Xu Rui and Song Tang sat on the side, watching the whole situation unfold clearly.
Xu Rui was dumbfounded, the oranges in his hand suddenly losing their appeal. He muttered, “What does this mean? Did the captain really eat the orange that Han Mo fed him?”
Song Tang calmly sipped his green tea and said lightly, “You joined the team late, so you might not know. Han Mo peels oranges exceptionally well, and the captain used to love eating the ones he peeled.”
“Oh, I see,” Xu Rui chuckled naively, scratching his head.
He buried himself in eating for a while, then suddenly paused and asked, “Is this about how clean the peeling is? It’s Han Mo who fed him!”
Song Tang thought for a moment, then calmly said, “…I thought something was off.”
By now, Yan Yibing had elegantly and coldly pushed away the camera and left the fruit table.
He picked up two pieces of small biscuits, nibbling on them, the brim of his cap pressed lower, concealing his emotions.
With an earnest thirst for knowledge, Xu Rui took large strides toward Han Mo.
“Do you wash your hands before eating normally?” Xu Rui inquired.
Han Mo furrowed his brows in confusion, “?”
Anxious, Xu Rui exclaimed, “If you don’t wash your hands, please don’t feed oranges to our captain. He has cleanliness issues, and he’s probably going to vomit now!”
Han Mo fell silent for a while, pursed his lips, and let out a light “huh.”
At this moment, Chen Zefeng hurriedly ran in from outside, his eyes lighting up upon seeing Han Mo.
“Captain, I’ve found you.”
Han Mo shifted his gaze slightly, asking, “Why are you looking for me? Have you rested well?”
Chen Zefeng said, “How can I sleep? The group interview is about to start, and the organizers are looking for you.”
Han Mo raised his hand, sniffed the orange scent on his fingertips, and calmly said, “Alright, let’s go.”
If his movements had been a bit larger just now, he might have touched his lips.
The feeling would surely be good.
Chen Zefeng followed him while muttering, “When will the wound on your arm heal? Lu Jianghe and the others have some thin and breathable plasters bought from Japan. Shall I get one for you?”
Han Mo, hands in his pockets, bluntly said, “No need.”
Chen Zefeng insisted, “They have quite a few. It’s not troublesome.”
He thought Han Mo didn’t want to owe favors, but band-aids weren’t particularly valuable, and it was Lu Jianghe who took the initiative to offer them.
Han Mo said in a low voice, “Mine is already good.”
Soon after, he added, “Mine is the best.”
Chen Zefeng: “???”
This was just fucking nonsense.
Did he think I didn’t know about that brand?
It’s not waterproof at all, the best my ass.
Accompanied by Chen Zefeng, Han Mo entered the interview room. Chen Zefeng stood at the door, saying, “I’ll go back to the lounge first. We have the team’s individual interviews later.”
Only a small number of well-known players were invited for the group interview. Although Chen Zefeng was in a prestigious team, he wasn’t qualified enough.
Han Mo nodded, tugged at the halfway-zipped team uniform, and pushed open the door to the interview room.
Most of the players were already in their seats.
Everyone was polite, refusing to take the front-row seats. They pushed and pulled, deferring to each other for the front-row spots.
In the past, the captains of the four prestigious teams would sit in the front row. But this year, Yu Yan accompanied his girlfriend and willingly sat in the back. Chen Chi also sat with Chen Yan on his own accord.
The younger players didn’t want to take the lead, so none of them sat in the front row.
Only Yan Yibing, with his seniority and experience, calmly sat in the front row, playing with his nails.
The female commentator was still saying, “Don’t be so polite, everyone moves forward. Otherwise, the front will be too empty. Yu Shen, Chen Chi ge, anyone?”
The female commentator was YouYou Live’s number one goddess, lemon, a dream girl for many otakus.
At just twenty-two, she entered the scene two years ago and quickly became a pillar in the commentary industry, earning millions.
Lemon had a sweet and cute appearance, often dressing in a Japanese-style loli outfit. Because she and Han Mo became popular around the same time, they were often paired together as CPs by fans. Some even edited fan videos, claiming that Han Mo looked at Lemon with deep affection, more than he ever showed for a utility pole.
Lemon herself found Han Mo somewhat interesting. Since they were on the same live streaming platform, she even took the initiative to follow Han Mo.
Of course, with Han Mo’s aloof and straightforward personality, he would never think of reciprocating.
Such a waste, really.
Yan Yibing chuckled, his almond-shaped eyes narrowing as he said to Lemon, “Let them sit at the back; this year, I’ll have a row to myself.”
Lemon, in her first stint as a temporary host, was a bit nervous. She unconsciously fidgeted with her skirt, gripping it with her fingers.
Yan Yibing couldn’t bear to see the young girl so constrained, so he tried to liven up the atmosphere.
Lemon smiled gratefully at Yan Yibing.
Han Mo lowered his gaze and glanced at Yan Yibing, his eyes deep and mysterious.
Zero’s team uniform had a black base with orange-gold gradient stripes. Yan Yibing wearing it made his figure appear even more slender. The slightly open collar revealed a small area of the fair neck with a distinct Adam’s apple.
As he made eye contact with Lemon, Yan Yibing seemed genuinely happy, his eyes also beautifully curved. In the light, they sparkled with fragmented reflections.
Feeling like he had eaten too many oranges, Han Mo’s stomach felt a bit sour. He wished he could grab Yan Yibing’s chin and turn his face away.
Han Mo’s gaze lingered for a few seconds before silently moving away. He sat down in the seat that was one chair away from Yan Yi Bing.
Not too close, not too far, but just leaning slightly was enough to brush against each other’s sleeves.
As soon as Han Mo sat down, Yan Yibing’s smile faded, and the lazy and carefree aura disappeared.
He sat upright, casually glancing towards the window covered by curtains, wearing an indifferent expression on his face.
However, attentive people could clearly sense that he was more tense than before.
Lemon, however, didn’t notice.
She subconsciously glanced at Han Mo, pursed her lips, and unconsciously reached out to tidy her hair, which had red highlights. Her voice became sweeter.
“Now, let’s get started. Everyone, look at the camera.”
Only then did Yan Yibing shift his gaze back.
He found it a bit difficult to look directly at Han Mo.
Just a moment ago, he inexplicably, in a fit of impulsiveness, ate the orange Han Mo fed him. He hated himself for being gluttonous. If anyone spread this, others might think he and Han Mo had reconciled.
Lemon wiped off the sweat from her palm, put on a professional smile, and said, “I just found out that this year’s draw is quite coincidental. Our Zero, CNG, AXE, and Prince, are almost evenly distributed among the three regions. This avoids early elimination between them. The situation for other teams is going to be much more challenging.”
Lemon was indeed nervous. Her words offended quite a few teams.
Although everyone knew these four teams were the strongest, openly saying others couldn’t beat them was a bit too much.
Most esports players are hot-blooded, and even though they like Lemon’s appearance, when she spoke like this, others were reluctant to talk.
The task of easing the atmosphere fell on the shoulders of the four team captains.
However, Chen Chi was not good with words, Han Mo was too aloof and spoke sparingly, and Yu Yan had his girlfriend with him, making it inconvenient for them to speak up and help Lemon.
Yan Yibing calculated and realized that he was probably the only one left.
He sighed softly in his heart; it seemed like it was up to him.
The young girl, despite being pretty, was still quite young. Due to her high popularity, she was pushed into the hosting position and struggled to handle it well.
If this segment were to be broadcast, Lemon would probably face criticism.
Yan Yibing chuckled, “In fact, it’s all the same. Everyone has high skill levels, and this year, the increase in match sessions is to eliminate the element of luck. I believe every team will give their all, no matter which region they end up in during the qualifiers.”
Seeing someone finally speaking up, Lemon sighed in relief.
She was quite nervous earlier, not knowing what to do, so she subconsciously cast a pleading look at Han Mo.
However, Han Mo, with his eyes lowered, didn’t even glance at her.
Luckily, Yan Yibing stepped in, and she felt a hidden sense of gratitude.
Glancing at her script, Lemon continued, “So, let me first ask Bing Shen, what advantages do you think the Miramar battleground holds for Team Zero? And which team in this region might you be more concerned about? Um… from what I can see, the Miramar region includes teams like JG, Firefly, Yunfu, War Horse, Lie Hu, and Puxin…”
Lemon listed a bunch of team names, and Yan Yibing’s expression changed ever so slightly when he heard Puxin.
Puxin.
Liang Hefeng’s former team and Lei Ming’s current team.
A few days ago, Yan Yibing learned that after receiving an invitation from Puxin, Lei Ming went to the Puxin Club to participate in a three-day ‘tryouts.’
This tryout was a three-day solo competition.
Lei Ming competed against all the current members of Puxin.
After three days, based on the results, Puxin’s management arranged for Lei Ming to join the first team.
Shortly after, without any mercy, they eliminated the original members of the first team, including Liang Hefeng.
They asked Liang Hefeng if he was willing to join Puxin’s second team or take on a coaching assistant role.
Unable to bear the humiliation, Liang Hefeng immediately refused.
The higher-ups at Puxin were naturally overjoyed.
After all, Liang Hefeng was already twenty-five, no longer fit for competitive play, and his streaming popularity was average, not bringing the team the expected benefits. So, they quickly terminated their contract with Liang Hefeng.
On the day Yan Yibing called Liang Hefeng, he had just moved his belongings out of the Puxin base.
It was likely that Liang Hefeng’s mother, due to this incident, was emotionally distressed, leading her to wait at the entrance of Yan Yibing’s residential area.
Yan Yibing paused, then slowly said, “There’s no particular advantage, but Zero will do its best, hoping to bring everyone an exciting match.”
His words were too official, leaving Lemon with nothing to follow up.
She turned to Han Mo and asked, “I wonder if Captain Han feels any pressure being in the same battleground as AXE this time?”
Lemon’s eyes trembled slightly as she licked her lips, clearly eager for Han Mo’s response.
Although Han Mo was two years younger than her, he appeared remarkably mature and stable, exuding a cold and mysterious aura that made people irresistibly drawn to him.
Yan Yibing observed this and couldn’t help but feel envious. He didn’t think he was uglier than Han Mo, so why didn’t he attract girls like Han Mo did? Why did girls these days prefer someone cold and aloof, setting themselves up for trouble?
Han Mo’s response was concise as usual, “No pressure, will do my best.”
Chen Chi chimed in with a smile, “We don’t feel pressured either. We’ll meet in the finals sooner or later. However, this year’s championship is ours for the taking.”
Han Mo replied, “See you on the battlefield.”
Yu Yan interjected, “Oh come on, what does the championship have to do with you guys? CNG has it secured.”
Yan Yibing added, “Show some face. We’ve already cleared a spot in the club for our medals.”
A playful banter ensued among the star players, lightening the atmosphere.
Others joined in the teasing, “The champions can’t leave us behind. We’ve prepared some super awesome tactics.”
“That’s right, make way for the newcomers; the era belongs to us.”
Xiao Nuo joked, “Sorry, our captain is still young.”
Song Tang added, “Get lost.”
Lu Jianghe echoed, “Get lost.”
Chen Yan joined, “Get lost.”
Xiao Nuo apologized, “Just kidding, captains, don’t take it seriously.”
Lemon, on her tiptoes, bounced twice in a cute manner, surprised, “Ah, there are so many rising stars this year. How did you all enter this industry? We all know the esports scene is tough. Not everyone can become a professional player, so how did you find the courage to give up other things and focus solely on esports?”
“I’ve loved playing games since I was young. I used to stay up late in internet cafes watching Bing Shen’s matches. It was so inspiring that I decided to join.”
“Haha, as soon as I saw the salaries of esports players, I came without hesitation. I remember a few years ago, there was a report revealing the endorsement fees of Bing Shen and a few other pros. It shocked me.”
“Me too, most of us of the same age watched Bing Shen’s matches in middle school. I remember Han Shen also entered the scene that way.”
As soon as this person finished speaking, he realized the tense relationship between Han Mo and Yan Yibing.
So, he quickly slapped his own mouth, silencing himself.
Han Mo’s entry into esports marked the beginning of a troubled fate for Yan Yibing.
Lemon stuck out her tongue, forced a smile, and said, “Indeed, Bing Shen is everyone’s senior. We all entered the industry under the influence of Bing Shen. Impressive, impressive.”
Lemon applauded for Yan Yibing.
Indeed, back then, Yan Yibing was undoubtedly the number one figure in esports.
His skyrocketing popularity was truly a result of perfect timing, location, and people.
At that time, the esports industry was still a rising industry, aggressively absorbing talent. The massive fanbase also needed a spiritual pillar, and shortly after Yan Yibing joined Zero, the club faced a crisis due to the retirement of veteran players. He stepped in, turning the tide and firmly securing Zero’s position.
After that, most players of his generation retired due to injuries, but he, with a robust physical condition, maintained a consistent performance. Until now, he still stood at the pinnacle of the industry.
He was truly deserving of the title ‘God.’
Yan Yibing shook his head with a smile, “Enough, none of these people praising me have ever tried out for Zero.”
Otherwise, he wouldn’t have had such a hard time finding successors.
Seeing promising players being signed away one by one, he also felt heartache.
Yu Yan scoffed, “Tsk, not everyone entering the scene is hoping to become your teammate.”
Chen Chi agreed, “Exactly, just a bunch of princesses, more rules than tactics.”
Lemon interjected, “If it’s their idols, they’d definitely want to be teammates, right? Playing games and competing together with their past idols must be thrilling.”
Yan Yibing shrugged, feigning disappointment, “Right, so they’re all lying. None of them genuinely see me as an idol.”
“No, I joined to defeat Bing Shen. I don’t want to be teammates with him.”
“Me too, haha. I have great ambitions to replace Bing Shen’s position.”
“Back then, knowing my limited strength, I didn’t want to live under Bing Shen’s shadow, so I didn’t choose Zero.”
“Actually, I still thought about it. Bing Shen, Firefly welcomes you!”
Lemon, in a relaxed mood, remarked, “So, Han Shen entering Zero’s youth training was also to improve himself, considering he already had such a high starting point.”
The noisy crowd suddenly fell silent.
Yan Yibing’s mouth twitched slightly.
In his heart, he thought, “Little sister, you’re indeed quite good-looking, but your emotional intelligence is indeed lacking.”
Han Mo treated his past experiences at Zero as a dark history. Asking such a question, Han Mo would definitely not appreciate it.
Just when everyone thought Han Mo would remain silent, and the atmosphere would awkwardly linger.
Han Mo unexpectedly spoke, his voice soft, like the rolling sea over fine sand, cold and deep.
“For, bringing the god down to earth.”
Author’s Message:
Han Mo: Actually, it’s to bring a god into bed.
Thank you for reading! 
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