Chapter 41: Choosing teammates is like choosing goods
The icicles on the eaves melted into water, dripping lightly wrapped in sunlight. A few floating clouds in the blue sky indicated that it was going to be a good day today.
You An woke up early, ready to wake up You Tuantuan, who had stayed up too late watching The Wizard of Oz last night: "Tuantuan, if you don't get up now, you won't get your free breakfast!"
“Hehe…hehehe…”
You Tuantuan groaned, but the forced restart failed. He curled up in the soft quilt and didn't move, quietly making a ball of butter and pork floss.
Youan felt a little regretful, so he had to tuck in the quilt for the little guy and left the room quietly.
Quan Yi arranged his close friends to stay in the hotel's private courtyard area, which had the best view and a separate hot spring pool. The corridor leading to the main restaurant was unusually quiet, and the thick carpeted floor absorbed all the footsteps, so he met almost no one along the way.
It's still early, and the young masters who played until midnight are basically asleep in their rooms.
Except for a few guys who were too self-disciplined, everyone had finished their physical training and was sitting in the huge viewing restaurant, enjoying their breakfast leisurely.
As soon as Youan walked into the restaurant, he saw these two combat-related masters.
Lancelot and Enzo sat at a round table by the window, with bone china cups and saucers filled with hot tea in front of them.
As if he had just taken a shower after exercising, Lancelot's slightly moist red hair was spread out behind him, and his huge triangular ears were pressed down comfortably. The whole person exuded a refreshing and lazy aura.
"Good morning, did you sleep well last night?"
Lancelot patted the seat next to him, motioning for Youan to sit down. "The mattress here is a bit too soft. If it's uncomfortable, have someone replace it for you."
"No need for that. It's quite comfortable." Youan sat down, scooped a spoonful of mushroom soup into his mouth, and spoke incoherently while unconsciously glancing at the few scattered guests in the restaurant.
Lancelot caught his gaze sharply and moved the plate of scrambled eggs in front of him. "What are you looking at?"
"It seems... I haven't seen Mr. Xu." You An looked away, his tone a little doubtful, "Is he gone?"
Lancelot drew his breath, picked up his teacup and took a sip, a smile that was quite smug. "I left before dawn. It seems that there is some temporary work that needs to be taken care of at the Mechanical Institute."
Youan dragged his voice: "Oh..."
Lancelot narrowed his eyes sharply: "Why, do you have something to do with him?"
Enzo cut a piece of steak and quickly stuffed it into his mouth before it could be contaminated by the sour smell in the air.
"I guess so." Youan poked the scrambled eggs on the plate with his fork. "I thought since he works at the Mechanical Institute, he should be more familiar with the specific procedures and requirements for applying for weapons customization and sales licenses."
On Granton Star, one must wait until graduation to join the Mechanics Association, but Youan plans to continue his business of selling customized weapons in the next few years. However, compared to the chaotic underground city, the formal procedures are much more troublesome to handle.
Lancelot pricked up his ears, his lips curled into a beautiful arc: "So, you want to make money from orders for custom weapons?"
You An nodded: "Yeah, but without the fame of Ghost, I might not make as much as before."
He was well aware that in the eyes of others, he was just an ungraduated student, but he was not discouraged.
"That's not necessarily true. Just look at your performance last night." Enzo's voice drifted over slowly.
The mechanical crossbow used in last night's competition was truly stunning. The astonished looks and re-examinations in the banquet hall were the best proof of this.
After being gently kicked under the table, he put down his knife and fork, slowly wiped the corner of his mouth with a snow-white napkin, and then interrupted the topic at the right time: "If you are really worried, I do have a suggestion."
Lancelot seemed to have anticipated what he was going to say. He leaned back in his chair, wagged his tail leisurely, and his eyes drifted towards Youan, who was attracted by his attention.
Youan blinked: "What?"
"The actual combat league between Granton and the Federation will start soon. Maybe you can try to participate." Enzo paused and his eyes stayed on Youan for a moment.
Although it was not stated explicitly, I could probably guess the general idea from the last time I went to the medical institution of the Inspection Office to help pick someone up.
He straightened his expression, his tone rarely revealing a hint of admonition, "Whether you go to the Mechanical Institute to work for the military, or become a mechanic for the association, don't waste this talent."
The scope of the actual combat league covers the federal military academy. The value of the league is not comparable to that of ordinary competitions. It can be said to be a golden road leading to glory and the future. Many eyes are watching the four major academies. As long as you want to develop towards the military in the future, no one will not want to achieve good results in this game.
Of course, this kind of competition is generally not an individual battle, and is basically participated in as a team.
When Youan came back to his senses, he saw that Lancelot had put down the teacup in his hand.
He lazily raised his eyelids, and his olive green eyes met Youan's gaze.
"If you want to go..." Lancelot's tail swayed gently behind him, revealing his master's good mood at the moment. His voice was full of his usual charm, and he invited with a smile, "We can team up together."
Youan opened his mouth. This invitation was too important.
For the Operations Department, this league is the most important event in their student career. Every player's choice is related to the team's victory or defeat and honor.
Apart from knowing how to make weapons, he has no experience in actual combat. It is okay for him to fight the evil pirates alone, but when it comes to this kind of team competition, his concerns suddenly increase.
The sunlight filtered through the huge French windows and fell on You An's slightly furrowed brow.
He scratched his hair and looked at Lancelot.
Then he continued scratching.
Lancelot sighed, "Just say whatever you want to say, and stop scratching your bald head."
Youan stopped scratching his head and thought for a while before refusing immediately: "...I need to think about it."
"Sure." Lancelot picked up the refilled teacup and said lightly, "I'll wait for you."
Foxes are always patient anyway.
After this breakfast, the ski resort, which had been bustling with activity due to the birthday party, gradually became quiet and peaceful again.
Quan Yi tried to make up for his lack of foresight in inviting Xu Qingzhou here, but he didn't want to be too obvious, so he simply found different ways to serve You Tuantuan. Not only did he send him a bunch of peripherals, he also planned to build a theme park of the Elves in a Bottle in the hotel, waiting for his next visit.
When they were about to part, You Tuantuan was so happy that he was at a loss as to what to do. He lay on top of Lancelot's head, next to his furry triangular ears, and whispered to the fox boss when he could bring him back.
But the other child was not so easy to get rid of. He was standing at the hotel entrance, pulling Enzo's tail and wagging his head, clamoring to go with You Tuantuan.
"I'll say it again, Asaiah! They've already left with Youan, and you have to go home now..." Enzo grabbed his hair angrily. When many ladies covered their mouths and chuckled and cast curious glances at him, he suppressed his anger to preserve the last bit of decency for both of them, and warned fiercely, "Shut up quickly, don't force me to spank you here!"
"Don't lie to me, is Tuantuan really gone? Really?" Asaiah kept asking, and got a very affirmative answer, and his ears fluttered with dismay.
After finally calming him down, Enzo breathed a sigh of relief. Just as he picked up the boy and was about to leave, he turned around and bumped into Lancelot who was carrying his luggage.
Enzo frowned, feeling a little uneasy.
Of course Lancelot heard their movements. He reached into Youan's scarf with a smile, took out the sleepy chestnut rabbit, and quickly waved it in front of Asaiah.
"round and round……"
Asaiah blinked his tearful eyes and immediately started flapping his arms and legs like a lively carp. He grabbed Enzo's ears and yelled, "He didn't leave! He didn't leave! Wow, little uncle, you lied to me! You big liar! You actually stopped me from playing with Tuantuan, woooooo!"
The shouts suddenly shook the sky!
Lancelot narrowed his eyes and sighed—
Ah, the sound of nature.
Enzo was furious and slapped him twice on the butt, then raised his fist as if to hit Lancelot.
He knew that this fox couldn't hold back any good farts!
Lancelot took a picture of the tiger cub crying bitterly, then walked away leisurely humming a little tune.
＊
Just as Enzo said, a few days after returning to school, before the students of Kagano had recovered from their happy vacation, the military's official Star Network account officially announced the news of the actual combat league.
This news was like a huge rock thrown into a calm lake, instantly causing huge waves in the four major colleges.
The senior students were instantly excited!
The entire training ground was almost as bustling as a marriage market, and the air was filled with ambition, competition and hormones.
The frenzied atmosphere of this top-level event stunned many first-year students who were squatting at the entrance of the training ground, watching the excitement and cracking energy sunflower seeds. They felt unprecedented shock.
Yes, the freshmen are completely isolated from the lively crowd.
The actual competition league, which brings together the top elites from Granton and the Federation and is related to the future development path, has always been an important stage for senior students to compete.
Inexperienced freshmen are rarely considered for teammate selection, and no one would dare to humiliate themselves by getting involved.
However, there are always exceptions.
The screen in the strategic deduction class was filled with various key points, but unfortunately, the straight-A student sitting in the first row was absent-minded, looking down at the league registration information page.
The complicated rules and team requirements made him frown slightly, and when he came to his senses, it was time to end the get out of class.
Yin Pei yawned as he packed up his things, then turned around and invited him to sit in the cafe where there was a Tanimon.
Before Youan could answer, Professor Laura on the podium suddenly said, "Youan, stay a moment."
Yin Pei shrugged and muttered, "If he stays, I can't stay." He turned his head and showed Youan a sympathetic expression, then quickly picked up his bag and slipped out of the classroom.
Professor Laura is a woman with a rather strict teaching style, but she is always patient in guiding her students.
She waited until Youan came over and asked gently, "I noticed you seemed a little distracted during class? Was it about the league?"
"Yes, Professor, I am considering whether to participate..."
Youan hesitated for a moment, then told her frankly about Lancelot's invitation, and also expressed his inner concerns, such as that he lacked experience as a freshman and would be a drag on the entire team.
Although he was able to complete all his subject reports excellently, he had never participated in an actual combat, let alone commanded a team.
He looked expectantly at the professor he respected, hoping to get some constructive advice.
Unexpectedly, after listening to Professor Laura, who was always kind to him, the smile on her lips gradually faded, and was replaced by an almost serious calmness.
She looked into Youan's eyes and said clearly, "I don't recommend you participate."
Youan was stunned. This was completely different from the reaction he had expected. He thought it would be uh... motivated encouragement.
"Your concerns are quite reasonable. The league is highly competitive and places extremely high demands on participants. First-year students lack systematic training and practical experience, so they're definitely not suitable."
Professor Laura seemed not to notice the disappointment in Youan's eyes, and her tone was calm but carried an unquestionable weight.
"Besides, Lancelot is under immense pressure. You should be aware that he is the second son of the Vansel family and is not eligible to inherit the title. To maintain his status and honor, earning military merit is the fastest way out. Therefore, this match is crucial for him. He should have more experienced teammates and more suitable weapons."
This conclusion is too absolute!
Is there anyone who can make a weapon that is most suitable for Lancelot!
A strong sense of dissatisfaction surged in Youan's heart. He opened his mouth and a hundred reasons to refute instantly emerged in his mind.
He wanted to say that he could strengthen his training, design more suitable weapons for his teammates, and study the impact data of all past leagues...
But before he could organize his words, Professor Laura's face suddenly broke into a sly smile.
"It seems," the seriousness in her voice instantly disappeared, and her voice became soft with a hint of teasing, "you really want to refute me."
Youan was a little confused by her sudden turn of events and nodded awkwardly.
"So you see," Professor Laura smiled, her eyes full of encouragement, "you actually know what decision you want to make."
Youan's ears, which were stuck to the back of his head, slowly stood up and he raised his head to look at the professor.
"Your concerns stem from a sense of responsibility towards your teammates, which is fine, but this sense of responsibility shouldn't become a shackle that holds you back from moving forward."
Laura paused, her tone becoming unusually gentle, with a soothing power, "Yuan, many people define the Strategic Department as nothing more than clerks and military clerks... But I believe your ability can break these old views, just like you demonstrated in the talent show."
Perhaps it was because he had received too little affirmation and encouragement in his life. The moment Professor Laura finished speaking, Youan felt as if the huge rock pressing on his heart had been removed.
You An seemed to understand: "Professor, I understand, thank you."
Professor Laura nodded with satisfaction: "Then go."
Walking out of the classroom, Youan felt his steps were much lighter.
He immediately posted a teammate recruitment message on Kagano's forum, attaching all his information.
As soon as the information was sent out, the forum exploded instantly!
The homepage, originally filled with recruitment posts for senior students, was forcefully interrupted by this post from a freshman. As soon as everyone saw the poster's name, the comments were refreshed at a speed visible to the naked eye.
"Damn! Am I seeing things? The freshman from the Strategy Department?"
"Your courage is commendable, but forget about participating in the competition."
"Yeah, that 1v1 with Calix was certainly exciting, but don't forget he was in a restricted area. It's different in a real fight out in the wild."
"Don't just think he's a freshman! He's got strong tactical analysis skills, right? I remember he always got full marks in every class simulation!"
"What's wrong with first grade? They must have known something if they signed up!"
"That's right! Don't listen to them! Youan, look at me!"
"What? It's Youan! No matter what, get in line first. I'll take you flying!"
"As expected of the Bunny King, he suddenly had hundreds of people willing to join the team, while I can't even find three people to play cards with me in the evening!"
The excitement in the forum quickly turned into practical action.
Youan received too many private messages, so he simply moved tables, chairs and benches to sit in the corner of the training ground and screen them face to face. As soon as he sat down, the scene in front of him completely stunned him!
A long, winding line stretched from his small, shabby desk all the way to the main gate of the training ground. The line included not only first-year students who were eager to try, but also many second- and third-year students, all eagerly waiting for the "interview."
Quan Yi had just walked onto the training ground when he was startled by the scene and blurted out, "What is this?! He's choosing a concubine!"
As soon as he finished speaking, he heard a heavy cold snort in his ear: "He wishes."
Lancelot had originally heard that Youan was recruiting teammates, and wanted to come over to see what was going on and to "care" about the progress.
As a result, he was completely shocked by the grand scene before him, which was comparable to the autograph session of a top star!
Lancelot stared at Youan, who was sitting behind a small table and looked a little dazed surrounded by the enthusiastic crowd, with a serious look in his eyes. Then he looked at the endless line of people, and a complex emotion inexplicably surged in his heart.
This feeling is just like the main promoter that I have been following for a long time suddenly held a book signing event for tens of thousands of people behind my back?
His huge triangular ears turned back in dissatisfaction. He pushed through the crowd, squeezed to the table, and tapped the table with his fingers.
Yuan was carefully reviewing Kalix's combat records, and the light screen also displayed various suitable strategic plans.
He looked up when he heard the voice and saw Lancelot. His dark eyes suddenly lit up: "Lancelot? Why are you here?"
Lancelot leaned on Euan's small table, his tall figure casting a shadow, and he quietly pushed aside the people behind him.
Seeing the quarreling and scrambling, Quan Yi shook his head.
Lancelot looked around and deliberately drew out his tone: "Of course I'm here to apply for a teammate. Are you not welcome?"
That straight look in his eyes was as if he would suddenly open his mouth and swallow the other person if Youan dared to say no.
But Youan didn't notice it at all. He was just about to call him over to choose together. He couldn't help but curl his eyes when he heard him say that.
Youan waved as if to a puppy.
"Are you teasing the dog?" Lancelot frowned in disgust, but still cooperated by leaning forward slightly and tilting his ear to the side.
As they got closer, Youan said quietly, in a voice only the two of them could hear, with a hint of pride, "Don't worry, I've reserved a seat for you."
The tone of voice seemed to have left him an exclusive signature!
Lancelot felt a tingling sensation in his heart, and was instantly fulfilled, with his big tail wagging behind him.
At this moment, Calix, who had just successfully joined the team, frowned in dissatisfaction and uttered a moderate complaint: "Hey, hey, hey, why is there this guy here..."
Xin Fei, who was standing behind him, poked his head out, glanced at them, and patted Kalix's shoulder to comfort him: "Just think of it as a distribution."
Calix: “…”
Almost all the students from this school came here after seeing the post on the forum, and most of them just wanted to join in the fun. When they saw that Lancelot was also going to join, they realized that Yuan seemed to be forming a team with the goal of getting a good ranking.
According to the rules, the team competition consists of five people. Youan looked at the preliminary list: he would formulate the strategy, Lancelot would be the main attacker and commander, Calix would be the assaulter, and Xin Fei would be the healer and logistics.
There is still a position for deputy attacker.
This position requires familiarity with Lancelot's combat methods and possesses a high level of combat prowess.
He originally wanted to ask Enzo, but Enzo had to go to the Institute of Mechanical Engineering for further studies for a while and had no time to prepare for the league.
Youan thought about it and wanted to ask others if there was a more suitable candidate.
"Bring Quan Yi with you," Lancelot suggested without hesitation. "Although he looks unreliable, he's quite good at remote control, and..."
"And I was the only freshman who participated in the league last year." Quan Yi crossed his arms and raised his chin a little proudly, "And I was in the top 20!"
The others all shouted in unison: "Wow!"
Lancelot added: "He sneaked in."
"Tsk..." Everyone's eyes, which had just lit up, were instantly extinguished.
But no matter what, the team was successfully formed, and Youan submitted everyone's information according to the competition requirements.
Seeing the screen showing the successful registration prompt, Xin Fei's tone was filled with a sense of urgency: "Now that we have registered, we must hurry up to train and prepare our weapons."
Speaking of weapons, Lancelot subconsciously turned his head to look at the dwarf rabbit orc beside him.
At this moment, he looked more energetic than ever, as if he had endless energy.
Youan took a deep breath, straightened his back, and looked at his teammates.
"Regarding weapons...if you trust me," he paused, then spoke clearly, "please leave everything to me."
The noisy background noise of the training ground seemed to fade away at this moment.
As the teammates looked at the dwarf rabbit in front of them with a burning gaze and full of determination, a thought suddenly arose in their minds: this league might be more exciting than they imagined.
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