Chapter 27
[Ah, President Jiang is so handsome!]
[Oh my god, the chemistry between these two standing together is so subtle!]
They seem to know each other, yet not really.
[Take more pictures of Jiang Mingzhe, I want to see the baby.]
The aunties: "!?"
Huh? You really came from the internet?
They were used to seeing the group of teenagers with brightly colored hair in the internet cafe, but this was the first time they had ever seen a young, handsome man driving a luxury car come to the internet cafe.
The network administrator was busy playing a match-3 game on the computer and didn't even look up: "Show me your ID. How many hours are you playing? What game are you playing?"
"Three hours, ground-level operation, and the machine with the best peripherals."
The guest's voice was as clear as a mountain spring, and the internet cafe manager couldn't help but glance at him sideways when he took his ID card.
Slender fingers gently held the ID card, and above that were clean and sharp facial features.
The internet cafe manager temporarily forgot about his Candy Crush game. He immediately took Leng Zhi's ID card and started selecting from the empty machines: "Do you mind if there are too many people?"
"I don't mind."
"Alright, this machine has the best peripherals and the best feel. Turn left inside, section B, machine number 23!"
The ID card was returned to Leng Zhi.
A few blond-haired lads were already sitting scattered around unit 23, chatting animatedly and getting to know each other.
"Bro, do you even know who the number one player in the Chinese server is?"
"Keep bragging, you've never beaten me in a one-on-one match!"
"You're not convinced? Then let's have a round!"
Leng Zhi walked straight past the noisy teenagers and sat down in front of his machine.
The keyboard and mouse feel really good; the seller wasn't lying.
He skillfully logged into Mario's account, clicked on the rankings, and wanted to confirm the gap between himself and his target.
The fleeting golden ranking on the screen immediately caught the attention of the blond-haired guy next to him.
"Holy crap, bro, your rank is practically Star Legend!"
"That's quite impressive!"
His shout caused several other colorful heads around him to turn around as well.
It was as if Leng Zhi was surrounded by a circle of chattering parrots, pointing and commenting on his computer screen.
"A master!"
"Let me see, let me see!"
When he finally entered the game, these outgoing young men had already moved chairs and sat around him in the back.
The one with the pink hair was more polite and greeted us, "Hey buddy, this is the first time we've seen a real person with such a high ranking. Could we watch the event?"
Leng Zhi didn't stop them: "Whatever."
In a daze, he felt as if he had returned to the time a few years ago when he first started playing Di Yao in an internet cafe.
The prominent rankings also attracted the attention of players nearby.
The two players next to him back then were Zou Shu and Yu Fu.
A small internet cafe, a place where hidden talents arose, brought together these three future esports champions, which led to the formation of the LSG team.
As he reminisced, on the hero selection screen, he subconsciously chose Gongsun Shangxiang, the hero that made Zou Shu famous.
Upon seeing this hero, the green-haired boy watching the battle suddenly clicked his tongue.
[Wait, why is Brother Leng's face so red!]
[Oh no, Leng Ge's lips are getting redder and redder!]
[Something's not right with you.jpg]
[Something's not right with me either.jpg]
[Could this be a game the couple is playing behind Xiao Mingzhe's back?]
[The clueless little one is still talking about food, hahaha]
“I can do it myself.” However, the moment he touched the other person, Leng Zhi suddenly pulled his hand back. He wiped off the ring and placed it on the desk.
Jiang Yijing froze, Leng Zhi's retreat was too obvious.
Why did it turn out like this?
His relationship with Leng Zhi has been gradually warming up lately, and he's even prepared a new engagement ring, all he has to do is let Leng Zhi agree...
Leng Zhi pursed his lips and said, "I need to report on the team's schedule. We need to fly to M City a week earlier. The tickets have already been rescheduled."
"The ticket has been changed? What kind of report is this? He tried to sneak away without even asking for his opinion."
Jiang Yijing completely forgot that he was the one who had just said, "You are fully responsible."
"Leng Zhi, you're hiding, why?"
His captivating amber eyes were locked on Leng Zhi's.
“It wasn’t like this yesterday,” he continued. “Last night, after I closed my eyes, you were watching me, and you even held my hand in your sleep…”
Zou Shu was absolutely right. The two of them slept in the same bed every day. How could they possibly have some kind of bullshit "boss and subordinate" relationship? Heaven knows how much Jiang Yijing suffered every day.
Leng Zhi's face flushed slightly at what he was being told, but Jiang Yijing's heart softened again: "I was just asking."
Leng Zhi recalled his conversation with Zou Shu in the corridor just now.
Honestly, this had to be said sooner or later, so it's better to say it now—
"I am not Leng Zhi." He steeled himself and said it anyway.
Jiang Yijing frowned: "...What are you talking about? Are you trying to make me not recognize you?"
"This is indeed a bit unscientific, but I really did travel through time," he said casually. "Aren't you curious? I was insisting on dismissing the servants, but suddenly I want to bring the cook back. Someone who has never played video games before..."
Jiang Yijing interrupted him, saying, "But suddenly you brought together a team and made it all the way to the World Championship, right?"
“I’m not curious about any of what you’ve said,” he said firmly. “All I know is that the Leng Zhi I want is standing right in front of me. As for the other person you mentioned, he’s just my employee.”
Leng Zhi never expected Jiang Yijing to react this way.
He had considered all the possibilities: the other party might not believe him, might not understand him, might ask for a divorce... or might choose him again after hearing his explanation.
How could anyone interrupt after only hearing the beginning of the conversation?
He suddenly lost his breath and said blankly, "I haven't finished speaking yet."
"There's nothing to say," Jiang Yijing said.
Leng Zhi hesitated: "Then...we won't get a divorce?"
"Why do you immediately say you want a divorce!"
Jiang Yijing finally understood the source of his anger.
He was fearless and invincible on the field, always talking about championships and victories. Why is he so hesitant and worried about this and that when it comes to himself?
[Understood, Jiang Mingzhe needs to be sent away.]
[How could you bear to give away such an adorable baby!]
[Hehe, it must be for a good deed!]
[Do good deeds! Until it's completely dark!]
Upon hearing this, Shen Yingcai's face flushed red and then turned pale.
He knew that his little schemes might not escape Tang Jiao's notice, but he didn't expect the other party to point them out so bluntly during the review meeting.
He stubbornly insisted, "I've gotten several kills from the other side. Coach, you have no idea how hard it is to kill their marksman!"
Zou Shu: "..." Just take it as a compliment.
Shen Yingcai was telling the truth. After receiving preferential economic treatment, he was naturally able to use his economic advantage to kill the marksman controlled by Zou Shu.
Tang Wenshi shook his head: "No, killing is a means, not an end. I've told you this many times. Ultimately, it's about the team's benefit. Your advantage isn't big enough to spread to the whole team. Instead, we should give some resources to the jungler."
As the team captain and one of the most skilled players in the team, Shen Yingcai was given such serious attention by Coach Tang in front of everyone.
He pulled the chair out with a sharp sound and didn't say anything more, which was taken as tacit agreement with Tang Wenshi's opinion.
However, his silence did not shut Tang Wenshi up.
Shen Yingcai made a huge mistake in today's match.
In his analysis of the next two games, Tang Wenshi repeatedly mentioned Shen Yingcai's problem of seizing economic opportunities, leaving Shen Yingcai speechless.
He glanced at Leng Zhi furtively.
This person also joined Tang Jiao in analyzing the issue of economic distribution, and he really knew how to set the pace well.
The more he looked at Leng Zhi, the more familiar he seemed. This uncontrollable sense of familiarity surged into his heart again—where had he seen him before? In last year's second division league?
However, today's analysis wasn't just about the PX team. Leng Zhi and Tang Wenshi exchanged many other draft and strategic opinions, and had a very pleasant conversation. This review and analysis continued until the evening.
"That's all for today. If you LSG team members don't mind, the manager has prepared guest rooms for you."
After everyone left, only Coach Tang and Shen Yingcai remained in the conference room.
Tang Wenshi looked at his somewhat unfamiliar old teammate and sighed softly, "Xiao Shen, I know what you're thinking."
Shen Yingcai lowered his head and remained silent.
"But we have one last chance, don't we? Only by being determined to go all in can we win."
"Old Tang, do you really think we can win?" Shen Yingcai couldn't help but ask. "You saw the training match just now. Even if I don't go... to fight for the top spot, do you think we can beat them? This is just a newly formed small team!"
"able."
Tang Wenshi said without hesitation.
Shen Yingcai was stunned. In his heart, the answer was a very clear two words: "No."
"If you have this calculating mindset, you will never win." Tang Wenshi's words were insightful. "In e-sports, you must learn to trust your teammates and believe in the infinite possibilities on the field."
Shen Yingcai: "..."
Has this guy gone mad from coaching a nobody esports team?
His dad can't win, so he can't win. Why all this nonsense?
[What kind of things can't netizens listen to?]
[I want to listen! Why won't you let me listen?! I don't need the data, let me listen!]
[That's enough, leave some space for couples to talk late at night!]
He took a small lick of the ice cream, and the sweet taste filled his mouth.
"This kid has quite a good appetite."
For the sake of the ice cream, he decided not to let Jiang Mingzhe lose too much in the squirrel game—at least in the end, Meng De's parents would definitely not score higher than him.
After Sun Wei was severely punished by the league and was dismissed by the club, a huge cheer erupted in the team's chat group.
Leng Zhi sat in the passenger seat, the summer night breeze brushing against his hair through the sunroof, which was quite pleasant.
Jiang Yijing personally served as the driver today.
Since the two of them discussed e-sports last time, Leng Zhi has become less wary of Jiang Yijing than before.
Jiang Yijing's image in his mind gradually changed from a wicked capitalist who imposed fines to a good boss who could be considered a friend.
In his dream, he was standing on the stage of the World Invitational Tournament in this world, playing the final, crucial match that would decide the outcome.
However, in the nightmare, his hand suddenly became immobile, causing him to miss a good opportunity to initiate a team fight.
He suddenly woke up and realized that it was just that his hand had been pressed under Jiang Mingzhe's leg while he was sleeping, and it was slightly numb.
Jiang Mingzhe was completely unaware of the nightmare his sleeping posture was bringing to Leng Zhi. He turned over, put his little feet on Leng Zhi, and was still gurgling.
"Big pillow, delicious..."
Leng Zhi: "..." Is there something wrong? Yes, there is.
The answer is yes, we can hold on.
This was already proven when they faced off against the KW team using the same lineup.
The lineup that Leng Zhi chose could indeed turn the tide in the later stages of the game.
Unfortunately, in the final decisive team fight, the excruciating pain in his left hand prevented him from making precise moves.
"Let's stall for time; we're stronger in team fights later on."
"receive!"
As expected, PXM's aggression lineup began to show signs of weakness in the mid-game.
A kill notification appeared on Meng Cheng's screen.
"Huh? How could the pro player lose? Did he lag?" Zou Lin immediately suspected it was a problem with the machine.
Manager Chen, however, had a good attitude: "It was just one game, a free win for them. We'll get three more wins later!"
The halftime break was short, and after the players adjusted their mindset slightly, they began the second game of the match.
This time, Leng Zhi did not give PXM another chance.
He executed the command of the next three sets almost perfectly.
PXM had just gotten into a hot streak and were preparing to press their advantage, take the championship, and give their boss a great result—just like the previous few games.
As a favorite to win the championship, PXM aims to be a future main event team.
Unfortunately, they ran into LSG—and LSG at full strength.
With encouragement from his teammates, the nameless pressure weighing on Leng Zhi quietly disappeared.
In addition, under the BO5 format, the opponent cannot replicate the special lineup that shook Leng Zhi's mentality.
Three-game winning streak!
The next amusement park ride the kids passed was the pirate ship.
This is a relatively mild pirate ship, and it even has specially designed child safety belts, so the recommended age range covers up to five years old, which is just the right age for little ones.
However, considering the safety concerns, the teachers didn't actually want the children to choose this activity. She quickly explained, "This is a pirate ship, it's quite challenging, so I don't recommend it. If no one wants to play, we'll move on to the next one..."
The audience erupted in cheers. It was a fantastic match, with both sides displaying formidable strength and delivering many memorable moments of excellent execution.
Am I watching the qualifiers?
"This qualifying tournament is even more exciting than last year's playoffs! Holy crap!"
"What a pity for PXM, they were actually very strong... but they ran into the Great Demon King."
"LSG can't possibly make it all the way to Worlds, can they?! I saw their declaration!"
"I told you, I'll finish after three more games." Leng Zhi smiled as he stood up from his gaming chair, stretching his limbs and back. "Next, it's time to prepare for the finals."
The young reporter confidently sent a message to her colleague:
The accompanying image was somewhat blurry.
The picture clearly shows a huge internet cafe sign, its colorful lights sparking the imagination, while below it are Leng Zhi and Tang Wenshi, who are photographed cuddling together.
Leng Zhi showed half of his face, which was clearly recognizable, while Tang Wenshi could only be seen with the back of his head casually tied in a small braid and the firm muscles of his forearms. His identity was unclear, and it could only be confirmed that he was not a member of any team.
If you didn't know beforehand that he was a married man with children, he certainly had the air of a handsome guy from behind.
It has to be said that this young reporter chose a good angle. Overnight, it was forwarded countless times, and he himself made a fortune from the ads he placed using the traffic.
The finals were scheduled for the afternoon. Since the teams had been discussing tactics until late the night before, they gathered directly at the stadium with a capacity of 10,000 people in the afternoon.
Leng Zhi slept until almost noon before getting out of bed.
He hadn't watched the news; his mind was filled with the afternoon's match. With sleepy eyes, he took out the team uniform, which had been carefully ironed by the butler, from the closet.
Manager Chen's custom-made team uniforms were largely based on Yu Fu's manuscripts, but there were still slight differences in the details.
For example, the name that was originally printed with gold foil embroidery thread is now a heat transfer pattern, which has lost some of its elegance.
However, in response to the fans' opinions, Manager Chen added a red and black English lettering strip to the side of his jacket sleeve.
The English text breaks down everyone's nicknames and arranges them in varying degrees of detail, creating a stylish look from afar and a plausible design upon closer inspection.
These clever little touches were noticed by the observant captain.
Leng Zhi's fingertips gently traced these new little designs as he solemnly draped the coat over his shoulders.
"Set off."
"I want to play!"
Among the group of children, Jiang Mingzhe was the first to raise his hand.
Pirates! How cool!
The fairy tales and adventure stories his grandmother told him contained many incredibly fierce elements related to pirates—perhaps this is where his daring personality comes from.
"Oh, but this looks so scary!"
"It's going to fly so high, I'm too scared."
"Jiang Mingzhe, are you sure you want to play?"
The students whispered among themselves, but Jiang Mingzhe got even more excited. He confidently patted his chest and declared, "I have to play! I'm the Squirrel King!"
Upon hearing this, Meng De objected: "I want it too! I'm not afraid!"
Youyou, always eager for excitement, had already joined the queue: "What are you waiting for? Come on!"
Encouraged by them, several bold children stepped forward.
Teachers: "..."
But since the child insisted on playing, they could only ask the parents for their opinion: "This requires parental accompaniment."
The parents of the few children who wanted to play didn't object, so five or six families boarded the pirate ship, leaving the rest of the kids to watch from below.
After the seatbelt and brace were fastened, Jiang Yijing asked, "Aren't you really scared? You still have a chance to back out."
Jiang Mingzhe: "I'm not afraid!"
The pirate ship slowly started moving, the pendulum tilted to a suitable angle, and then slowly swung down.
The babies, feeling the summer breeze on their faces, excitedly cried out "Oh oh!"
That's exciting! It's fun!
However, their smiles quickly froze.
In the second round, the giant swing went even higher, and when it plummeted down, the kids felt a tremendous centrifugal force and a push-back sensation.
My little ones: !!!
Something's not right! This is a bit too exciting!
Manager Chen got up very early today. Unlike the five guys who had been competing for three or four years and had already developed strong hearts, this was the first time she had faced the finals of such a grand event.
As a result, she was able to access the news that had been circulating overnight.
"Damn it, are you sick in the head?!" The usually well-mannered Ms. Chen burst out with a fit of rage.
After being distorted and reposted by multiple public accounts, the current title has become:
"What kind of nonsense is this? This is our coach! Forty years old! Married!" Manager Chen couldn't understand how these media outlets could be so unscrupulous as to come up with such a dirty trick.
Faced with such fake news, Manager Chen jumped out of bed, grabbed his keyboard, and prepared for an emergency public relations effort.
She was very sensible. The team members didn't get home until one or two in the morning last night, so it must be a good time for them to catch up on sleep. As a highly paid professional manager, she had to get everything sorted out before the team members woke up, so as not to affect the afternoon's match.
But this public relations statement is difficult to write – Tang Wenshi is still under contract with PX, although it is nominally dead. It is indeed difficult to explain to his former employer that he has found a new job so quickly.
After Manager Chen contacted countless friends in the industry and racked her brains to write a reasonably decent clarification statement, she cautiously searched for relevant tags again before posting it on the LSG official account.
She had expected to see some new trending topics or sharp comments, but this time, the entire Weibo square was completely clean.
It's as if nothing ever happened.
Manager Chen looked at the document he had just finished writing with surprise and doubt, and refreshed it again.
Now, LSG has once again become a hot topic and a favorite among viewers.
Although that young reporter has completely disappeared this morning, there's no shortage of fools in this industry.
Several groups of reporters, drawn by the smell, staked out the vicinity of Xinxing Internet Cafe. They almost bumped into each other, but then tacitly dispersed to ensure that they did not interfere with each other.
They passed the message around, quietly approaching each other, just as they were about to raise their cameras, when they happened to catch this blush-inducing scene.
What... what happened to the supposed breakdown of the relationship and infidelity?
What do you mean by this?!
Jiang Yijing held the person down with one hand and deftly opened the chat interface with the other.
Neither of the two points Leng Zhi mentioned were received; instead, the right side would send a few messages every now and then.
A string in Leng Zhi's brain suddenly snapped.
He stared blankly at the tall man, trying to find even a trace of a joke.
Unfortunately, Jiang Yijing spoke very seriously.
His ears gradually turned red, and all the previous images flashed through his mind—Holy crap, it's for real!
“Don’t be nervous. This isn’t a question that requires an immediate answer. You can take your time to think about it.” After giving Leng Zhi enough time to think, Jiang Yijing added, “We have plenty of time.”
However, the vice-captain clearly did not expect that his casual remark would come true.
The first step is cold treatment.
Just as Zou Shu suspected, he was indeed drawn against the KM team as his first opponent.
"I want to get off!"
"Ugh, I don't want to play anymore!"
"Mommy! Waaah!"
[Holy crap, Jiang Mingzhe turned the screen black!]
[The photography also stopped automatically!]
[But there seems to be another sound? What is he going to do?]
[Don't rush, listen carefully first, the butler should be back soon.]
[Hilarious! You really can't trust how well-behaved a child is; it's all a lie.]
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