Chapter 33: Building Hype for His Debut
On the bus to the competition venue the next day, Shen Guanchao looked down and scrolled through the forums. Caught off guard, he saw a post mocking NAVA. The gist was roughly: “All the decent Snipers in the circle have been bought by IAC and RSG. With Lu Wuxu retired, NAVA’s Sniper position has been unannounced for a long time. It’s estimated that a nobody will fill the spot. celebrating in advance for NAVA’s happy mention of Top 16, losing until they’re chilled to the bone.”
This thing was so brainless it looked like a bot post. After scanning it ten lines at a time, Shen Guanchao’s expression looked as disgusted as if he’d swallowed a fly.
If you’re going to curse, at least curse with something useful; zero lethality.
In the past few days, after other teams announced their new lineups, NAVA had been constantly dragged out for comparison. A group of people with nothing better to do analyzed this and that, finally reaching the conclusionâ”NAVA’s new Sniper position this season will definitely be trash.”
Shen Guanchao sneered secretly in his heart. On the day Xie Jingchu was officially announced and debuted, he would definitely hold these people’s heads down and make them take a good look at what a Sniper really is.
Fox sat beside him, dozing off.
Half an hour later, the bus arrived at the competition venue.
Lu Wuxu, leading the team, got down from the passenger seat and knocked on the window. “Ah Che, time to get off.”
“Mn…” Fox slowly opened his eyes.
After everyone got off, they went directly to the backstage lounge. The league rules required players to wear makeup before going on stage. Fox and Shen Guanchao’s faces were smeared back and forth by the makeup artist’s hands.
Initially, this was because there were always players who were sloppy, going on stage with greasy hair that hadn’t been washed for days. Although it didn’t affect operations, it was too harsh on the audience’s eyes, so this rule was born.
“Sister, make me look a bit more handsome.”
Shen Guanchao, who usually acted like a flashy peacock, had no objections to this and cooperated well with the young ladies’ work. He lifted his head when asked and closed his eyes when told, without any airs.
For today’s All-Star Game, he was bound to put on a big show.
Scare that group of cute fans of his.
Pei Zhi’s comment on this was: As long as you don’t take a big dump on stage, it’s fine.
On stage, the host’s impassioned voice penetrated the surging arena music.
“Next, let us use the warmest applause in the venue to invite the star players of the 2024 LFK All-Star Exhibition Match to the stage!”
“First, welcome NAVA’s Main Attacker, Fleshâ2017 Plague Games Global Finals Champion, 2017 Annual MVP! 2018 Rift Rivals Asian Champion, 2019 LFK China Summer Split Champion, Global Finals Champion, 2020 Mid-Season Invitational Champion, 2021 Global Finals Championâ”
“2021 Global Finals MVP!”
“Selected for the Regular Season Best Lineup seven times, Annual Best Lineup five times, and All-Star Exhibition Match five times!”
The beautiful resume was read out word by word by the host. Shen Guanchao walked out from backstage with a calm expression, but inside, he felt genuinely satisfied. This wave wasn’t him showing off himself, but the host helping him show off.
Next out was Pear Flower Na, whose resume was equally brilliant.
2017 Plague Games China Summer Split Third Place, 2018 LFK China Spring Split Champion, Rift Rivals Runner-up, 2019 Spring Split Champion, Summer Split Third Place, 2020 Mid-Season Invitational Runner-up, 2021 Spring Split Champion…
It was generally rare to see female players in top-tier professional tournaments, but this Flower from RSG had carved out a bloody path, becoming more popular year by year, using her strength to teach opponents a lessonâ”My gender is not a reason for you to underestimate me.”
The next one on stage was Soso, whose career history was even more bumpy. After making a name for himself in the local region, he was sold to Germany’s LSG. After struggling there for a few years, his contract finally expired, and he was released back.
Fox followed him out, looking cold and walking calmly, no different from how he looked training in chicken pajamas at the base. This person rarely smiled; it seemed he only came alive when he was beside Zoe.
The scene was a gathering of heroes. After all eight star players took the stage, they greeted the fans at the venue as customary. The host asked them to draw number cards from a box to determine today’s teams.
This match focused on entertainment and performance; having fun was enough, unlike the usual seriousness.
The number Shen Guanchao drew was “2”. He was luckily grouped with RSG’s old acquaintances Flower and Soso, as well as Team TK’s Healer, Solene.
Fox was assigned to the other side, temporarily teaming up with Team IAC’s Neil and two other members from WZWZ.
Based on the players’ seniority, Fox and Flower were arranged as temporary captains. The host handed the microphone to them: “Fox, as captain, do you have anything to say to your team members? Likeâsome pre-match encouragement or something.”
Fox twitched the corner of his lips slightly and said concisely, “Play well.”
Host: “Okay. Then what about Flower? Do you have anything to say to your team members?”
Pear Flower Na stood beside Shen Guanchao and spoke heartily, “Everyone just play however makes you comfortable. The main tone of today’s match is happiness and joy. I won’t say any pre-match trash talk.”
Hearing this, Shen Guanchao leaned slightly towards her and lowered his voice. “Not showing off today? Doesn’t look like you…”
“Tsk.” Pear Flower Na smiled. “I’m leaving the showing off to you today. I’ll keep a low profile, okay?”
“…”
After the players took their seats, they entered the combat readiness phase.
Being assigned to the same team with two Main Attackers, Soso and Shen Guanchao, Soso laughed dryly and asked, “Role clash, brother. Should I go Sniper?”
Shen Guanchao had only played Main Attacker since his debut and rarely touched other classes during casual livestreams.
Soso had heard from Flower that he didn’t seem to like operating other classes, so he volunteered for the Sniper position. Anyway, playing anything was just playing.
“No need.” Shen Guanchao said uncharacteristically, “I’ll play Sniper. You play Main Attacker.”
The three-time champion actively yielding his position made Soso feel somewhat flattered. “Okay, okay, okay.”
After confirming the lineup, the first game began.
When Shen Guanchao’s game character appeared in the audience’s view carrying a big sniper rifle, the fans were still a bit dazed. In the livestream room, the bullet comments scrolled dazzlingly.
[? What’s the situation? Did Flower put a knife to Flesh’s neck before going on stage? Flesh actually isn’t playing main carry but playing Sniper?]
[Has anyone seen God Flesh play Sniper? I’m a bit scared he’ll pit his teammates hahaha…]
[I currently… have a bit of a purple mood, do you guys understand?]
[I bet ten cents if Flesh pits this game, Flower will definitely dye his little purple hair back to little black hair after the match!]
[Poster above is a talent, Little Purple Hair forced to turn over a new leaf hahahahaha]
[Will God Flesh’s Sniper debut on the field be exclusively stylish? (Fifty cents a post)]
[Soso: (Nervous) (Run fast jpg.)]
[List of victims of Flesh playing Sniper: Soso, Flower, Solene]
[Fox: Thanks buddy for the free kills]
[……]
Shen Guanchao had never displayed other classes in the public eye. His good fans inexplicably thought he would pit (be a liability) in this match, and even planned “escape routes” for himârun immediately after the match, don’t let Pear Flower Na catch him.
Three minutes into the start, he briefly engaged with the opposing Sniper, Neil. Although the photon shield on his body was shattered, he also gained a certain understanding of Neil.
From the beginning of his debut, Neil was called “Little God Lu,” and his playstyle was mostly an imitation of Lu Wuxu.
And Shen Guanchao, as Lu Wuxu’s teammate for five years, was all too familiar with Lu Wuxu’s playstyle.
This wave was truly an open-book exam.
After Solene patched up his shield, Shen Guanchao quickly snuck near Neil and deliberately created noise near his hiding spot to attract him.
Hearing the sound, Neil prepared to change his sniping spot, but stepped into a trap while turning a corner.
Every retreat path of his had been trapped by Shen Guanchao. Stepping on just one would immobilize him for three seconds.
While he was dismantling the trap, Shen Guanchao poked his head out from the low ground carrying the sniper rifle, gently pulled the trigger, and fired two shots at him.
âBang, bang.
Neil fell to the ground in response.
The system announcement rang out simultaneously at the top of the game screen:
[Flesh killed Neil]
[Red Team Point A is being captured by Blue Team Sniper Flesh]
This close-range snipe kill was completed in just three seconds.
Screams filled the venue incessantly.
The wind direction of the bullet comments shifted instantly.
[??? How did he play Sniper with the feel of a Main Attacker?]
[Such a crazy playstyle, who taught him?!]
[Ahhhh so handsome, God Flesh…]
[Did Little Purple Hair secretly steal skills from God Lu when we didn’t know? hhhhh but this also seems… unlike God Lu’s usual path]
[Living for just seven words: God Flesh kiss me]
[Pity for Neil]
…
When Neil’s game character died, he hadn’t even broken free from the trap on the ground.
In the situation where an enemy appeared around the sniping point, Lu Wuxu would usually leave quickly from where he had placed a ward when he came, moving to another nearby sniping point to observe the enemy’s movement.
Shen Guanchao guessed Neil would do the same, and sure enough.
The Healer Solene, following not far behind him, had a face full of disbelief: “How did you know where he would go?”
Shen Guanchao had deliberately looked for the visual ward Neil planted just now and buried a trap next to it. At this moment, he said nonchalantly, “Guessed.”
He was too familiar with this playstyle.
Lu Wuxu’s playstyle was certainly good, but in a normal match, he found that Neil’s mechanics were hardly enough to support this style. So after taking Neil’s head for the second time, he chose another targetâFox.
With close teammates, it’s best to beat them openly.
Every time Fox rushed to support, Shen Guanchao would pop out wickedly and give him two shots. Although Fox, as a Sub-Attacker, had a thicker health bar than other classes, he was inevitably ambushed by him twice.
Inside the NAVA base, Zoe held soda and popcorn, sitting on the sofa watching the match with Xie Jingchu. Every time he saw Shen Guanchao get a kill, he would wail like ghosts and howl like wolves, dragging Xie Jingchu and shaking him left and right: “Ahhhh my brother is so handsome!”
“Hahahaha Fox got killed by my brother again…”
Xie Jingchu was dragged until he was dizzy, yet had to smile and agree: “Handsome, handsome, handsome, let go of me first.”
With Pei Zhi and Lu Wuxu not watching at the base, Zoe acted like he was possessed by the Monkey King; he was noisy to death.
The first game ended at the twentieth minute. Team Flower won the match as expected.
During the halftime break, Neil’s expression cleared up slightly as he walked off stage. He was thinking about how Shen Guanchao accurately predicted his movements several times in a row, without doubting his own playstyle in the slightest.
In the lounge, Shen Guanchao took a sip of water, sat on the sofa, and joked, “Little Healer Brother took care of things nicely today. Smiling on stage just now, that was called delicate and pretty.”
Solene had a round face, medium-length hair, and wore black-rimmed glasses, looking somewhat well-behaved. At this moment, he blushed slightly: “Haha, Brother Flesh, stop teasing me…”
“Tsk.” Pear Flower Na sat next to Shen Guanchao and mocked, “Flirting with another family’s healer outside, you’d better not let Zoe know about this.”
Shen Guanchao: “Tch, don’t tell him.”
Pear Flower Na: “Why did you play Sniper today? Didn’t you say before that you didn’t like playing other positions?”
Shen Guanchao: “Guess.”
Pear Flower Na was speechless upon hearing this: “…”
Others didn’t know the reason why he suddenly pulled this move today.
But Lu Wuxu knewâShen Guanchao was building hype for Xie Jingchu’s debut.
Returning to the arena, in the second game, Shen Guanchao played by the book, not as aggressive as the first match. After Neil realized his own problem, he also adjusted his playstyle, cooperating with Fox to gain a small advantage in the early game.
At the twentieth minute, Fox caught a small mistake by Solene and Soso, harvesting a wave with the momentum.
When Shen Guanchao and Flower arrived, they only managed to take out the low-health Neil; Fox had already fled far away.
At the thirty-seventh minute, they lost the match.
Because it was an entertainment match, the players didn’t feel nervous about the loss.
The score came to 1:1.
In the third match, Shen Guanchao swapped positions with Soso, returning to his most comfortable Main Attacker role, partnering with Sub-Attacker Pear Flower Na.
Fans in the bullet comments sighed with emotion:
[In my lifetime, seeing Flower and Flesh partner up again, my Double God combination…]
[They’ve known each other since the tryouts, right? Old bros. When Nana wasn’t favored at the beginning, Flesh always spoke up for her.]
[Two old ruffians, they’ve known each other since way before tryouts. They knew each other when they were wearing split-pants. I have to say, I really ship their friendship…]
[One is RSG’s pillar, the other is NAVA’s pillar. Sister, we can ship them romantically too…]
[Stop, ships can be niche but they can’t be cursed (evil/wrong). Flesh has come out as liking men, sister.]
Shen Guanchao, completely unaware that his friendship with Pear Flower Na had moved heaven and earth, took the opposing Main Attacker’s head at the start. At the fifteenth minute, he cooperated with Pear Flower Na to catch and kill the opposing Sniper and Healer, laying the foundation for victory.
At the twenty-third minute, Soso took the first strike on the arena boss. Everyone’s economy +500, all attribute resistance +7%.
At the twenty-eighth minute, Shen Guanchao pulled off a triple kill in the alleyway. The pink shotgun in his hand shone brightly. The enemy’s last stronghold was taken by him, and the match entered its final stage.
At the thirtieth minute, on the large screen of the arena, the Red Team’s Plague Idol was shattered. A golden wave swept through the venue instantly. Game over.
Team Flower won 2:1.
Amidst the screams of the venue, Shen Guanchao calmly took off his headphones.
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