"Huh?? You actually like Xingshen!" Xu Dan was really straightforward and immediately believed it without any doubt: "Ah! I knew it! You must like these experienced old players, but Xingshen retired, it's a pity!" She bit her lip and sighed, "You must have felt very sad when the World Series announced the news."
"Yeah," Lin Meng said, "It's quite sad."
Xiao Xingheng is a loyal person. He went through the most difficult times with Yu Mo. They must have envisioned countless magnificent plans at the beginning, but had to stop at just one world championship. One stayed in place, and the other moved forward alone. This should have been difficult to reconcile.
Team E's lineup left a big gap, and while countless people lamented, there were also countless people waiting to see them fail.
They must have been racking their brains over this as well.
Lin Meng thought that she could be calm enough, but she didn't sleep well that night.
In her phone, she had not communicated with Yu Mo since the last time. But it's normal, he's not an idiot, would he still come to her every time with a cold shoulder?
She opened WeChat, scrolled through the list, and absent-mindedly looked at the man's avatar.
This was a photo shoot from the past few seasons at Kars. At that time, Yu Mo did not have bangs, intentionally trying to appear steady, but the hair he pulled up looked rather trendy.
Young people always want to look mature, but once they grow up, they want to look young again. Lin Meng whimsically thought, Yu Mo looked better with bangs, youthful and adolescent.
She couldn't sleep at all in the wee hours of the morning, so she sat up and turned on the computer.
The Weibo, tieba forum, and fan groups of Team E were all lively as if it were daytime, in anticipation of the upcoming event tomorrow.
For the past two years, Lin Meng had repeatedly tried to convince herself that she didn't care about e-sports events, but in the end, she couldn't resist secretly keeping an eye on the news related to Team E.
A figure named "SourDeath" silently lurked in the chat list, watching countless fans argue and chatter about light boards and support matters, creating a lively atmosphere.
"Use the first template that the President tweeted, it's eye-catching and concise."
"Red with green is too tacky! Choose the second one, the second one!"
"I don't care, I want to hold the Q version of my brother! Or the one I drew myself!"
"Are the questions ready? Don't ask anything too outrageous, moderators should filter them again!"
"Small insider info: Tomorrow, the brothers are going to have a friendly match with Saint Laurent."
"Saint Laurent? Is that the legendary stuttering team? [awkwardly sliding]"
"Don't say that, after changing captains, their performance in Europe seems to be quite good."
"But they still can't compare to our world championship-winning team, [proud]."
"Silence means that tomorrow BUBBLE coach will again take over the training of the trainees, it's so sad."
"Our coach dad really has a hard time."
"Our coach dad really has a hard time +1."
"Our coach dad really has a hard time +2."
"Our coach dad really has a hard time +10086."
Lin Meng smiled slightly as she watched them chat and joke around, thinking that Team E's fans were all incredibly cute.
At that moment, a figure with a garbled name posted a message.
[Image].
It was a photo of the five members of Team E, edited into black and white, with sinister wreaths and candles manually added on both sides.
The chat group exploded, and before the administrator could kick them out, the person automatically left the chat group.
The black and white memorial photo in the middle of the night sent chills down people's spines, causing chaos in the group, almost freezing the screen. It wasn't until the administrator activated a group-wide ban on speaking and modified the group announcement to require stronger screening for new members that peace was restored.
Lin Meng furrowed her brows, and then her right eyelid twitched once, and then again.
Possibly due to a nerve spasm, she lay back on her pillow, covering her face with the blanket, forcing herself to fall asleep.
The next morning, Lin Meng changed into the volunteer-specific T-shirt, put on a cap and badge, and rode a shared bike to the Hengbo Internet Café.
There were already many fans squatting at the entrance of the Internet café, all pushed to the sides of the road by the security line. A few enthusiasts were looking out from the window upstairs, observing the situation and greeting the fans.
"Oh, I envy those two girls who can be volunteers inside," a person murmured, and Lin Meng overheard.
She lowered her cap and went back inside, checking the time.
It was already past eight, getting closer.
She suddenly felt inexplicably anxious, like she was near her hometown and feeling timid.
"Hey, what's wrong with you, senior sister?" Xu Dandan sat down next to her, asking, waving her hand in front of her eyes, "You don't look too good."
"It's nothing, I didn't sleep well last night," Lin Meng said.
"Are you nervous because you're going to meet the Star God? I have some powder and concealer, do you want to even out your complexion," Xu Dandan offered understandingly as she reached for her bag.
Lin Meng shook her head, pressing her hand, "No need."
"If the Star God sees you later—"
"I'm not here to see an idol," Lin Meng said.
She didn't even know why she was there.
Just then, there was a sudden avalanche of screams outside the door.
A white nanny van with the Eternal team emblem stopped by the side of the road, the whole street had already been cleared, and the security guards formed a line within the safety line, struggling to contain the enthusiastic fans.
As the door opened, the first to jump out was a chubby guy with a bright smile. He wore a baseball cap backward, puffed out his chest, and affectionately blew kisses to the fans on both sides.
"Dada! Dada!!"
"Our Dada is so cute!!"
"Ah, the cap we gave him!! So cool!!"
"Love you all!" Pan Da seemed to understand, covering his head with his hands, "Heart! Heart!!"
Then a sixteen or seventeen-year-old boy stepped out of the van. He had a delicate, doll-like face. The hastily arranged foil perm added a few more mature and handsome traits to him, but he seemed to dislike this eye-catching style, pouting arrogantly. If it weren't for the redness in his ears, he would have looked cool.
"Deer! Deer is so handsome today!!"
"Deer, look at mama!!"
"The hairstylist gets a chicken leg, our 'Deer Cub' is looking extra handsome today!"
As the fans called out, 'Deer' blushed, his expression unable to hide his embarrassment. He quickly walked over, exchanging high-fives with a few fans as he went.
Next, Lao Mai also got out of the car, and a group of male fans held up signs with "Pioneer Three Bars" and shouted, almost scaring him, causing him to almost stumble. He greeted them awkwardly, "Thank you for your support, thank you for your support."
The fans screamed once again.
This time, their screams persisted because a slender leg descended from the car.
As his foot landed on the ground, the pants at his ankle were slightly raised, revealing a slender ankle adorned with white sneakers, clean and flawless.
Yumo lowered his head and stepped out of the car. The new team uniform, adorned with red and white, made him look especially tall and straight. His black hair seemed to have been cut shorter, accentuating the contours of his sculpted face, giving him a more masculine look than before.
"Mo Shen aaahhh!!"
"Silence!! Silence!! Silence!!"
"Ahhhhh, hubby, look at me!"
"I can, I really can!!"
The screams rose one after another, the fans cheering tirelessly. Yumo, politely waved, signing for a few nearby fans, while waiting for Xiao Xingheng to step out of the car.
The former pillar of Team E appeared together, standing side by side. Many fans suddenly lost their screaming voices, tears welling up in their eyes. Some even covered their eyes and started crying on the spot.
Xiao Xingheng smiled gently and walked over to shake hands with each of them.
As they walked side by side, their confidence and radiance remained undiminished.
Damn, they are eye-catching.
Lin Meng stood in the corner, silently looking into the bustling crowd, feeling a surge of warmth in her heart, overwhelmed with emotions.
She had not missed a single game of the World Championships.
Xiao Xingheng's support had an almost perfect strategic vision. He could quickly cover team weaknesses and shield the carry. If Yumo was the team's sky, determining how high Team E could climb, then Xiao Xingheng was their ground, supporting the entire team, rallying them steadily upward.
Really a "team mom." Lin Meng sighed. During the last four games, the Star god almost stumbled, and only heaven knew how he had sustained himself through the final BO5 battle - even performing exceptionally well.
A star god is a star god, no one can surpass him, especially not the newcomer.
It was precisely because of Yumo's strong personal charm that he could attract an outstanding person like Xiao Xingheng to fight alongside him. The entire Team E was truly excellent, and it was such a joy to be their fan.
Entering the indoor stage, with the rousing music playing, the formally dressed host began to speak: "This is the first appearance of Team Eternal after the championship match. Their spirits are indeed very high! Many fans were seen shedding tears when they saw the Star god. So, let's start by interviewing Star, did you feel life seemed dull and lost its spirit after retiring?"
The personal interview session began.
Lin Meng was in the midst of coordinating with the sound engineer. Then, the person in charge, Dan Sainan, came over and whispered, "Insert a fifteen-minute intermission in the middle of the interview. Pay attention to that."
Lin Meng was taken aback, as if she had remembered something.
"Brother Dan," she whispered, "Is there a challenge match later?"
"Yes," Dan Sainan replied.
"BO3?" Lin Meng asked. "Can Star hold on for that long?"
"Star won't be playing," Dan Sainan said. "Who said Star is going to play?"
"But—"
"I'm busy. Ask me later," Dan Sainan quickly rolled away like a spinning top.
Another layer of doubt added to Lin Meng's mind.
How could the four of them play a friendly match with Saint Laurent?
"Haven't they signed a new player? Why hasn't he shown up yet… Could it be that he hasn't arrived?" she murmured to herself, glancing at the time. There was still an hour and ten minutes left before the designated start of the second part of the event.
-
The personal interview went on for twenty minutes.
Before the fans' question session, Yumo uncharacteristically requested a fifteen-minute intermission ahead of time.
Several of them went backstage, and Xiao Xingheng locked the door to the lounge. Yumo turned abruptly and looked sharply at them, "Where is Dragon?"
Zhong Xiang was sweating profusely, rubbing his palms on his phone, "He said the plane was delayed by six hours..."
"So, he's still flying in the air, isn't he?" Yumo sneered, "This is the person your headquarters sent over to compensate your losses!"
Zhong Xiang, feeling guilty, remained silent. Pandaren and 'Deer' were a bit bewildered, looking at each other and not daring to speak. Lao Mai hesitated, "So, about the friendly match later..."
Yumo remained silent, his face ashen, and the group dared not make a sound. After a moment, Xiao Xingheng whispered, "I'll go up." He flexed his wrist, "It's fulfilling a dream for the fans. His farewell in the World Championships was too rushed..."
"Are you kidding me?" Yumo coldly interrupted him, "What if it goes a full BO3? Do you want people to carry you out on a stretcher?"
Xiao Xingheng replied hesitantly, "It won't be..."
"Whether it will be or not, you know it in your heart," Yumo said, "Your retirement in the World Championships was meant to give a perfect ending to your career. Once you retire, that's it. Don't come out to take the fall, otherwise, all the previous arrangements will be in vain."
Xiao Xingheng fell silent.
Indeed.
His current condition was not suitable for playing, sitting for too long would cause back pain.
Retiring grandly at the championship seat was the best ending for a player. His professional career would be fixed in that moment of victory, and all fans would only ever remember his glory, feeling both reluctant and regretful about his departure.
This belief seems firm, but in reality, it is very fragile, fragile enough to not withstand the loss of a match, even just a trivial friendly match.
The loss of a match can make the audience forget that you have won a hundred or a thousand times.
"But you have no choice," Xiao Xingheng said in a low voice, "I also participated in this decision. I should bear the consequences."
"No need for you to bear it," Yu Mo frowned, took out a cigarette from the drawer, lit it, and said, "Where is the person in charge of the venue? Let them extend the halftime break."
When Dan Saiman learned that the halftime break had been extended again, he felt a sudden irregular heartbeat. After reluctantly finishing communication with the venue control, he filled the break with event commentary and sponsor advertisements. He rushed to the rest room and, after hearing Yu Mo's brief explanation of their team's massive bug, felt like his heart was going to stop beating.
"Do you have a Plan B?" Yu Mo asked firmly.
Dan Saiman looked at the cigarette butt in Yu Mo's hand and felt as if he were being held at knifepoint by the society.
"Our backup plan really didn't anticipate that you would be short-handed," he swallowed and said, feeling miserable.
Yu Mo exhaled deeply and pressed his brow.
Zhong Xiang despaired, "I was wrong, I was really wrong. I shouldn't have agreed to the headquarters from the beginning."
"Bang, bang, bang."
At this moment, the door of the rest room was knocked.
The room fell silent.
"Who is it?" Dan Saiman asked vigilantly.
"A volunteer," a delicate female voice sounded, fresh and cold, "Dan, I've been asked to bring tea to you."
Team E looked at Dan Saiman suspiciously.
Dan Saiman was puzzled, "???"
After a pause outside the door, the calm voice continued, "Chrysanthemum tea, to clear heat and toxins, and also a newly developed Plan B."
The sexy Lin Meng saves the day online.