Lin Meng followed the E team members to the rest area.
Yumo had been walking at the back of the team all along. When he entered the room, he tilted his body against the door and waited for a while, then called out, "Lin Xiaomeng," when Lin Meng walked in.
"Yes?" Lin Meng turned around.
"Come here," Yumo beckoned to her.
"What for?" Lin Meng puzzled. She walked over, and Yumo grabbed her arm and pulled her to his side. "Follow me."
"Where are we going?" Lin Meng was puzzled.
"The captain has something for you." Yumo smiled mysteriously.
The two turned and left the room, and when the others turned their heads, they found that they were gone, and angrily yelled, "Hey! Where are you two going? The match is about to start! Come back!"
He hurriedly chased to the door, stretched his neck to look, and was stopped by Xiao Xingheng.
"What's going on?!" Clock Anqi was so angry he couldn't speak properly, holding Xiao Xingheng and accusing him, "Silence can't just run wild like this just because he has an opinion of me, this this this—"
"He has no opinion of you," Xiao Xingheng chuckled. "Believe me, this is just a pre-competition coaching session."
"A pre-competition coaching session?"
"Yes, although it's a friendly match, you don't want us to lose to Saint Laurent, do you?"
Anqi always felt that Xiao Xingheng had changed the subject, "that's true but—"
"Alright, Anqi, save some brain cells," Xiao Xingheng patted him on the shoulder and spoke gently, "you don't have enough to begin with."
Meanwhile, Arlu and Panda stood side by side, both watching Xiao Xingheng with an inexplicable expression as he did tai chi, guiding the team manager with his actions.
"Sometimes I really feel that Brother Anqi doesn't look like a team manager," Laoma laughed and shook his head repeatedly. "How did he get so many sponsorships?"
"My mother hen," Panda said.
Old Mai: "Just watching the unscrupulous Yazi, it's already not bad that they didn't scam anyone for money."
Panda: "Maybe it's because our team's matriarch's status is too high, making Zhong seem like a honest person, but in reality, he's quite crafty outside?"
Lu didn't participate in the discussion about the "team manager's intelligence level." He raised his hand to hold his chin, pondered, and asked softly, "Have you noticed that the captain seems to be familiar with that volunteer sister?"
---
Lin Meng was pulled out of the lounge by Yu Mo, but she stopped after taking a few steps. The tiles on the floor could make a loud noise with just a casual step. Yu Mo looked around and, after confirming that there was no one in sight or hearing, asked, "Did you feel uncomfortable on stage just now?"
Lin Meng was taken aback.
When this segment was revealed, although some female fans were extremely excited, more fans found it ridiculous.
"What's so interesting about the 4v1 match?"
"Will the defeated brothers still have to maintain a smile due to face?"
"Just thinking about it is disgusting."
"Is the planner out of their mind?"
"Who got picked?"
"Wow, it's a girl, this is really a four-god carry one pit, nothing to watch."
"Is there going to be a segment where a lucky beautiful woman comes up to talk about one-day love with the players?"
"I'm not watching, I want a refund, what kind of show is this! They're really turning e-sports into a fan circle!"
"Disgusting!"
It was already like this on stage just now, yet the host still asked her to introduce herself, asking detailed questions about her name, age, occupation, and favorite player.
Every time she answered, the commotion from the audience became more intense. When she answered, "I like all the players; I'm a fan of the whole team," there could even be heard someone whistling.
"Even fake fans like all of them! I bet she can't even name all the players."
"Am I in the 'If You Are the One' show?!"
"Hey, this girl looks oddly pretty, I bet the program team intentionally manipulated it."
"Flirting, stirring up rumors!"
"I thought there's no love in e-sports?"
"They just want to make money!"
"Congratulations to Stuttering Team, today is probably their day to become famous."
Lin Meng held the microphone, looking more like she was holding an axe to attack someone.
Yu Mo, being a careful person, saw Lin Meng staring blankly and reached out to rub the girl's head.
Her hair was thick, each strand feeling firm in his palm, just like her temperament.
"What are you doing!" Lin Meng was jolted by his rubbing and stomped her foot in frustration.
"I'm asking you a question, what's with the silence?" Yu Mo withdrew his hand, pretending to be serious, observing the few stray hairs on Lin Meng's head, unable to hide the smile in his eyes.
"You're so annoying." Lin Meng complained softly, looking away, and said in a stiff tone, "I'm not uncomfortable, and I didn't tell the truth anyway."
Yu Mo recalled her answers. "Monet, 20 years old, unemployed, likes all players, a fan of the whole team."
"Not a single truthful word?" he murmured.
"No," Lin Meng asserted firmly, "Not a single one."
After a moment of silence, Yu Mo asked, "So, you do have a favorite player, right?"
Lin Meng: "..."
Yu Mo: "Is it me?"
Lin Meng: "..."
Yu Mo: "Alright, I understand."
Lin Meng's gaze turned fiercely hostile, but before Yu Mo could push the joke too far, he put his arm around the girl's shoulder with a serious expression, saying, "I'll take you to sneak a peek at the opponents."
---
Saint Laurent Team is a team from France. The pre-match management for the friendly match wasn't as strict, and it seemed like their team manager was busy. The door to the lounge was half-open, and a group of green-eyed French people were chattering inside.
Lin Meng and Yu Mo were stooping, teetering against the door crack.
Lin Meng felt that something was off everywhere and couldn't help but poke Yu Mo's back, softly murmuring, "Captain, this feels so awkward..."
"Shh," Yu Mo extended a finger to her lips.
The touch of the finger on her lips made Lin Meng's body stiffen slightly. She widened her eyes a little.
"See, the shortest one there is TIMI," Yu Mo murmured, "The bald one next to him is LAN, their team's sniper. The two smoking are both vanguards, one is called Qiao, the other is Xiah. And the formidable gentleman behind the sofa is their quartermaster."
Yu Mo continued, "Don't be fooled by their tough appearances. Actually—"
His words abruptly stopped, and he froze because the girl had licked his fingertip with the tip of her tongue.
The barely perceptible touch, like a dragonfly skimming the water, yet it seemed to instantly flow into the depths of his heart.
Yu Mo momentarily forgot what he was about to say next. He withdrew his hand, turning his head incredulously towards Lin Meng.
Lin Meng stared back at him boldly.
Satisfied with her teasing, Lin Meng thought to herself, "Finally, you also have your moments of foolishness."
"I don't want to hear about this," she said cheerfully, and then whispered, "Everyone will end up begging on their knees anyway, so who is who doesn't matter."
Yu Mo's finger slightly curved, and after looking at Lin Meng for two seconds, he found it somewhat amusing and said, "Looks like I worried about you for nothing. You really have quite the attitude."
"It's you, not me, who's causing others to stutter," Lin Meng said. "Being pretentious without showing it overtly is the most lethal. Instructor, you're not qualified to criticize me."
"I actually don't quite like the idea of causing stuttering," Yu Mo said calmly, his gaze shifting. "I personally hope that all the players can maintain a good mental state and then compete based on their skills and strategies. NINO, the former captain of Saint Laurent, can't compete, and I regret losing a strong opponent. Winning the game is non-negotiable for me, but I didn't wish for him to end up stuttering."
Lin Meng observed him, shaking her head thoughtfully. "Your tone really is the epitome of selflessness."
Yu Mo smiled at her. "Believe it or not, it's up to you."
Lin Meng rolled her eyes. "There's something fishy behind your belief."
Yu Mo shrugged. "Well, I can't be too cruel in front of you, to maintain my likeability."
He suddenly acted coquettishly, startling Lin Meng. "You..."
Yu Mo chuckled softly. "See, I'm being nice. Can't you feel a bit more sorry for me?"
Lin Meng remained silent. Suddenly, she stumbled and bumped into someone while backing away.
The person rambled in a bird language, and the translation next to them conveyed, "E Team players, what are you doing here?"
Lin Meng straightened up, staring at the portly Frenchman for a while, then slowly moved closer to Yu Mo with a wary expression.
Yu Mo was pleased with Lin Meng's reaction. He patted her head, then said in French to Coach BUBBLE, "Friendship first, competition second. I want to bring my new teammate to understand this principle. There is absolutely no intention of eavesdropping on your strategy."
BUBBLE, with blue eyes, turned around and grinned, patting Yu Mo's shoulder with a tongue-in-cheek bird language. "It's a friendly match, buddy, don't be so uptight. We have no strategies to reveal, hope you and your temporary teammate do your best."
BUBBLE passed by Yu Mo and entered the locker room.
"What were you talking about?" Lin Meng asked, gesturing towards the locker room. "What did they say in there?"
Yu Mo didn't say anything, leading her back to their resting area. He stopped and put his hands on his hips, exhaling deeply.
"I think we've been played," he said, looking at Lin Meng.
"What do you mean?" Lin Meng asked urgently.
"They got wind of our team wanting to sign Dragon, then agreed to the friendly match with us," Yu Mo said calmly. "It's probably related to Dragon's recent graduation trip to Paris."
"How do you know?"
"From the bird language," Yu Mo said with a cold smirk. "It seems like Saint Laurent wants to overshadow us."
"We can't let them win," Lin Meng said in a low voice. "They are so shameless. Let's make them shut up for good, Stutter team."
Yu Mo: Working hard every day to improve my wife's favorability.