This chapter is brought to you by Fatima, thanks for the ko-fi! ( ˘ ³˘)♥
Chapter 47 – Talent-based player.
With a crisp ka! sound, Sang Ye, with a hand speed that might have been the fastest in his 18 years, faster than any stunning gun-drawing moment in a match, pressed the long button on the right side of his phone, his face flushed with embarrassment to the point where he almost broke a sweat, and protested, “How come you sit down and make no noise!?”
Tan Mo quietly stared at him for two seconds, blinked slowly, and asked, “Does my presence need to be proven by sound?”
Sang Ye: “…………”
Talk’s occasional playful actions always caught him off guard.
But it’s true; Tan Mo was the kind of man who radiated light wherever he went, always at the center of everyone’s attention, his presence so strong it was undeniable.
But this couldn’t include the times when he was seriously immersed in a CP fandom and didn’t have the focus to pay attention to his surroundings!
Sang Ye fidgeted, rubbing his pants with both hands: “I wasn’t watching anything, just scrolling randomly… you, what did you see just now?”
Tan Mo lowered his lashes and said, “I didn’t mean to look, but I had a pretty good idea you were browsing Weibo.”
Sang Ye exhaled in relief.
“But seeing your reaction, I thought it might have something to do with me.”
“…………” Sang Ye straightened his posture, barely daring to breathe.
In the strange silence, Tan Mo looked at him for a moment, then said, “I see.”
“What is it…?”
“It’s related to me.”
“…………”
Sang Ye had a guilty expression, who wouldn’t be suspicious?
“What were you looking at?” This time, Tan Mo’s tone carried more confidence.
Seeing he couldn’t hide it, Sang Ye lowered his head, hesitated for a moment, then blushed and muttered, “Super topic…”
Tan Mo immediately understood: “You mean the CP super topic?”
Sang Ye buried his head even lower.
Unexpectedly, Tan Mo smiled faintly and almost indulgently pinched his cheek. “What’s there to hide? Watching a super topic makes you this shy? Haven’t you ever seen the fanfiction on LOFTER?”
Sang Ye looked up in confusion. “Lao…Lao Fu Te?”
“LOFTER.” Tan Mo, seeing that he didn’t understand, spelled it out for him, “L-O-F-T-E—wait…” He suddenly paused halfway through, then stopped and asked, “Has a fan ever messaged you about this stuff?”
Sang Ye almost never checked his private messages, so he shook his head. “No, I haven’t.”
Faced with the boy’s innocent, harmless dark eyes, Tan Mo instinctively straightened up, licked the corner of his lips, and lowered his gaze, uncharacteristically showing a slightly awkward look.
“Is this really something I can talk about…?”
Boom—! A loud sound echoed.
Sang Ye felt as though Tan Mo had opened a door to an entirely unknown world for him, a world glowing with golden light, the brilliance shining directly on his face.
…
“If you don’t know, then forget it.” Before leaving, Tan Mo added, “No need to search for it specifically, it’s all pretty boring stuff.”
“Oh, okay.” Sang Ye shifted his gaze, his voice clear and calm, “I can’t look at that kind of thing… I get sleepy if I read more than five hundred words.”
Knowing the boy’s peculiar trait, Tan Mo suppressed a smile, nodded, and left.
Sang Ye quickly turned his head to check the phone lying on the sofa behind him.
LOFTER download progress—
65%.
Sang Ye clenched his fist, silently screaming inside.
Hurry up!!!
…
The second half was about to begin, and all the players were waiting to enter.
Among the crowd, Sang Ye noticed something and followed his instinct to look. He saw NSN’s Li Junxian talking to Lu Qikai with his head tilted, but his gaze was directed toward WLG. His usual smiling expression was gone, and he seemed to be gearing up for the upcoming match.
At this moment, Fang Fang walked over, casually resting her elbow on Tan Mo’s shoulder, a touch of schadenfreude in her expression: “What’s going on? Did your little friend get caught by the Koreans?”
“Is he too comfortable in P city?” Tan Mo retorted, “Or should we re-roll for this round?”
Fang Fang gave a cold laugh, tossing out, “You’re ruthless,” before walking away.
“Don’t listen to him, he can’t say anything nice,” Tan Mo looked at Sang Ye and said, “For the second half, let’s swap positions. You take the first assault role, so you can stay within my sight.”
In previous rounds, Sang Ye played the second assault role, mainly providing support and covering Tan Mo from behind. However, when facing an opponent like Li Junxian, who clearly aimed to harass, Sang Ye often got caught off guard and positioned poorly, which frustrated the entire team.
Sang Ye stared at NSN’s direction. In the dim lighting, his eyes were somewhat gloomy as he said, “He can’t actually deal with you.”
Tan Mo was momentarily confused: “Who?”
“That Korean,” Sang Ye replied, having realized this after the first half of the game. “He said he could easily handle Talk and Song, but in reality, he never really faced you head-on.”
“Ah, you’re right!” Xiao Pai exclaimed, slapping his forehead, “In fact, JunX is just picking on our Xiao Bai Mao, but when Tan Mo makes a move, he either sends his teammates ahead or avoids the fight. NSN’s ranking has been good these past couple of days, so it’s created the illusion that our two ace players are being beaten down, but the truth is, only Bai Mao is getting wrecked!”
“Looking for trouble!” Sang Ye stepped forward aggressively.
The next second, Tan Mo wrapped his arm around his shoulders and pulled him back.
Xiao Pai hid behind Hu Fu’s large back, weakly clutching his chest, “Giegie1~ I’m so scared…”
But as soon as his eyes met Tan Mo’s, he fell silent.
Sang Ye also quieted down, noticing that Tan Mo’s arm was across his collarbone, almost pulling him entirely into his embrace from behind. He could feel the warmth of the man’s broad chest against his back. The intimacy of the touch made his face flush, and he lowered his head, forgetting the earlier playful banter with Xiao Pai.
The music for the upcoming match played, and everyone began walking forward in a noisy crowd.
Sang Ye bit his lower lip, looked ahead, but didn’t move.
Because Tan Mo behind him hadn’t moved, still holding him with his arm as they stood in place.
After most people had left.
The man’s magnetic voice rang out from above, deliberately lowered, asking, “Can you let me inhale?”
A warm feeling rolled through Sang Ye’s chest, and he quickly blinked, looking flustered. Without thinking, he answered, “Y-yeah, sure!”
“Let me inhale” was almost becoming their common secret phrase.
It was a secret only the two of them knew…
But then Sang Ye recalled Tan Mo’s pained expression at the end of the second round in the first half. His thoughts darkened, and he immediately pushed aside the distraction, becoming serious.
He even stood on tiptoe, afraid he wasn’t tall enough, to make it easier for Tan Mo to inhale the strands of his hair. “Here you go!”
Tan Mo noticed his small movement and lowered his gaze to the pale Bai Mao below him. His eyes held a smile as he said, “Thank you.”
After thanking him in a gentlemanly manner, the man bent his back, hiding his face in the boy’s shoulder. His broad back slowly rose, and his arms gently tightened around him.
Sang Ye felt the sensitive, vulnerable skin be covered in warm, humid breath, causing a ticklish sensation and an unfamiliar shiver running up from his spine to his tailbone.
His cheeks flushed, reaching all the way to his neck. His hands, clenched in his coat pockets, tightened as he bowed his head, silently enduring, though he couldn’t help but exhale erratically.
…
The fourth match of the second half officially began.
After the first circle contracted, M City was on the edge of the blue zone. Tan Mo wasn’t in a rush, knowing that two other teams from the south would likely be moving into the city, so he stayed in place to guard.
Meanwhile, NSN, also in M City, immediately got into a car and moved toward the center of the circle.
Commentator A: “It’s clear that JunX is playing with a distinct BTF style. Their strategy is to occupy advantageous positions within the circle as soon as possible, finding a spot that can extend in all directions. They might take a lot of hits early on, but in the late game, they have a good chance of winning with a favorable circle.”
Commentator B: “Yes, on the other hand, WLG tends to focus more on earning points and not missing any opportunities for kills. They play slowly according to the circle’s shift. If they hit a spot, they stay put; if they need to relocate, they’re calm and not afraid of engaging in team fights. Even though they haven’t won as many chicken dinners as NSN in the last two days, their points are still close. Their average kill count is the highest among all teams right now, with an average of eight kills per match, which is pretty terrifying.”
Commentator A: “If Song hadn’t been taken out so early, their average would be even more frightening.”
As they were talking, WLG had already collected two waves of supplies, gaining a good amount of resources.
When they drove towards the school, they saw the kill notification.
Catch22 got a two-for-three trade, leaving only JunX from NSN.
Based on the gunfire sounds and the surrounding team compositions, Tan Mo deduced, “If 22 didn’t catch the lone wolf, he can only run toward the school. There are no teams blocking the way there.”
Crack! A sharp sound echoed.
Xiao Pai reacted quickly: “What was that sound?”
“It’s me,” Sang Ye said flatly. “I pulled the bolt early.”
“…………”
Hu Fu chuckled.
Tan Mo stifled a laugh.
“Brother! It’s still three kilometers to go!” Xiao Pai was a little confused. “You’re pulling the bolt way too early!”
“Don’t mind me.”
Outside the game, Commentator A: “JunX chose not to engage Aster directly. After all, Aster is a long-range sniper, and it seems JunX didn’t feel confident. So he decided to drive toward the school. From a strategic perspective, JunX knows when to avoid difficult opponents. Well, in terms of competitive spirit, it’s not the most heroic choice, but there’s no harm in playing safe and keeping yourself alive.”
Commentator B: “Speaking of tough opponents, Song is quite tough too. But Song and JunX are both close-combat players, and no matter how good their shooting is, positioning still matters. It’s hard to do well in this situation. I’m starting to worry about Song. It looks like WLG is also heading toward the school. If JunX sets an ambush and waits for WLG to clash with the teams inside the school, he might strike during the chaos…”
Commentator A: “Look! JunX has chosen the corner of a broken wall. This cover looks good. He seems to be preparing to stay put.”
As WLG entered the swimming pool area, they were warmly greeted by the locals.
Sang Ye quickly moved behind a nearby tree and initiated the fight, but suddenly, his gaze flickered, and he noticed a shadow move behind the broken wall at an angle.
Thankfully, Sang Ye’s eyesight was exceptional—most professional players wouldn’t have noticed it.
“Talk, cover me.”
While speaking, Sang Ye had already shifted direction and fired a preemptive shot behind the wall.
The person quickly retreated, losing only a little health.
Tan Mo smoothly took over Sang Ye’s opponent and knocked the person down with a single shot, ensuring that Sang Ye wasn’t harmed.
Commentator A was excited: “Oh? Oh? Oh? Song spotted JunX in advance! Beautiful! He avoided getting his side shot!”
Commentator B: “But the situation is still grim. His teammates are engaged in a standoff with the other team, and Song is exposed on the front lines with no one to help him. With JunX’s control of the terrain, it looks like he’s about to take down the young player.”
Tan Mo knew the person lying in wait outside the battlefield was Li Junxian, but his position didn’t allow him to see what was happening on the other side. He lowered his gun and prepared to move: “You cover with smoke, I’ll move in.”
Sang Ye replied, “No need.”
Xiao Pai was being suppressed by another team’s sniper behind a car, holding a level 2 helmet, and anxiously shouted, “Bai Mao, don’t act rashly! It’ll be the same with Tan Mo on the front lines! Get back from the front, we can’t do this without you!”
Sang Ye, observing the calm ruins through an 8x scope, coolly replied, “I know this.”
The next second, a glint appeared from the left side of the wall. As Sang Ye took a bullet, he immediately fired a preemptive shot at the gap on the right.
Almost simultaneously, the edge of a green helmet appeared from the right gap, only to be struck by a 98K bullet, causing the person to recoil in pain.
Sang Ye quickly reloaded, shifted his gun, and fired to the left.
Another head appeared, meeting the bullet.
Sang Ye continued to fire in short bursts.
— JunX peeked out.
Burst shot.
— JunX peeked out again.
Then he quickly pulled back, and the last shot went back to the right gap.
The system displayed the message:
[WLG-Song used 98K to headshot and eliminate NSN-JunX]
All of this happened within just a second or two.
The entire arena erupted, and the audience in the back row stood up and clapped.
The coach clapped in front of the TV screen, just as excited as a middle-aged man watching a sports game: “Well done, Fu Gui!”
Commentator A’s voice soared: “It’s crazy! Crazy! Song used a 98K for a head-on headshot—this is absurd! And he only used four bullets, each shot landing perfectly! He predicted every position JunX would take! How did he do that!?”
It was precisely because every move Li Junxian made was predicted by Sang Ye that the scene looked like Sang Ye was casually shooting, with Li Junxian running into each bullet head-on. Each shot landed perfectly, which was a bit comical and thrilling for the viewers.
Commentator B spoke with a smile in his voice: “That was absolutely brilliant! And the accuracy—just phenomenal. Song always brings us unexpected surprises. It seems all our previous concerns were unnecessary. Even against an international-level player like JunX, he managed to turn the tables. Let’s give a round of applause for our 18-year-old rising star!”
With Sang Ye taking down JunX, NSN was now completely eliminated and failed to earn any placement points this round.
On the other side, the battle had also settled down. Xiao Pai was so shocked that he forgot to heal: “Bai Mao, how did you do that?”
The noise from the audience suddenly grew louder. Sang Ye adjusted his headset and said, “2020 Seoul Invitational, Day 3; 2021 PKL Spring Split, Final Week; and the first day of the Intercontinental Championship—every time, Li Junxian would position himself near cover that allowed quick lateral movement. He’d fire a shot first to obscure his opponent’s vision, then sidestep in the opposite direction for a sneak attack. Left, right, right, right—he’d create directional inertia in his opponent’s mind, making them expect him to move right again. Then, at the last moment, he’d switch back to the left for the final shot. Without fail, this method worked every time. In a post-match interview during the Spring Split, he even proudly named this technique the ‘Li-Style Shooting.'” Sang Ye let out a disdainful scoff. “Tch, just another gimmick…”
Hu Fu was genuinely impressed: “Song, you’re a legend!”
Xiao Pai shivered and rubbed his arms. “D*mn, Bai Mao, that was insane. You really put in the work on Li Junxian —you’ve basically dissected his entire playstyle.”
Sang Ye gritted out through his teeth, “That Korean guy is seriously annoying…”
“Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated in a hundred battles,” Tan Mo chuckled. “Well done.”
Sang Ye cleared his throat and suddenly adopted a scholarly demeanor. “Yes, I often read Confucius’ teachings.”
Tan Mo fell silent upon hearing that.
Xiao Pai interjected, “Brother, that was Sun Tzu2, not Confucius.”
Sang Ye’s face turned crimson in an instant. He stomped his foot, making his gaming chair shake. “You’re so annoying!!!”
Hu Fu burst into laughter. “Hahahahahaha!”
Amidst the laughter, WLG made it into the final circle. As the only full-squad team remaining, they secured an easy victory.
On the leaderboard, WLG was now just 10 points behind NSN.
During the mid-game break, NSN huddled together for discussion, their expressions tense. After reaching a conclusion, Li JunX glanced toward WLG’s glass room, his face tinged with displeasure.
Round Five.
After looting, NSN didn’t immediately rotate with their vehicles. Instead, they encircled M City, clearly intent on continuing their harassment tactics from previous rounds. Even if they couldn’t wipe out the entire WLG squad, picking off one or two players would still be a huge advantage.
Three teammates moved forward to draw fire, while Li Junxian found a favorable position amidst the chaos, setting up outside a window to hold down the players inside.
As soon as someone inside adjusted their positioning to avoid the incoming fire, they momentarily exposed themselves—exactly what Li Junxian was waiting for. He pulled the trigger.
But the moment his bullet connected, the player inside snapped around and fired back.
A storm of SMG bullets rained down on Li Junxian. However, he remained unfazed. He had already spotted a nearby vehicle—one jump onto its roof would let him climb onto the second-floor balcony.
He sprinted forward.
The next second—
The screen dimmed.
[WLG-Talk used Beryl M762 to eliminate NSN-JunX]
Li Junxian: “……”
He had expected that the person inside the building might be Talk, but he hadn’t anticipated that this man’s marksmanship had not only remained sharp over the past six months but had actually improved significantly.
After all, the news he received in Korea suggested that Talk had not participated in training matches for a long time—possibly due to a hand injury—and was preparing to retire.
Commentator A chuckled: “Against God Tan, all flashy movements are just for show. Li Junxian picked the wrong target this time.”
In the sixth match, it came down to a showdown between NSN, WLG, and Catch22. These three teams had performed steadily so far, and whoever won this round would claim the top spot on today’s leaderboard.
Twenty minutes later, the match entered the seventh circle.
Due to an unfavorable position, WLG was forced apart by Catch22, splitting across the highway.
Sang Ye and Xiao Pai were on one side, while Tan Mo was on the other.
To make matters worse, NSN’s remaining two players took advantage of the chaos to escape from the blue zone, catching Xiaopai from behind.
Xiao Pai fought with all his might alongside Sang Ye, managing to take down Shine. When the smoke cleared, only Sang Ye and Li Junxian remained on this side of the battlefield.
Commentator A: “Fate brings them together again! But can Song break through JunX’s suppression this time?”
Commentator B let out an exclamation and noted: “Oh no, oh no! Song is running low on ammo—he barely has enough for two sprays!”
Xiao Pai’s loot box was not far away, but Sang Ye had no way of retrieving his fallen teammate’s supplies. If he moved from behind the car, he would expose his position to Li Junxian.
How could he hold off the opponent’s firepower and counterattack with such limited ammunition?
Sang Ye pressed his lips together, gripping a grenade in his hand, feeling completely unsure of his next move.
The blue zone was about to close in—he needed to come up with a plan fast.
Or… he could simply stall Li Junxian until they both succumbed to the zone’s damage, going down together.
But he didn’t want to end it like that. On the battlefield, you fight until the very last moment.
Just as Sang Ye was growing increasingly anxious, a scene from the 2021 Intercontinental Championship flashed through his mind.
Talk and JunX had faced off, each taking cover behind a Jeep, with no other shelter around.
Talk threw a smoke grenade to the left side of his vehicle, creating the illusion that he was retreating in that direction. JunX, being highly cautious, dropped prone and peeked through the gap between the car’s undercarriage and the ground to check if Talk had already left. However, at the very moment he threw the smoke, Talk had also gone prone. What awaited JunX was three clean and precise headshots.
But there was also a chance that JunX had learned his lesson. This time, if he saw the smoke, he might charge in directly. If that happened, Sang Ye could end up getting caught off guard, unable to react in time and lift his aim properly.
Taking a deep breath, Sang Ye swapped his grenade for a smoke bomb, tossed it to the left, and quickly switched to his gun, dropping prone.
He watched as JunX’s legs moved back and forth a few times.
Now was not the time to fire. Shots to the limbs wouldn’t be enough to deal fatal damage, and shooting too soon would expose his position and accelerate the opponent’s attack.
So he waited. Four seconds passed. Then, JunX decisively moved toward the left.
Sang Ye’s heart rate spiked past 130 in an instant.
But in the next moment, his opponent pulled back, knelt down, and lowered his body, peeking out from beside the car’s tire.
Sang Ye’s heart rate dropped just as quickly. A subtle smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
Hello there.
He pulled the trigger.
Three shots landed on the head, and the final bullet struck the foot.
JunX’s perspective tilted upward, his screen fading to gray.
The crowd erupted into another explosive cheer, applause echoing throughout the venue.
Commentator A slammed the table, momentarily at a loss for words: “Song God!!!”
Commentator B laughed: “This scene looks a little familiar, doesn’t it? If I’m not mistaken, isn’t this the same feint that Tan Shen pulled off in last year’s Intercontinental Championship? Ah—wait! Now I remember! The opponent back then was also JunX! You see, JunX dodged Talk this time, only to get taken out by ‘Little Talk’ using the exact same move. Isn’t that fate? Come on, Li, learn from your mistakes!”
Sang Ye delivered a stellar performance in this round, but in the end, Catch22 secured the win.
At the conclusion of the second day, the top three teams were invited for post-match interviews.
Based on the rankings, Catch22 went up first, followed by WLG, and finally, NSN.
Before today’s matches, NSN had been basking in the spotlight during the pre-game interviews. But now, as they stepped onto the stage after WLG, their heads were slightly lowered.
Fans in the livestream chat were desperately making excuses, saying that after six rounds, the players were simply too exhausted.
Immediately, others fired back, telling them to look at WLG—who had played the same six rounds—yet their players were still relaxed and having fun.
The host went around, handing the microphone to each team captain, asking them to evaluate their team’s performance for the day.
When it was Tan Mo’s turn, he said, “Everyone performed exceptionally well today, especially Song. Despite constant interference, he managed to stay composed and fight back, showcasing WLG’s unwavering spirit to our opponents. That’s something worth praising.”
As for what exactly this “constant interference” referred to, who was interfering, and who “the opponents” were—well, the audience had already lost it, spamming the chat with [savage shade] comments.
So when the microphone was passed to Lu Qikai next, the atmosphere turned incredibly awkward.
Lu Qikai brushed off the question with a couple of perfunctory sentences.
The host then moved on to individual interviews. Smiling, she turned to Sang Ye:
“Song, this is your first time playing in the playoffs, and you’ve already earned praise from your captain. Did you prepare for this for a long time? Yesterday, you didn’t seem too happy with your performance, but today, you made a complete comeback. You must’ve put in a lot of work behind the scenes, right?”
At the mention of “captain,” Sang Ye’s face heated up slightly, but he didn’t let it show. Maintaining his usual cool and aloof demeanor, he replied in a cold, indifferent tone:
“Didn’t put in any work. Just played casually.”
Hu Fu let out a loud “Pfft—” in laughter.
Xiao Pai also struggled to keep a straight face.
This Bai Mao brat was talking absolute nonsense.
Everyone in WLG knew that Sang Ye had stayed up late watching game footage the night before. To take down that Korean player, he had put in far more effort than just “a little.” And during the match, he had given it everything he had.
Yet here he was, casually brushing it off as if he had just winged it—like those students who, after acing an exam, smugly claim “I didn’t even study, just took it casually.”
But no one exposed his little ego boost. They just let him talk his big game.
The host chuckled: “Wow, then you must be a naturally gifted player.”
“I guess.” Sang Ye blinked indifferently and added coolly, “The coach told us not to go all out too early, or we’d burn out later in the tournament. So I was only using about 30% of my strength.”
After a brief pause, he casually tacked on:
“No wonder some people think the PCL region is easy. It’s only the second day, after all. Everyone’s still feeling pretty relaxed.”
Except for NSN, nearly everyone in the room lowered their heads, stifling laughter.
Even within NSN, someone’s shoulders were trembling—Shine, who had turned away to hide his amusement.
Meanwhile, the livestream chat had completely lost it, exploding in laughter.
[“Hahahahahahaha! Song is so bold—throwing shade right to their faces!”]
[“Song is making the all-Chinese team proud! Sending support!”]
[“Koreans right now: This is really some next-level BS.”]
The host, struggling to hold back laughter, quickly turned the microphone in another direction: “What about you, Aster?”
Caught off guard, Xing Xing was momentarily flustered. Scratching his pink hair a little sheepishly, he took the microphone and said playfully:
“I was only using 20% of my strength.”
At that moment—
Sang Ye suddenly leaned over, tugged on Xing Xing’s sleeve, and borrowed his microphone:
“You got it wrong. I only used 10%.”
Xing Xing: “……….”
[“Aaaaaahhh! Song is so cute! I love him!”]
[“Song gets competitive way too easily, I’m crying from laughter.”]
Meanwhile, on the other side, a translator was whispering everything into Li Junxian’s ear.
Because the translator’s collar had a small mic clipped to it, the moment Li Junxian looked up, his expression darkened—and forgetting to lower his voice, he suddenly blurted out:
“Motherf—…”
The entire venue fell silent. The awkwardness was palpable.
Only Sang Ye, still holding the microphone, glanced over and fearlessly quipped:
“Hey, Korean player over there, weren’t you the one who said you didn’t speak Chinese?”
Li Junxian: “……….”
Note :
- Giegie” (戟戟) is a playful or affectionate term, often used in Chinese internet slang. It’s a term of endearment or playfulness, similar to calling someone “baby” or “dear” in English, but often with a more cute or vulnerable connotation. ↩︎
- n the conversation you provided, Sang Ye mistakenly attributed a famous Sun Tzu quote—”知己知彼，百战不殆” (“Know your enemy and know yourself, and you will never be defeated in a hundred battles”)—to Confucius, leading to a humorous moment. ↩︎