3. Chapter 3
After sending Chi Mo and his luggage to the door of the room, Zhang Yuxuan waved goodbye to him reluctantly.
He walked towards the elevator, looking back every few steps. As soon as he walked out of the elevator, the phone in his pocket rang.
Zhang Yuxuan picked up the phone, and before he could even say "hello," an urgent voice came from the receiver: "Where have you been?"
Hearing this, Henry Zhang smiled lightly: “Ah, it’s the team leader, I’m going to do something big.”
The person on the other end of the phone had a face full of question marks.
Zhang Yuxuan didn't give anyone time to react: "No more talking, let A-Lian handle the BP today. I have something important to do here."
After saying that, he hung up the phone with a smile on his face.
After being sent back to the hotel, Chi Mo simply packed his luggage and went to wash up.
He owns his own property in Shanghai, so he will most likely stay in a hotel during his stay in this city.
Thinking of this, Chi Mo, who had already washed up and changed his clothes, sat on the bed and wondered whether he should buy a house in Shanghai.
But after thinking about it, I decided to forget it.
Instead of looking at houses, you might as well go watch a few more games offline.
He is now a retired old man and has money and free time. If he really makes up his mind to buy something, he can naturally buy something that satisfies him.
But buying a house wasn't a necessity for him, and Chi Mo didn't think he'd stay in the Magic City for too long. He came here simply because his last team before retirement was affiliated with the Magic City.
He wanted to go back to the club, that's all.
Coincidentally, all the domestic playoff games are being held in Shanghai. Tonight at 8 o'clock, the battle for the top spot in Group S will be decided between Xiang Jiu and Mu Yu.
After today's game, the remaining games are the three-group qualifying matches of ABD, as well as the international channel resurrection match, also known as the international racing round, which will determine the 24 teams from home and abroad to enter the World Champions Cup playoffs.
Once entering the international competition, it will be a breathtaking, super-intense round-robin battle.
A team that wins ten teams in a row will directly advance to the quarterfinals and have the right to choose their own opponents.
If no team can defeat ten teams in a row, then the right to advance directly to the quarterfinals will be revoked. All teams will honestly abide by the rules of the quarterfinals, then the quarterfinals, and finally the quarterfinals.
The opponents you will encounter in the round-robin match will all be determined by drawing lots.
The intensity of the playoff round-robin matches is really terrifying. The reason why Chi Mo chose to retire that year was actually related to this.
In fact, his health has never been very good, which is a problem he brought from the womb. During his service, the team he led never fell below the quarterfinals. Because of this, Chi Mo had to go through all the competition schedules.
For more than six years, he has never missed a single game. He is a well-deserved model worker in the league. It is no exaggeration to say that he works all year round.
Competition, training, competition, awards, competition…
There are full domestic competitions, mixed with some transfers, public opinion, and various large and small international competitions.
This repeated practice, the reversed day and night schedule of professional e-sports players and the long-term competitions made Chi Mo's already poor body even more haggard and broken.
He had no time to rest at all, and he was also the top player among all the professional players in the world. Even though his status was high enough to give him the right to refuse many business opportunities, there were some things he was destined to do and he couldn't refuse.
For example, awards ceremonies for international competitions, recording promotional videos, etc...
He is conscientious and consistent in his work.
Chi Mo has always been active on the field and in the public eye.
After so many years, such high-intensity work completely broke Chi Mo down in the two years before his retirement.
He really couldn't go on like this anymore. This was the last straw that broke the camel's back.
Over the years, he has never used such things to guide public opinion and play the victim, so fans and players did not know that poor health was one of the reasons for his retirement.
Until now, no one except the team owner and manager has discovered that he is actually an allergic asthma patient with extremely poor immunity, and even his teammates have been kept in the dark by him.
No one knows how many times more effort is required to achieve this honor than others. No one knows in which city he is catching an early morning flight to the filming location while other players can immerse themselves in seclusion and focus on improving their skills.
Chi Mo gritted his teeth and persevered in every decision he made to extend his career.
After more than six years, Chi Mo felt that it was enough time to say goodbye to his fans.
He never regretted retiring, nor did he regret entering the professional arena of Wanjie.
The value of ten world championships is enough for him to stand on the top of the mountain and overlook the world.
The championship no longer has any appeal to Chi Mo.
Therefore, when he realized that his health was deteriorating and he could no longer delay, he submitted his retirement application to the club without hesitation.
He realized that he was at the "end" of his career, but this "end" was different from the end of other retired players. Chi Mo's skills did not decline, nor did his strength regress. He chose to retire while standing at the top. If he persisted, he could actually win more championships.
But... Chi Mo really couldn't hold on any longer. He wanted to escape from this environment that made him feel suffocated and start a new life.
Just like what he wrote in his last Weibo post before retirement - "Go experience a different life."
This is not a beautified sigh, this is his most authentic expression.
He wanted to find a new life.
And he lived a happy life during these three years abroad.
There were still four hours left before the 8pm match, giving Chi Mo plenty of time to recover from the fatigue of sitting on a long-distance flight for more than ten hours.
Chi Mo, who had already taken a shower, lay leisurely on the bed. It had been nearly two hours since he returned home, and it was time to call his parents to report.
After thinking about it, Chi Mo dialed his mother's number. After the call was connected, he immediately said enthusiastically: "Hello, Mom, I'm in Shanghai. Are you and Dad home? I'll go back to Pengcheng to see you tomorrow after watching the game."
When the person on the other end of the line heard his words, there was a noticeable pause. Then, a sweet voice that Chi Mo was so familiar with came from the receiver: "Ah? Xiao Momo, you're in Shanghai? Your dad and I just got off the plane to Norway."
Chi Mo:?
What the hell? Why did they go to Norway?
"Mom, didn't I tell you? I'm going back home today." Chi Mo was so surprised that he sat up straight from his lying position. He raised his hand to support his forehead and said helplessly.
He remembered that he had reported this to these two people. How could this happen?
The woman on the other end of the phone let out a bewildered "Ah!" and smiled awkwardly. "Haha, did you say that? Um... never mind. Just go with the flow. Take care of yourself in Shanghai. Your dad and I will be in Norway for a few days."
"Um... is that okay?" Chi Mo sighed. Since it has come to this, no matter how much he said, it would be useless. After thinking about it, it would be nice for his parents to play abroad for a few days, but he was afraid that they would be cheated in an unfamiliar place, so it would be better to make proper arrangements.
So, Chi Mo suggested, "Why don't you and Dad have a good time in Norway? Do you need me to sign you up for a tour group?"
However, Ms. Zhou Xinyan rejected his offer and said bluntly, "There's no need for a tour group. Your father and I will just wander around Norway and visit your doctor to ask about your condition."
Chi Mo paused after hearing this and quickly said, "I'm in good condition. Is there anything you want to ask? Doctor White is so busy, please don't bother him."
"How can that be? When you went to Norway for medical treatment alone, you didn't tell me and your father, so we thought you were traveling around the world. But we only found out the following year that you were in Norway for medical treatment. Now that you've returned to China, and we happen to be in Norway, of course we have to ask about your situation. Otherwise, how can we, as your parents, feel at ease?" Zhou Xinyan was determined to go. No matter how Chi Mo persuaded her, she was determined to go.
Chi Mo didn't quite agree with the idea of the two of them going to see their attending physician, and continued, "If I had any problems, I wouldn't have come back. Now that I'm back, it proves that there's nothing wrong. You two old people don't have to worry about it. I'm an adult, and I will be responsible for my actions."
Chi Mo spoke earnestly, but the other party refused to buy it. "Alright, your dad and I know you're sensible, but this is just us wanting to care about you, and you don't need to worry about it. Just watch the game in China and get back to what you like. You probably don't have the extra time to care about me and your dad. Just stay in China. I'm going to argue with the airline now. I don't know how they managed to smash my suitcase to pieces!"
As soon as the words fell, before Chi Mo could say anything to comfort or say goodbye, a cold beeping sound came from the other end of the phone.
Chi Mo: ...
This is truly my mother.
Well, let it be. It’s not the first time that my parents have been rebellious.
Chi Mo put his phone on the bedside table, climbed out of bed and took the tablet from the suitcase. Now that he had nothing to do, he decided to take a look at the current entrance method of the home stadium to avoid wandering around like a headless fly at night.
As for tonight's game, he still trusts these kids from Xiangjiu.
He has been following the live replays of every game this season, and Xiangjiu's overall strength is obviously higher than Muyu's.
However, the biggest taboo in e-sports is to open champagne at halftime. The game hasn't even started yet, so even if you have this tendency in your mind, you must not jump to conclusions.
I hope they don't make any mistakes today and stay at the top of Group S.
Chi Mo thought so, and when he had nothing better to do, he downloaded some apps to his tablet and mobile phone, such as Weibo, Tieba, and forums. He downloaded all the apps that he didn't dare to download when he was playing professionally.
However, before he could log in one by one, a prompt to answer the call popped up on his phone screen.
——It’s Henry Zhang’s.
They temporarily exchanged phone numbers at the airport, and Zhang Yuxuan became the only contact in Chi Mo's phone besides his family and doctor.
As soon as the call was connected, Zhang Yuxuan got straight to the point and said, "Captain Chi, I'll come to the hotel later to pick you up and take you to the scene."
Chi Mo was stunned for a moment, a little confused: "You came to pick me up? Don't you need BP today?"
If he remembered correctly, the league had clear regulations on this. They were afraid that the teams' passive performance would affect the viewing experience of offline audiences and online live broadcast viewers. On the day of the game, players and coaches of the teams that needed to compete were not allowed to go out alone. One reason was that they were afraid of accidents, and the other was that they were afraid of pornography/gambling/drugs/etc.
He didn't react when he was picked up at the airport in the afternoon, but after arriving at the hotel, Chi Mo remembered that today was the day Xiangjiu played against Muyu, and Zhang Yuxuan was now Xiangjiu's coach, so he shouldn't have time to pick him up.
Now he calls and says he will be picked up to watch the game later. How will he have the time?
When Zhang Yuxuan heard him ask this, he immediately realized what he was worried about and quickly explained, "I won't be doing the draft today. The two coaches take turns, and today I'll let A-Lian go."
"Alian?" Chi Mo was a little surprised when he heard the name. He asked, "Jiang Hailian?"
"That's right!" Zhang Yuxuan's voice rose. "You never thought! He's become a coach too!"
Chi Mo paused for a moment. "I really didn't expect this. I always thought there were only a few of us left from the first generation. How come those two years younger than us have also withdrawn? I remember Jiang Hailian is only 24 this year?"
"There's nothing we can do about it. He keeps transferring teams, but he can't win a championship. Last year, he was eliminated in the quarterfinals and burned himself out."
Zhang Yuxuan sighed and lamented, as if chatting casually. "You know, he debuted as a support player. Over the years, he's become a master of commanding, among other things. And then, three months ago, he got carried away and retired to become a coach."
"Is that so..." Chi Morin murmured. The change of coaching position was indeed quite sudden, but he was not surprised.
E-sports is like this. If you don’t have the strength, instead of wasting your energy on the field, it is better to choose a path that suits you and change the track to prolong your career life.
Many players choose to switch to the support position when they can no longer play in other positions. It is not because their support ability is outstanding, but simply because they want to stay in this arena longer.
Those players who are originally support players will choose to become coaches if they want to extend their career life.
Over the years of the Wanjie League, this kind of thing has become common.
Chi Mo would not feel sorry for the other party, but would express his sincere blessings and affirmation instead.
Everyone has their own ideas, as long as they think it is worth it.
"That's good too. You take good care of him. After all, we were the ones who watched this child grow up." Chi Mo said.
The person on the other end of the line immediately answered, "Of course, I'm protecting A-Lian! He's really brave in the training group right now, and he's not even showing any mercy when he confronts the boss on his own."
At this point, Zhang Yuxuan suddenly felt aggrieved. He raged to the team leader, "Captain Chi, you have no idea what I've been going through lately! How could I not have known this idiot had such a bad temper? As soon as the summer season started, he held meetings every day and scolded us all! I'm going crazy. If you ask me, you're the only one who can control him now."
"Scolding people in a public meeting? Doesn't this kid look quite well behaved?" Chi Mo laughed. In his impression, Jiang Hailian was still a child wearing glasses and acting as gentle as a little scholar.
I didn't expect that after not seeing him for three years, this person was about to turn into a Tyrannosaurus Rex in Zhang Yuxuan's mouth.
Chi Mo was a little surprised. These people he was familiar with back then seemed to be slightly different from what he remembered.
It's not just Jiang Hailian. After spending half a day together, Chi Mo felt that Zhang Yuxuan seemed to have too thick a filter for him.
He said helplessly, "You think I'm invincible, don't you? This kid and I have nothing in common, and I'm punishing him. Don't let him scold me in return."
"Hey, don't disbelieve me!" Zhang Yuxuan retorted repeatedly, unconvinced: "Just wait, go watch the game tonight, that guy's hands might be shaking when he's BPing!"
Huh... your hands are shaking? How is that possible!
Chi Mo shook his head and smiled without saying anything on the other end of the phone. He felt that the other party was exaggerating too much and he was not that amazing.
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