Chapter 128
Shi Luo was dazed, staying rooted on the spot.
Shi Luo remembered that Yu Sui had said that the account he was using now was registered when he was fifteen. At that time, he was still a minor and he had used his father’s ident.i.ty information to register. After that, it had accompanied Yu Sui as he campaigned across the country for so many years. Countless out-of-print t.i.tles and skins were linked with that account. It was the account that Yu Sui has won numerous awards with…
Shi Luo wasn’t afraid to fight, nor did he feel that his team would definitely lose to Sacred Sword but instinctively he still said, “You can’t play with that account like this! That is…”
“Shhh…”
Yu Sui, who was standing at the front, turned his head and gave Shi Luo a ‘shush’ gesture.
Yu Sui smiled at Shi Luo, eyes flashing.
The voice of the host performing the rehearsal was too loud and there were so many people between Yu Sui and Shi Luo that Shi Luo couldn’t hear when Yu Sui spoke.
But Shi Luo could read Yu Sui’s lips.
Yu Sui said: Watch, as, ge, vents, anger, on, your, behalf.
Shi Luo’s throat was instantly choked up.
In a daze, Shi Luo felt that he was seeing the short-haired Yu Sui from three years ago.
Shi Luo had been the one who taught Yu Sui about this account-deleting wagers back when he was still an anchor working out of some shady internet café.
Yu Sui had already been a professional player who had been in service for several years. He didn’t understand this kind of thing very well. Yu Sui knew more than anyone how important an account was to a professional player.
Yu Sui had also said at the time that it was a bit too excessive.
There was no grudge that was worth betting your account for.
Yu Sui had taken Shi Luo’s hand and led him onto this career path. He taught him the professional player’s code of conduct and later, even when the person who had brought him into his industry was no longer around, Shi Luo still followed in Whisper’s footsteps, not straying a single inch from that path. As a professional player, he never played such a wild game ever again.
But Yu Sui himself made an exception now.
Three years have pa.s.sed and Shi Luo was not the only one being influenced by the other.
Yu Sui stood in the backstage corridor, looking at the lights in the distance. He smiled.
The first time Yu Sui found out about account-deleting wagers, he thought here was nothing and no one who could possible be worth him going this far.
After, he experienced all kinds of things. He had weathered all sorts of storms and waves and Yu Sui still thought at the time that there was nothing that would make him wager this because of a momentary loss of temper.
But now, there was.
After so many years of competing, so many times entering the World Championships, he should already be unbothered by these, he should be indifferent. But suddenly there was now the excitement and bravery like he was entering the World Championships for the first time.
Yu Sui originally just wanted to win.
But now he wanted to step on the opponents’ face and win.
The one that made his opponents delete their accounts after their match kind of win.
After the rehearsal, Zhou Huo immediately doc.u.mented what happened at the venue on the day of the rehearsal. Domestically, he posted it on Weibo. Internationally, he posted it on Twitter. The head of the Chinese Division immediately contacted the organizers of this year’s World Championship to give them a warning.
However, there was no way to hold Sacred Sword accountable for the fans’ behavior. The league officials were also dissatisfied with Sacred Sword’s series of disruptive behavior. However, Sacred Sword was too shrewd at playing dirty and they always barely toed the line and did not actually commit any substantive violations. Only the organizers of the compet.i.tion bore the responsibility and was given a warning and fined.
The players in the Chinese division were naturally dissatisfied with this result. The online war further escalated. The organizer of the compet.i.tion getting punished was not what everyone wanted. They wanted Sacred Sword to be made to pay. The league officials were bombarded for a whole night. However, though the spirit was willing, the flesh was weak and there was no way for them to make their position known.
Public sentiment in the domestic division was already seething like a cauldron. Especially Free’s fans, who already wanted to eat Sacred Sword alive. After the game review of the last practice game that evening, Yu Sui refreshed his Twitter and told Zhou Huo, “This can’t be resolved nicely anymore. Send out a post on Weibo, tell the fans that we will have an account-deleting battle with Sacred Sword tomorrow.”
Yu Sui said, “Once the fans know, they will definitely no longer be angry.”
“Uh…” Zhou Huo reminded cautiously, “Although Sacred Sword’s manager hinted at this matter, they didn’t officially mention your account-deletion battle. It seems like they don’t want to make it public. You…get what I mean?”
“I understand.” Yu Sui put away his mobile phone, “If they let everyone know, in case they lose, it would be too much of a loss of face. They want to make it public after winning.”
Zhou Huo nodded. In fact, Zhou Huo didn’t want to make it public either. So far, no one can know for certain the result of tomorrow’s game. In case they lose… Zhou Huo didn’t want Yu Sui to bear such a huge pressure from the public.
Yu Sui said, “I’m not afraid.”
“We will use my way to win the match…This is the only thing I can do for the fans.” Yu Sui said in a calm tone, “I’m not a player who treats his fans well but I also can’t claim no responsibility for this matter and let my fans watch the match still feeling aggrieved.”
Zhou Huo choked. He looked at everyone and all the players nodded in agreement.
Zhou Huo gritted his teeth and nodded, “Okay, this matter is now out of your hands. Go and rest, see you tomorrow.”
The four went back to their rooms to rest. Zhou Huo composed a Weibo post and sent it in the early hours of the morning.
Zhou Huo’s copywriting has always been professional. The opening line of his statement: When the existing rules cannot punish people with ulterior motives, our players will defend their honor in their own way.
The next day, the quarterfinals officially began.
Free’s players dressed in their special World Championships team uniform and arrived at the stadium on time.
It was unavoidable that they would once again see the dazzling lights. Zhou Huo originally had wanted permission to bypa.s.s the outfield and enter the arena from a separate pa.s.sageway. The players though felt that it would be too much trouble and refused. Old Qiao’s arrangement was still the right one. Their players had strong mentalities. Even if they were occasionally exasperated by these stupidities, they won’t be affected by it for a second time. Now that they had seen the most disgusting thing yesterday, today, it won’t get to them anymore. Moreover, the league officials have already warned the organizers of the match and the organizers promised to strictly supervise the audience today. They would promptly ask spectators with insulting signs out of the stadium.
No one actually cared though and Zhou Huo decided not to go through the trouble. Free entered the field normally. But this time when they went through the front court and everyone’s eyes were still attracted by the lights in the field…
After getting off the car, in order to get backstage, the players had to pa.s.s through a section of the VIP spectator stands.
The spectator stands area had an excellent view, having an un.o.bstructed view of the entire stadium.
The fans had entered the stadium two hours early. This quarterfinal match could be called the battle of the century. It was hard to find a ticket and the venue was already jam-packed.
Old Qiao was stupefied, “…this, isn’t this the European home game? How the f*ck did they manage to…”
Zhou Huo was also stunned, “How is this…it’s like our own home game.”
Various areas in the huge stadium, as far as they eye could see, there were lighted signs with Chinese characters everywhere.
Many of the light cards were probably hastily thrown together and were very rough. But they were huge, even the ones in the farthest rooftop area were faintly readable still.
The players and fans didn’t know when Free’s players would enter the stadium, so they have been holding the huge light cards and waiting all this time.
The text on the hastily made light boards looked a bit crooked. Many of them were no longer light cards, they were almost like banners. The member of team Free stood in place, trying to identify——
【Whisper, don’t look at their lights, look at us! 】
【Free is amazing, Free is the best!】
【Whisper — always and forever the no. 1 medic of the Chinese division】
【Twin stars, Jiayou! 】
[All members of Free are awesome! 】
[To the best three in the whole compet.i.tion, welcome home! To the new team, Jiayou! 】
[Laozi doesn’t know what to write, but mine is definitely the biggest light card in the audience! Free is Heaven’s chosen no. 1! 】
【Free is awesome! Is the card this time big enough? ! 】
[With Whisper here we’re not nervous for Evil’s first World Championships! ! ! 】
[Shi zai, Slag man Yu is even having an account-deletion battle for you. If you win the match, make him an honest man already! 】
【Chen Huo, Jiayou! ! ! 】
[Puppy, look here! On your first live broadcast after you quarterfinals victory, I’ll give you so many gifts, you’ll get first place! 】
【Whisper, sorry! 】
【Go Yu Shen! ! ! If you lose, all Chinese players will accompany you to delete accounts! 】
[Sorry, this is late. Whisper, Chen Huo, Puppy, welcome home. 】
[Free, can you see? If you can, then play with peace of mind! If you win, we’ll be proud and if you lose, we’ll resist ! ! ! 】
“You…” Zhou Huo clasped the stand railings tightly. He said with difficulty, “You’ve all said that you’re villains so don’t cry. The match is about to start soon. It’ll be embarra.s.sing if someone sees you crying, really……”
Zhou Huo bowed his head, tears winding down his face, choked and speechless.
When he posted on Weibo yesterday, Zhou Huo’s heart went through twists and turns.
He was worried that the sprayers would take this opportunity to attack the club; that Yu Sui’s haters would throw stones when he was down and that the fans would not understand how much pressure these players had been bearing this past year and that even at this time, Whisper would still be accused of being immature.
When the team was first formed less than a year ago, the entire club was sprayed black and blue by the sprayers.
Zhou Huo had been watching everyone this past year. The first post on the club’s official account was posted by Zhou Huo.
It was still vivid in Zhou Huo’s mind how offensive the words the sprayers had used.
The four players always said that it didn’t matter. Their calm tone too as they said it was vivid in Zhou Huo’s mind.
But aren’t they human beings too? Young people in their twenties? Who could really be totally indifferent and like to be greeted by the sprayers all day?
They clearly did nothing wrong.
Clearly nothing wrong.
Later, the misunderstanding was solved and Free had a lot of good reviews. But whenever there was any sign of trouble, they would still be bombarded by the sprayers.
Over time, Zhou Huo, Old Qiao and the rest of the club had a.s.similated to the culture created by the players and gradually got used to it.
In E-sports, isn’t it normal to be sprayed?
But occasionally, he still wanted to say some heartfelt words on their behalf. He wanted them to have something they could rely on having their back when they went into battle.
Before he made the statement yesterday, Zhou Huo actually wanted to tell Yu Sui that, I know you’re protecting the players and your fans in the compet.i.tion, but others might not appreciate it.
Zhou Huo was now very glad he didn’t stop it.
Before entering the backstage, the players turned their heads instinctively without being reminded by anyone.
For too long, too long, too long, they haven’t seen this kind of scene — a stadium full of lights that belonged to them. Even if they had been on the battlefield for so long, they still weren’t used to it.
The sweat and tears shed when no one was around, the unutterable feeling of being filled with hot-bloodedness, three years later…
The bystanders nevertheless still felt it.