As a Captain, You Must Be Cold - Chapter 117
After the national team won the championship in the World Cup, it dominated the popularity charts on various platforms for a consecutive week. The high-energy montage videos of the matches attracted many new players, and the 500-point Bronze rank was filled with newcomers, making it even livelier than the opening week.
Apart from new players, many old players who had quit the game for various reasons were also summoned and returned to the game one after another.
To encourage this, the official timely released a set of rewards for bringing back old players.
Successfully bringing back an old player could earn ten supply boxes. These supply boxes could contain coins, avatars, sprays, and skins. There was even a chance to obtain an exclusive beta-testing ninja skin that money couldn’t buy.
This skin, themed with “Youth,” depicted a teenage ninja wearing a high school sports uniform. The untied uniform jacket was tied around the waist, a sports headband adorned the forehead. His eyes were contemptuous and arrogant.
Although the ninja was not very tall, the facial modeling was exquisite. In the official setting, he was a sixteen-year-old genius with a tragic background and a silent demeanor.
He has all three elements of being handsome, strong, and miserable background. It would be strange if he didn’t become a popular hero.
When the news of the return of “Youth” came out, Ninja enthusiasts spread the word, weeping for joy: “It’s like celebrating the New Year!”
[Oh my god, Grandpa, the skin you’ve been waiting for is finally returning TAT]
[I’m going to train Ninja well just for this skin!]
[I remember Timeless saying he wanted to see Ninja in a suit with Shine’s bridal gown. Official: Wearing a suit at the age of sixteen? Get the school uniform on.”]
[Hahahaha, the official backstabbed us, how deadly.]
[Help, I don’t know any old players. How can I get the skin?]
[Heavy reward for a returning old player, price negotiable, online all day waiting for private messages.]
[Sincerely acknowledging as the dad, only one requirement: it must be an old player who hasn’t logged in for a year]
Inside the R.H base, after Old Tan finished the call and returned to the living room, Cheese immediately approached, eagerly asking, “How is it, how is it? What did the official say?”
Old Tan shook his head, “The official won’t let us take the back door. They say if we want the skin, we have to follow the rules.”
Shi Du sneered, “Not surprising. Back then, when we wanted a chibi standee of the captain, the damn officials also refused to open the back door.”
“And that led to my little brother publicly dying in front of the whole nation,” Qi Xian, watering the roses on the coffee table, said casually, “Now, with fewer players and more demand, I advise you to take the initiative.”
Qi Xian was the fastest. He quietly received an old account from Lu Youshan without saying anything and then just watched as they frantically fumed but still found satisfaction in the situation.
The man with a high ponytail and narrowed eyes had a heart as black as coal.
Shi Du smiled, “Let’s not talk anymore, teammate who has already got the skin.”
“Don’t be rude, Timeless.” Yu Zhaohan sat on the sofa, “I have an account that hasn’t been online for a long time. Maybe I can help you get the skin.”
Such a good thing exists?
Shi Du said, “Really?”
Yu Zhaohan said indifferently, “I never go back on my word.”
Shi Du revealed a bright smile. He walked behind the sofa, leaned down, and hugged Yu Zhaohan, placing his chin on Yu Zhaohan’s shoulder in front of several teammates. “The captain still cares for me. Does that mean only Cheese can’t get the skin now?”
Yu Zhaohan said, “Yes.”
Cheese felt intensely jealous; his eyes that wanted to dagger people couldn’t be concealed. But when he thought that only he knew about the captain tying a butterfly knot on Little Kneeling, he felt relieved again. From this perspective, he was also somewhat unique.
“Let go.” Yu Zhaohan patted Shi Du’s hand. “Follow me.”
Shi Du followed Yu Zhaohan back to the room and closed the door. He curiously asked, “Do you have any alt accounts I don’t know about?”
Yu Zhaohan sat down and opened the gaming laptop. “I don’t think so.”
Shi Du asked, “Hmm?”
“What I mentioned isn’t actually about my alt accounts.” Yu Zhaohan turned to look at Shi Du. “Can you hug me like you did just now? It’s quite comfortable.”
“I won’t, my back is sore.” Shi Du said, bending down to hug him from behind.
They had been together for so long that Yu Zhaohan was already too lazy to complain about his little brother’s habit of talking back.
He entered the account and password on the login screen.
[Wan Feng1111]
[RHSZBD1111]
After successful login, N interfaces pop up.
[Dear player “OldSoldierNeverGivesUp,” 1024 days have passed since you were last online. Welcome back, the world needs more heroes!]
[Returning player rewards have been distributed. Fill in the player ID of the one who summoned you back; they will also receive the same rewards!]
[Congratulations to the Chinese team for winning the World Cup! Starting today, players in the Chinese region will enjoy a free pass for all legendary skins!]
[Reborn from the ashes, immortal heroes- the FMVP skin [Bloody Wedding] belonging to R.H Shine is now available in the store, with a 10% discount for the first week!]
……
Shi Du understood this account when he saw it: “Is it Wan Feng’s account?”
Yu Zhaohan kept closing pop-ups non-stop: “It’s one of his legacies. He left me this account, but I’ve only logged in once before because I was afraid I’d cry due to the memories.”
Shi Du immediately said, “Log out, I don’t need the skin anymore.”
Yu Zhaohan smiled: “It’s okay, I won’t cry now.”
It took Yu Zhaohan a long time to click on all the pop-up windows in the past three years. The last one was a friend request from three years ago.
[Player [SoyStewedPigTrotters] has requested to add you as a friend.]
Yu Zhaohan didn’t think much about it. Just as he was about to reject, Shi Du suddenly said, “Isn’t this the alternate account I played three years ago?”
Yu Zhaohan’s eyes widened: “Ah?”
Shi Du had just played this game three years ago, and the nickname of the game was his favorite food [SoyStewedPigTrotters]. Later, he felt that this account was unofficial and could not get the skin he wanted, so he gave it to his classmates.
“So I did encounter Wan Feng back then,” Shi Du said, “No wonder this ID feels familiar.”
This twist of fate brought a strange joy to Yu Zhaohan, “Then you might have talked to him.”
Shi Du smiled and said, “Maybe.” He rarely took the initiative to add other people as friends when playing games, unless that person was particularly good at playing games and and they got along well. “I must have been impressed by Wan Feng’s operation.”
Yu Zhaohan smiled happily: “To round it all off, you guys knew each other, that’s great.”
Wan Feng was his team captain and the guide on his professional path, while Shi Du was his favorite boyfriend. If Wan Feng were still here, he would have introduced these two to each other.
“It’s a pity that Wan Feng didn’t accept my friend’s request…” Shi Du was stunned when he saw the date of the friend application, “Yuyu, when did Wan Feng pass away?”
Yu Zhaohan recited the date skillfully: “What’s wrong?”
Shi Du was silent for a long time, pointing to the date of the friend application, and said: “That day seems to be Wan Feng’s seventh day.”
Yu Zhaohan looked at Shi Du silently.
Shi Du looked back at Yu Zhaohan silently.
Yu Zhaohan: “???”
Shi Du: “???”
Shi Du remembered the curse that he would be recognized by fans no matter where he was, and said slowly: “Yuyu, I want to believe in science, but can you explain it?”
Yu Zhaohan’s eyes were empty and his voice was empty: “Three years ago, Wan Feng’s seventh day…”
Shi Du also reminisced about why he added this [OldSoldierNeverGivesUp] in the first place?
Three years ago, he was in his first year at a prestigious high school.
For a fifteen/six-year-old boy, the school’s strict control only made him have a rebellious mentality, and he even became slightly tired of studying. He was too lazy to go home after school on Friday. Instead, he went to an internet cafe run by a classmate to surf the web.
He had recently been pulled into the world of Destination and played for about two months. He had reached 4200 points, while his classmate struggled at 2000 points. Due to the large difference in points, they couldn’t team up for duo matches.
While waiting for the match, a classmate told him some e-sports news: “Brother Shi, did you know that Breeze passed away last week?”
“I don’t know,” Shi Du asked, “Who is Wan Feng?”
“The former captain of Shanghai R.H!” The classmate said in surprise, “Don’t you watch the Destination League?”
Shi Du said: “I don’t.”
“Well, you really should.” The classmate said, “With your gaming talent, you can play professionally in the future. It is very profitable to play professionally now.”
Shi Du raised an eyebrow, “Not a bad idea.”
After all, anything is more fun than studying.
The players in the high-end game were all addicted to points. As soon as Shi Du entered the match, he heard his teammates shouting on the mic.
OneHammer800: “Hey, everyone here? Mic check, mic check.”
I’m Cement: “Here. You guys pick first; I can fill any role.”
OneHammer800: “What about the other two? [SoyStewedPigTrotters] and [OldSoldierNeverGivesUp]?”
Shi Du lazily says, “Here.”
Old Soldier: “Yes, I’m here too.”
Shi Du couldn’t help but pause for a moment. Based on the ID, he thought it was some middle-aged guy, but it turned out to be a soft-spoken young voice.
OneHammer800: “I’ll play tank, the healer focus on me, and DPS listen to my commands.”
Shi Du disliked strangers with an inflated sense of self trying to instruct him. However, to maintain a good team atmosphere, he decided to endure it for now.
He asked, “Old Soldier, what role do you want to play?”
Old Soldier says, “I can play anything; I’m versatile.”
When ordinary people said such things, Shi Du usually thought they were showing off, but perhaps due to the heavy nasal tone of this “Old Soldier,” sounding like having a cold, Shi Du found it amusing rather than annoying.
Shi Du locked in Ninja, and Old Soldier chose Black Swan.
The game begins, and OneHammer800 starts his command: “Black Swan, use the hook to the right high ground and set up for sniping.”
Old Soldier hesitates but honestly says, “Your suggested position isn’t good for me. I won’t go there. Thanks for your advice, but I’ll find my own spot.”
OneHammer800: “…”
Shi Du: “Pfft.”
As the first team fight begins, OneHammer800 shouts loudly enough to burst his teammates’ eardrums: “I’m down! Heal me! Double C come to make up for the damage! Why am I the only one at the front? What are the Double C doing?! Support, I asked you to heal me, are you deaf?”
I’m Cement: “Damn, I don’t have any healing? I used all my skills on you. You rushed into the crowd trying to 1v4, even if the god of the heavens came, I couldn’t keep you alive!”
Shi Du’s patience has reached its limit. He throws out a “What an idiot” before muting the annoying voice. Just as he’s about to mute the dumbass’s voice, he hears Old Soldier saying, “Tank, please stop commanding randomly. Listen to me.”
OneHammer800: “Am I commanding randomly? Hilarious! Do you know my main account’s points?”
Old Soldier seemed a little anxious, but no matter how anxious he was, he was still polite like a good elementary school student: “I’m not lying to you; I can lead us to victory. Please trust me; I’m good at commanding.”
OneHammer800: “I really laughed. Every match, I get matched with a bunch of brain-dead teammates.”
Even the usually patient Old Soldier gets angry: “You’re talking nonsense!”
Shi Du sneered and said: “Come on, even a trash bag would find you hard to contain. The more dishonest a person is, the more he talks. Play or leave.”
OneHammer800: “Sure, as you said.”
Shi Du says, “Yes, just as your daddy said.”
As a result, OneHammer800 starts AFK in place, not only leaving them three versus four but also revealing their positions on the public screen, deliberately annoying their teammates.
Shi Du originally thought that this game was over, but he didn’t expect Old Soldier’s Black Swan to suddenly perform exceptionally well, taking out three squishy enemies with three consecutive shots and recapturing the objective.
I’m Cement: “Nicely done! Awesome, brother!”
Old Soldier: “We can really play; don’t give up.”
The corners of Shi Du’s lips raised: “I’ve never tried winning a 4200-rated game with three versus four. Want to give it a shot?”
I’m Cement: “Let’s do it!”
This unexpected attempt turned out to be a success. Winning a three versus four was surprising, and it was hard to say whose face was more swollen—opponents or the tank who AFKed and commanded.
The system didn’t wait for their reports; it directly determined that OneHammer800 was AFK, issued a warning, deducted points, and issued a ban in one go.
After the game ended, the post-match process was quite lengthy. It started with a photo of the victorious team, followed by the highlight recording, and then displays of damage gold and healing gold. Finally, there was the data of all heroes played in the match.
Many players lacked patience for such a lengthy process. After a win, they left immediately, rushing into the next match. Shi Du was also this type of player, but he was captivated by the Black Swan’s play of the game, replaying it several times to confirm that this was a human-level performance.
Suddenly, he heard a slight, deliberately restrained sobbing. Thinking he misheard, the sobbing became louder and almost turned into loud crying. He hadn’t cried like this since he was five years old.
In the room, only two people remained—himself and [OldSoldierNeverGivesUp].
What could have made a good-natured guy cry so sadly?
Shi Du remained silent and waited patiently until the Old Soldier was tired of crying and his voice was low before he spoke: “Old soldier, are you okay?”
Old Soldier choked up, his voice in disarray, “You’re… PigTrotter? Why are you still here?”
Shi Du straightforwardly said, “I watched your play of the game and heard you crying—everything okay?”
Old Soldier: “Oh, I’m okay. Do I sound good when I cry?”
“Pretty melodious,” Shi Du was very curious about Old Soldier’s thought process. “You weren’t crying because of that idiot, were you? Not worth it.”
Old Soldier hesitated for a moment and said, “No, I cried because someone very important to me passed away. I feel really upset.”
Shi Du fell silent. He wasn’t good at comforting people, so he simply said, “I’m sorry.”
“Why are you apologizing?” Old Soldier spoke hoarsely, “I should thank you. Honestly, I don’t dare to cry in front of others now.
Shi Du: “Why?”
Old Soldier: “I must admit that I cry like a six-year-old, and it seems immature.”
Six years old? More like five.
Shi Du: “Then do you want to continue crying for a while? I’ll stay with you.”
Old Soldier declined with a hesitant heart, “No, I can’t. If I cry again, my eyes will swell, and they’ll find out. Brother PigTrotter, thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” Shi Du couldn’t help but ask, “How old are you exactly?
You call me brother so happily.”
Old Soldier said, “I’m seventeen.”
Shi Du smirked, “Then why are you calling me brother?”
Old Soldier hesitated for a moment, looking somewhat confused, “Okay, no more brother. Will you continue playing?”
After a moment, Shi Du finally understood what Old Soldier was talking about. He couldn’t help but laugh, “What I meant was, I’m a year younger than you, so you don’t have to call me brother.”
Surprised, Old Soldier said, “Oh, you’re only sixteen?”
Shi Du confirmed, “Yes.”
Old Soldier remarked, “But your insults are quite harsh.”
Shi Du admitted, “Yes, I’ll forever be young and I will always curse people harshly.”
Old Soldier suggested, “Then I’ll call you little brother.”
Shi Du didn’t want to be called little brother either, “Can’t you just call me by my ID?”
Perhaps finding him troublesome, Old Soldier sounded somewhat resigned, “Fine, PigTrotter. Are you still playing?”
“Playing,” Shi Du said, “Want to duo queue?”
Regretfully, Old Soldier said, “I really want to duo with you, but I can’t play anymore.”
Shi Du was speechless, “Then why did you ask if I wanted to play?”
Old Soldier apologized, “Sorry, but I have to prepare for the replay. Tomorrow is the first time I’m organizing a replay, and I need a lot of preparation.”
Shi Du chuckled, “Alright. Good luck, Old Soldier.”
Old Soldier said, “Goodbye, PigTrotter.”
After playing two solo games, Shi Du suddenly realized he forgot to add Old Soldier as a friend.
He found Old Soldier in the recent players list, and sent a friend request, but Old Soldier had already logged off. He assumed Old Soldier would accept his friend request the next time he logged in, but since then, he never received any messages from Old Soldier.
A sixteen-year-old boy didn’t pay much attention to it.
There’s a saying, how does it go? If it’s meant to be, we’ll meet again.
……
“I remember now,” Yu Zhaohan excitedly blushed, “Three years ago, on that day, I logged into his account to reminisce about Wan Feng. It turns out we talked back then—sixteen-year-old Shi Du!”
Shi Du looked at him and chuckled, “I remember too, the seventeen-year-old crybaby.”
He leaned over and kissed the corner of Yu Zhaohan’s eye.
It turned out that during their first meeting, Yuyu was the most authentic self.
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