CH 30

Lu Huai initially thought that with the WOC branch playing against OVO, there would be no business for their Fortune branch, so he was idling on the side.

However, he suddenly received a cue from Yu Hao and was momentarily caught off guard.

“How about it, Lu Team? Want to join and play a game with us?” Yu Hao extended a sincere invitation to Lu Huai.

Since they were part of the same club and had a good relationship, Lu Huai saw no reason to decline.

Ji Xiuyan originally had no interest in real-life CS, but when he saw Lu Huai getting ready to participate, he immediately stood up.

“Mr. Ji?” His sycophant, Shen Qi, looked up in confusion at his boss.

Did his excessive flattery suddenly make the boss uncomfortable?

However, he had always been this way, and his boss had never shown any signs of being uncomfortable before.

“It’s fine. I’m going to check on the players,” Ji Xiuyan said, striding with his long legs to the viewing area.

Also in the viewing area were members of the OVO and JW clubs, along with other personnel from the two clubs.

Jiang Min and OVO’s mid-laner sat side by side on the central bench in the viewing area.

Jiang Min still had this surreal feeling. Were these kids really going to play real-life CS for his friend position and an “OVO meal ticket” as the prize?

OVO’s mid-laner, Xiao He, was a small and slender kid. He was a temporary replacement that Yu Hao recruited from OVO’s youth training to fill in for the original mid-laner, whose contract had expired. He was rumored to be a genius-level young player and had just turned eighteen this year.

Xiao He sat next to Jiang Min, fidgeting and blushing slightly.

The players from OVO and JW were preparing for the match, while Jiang Min was feeling quite bored.

After getting dressed up, Yu Hao waved vigorously to Jiang Min, like a large dog greeting its owner, with his fluffy brown hair, making him look like an excited canine. Jiang Min responded with a casual wave.

At that moment, JW’s operations team brought various drinks for the people in the viewing area. Jiang Min casually picked up a bottle to drink and realized that Xiao He, his OVO counterpart, hadn’t received a drink yet. So, he handed the bag to Xiao He, saying, “What do you want? Choose for yourself.”

Hailing from the relatively mild climate of H Island, they were enjoying the pleasant winter weather, bathed in the sunlight. The viewing area’s canopy was composed of intertwined vines, making the place feel cozy and scenic.

Unbeknownst to Jiang Min, Xiao He was watching him. This young mid-laner was profoundly respectful of Jiang Min. After all, Jiang Min was like a god to him, and now he was sitting right next to him. Xiao He shyly took a bottle of iced cola from the bag and said softly, “Thank you, Sugar God.”

Jiang Min replied, “You’re welcome.”

Xiao He twisted the bottle cap, lowered his head to look at the cola bottle, and glanced at Jiang Min a few times, showing the same shyness as an adolescent secretly in love.

Jiang Min seemed oblivious to all this and kept his focus on the people getting ready for the match.

However, Yu Hao noticed everything. Yu Hao, dressed for the game and having just finished a can of cold drink, suddenly crushed the can with such force that it startled the JW team members nearby.

“Captain, is there any grudge between you and OVO? Do you need to be so angry?” Wei Yabo asked, concerned.

As far as they knew, apart from a few normal matches on the field, they didn’t have any conflicts with OVO. Yu Hao and the OVO captain had even exchanged pleasantries from time to time. They thought they were friends.

Because OVO’s players happened to be standing in the middle between JW players and the viewing area, Wei Yabo mistakenly thought that Yu Hao was staring at OVO’s players.

Yu Hao’s expression was unkind. These OVO folks clearly had ulterior motives, and one by one, they coveted his Sugar God.

After the match, he would settle scores. For now, it was crucial to win the game and prevent that “Sea King,” Cen Yu, from adding Sugar God as a friend.

————

The match preparations were beginning. The coaches of the real-life CS club stood between the two teams, allowing them to familiarize themselves with the equipment.

These gamers usually stayed in the base, rarely leaving except for matches and team dinners. So many of them were experiencing real-life CS for the first time. Before starting the match, the coaches gave them some instructions on using the equipment and the rules of the game.

Both teams chose the most classic game mode for their real-life CS match. They would start from different locations on the field and compete in a “kill or be killed” game. The first team to “kill” all the opposing members would win.

This club used laser detection. Each participant wore sensors on their legs, chests, and heads. A leg sensor would signal death after three hits, the chest sensor after two hits, and the head sensor after one hit.

Each team had a coach, and each coach had two electric tricycles ready to transport their five players to their starting positions.

Seeing the electric tricycles, Hao Qianyi made a face of disdain and looked at the rudimentary vehicle. “Coach, don’t we have a better means of transportation? Will these tricycles break down on the way with five of us on board?”

The club’s coach, sporting a particularly thick skin, replied, “Young man, these aren’t ordinary tricycles. They are indestructible Iron Trikes manufactured by the M Corporation!”

Hao Qianyi was in shock. “Are you kidding me?”

“Alright, young man, now that you’re here to play real-life CS, please treat this vehicle as your military transport. Thank you!”

Hao Qianyi had nothing to say. So, both teams

boarded the “military transports” and arrived at their designated starting points.

“After we start, we should split up and find cover, okay?” Yu Hao jumped off the tricycle and said, “In these kinds of games, I think Lu Team should be more skilled than me, so I’ll leave the command to Lu Team.”

Despite the rudimentary vehicles, the rest of the equipment was top-notch. Besides the laser sensing equipment, each player also had a communication device similar to a Bluetooth earpiece attached to their ear.

“This is my first time playing real-life CS. I can’t guarantee that I’ll be good,” Lu Huai said, as serious as ever.

“It’s okay. Even if you play at one-tenth of your level in the game, it’ll be enough to stomp the other side,” Hao Qianyi said, “You’re a pro!”

“I’ll do my best.”

The signal was sent, and the match began. The teams quickly separated and found cover. Most of them were new to this, so they were adopting cautious strategies in the early game.

Then, ten minutes passed, and not a single head appeared on the field.

The event planners in the viewing area were nearly going insane.

They wanted passionate battles! That’s what would make it exciting and entertaining. Recording a team-building video of this would put fans to sleep!

“Hao, move forward to Point B, I suspect there might be someone at Point C,” Lu Huai said through the team’s communication, “The rest of you stay still for now. If the opponents peek, remember to shoot and change your position to avoid being exposed.”

“Got it!” the team members responded.

Hao Qianyi, equipped for action, envisioned himself as a soldier in a movie, swiftly maneuvering through the “battlefield,” untouched amidst the rain of bullets. However, dreams are often different from reality. Hao Qianyi, who rarely engaged in physical activities, started panting after just a few steps. Combined with the equipment he was carrying, he couldn’t reach Point B as fast as he had hoped. His speed was reduced to a walking pace.

Then, from all directions, players from OVO’s team launched an attack on him, and he was eliminated in an instant. Hao Qianyi, who had done almost nothing but run a few steps, was eliminated.

With the score now 5:4 in favor of OVO, both Lu Huai and Yu Hao were speechless.

Lu Huai hadn’t expected Hao Qianyi’s lack of physical fitness, which led to his elimination due to slow movement.

As for Yu Hao, he couldn’t help but despise his own third position.

“Never mind, let’s be more cautious from now on. Find cover individually. We’re down one person, and the opponents may try to push forward,” Lu Huai remained calm despite the unexpected situation.

“Okay!”

The Golden and Silver Bun brothers quickly moved to a hiding spot behind a wall. Wei Yafeng tilted his head and noticed a strange-looking tree not far away.

“Look over there,” Wei Yafeng tugged at Wei Yabai’s clothes, indicating he should check that direction.

“What’s up?” Wei Yabai, fully absorbed in the tense atmosphere, had heightened his senses to the maximum.

He turned his head and also noticed the tree that had caught Wei Yafeng’s eye. The tree had a fairly thick trunk, but it seemed that the figure hiding behind it was quite wide. There was no need to guess; it had to be OVO’s “heavyweight” player, Hotpot.

Hotpot didn’t seem to realize he had been spotted. Instead, he was quite pleased with himself, thinking he had found a great hiding place.

The Golden and Silver Bun brothers exchanged glances. If they didn’t confront Hotpot now, they’d be considered terrible players!

So, the two of them stealthily approached.

Hotpot was facing the big tree, lost in thought. Suddenly, the JW twin brothers appeared, one on each side, aiming for his sensors with several consecutive shots. Hotpot was eliminated.

Fatty Hotpot showed a surprised expression, “Holy crap! How did you guys find me!?”

Wei Yafeng couldn’t be bothered to argue and said, “Dude, next time, avoid hiding behind trees. They won’t save you.”

However, after the Golden and Silver Bun brothers “killed” Hotpot, they became complacent and were exposed. Although they reacted quickly and “killed” OVO’s analyst, they were ultimately eliminated by other OVO players.

Now, the score was 2:3, with only Yu Hao and Lu Huai remaining for JW.

“Lu Team, I absolutely don’t want to lose this match no matter what. You need to come up with a plan,” Yu Hao said, covering his face. His WOC team members were really unreliable.

Hao Qianyi was clearly hopeless, and the Golden and Silver Bun brothers were easily distracted.

“Alright, I’ve almost figured out the positions of the three on the other side,” Lu Huai said. In Fortune, he played as a sniper, and in this real-life CS matchup, he also chose sniper equipment.

“So, you’ll be responsible for drawing their attention later and luring them out. I’ll take care of them.”

“Okay.”

The strategic cooperation between JW’s WOC branch and Fortune’s branch leaders was about to begin.

The author has something to say: Our Sugar God is very popular in the league. Little Fish, if you’re jealous, there’s no need, haha.

Today, it’s a double update of Durian Sauce, seeking praise~

1TL: YSIAD “You can support me if you like my translations by leaving a comment below, or by sending me a Ko-fi. Thank you ️”