After the guests finished introducing themselves, the hosts went through the routine of asking about everyone’s recent schedules. Everyone knew this was the chance to plug their own projects.
Meng Xingyu had already covered his during the earlier interaction, so the microphone was passed straight to Wei Feng.
Wei Feng: “I’m currently preparing for my solo concert tour. The next stop is May 12th at the XX Gymnasium in City S. Please give me your support~”
Jin Yuxian: “I’m working on a new single, planned for a June release. Hope you’ll all like it.”
He Chen: “My drama with Teacher Wang Guomin, 《The Son of Heaven’s Schemes》, is about to air on Apple TV Channel. Please do show it some love.”
Jiang Yuxi: “I’m preparing for a web series, 《Me and My Overbearing Boyfriend》. I hope I can really challenge myself.”
Zhu Huai: “I’m currently preparing for an endorsement. I hope I can land it.”
Wang Lian said to Meng Xingyu, “Speaking of which, Xingyu’s contract with 《Sword Shadow Mobile》 is about to expire. Any plans to renew?”
A look of eager anticipation appeared on Meng Xingyu’s face. “Of course I hope to continue as the spokesperson—I genuinely love playing the game.”
Wang Lian: “Haha, I watched the recording of your last livestream. What a shame—if your healer had held on just one more second, your team could have won.”
Meng Xingyu said sheepishly, “I’m just too bad.”
[Confidence, babe! It’s obviously that Bai Xiaomeng who’s the noob!]
[I’ve already transferred to Server 6. Yu-bao, want to team up with me?]
[That Li River is so stuck-up—he never replies to messages or mail. Don’t team up with him!]
Bai Xiaoyun glanced at the cue card the director was holding up, then suddenly asked, “Is Zhu Huai trying to fight for the 《Sword Shadow Mobile》 endorsement?”
For a moment, every guest on stage was visibly taken aback.
Even Zhu Huai hadn’t expected the production team to go this far in stirring the pot—they’d asked outright, short of writing four big characters on their faces: “DIVIDE AND CONQUER.”
The bullet comments were also a flurry of【???】.
Zhu Huai recovered quickly and smiled. “If I get the chance.”
Seeing him admit it so readily, Bai Xiaoyun was momentarily at a loss for words. Fortunately, Wang Lian reacted fast and brushed it off with a laugh: “Sponsor Daddy sure is popular. If I weren’t so old, I’d want to compete with you young folks myself.”
But the netizens were far from calm.
[Holy shit!!! A tree without b—k is done for; a person without f—e is invincible!]
[Sis, you’re a true master at dodging the filter. I salute you!]
[…I’m so speechless I don’t even want to type.]
[Feel so bad for Meng Xingyu. Never thought he’d get dragged into the water.]
[Zhu Huai, may your mom’s groceries always go up in price! May it always rain the second you wash your hair!]
[All you sisters are really working hard to dodge the filters.]
[After mooching off Jiang Sheli, now he’s mooching off Meng Xingyu—he won’t even spare a mobile game.]
[Mobile gamers say: we only want someone who genuinely loves the game to be the spokesperson. Clout chasers aren’t worthy. Thanks.]
[I think the people above have serious issues. How do you know Zhu Huai doesn’t play?]
[I’ll bet five cents that Zhu Huai definitely plays. Don’t ask why—a Face Con needs no reason.]
[Hating just to hate—that’s wrong and unnecessary.]
The director never expected things to actually spiral like this. Thrilled, he scribbled quickly on the cue card.
Wang Lian read it and barely restrained himself from rolling his eyes on the spot.
This wasn’t stirring the pot—this was sabotaging the host.
But he had no choice but to grit his teeth and follow the card. “I wonder who’s stronger, Zhu Huai or Xingyu? Why don’t we have a match?”
Bai Xiaoyun: “Perfect—we have six guests, so we can do a 3v3. Why don’t Xingyu and Zhu Huai be the team captains?”
The smile on Meng Xingyu’s face had clearly dimmed, the corners of his lips losing much of their warmth. “I have no problem with that.”
Then, with a serious expression, he added, “Netizens are right. 《Sword Shadow Mobile》 should be represented by someone who genuinely loves it—not used as a tool to hype oneself up.”
[Oooh, look at the tension.]
[Supporting Meng Xingyu!]
[My Yu might be bad at the game, but he’s legitimately played it. I’m begging certain people not to cry later.]
[Our game kind of is a skill-based game. I’m a little worried about Zhu Huai now.]
Zhu Huai smiled fearlessly. “I agree.”
[Ooh, I’m kind of looking forward to this. Rubbing my hands like a fly.]
[That confident smile… I genuinely suspect he knows how to play.]
[Ahhh, handsome bro, my heart is yours!]
[That “I agree” somehow has a nice double meaning.]
[I agree to your challenge, and I agree with your statement. You’re a beast.]
Wang Lian: “Alright, now the captains will choose their teammates.”
Bai Xiaoyun: “Why don’t we first ask if anyone has a preference for which team they’d like to join?”
[? Does this host have a screw loose? He’s not going to let Wei Feng choose Zhu Huai, is he?]
[Consort Xian only begs that my bro keeps his eyes wide open. This old mother is worried sick.]
He Chen raised his hand. “I want to join Brother Zhu’s team.”
The Chen Fans collectively went into cardiac arrest.
Jin Yuxian: “I’ll go with him.”
The Consort Xians joined hands and died together.
Offstage, the director held up his cue card, utterly bewildered, and double-checked what was written on it.
[Jin, Wei, Zhu / He, Jiang, Meng.]
?
Little He Chen, what’s wrong with you?
Why aren’t you following the script?
Could you show even an ounce of respect for him, the director?
But the audience watching the livestream had no idea—the die was already cast.
Zhu Huai’s team: Zhu Huai, He Chen, Jin Yuxian.
Meng Xingyu’s team: Meng Xingyu, Jiang Yuxi, Wei Feng.
One side rejoiced, the other mourned.
Wang Lian: “Alright, this time we’ll be going full esports livestream mode. In a moment, each player’s game screen will be broadcast directly onto the big screen for everyone to see. Our staff is setting up the equipment—please bear with us.”
During the lull, the hosts asked who had played the game before.
Wei Feng: “I play occasionally. I’m pretty bad at it.”
His fans immediately lost their minds.
[Bad, my ass. Third on Server 5’s Expert Leaderboard—you think we don’t know?]
[Let me tell everyone a joke: Wei Feng says, “I’m pretty bad.”]
Jiang Yuxi: “I’ve been playing since the game launched.”
Bai Xiaoyun: “So you’re a veteran player. You must be really good.”
Jiang Yuxi: “It’s alright. I’ve made it onto the Expert Leaderboard.”
Bai Xiaoyun gave a timely compliment. “This team’s odds look great.”
The netizens in the livestream also started spamming that it was in the bag.
Over on this side, Wang Lian asked Zhu Huai’s team, “Xingyu’s team is very strong—all experienced players. What about this side?”
Jin Yuxian: “I hadn’t touched it in ages. I only played a few rounds since coming back to the country.”
He Chen looked like he was about to cry. “When I got the notice, I crammed—I mean, played for two days. Does that count?”
Zhu Huai: “I play regularly. I’ve been preparing for the Hero Cup lately, but I can’t find enough teammates.”
[Shocked! This Consort Xian didn’t even know my bro played this game.]
[Don’t cry, Chenchen. At your age, your studies come first. Be good.]
[Zhu Huai even knows about the Hero Cup. Looks like he really follows this game.]
[The Hero Cup’s already famous beyond the gaming circle. Not weird that he knows.]
[He’s just saying that. Meng Xingyu’s the one actually forming a team—he even transferred to Server 6 for his teammates.]
[As long as the devs aren’t stupid, they’ll know to keep Meng Xingyu as the spokesperson.]
[This team is doomed. The winner’s already decided.]
By then, the staff had the equipment ready. The guests took their seats by team. Before the start, there was the customary trash-talk segment.
Meng Xingyu: “They say losing too much guarantees a win. I’ve lost plenty in this game, so it’s my turn to win.”
Zhu Huai smiled. “Maybe not.”
And those two words were plastered across the entire screen by the viewers, accompanied by endless streams of HAHAHAHA.
[Crying-laughing. Confidence makes you improve, but blind confidence makes you keep falling back!]
[Meng Xingyu: I’m the one who’s going to win. Zhu Huai: Maybe not.]
[The captains sure are happy throwing out their trash talk. Whether their teammates are happy is another question.]
[Mr. Zhu, please stop radiating that damn charm of yours, okay?! I’ve got nothing left!]
The match began. All the guests wore headsets, unable to hear anyone besides their own party voice chat.
As for the accounts—apart from Meng Xingyu’s official account, the others were max-level accounts with identical gear. When it came time to pick characters, Jin Yuxian was the first to ask for his teammates’ preferences.
He Chen was a true newbie. “I want to pick the Hundred Flowers Valley healer. It’s the only one I know.”
“And you, Zhu Huai?”
Zhu Huai swiped past Hundred Flowers Valley’s cute, pink character screen and said, “I’ll take Beggars Sect.”
Jin Yuxian said, “Alright, then I’ll take the Longsword.”
The first match’s characters were locked in quickly:
Red team: Hundred Flowers Valley healer (Jiang Yuxi), Shu Sect melee (Meng Xingyu), Kunlun ranged (Wei Feng).
Blue team: Hundred Flowers Valley healer (He Chen), Beggars Sect melee (Zhu Huai), Longsword ranged (Jin Yuxian).
After entering the arena, everyone waited for the countdown.
He Chen fidgeted nervously. “Um… how do we fight?”
Zhu Huai reassured him. “I’ll take the Shu Sect guy. You stay behind us and keep yourself alive. Yuxian, can you harass their healer?”
Jin Yuxian: “OK.”
Zhu Huai: “Good. We’ve got this.”
He Chen: “Let’s go!”
Jin Yuxian: “Okay.”
The countdown ended, and the three charged into the battlefield, brimming with confidence.
And less than ten seconds later, they were sent back out by the enemy.
He Chen’s noobishness was no joke.
Ten seconds—eight of them spent running. In the remaining two, he didn’t get off a single skill before Wei Feng’s Kunlun cut him down from range in two hits.
Then Zhu Huai’s squishy Beggars Sect got caught between two enemies. GG.
Jin Yuxian went down right after.
He Chen was shocked.
The netizens were shocked too.
[HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA oh my god, Chenchen, what kind of peerless little treasure are you?]
[Did you see the battle stats? He Chen’s healing and damage—those two zeros are absolutely horrifying.]
[Damn, Wei Feng’s amazing—same gear and he took out He Chen in two hits!]
[That’s because He Chen doesn’t know how to play. Anyone can DPS standing still. Why all the hype?]
[Heh, is it that hard to admit someone’s good?]
[HAHAHAHA Maybe-Not-Zhu got slapped in the face, huh? So satisfying!]
The bullet comments quickly shifted tone and devolved into a brawl. Staff had to ban some IDs; the kill-one-warn-a-hundred approach worked, and the comments finally cleaned up.
[Honestly, has no one noticed Zhu Huai’s Beggars Sect?]
[Beggars Sect main here. That combo sequence was insane! I’ve been playing for a year and still can’t pull it off that cleanly!]
[Meng Xingyu had an Orange Weapon on his Shu Sect, and he couldn’t even fight back! The combo was gorgeous!]
[If not for the healer, Meng Xingyu would’ve died before He Chen!]
[??? What’s with the curse? You’re the one who’s dead! Your whole family’s dead!]
Whatever the netizens fought about, the guests didn’t care. Silence fell over Zhu Huai’s team.
He Chen was red-eyed and silent.
Zhu Huai sat on his left, gently pulled off his headset, and patted his shoulder. “Don’t be upset. We’ll win the next one back.”
He Chen kept his head down, still not saying a word.
Zhu Huai: “Don’t you trust your big bro?”
He Chen’s voice was low. “I just don’t trust myself.”
“Then listen to your big bro’s orders next round?”
He Chen tilted his head to look at him, eyes watery. “Then if we lose, don’t yell at me.”
Zhu Huai couldn’t help pinching his cheek. “We won’t lose.”
He put the headset back on He Chen and smiled confidently at the camera.
“We’re definitely winning the next round.”
