Chapter 34.1: You've only cried once. It's not enough

Wei Xiao was very interested. He’d long felt that the off-season period was too long, and really couldn’t wait to play. Now that he was hearing about this, how could he not be excited? “Brother Chen, is it that one?”

Chen Feng: “……”

It really wasn’t that one, but… it also was the very same one.

Tang Chen laughed loudly, “It’s really 15 days of hard work, in principle.”

Wei Xiao looked at Tang Chen, “God Tang, have you participated in it before? How was it? Was it exciting!”

Tang Chen was a little stunned when he asked this.

FTW hadn’t participated last year, but they had gone two years ago.

That year, FTW was hammered very miserably. Except for Close, everyone’s mentality collapsed. After returning home, they played badly and failed to even obtain the domestic championship.

Chen Feng took over the conversation and poured figurative cold water over Wei Xiao’s head, “The last time FTW participated, we lost six straight games after returning to China.”

As soon as these words came out, the meeting room became much quieter.

Bai Cai lowered his eyes and stared at the blank desktop in front of him. It wasn’t clear what he was thinking.

Ning Zhehan’s back straightened up involuntarily.

Yue Wenle clenched his hands into fists beneath the table.

Chen Feng didn’t mean to frighten them, but if they really didn’t do enough mental preparation in advance, they would collapse even more after going.

The cruelty of the competition was the most obvious only when they were able to see the insurmountable gap between different players.

This wasn’t something that could be made up with by hard work, struggle, or persistence.

Because others had more talent, and might even be more hard working, more persistent, and have fought for even longer.

In front of this chasm as wide as the heavens, what could they use to fight against others with?

Chen Feng pointed at the training list and said, “Two years ago, FTW participated in winter training. Many teams came to arrange for training matches, since after all, it was the Team of Gods, and those who’d left FTW were so famous that there were many people who were curious.”

Wei Xiao heard about how it was two years ago and was shaken for a moment.

Chen Feng continued, “Do you guys think that it’s a good thing to have people invite you to training matches?” He sneered, “The premise is that you have the ability to cope with them.”

The FTW at the time, other than Close and Tang Chen had all been transferred in from the reserve team. These new players couldn’t even keep up with Tang Chen, let alone Close.

However, FTW had a big reputation. Close had just won the individual championship, and it was like a nail in the eyes of the global professional players.

Everyone invited FTW for training matches. Firstly, it was because they valued this old, powerful team, and secondly, because they appreciated this young new captain.

However…

5v5 matches weren’t the same as a 1v1 match. All the teams who made appointments with FTW were disappointed.

The team that was once the champion team, was already dispersed like loose grains of sand, with no sense of tacit understanding and cooperation. Even if Close was stronger, so what?

As long as they targeted Close to death, the team would be vulnerable.

There were over a dozen training matches, and FTW lost until they were a mess.

Chen Feng tried hard to give psychological support to these newcomers, trying to cheer them up and find out their faults under this strong pressure so that they could grow quickly.

But then, the mid-lane player said to him, “There’s no use! We can’t win against them! The difference is too big!”

The thing to be the most afraid of in a game wasn’t making mistakes. It wasn’t the gap in strength, nor was it a lineup that suppressed theirs; it was players who’d given up.

Given up the game, and given up on themselves.

How could they win like that!

Over the years, many teams had become completely defeated by winter training. Two years ago, FTW was one of them.

Now that they’d signed up, Chen Feng didn’t plan to hide anything. He used a calm tone to describe FTW’s experience from two years ago.

“… At the end, Close made continuous individual game appointments with people.”

It was fifteen days of training. In the first week, there were always people wanting to find FTW for training matches, but they kept losing, and lost to the point where no team was willing to play training matches with them.

But they were already there. What would it look like if they left halfway?

The fans back home could flame FTW until they disbanded.

They couldn’t leave, and could only force themselves to go on.

The proper competition was about to start soon. They couldn’t just let the last week of training be wasted just like this, right?

At the time, many people wanted to make individual match appointments with Close. At first, Close hadn’t wanted to waste any time on it, and refused everyone.

But now, there was nobody fighting the 5v5 matches with them.

What to do?

Trade solo matches for 5v5 training matches.

Chen Feng exhaled softly, “Ten solo matches for one 5v5.”

When Wei Xiao heard this, he was so distressed he almost exploded, “F*ck!”

One solo game lasted half an hour. Ten matches was five hours.

Five hours for one 5v5 training match, this was enough to make Close tired to death!

Chen Feng closed his eyes, “They also didn’t take the training matches that were obtained in this way seriously.”

‘They’ referred to Close’s teammates at the time.

They didn’t care about where the training matches had come from. They only felt that they were about to collapse, and didn’t want to play. They only wanted to escape.

The hard-earned training opportunities that Close had obtained for them was nothing but a burden, nothing but pressure and nightmares to them.

There was silence in the meeting room.

Chen Feng looked around, “Although you’ve already signed up, there’s still a chance to change your mind. You can tell me if you don’t want to go.”

Wei Xiao immediately spoke up, “Go! We have to go! We have to get even!”

Damn it, a group of dogs bullied Close. If he didn’t blow them up, he, Wei Xiao, would write his name backwards!

Chen Feng wasn’t surprised at his reaction at all. He was concerned about the others.

The corners of Bai Cai’s mouth curved slightly. The heated blood that had boiled when he followed Wei Xiao two years ago stirred, “I’ll do as the Captain says.”

His words held two meanings. The captain of FTW was Lu Feng, but his former captain was Wei Xiao.

Both of them were going, and he would follow them.

Ning Zhehan clenched his fist, his cheeks a little flushed and his voice trembling slightly, but the words he spoke were very resolute, “I’m going! I’m not scared of losing! I definitely won’t hold everyone back!”

Chen Feng nodded at him, then looked at Yue Wenle.

Yue Wenle glanced at Wei Xiao, then spoke slowly, “What’s so scary about losing? A year and a half ago, I was bullied into tears by One Lamp Grandmaster for three days and three nights, yet I didn’t give up playing professionally.”

Chen Feng was shocked for a moment when he heard this.

Ning Zhehan’s eyes brightened and he added, “Yes! I’ve also cried before, but I feel happy after crying, and just want to become stronger quickly!”

Yue Wenle evaluated him, “You’ve only cried once. It’s not enough.”

Ning Zhehan: “Ah, I’m really not experienced enough. I have to learn from Brother Le!”

Yue Wenle paused for a moment and glanced at him, “How come I feel like you’re ridiculing me?”

Ning Zhehan blinked his big eyes at him, “Did I?”

Yue Wenle pressed further, “What are you learning from me? Learning to cry like me? Learning to cry for three days and three nights?”

Ning Zhehan: “Cough…”

Wei Xiao hurriedly tried to smooth things out, “Little Ning, you can’t learn these things, but I can help you. Isn’t it just crying? I’m the best at making people cry!”

Tang Chen burst out laughing.

Chen Feng: “……”

He always had the feeling that this preventative injection was given in vain. As expected, once Little Lunatic Wei joined, the entire team’s style has turned strange!

Coach Chen knocked on the table, “If you have the time to compare who can cry better than others, why don’t you go train at hitting soldiers for three hours!”

If the most boring part of the daily training course had to be named, it would definitely be hitting soldiers.

It was done little by little, boring and dull. Everyone was afraid of this task, Little Lunatic Wei included.

Winter training was so settled. Everyone maintained a distance from Coach Chen out of fear that the training time for hitting soldiers would suddenly increase from three hours to six.

Wei Xiao followed behind Lu Feng, stepping wherever he went.

Lu Feng turned around to look at him, “What?”

Wei Xiao hesitated, and put on an affected, bashful appearance.

Lu Feng paused for a moment, then hardened his heart and said, “The plane leaves in the morning tomorrow. You must go to bed early tonight.”

The location for the winter training camp was on an island in Southeast Asia. It would take about five hours to fly there from S City.

Wei Xiao was still wavering.

Lu Feng’s hardened heart softened again, “Two hours.”

Wei Xiao was stunned, “Ah?”

Lu Feng: “Time will be very tight once we arrive at the training venue, so I’ll accompany you to solo for two hours tonight.”

“F*ck!” Wei Xiao was stunned by this unexpected joy, “Your words better count!”

Lu Feng: “Have I ever lied to you?”

Wei Xiao was so delighted he could die, “No, not once!”

Lu Feng’s mouth raised slightly, “Go play doubles with Bai Cai first. I’ll call you after I’m finished here.”

Wei Xiao didn’t leave.

Lu Feng: “What else?”

Other than solo, what other reason would this kid come find him for?

Wei Xiao explained, “I wasn’t aiming for solo with you. Of course, I want it, but that’s not the point. But since you promised to give me two hours, don’t regret it.”

“Yes.” Lu Feng was really at a loss regarding that mouth of his. He laughed and said, “I said I’d give it to you, so I definitely will.”

Fortunately, there was no third person here. Otherwise, after listening to this dialogue, their brains would once again end up in the gutter!

Wei Xiao took a deep breath and finally said what he’d wanted to say, “I’m sorry!”

Lu Feng was caught by surprise.

Wei Xiao gave him a deep bow that was full of guilt and said, “Two years ago, I’m sorry!”

Two years ago, when FTW invited Wei Xiao, it had been at about the same time. If he’d signed up to join the team, he would’ve gone to the winter training camp with Close, and he wouldn’t have let Close bear so much alone.

Two years ago, when Close needed his teammates most, he fled.

Wei Xiao felt bad whenever he thought about it.

Lu Feng looked at the young man in front of him and felt a melting warmth in his chest.

“It’s not your fault.”

What Wei Xiao experienced two years ago doomed him to leave the professional arena. His close relative had died, and he definitely couldn’t have been in the mood to play.

Let alone, the Lu Feng at the time…

Lu Feng touched the young man’s soft and warm black hair. “Two years ago, I didn’t deserve you.”

pst – unedited because xiin’s organisational skills went down the drain somewhere…