Yan Yibing turned his head to glance at Han Mo. Although the phrasing sounded odd, there was nothing wrong with it.
Who wouldn’t want to surpass their predecessors, especially when Han Mo was already on the path of surpassing him.
After the group interview, Lemon ran to Yan Yibing to express her gratitude.
“I was so nervous. Thanks to Bing Shen for helping me out. Just now… I’m sorry.”
Yan Yibing slung his peripherals bag over his back and smiled warmly, “It’s okay. You’ll get used to hosting with more experience.”
Lemon took out her phone and nervously rubbed the screen. “Can I get Bing Shen’s contact? We can duo queue together in the future.”
Yan Yibing thought for a moment and nodded, “Sure, write down my phone number.”
His contact details were known to many, and there was nothing to hide.
Lemon was short, and her head only reached Yan Yibing’s chin. So, when Yan Yibing told her the numbers, he lowered his head, his almond-shaped eyes slightly drooping. He carried the peripherals bag over one shoulder, and the neckline was pulled slightly down by the strap, revealing a beautiful collarbone.
After the curtain was drawn for the photo shoot, sunlight filtered through the window lattice and fell diagonally on the two, as if adding a layer of filter.
Xiao Nuo asked softly, “Captain, what are you looking at?”
Han Mo narrowed his eyes and lightly sighed, “You can delete my contact information.”
Xiao Nuo blinked, looked meaningfully in Yan Yibing’s direction, and whispered, “Captain, you…”
Han Mo took a deep breath, his lips tightening, the color draining from them. After a moment, he withdrew his gaze, “Let’s go.”
After exchanging contact information with Lemon and confirming that Lemon’s name was on his WeChat, Yan Yibing was about to put his phone away.
Lemon casually opened Yan Yibing’s Moments and exclaimed, “Bing Shen, you don’t post Moments?”
Yan Yibing hadn’t set a time limit or shared it with specific groups. He simply didn’t like posting. He had deleted the ones he posted before, thinking they were boring. Therefore, his Moments were blank.
Yan Yibing, concerned that Lemon might misunderstand, explained, “There’s nothing to post. But I might post something after today’s match.”
Lemon politely said, “I post more than ten a day. Don’t find me annoying, okay?”
Yan Yibing shook his head. “No, I quite like seeing what others post.”
Lemon, holding her phone with both hands, looked up and saw that Han Mo had not left yet.
In fact, when Han Mo looked over here just now, she sensed it, but because she was talking to Yan Yibing, she didn’t react immediately.
Looking at Han Mo’s profile, Lemon’s ears started to heat up.
When he looked over here just now, did it mean he was still interested in her?
Lemon took small steps and ran over, calling softly, “Han Shen, can you wait for a moment?”
Han Mo’s steps paused, frowned, and looked at her with an unfriendly expression.
“Is there something?”
Lemon was a bit startled by his impatient look. She stammered, “J-just… you’re not angry just now, right?”
The girl nervously raised her eyes, her pupils shining bright and large, her eyelashes trembling, appearing pitiful.
Xiao Nuo lightly nudged Han Mo from behind, lips sealed, and hummed softly, “Be more polite, Captain. There’s a sponsorship deal for the endorsement of the sports wristband coming up.”
Han Mo relaxed his expression only then and concisely said, “Not angry.”
Lemon breathed a sigh of relief. “Then let’s exchange WeChat. We need to discuss the details of promoting the sports wristband next month. The team sponsor has set the streaming channel in my live broadcast room.”
Lemon’s words were tactful, but in reality, next month, the entire Prince team would be doing business in her live broadcast room, and it would be a live event.
It wasn’t that the sponsor didn’t value the people from the team, but mainly because Han Mo spoke too little, causing the sponsor to worry. So, they found a female anchor who was talkative to accompany him.
Han Mo didn’t budge, saying, “No need.”
Lemon was slightly taken aback. She hadn’t expected such a straightforward rejection from Han Mo.
“Uh… there are indeed some details that need to be communicated. Having WeChat would be more convenient.”
Xiao Nuo immediately came to mediate. “It’s necessary, absolutely necessary. Nowadays, who doesn’t use WeChat for work? Our captain spends most of his time on training, and seldom uses WeChat. He’s falling behind the times.”
Under Xiao Nuo’s urging, Han Mo finally added Lemon on WeChat.
After adding her, he didn’t exchange pleasantries, directly taking Xiao Nuo with him as he left.
Song Tang approached Yan Yibing, looking in the direction of Lemon and Han Mo, muttering, “When you were talking to Lemon just now, Han Mo kept looking at you for no apparent reason.”
Yan Yibing chuckled, “Why would he look at me? He’s definitely looking at Lemon. Didn’t you see Lemon immediately go over to him?”
Song Tang rubbed his nose, hesitating. “Really? Did I misread it?”
At that moment, the backstage announcement echoed, “Teams from Miramar map, please proceed to the preparation room.”
It seemed that the results of the draw had been announced. Today, they would first play on the desert map.
Yan Yibing restrained his smile and said calmly, “It’s starting. Let’s get ready.”
He adjusted his peripherals bag, tugging at his slipping jacket.
On the way to the preparation room, they inevitably bumped into other teams from the Miramar map.
The captain of Team Firefly greeted Yan Yibing with a smile, “Bing Shen, go easy on us later.”
Yan Yibing smiled, “Don’t be so polite. You’ve prepared this lineup for a year, right?”
The captain of Team Firefly laughed, “Hahaha, don’t expose us.”
Fang Rui from Team Lie Hu also approached, “The frontlines are long this year. Seniors, don’t go all out in the qualifiers, save some energy for Prince and CNG later.”
Yan Yibing lazily replied as he walked, “Not going all out might not be enough to finish you.”
They were quite familiar in private, often exchanging jokes. The conversation was light and easy, without the tension of about to go into battle.
However, when they bumped into Puxin just as they left the rest area, the conversation naturally paused.
Puxin’s skill level was average, and they didn’t have any star players, so no one invited them for the group interview. They had been staying in the rest area and hadn’t come out.
Yan Yibing spotted Lei Ming standing in the middle of the team with one glance.
Lei Ming lowered his head, his face somewhat pale. He gripped the peripherals bag tightly, deforming the strap he held.
Yan Yibing saw him, and there was still a bit of a sting in his eyes.
However, that bitter feeling only flashed by, and he immediately smiled.
It was just the end of their fate. In this profession, every year, there were comrades going their separate ways, and there were enemies turning into comrades.
The other few members of Puxin were all seasoned. Seeing Yan Yibing, they still greeted him with a smile.
Their captain, Liu Sui, bumped Lei Ming with his shoulder, casually saying, “What, not going to greet your former captain?”
Upon hearing this, Lei Ming’s facial muscles twitched uncomfortably, and he said uneasily, “Let’s go quickly. I need to check the equipment.”
However, Liu Sui showed no urgency at all. Chewing gum, he grinned and said, “Bing Shen, speaking of it, our Puxin seems to have a special fate with your Zero. It seems both our team’s players were eliminated by you, oh, one has already retired.”
Lei Ming’s face darkened, and he coldly retorted, “Are you done? If not, I’m leaving.”
Liu Sui shrugged, “See you on the battlefield later, then.”
Yan Yibing calmly watched him, giving a slow smile.
It had been a long time since he had seen this kind of provocation, but small teams still worked hard to gain attention.
Puxin had always had the bad habit of taking unscrupulous shortcuts, and many teams in the league despised them. So when Yan Yibing heard that Lei Ming was going to Puxin, he couldn’t help feeling sorry for him.
But these were Lei Ming’s own choices, and he had no right to judge.
Once inside the preparation room, Yan Yibing walked to his position, unloaded his peripherals bag, and flexed his fingers a bit. He turned to his three teammates and said, “Stay focused, try to avoid small mistakes, but don’t push too hard. There are still many matches ahead.” This message was directed at Fu Haifeng. Fu Haifeng’s endurance wasn’t what it used to be, and if he consumed too much energy early on, the later stages would be very challenging.
Yan Yibing intended to let Fu Haifeng take it easy in the qualifiers and exert his full strength in the finals.
As for himself, he would naturally go all out.
Song Tang and Xu Rui understood his meaning. After plugging in their keyboards and mice, Song Tang smiled confidently, “Don’t worry, Captain. We can handle these teams.”
Yan Yibing just nodded slightly and cautioned, “Don’t underestimate them.”
All teams confirmed their device checks, put on their headphones, and entered the custom room.
The large letters “Miramar” appeared on the viewing screen.
At the front desk commentary station, Lemon and two male commentators were already seated, introducing the teams to the audience.
When it came to Puxin, one of the male commentators smiled mysteriously and said, “A miraculous team. This is the first team I’ve seen that supports the entire squad through live broadcasting. It seems they truly love esports.”
Lemon hinted, “I heard they donated a considerable construction fee to the league again this year. They are working hard to secure a PCL spot.”
The male commentator said, “Oh, we see a new face in Puxin’s lineup this year. It’s Lei Ming, a player from Zero’s second team. Lei Ming has always been stable, and he has the strength. Puxin has acquired a strong general.”
Lemon added, “I’m also looking forward to their performance this year.”
On the big screen, the flight path refreshed quickly.
The male commentator said, “Oh, this flight path is quite friendly, I think. Actually, if Prince is assigned to this zone, it’s a bit advantageous. They’ve always performed well in Miramar.”
Lemon agreed, “Especially Han Mo.”
The male commentator teased, “Hey, it should be Chen Zefeng, right? It seems you are biased towards Han Mo.”
Lemon blushed, “Don’t tease me. When we saw Zero jump to the familiar power plant, it seemed they didn’t want to engage in early gunfights.”
The male commentator said, “Right, Zero is taking a steady approach. After all, it’s a point match. If nothing goes wrong, getting four chicken dinners will basically secure their spot in the next stage.”
Lemon added, “With this circle, it’s estimated to shrink near the crater field. JG has a significant advantage.”
The male commentator remarked, “Hey, we see Puxin surprisingly jumping to the power plant as well. Is Lei Ming going to clash head-on with his old team?”
Song Tang reported, “Captain, two teams.”
Yan Yibing calmly said, “I’ll go loot, Xu Rui, and cover Song Tang. Haifeng, control the vehicle.”
This was their usual strategy, and everyone cooperated seamlessly.
Yan Yibing instructed Xu Rui to cover Song Tang, confident that Fu Haifeng would be safe.
Normally, teams would loot for supplies first upon landing, and only after securing the situation would they consider vehicles.
With only two teams around, Yan Yibing was confident that they could overwhelm them, leaving no time to harass Fu Haifeng.
Fu Haifeng headed straight for the vehicle spawn point as soon as he landed.
In the vast desert map, lacking a suitable vehicle could be frustrating, making vehicle acquisition crucial.
Yan Yibing and Xu Rui swiftly geared up upon landing. Xu Rui, not lingering for supplies, swiftly protected Song Tang after getting his gun. Meanwhile, Yan Yibing jumped into action, engaging the teams that had just landed.
Just as Yan Yibing eliminated an opponent with a pump shotgun, Song Tang had already landed and was preparing to join him.
Meanwhile, Xu Rui rushed toward Fu Haifeng’s direction, intending to regroup.
But in the next second,
“Damn it!”
Fu Haifeng angrily shouted and slammed his keyboard heavily.
Yan Yibing was stunned.
Immediately after, the kill announcement appeared.
【Zero-haifengfu was eliminated by grenade fragments】
Due to the use of offensive language, Fu Haifeng received a warning from the supervisor.
Yan Yibing took a deep breath, “Who?”
Fu Haifeng gritted his teeth, “Puxin. They blew up the car, a bunch of lunatics.”
Xu Rui rushed over, but it was too late. He could only see a slowly fading blaze.
Losing a teammate right at the start meant they couldn’t take a dominating position on the high ground later.
Xu Rui’s blood boiled, and using cover, he moved toward where Fu Haifeng had died.
He thought, at the very least, he had to take out that Puxin idiot who threw the grenade and avenge Fu Haifeng.
Yan Yibing narrowed his eyes, contemplating for a moment, then urgently said, “Xu Rui, come back!”
Xu Rui gritted his teeth, the sound audible as he ground them. “Right away.”
This time, he didn’t heed Yan Yibing’s words. Instead, he moved closer to the explosion site.
As expected, a figure flashed on the hill frequently used for toll collection.
Xu Rui sneered.
He knew he’d find him here.
Fu Haifeng stared at Xu Rui’s perspective, feeling that something was off.
Being blown up was unexpected, but upon reflection, it seemed… the grenade didn’t come from the direction of the hill.
Xu Rui had already started firing.
He only had a submachine gun with thirty rounds, but he thought it was enough to take down at least one person.
Especially when it was against a trash team like Puxin.
Xu Rui aimed carefully and rushed out with the gun.
The submachine gun fired in full auto, and the sound of bullets was as intense as a drumbeat.
After firing over ten rounds, Puxin’s sniper fell to the ground.
Xu Rui shook his wrist and took a deep breath.
Consider it avenging Fu Haifeng.
As he was about to think this, gunshots suddenly rang out from behind.
With a keen awareness, Xu Rui quickly turned around, raising his gun to spray.
He had only ten rounds left.
Stubbornly, he used those ten rounds to kill two more people.
But it wasn’t enough.
Because Puxin had three people.
In the end, it was Lei Ming who headshot him.
After the blackout, Xu Rui realized it was a trap set by Puxin.
He initially thought Puxin would have tactics, like two people looting supplies and two doing something else.
But no, their sole purpose from start to finish was to exchange blows with Zero at all costs.
This was possible, thanks to Lei Ming, who was familiar with all of Zero’s tactics.
Puxin deliberately devised this strategy against Zero. They didn’t care how many of their own members they lost; as long as they reduced Zero’s team, it was a significant success.
Their goal wasn’t to secure a spot in the next stage because they knew they didn’t have that level of skill.
They just wanted to stir up as much controversy as possible in the competition, becoming the focus of public attention. Negative comments would still generate traffic, bringing considerable revenue to their subsequent live broadcasts.
After this scene, Zero’s fans would probably flood Puxin’s livestream to contribute kills.
Xu Rui removed his headphones, his face flushed with embarrassment, “Damn it, Lei Ming, that bastard!”
He spoke quietly, fearing the supervisors might catch him, but his teammates could hear him clearly through the headphones.
Yan Yibing said coldly, “I told you to come back, what did you do?”
Xu Rui wiped his face, feeling utterly embarrassed.
Yan Yibing took a deep breath, “Song Tang, stop avoiding fights. The plan has changed; try to get as many kills as possible.”
The male commentator expressed delicately, “Ah, this really hurts for Zero. They lost two members at the beginning.”
Lemon said, “Puxin is sacrificing eight hundred soldiers to kill a thousand.”
The male commentator said, “This… seems to be what they wanted. I can almost hear Zero’s fans cursing.”
In the backstage viewing room, Sun Tianjiao stamped her foot in frustration, “Damn his ancestors! Lei Ming, this jerk! I’ll make him pay for termination fees!”
Zero’s coach grabbed Sun Tianjiao by the collar, “Calm down. Although they are cunning, they haven’t violated any rules.”
Sun Tianjiao protested, “He told Puxin all our tactical habits! Why did Puxin give him such a high signing fee? Ha, I’ve seen it all, even experienced in the storm, unexpectedly capsizing in a ditch. This matter isn’t over!”
Xiao Nuo glanced at Han Mo. “Lei Ming really has no bottom line.”
Chen Zefeng remarked, “Zero must be furious. Puxin just wants to gain fame by challenging higher-level teams, and now they succeeded.”
Mo Bei sighed, “Xu Rui’s mentality is shattered, even the usually stable Fu Haifeng received a warning.”
Xiao Nuo said, “It doesn’t make sense. Does Lei Ming hate Zero so much?”
Chen Zefeng added, “Exactly, I heard Bing Shen treated him quite well. In the last exhibition match, he even gave him a chance, saying if he won, he could join the first team or something.”
Mo Bei said, “Other than that, it’s just a huge blow. After this, Bing Shen must go all out for kills. He’s already twenty-five, and there are still so many matches ahead.”
Even though Yan Yibing’s performance was consistently stable, age would inevitably leave its mark.
Losing two members and lacking an advantage in the circle, this match would be exceptionally challenging for Zero.
Han Mo stared closely at the broadcast TV, folding his eyelids deeply, his gaze profound.
After a while, he said indifferently, “It’s nothing.”
The three looked at Han Mo together.
Given the relationship between Han Mo and Yan Yibing, they should have applauded in delight at this moment.
But Han Mo showed no signs of gloating. He stared at the screen, captivated by the god of marksmanship who seemed to have returned to his glory days, murmuring softly, “He is Yan Yibing after all.”
Author’s Message:
Han Mo: He is my husband, after all.
Thank you for reading! 
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