According to the rules of the tournament, the semi-final matches were based on the standings, with the first place playing against the fourth and the second place playing against the third. Therefore, Lin Xiao already expected they would be playing against the Scattered Clouds team in the next match. It’s just that, even if he knew, there was still some discomfort in his heart. This had nothing to do with the strength of the team, and was only because of one person – Yan Lingjiang.
If this incredible case of rebirth seriously shook Lin Xiao, it was undoubtedly because of the childhood friend of the original owner, who made him feel that his behavior of “occupying the magpie’s nest” was simply outrageous. For example, right now, when the contestants entered and shook hands one by one, a gaze fell heavily on him, making him uncomfortable up to the bones.
If it were him and someone replaced his lost childhood friend, he’d probably even want to kill that person, right? Still, this old friend Yan, just glared at him gloomily and sadly a few times, which was really too kind.
“Sigh…” Lin Xiao sighed silently in his heart, shook hands with the opponent helplessly, raised his head, and smiled very friendly: “Let’s have a good fight.”
The moment their eyes met, it was as if time had frozen. Then, Yan Lingjiang averted his eyes with a strange expression, as if he had been electrocuted. His face was somewhat downcast and sullen, but after a while, it seemed that his inner battle had finally ended, and he answered with a dull “hmm.”
“Sigh…” Lin Xiao could only sigh silently again.
Of course, he would not think the other man did it out of consideration for him. He was already very touched that Yan Lingjiang could treat him with such an attitude. At least he did not spread the word everywhere, which allowed him to avoid the risk of being taken to a laboratory and dissected for research.
While thinking about this, he was already shaking hands with the next person.
This one was somewhat rejecting and distant but maintained a proper demeanor, which made it hard for people to dislike him.
Compared to Yan Lingjiang, his gaze was more scrutinizing.
Zhang Fengyu, the vice-captain of the Scattered Clouds, was not an easy man to deal with, and Lin Xiao was a little more wary of him.
At this time, he showed a somewhat friendly smile and said: “Your playing style is very similar to that of the Old Ghost.”
“Ah, thank you for the compliment.” Lin Xiao smiled, showing a calm and indifferent demeanor to those words that he took as praise.
This laid-back reaction made Zhang Fengyu squint his eyes with a hint of contemplation. By then, the next person in line had already approached him, so he collected his thoughts and reached out to shake hands. He greeted Xiao Li: “Solitary King.”
Ever since Xiao Li entered the League, he rarely heard anyone call him this on the field. He felt quite happy but put a modest smile on his face and said politely: “That was a long time ago. I haven’t played for the leaderboard in a long time, and my ranking has dropped since then.”
Zhang Fengyu pushed up the glasses on his nose and chuckled: “I have long heard about the strength of the ‘Solitary King’ in individual battles. Anyway, I am looking forward to the duel. I hope you won’t disappoint me.”
These words were spoken lightly, but no matter how you listened, they hid a sense of condescending contempt. Although Xiao Li didn’t usually analyze things too much, after all, he was also a businessman. There was no way he could not hear the meaning behind his words. The bright smile on his face slowly disappeared.
“Zhang Fengyu, you think it’s a good idea to shake the minds of our players at a time like this?” Liu Zeshen, who was behind, heard the conversation between the two and casually inserted his hand between the two’s clasped hands. He subtly pushed forward Xiao Li, who had stopped. On the surface, his behavior seemed to be… really gentle and elegant.
“Heh.” Zhang Fengyu smiled and didn’t say anything more.
After shaking hands and saluting each other, the two sides returned to their respective seats. Hearing Xiao Li and Lin Xiao’s indignant complaints, Shen Changyu looked toward the Scattered Clouds team and frowned slightly: “It looks like Wen Shuqing has guessed our lineup. What a scary guy.”
This man, though confined to a wheelchair, could never be underestimated, could he? Hearing this, Lin Xiao, who was comforting Xiao Li, who was still a little angry, followed his gaze and nodded solemnly: “Having such an opponent is really disturbing.”
“Really?” You Jing suddenly said, “Didn’t you expect him to guess it?”
“Ahem.” Lin Xiao choked and cleared his throat, “Not many people could do it.”
You Jing raised an eyebrow and said softly “Huh”.
Lin Xiao turned around and patted Xiao Li on the shoulder with a serious look: “Go there and bet on the dignity of the Solitary King!”
Why did the tone remind him of “Go Pikachu”? Xiao Li was speechless for a long time before finding his words: “… Don’t be childish!” Seeing that the game was about to start, he stood up, took off his coat, and headed out. Passing by Liu Zeshen, he threw him a glance and muttered: “You have to cheer for me. Malatang (spicy hot pot) is at stake.”
Shen Changyu asked Liu Zeshen in confusion: “What Malatang?”
Liu Zeshen leaned back on his chair and chuckled: “It’s nothing, just a bet with that kid.”
Xu Yichen, who was concentrating beside him with his eyes closed, suddenly said: “Show some moderation.”
Liu Zeshen chuckled nonchalantly: “Thanks for reminding me.”
…
As the players came on the stage, the fans of each team burst into warm applause, and the female fans’ screaming and shouting for Xiao Li’s name lingered in the venue for a long time.
In this society that valued looks, Xiao Li, a tall, handsome, and powerful rookie, fully possessed all the potential of an idol player and has attracted a large number of fans in the past season.
As for the Scattered Clouds team’s player, as previously suspected, it was indeed Zhang Fengyu, also known as the “Strongest Brain.” After playing in the League for many years, he naturally had a very stable fan base. Compared to Xiao Li’s hot-blooded fans, these fans were much more rational. They had some unique features compared to unfettered shouts. Each slogan had a powerful sonority as if it had been rehearsed countless times in advance, which was very much in line with the player’s own temperament.
Anyone who has played against Zhang Fengyu in the League knew how difficult this opponent was. No matter who was facing him, their every move was extremely restricted, and the feeling that one’s intentions were completely seen through, was really uncomfortable. As for Xiao Li, since entering the League this year, he has never been underestimated due to his title of ‘Solitary King’, but as far as this game was concerned, the odds didn’t look too good.
After all, he was a new player.
The biggest difference between professional and ordinary players was their “professionalism,” that is, their rational judgment of the current situation instead of always doing whatever they wanted. This had nothing to do with their strength, but it was enough to affect the outcome. And, a cerebral player like Zhang Fengyu, whose judgment of data was as precise as a machine, was undoubtedly a nightmare for those rookies who had just entered the League. The scene from a few days ago, where the rookie player of the Undead team was beaten to the point of emotional breakdown was still vivid in his mind and made this upcoming duel even more distressing.
Xiao Li was, of course, well aware of this gap in judgment ability, but at this moment, facing Zhang Fengyu, he did not feel intimidated at all.
Wasn’t it just about who became a pro earlier? Who’s afraid of whom?
Of course, the most important thing was — well, it’s all for Malatang!
“Both players have completed their preparations, and the game will start soon.” As the commentator of this game, Xiao Wu actively interacted with Xu Qingli, who was the partner commentator for this game, in order to enliven the atmosphere. “Director Xu, what are your thoughts on the upcoming match?”
Xu Qingli said: “In recent games, Xiao Li from the Black Rose team has been a regular participant in individual competitions and often brought us unexpected surprises. But, against a cerebral player like Zhang Feng Yu, I’m afraid it won’t be an easy fight.”
Xiao Wu caught the meaning of the words, “Do you mean that the Scattered Clouds team will gain an advantage in this game?”
Xu Qingli shook his head: “That’s not necessarily the case. From previous games, we saw that Xiao Li is an offensive player. The on-site performance of this type of player is very important. Zhang Fengyu’s meticulous operation in the battle is really amazing, but when encountering someone like Xiao Li, everything becomes unknown.”
Xiao Wu asked: “Then, Director Xu, if you were to predict the winning rate, what would it be?”
Xu Qingli smiled and said, “Aren’t you digging a hole for me to jump into? I won’t shoot myself in the foot. If I really wanted to predict this, I would say 50-50!”
What an old fox! Xiao Wu was a little depressed at his matter-of-fact answer. Since she couldn’t come up with any meaningful content, she grumbled in her heart. When the big screen in the center of the field lit up, she raised her voice with passion: “Alright, our players are in position, the wait is over! The second match of the semi-finals, the first match of the individual competition, now officially begins!”
Xiao Li couldn’t hear the commotion outside. At this time, he looked at the last map left after the selection and smiled knowingly.
Lava Purgatory? It was right down his alley!
