Sharpening The Knife Doesn’t Delay The Cutting of Vegetables With The Bow [eSports]: Chapter 9

9. Yang Yunche

On the game forum of Destiny, a post quietly made its way to the front page.

[Brothers, help me determine if this streamer is cheating?]

The post briefly described the streaming process of a certain streamer and included two video clips.

One clip showed Chen Xingran in the game, performing an air combo with the Tang Sword after exploding an enemy with a knife and using Thunderclap for the first time.

The other clip was a tutorial video from the training room.

“Over 1,000 damage with a purple sword?”

“Seems fishy, looks like cheating.”

“What’s with this talk of gathering Qi in the dantian? It sounds so fantastical. Is it real or fake?”

“Can someone mention a pro player to give it a try?”

“I haven’t heard of cheating in Destiny so far. Dealing nearly 1,500 damage with full attack stats, instantly killing a player in white armor with a single hit? Cheating like this would be too obvious, right?”

“What’s the name of this streamer? Ye Shao? I’ve never heard of them.”

“Do you have a link to the livestream? I want to check it out.”

More and more players started replying, and the post quickly climbed to the top of the page.

At the same time, Chen Xingran’s livestream room experienced a massive surge in viewership.

Most of these viewers initially came to watch the excitement and ask about the tutorial video, but after watching the livestream for a while, they were irresistibly drawn to Chen Xingran’s splendid swordplay style and quietly clicked the follow button.

500… 1000… 2000… 8000…

Soon, Chen Xingran’s livestream room surpassed the milestone of ten thousand followers.

Meanwhile, the forum post that made it to the front page attracted the attention of many skilled players and professional gamers.

“I tried it in the training room several times, but I can’t make it work.”

The post was made by a player with the ID “Tang Jizi,” a top 500 solo ranking player whom many people recognized.

*Tang – sweets/candy/sugar, Jizi – foster son. So his name could be Sweet Foster Son or variations of it. I’ll keep it as the pinyin

High-ranking players finally appeared, and other players below started commenting.

“Brother Tang can’t make it work either? Does that mean this tutorial is not real?”

After a while, Tang Jizi replied:

“The tutorial is useful. I tried it once following the instructions, and the damage numbers did increase. But even with full attack stats and using a gold sword, the highest damage I could achieve was just over 400. Overall, the output efficiency was improved compared to before, but it still didn’t reach the level shown in the video.

The main issue is that the streamer’s movements are extremely precise, requiring the utilization of every inch of muscle strength. My movement adjustment ratio is only 53%, and it feels very rigid. I simply can’t achieve such fine-tuned maneuvers.”

“I personally speculate that if you want to exert force in the same way as shown in the video, it is theoretically possible, but the movement adjustment ratio would need to be at least below 20%.”

With the authoritative statement from a top 500 solo ranking player, the direction of the discussion in the forum post suddenly shifted.

It went from questions like “Is the video tutorial real or fake?” and “Is Ye Shao using cheats or exploiting bugs?” to “What is Ye Shao’s movement adjustment ratio?” and “Does anyone really play with an adjustment ratio below 20%?”

It is well known that movement adjustment in games is the dividing line between skilled players and lower-tier players.

However, in modern society, apart from professional athletes, few people specifically train in real life. Most of us are hardcore gamers who spend our days immersed in gaming environments. Just being able to maintain a decent level of physical fitness is already rare. Without any movement adjustment, it’s simply impossible to keep up.

But what does it mean to have a movement adjustment ratio below 20%?

It means that one can perform almost the same level of manipulation in reality as they do within the game.

But… is that really possible?

…………

ZMD Club Headquarters.

Destiny Division Training Base.

“Squeak—”

ZMD team manager Fu Zhou pushed open the glass door of the training room.

It was already nighttime, and ZMD had just finished the “Destiny Cup” Spring Tournament. The players and the youth training camp were on vacation, so the training room, which should have been bustling, was now empty. Rows of high-end gaming pods and computers were neatly arranged in the spacious and luxurious training room.

As one of the top-tier teams in the country, ZMD Club spared no expense when it came to training facilities. They provided the best conditions and treatments.

In the quiet training room, there was only a slender figure sitting in front of a computer, with their back facing Fu Zhou, quietly watching the screen.

“Why aren’t the lights on?”

Fu Zhou wondered aloud as he reached for the switch on the wall. The dim training room instantly lit up like daylight. “It’s so late, and there are no matches during this time. What are you looking at?”

“Just browsing.”

The slender figure in front of the computer replied. Their voice was magnetic, deep, and soft, with a lazy hoarseness that made one’s ears tickle.

The young man had a tall and slender figure. Even though his face couldn’t be seen, the smooth and distinct jawline revealed that he was an extremely handsome man. His two long legs were casually placed diagonally, and even sitting on the gaming chair, he exuded an air of elegance and nobility like that of an aristocrat.

He was Yang Yunche, the current captain of ZMD Club’s Destiny Division. He was renowned as the “World’s Best Gun God” and was a former professional player in the Black Tide eSports League.

Fu Zhou silently walked up behind Yang Yunche and glanced at the desk in front of him that was empty aside from the keyboard and mouse.

Fu Zhou sighed and skillfully reached out his hand, pulling open the small drawer by Yang Yunche’s feet and casually taking out its contents, tossing them onto the table.

“Slap.”

An already opened bag of potato chips was ruthlessly thrown onto the table, with about half of it already consumed, indicating who had eaten it without a word.

Caught red-handed.

Fu Zhou glanced sideways at the back of Yang Yunche’s head and said, “You know you have a stomach condition, and you shouldn’t be eating this kind of snack, right?”

Yang Yunche stiffly turned his head back, expressionless.

His handsome and profound face, when displaying such a serious expression, was quite intimidating. Whenever the ZMD team members saw Yang Yunche like this, they would all shrink their heads like rabbits who had encountered an eagle, refraining from speaking.

But Fu Zhou wasn’t buying it. He picked up the bag of chips from the table. “Confiscated.”

Yang Yunche looked at him with puppy eyes, and even his deeply alluring brows and eyes showed a hint of grievance. “I only had a little.”

“A little is still not allowed.”

Fu Zhou was exasperated. “The doctor explicitly told you not to eat this junk food. Did you conveniently forget? Usually, there are teammates watching over you, but now that it’s a break, you secretly hide in the training room and eat alone, right? And you turned off the lights, who are you guarding against? If I hadn’t come, you would’ve finished this entire bag.”

Yang Yunche: “…”

He shrugged, not wanting to argue with the irritable team manager in front of him. “It’s not sneaking. I was watching a recording.”

“You, at the very least, are a 23-year-old adult. You act all cool and aloof in front of the fans, acting all high and mighty. Can’t you do me a favor and save me some worry? Are you playing mind games with me? Believe me, I’ll tell the boss…”

Fu Zhou, like a worried mother, continued rambling on the side. But upon hearing Yang Yunche’s words, he paused. “What recording are you watching?”

Successfully changing the topic.

Yang Yunche leaned back, propping his long legs on the ground, and pushed the wheels of the gaming chair slightly backward, revealing the computer screen.

As expected, Fu Zhou’s attention was diverted. He stared at the computer screen for a while.

There were two video clips playing, precisely the scene where Chen Xingran demonstrated “Thunderclap” in the livestream.

Fu Zhou was initially puzzled, but after a minute, when he saw the number -1477 floating above the AI training dummy’s head, his eyes widened in an instant.

“What the f”*?”

Fu Zhou rubbed his eyes, pushed Yang Yunche away from the computer, and dragged the progress bar with the mouse to watch it again. After confirming that he hadn’t seen it wrong, he shook his head to clear his mind and asked, “Is the game bugged?”

Yang Yunche shook his head.

“Is it cheating?”

Again, Yang Yunche shook his head.

“…That doesn’t make sense.”

Fu Zhou scratched his head, looking puzzled.

Although he wasn’t a professional player, as the manager of ZMD Club’s Destiny Division, he had a much deeper understanding of the game than the average player.

Nearly 1500 points of damage, and it was an instantaneous burst. What did that mean?

In a four-player mode, teamwork and skill synergy are essential, as well as the efficiency of focus fire and target prioritization. Imagine someone with such high instantaneous burst damage, where as long as their teammates provide a little control and add some insignificant damage during team fights, they can directly eliminate an enemy. The enemy’s teammates won’t even have time to provide support, instantly creating a situation where the outnumbered team is at a disadvantage.

They would be an absolute teamfight shredder!

“What do you think?” Fu Zhou asked Yang Yunche.

“Well, I’m not good at close combat,” Yang Yunche shrugged.

Fu Zhou’s mouth twitched.

He almost forgot that the current captain of ZMD Team was renowned for his long-range weapons. His archery skills were extraordinary, capable of taking someone’s head from a thousand miles away. He didn’t need to engage in close combat with anyone.

And his close combat skills…

It’s not that Fu Zhou was belittling Yang Yunche, but when it came down to it, Yang Yunche’s close combat skills were considered bottom-tier in the professional circle. Even assault players from second-tier teams could easily overwhelm Yang Yunche in close combat.

However, Yang Yunche knew how to make use of his advantages. As long as he found an opportunity, he could immediately create distance and rely on the terrifying output of his bow and arrow to execute an instant kill. ZMD Team’s tactics revolved around Yang Yunche. Whenever he was targeted by enemies, his teammates would come to support and disrupt the enemy’s focus fire, striving to provide Yang Yunche with the best output space.

This style of play was quite unique in the professional Destiny circle.

“But I had Xiao Nan practice in the training room,” Yang Yunche added.

Xiao Nan was another assault player from ZMD Team, with exceptional close combat skills. Although he was relatively older in the professional circle, his skills were still formidable.

“How did it go?” Fu Zhou asked eagerly.

Yang Yunche shook his head. “No success. He tried dozens of times, and the highest damage he managed was just over 600. Moreover, he had significant flaws and was easily caught off guard by the enemy.”

“Even Xiao Nan couldn’t do it?”

Now it was Fu Zhou’s turn to be stunned.

“This technique relies heavily on precise movements, requiring mastery over the explosive power of every muscle in the body. It can’t be achieved through systematic corrective actions.”

Yang Yunche’s expression became serious. “Xiao Nan’s movement correction is only 35%, and he couldn’t even complete the technique… I speculate that the movement correction for this ‘Ye Shao’ in the video is probably around 15% or even lower.”

Fu Zhou’s face twitched. “Is that possible? Are they still a player, or some sort of martial arts master in disguise?”

“I don’t know. Let’s observe further,” Yang Yunche replied calmly. “At least theoretically, it is achievable, ruling out the possibility of cheating or bugs. You should keep an eye on this streamer named ‘Ye Shao.'”

“Alright, I’ll pay attention,” Fu Zhou noted Chen Xingran’s ID. “I’ll head back now. You should rest early. I won’t mention your late nights during match days, but it’s your vacation now, so don’t stay up late.”

“Okay.”

“I’m taking the potato chips with me. I’ll let you off this time, but if I catch you again, I’ll have the boss personally come and educate you.”

Before leaving, Fu Zhou didn’t forget to grab the open bag of potato chips and sternly warn Yang Yunche.

Yang Yunche: “…”

Once Fu Zhou’s figure disappeared at the doorway, Yang Yunche regained his focus. He calmly stood up from his gaming chair and reached under it, pulling out a bag of senbei rice crackers.

Returning to his computer, he leaned back, skillfully opened the packaging, and placed a piece into his mouth.

With his tall figure and handsome features, his straight nose and profound eyes added a touch of aloofness, making him appear like an elegant noble. Holding the street snack that seemed out of place with his demeanor, he quietly enjoyed each piece, making minimal chewing sounds, as if he was savoring an expensive western cuisine. If there was a glass of red wine beside him, the scene would be harmonious.

Yang Yunche looked at the computer screen, replaying the video several times, his gaze revealing a pensive expression.

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