Chapter 146

There were a lot of fans, and the security guards in the venue had already prepared to come out and hold back the crowd. Mo Yin was long accustomed to such scenes—admiring gazes and crazy screams had accompanied him since he stepped onto the stage. He didn’t compete for these things, but he certainly felt he deserved them.

In this world, both the character’s personality and experiences were very much in line with Mo Yin’s preferences, almost making him a reflection of Mo Yin himself.

In the real world, due to his exceptionally strong mental power, Mo Yin had extremely high authority across the entire planet, with abundant resources at his disposal. He stood at the top of the entire league, although he always remained indifferent and detached.

In this world, Mo Yin’s desire to win in the game mirrored his determination to win in other aspects.

With the protection of security, Mo Yin and his group passed through the crowd. They did not choose to enter through the main entrance like the REAL team but opted for a more concealed side door, heading directly to the lounge.

Upon receiving the news, Chen Dong and his group rushed to the entrance. The lounge door was slightly ajar, and except for Ye Chi, everyone else was peering through the crack.

“They’re coming.”

“They’re not here yet, I can’t see them.”

“Listen, footsteps.”

Ye Chi, sitting on the sofa, took a picture of his teammates.

“Wow—”

“So cool—”

“Amazing—”

“Awesome—”

One after another, they praised.

“Gotta admit, the big dummy’s team uniform looks great.”

“Indeed, the red and black combo looks gangster, very imposing. There are so many of them…”

“Mai Bao is really handsome. He could debut with that face.”

“No wonder Mai Bao has so many mom fans.”

“Not really, most male mom fans focus on his gameplay. Mai Bao’s skills are even better than his looks.”

Ye Chi listened to their discussion from the sofa, wondering if he counted as a male mom fan too.

Ye Chi first encountered this game two years ago. Working in an internet café, he noticed how popular the game was. One day, while delivering instant noodles, a customer who urgently needed to use the bathroom asked him to click the mouse to avoid being logged out for inactivity.

Ye Chi’s family was poor, and before working at the internet café, he barely had any chance to use a computer outside of school computer classes.

Sitting at the computer, Ye Chi moved the mouse, but the screen didn’t change, only the metallic mouse cursor moved. He clicked the mouse, and the character on the screen moved.

Ye Chi’s life changed with that moving character on the screen.

He liked the game and started observing how people in the café played it. Gradually, he began playing it himself.

That year, Mo Yin debuted, winning the spring championship and the spring finals MVP.

Ye Chi watched the live broadcast with dozens of people in the internet café. It was his first time watching a game match and was immensely impressed by the skills of a player his age in the finals.

Brimming with talent and brilliance, amidst the cheers, golden streamers fell, Mo Yin raised the trophy, expressionless, as if it was all a given.

Ye Chi’s heart pounded wildly, his adrenaline surged, and his head felt hot.

At that moment, a seed of becoming a professional was planted in his heart.

If he talked about this past, he’d probably be mocked for “not being strong but loving to ride coattails.”

Ye Chi lowered his head, smiling slightly, and searched the group chat.

Mai Bao’s fan group was already at the 32nd group, with the previous ones all full.

Ye Chi tried to apply for membership, but after thinking it over, he registered a small account first and used it to join the group.

Joining required answering questions.

1. Level 5 super talk to join, please verify your ID~

2. Live room badge to join, please verify your live room ID~

Ye Chi: “……”

So how did Chen Dong get in?

Chen Dong was quite proud of this.

“I joined Mai Bao’s group in his first match.”

“Lao Tie, we need to have sharp eyes for talent. The moment Mai Bao appeared, I knew he was going places, so I bought stock in advance. Ah, you don’t know what buying stock means, do you? Man, your life is too boring.”

“I can almost guess,” Ye Chi said, “So you’re an old fan?”

“Of course,” Chen Dong pounded his chest with his phone, “I’m a founding member.”

Ye Chi asked, “Then can you add me to the group?” Fearing a misunderstanding, he added, “I created a small account.”

Chen Dong said, “Even though we’re really close and you’re our captain, I’m sorry, I can’t do that.”

“Why not?” Ye Chi asked.

“First, you’re using a small account, and small accounts can’t join the fan group, let alone our primary group. Second, I can’t break the group’s rules; the members would message me asking what’s going on.”

Chen Dong raised his chin and grinned mischievously, “Brother, don’t try to freeload.”

Ye Chi scratched him, causing Chen Dong to yelp and dart away because he was ticklish.

“Why is it so noisy next door?”

Jungler Guan Ming rubbed his temples, looking at the wall with displeasure.

The team leader asked, “Should I go talk to them?”

“Forget it,” Guan Ming said, putting his hands in his pockets and taking out his earphones to block his ears, frowning. “Let them be.”

The DSG lounge was very quiet.

Each team member occupied their own resting spot, engrossed in their phones, with little conversation.

Mo Yin alone occupied a single sofa, wearing headphones early to listen to music, eyes closed, expressionless as usual.

Seeing this, Tang Qi quietly sent a WeChat message.

—[What are you guys doing? Tearing down the house?]

About five or six minutes later, it suddenly became quiet next door, and Tang Qi received a WeChat reply.

—[Just chatting, can you hear us?]

—[We can’t hear what you’re saying, just your loud laughter. You seem pretty relaxed.]

—[The lounge’s soundproofing is too poor. Anyway, let’s not disturb our McBao’s rest.]

After exchanging this information, the REAL team also quieted down.

It was better when it wasn’t quiet because once it became quiet, the atmosphere in the lounge grew somewhat tense, as if their previous laughter was a deliberate effort to lighten the mood, exposing their true inner feelings.

Facing DSG, no matter how much they claimed today was just for meeting idols, it couldn’t cover the fact that this was a high-pressure match for them.

From an unknown small team to being the center of attention today, who truly wanted to lose?

The psychological pressure had unknowingly maxed out during their banter.

In the entire lounge, Ye Chi appeared the calmest.

He didn’t offer words of comfort or try to lighten the mood; handling pressure was part of the competition, and adapting to it was a quality professional players needed.

Enjoy it, this high-pressure competition.

Ye Chi folded his arms and closed his eyes.

The silence didn’t last long. As the 3 PM match approached, the team members began to do their makeup and watch the game.

Mo Yin disliked the feeling of having something on his face while playing, so he refused to wear makeup from his debut, and the league respected his choice.

Selling tickets to the audience meant they had to look presentable on stage. Under the harsh stage lights, flaws were magnified, and as young players, they wanted to look good, so most players opted for makeup. When Mo Yin first debuted without makeup, his good looks made the commentators repeatedly praise him. Later, they no longer called him “the young player” and focused on his impressive gameplay instead.

While the other players were putting on makeup, Mo Yin could focus on watching the game. He enjoyed the game and the competition, both in his fictional world and in reality.

Mo Yin asked, “Why are the league’s games so boring? None are as interesting as this one?”

The system pondered for a moment and made a reasonable guess, “That’s because your mental power is too strong. You can see through all the games’ patterns at a glance, rendering them meaningless to you, which naturally makes them boring.”

Mo Yin was surprised and said, “I didn’t expect you to say something useful.”

System: “…”

Indeed, when one becomes too powerful, everything else becomes meaningless.

Material, spiritual, time, and space—all become controllable. What value does life have then?

Mo Yin thought of Li Xiu from the previous world.

Li Xiu had everything, yet he also found life dull and meaningless.

In a way, when he first met Li Xiu in the previous world, Li Xiu’s state was very similar to that of a natural person in the real world.

On the other hand, Mo Yin had become a “degraded” natural person.

Mo Yin raised an eyebrow, intrigued.

From his interactions in the collapsing world and the “Don’t come back again” that Li Xiu said with emphasis on “again,” Mo Yin had deduced a fact—the protagonist in the small world was the same “person”! His guess was correct.

The only question was whether the protagonist himself realized this or, like Mo Yin, only discovered it when the world collapsed, repeatedly experiencing destruction.

As Mo Yin watched the match, he thought about this. He had never felt as fulfilled as he did now, even feeling a bit excited.

He was eager to see what kind of protagonist this world’s hero would be.

With three matches in a day, the focus match between DSG and REAL was scheduled last, during prime time. For the first two matches, the audience, both live and online, was distracted. While the live audience maintained their composure, the online viewers bombarded the screen with comments like “Hurry up, don’t delay the main event.”

Fortunately, the winning teams in the first two matches were efficient, ending with a 2:0 score and not dragging out the time.

Twenty minutes before seven, someone came to notify both sides that they could set up their equipment on stage.

When they first arrived at the venue, all the players had already tested their equipment.

Whether by coincidence or design, DSG and REAL had staggered their equipment tests.

So, when the doors to both lounges opened one after the other, the team members realized they were finally going to face each other.

Mo Yin carried his keyboard and mouse rolled up in his mouse pad, one hand in his pocket. His four teammates, equally silent and calm, carried their keyboards and mice sideways as they walked toward the venue. The REAL team members held the door but didn’t move, watching as the DSG players walked past without even glancing their way.

After they had all passed, Chen Dong let out a slow breath, describing their state, “I didn’t even dare to breathe just now.”

Mo Yin was very tall, with his uniform collar covering his chin. His face, which seemed to say “Do not disturb,” was extremely intimidating. His four teammates followed him like attendants, exuding an air of dominance with every step, making him even more terrifying in person than in the live broadcasts.

The REAL team members all felt the same “be careful what you wish for” sentiment. Although they often called him “Mai Bao” fondly, when he actually walked past them, they didn’t dare to make a sound.

“Let’s go,” Ye Chi patted Chen Dong on the shoulder, “It’s our turn.”

The DSG team set up their equipment first and returned to the corridor, standing in their positions. The REAL team set up their equipment and also returned to the corridor, silently sizing up the DSG members, with their usual jovial atmosphere replaced by a serious demeanor.

Ye Chi’s position was the same as Mo Yin’s.

With a quick sidelong glance, Ye Chi could see Mo Yin opposite him.

After two years, he finally stood on the stage, in the same place as Mo Yin.

Excitement, nervousness, and anticipation all intertwined in his chest. Unconsciously, Ye Chi turned fully, staring straight at the person opposite.

At that moment, the corridor lights dimmed.

“Good evening, everyone, and welcome…”

The host’s sweet voice rang out, and the corridor fell silent except for the players’ breathing.

“Let’s welcome DSG team—”

A wave of cheers and screams erupted.

“Top laner, Wow—”

“Jungler, Study—”

The audience suddenly fell as quiet as the corridor.

With a smile, the host continued, “Mid laner, MY—”

The screams nearly lifted the roof off the venue.

“MY—MY—MY—”

In the darkness, Ye Chi watched Mo Yin walk forward, his tall and straight back prompting Ye Chi to move forward as well, wanting to catch up to this unstoppable person.