However, Shen Yanming's wish to watch Zhang Xixi and the others' game was not entirely an excuse. Although the two teams had a slight difference in strength based on past results, it was not easy to say. In the past, there were often cases where underdog teams fought their way out and became dark horses.
There's nothing else to do, so let's see if there are any surprises.
After the last farce ended, this wave of players behaved much more seriously. In the past, some players would occasionally say a few witty remarks before the game, but now it is gone. When the pre-match commentary routinely asks the team spokesperson to say a few words, everyone's words are very serious and there is nothing to fault with them.
The only person who made Shen Yanming cautious was the veteran Xu Yin from RX, whose game ID was because_of_u. When he took the microphone, he smiled and said, "This may be my last chance."
The commentator followed up on Xu Yin's question and asked, "How do you say that?"
Xu Yin took a deep breath, and when he spoke again, his tone was more serious, and there was a hint of regret: "If I can advance, I will continue to fight... If I fail in this match, I will retire when I return."
The commentator and teammates nearby patted Xu Yin on the shoulder to encourage him, and the members of xxl also shouted, "Come on, Brother Yin."
Perhaps influenced by the people on the field, some of the not-so-large audience members in the audience also started shouting, and the cheering continued for a while.
It was a stark contrast to the chaotic previous game... Some people treated the game as a joke, while others put everything they had into it, staying if they could advance, and leaving if they couldn't.
Shen Yanming didn't know much about Xu Yin. When he officially started playing professionally in his previous life, Xu Yin had already left. Before retiring, Xu Yin didn't seem to have any outstanding achievements that people could remember. Therefore, Shen Yanming only vaguely knew that there was such a person, but he didn't have a deep impression of him.
Shen Yanming flipped through the schedule booklet that was stuffed into his pocket when he entered the venue. It contained a detailed resume of the players. It said that Xu Yin had been playing in the competition since he was 16 years old and had been playing for seven years. His best result during that time was reaching the top 16 of the regular season with the team.
From 16 to now 23 years old.
For most people, 23 years old means they have just left school and entered the society. Some people who have been studying may even still be on campus. It is an age full of vigor and hope.
However, for a professional player, 23 years old is considered old. The golden age of playing games is only a few years, after which the player's physical fitness and reaction ability will decline. It is still good if the reaction becomes worse. In the worst case, under the multiple pressures of high-intensity training and various difficult competitions, players often suffer from injuries, so few people can persist in playing professionally for such a long time.
Many players would consider leaving and finding another way to make a living if they fail to achieve results after two or three years, but Xu Yin persisted for seven years.
Shen Yanming let out a long sigh.
He is indeed a very respectable person.
But Xu Yin should not have gained nothing in the past seven years. A few rows in front of Shen Yanming, two girls were holding a light board with the words "Because of you, I believe" written on it. When the audience cheered for the contestants on the stage, the two girls shouted heartbreakingly. Now the cheers at the scene gradually weakened, but the two of them did not stop.
He kept shouting "Come on Yin Ge, come on rx" and even started to cry at the end.
Being able to receive such full support from others, this journey should be worth it, Shen Yanming thought.
Soon, the two teams of players took their seats, entered the game, and chose their characters.
In fact, xxl still retained its strength and did not use any new routines or tactics. He just played according to the rules.
Before the game, everyone's cheers and wishes for rx were naturally beautiful, but the reality is that their strength is indeed not as good as xxl. After several mutual tests, rx's weakness began to show. After more than 30 minutes of the game, xxl won the victory and rx lost.
After the break, the second game started. This game started well for rx. They found the crown first, and the crown refresh point was very close to the throne. In addition, there were abundant resources around, and the team members were all very fat. In the end, they narrowly defeated xxl.
In the final and decisive game, rx failed to qualify to continue to the next round.
There are many teams participating in the first round of the regular season of the "Return to the Throne" professional league. The round-robin system will not be adopted at this stage, so if you lose, you lose and can only leave with regret.
If they lose, some people can fight again next year.
But for some others, this farewell is a farewell forever.
As usual, the players of both teams still had to come to the stage from the contestant room after the game. The other contestants had already stood up, but Xu Yin was still sitting in his seat for a long time without moving.
The teammate next to him patted Xu Yin on the shoulder and left, but Xu Yin remained sitting there.
The camera was pointed right at him.
So everyone saw from the big screens on both sides of the indoor gymnasium that Xu Yin first stood up, reached out and touched the edge of the monitor, as if he was touching the face of an old friend.
Then he bent down, closed his eyes, and reverently placed a kiss on the keyboard that he had been using day and night and had fought alongside him.
When he raised his head again, Xu Yin was smiling with tears in his eyes.
There was prolonged applause in the arena.
Shen Yanming saw the two girls in front of him, hugging each other and apparently crying.
Xu Yin wiped his eyes, waved his hand, and finally walked out of the contestant room.
He said something, but because he didn't have a microphone with him, the audience couldn't hear it clearly.
But judging by his mouth shape, he seemed to be saying—
"I'm leaving now."
The applause gradually stopped and Shen Yanming also put down his hands.
He rubbed his face.
In fact, he also felt his eyes were a little hot.
He had no idea whether Xu Yin had done the same thing when he retired in his previous life. Other people basically just said a few sentimental words and wrote a few short essays on Weibo when they retired. Shen Yanming had seen it too many times. There were too many people retiring every year. When someone he knew retired, he would at most feel sorry for them, and there was no more emotion for him.
After all, it is normal for players to retire. The e-sports circle is changing rapidly, and there are many new faces among the opponents every season. It is normal for people to come and go.
But when he saw this scene today, he was really shocked.
Xu Yin must love this competition field very much. Seven years is just a few simple lines of information on his resume.
But can seven years really be summed up in just a few lines
He must have faced countless doubts and pressures in the past seven years. He may have had many nights of tears and sleeplessness, and he may have thought about giving up.
After all, this circle is really realistic. Without talent, it is difficult to reach the highest peak by hard work alone. At most, you can only enjoy the scenery halfway up the mountain or even at the foot of the mountain.
But even so...even though he himself should know that he may never touch the glory of his dreams, he is unwilling to stop running, just to get closer and closer to that light.
When I had to leave, I still couldn't let go, so I used a kiss as a farewell ceremony.
Shen Yanming no longer had the heart to listen to what the commentator on the field was still saying.
He felt a little confused.
He thought that some people were still willing to continue playing the game, but they would not have another chance.
However, he actually... he actually still had a lot of opportunities, he still had a lot of time in his prime, and in fact, he had talents that many people envied, as well as the accumulation of several years in his previous life.
I have read some stories before. If others had another chance, they would use their advantage as a forefather to show their skills and fight back. They would not only make up for their regrets but also kill all the enemies.
He is not that kind of person; he is just an ostrich.
If he were the protagonist of the story, he would probably be scolded for being useless.
But he also secretly asked himself, is he really willing to do this
If he was willing, would he keep saying that he wanted to let go and study, but still focus on the game all day? He didn't want to study at all. He kept saying that he wanted to study and be a senior high school student, but it seemed more like he was brainwashing himself.
If he was willing, would he come all the way here to watch a game? Would he feel a little bit of joy that he dared not say out loud when he learned that his flight was delayed
He wanted to stay here for a while, and when he was selected to play in the entertainment friendly match, he actually felt extremely nostalgic.
When He Changkong wanted to recruit him into the team, he was tempted countless times. It didn't matter if he couldn't start and had to be a substitute. He really wanted to see what a strong team looked like, and what it would feel like to be teammates with these top players.
He is unwilling to accept this.
But he seemed to have woven a net for himself, trapping himself. Every time he had some tentative thoughts to move forward, the net would tighten a little. There were many reasons sewn on the net. He was afraid of being disappointed again, and afraid of being hurt again... It seemed hypocritical to say it, but he stopped because of this.
After seeing Xu Yin’s exit today, the net that wrapped him seemed to be torn a little.
There are many reasons for not wanting to fight, but if one day he says he still wants to continue, he will only have one reason that sounds very rustic.
It is a word that makes him feel embarrassed whenever he says it, and it is also a word that he no longer dares to say.
It's a dream.
But does someone who has given up his dreams once really have the qualifications to get back on track
Compared to people like Xu Yin who persisted from beginning to end, he is really terrible.
When he came out of the gymnasium, the rain had lightened up a lot and the sky was completely dark. Shen Yanming found a place to stand, his mind was still in a mess, and he kept replaying the scene of Xu Yin kissing the keyboard.
Unable to come up with a conclusion, he sighed and took out his phone to check, intending to put this episode aside for the time being.
He Changkong sent him a message half an hour ago, asking him if he had finished watching the game.
When Shen Yanming saw He Changkong's message, he thought of hot pot. When he thought of hot pot, his worries temporarily evaporated.
Nothing is more important than eating!
Shen Yanming replied.
[Shenbird]: Just finished watching =. =How about you guys
After a while, I received a few voice messages. I clicked on them and found that the voice was from Meng Yan: "Your brother Kong is driving. I'll reply to you on his behalf. We just thought you had seen enough and left early. We are almost there now. You can come directly to Gate No. 2 to find us..."
Shen Yanming:!
He trotted over with an umbrella, and soon he saw He Changkong's car parked in front of him.
Looking again, wow, a car full of strange-looking people. The ball-shaped fish was squeezed pitifully in the front seat, Meng Yan was slumped in the back like a salted fish, and Pudding, wearing a lolita dress and long false eyelashes, opened the car door and waved for Shen Yanming to come in.
Shen Yanming greeted everyone and sat in the only empty seat in the back seat. Suddenly, he heard a scream.
Pudding frowned and said, "Asshole, you're pressing down on my skirt! Sit further away!"
Shen Yanming quickly apologized and moved away.
Meng Yan was still paralyzed, and after hearing Pudding's words, he made a provocative move: "Dingjiang, be polite. If you are so fierce and chaotic, He Changkong will go to your room in the middle of the night and cut off all your skirts."
He Changkong: "… I can't."
Pudding turned around and lifted up Shen Yanming's chin: "He is indeed a big baby, with delicate features. If you trim his eyebrows a little thinner, they will be just right."
Shen Yanming: “…???” Trimming eyebrows? Why do you need to trim eyebrows
Although he knew that the person in front of him was a man, the makeup and wig were so well done that he looked too much like a girl. Shen Yanming blushed in a cowardly manner when he was teased on the chin by such a man.
After all, he had never had such close(?) contact with a girl(?) in his life, so he felt embarrassed.
Meng Yan, however, looked as if something was wrong and shouted randomly: "Wow, you are really frivolous, why did you blush in front of Pudding?"
Pudding took his hand away: "Who with normal aesthetic taste wouldn't blush when seeing me? If you can look me in the eye for more than ten seconds without blushing, I lose."
Meng Yan: "Damn, this bitch's shamelessness has reached a new level."
Fish said dully, "Isn't blushing a sign of innocence? How can it be called frivolous?"
Meng Yan stretched out his hand to pat Fish's head: "You don't understand, he can only blush to one person."
Shen Yanming himself didn't know: "To whom?"
Meng Yan said meaningfully: "... to his wife."
This "wife" actually has a meaning, but the usually smart Luan Luan Zi didn't get Meng Yan's meaning this time, and thought Meng Yan was making fun of him. In order to save the situation, he forced himself to show a cool expression: "Brother Yan, don't talk nonsense, I will definitely not blush to my future wife, I will definitely be majestic, and then my petite and lovely wife will snuggle in my arms and act coquettishly to me..."
"Pfft," Meng Yan's expression cracked, "Are you sure it means 'petite and lovely'?"
Shen Yanming: "Any questions?"
Fish turned around happily and said, "Wow, Brother Luanzi, you also like smaller ones. I like them too..."
“Yeah, it’d be best if it’s a short school girl with a mushroom haircut, a chubby face, and big eyes… and she should call me Onii-chan, hahahaha.” Shen Yanming was just randomly speaking based on the appearance of his favorite two-dimensional character.
Shen Yanming was just speaking casually, but Meng Yan shook his head and even sighed.
Meng Yan put his hand on He Changkong's shoulder again: "You have it too hard, really."
He Changkong looked at the road ahead and didn't even glance at Meng Yan: "Stop talking nonsense."
fish: "What? Why are you guys talking like you're playing charades?"
Shen Yanming seemed to have realized something after a while, so Meng Yan was teasing him just now
The old man is really bad.
When he thought about who Meng Yan had just mentioned as "wife", he felt embarrassed... and his face got hot again.
He glanced at He Changkong again, but the other party didn't seem to care much and was still as calm and composed as usual.
Shen Yanming simply changed the subject and asked about something that he was concerned about just now. He asked Pudding: "What did Pudding mean when he asked me to trim my eyebrows just now?"
"Put on some makeup, you'll look beautiful!" Pudding clapped her hands, "Are you interested in wearing a skirt with your brother? The male liberation movement starts with you and me, and we won't have to be strangled anymore... With nothing underneath, we'll be happy in this world."
Shen Yanming: “…” He might as well not ask!!!
The car stopped at the traffic light, and He Changkong turned around and scanned the people in the back seat with a teacher's gaze. He didn't say anything, and after scanning the area, he turned back.
Meng Yan coughed and touched his nose again: "Ding Jiang, I told you not to mess around. Look, the air conditioner has started cooling down."
pudding: "…"
fish: "???"
Shen Yanming: “=皿=!!!” What’s going on with this Meng Yan!