Chapter 74
"Twelve games are enough, Coach Tang. Although the AI in this training system isn't very smart, it should be enough to test the depth of the hero pool."
Tang Wenshi seemed to wake from a dream, finally coming to his senses.
"Ah...okay."
He stood on tiptoe, the hem of his wedding dress swirling with the movement of his body, and the silver bells hanging from his veil made a melodious tinkling sound.
The red silk veil covering his face fluttered up, vaguely revealing the man's sharply defined jawline.
Not receiving a definite answer, the little red man asked again, "Can't you see it?"
Jiang Yijing answered quickly this time, saying, "It looks very nice, but it would be even better if the bride's veil could be lifted."
Leng Zhi gritted his teeth: "..."
No, they even want to lift it up! Isn't this a bit over the top? Don't actors have any dignity?
He stood far away until he had mentally prepared himself before quickly grabbing the red silk in front of him and lifting up a corner.
The lights in the haunted house were dim, and the selfie camera on the phone had low resolution, so you could barely make out the shape of the facial features and the suspicious blush on the bride's face, whether due to the lighting or her emotions.
However, four or five small hands grabbed his skirt.
"Uncle Leng, where are you going?"
In the end, when Leng Zhi left the haunted house, a circle of little flowers were hanging on her skirt. Although she was wearing a Chinese wedding dress, it looked as if she was surrounded by flower girls.
Before the outdoor cameras could even focus on the beautiful bride, she had already fled as if she were running away.
The direction was clear: it was the locker room.
"Bang!" The locker room door was slammed shut, blocking the photographer outside.
Jiang Mingzhe was persuaded by Leng Zhi. He bowed deeply to the staff who had removed their makeup but had not yet taken off their costumes: "Brothers and sisters, I'm sorry!"
Looking at the adorable way the little dumpling stretched out its arms as it bowed, the Black and White Impermanence (the guardians of the underworld) lost all their anger; their hearts were completely melted by its cuteness.
"It's alright, Mingzhe. Your older brother and sister were only startled for a moment, and they quickly recovered!"
Bai Wuchang squatted down and pinched Jiang Mingzhe's soft little face: "It's okay, it's good that you know your mistakes and correct them."
Li Chi never expected that his simple question would escalate into such a tense atmosphere among the guests, and he couldn't help but wipe the sweat from his forehead.
He quickly activated his role as host to save the day: "Haha, it seems we all have a lot in common when it comes to children's interests. Since Xixi and Youyou know about the piano, have you two heard of a playing method—four-hand piano?"
Lei Shen was indeed willing to spend money on education. Xi Xi had learned a lot of related knowledge from his teacher. Feeling Lei Ling's gentle pat on the shoulder as encouragement, he immediately answered, "I know, it's a very entertaining form of piano performance where two people sit together and play the same piano!"
“That’s right, Xixi is great, so today’s game will also be two people sitting together, controlling the same character!”
"The young guests are responsible for controlling the movement direction of the heroes. To simplify the operation, DiYao has specially made the right mouse button, which is the button to click on the map to move the hero's position, into a touch screen. Wherever the young guests click, the hero will move in that direction."
"The remaining key bindings, from skill activation to target selection, are all handled by the adults."
Finally, Li Chi invited five guests to sit in the specially made e-sports seats.
"Now, please bring your little ones onto the stage. Each computer is equipped with a touchscreen for your little ones. You can try operating it first."
It took Leng Zhi a lot of explaining before Jiang Mingzhe understood that he didn't need to keep clicking randomly on the screen.
Cancel preparations!
Zou Shu reacted quickly, canceling the match, leaving the room at lightning speed, and then clicking on the live stream's lottery link.
Immediately afterward, he grabbed his tablet, not even bothering to put on his slippers, and rushed downstairs: "Dad! Mom! Zou Lin! Quickly get into the variety show live stream and help me win one!"
Actually, after watching three or five episodes, he probably already had a general idea of what was going on.
In the side lanes, where you engage in close-quarters combat, you need to have a thorough understanding of both your own and your enemy's heroes.
What level corresponds to how much damage?
How to manage the timing of the health exchange so that the enemy is attacked while your own side remains untouched?
If I buy a small iron sword in advance, will the extra 20 points of attack power change the course of the battle?
There's so much to learn here, and each new group requires a different approach. Even the smallest details that different players pay attention to can be quite different.
He touched his nose somewhat embarrassedly—the reason he watched for an hour was because Yu Fu's gameplay was so entertaining that it made you want to see what decisions he would make in the next game.
"Well, it's clear he has a deep understanding of the heroes of the side lanes. Let's devise a corresponding tactical plan."
Tang Wenshi suddenly remembered something and scratched his head: "You must have put in a lot of effort behind the scenes... Speaking of which, why have I never seen you guys before?"
He had previously worked with the PX team for two years, experiencing ups and downs in the secondary league, and had seen quite a few of the top players.
The LSG team is full of excellent players, how come I've never seen them?
Upon hearing this question, the team members immediately looked away guiltily, and the topic was changed.
Leng Zhi's Cayenne and Zou Shu's electric scooter arrived at the interview location at the same time.
The video was connected to the live stream, but the mini camera was wet with rain and had low resolution, making it a poor viewing experience.
So another group of people left the live stream, leaving only netizens who were genuinely worried about Xixi.
Half of the scene was blocked by firewood, but the remaining half could be vaguely seen as half of Lei Ling and Xi Xi's bodies—precisely the half under the umbrella.
The director glanced at the footage on the monitor. Although he wasn't entirely satisfied, something was better than nothing. He instructed the assistant directors in front of the monitor, "Keep an eye on things. The equipment team has already sent people over to Lei Ling's side. I need to handle some emergency public relations. Switch to the new signal source as soon as it appears."
He paused, then added, "Apart from that, don't touch anything. Wait for me to come back."
After saying that, he hurriedly left the shed, leaving the young assistant director holding his "instructions" and not daring to do anything.
This made Assistant Ye, who was in charge of Lei Ling, even more nervous. As soon as he got nervous, his stomach started rumbling, so he asked a colleague to keep an eye on him and secretly slipped away to the restroom.
Although the image quality of the mini camera isn't great, the audio recording is quite clear.
However, the colleague who stayed behind was wearing a listening earpiece from another monitor and couldn't hear the conversation on Lei Ling's end. He looked back and forth between the two sides, and seeing that there was no change in Lei Ling's view, he didn't pay much attention to it.
"Let's make another call. Has the production team managed to locate us?"
"I've already hit three times, if I hit any more I'll get yelled at..."
"If anyone insults you, keep hitting them! If this damn production team has any complaints, take them out on us guests!"
Unaware of the situation, the audience, after hearing Lei Ling's words, actually developed a certain extra goodwill towards this guest who joined midway through the event.
Xixi looked bewildered as she heard a stranger describe her father like that for the first time.
A five-year-old child can already sense whether his parents love him or not, and he envies the bond between Jiang Mingzhe and Leng Zhi that is not based on blood ties.
Did my father raise me... just to make money?
It turns out that Mom didn't dislike me; it was Dad who wouldn't let her come.
The rescue workers finally arrived in the distance.
Using the materials they had, they built a large campsite on a flat, elevated spot. The interior was dry and warm, providing a temporary accommodation for all the guests.
After the storm subsides, the speedboat will take all the guests back to City S.
Upon seeing the arrival of the people, Lei Ling stopped talking about what he had been saying. He had already boasted enough and was now ready to continue his performance.
He suddenly picked Xixi up and pretended that his arms were sore and numb: "Come and help me, Xixi is soaked in the rain."
Although the training instruction did not work, the photo contained location information, so theoretically, Zou Shu could indeed go there to wait for someone.
Xu Lin told the story of a family of three.
However, netizens have sharp eyes. The belated apology and so-called "awakening" could not quell the audience's anger, and the controversy continued to rise.
Fine beads of sweat appeared on Lei Ling's forehead. He was extremely nervous and could only stammer, "You must have used some tricks. I heard everything that day..."
Li Chi received the latest instructions from the production team. He quickly glanced at them and, according to the instructions, he should read them aloud immediately.
"Excuse me for interrupting," he interjected cautiously, "I need to go over the process a bit; there are new arrangements."
He quickly read, "I apologize for the special weather today, which has caused the subsequent activities to be unable to continue. Today's activities will only count the stars from the hidden missions. In addition, each group of guests will be given ten stars as compensation."
"That's not important... what's important is the match against KM."
"Yes, let's study a few drafting strategies for the warrior side first."
The stall owner's eyes lit up when he heard Jiang Mingzhe's answer.
This isn't a child, it's a big fish!
He picked up the net with a beaming smile: "We have fresh mackerel here, and frozen ones too, and the prices are different. Which one do you want?"
Jiang Mingzhe's knowledge base is not yet able to understand "frozen goods," but he firmly believes that fresh ones must taste good.
“Fresh! The biggest!” he replied.
Fortunately, mackerel is not an expensive species, and the final price of buying a whole one is even cheaper than that of abalone.
The cold treatment rekindled a bit of warmth in my heart (and wallet).
But when Jiang Mingzhe was selecting sea urchins, the shop owner suddenly turned around mysteriously, went into the back freezer, and took out several exquisite wooden boxes.
"This is a top-quality product from overseas. Our family is the only one in the entire market that has it. Your father must want this kind of high-end product!"
As he spoke, he sized up the father and son. Everyone knew that there were many low-profile millionaires in S City, and a father and son duo like this, dressed simply but still exuding elegance, could definitely afford this box of sea urchin meat worth a thousand yuan.
The sea urchin meat was very fresh, each piece distinct, and carefully arranged in a wooden box. Jiang Mingzhe liked it very much; he thought this kind of sea urchin was much prettier than the spiky balls from before!
So he asked in a soft, sweet voice, "How much does this box cost?"
The shopkeeper held up one finger: "Only one thousand yuan! But since you're so cute, little one, I'll give you a discount, only nine hundred yuan!"
Jiang Mingzhe froze, his mouth slowly agape: "Nine...nine hundred yuan! How much is nine hundred yuan? Let me think!"
He hadn't even graduated from kindergarten yet, and it took him a while to realize that nine hundred was actually nine hundred-yuan bills!
Good heavens, that could buy so many bags of potato chips! Enough for so many meals of tomato instant noodles with potato chips!
Because he was born into a wealthy family, Jiang Mingzhe was not very familiar with market prices. For him, the latest price benchmark was the small supermarket shown on yesterday's variety show.
A bag of potato chips costs six yuan! A meal of tomato, beef, and potato chips costs twenty yuan!
"How much delicious food can this box of sea urchins buy?" he whispered.
This calculation was beyond his mathematical ability, but it must have been a lot!
Under the shopkeeper's astonished gaze, Jiang Mingzhe shook his head: "No, I want the spiky ball. The spiky ball is cheaper!"
Tang Wenshi was pushed back into the analysis room. Although he was somewhat puzzled, he still focused his attention back on the tactical analysis.
“That’s true, then let’s start with the long-lanced warhorses that KM uses the most…”
They earned their money through hard work boosting, but now they're using it to treat their boss to a meal. Isn't that just like paying for their own job?
"Weigh out half a pound of river shrimp, live ones." The clock on the wall quietly turned to eight o'clock, and the program crew called.
The housekeeper pressed the phone and asked, "Mr. Leng, the van has arrived at the door, and the luggage has been loaded. When shall we depart?"
Leng Zhi looked at him as if he had seen a savior: "Let's go now."
After teaching Jiang Mingzhe how to brush his teeth, he and Jiang Yijing fell into a silent and subtle atmosphere. Only Jiang Mingzhe held onto Jiang Yijing's clothes and chattered on about what he had seen and heard in the past two days.
"I ate instant noodles yesterday! They were sour and delicious!"
"Dad's gaming skills are amazing! He killed so many people!"
“A kind older sister came to our room last night…”
Before Jiang Mingzhe could make things worse, Leng Zhi quickly pulled Zai Zai away.
As Jiang Mingzhe ran, he didn't forget to turn back and wave to Jiang Yijing: "Daddy, come back next time for the food Daddy makes!"
Leng Zhi didn't even turn his head. The important thing now wasn't to play the sweet couple, but to put Jiang Mingzhe into the car first.
"Bang!" He slammed the car door shut and finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Compared to variety shows, the boss is far more terrifying. It seems I should leave the Jiang family as soon as possible and start a new life.
"Hello." A strange male voice came from the back seat.
Leng Zhi then realized that there were two other people sitting behind him.
One was Xixi, but the other was not Lei Shen, but a handsome man who was sitting back in a leather chair with a smile on his face.
Even with his seatbelt fastened, Jiang Mingzhe couldn't stay still. Hearing the sound, he twisted his body and turned around: "Xixi, where's your dad? Who's this handsome uncle?"
When Xixi heard Jiang Mingzhe's question, her eyes dimmed a little. She first looked at the man beside her, and after receiving encouragement, she slowly said, "Dad fell at noon today and broke his leg. He's resting in the hospital."
Noon? Fracture? Rest?
These three words flashed through Leng Zhi's mind, and he knew that this must be Lei Shen's excuse for staying indoors.
Leng Zhi had heard a little about the unspoken rules of the vegetable market. It was said that not only might the scales be shortchanged, but the vendors would also secretly add a little more than the required weight in order to force a sale.
He watched cautiously as the shopkeeper bagged the food, weighed it, and handed it to him.
Great, no problem. He successfully protected his hard-earned money.
Jiang Mingzhe, standing to the side, looked at the aquatic creatures crawling around in front of him with shining eyes.
"I want to touch it!" "While they were grieving, a real prince passed through the forest and was captivated by the beauty in the crystal coffin."
Jiang Yijing has made his appearance.
His hand rested lightly on the sword at his waist. The prince's robe, with its dropped shoulders and cinched waist, accentuated his broad shoulders and narrow waist, giving him a very ascetic appearance.
He murmured, "Why does this beautiful princess sleep here alone?"
Leng Zhi, inside the crystal coffin, couldn't help but twitch his eyelids.
Jiang Yijing's gaze fell on Leng Zhi's slightly trembling eyelashes. The other's bangs were scattered across his face, fluttering with his shallow breaths.
Li Yang felt that his boss had been acting very strangely lately.
Since President Jiang took a day off and returned from the amusement park, some subtle changes seem to have occurred.
He tried hard to recall what had happened that day.
It started with a phone call. President Jiang instructed him to investigate the parents of Jiang Mingzhe's classmate. Coincidentally, that person was the same as the one named Zou Shu, both being players of the Di Yao class.
He didn't find anything out. The man was an ordinary bank employee who suddenly quit his job without winning the lottery or finding a new one.
Strangely, prior to this, this person and Leng Zhi did not have any obvious social relationship—perhaps they were just online friends, as Mr. Leng and President Jiang explained.
Then, that evening, Mr. Leng suddenly became a trending topic on the internet again.
He and the public relations department checked it urgently and determined it was a harmless trending topic.
In one of the two videos, Mr. Leng is seen parading with Xiao Mingzhe on a float, and President Jiang is also seen on the roadside.
The other part is quite explosive.
Mr. Leng and President Jiang were actually cosplaying as Snow White, and the camera caught them kissing at the exact moment.
The housekeeper's arrangements were meticulous; from the messy bedding to the signs of wear and tear on the bedside table, the room truly felt like a place where three people lived together.
Leng Zhi couldn't help but feel a little nervous. He put on his coat and said, "I'll go with you."
Without the original owner's memories, he felt quite uneasy about the sudden visit of this unknown person. He could only imitate the butler, hanging the clothes he took from the wardrobe in a conspicuous place, and casually asked, "What kind of person is Grandma Jiang?"
Without batting an eye, the butler placed a box of condoms into the drawer of the next guest room and carefully opened it, pretending it was half-used: "The old lady is a very thoughtful person."
Leng Zhi: "..." You're just too perceptive.
He suddenly stopped, realizing something.
"How long will it take her to arrive?" he asked.
The housekeeper said, "The old lady will probably stay a couple more days. From the phone call, she sounded like she misses Jiang Mingzhe very much."
Leng Zhi was silent for a moment, then asked with difficulty, "Then tonight, Jiang Yijing..."
He received an affirmative answer from the housekeeper: "Yes, Mr. Jiang will be staying with you tonight."
He reached for the seashell: "Is this from the ocean?"
They then scooped up a dozen or so razor clams with a net: "Wow, they can move!"
The seashell fell from the vendor's hand, splashing water onto the vendor's apron with a "plop".
Seeing that the stall owner and Leng Zhi had no reaction, Jiang Mingzhe finally reached for the crab.
The stall owner had just completed a transaction when he looked down and saw the crime scene.
"Hey kid, don't move! That's a crab, it'll pinch you!"
Before he could finish speaking, Leng Zhi heard Jiang Mingzhe shout.
"Ahhh!"
Jiang Mingzhe was indeed pinched by a crab claw. Holding his slightly reddened finger, his face instantly turned red, and his eyes filled with tears. He was about to burst into tears the next second. The speed was so fast that Leng Zhi had no time to react.
Just then, a joyful voice called his name from afar behind him.
"Jiang Mingzhe!"
Upon hearing a familiar voice, Jiang Mingzhe sniffed and turned around.
Xiaoyu waved to him from the stall across the street: "It really is you! I didn't expect to run into you here!"
Yun Jingcheng pointed his handheld DV camera at Xiaoyu, and after noticing Leng Zhi on the other side, he nodded in acknowledgment.
...
Tang Wenshi is very familiar with the styles and commonly used heroes of each team, which saves the team a lot of time in collecting information for their drafting strategy.
LSG's draft strategy was very successful.
Compared to the 10,000-seat stadiums during the qualifying rounds, the playoffs truly showcase the terrifying sheer number of domestic esports players.
Tickets for the 30,000-seat stadium were in high demand, with many spectators flying in from other cities specifically for the weekend to watch the event.
Qian Yun didn't get any benefits from the LSG team; instead, he suffered a setback. For the time being, he couldn't find a suitable jungler, so he could only temporarily pin his hopes on his own players to perform well and win a championship. This could be considered a way to make up for his commercial value.
So in the week leading up to the competition, he intensified the training for the athletes.
"We are a veteran team, and we absolutely cannot lose this match," he said earnestly during the pre-match pep talk.
KM's coach laughed twice: "Manager Qian, why do you seem to distrust our players so much lately? The opposing team is a new team, you should take a closer look at the players on the field."
The coach turned his gaze to the sea of black spectators below the stage.
"This is a venue with 30,000 people, and we're guest players. It's impossible not to be nervous... Back when KM was first established, and these guys were still newcomers, our little mid laner was crying."
The mid-laner paused for a moment upon hearing this: "Coach! How come you only remember these kinds of things?"
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