Chapter 35
Is Mingzhe hungry?
[Hilarious, he's clearly just craving steamed buns.]
[Where's the production crew?! Quickly bring up two real steamed buns!]
Jiang Yijing tapped the table lightly with his fingertips, his phone continuously playing Leng Zhi's WeChat ringtone, gradually eroding his patience.
Just as the call was about to be automatically disconnected, a half-length portrait of a woman in a scarlet wedding dress finally appeared on the screen.
Unlike the fleeting glimpse just now, the red silk that had been casually lifted from the bride's phoenix crown had been pulled down again, completely obscuring her, leaving only her slightly bobbing Adam's apple visible.
"..."
The atmosphere became awkward, and neither side spoke a word.
Finally, Leng Zhi broke the silence across the internet.
"I accidentally hung up."
This serves as an explanation for his inconsistent behavior.
Jiang Yijing didn't call him out on it, but simply asked, "Are you livestreaming?"
This question struck a chord with Leng Zhi, who nodded repeatedly: "Yes, it's recording time now."
Unbeknownst to him, contrary to his plans, the video call was being honestly recorded by the camera behind him and transmitted in real time to the live broadcast room.
Jiang Yijing casually asked, "Why did you suddenly think of video calling me?"
This statement sounds like both a flirtatious opening and an inquiry into his work.
Leng Zhixin understood immediately; his boss must be reminding him of the purpose of the call.
He then slowly said, just as they had agreed on the night before, "Today's game is a haunted house, and they changed me into a... a wedding dress. There are no other staff members here, so I wanted to show it to you."
After saying this, his face, which was hidden under his hood, suddenly turned red, and his cheeks flushed crimson.
Damn it, he's never said anything like that before!
Seeing the stiff expression on Jiang Yijing's sculpted face, Leng Zhi laughed.
Ah, it's finally your turn, Jiang Yijing.
He enjoyed the entire video very much.
The children's smartwatch is fully functional, allowing users to make calls, send photos and videos, and play simple games.
Considering that children may not be able to read, parents can choose some cute emojis to reply using the software on their mobile phones.
Leng Zhi replied with a laughing puppy emoji.
The puppy is a Siberian Husky with a black head and a white face. It sticks out its tongue, puts its hands on its hips, and tilts its head back, looking quite proud. It also looks a bit like Leng Zhi.
Soon, the other side sent another video.
Jiang Mingzhe had just finished spinning the teacup when he held his head in one hand, feeling a little dizzy. His adorable face was suddenly magnified in front of the camera, and his voice was soft and gentle.
"This is so much fun! I wish Dad were here."
The cub's eyes were bright and sparkling. He didn't know about the contract between Leng Zhi and Jiang Yijing. He only knew that the amusement park rides were really fun!
He wanted to share with his bad dad.
Leng Zhi's heart suddenly skipped a beat.
He glanced at the computer screen but hesitated to open the next match video.
Actually, there's no rush to review the daily matches right now.
For top teams, they don't actually need too much formulaic training. Instead, everyone sitting down together to review their games will lead to faster progress.
As a recognized tactical mastermind and the number one clutch player in the league, Leng Zhi's understanding of the overall game situation is a version ahead of everyone else. For ordinary non-strong teams, the regular season games are indeed not very interesting.
The amusement park that Jiang Mingzhe's kindergarten organized a trip to wasn't far away; it was in the same administrative district as the internet cafe, and it only took a short drive to get there.
Leng Zhi felt a subtle sense of irritation as Jiang Mingzhe's voice and the fact that his teammates had all stood him up gradually overlapped in his mind.
Forget it, how about... we go take a look?
Leng Zhi grew up in an orphanage and later spent his time in internet cafes. He eventually led his team to achieve success in competitions and has never had any romantic scandals.
Because he doesn't date at all.
The LSG team is also jokingly called the "single dog team" because none of the five men have publicly revealed their relationships.
Meng Cheng, the jungler on the team, once fell in love briefly, but it was a one-sided love. He wrote more than ten cheesy love letters, but they were never heard from again.
Leng Zhi was invited by Meng Cheng to examine his love letters. Meng Cheng cried and complained that his love letters were so affectionate, yet they could not move the heart of the woman on the other side.
After Leng Zhi graciously read the second letter, he finally couldn't take it anymore.
"Meng Cheng, promise me you won't show me these cheesy things again. They're giving me goosebumps." He shoved the love letter back into Meng Cheng's arms and ran away.
Performing sweet nothings like a loving couple is really beyond Leng Zhi's professional scope.
Leng Zhi made a spontaneous remark, only to find that there was no response from the other end.
What's going on? Does this statement sound too fake?
Jiang Yijing lowered his eyes, lost in thought.
After a long pause, he chuckled and said, "This is the first time you've worn this. If you like it, you can wear it at home too."
Leng Zhi: "...!"
Is this the president's acting and lines? So natural. It's a pity there's no camera here, otherwise the screen would be filled with fans who are totally smitten.
Luckily, we chose a time when the cameraman wasn't around.
[Hahaha, Jiang Mingzhe is such a scumbag!]
[Brother Leng was caught off guard and his identity was exposed]
[I thought Le Xinzhou was already the fastest to be exposed, but I didn't expect Leng Zhi to be so far ahead, his identity was discovered as soon as he appeared.]
[The story has stalled now, hahaha, what a disaster on the last level!]
Compared to the last time I met her, Xixi seemed to have lost some weight—which wasn't a bad thing; in fact, she looked more energetic.
Xixi was packing her new schoolbag when she looked up and saw her friends rushing towards her.
"Ugh! What brings you all here!"
He was initially a little uneasy, and the unfamiliar new environment after transferring to the new park made him both curious and somewhat bewildered.
At that moment, all those anxieties vanished when I saw my friends.
Xixi wasn't exactly well-liked at kindergarten.
Because Lei Shen enrolled him in countless extracurricular tutoring classes, there was simply not enough time on weekends and after school, so he often skipped classes to get extra help.
Over time, he lost his regular classmates and was often ignored by them.
Xu Lin possessed the keen insight of a mother; after living with Xixi for a few days, she immediately noticed that her son didn't want to go to kindergarten.
She swiftly completed the transfer procedures—her first thought was to go to that prestigious kindergarten with her friends.
With the help of Leng Zhi and Yun Jingcheng, Xixi received special treatment from the principal. The principal had heard about the child's tragic experience on the variety show and quickly approved his enrollment.
Jiang Mingzhe opened his arms and hugged Xixi: "From now on, we're classmates!"
He started counting on his fingers: "When we're classmates, I can not only give you stars, but also snacks, and we can play games together! Oh, and the teacher will give us stars when they praise us! But don't you dare cry on purpose to trick me out of my stars!"
Xixi was both amused and exasperated, unsure whether she was touched or amused, but at least the awkwardness she had felt earlier was completely gone.
"Okay, I won't lie to you, Star."
Xu Lin smiled and greeted the parents who followed behind her.
"Sister Shaoqi, Brother Xinzhou, hello. I'm sorry for the trouble I caused you before."
When she looked at Jiang Yijing, her smile deepened: "You must be Mr. Leng's husband. You two are a match made in heaven. You are so lucky to have such a wonderful wife."
"Ahem." Jiang Yijing coughed. "You're too kind."
It must be said that the phrase "a match made in heaven" really hit Jiang Zemin's sweet spot.
Leng Zhi and Jiang Mingzhe played a significant role in Xixi's escape from her scumbag father and return to her mother's side.
The children had run from their beds to the open space behind the classroom, giving Xu Lin a space to speak.
She had always wanted to thank Leng Zhi properly again, but unfortunately, Leng Zhi didn't come today; Jiang Yijing did instead.
Xu Lin thought for a moment and felt that husband and wife were one, so she still wanted to speak her mind: "You may not know, but Mr. Leng deserves some credit for Xixi being able to stand here so lively and healthy today."
When Jiang Yijing heard a stranger's evaluation of Leng Zhi for the first time, she subconsciously turned to listen attentively.
“Mr. Leng is very perceptive and noticed the problem between Xixi and Lei Shen a long time ago. Xixi came back and described to me that he was really grateful to have an adult who supported him in such a high-pressure environment.”
"And Jiang Mingzhe's camera, if that kid hadn't found it by chance, I might still be in the dark."
"Mr. Leng's friend is also a very loyal person. I owe it all to him that I was able to get to the scene so quickly..."
Xu Lin rambled on for a while, and Jiang Yijing didn't interrupt. As a result, the image of Leng Zhi in his mind became more complete, and the pieces of the puzzle that he hadn't yet been able to explore gradually came together, piecing together a better lover.
"I'm sorry, after saying so much, I haven't had much of a chance to meet Mr. Leng. I hope you can convey my gratitude." Xu Lin gave a slight bow.
After they finished speaking, Jiang Mingzhe led Xixi and the others back. Xixi suddenly remembered something and asked, "Jiang Mingzhe, where's Uncle Leng? Why didn't he come today?"
[How can someone be shifting the blame? If they're angry, they're angry, but to say it's someone else's character is ridiculous, hahaha]
[Uncle! You look really good in this outfit!]
[Just wondering, is the groom General Manager Jiang?]
When Leng Zhi returned home, Jiang Mingzhe was already awake.
Compared to yesterday, Jiang Mingzhe was full of energy today. He flung off his blanket with a "whoosh" and rushed down the stairs.
"Daddy, where are you! Play with me!"
However, the child's voice echoed on the first floor, but no one responded.
The butler was meticulously wiping down an antique porcelain vase in the living room. He put the vase down, picked up Jiang Mingzhe, and said gently, "Young Master, Mr. Leng has gone out. Shall I play with you?"
Jiang Mingzhe pursed his lips: "Okay."
The housekeeper is getting old and only plays with outdated gadgets, often falling behind Jiang Mingzhe's "trends" at the kindergarten.
Jiang Mingzhe took off his watch and reluctantly handed it to the butler: "I can only give you one chance. Help me play Squirrel Fight."
Jiang Mingzhe wondered if some of his classmates had asked their parents to play for them, but when he woke up from his afternoon nap, he found that his ranking had been pushed down to second place!
There are always people more capable than you! There are truly extraordinary individuals out there!
This is also why Jiang Mingzhe is so eager to find Leng Zhi—he wants to reclaim his title as the Squirrel King!
The butler had never seen anything like this before. He took the watch and listened, bewildered, as Jiang Mingzhe explained the rules of the game: "So, you just tap wherever it lights up?"
He focused with ten times the concentration of someone polishing a porcelain bottle, and carefully clicked the start button.
The screen immediately flashed images of squirrels emerging from their burrows and then hiding again. The butler frantically pressed a few buttons, his forehead sweating with tension.
36 points.
Looking at the final score, the butler breathed a sigh of relief: "Young master, 36 points, that should be pretty good."
The next second, Jiang Mingzhe snatched the children's watch back. He pouted, looking like he was about to cry: "Uncle Butler, you're not as good as me playing by myself. Waaah, I wasted an opportunity."
The housekeeper was dumbfounded. He had tried his best, but he was still not as good as the child.
He began to have serious doubts about his own professional abilities.
Fortunately, Leng Zhi finally returned at this time.
As soon as he entered the door, he saw the butler come to greet him, tears streaming down his face: "Mr. Leng, you're finally back!"
Leng Zhi's heart skipped a beat: "Jiang Mingzhe got into trouble?"
"No, no, no, it was I who upset the young master. He desperately needs Mr. Leng's help." The butler eagerly ushered the man inside.
Hearing the noise, Jiang Mingzhe rushed over: "Dad! There's only one last chance for the squirrel game!"
Leng Zhi looked at the watch that had been shoved into his palm, both amused and exasperated, finally understanding the situation.
He opened the game, and the leaderboard had indeed changed.
Jiang Mingzhe's account was pushed down to second place, and the new number one was a kid named Meng De.
101 points.
As if in a provocation, it was exactly one point higher than the score Jiang Mingzhe had just broken last time.
"Are these from your class?" he asked.
Jiang Mingzhe shook his head: "He's from the next class. He must have asked someone else to help him play! His grades used to be even lower than Uncle Butler's!"
Butler: "..." Why did he get shot again out of nowhere?
[I feel trusted, Uncle Leng]
[Uncle Leng failed to leave work and was forced to work overtime]
Mid-core lineup.
Realizing he was facing such a daring team, he couldn't help but have a thought:
This round is likely to be lost.
Gu Zuo noticed Jing Cheng's unusual behavior at just the right time.
He sighed – when he saw the opposing team pick a sharpshooter, he knew that Jing Cheng's mentality would definitely be affected.
The usually straightforward Deputy Captain Gu hesitated for a moment and withdrew his usual sharp edge.
He placed his hand on Jingcheng's shoulder and pressed down hard.
"Jingcheng, don't think too much. Remember, you are the WRC's best shooter. Just give it your all."
As if waking from a dream, Jing Cheng's dazed eyes gradually regained their light.
"Yes, Captain Gu...we must win."
However, once the match began, everything went awry, like a runaway horse galloping in an unexpected direction for the WRC.
To effectively utilize operational tactics, a team needs strong early-game control and cannot afford to collapse too early, otherwise, even if the game drags on to the mid-game, it may be too late to recover.
However, Tyrant perfectly demonstrated the absolute dominance of the Moon Rabbit Fairy Chang in the early stages.
Except for the first wave of minions when he gave the enemy mid laner a little leeway and didn't push too far, after clearing that wave, he never stopped launching attacks.
The current popular mid-lane support champion is a control-oriented mage who gives up minion waves and gold to the jungler and marksman. The common opening move is to go to the bottom lane to support the marksman.
Tyrant immediately plunged into the jungle.
Of course, it's the enemy's jungle.
WRC's jungler was devastated. He had painstakingly cleared most of the jungle monsters when suddenly a fairy appeared out of nowhere and jumped in his face.
"What kind of weird gameplay is this!" he cursed angrily, but that didn't stop Xian Chang from swaggering in. "Where are my teammates! Gu Zuo, come help me!"
The Moon Rabbit Fairy Chang is a very extreme hero; she is overpowered in the early and mid-game, but becomes useless in the late game.
The other heroes selected by LSG, whether they were the Sharpshooter or the Ancient God of War, also shared this characteristic.
Gu Zuo had a bit of a headache.
The lineup they selected was very balanced throughout the early, mid, and late stages, with key players in each period.
But right now, the jungler, who is responsible for carrying the early game, is being bullied by the opposing team and is running away with his head in his hands.
...What kind of mess is this?
“These guys are just messing around,” he said, rubbing his temples with one hand. “I’m here. Let’s hold things steady and drag this out until later. We’ll have a much better chance.”
While WRC is in a mess, LSG's coach, McCree, is indeed managing things in an orderly manner.
"Heh," came Luo Hongshuo's laughter, "You're only arriving now? Too late. One for every one you come, two for every pair you get."
Luo Hongshuo took off his black-rimmed glasses and casually tied up his hair, which had recently grown behind his ears and hadn't had time to be trimmed, with a rubber band. In front of the camera, he looked completely different from the Tyrant who had been silently following orders before.
Leng Zhi: "Their choice is not wrong. If it were a regular Moon Rabbit Fairy Chang, this would be a way to counter it."
[Sob, the limited edition bride is going to be discontinued.]
[When is the next encore? I'm getting impatient!]
I want to extract that part and watch it several times.
[Hehe, I get it. See you in the fan art section, everyone!]
Gongsun Shangxiang's role is primarily in the early to mid-game. If the game progresses into the late game and the team still needs to allocate resources to her, then the return on investment will decrease.
The situation kept collapsing.
With a loud bang, the screen lit up with the image of PX team's crystal exploding.
"Let's congratulate... the All-Star team on winning this match and successfully advancing to the top 32 of the qualifiers!" The commentator's voice sounded a bit dry; he hadn't expected this result either.
Meanwhile, Zhu Hechang at the league headquarters, upon learning the results of the match, also began to question the meaning of life.
The mechanism of introducing star teams was evaluated in advance by the league. Logically speaking, even with two top players like Gu Zuo and Jiang Shang on the team, they should still be significantly weaker than the average level of the teams participating in the qualifiers.
"Has the PX team really come to this?"
In the players' room, Gu Zuo felt no joy at all. His face was as dark as if the other player owed him eight million.
"This means I'll have to make another trip to S City!"
That evening, none of the PX team members attended the players' dinner gathering; only Coach Tang represented them.
In addition, a special little guest also came.
Every newcomer to the private room is startled by the baby who greets everyone.
"Oh, whose child is this...so cute!"
Jiang Yijing was not home that day, and Jiang Mingzhe was being petulant, refusing to stay home alone. Leng Zhi could only acquiesce to the housekeeper sending the miniature human-shaped pendant to the restaurant.
"Dad, did you win today?!" Jiang Mingzhe looked up, his eyes sparkling.
"We won." Leng Zhi answered succinctly, and seeing the little boy's admiring gaze, he couldn't help but add, "Three consecutive wins."
Jiang Mingzhe said sweetly, "Wow, I knew Dad was the best!"
The average age in the e-sports circle is only twenty years old, and there are very few married people, let alone having a child this big. Jiang Mingzhe's appearance attracted everyone's attention.
Jiang Mingzhe had previously attended cocktail parties attended by Jiang Yijing.
There, people were clinking glasses and chatting, and everywhere they looked, there were middle-aged men in suits and beautiful aunties in long, flowing dresses.
He was extremely bored, so he could only sit in the chair and listen to people praising him in a half-hearted manner.
"President Jiang's child is so well-behaved."
"He and his parents were practically identical when they were young."
Young people in the e-sports circle don't have many rules; they simply picked up the baby and played a game of human carousel.
The atmosphere at the dinner table became a little awkward after those words were spoken.
Tang Wenshi's face flushed slightly as he stopped eating: "Wherever there are people, there is a world of intrigue... Actually, I've been considering whether or not to retire now. Maybe I really can't coach a championship team."
As he spoke the second half of the sentence, his voice gradually lowered.
Throughout his long professional career, PX was not the first team coached by Tang Wenshi.
Before this, he had worked for three different teams. Although he was always praised in the industry as a top-notch coach, the players he encountered were never as pure as him.
There are individualists like Shen Yingcai, money-grubbing contestants focused on earning endorsement fees, and even unscrupulous individuals secretly participating in overseas gambling match-fixing.
[Haha, the show's producers are trying to suppress Leng Ge's talent!]
[Someone's going to be targeted now!]
[I'm so excited! What kind of mode is it? Will it even out the skill gap between pros and newbies?]
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