Chapter 5 – Skewers
Around 9 p.m. is the time when students finish their evening self-study sessions, and it’s also the peak of the night market economy. The barbecue stall near the university entrance is bustling with customers, and all the small tables are occupied. Some latecomers couldn’t find seats, so they had to take a number and stand aside, waiting.
While waiting for their food, feeling bored, a male student opens a game on his phone. He intended to play a game for a while, but accidentally clicked on an advertisement and ended up in the official live stream of the Eastern Finals of the KPL (King Pro League).
—“Gongsun Li’s ultimate ability is godlike for initiating team fights! TG executed a two-for-five trade and won the team fight!”
—“They can push the high ground on the mid-lane minions!”
—“Three takedowns on the crystal, let’s congratulate TG for securing another victory in this match!!”
[“Clear 666!”]
[“I shall call it the universe’s top-tier, invincible, explosive, soaring, and awesome move—Clear Awesome for short.”]
[“Clear dances gracefully.”]
[“Hahaha, suddenly reminded of my favorite player, Dad Star. Looking forward to Dad Star’s return next season.”]
[“Stars, the Son of the Stars, Dad Star is the best.”]
Opening the barrage chat, the screen was immediately flooded with messages from viewers, and eight out of ten of them were about TG’s substitute marksman, Clear.
His friend curiously leans over to take a look and says, “Hey, didn’t they lose three to zero? TG hasn’t lost yet?”
“No, TG brought in a substitute marksman.”
The male student shakes his head, turns off the barrage chat, and points to the player named Clear, who is the second one from the right on the screen. “There, that’s Clear. He carried the team in the last two matches.”
“I see…”
Clear?
The male student in the red T-shirt, sitting at the nearby small table and eating barbecue, glances at them upon hearing their conversation, then turns his head back.
Fu Cheng, sitting opposite him, doesn’t know what he’s thinking. He nervously tightens the signboard in his hand.
Grilled squid, grilled chicken legs, grilled oysters, grilled kidneys, grilled eggplant… The table in front of them is filled with delicious food, but Fu Cheng doesn’t feel like eating any of it.
When someone has something on their mind, they never truly taste the food.
Lin Xingling understands, so after taking a few bites, he gets straight to the point. “Are you sure… you don’t want to join?”
“Hahaha, Dad Star, don’t be so serious.”
Fu Cheng smiles and says, “I’ve had a great time during this one-week trial in our team, and everyone is nice. But, you know… I feel like I’m more suited for streaming…”
As Fu Cheng speaks and notices Lin Xingling’s troubled expression, he drops the playful act. “Sorry, Stars.”
“It’s okay.”
His voice sounds a bit weak.
Fu Cheng can’t bear to see him like this and advises, “If it doesn’t work out, you can still go back to SYG and compete. After all, they’re a legitimate KPL team… I mean, you’re a top-tier god going to a K-League team to lead them…”
“Don’t say anything,” he said.
Then a long silence followed.
The barbecue stall, which was already lively, remained bustling, making their side seem even quieter.
Lin Xingling took a bite of the lamb skewer in his hand, and the aroma grilled from the fat filled his mouth.
It’s really difficult… finding a satisfactory marksman is really difficult…
In the spring of this year, the strongest “wild dad” Stars resigned from his former team, SYG, one of the top three teams in the KPL (King Pro League).
Then, within six months, he led the DCT team, starting from the city tournament, to win the K-League Championship and secured a temporary spot in the 2018 KPL Autumn Tournament.
This should have been a joyous occasion, but unexpectedly, the team’s marksman, Xiao Nuo, resigned due to health reasons on the night of the championship celebration.
The team couldn’t afford to have any vacant positions. After Xiao Nuo left, Lin Xingling found Fu Cheng, the best marksman streamer on the entire internet, and invited him to try out for the team…
And so, after a week of deliberation, both the coach and Lin Xingling were very satisfied with Fu Cheng, but he had no intention of joining the team.
Lin Xingling sighed, placing the finished skewer on an empty plate and picking up a piece of grilled pork belly.
“Dad Star, eat more delicious food and be happy.”
Fu Cheng reluctantly handed him a plate with grilled oysters and forced a smile.
“Yeah.”
At the end of June, in early summer, the weather wasn’t too hot, and the evening breeze carried the stars, giving a cool sensation on the face. If one wore a T-shirt, even the exposed arms would feel cool.
Looking up at the sky, the eyes would shine brightly.
Just like the shining young man in the esports match playing on the phone of the boy standing nearby waiting for his food.
Lin Xingling had eaten a lot and looked at Fu Cheng, who seemed hesitant to speak, so he urged him to speak directly.
Fu Cheng said, “I have something else to tell you, don’t get angry.”
“Go ahead.”
Lin Xingling thought, what else could be more frustrating than not finding a suitable marksman for the team until now?
There was.
Fu Cheng said, “I took Huaxin with me.”
Huaxin was the support player of the DCT team, a very obedient young boy.
Lin Xingling: ????
What else could be more frustrating than not finding a suitable marksman for the team until now?
Answer: Not finding a marksman and losing the support player as well.
Lin Xingling was speechless for a moment and took a bite of a chive skewer. “When did this happen to you two?”
Fu Cheng honestly replied, “I was attracted to him on the first day of the trial, and he also liked me. We got together on the second day.”
Efficient, isn’t it, Dad Star?
The boss lady served a plate of grilled pork belly and fatty intestines, then cheerfully brought two bottles of beer, saying they were for them.
The aroma of the grilled pork belly filled the air, and the fatty intestines sizzled with oil. Paired with the Snow Beer taken out of the freezer, it was absolutely refreshing.
However, Lin Xingling’s current mood was like the Sprite advertisement:
Cool to the core, heart soaring.
“Good, good…”
In the current situation, besides agreeing, he couldn’t say anything else. After all, as Confucius said in “The Analects – Eight Rectifications”: “Accomplish the task without boasting, carry out the task without remonstrating, do not blame what has already happened.”
This was one of his mottos.
“Pop—”
Upon hearing this, Fu Cheng obediently opened a can of beer for him and placed it next to him. “Dad Star, take your time eating and drinking. I’ve settled the bill, so I’ll go back first…”
Lin Xingling remained silent.
The marksman was gone, and after finding someone to train for the marksman position, that person left and took the support player along.
What was this called? It was like stealing the chicken and losing the rice.
What was this? It was like losing both the wife and the soldiers.
He silently watched Fu Cheng’s departing figure and made a firm vow in his heart: From now on, if he casually recruited people for team training, he would be a fool.
“…”
“Oh, I forgot…”
Just as he turned around and took a few steps, Fu Cheng suddenly remembered something important and hurriedly turned back to find Lin Xingling.
Lin Xingling asked, “What’s wrong?”
Fu Cheng’s face blushed slightly with embarrassment as he smiled and said, “Thanks for taking care of Huaxin for so long. You can be considered Huaxin’s elder brother, and I guess I’m like a half-uncle… Well, this is a little token of our appreciation. Dad Star, when you have time, buy some wedding candies for everyone.”
Saying that, he stuffed a thick red envelope into Lin Xingling’s hand and then quickly left.
Kids these days…
Before Lin Xingling had a chance to explain anything, he had already run off. So, he took out his phone and sent him a message:
Huaxin’s room is still reserved for you guys. Whenever you have time, come back and visit. This is not just a formality.
After three minutes, there was a reply from the other side.
[DCT-cheng: Okay!]
[DCT-cheng: (Voice message: Thanks, Dad Star. I knew you were the best. We’ll definitely come back often to see everyone.)]
In the voice message, it was Huaxin’s voice. This kid is sensitive about his face, so he has been hiding on the other side of the road, waiting for Fu Cheng and Lin Xingling to finish talking and give their approval before crossing over to find him.
Now, Fu Cheng has already gone to find him.
On the other side of the road, Fu Cheng held Huaxin’s hand, and the two of them got into a car and left.
After listening to the voice message, Lin Xingling replied with an OK expression, closed his phone, and put it in his pocket, feeling a mix of emotions.
On one hand, he was happy that these two kids were together, but on the other hand… how can we play in the KPL Autumn Tournament without a marksman and support player?!
The collapse of an adult often happens in an instant, especially at a barbecue stall in a night market.
He took a sip of the Snow Beer and drank half the bottle in one breath. He pursed his lips and called the team coach, Brother Feng.
After connecting, questions from Brother Feng came out like a barrage: “What on earth happened? What did you and Fu Cheng talk about? Where did Huaxin go?”
Three consecutive questions of death.
Lin Xingling took a bite of the grilled pork belly and sighed, “Let me put it this way, Fu Cheng took Huaxin and left. Now we’re missing a support player and a marksman.”
Sounds of ordering, shouting, and clamor filled the background noise on his side, making Brother Feng’s eardrums ache. “I don’t quite understand, but are you saying… we’re screwed?”
No marksman and no support player?
In an instant, Brother Feng felt like the sky in the team was about to collapse.
Lin Xingling smiled bitterly.
“Tsk, it’s all your ‘good finds’!”
Suddenly realizing what he said, Brother Feng became angry and slammed the table next to him, saying angrily, “Let me tell you, if you don’t find the missing players the team needs this time, don’t bother coming back!”
“It’s not like I can go find players for you right now!” Lin Xingling also pretended to knock on the table with his index finger, afraid that the coach wouldn’t hear, and knocked a few more times on the table with his phone.
“Do you think top-tier marksman players are like little kittens that I can lure back to the team with a piece of cookie by squatting on the side of the road?”
Brother Feng: “I don’t care.”
Lin Xingling: “Hey…”
“Beep, beep, beep—”
The call was hung up.
The assistant can’t go against the coach, and the assistant can’t argue with the coach… But Brother Feng is just talking, he’s like a paper tiger. He’ll calm down on his own later.
Lin Xingling shrugged and thought he would probably be going back late tonight.
But that’s fine too. After eating, he can take a stroll on the street and aid digestion.
He called the boss lady and asked her to clear the empty plates, making the table look much neater.
“Boss, bring three more skewers of lamb.”
“Alright!”
After eating two skewers of grilled lamb, Lin Xingling’s originally heavy mood gradually improved.
Who cares about a marksman or a support player? It’s not urgent. Let’s finish eating first.
Author’s Note:
【Mini Theater】
Guess without a prize: How many skewers did Lin Xingling eat?
Lin Xingling: Are you trying to mock me?