return the money!" He Youjin gritted his teeth and said, "If that happens, I'll be so ashamed and angry that I'll immediately hang myself at the entrance of the base with Zhou Yanjun's belt! You bastards will owe me a lifetime of gratitude!"
Zhou Yanjun was instantly frightened and leaned back tremblingly: "No need, Manager He, it's really not necessary!"
Xia Tong: "We will work hard QAQ!!"
This training match is really a thorn in the side of everyone.
It seemed like everyone looked down on Polaris, and their ending was clearly arranged. Even the 18th-tier teams were sure that they would lose and were ready to step on them to get to the top.
The atmosphere in Team P's club was very low until bedtime.
Since Zhou Yanjun and Bo Yu had previously been playing Xia Tong in a haphazard fashion, Shi Ya systematically practiced with Xia Tong in the arena's 2v2 mode tonight. As a skilled healer, even with Xia Tong's subpar equipment and basic stats, Shi Ya was able to effortlessly keep him alive, even prompting him to dodge skills or switch positions for a tug-of-war. However, Xia Tong wasn't good at roaming, and would become flustered if interrupted by the opponent. As a result, while they couldn't kill him, they also couldn't defeat the opponent, resulting in a frustrating series of losses.
Shi Ya didn't say anything, and her attitude remained gentle and patient. After exiting the game, she even said good night to Xia Tong. However, Xia Tong was extremely depressed. He went back to the room to wash up. After everything became quiet, he felt more and more guilty.
He sat at the head of the bed for a long time, but he was not sleepy at all. He imagined that in his current extremely amateur state, he would participate in the training match and lose the game in front of everyone on the Internet, bringing shame to all the members of Team P. He felt panic in his heart and his palms were sweating with nervousness.
Around twelve o'clock, Xia Tong's mood was still not calm. The overly quiet atmosphere would really magnify people's negative emotions infinitely. He couldn't stand it anymore, so he simply put on some clothes, got out of bed and walked out of the bedroom.
The base was quiet; most of the people were asleep, and the hallway was dimly lit. Xia Tong subconsciously turned and walked to Lin Mingfei's bedroom door, then paused.
It's not a good idea to disturb Zero so late at night.
When he first came here, he knew nothing and was like a fool. Whenever something happened, he would feel like the sky had fallen and would immediately go to Lin Mingfei to complain. But now, he has more or less understood the ways of the world and has begun to realize that some behaviors are inappropriate.
For example, although Lin Mingfei is good to him, she is not a free emotional trash can. He also needs rest. Moreover, although Lin Mingfei seems to be omnipotent and fearless, she is also a flesh-and-blood person. She will reveal a hint of sadness and fragility at certain times when no one is around, and she needs human comfort.
Xia Tong scratched his fingers and lowered his head. There was no light coming out from the crack of Lin Mingfei's bedroom door. It was dark. She was probably asleep. So he turned around, went down the stairs and walked out of the base.
Ever since he ran away from home, he has basically been traveling with Lin Mingfei or other people in Team P, and they are inseparable. This is the first time he has gone out alone without Debang or anyone else to accompany him.
The night was hushed, and most of the buildings in this villa complex were dark. Presumably, the residents here maintained exceptionally healthy routines. The hustle and bustle of the city was blocked out by the carved walls, and even the halo of light seemed distant, like a brocade woven at the edge of the sky. Xia Tong had unknowingly left the complex. He looked left and right at the fork in the road. The left path was wide and open, bright as day, leading directly to the commercial district in the city center, bustling and full of extravagance. The right path was more winding and simple, with only scattered, fragmented lights and shadows peeking out.
Xia Tong had already seen many young people turning back from the depths of the road, each holding a paper or plastic bag filled with fragrant food.
Xia Tong's eyes slowly widened with curiosity, and then he walked in the direction they came from. There was a cool breeze, and the scenery on the street was fresh and changing. Only then did he deeply understand the meaning of freedom. He could freely choose where to go, how far to go, and when to return. No one would blame him for these things or give him a cold look. His shoulders were free of burden and he felt relaxed.
Soon, the destination appeared ahead of the road, and everything suddenly became clear. It was a night market that connected the entire street, with a dazzling array of snack stalls. The steaming hot air mixed with the aroma of sauces made every pore on the body open up, and excitement burst out.
Xia Tong walked past the snack stalls lined up with surprise and curiosity. There were spicy hot pot, stinky tofu, grilled sausages, egg-filled pancakes... Xia Tong felt that she might have had a fake dinner and actually started to drool.
I want to eat this, I want to eat that... Why do humans only have one stomach? How great would it be if we had multiple stomachs like cows! One for soy sauce-smothered stinky tofu, one for grilled sausages, one for egg-filled pancakes...
Xia Tong's mind was full of wild thoughts, and she finally stopped in front of a fried skewers stall.
Lao Gu's fried skewers stall had a crooked but striking sign painted in red ink on its metal cart. Standing behind the cart was a man in his forties or fifties, tall and broad-shouldered, with half-white hair and strong, distinct features. Even his age couldn't hide the dashing handsomeness of his youth, and he was in exceptionally good spirits. On a night like this, where even a breath could congeal into white mist, he wore only a single layer of clothing, with his sleeves rolled up to his upper arms, revealing his strong, flexible arms.
This fried skewers stall sells a variety of skewers, including tofu, grilled sausages, and quail eggs. Each skewer is not large in quantity, but it can satisfy someone like Xia Tong who wants to eat everything but doesn't have a big enough stomach.
"Uncle, I want to eat fried skewers!" Xia Tong's eyes were wide open, and there seemed to be a huge five-pointed star shining in them.
"Then eat!" the middle-aged man shouted proudly, turning the potato slices floating in the oil frequently while quickly handing a basket to Xia Tong. "Pick whatever you want to eat, and then ask me to fry it!"
"Great!" Xia Tong clapped her hands happily.
"Little brother, eating fried skewers so late at night might cause you to get pimples even though your skin is so good!" A girl with dreadlocks who was sitting on a plastic stool and drinking beer laughed loudly.
"If you get pimples, you get pimples!" Xia Tong said with a smile, "Anyway, pimples will go away, so just be happy!"
"I like your mentality, cheers!" The girl with dreadlocks raised the beer bottle at him happily and gulped down half of it.
Xia Tong was infected by this emotion. The golden beer bubbles seemed to have penetrated into his blood vessels, surging and rolling with fragrance and vitality. So he excitedly took the small basket and began to pick and choose from the pile of skewers.
"This looks delicious, this one is delicious too, well, I want this one too...ah, and this one too!" He muttered softly as he happily spun around.
After a while, he finally finished selecting and handed a full basket of skewers to the stall owner.
"Wow, you're not big, but you have a big appetite." The stall owner glanced at him, gasping for a moment, then took off the labels on the skewers and placed them on an empty plate. "I'll fry them for you, you can go sit down over there. If you want more, you can come back midway. When you've had enough, we'll pay together." The stall owner patted a large square iron box next to him and said, "I have iced drinks and hot soy milk here. Come and get them if you need them."
"Okay, okay!" Xia Tong nodded like a chick pecking at rice, then walked happily towards the seating area.
It was called a seating area, but in fact it was rows of plastic benches with small stools. The plastic benches served as tables. The distance between people was neither too far nor too close, which was just right. Xia Tong patted her butt and sat down, then began to look around, shaking her head.
The people eating around me were very casual. Some had come out in pajamas and old cotton slippers, sitting on small stools, playing with their phones while eating meat. Some, bored out of their minds, used the stools as rocking horses, rocking them back and forth, stumbling and almost falling, making themselves laugh. The girl with dreadlocks who had been drinking beer earlier suddenly burst into tears for no apparent reason, and then collapsed on the plastic stool, sobbing and squeaking the beer bottle.
The late night time belongs to people themselves. They are free and have a brief moment of peace. They can do whatever they want and forget or release the stress of the day.
The stall owner quickly fried all the skewers Xia Tong ordered, put them in a disposable lunch box and brought them over with a few tissues. Xia Tong said thank you and lowered her head to pick up a skewer of fried rice cakes. The golden and crispy surface was brushed with sweet soy sauce. It was crispy and fragrant when she took a bite, and soft and salty glutinous rice squeezed out from inside.
"Delicious!" Xia Tong's eyes lit up and her little face turned red.
"Of course not," the stall owner said proudly, "My Gu family's fried skewers have been sold here for over ten years! I survived even when the bank collapsed! That's how delicious they are!"
The spicy hot pot vendor over there mercilessly laughed, "Here they come again! Who was it that was chased by the urban management during the city's cleanliness campaign last time?"
"You still dare to say that? You didn't do it!" Old Gu glared, "Who is the one who fell on his back?"
"Who is it! How come I don't know!"
Xia Tong felt that the way these people talked was like biting into a fresh gala fruit—straightforward and amusing. He laughed non-stop as he ate the skewers. He had never imagined he had such a big appetite before; he actually devoured over a dozen skewers of vegetables and meat. He felt warm and relaxed.
"I'm full!" He patted his full belly and stood up happily from the small stool. "Would you like something else?" The stall owner turned his head and asked enthusiastically.
"I can't eat much anymore!" Xia Tong said with a smile, "Uncle, let me pay the bill!"
"Okay, the total is twenty dollars and sixty cents. Just give me twenty dollars after you take off the change!" said the stall owner readily.
Xia Tong hummed twice and reached into her trouser pocket.
Then I touched nothing.
Xia Tong: “???”
He looked down at his pants and realized that he had been admiring other people's pajamas just a few seconds ago, but now he was wearing pajamas without anyone noticing.
To pay, he needed a cell phone, and to carry a cell phone, he needed a pocket, but his cotton pajamas didn't have pockets...
Xia Tong felt a chill down her spine and swallowed awkwardly.
He's been at Polaris for too long... They've spoiled him so much...
The stall owner saw him touching the seam of his pants and not taking any further action, and couldn't help but wonder: "What? Are you still planning to pay cash?"
I don't even have a cell phone... let alone cash...
Xia Tong raised her face with difficulty and gave an awkward but polite smile.
"Uncle...actually I..."
"Don't call me uncle." The stall owner's kind smile suddenly collapsed, and he turned into a ferocious devil, which scared the little Omega so much that he shrank his neck.
"I never thought that you, a handsome little classmate, are actually a thief who dine and skip meals!" the stall owner cursed in a loud voice.
Xia Tong: “Hmm!!”
His face turned pale and he was trembling, not knowing what to do. Without a cell phone, he couldn't even call for help.
"Uncle, I didn't mean to not give you the money. I don't know why I didn't bring my phone with me QAQ... I really didn't mean to." He said humbly.
The stall owner glanced at him sideways. Seeing that he ran away without finishing his meal and even kept explaining to him for so long, he was so ashamed that he almost cried. He really didn't seem like someone who would eat and dine on purpose.
"Then you..." The stall owner narrowed his eyes and thought: "Twenty yuan can make a hero fail, but it's not that bad..."
"I'm not a hero, I'm Xia Xiaotong." The little Omega panicked, his eyes red: "I...I...what should I do now..."
"Otherwise, if you give me twenty dollars now, I won't bother with you," said the stall owner.
"Twenty yuan..." Xia Tong looked bewildered: "Where can I get twenty yuan..."
The stall owner rolled his eyes, probably feeling that it was really tiring to teach such questions.
"If you ask me, if you dare to eat without paying, then don't worry about face at this time. You have to earn your face yourself, otherwise you will only live in disgrace, do you understand?" He raised a finger and shook it, scolding.
"But I don't care about face..." Xia Tong didn't know whether the other party had mistaken him for some spoiled young master. He pointed at the finger aggrievedly: "I really don't know... Uncle, why don't you teach me how to do it, I will learn it now!" He raised his face and nodded very sincerely.
The stall owner thought that the boy would be so angry and embarrassed by him, and was ready to face the next wave of new storms. However, he did not expect that the boy's attitude was so good that it was shocking. Looking at his docile and innocent little appearance, he thought that all the skills of tea appraisal with sharp eyes and golden eyes that he had practiced for many years were useless at this moment.
He is so well behaved that no one can find fault with him.
The stall owner was stunned for two seconds, and his eyes gradually became blank.
"Uncle, you must think about it carefully," Xia Tong looked even more anxious than him, stomping her feet and urging him.
"Oh my, you're so annoying!" The stall owner scratched his graying temples impatiently, "You've given me so much time to think about it... I really can't think of anything."
"Then I'll wait here..."
Xia Tong was like a cabbage bitten by wind and frost, standing there pitifully and continuing to point fingers.
The stall owner racked his brains for a long time, and suddenly an idea came to him.
"Oh my Alzheimer's! It took me so long to think about this!" He knocked his head hard, complained, took out a stainless steel rice bowl from his stall, and handed it to Xia Tong, "Take it."
Xia Tong took the big rice bowl in a daze and hugged it full.
"What...what is this for?" He didn't understand, but didn't dare to ask loudly for fear of angering the stall owner.
"This is the fastest way to make money in the world." The stall owner leaned on his metal cart and said confidently: "Begging."
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