Chapter 31
Friday's match. Their opponent was one of the bottom teams in last season's league. On paper, ASG, as a mid-to-upper-tier team in the league, certainly had a crushing advantage over them. To many, this was practically a guaranteed points-winning "free win."
Before setting off, the manager specifically sought out Shen He. After some overly enthusiastic inquiries, he patted Shen He on the shoulder and casually advised, "This match is basically a sure win. Just play it safe and follow the coach's instructions."
A barely perceptible hint of speechlessness crossed Shen He's mind as he replied with a simple, "Okay."
Given the strength of our opponents, we can win this match even with just our teammates, so let's reluctantly cooperate with them.
The first game was indeed won decisively, a textbook example of precision and tedium. ASG methodically controlled resources, snowballed their lead, and pushed the pace of the game, resulting in a completely uneventful outcome.
In the second game, the opposing team avoided the jungle from the start, giving up resources and only seeking to develop safely. However, they also noticed the imbalance in ASG's lineup and tried to find opportunities from the bottom half of the map, but failed to provide any opportunities in the river.
The mid-game momentum tilted heavily in ASG's favor, but the allure of esports lies precisely in its unpredictability. At the most crucial moment, the opposing jungler stole the Baron Nashor from ASG. From that instant, the entire battlefield situation abruptly shifted.
In this match, Shenhe was using Yinghuo. Facing the opponent's front line with high control and high tankiness, all his actions were indeed powerless.
The score is now tied at 1-1.
In the third game, the coach made some adjustments to the lineup, but no matter how many times he made the adjustments, it still didn't affect Shen He.
Shenhe still does whatever the coach says, but when the opponent gets a strong assassin, the coach still makes him play the gunner, which makes him a little speechless.
Once in the game, he can only try his best to play his own game well, reduce the number of deaths, ensure the speed of development, and ensure that he deals more damage in team fights. Other situations are beyond his control.
The match dragged on for over forty minutes, with the economic gap between the two sides fluctuating repeatedly. By then, the pace of the game had completely shifted, and it wasn't until the final vision control contest that Zhou Yifan found an opportunity to initiate a team fight, finally ending the stalemate.
The final score was 2-1.
They won, but nobody was too happy.
Shen He leaned back in his chair, took off his headphones, and looked indifferent like an outsider. He opened the data panel and saw that he had indeed burned out the highest output in the entire game.
This game wouldn't have been this difficult otherwise.
Shenhe consciously did what a support player should do: farm steadily, wait for the right rhythm, join team fights, provide vision, and deal damage. Although Zhou Yifan tried to help him create opportunities, the limitations of a versatile hero were undeniable.
They've played so many matches, but their system remains as disjointed as ever. So far, the only strong team ASG has faced is VLG. If things continue like this, the outcome of the remaining matches will be predictable.
Of course, this is not something that Shenhe would consider.
Back in the lounge, Shen He took out his phone. The comment section of his previous Weibo post was quite lively, so Shen He clicked in and read for a while.
[This late-night snack looks so delicious! Who understands the blissful feeling of seeing this in the middle of the night?!]
Who is my good brother? I have a guess in my mind...
[See? Chen Yuchuan liked it! I don't believe these two aren't close!]
Revive My Product (How to Do It)
[It's kind of subtle, aren't it? You two both like to call each other "brother," right? That word's been popping up a lot lately.]
[Don't make wild guesses, guys all like to call each other that.]
One said "good brother," and the other posted "brother"—this is clearly meant to spread rumors about me.
There was also a group of people there asking about the previous game:
[You seem quite resentful of the coach?]
【Hey, can't professional players at least have some professional ethics? What's with all this messing around?】
[It seems this guy is also a prime example of a "trash-loving" AD carry; his teammates and coach have suffered a lot.]
[Don't be ridiculous, Styx, do you really think ASG can win?]
[To be honest, even though the draft was haphazard, what's there to say about them winning so many MVPs?]
Disobeying instructions is disgusting, okay? Even with the coach standing there, there was nothing they could do.
[He's not exactly friendly to his teammates either; is he another team bully?]
[Stop joking, can't you guys figure out if it's the coach's problem or Styx's problem?]
[Please watch the game before you start criticizing, okay? Stop blindly bashing.]
The coaching staff has issues, but his problem is his attitude; what is he pretending for?
Shen He guessed that someone had most likely started a smear campaign against him on the forum. He didn't seem to care about the negative comments; he just scrolled past them and continued reading.
A while later, a notification popped up, and Zhou Yifan posted a Weibo message:
[Brother Shenhe is a really nice guy. He's good at games, has a really good temper, and even treated me to dinner!]
The accompanying picture shows the hot pot the two ate on the day they last talked.
Shen He sighed helplessly. Although Zhou Yifan was a bit stubborn, he was quite loyal, but he didn't know where the other person got the misconception that "he had a good temper." And he was sure people would start shipping them again.
Just then, my phone vibrated; it was Chen Yuchuan.
Shen He answered the phone, and Chen Yuchuan's voice came through the receiver, low and with a hint of barely perceptible worry, "How are you?"
Shen He didn't react for a moment: "What do you mean, how?"
"..." Chen Yuchuan was silent for two seconds, "...just yourself."
Shen He was even more confused: "I'm perfectly fine."
He genuinely thought it was great. They won the game, their stats were decent, and they silenced the coach—what's wrong with that?
There was a moment of silence on Chen Yuchuan's end. Shen He asked, "What do you mean? Do you think I'm the kind of person who cares about what others say?"
“I wasn’t talking about that,” Chen Yuchuan paused, “Never mind, it’s nothing.”
Seemingly realizing that Shen He's emotions were indeed normal, Chen Yuchuan said in a joking tone, "If you don't care what others say, then why were you so well-behaved this time?"
"You can't hit a smiling face. I have a good impression of the manager, and he was smiling so hard his face was almost frozen. I'll give him face."
Shen He added in a relaxed tone, "Besides, he only told me to follow his arrangements for this round. I agreed, but that doesn't mean I'll listen to him for the next round."
Chen Yuchuan sighed: "The forum's criticism of you was too lenient; you've truly become lawless."
Shen He sighed, "This lousy job is already bad enough, so let's not make ourselves suffer any more."
Chen Yuchuan chuckled softly and murmured, "How can he be so cute..."
Chen He didn't hear clearly: "Huh?"
Chen Yuchuan said, "It's nothing."
Then her tone suddenly changed, tinged with dissatisfaction: "Let's not talk about that. Tell me, why is it that when you treat others to hot pot, it's always a roadside stall when it's my turn?"
Shenhe was stunned.
"I saw that idiot's Weibo post." Chen Yuchuan's voice carried an undeniable arrogance, along with a hint of deliberately suppressed displeasure. "He even took pictures and posted them. You two are having quite a show."
Shen He realized what was happening and was a little speechless: "...Anyway, I promised Zhou Tian I'd go watch your match, so I'll just treat you to a meal then."
“That’s different,” Chen Yuchuan retorted immediately, his tone carrying an unreasonable stubbornness.
Shen He was too lazy to argue with his absurd logic and simply said, "Are you going to eat or not? If not, get out."
Chen Yuchuan paused for a moment before responding in a muffled voice, "...Sigh, since you've already asked, I'll give you some face."
Shen He told him to get lost and was about to hang up when Chen Yuchuan called him back.
"Sinking in the river."
"Um?"
Chen Yuchuan was silent for a few seconds, then lowered his voice: "See you on Zhou Tian."
Before Shenhe could respond, the call was disconnected.
Shen He stared at the phone screen for a while, shook his head, put the phone back in his pocket, wondering what was wrong with this guy.
On Sunday, Shen He boarded the high-speed train to Lancheng. The journey wasn't long; he took a taxi from the train station to the competition venue, just as the audience was beginning to enter.
Shen He got off the bus and walked towards the venue entrance. After a few steps, he suddenly realized something, stopped, and took out a mask and glasses from his bag to put them on. After security, he followed the signs to his seat, a VIP seat in the middle with a wide view and not crowded or noisy around him, which was indeed quite nice.
The team members took the stage one by one. Chen Yuchuan walked in the middle, wearing a red and black team uniform. His eyebrows and eyes were sharp and flamboyant. He glanced at the audience, his gaze lingered on the VIP area for a moment, and then he smiled.
The smile was fleeting, yet it carried an undeniable joy.
Chen He remained silent, not looking at him again, and instead looked down at his phone. The surrounding audience, however, erupted in an uproar.
"Holy crap, Trump is laughing?!"
"He's looking this way!! What's going on?!"
"Damn, what am I going to do if I'm so handsome?"
"He's really handsome; even I have to avoid him."
Who is he looking at?
"Could my sister-in-law be there?"
After the match started, Chen Yuchuan remained in a very excited state.
In the early game of the first match, his invasions, counter-jungling, and support plays were so fast-paced they were dazzling. He even pulled off a spectacular 1v2 play in the jungle, escaping with his health reduced to single digits, which caused quite a stir on the field.
"Holy shit! Holy shit! Holy shit!"
"What kind of move is this from Trump?!"
"I was terrified, it almost exploded."
Shen He stared at the big screen. That last wave of attacks didn't need to be so aggressive; if the enemy had had one more skill, he would have been dead. However, judging from the result, Chen Yuchuan's attack was indeed effective; the enemy jungle was completely destroyed.
The second game was even more outrageous. After gaining an advantage, Chen Yuchuan started to play recklessly, with several plays that even made the commentators exclaim, "This is too risky!" But he managed to pull off all of them thanks to his incredible reflexes and judgment.
It almost crashed, but it didn't.
The camera panned across him, and he still looked smug and self-satisfied, which seemed rather irritating.
Shen He realized that Chen Yuchuan was deliberately showing off today, and specifically showing off to him.
After two rounds, VLG decisively won the match 2-0. The cheers in the arena were deafening, and the surrounding audience was chanting VLG's slogans wildly. The atmosphere was enthusiastic. Shen He, unusually, did not find the noisy environment annoying. He leaned back in his chair and watched the scene of Chen Yuchuan and his teammates high-fiving and celebrating on the big screen. The corners of his mouth unconsciously curled up slightly.
Putting aside his relationship with Chen Yuchuan, Chen Yuchuan is indeed very insightful and possesses solid skills. Shenhe recently glanced through his highlights; when VLG was first established, he was heavily criticized, with everyone saying that some wealthy person had poached four top players to promote a newly arrived "crown prince." But Chen Yuchuan ultimately proved himself through his ability, becoming the team's true core.
My phone vibrated. Chen Yuchuan sent me his location with the message: "The venue is too noisy. Go and wait for me there."
Shen He glanced at the time, put away his phone, and got up to leave. The area outside the venue was still bustling with activity, fans holding up light boards and waiting for the contestants to emerge. Shen He navigated around the crowd and followed the directions to the parking lot. The driver rolled down the window, glanced at him, and opened the door for him.
About twenty minutes later, the car door opened. Chen Yuchuan climbed in, his hair still a little wet, as if he had washed it. He was wearing a black hoodie and looked much more relaxed than on stage.
Chen Yuchuan sat down next to him and casually tossed his backpack aside.
"Let's go eat hot pot, any place will do," Shen He said.
"Okay, okay, I'll listen to you." Chen Yuchuan leaned back in his chair and let out a long sigh.
The car quieted down. Chen Yuchuan seemed to have fallen asleep. Shen He turned his head to look at the street scene rushing past outside the window. The only sound inside the car was the deep rumble of the engine.
The hot pot restaurant was randomly found by Shenhe on the app, but the environment was okay.
"How did you do today, buddy?" Chen Yuchuan poured himself a glass of water, his tone casual, but his eyes were fixed on Shen He.
"It's alright," Shen He said, "but a few waves were too risky."
Chen Yuchuan chuckled dismissively: "It's a sure thing, isn't it?"
Shen He didn't reply, and kept his head down, simmering the meat in the hot pot.
Chen Yuchuan stared at him for a while, then suddenly asked, "That's it?"
"Um"
Chen Yuchuan raised an eyebrow: "My plays will be in the highlight reel soon, and all you say is 'not bad'?"
Shen He raised her head and looked at him expressionlessly: "...I feel like you're deliberately showing off to me."
Chen Yuchuan seemed to choke for a moment, coughed, and then said confidently, "Yeah, it's just for you to see. Just ask me if your buddy is handsome or not."
Shen He scoffed, "What are you pretending for in front of your brothers?"
Seeing his expression, Chen Yuchuan didn't press him further, but a smile remained on his lips.
After finishing the hotpot, Chen Yuchuan seemed to be in a hurry. As soon as Shen He finished paying the bill, he reached out and grabbed Shen He's wrist. The action was so natural that it seemed like he was just casually pulling him, but he held on a little tightly.
"Hurry up, hurry up."
"What are you doing?" Shen He was almost pulled off his feet.
Chen Yuchuan opened the car door and urged, "Hurry up and get in, or we'll be late."
Shen He was stunned for a moment, and before he could react, Chen Yuchuan half-pushed and half-dragged him into the car.
The car door closed, Chen Yuchuan walked around to the driver's seat, stepped on the gas, and the car drove out of the parking lot.
Chen He fastened his seatbelt, turned to look at him, and asked, "What do you mean?"
"You'll see when we get there." Chen Yuchuan turned to look at him, his tone relaxed and even smiling.
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