Lin Lan, who had returned, indeed looked much better. Previously, he just had good looks. But now, he was unmistakably a sunny, handsome young man.
Lu Shi stared at him from left to right and suddenly, with self-doubt, said, “I didn’t believe that Lin Lan was training hard before. Now seeing that his complexion improves so much when he doesn’t train, I kind of believe it.”
Jiang Jin also pondered, “Could it be true that Lin Lan secretly practices on a smaller scale in his room at night?”
Xu Shengwei, after hearing this, developed a deep respect for Lin Lan. It turned out that experts were made through such rigorous practice. As a result, he not only trained during the day but also arranged a lot of training for himself at night.
Lin Lan, with ill intentions, did not explain. He enjoyed watching his teammates compete against each other. The best outcome would be if they all became top players, carrying him to victory in the summer tournament.
As he lay on the chair, daydreaming pleasantly, something cold touched his face. It was Xiao Shengjing, who handed him an ice-cold Coke. “What are you thinking about?”
The moment Lin Lan saw the Coke, he perked up and sat up. “I was thinking about when Xu Shengwei will grow into a top player and carry me to victory.”
Xiao Shengjing looked over at Xu Shengwei. Today was the last day before the holiday, and everyone was lazily chatting, except for Xu Shengwei, who was still diligently training.
“He’s been acting like he’s on steroids lately.” Xiao Shengjing sat down next to Lin Lan. He still didn’t know what had happened to Lin Lan and curiously pinched his face, looking him up and down. “It’s strange, your complexion really has improved. If I didn’t know you so well, I’d really think you were secretly practicing in your room at night.”
Lin Lan’s cheeks were puffed up from being pinched. He took Xiao Shengjing’s hand away, but Xiao Shengjing pinched him again, treating him like a pufferfish.
Lin Lan glared at him, and Xiao Shengjing just laughed. He gave Lin Lan’s cheeks a couple more squeezes before reluctantly letting go. “Your cheeks feel like little soup dumplings. So cute.”
After pinching his face, Xiao Shengjing ruffled Lin Lan’s hair, not caring that he messed it up.
Lin Lan decided to endure it, considering the ice-cold Coke… fine, he would tolerate it.
Most of the staff had already left early, and almost everyone was gone. Xiao Shengjing watched the people coming and going and suddenly asked Lin Lan, “Want to come to my place later?”
Lin Lan: “Uh… let me think…”
Xiao Shengjing reminded him, “Full VR setup.”
Lin Lan didn’t need to think anymore and immediately agreed, “Sure!”
Once decided, Lin Lan immediately went back to pack his things. Xiao Shengjing watched him from the doorway, smiling. “Why are you bringing that pillow? It’s not like I don’t have pillows at my place.”
Lin Lan: “I have a preference for my pillow. I can’t sleep well with yours.”
Xiao Shengjing: “You’ll get used to mine if you sleep with it more.”
Lin Lan directly stuffed the pillow into Xiao Shengjing’s hands. “I want to bring it, help me pack it.”
“Fine,” Xiao Shengjing laughed and took the pillow for him. When he saw Lin Lan going for his slippers, he added, “I have slippers at home. Don’t tell me you have a preference for those too. Are you going to sleep with your slippers on?”
Lin Lan wanted to throw the slippers at his face. “I’m just going to put them in the cabinet.”
After placing the slippers, Lin Lan started packing his toiletries. Xiao Shengjing spoke up again, “Why are you bringing those? Just buy a new set when you get there.”
Lin Lan: “I’m only staying for two or three days. Buying new ones would be a waste.”
Xiao Shengjing: “But what if you want to come over again later? Packing and unpacking all the time is a hassle…”
Unable to bear it any longer, Lin Lan finally jumped up and gave Xiao Shengjing a good beating. How had he not noticed before how much this guy loved to talk?!
At the corner outside, on his way back, Jiang Jin saw Lu Shi secretly watching Lin Lan and Xiao Shengjing, with an aunty-like smile on his face, even making strange “hehehe” sounds.
Jiang Jin: “What are you looking at?”
Lu Shi: “I’m watching Lin Lan and the captain’s cohabitation life.”
In Jiang Jin’s mind, a big question mark slowly appeared.
Is that something you should be saying?
After packing, Coach Zhang organized a small meeting for them. Once it was over, they were officially on vacation. Although DT’s holiday was shorter than other teams, it didn’t dampen their excitement.
Jiang Jin and Xu Shengwei, who were both heading back to their hometowns, left early. Lin Lan also shouldered his backpack and left with Xiao Shengjing.
Lu Shi had to stay behind to handle team affairs. He watched them leave one by one with longing eyes and grabbed Lin Lan, “You’re leaving already?”
Lin Lan: “Yes.”
Lu Shi: “How many days are you planning to play?”
Lin Lan: “Not sure, at least two or three days.”
Lu Shi: “Then remember to help me rank up when you come back. You promised to stream and carry me last time, right?”
Lin Lan: “I haven’t forgotten. I’ll play for a couple of days and then come back to carry you.”
Lu Shi really wanted to keep Lin Lan with him. But for the captain’s great happiness, he reluctantly let go. “Alright, come back soon.”
Lin Lan happily left. The promised two or three days turned into almost ten days with no sign of returning.
Lu Shi asked him with a resentful expression, “What happened to the promised two or three days?”
Lin Lan looked aggrieved; he hadn’t intended to stay so long either.
It took him three days just to beat the VR game at Xiao Shengjing’s place.
Just as Lin Lan said he was about to leave, Xiao Shengjing leisurely pulled out his cherished game laptop. “Wanna play?”
Lin Lan couldn’t resist the allure of the gaming laptop. With his exceptional gaming talent, he spent seven days breezing through his favorite games, conquering levels and sniping enemies.
He slung his backpack over his shoulder, realizing he’d stayed too long and Lu Shi might kill him. “Captain, I really have to go now.”
Xiao Shengjing slowly opened a package and took out two brand-new game laptops Lin Lan had never seen before. “Want to try the new levels?”
Lin Lan took a deep breath and decisively put down his backpack.
He then spent another two days clearing all the new levels.
Lu Shi nearly blew up his phone with calls. This time, Lin Lan was really going to leave.
Lin Lan packed everything up, determined not to give Xiao Shengjing a chance to persuade him to stay. Resolutely, he said, “Captain, there are only two days left of the holiday. The ride-share car is already downstairs. I really have to go.”
This time, Xiao Shengjing didn’t forcefully try to keep him. He just sighed regretfully. “I just bought two tomahawk steaks from the supermarket. I planned to cook them for you tonight. Looks like there’s no chance now.”
Lin Lan clearly heard the sound of his own throat swallowing.
Forget about the end of the holiday! Forget about Lu Shi! Forget about the ride-share car!
Lin Lan threw his backpack aside, canceled the ride, and unilaterally informed Lu Shi, “Bro, I’m staying two more days.”
On the other side, Lu Shi exploded like a fire-breathing dragon. “Lin Lan! You said you’d only play for two or three days!!”
Meanwhile, Lin Lan turned off his phone, ate the steak, and comfortably nestled on the sofa playing his games. “Damn, this level is so hard. I refuse to believe I can’t beat it…”
Next to him, Xiao Shengjing played along, occasionally glancing at him and ruffling his hair, feeling the softness from his palm to the tips of his fingers.
He couldn’t help but sigh, thinking how adorable Lin Lan was when he was seriously playing games, making him want to ruffle his hair even more.
When the last day of the holiday arrived, Lin Lan had to go back.
He left reluctantly, glancing back several times. Xiao Shengjing smiled and said, “It’s okay. You can come again next time.”
Lin Lan responded with an “mm”. On the way back, he kept thinking about it, finally looking at Xiao Shengjing eagerly. “Captain, you wouldn’t still have any other rare game laptops you haven’t shown me, would you?”
Xiao Shengjing coughed twice and sternly told him, “The holiday ends tomorrow. How can you still be thinking about playing?”
Lin Lan was going crazy. This wasn’t the attitude Xiao Shengjing had when he persuaded him to stay!
When he returned to the base, almost everyone was there, except for Feifei.
Lin Lan had already heard from Xiao Shengjing that Feifei was determined to leave, and no one could persuade him otherwise. Now, both Coach Zhang and Brother Mu had given up on him. In their first meeting after returning, they were informed about Feifei’s departure from the team.
Xiao Shengjing also told him, “Even though Brother Mu is nostalgic, if someone’s heart is no longer here, he won’t force them to stay.”
Lu Shi secretly told him, “Actually, I called Feifei, and he told me his reasons for wanting to leave. He said that at DT, he feels like a burden and can’t create value even if he gives his all. But at ACG, he can play a useful role. He said he longs to be a valuable person, whether in his boyfriend’s eyes or in the team…”
Lu Shi: “And he also said that he wants to stay in the LPL on his own merits.”
Lin Lan suddenly realized that Feifei wasn’t as clueless as he seemed. At least on this matter, he had thought it through and decided to leave.
Lin Lan: “But… is his boyfriend really the manager at ACG?”
Lu Shi: “Pfft, what manager? It’s just a title. They have a real manager, and his boyfriend doesn’t even have the right to speak. He earns a minimum salary, and it was only after Feifei joined that he gained some face…”
Lin Lan: “Damn, didn’t he say he was an executive at a Fortune 500 company? Isn’t he just a fraud?”
Lu Shi: “I told Feifei the same thing. Turns out, Feifei said that the investors behind ACG are also from a Fortune 500 company, and his boyfriend is at least someone in charge, so it’s not considered deceiving him.”
Lin Lan and Jiang Jin listened with expressions resembling those of elderly people staring at their phones on the subway.
With Feifei gone, Lu Shi could finally vent. “There were still many things I hadn’t told you before. That guy and Feifei had broken up unilaterally once before. Feifei thought he was too busy and had neglected the other person, causing their feelings to fade. When Feifei remembered that the guy had never eaten birthday cake or had anyone celebrate his birthday with him, he self-pitied and bought a cake to give to him. But then, the delivery guy kindly informed him that his boyfriend seemed to be cheating.”
“Huh, he had never eaten birthday cake in his life? And Feifei believed him?” Lin Lan suddenly felt his intelligence being challenged.
Jiang Jin wanted to know the outcome. “And then?”
“Then Feifei cried a lot and broke up with the guy. The guy just went along with it and even sent Feifei a bunch of ‘good guy’ cards, saying he owed Feifei a lot and couldn’t match up to him. He promised to always remember him and moved Feifei to tears. Finally, the climax came when the guy realized that Feifei was a somewhat famous mid-laner, which could help broaden his horizons. He actively sought Feifei out, saying he found that Feifei was still his favorite person, although he couldn’t match up to him. He promised to work hard to become someone worthy of him and begged Feifei not to leave. And Feifei believed him again…”
Jiang Jin took in a sharp breath. “And he believed all that?”
Lu Shi: “Yeah, not only did he believe it, but he also reconciled with the guy. I tried to advise him to calm down at the time, but he thought I was trying to stop his happiness. After that, he stopped talking to me.”
After Lu Shi finished speaking, the four of them sighed together, their expressions full of mixed feelings.
After listening to the bewildering story for so long, even Xu Shengwei couldn’t help but speak the truth. “I think Feifei might really need to see a neurologist.”
Lin Lan: “Agreed.”
Jiang Jin: “Agreed.”
Lu Shi: “I’ll jump up and spin 360 degrees in place and agree.”
Xiao Shengjing, who had originally walked past them, saw them all lined up and with uncomfortable expressions. He turned back and asked, “What’s going on with all of you?”
Lin Lan: “We’re talking about Feifei.”
Lu Shi: “We’re talking about him and his boyfriend.”
Xiao Shengjing, holding some documents, casually remarked, “I thought you guys looked uncomfortable because you saw the new coach.”
The four of them sitting in a row suddenly became unsettled. “??? What new coach?”
In the training room, Coach Zhang enthusiastically introduced the new coach to them, “This is Brother Mu’s painstakingly recruited coach. Everyone, please get to know him.”
Everyone looked at each other, puzzled by the sudden appearance of a new coach at DT. It felt unfamiliar and made them all uneasy.
Coach Zhang reminded them, “Quick, greet the coach.”
They quickly responded, “Hello, Coach.”
The new coach’s full name was Shi Quan, in his 30s, not very tall, with a slender build. His curly hair partially covered his eyes, and he wore black-framed glasses, giving him the appearance of a typical internet-addicted youth.
He nodded cheerfully, looking like an unreliable but fun-loving person. “Alright, alright, my name is Shi Quan. Nice to meet you all. Please take care of me.”
After finishing speaking, he bowed to them, leaving everyone at a loss. They returned the bow, and he bowed again. This back-and-forth bowing made everyone feel like they were about to sink into the ground.
Coach Zhang quickly intervened, “Alright, alright, Coach Shi, let me introduce you. This is Lu Shi. He used to be a substitute top laner and has now transitioned to a staff role. He has been at DT for quite some time and knows a lot of things. Brother Mu arranged for him to assist you. If you have any questions, feel free to ask him. If you need anything, just let him know.”
Shi Quan warmly shook Lu Shi’s hand. “Alright, alright. Lu Shi, nice to meet you.”
Lu Shi politely responded. It was the first time he had encountered such an enthusiastic coach, making even his outgoing self feel a bit embarrassed.
“This is Jiang Jin, and this is Xu Shengwei, our bot lane duo. You should know them.”
“Yes, yes, I know them. They play very well.”
Shi Quan warmly shook hands with each of them before approaching Lin Lan. Adjusting his glasses, he looked at Lin Lan with a certain radiance in his eyes. “You’re Lin Lan, right?”
Lin Lan was about to introduce himself, but Shi Quan warmly shook his hand, smiling very kindly. “Hello, Lin Lan. I’m your new coach. I’ve studied you before coming here and specially designed several training systems tailored to you. They are all very suitable for you. We must discuss them with each other when we have time…”
When Shi Quan mentioned preparing several training systems, Lin Lan felt like pulling his hand back, but Shi Quan held it tightly. If Coach Zhang hadn’t intervened, he might have dragged Lin Lan to the computer right then and there.
“Shi Quan, Shi Quan,” Coach Zhang pulled him back and introduced him to Xiao Shengjing, “This is our team captain. You can discuss anything you need with him.”
Xiao Shengjing politely nodded in greeting, and Shi Quan firmly shook his hand. “Hello, Captain. I’ve been wanting to meet you for a long time. Indeed, seeing is believing. You’re even more remarkable than I imagined.”
Everyone was shocked to see him grab Xiao Shengjing’s hand. Even from a distance, they could sense the captain’s stiffness. Was he going to reciprocate the handshake?
After the introductions were done, the atmosphere became awkward. Coach Zhang quickly pulled Shi Quan aside and advised him, “Shi Quan, let me tell you, you can’t be too easygoing on your first meeting like this. You need to establish some authority with them, or they won’t listen to you in the future.”
Shi Quan sounded surprised. “Really? I’ll be more serious next time, then.”
As they watched them walk away, the remaining five people had expressions that were difficult to describe. Lu Shi broke the silence first. “What do you guys think of this new coach?”
Jiang Jin: “Unreliable.”
Lin Lan: “Too slick.”
Lu Shi looked at Xu Shengwei. “What do you think?”
Xu Shengwei scratched his head, seeming to feel that this matter had nothing to do with him. “Hmm… Anyway, he coaches and we practice.”
“Well, I still prefer Coach Zhang.”
“I feel more comfortable with Coach Zhang around.”
“+1.”
“+10086.”
“But what can we do now that he’s already here?”
“I heard Brother Mu went through a lot of trouble to bring him in. Initially, he didn’t agree. But after DT achieved results, he agreed to come, and they offered him a high salary and bonuses.”
“It’s said that Coach Zhang even transferred the head coach’s authority to him, basically in a state of power transfer…”
Such high treatment? Lin Lan began to ponder. In his original world, he hadn’t noticed such a person. “Who is he?”
No one knew except Xiao Shengjing, who looked up at the office area calmly and asked them, “Do you know about HAH from Korea?”
“We know. They were really strong last year, almost winning the championship. But this year, they’re not doing so well, and their results are just average. Whether they can make it to Worlds is still a question mark.”
Xiao Shengjing nodded and continued, “Last year, besides their head coach, HAH had a very powerful strategist behind the scenes, who is our new coach, Shi Quan. He semi-retired after last year’s Worlds and planned to return to his home country after his contract expired. Luckily, Brother Mu happened to encounter him.”
This was actually a coach who had commanded a world-champion team? Shi Quan’s stature instantly rose in their minds.
Lu Shi couldn’t believe it. “So, because Shi Quan left, HAH isn’t doing well this year?”
Xiao Shengjing didn’t directly answer the question, but from his expression, it was evident that there was indeed some connection between the two.
But one thing he was certain of: “Coach Shi has a wealth of experience and will be of great help to us on our journey to Worlds. Brother Mu has been thinking ahead. He wanted to hire a better coach for us. Knowing that Shi Quan was planning to return to his home country for development, he spared no effort to contact him. Now that we’ve finally signed him, everyone should cherish this opportunity.”
The thought that Brother Mu had put so much effort and money into hiring this coach gradually justified all of Shi Quan’s unreliability.
“To be honest, it doesn’t seem that out of the ordinary.”
“I heard that people with skills tend to have quirks.”
“Yeah, that’s true. Maybe he’ll become serious once he starts working?”
But the next day’s training revealed that everything was just wishful thinking.
Lin Lan, who was usually late for team activities, even woke up early to meet the new coach. However, Shi Quan was still sound asleep with his head covered when he arrived. Lu Shi’s room was next to the new coach’s, and he complained, “He’s sleeping so soundly. When I opened the window this morning, I could hear him snoring next door, completely unaffected by the outside noise.”
“Oh, really?”
“The coach sleeps later than us?”
Everyone had to carry on with their training individually. It wasn’t until it was almost time for lunch that they saw Shi Quan’s figure. He seemed even more casual than the day he arrived, wearing a geeky plaid shirt with shorts and slippers, yawning while explaining, “Just got back from Korea, still adjusting to the time difference. I hope I didn’t keep you waiting too long?”
Everyone: “Uh…”
“Do we need to adjust for the time difference between Korea and China?”
Shi Quan glanced at his watch. “Oh, it’s already noon. I’m going to have lunch. See you all in the afternoon.”
After lunch, Shi Quan went back to take a nap. When he woke up and glanced at them, he praised, “You’re all doing well,” then went to find Coach Zhang for tea.
After finishing tea around six o’clock, Shi Quan checked his watch again. “It’s time for dinner. Old folks can’t stay up late. Let’s meet again tomorrow.”
The next day was the same story. Lu Shi continued to complain, “How does he sleep so well? I can hear him snoring anytime I open the window. It’s the first time I’ve seen a coach lazier than the players.”
Jiang Jin wasn’t satisfied with the coach. “He’s been here for three days, and I’ve only seen him a few times. He hasn’t even planned any training sessions.”
Lin Lan also found him unreliable. “On the first day, he said he had prepared several training systems for me, but I haven’t seen even half of them now.”
Even Xu Shengwei began to doubt. “Why does it feel like he’s here to scam us for his base salary?”
“Hmm?” Everyone looked at him, sensing that he had discovered something they hadn’t considered.
Passing by, Xiao Shengjing was on his way to hand over some documents when Lin Lan pulled him into the small group. Everyone was chattering away, complaining about the unreliability of the new coach, asking him what he thought.
Xiao Shengjing had already considered this question. “I asked Coach Zhang about it. He said Coach Shi’s training methods are quite brutal, and he’s afraid you guys won’t be able to handle it, so he plans to start with some softening-up policies.”
“Brutal? How brutal?”
“I heard that after he left HAH, the entire team celebrated with a live stream party at night, going wild like they’d gone insane.”
Lin Lan: “!!!” He smelled a dangerous signal!
“Hiss…” Lu Shi began to suspect, “Does this softening-up policy mean fattening up before slaughter?”
Xiao Shengjing didn’t say, but from his expression, it was clear that there was no exaggeration involved.
After soaking in lukewarm water for about a week, everyone was getting used to it. In the middle of the night, Lu Shi got up and saw Shi Quan doing planks at six in the morning, suddenly sensing the prelude to a storm.
“Damn, let me tell you guys, for the past few days, I’ve been able to see Coach Shi doing planks every day at six when I get up to use the bathroom. I asked the cleaning lady, and she said he does this every day, then goes to write something. I don’t know what he’s writing, but his notebook is so thick. I can feel that he’s definitely a tough one.”
Lu Shi’s “so thick” was almost a literal pointer.
Jiang Jin remained skeptical. “Are you exaggerating?”
No sooner had they finished speaking than they saw Shi Quan coming out of the office, holding a notebook as thick as a finger, and walking towards them with a big smile.
No one was on guard against him, and as he approached, the first thing he said was, “What a coincidence. I was just talking to Coach Zhang about passing on my diligently researched notebook to you all so that each of you can copy it by hand and gain some insights. Who wants to go first? Lin Lan? Or the captain?”
Lin Lan: “!!!”
Why would someone say something so cruel with such a smiling face!
Translator’s corner:
I’m only able to update with 1 chapter today as I have an exam this afternoon. Also, there will be no update tomorrow as I’ll be getting ready for my research defense on Wednesday. Wish me luck guys (*꒦ິ꒳꒦ີ)
