Chapter 7: A New Beginning

The match began; my teammates hesitated not a bit, immediately seizing key positions. When the enemies appeared, flashbangs and grenades detonated at precisely the right spots, and with our precise pistol fire, we won the first round without any surprises.

I breathed a sigh of relief. The two opponents who had switched in were indeed skilled, yet still a step behind Old Gun. As for the Fake Foreigner and their captain, their strength was merely average; it seemed I had worried for nothing.

In the fourth round, I was careless and got sniped by Old Gun. Unfortunately, Xu Ge, who stood by my side, gallantly joined me in death... Although Yang Mo and Andy managed to take down two opponents through coordination, they ultimately could not turn the tide. The score stood at 3 to 1; whether the other side could recover depended entirely on the fifth round.

Old Gun seemed to have refocused his attention, his heavy sniper rifle pinning us firmly behind cover, while his teammates were about to flank us for a pincer attack... At that moment, Xiao K, who always loved to act underhanded, resolutely jumped out, sacrificing his life to draw Old Gun's attention. We did not miss this opportunity and immediately shot the reloading Old Gun... I seemed to hear Old Gun's helpless sigh once again...

Just as we were about to press our advantage and secure this crucial round, suddenly everyone's screens went black. A net cafe administrator with an upright appearance walked over. "Which team is =LOST=?"

I raised my hand. "We are."

"Does your team have someone named Andy?"

"That's me. What's wrong?" Fatty also sensed something was amiss.

"According to the qualification form you filled out before the match, you are from Guangdong, with a household registration in Shenzhen? Is that correct?"

"That's correct..." Andy's voice was a bit quiet.

"According to our regulations, those without a Beijing household registration cannot register for this competition. I'm sorry, but your team has been disqualified!"

"What!?" We were nearly jumping up. "Where is this damn rule written!?"

"It is a regulation set by the sponsoring company," the administrator said with a helpless expression. "We have no choice."

I said nothing more, only recalling the various strange aspects of this competition: the champion's prize money of 1000 while the runner-up got nothing; that strange resume form we filled out; the weak teams all being assigned to the first group; =NoNoYes='s inexplicable confidence; Old Gun's mental distraction before the match...

I stopped my teammates' uproar, turned around, and looked deeply at the members of =NoNoYes=. The three newly substituted members, including Old Gun, kept their heads down, while the Fake Foreigner and the captain remained expressionless. I waved my hand. "Let's go..."

At this time, the other semifinal also ended. ★BigBoss★, who had held every advantage, was also eliminated due to household registration issues... That team of merely average strength advanced to the finals.

Hearing this, I only wanted to laugh. "A CS match decided by household registration issues. Is this the sorrow of our players, or the sorrow of this competition?..."

The two from ★BigBoss★ who had faced me walked over, patted my shoulder, and left calmly. Their captain was polite to me, promising to spar again if we had the chance in the future...

I sighed and prepared to leave. Andy was still arguing with the administrator. "Even if I don't play, our team of four can still beat them..."

A dry voice suddenly sounded from behind: "I am also from Guangdong. I demand to withdraw from the competition!"

Old Gun!

The administrator's smile became a bit stiff: "Given your voluntary admission, the =NoNoYes= team can substitute one person from the listed reserves..."

Two more voices spoke up: "We are from Beijing, but we also withdraw from the competition!" It was the two who had been substituted in with Old Gun.

That team of merely average strength was also ashamed to enter the finals this way and seemed ready to withdraw. Later, after Old Gun went over and said something, they decided to continue the match.

And =NoNoYes= somehow managed to get a few more people, barely making up the required number of players for the match. However, the audience had mostly left, having no interest in watching further.

One sentence from Old Gun revealed the truth to us: "The captain of =NoNoYes= is the son of the sponsoring company's boss!"

Andy was still indignant. "Just let those bastards take the championship like that?!"

I countered: "Are you so sure =NoNoYes= will win the finals?"

"The strength is obvious! =NoNoYes= is clearly stronger than that team!"

"I don't think so..." I glanced at Old Gun.

"Hehe, truly worthy of being 'Lucifer'," Old Gun called out the name I used when I was a hacker. "You actually saw the tricks I pulled..."

"... with my feet."

"What tricks?" Yang Mo and Xu Ge were also greatly interested.

"Nothing much," Old Gun said expressionlessly. "I just modified the game character parameters, changing the head size of the characters used by =NoNoYes= to be as large as the screen..."

"You use your sniper rifle so well; you didn't cheat on that too, did you?" Xiao K teased him.

"Cheating isn't necessary to deal with you..." Old Gun looked disdainful.

"Let's go, let's go eat together to celebrate Old Gun's joining!" I quickly changed the subject.

Xu Ge's face instantly turned bitter like a bitter melon.

I still didn't let him off the hook. "Everyone find a good place! ~~Xu Ge is treating!"

>>>>>>

Later, we heard that the match was very chaotic. The people of =NoNoYes= insisted their opponents were cheating, but no abnormalities could be found on their machines (of course, nothing could be found; the tricks were done on the =NoNoYes= machines). In the end, the matter was dropped.

With Old Gun joining us, our strength increased. Over two years, we fought across various places in Beijing and became somewhat famous. However, due to the shadow of that first competition, we never participated in an official match again. But we did make many new friends, some of whom were semi-professional experts in StarCraft or Warcraft.

I treasured this opportunity, often sparring with them, and my skill improved further. Meanwhile, my ability to calmly judge situations and command with composure in CS also manifested in my StarCraft and Warcraft matches.

Of course, human energy is limited. The result of me dividing my attention between StarCraft and Warcraft was that my progress in CS lagged behind my teammates. However, after Old Gun joined, the team had six members, so I was happy to serve as a reserve. Of course, I would still play in important matches, using my command talents to help the team achieve victory. (Everyone groans in disgust.) Although I am not as specialized as my teammates, precisely because of my versatility, I can take any of their positions without being inferior. Moreover, when I am emotionally agitated, my one-on-one ability is unmatched.

I remember once after a match, we had won with difficulty. I said arrogantly, "Not bad, you won even without the captain? Haha!"

The opposing top player was extremely indignant, pointing at me and shouting: "What skills do you have to be so arrogant...!"

I continued smiling: "I have no special skills..."

The opponent, looking as if he had guessed it all along: "You are truly despicable, using such boring psychological tactics. You find an idiot to sit on the side and claim the captain isn't playing. If you lose, it's saving strength; if you win, you claim you didn't go all out..." The top player rambled on endlessly.

"What are you saying!"

"Kid, watch your mouth!"

"You're the idiot!"

My teammates retorted in a cacophony of voices.

"If you have the guts, let your captain fight me one-on-one!" The top player looked disdainful.

Our people immediately fell silent. That person thought he had won and wouldn't let up. "How about it? Scared, right! I guessed it was just this! Wahahaha..."

Xu Ge looked at my face, dark as storm clouds, with trepidation. "Boss, don't get agitated..."

I pushed past Xu Ge and stood before that person. "You are right. My sniping is indeed not as good as Old Gun's, my rushing not as good as Andy's, my burst fire not as good as Xiao K's. I don't have Yang Mo's steadiness, nor am I as good at choosing weapons as Xu Ge..."

"You do have self-awareness," the person sneered. "Then what can you, this captain, do?"

I sneered coldly: "I can kill you...!"

After that battle, I became the person who appeared the least in our team, yet had the highest fame.

Two years passed this way; Lao Qiang and Andy faced graduation from their three-year college program, while Xiao K and Yang Mo were nearing the college entrance exam, and Xu Ge's parents were being transferred to New Zealand. We didn't want the team to disband so silently, so we finally entered the WCG competition. But seeing the StarCraft registration made my hands itch; after signing up, I noticed my teammates hadn't said anything, so I went and registered for the Warcraft competition too. Only upon returning did I learn these guys had kindly registered me for the Thunder God competition as well...

Thus, the scene from the Prologue finally appeared.

>>>>>>

Finally... it's over...

The brothers have gone their separate ways, and in a few days I too will become a glorious intern people's teacher...

"The starlight still shines bright, the true heart remains unchanged... only with tears and sweat can parting and reunion, sorrow and joy be washed away..." I gazed at the night sky outside the window, quietly listening to the Little Tigers' "The Starlight Still Shines Bright." "It seems it is time to say goodbye to the games I love."

"... You will forever be my pursuit, forever my beginning, just as heaven and earth forever promise each other, each other..."

"Did I really spend too much time on games?" I asked myself, "Was my youth truly without value..?"

"Once melancholy reflections, once bitter blessings, all wrote a page in the years of friendship, an eternal story..." Suddenly, I thought of my teammates, of those opponents we had lost to; did denying myself not also deny them?!

The music continued, "... Returning is my only promise, gathering is all my hope, youth is a road without regrets, the rainbow is the vow formed by heart linked to heart... after wind and rain, one by one they appear..."

"Damn it! Once the teammates left, I seemed to become fragile..." I punched myself, "Being sentimental shouldn't be a man's business!"

"... Finally returned to the place we promised, to fulfill my pro.. k" I turned off the radio and grabbed a towel to wipe my face.

"In these two years, games were the fulcrum of my life..." I made up my mind, "During my internship days, I will quit games and find a new fulcrum..."

"I will become an excellent intern teacher!" I shouted at the night sky.

Cursing came from downstairs, "Crazy person...!"

Meanwhile, Xu Ge, who was on the plane, shivered: The boss seems to be excited again... Things look bad...

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