Chapter 28: No wonder I found him familiar.
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
The five of them played match after match in this harmonious and merry atmosphere until the sun was about to set. Ji Zhiyao was rubbing his wrists waiting for a matchup when he suddenly heard another slightly familiar exasperated voice. “Wow, I just went to the hospital and, on the way, went to get a wrist massage all in one afternoon, and you guys found a new teammate behind my back for a 5v5?”
According to these words, Ji Zhiyao understood that the person who had just returned was Mix battleteam’s Xiao. Hence, he clicked on ‘Cancel match-up’ and spoke into the ear-mic. “Brother Xiao is back, I shall leave then. Anyway, I’m hungry, planning to go make something to eat.”
Xiao called out. “Don’t leave. Play another match and let me check out which little b**** you are!”
“…” Ji Zhiyao recalled Xiao’s shy smile.
Perhaps realizing Ji Zhiyao’s speechlessness, Mo Huaifeng looked up at Xiao, who appeared to be enraged but was actually grinning inside. “Why, you want to watch a match then pretentiously give a round of compliments and slack off from playing 5v5? Do you still have dreams?”
Xiao responded. “… Captain, you’ve changed.”
Mo Huaifeng replied with a scornful face. “Yes, can you not tell that you are losing your status as the empress, while I plan to raise the little concubine who has just entered the palace up the ranks?”
The three other people at the base cackled with amusement seeing Xiao acknowledging defeat. After a while, Mo Huaifeng and the four of them heard the voice from the ear-mic. “All my friends, to avoid losing my life when my identity is exposed, I’ll retreat first. Let’s play again another day.”
Mo Huaifeng said, “See you around, IndefiniteFuture.”
“…”
Watching the username, “HasMelonRindBeenGayToday,” quit the game like a bullied little girl, Mo Huaifeng looked up once more, meeting eyes with the blanked-out Xiao. “Mm.”
“My future little reserve, internet star the little broadcaster?”
Mo Huaifeng nodded, thought for a minute, and added. “Also the new contact in your WeChat, the one called MelonRind.”
Xiao exclaimed, “??? Damn no wonder I found him familiar!”
Mo Huaifeng spun in his chair, changing to a position where his butt was facing Xiao. “I recorded a video. Come and take a look.”
Xiao put away all the messy information that had just been put into his mind and leaned forward to watch Mo Huaifeng’s video. After more ten minutes, he gave his first comment. “Do you see that after he finishes off the first wave of creeps, there is a period time with slight radicalization? If that is made use of well, then it’ll be easy to control the rhythm, but if the timing is off, it’ll end up outrightly gifting the opponents gold.”
Mo Huaifeng nodded and pointed his jaw, signaling Xiao to watch on.
Xiao, with his butt stuck out, reached out, grabbed a stool, and then kept a fixated gaze on screen until the video ended.
His fingers touched his jaw. “Can’t really tell much. In order to analyze his style, I need to watch more videos.”
“What about the others?”
“Handling is average, if placed amongst professional junglers, he’ll be in the middle, but his awareness and vision of the big picture are very strong, and his instincts are also quite scary,” Xiao said. “If we decide on him to be the reserve, I won’t be too surprised. Although everyone in our team has this awareness and vision of the overall situation thing, having a jungler who can control the whole match will make things easier.”
“Mm.”
Xiao turned to look at the captain, who remained neutral. “Captain, what is the meaning of ‘mhm?’ Still not intending to sign him? I’m this close to carving the words ‘I would like a successor’ on my face!”
“Scanning through the global competitive scene, it’s really hard to find players like you who initiates giving up his position.”
“…”
Facing Xiao’s grudging gaze, Mo Huaifeng slowly squinted at him, and the harsh angle that his thin lips curled into slightly restrained. “Signing him is a definite thing, There’s still one year before the national qualifiers, so we’ll first unconsciously influence his playing style.”
Xiao rolled his eyes and bickered. “Captain, why are you so sure that you would be able to sign him. Aren’t you scared of having to take back your words?”
Mo Huaifeng instantly looked toward him, and Xiao read a very obvious line from his expression:
“When he has been signed, remember to apologize and, while at it, address me as your father”
“…”
He turned away as if nothing happened, pretending that he did not understand anything.
Not once did it occur to him that, in the near future, his words would be a prophecy come true.