Sharpening The Knife Doesn’t Delay The Cutting of Vegetables With The Bow[eSports]: Chapter 101

101. Captain Yang’s Interview.

As ZMD’s van approached the player entrance, the fans, who had been waiting for a long time, immediately recognized the ZMD logo on the van. They erupted in deafening screams, waving colorful light signs even more energetically. The vivid colors and the rising voices intertwined, creating an atmosphere akin to a superstar concert.

These fans had been waiting here for nearly a day. Though many of them showed signs of fatigue, the moment they saw the ZMD van arrive, all their tiredness was instantly forgotten. Their focus was solely on the four figures stepping out of the vehicle.

“Ahhhhh, Yunshen!! Ahhhhhhh!!”

“ZMD!! ZMD!!”

“Yunshen is so handsome ahhhhh!”

“Baibai, eat less! You’ve gained weight again!!”

“Ran Bao ahhhhh! Good luck in the match!!”

“Ran Bao, don’t be nervous! Play well in the match! I’ll always support you!”

The other vans were carrying ZMD’s security personnel. They quickly got out, skillfully creating a pathway to keep the enthusiastic, screaming fans at bay, coordinating with the staff at the Starry Sky Arena to clear a path for the players.

Other professional teams’ vans also started arriving, and upon hearing the commotion, they couldn’t help but look in that direction with curiosity.

“What’s with the huge commotion? Who is it?”

“It’s all people, can’t see clearly…”

“Could it be hired actors to boost popularity?”

“Hahaha, maybe.”

“It looks like it’s ZMD? I saw their logo.”

“…Oh, then it’s fine.”

The professional players from other teams stopped their speculation and remained silent. If it was ZMD, it made perfect sense. After all, ZMD is one of the top teams in the professional league, and their scale and fan base are unmatched by ordinary clubs. Such a grand spectacle was entirely understandable, and other teams could only envy.

In the player entrance, professional players from different teams greeted familiar faces and started chatting while walking side by side.

“Hahaha, Mao Lao Ge ¹, what a coincidence! You’re in Group 3 too?”

Mao Mao from the Jinghong team waved and greeted, “Yes, it’s been a long time.”

“Let’s all work hard together. Jinghong has a good chance of advancing this time. I’m rooting for you.”

“It’s hard to say,” Mao Mao shrugged. “We have a big boss in Group 3 this time.”

Though he didn’t specify who, everyone understood the implication.

“I wonder how ZMD will perform this season,” said the other team captain. “I heard you had some practice matches with ZMD?”

“Yes, we did.”

“How was it?” The captain began to probe for information. “It seems like the top teams are really something. We’ve tried to arrange practice matches with ZMD many times, but unfortunately, our status isn’t high enough, and they didn’t bother with us.”

“Only a few times,” Mao Mao replied with a smile, not pursuing the topic further. “You’ll find out how they are when you meet them in the match.”

“I’d rather not,” the other captain shivered. “I’d prefer not to run into them before the finals. It would be best if we don’t land in the same spot. Otherwise, we might be out after the first round of the regular season.”

When ZMD first announced their new members, there was a lot of skepticism online. But now, those doubts had vanished. Occasionally, a few uninformed critics would emerge, only to be countered by Chen Xingran’s fans with impressive performance stats. Having defeated Lu Mingyu, the Snake King, Yang Yunche, and numerous European professionals, Chen Xingran was a top-tier player in the national server. It wasn’t just about Chen Xingran joining ZMD; any major domestic team would welcome him with open arms if he showed interest.

ZMD had Yang Yunche as their remote specialist, but their melee skills had been somewhat lacking. The previous assault player, Xiao Nan, was less proficient in melee combat compared to Fei Wei and lacked aggressiveness. Chen Xingran’s arrival had undoubtedly addressed this gap, creating a strong synergy. Even before the regular season had started, many people were already speculating that ZMD was likely to achieve a high ranking.

At the venue entrance, Chen Xingran stared at the dense crowd of enthusiastic fans for a moment, momentarily stunned.

“So many people?” he said in surprise. “They’re all here to welcome us?”

Having never competed before, Chen Xingran was limited to understanding ZMD’s popularity through “high viewership in live streams” and “extensive discussions.” Seeing the offline support in person, he was only now fully realizing the extent of ZMD’s influence.

“Otherwise?”

Yang Yunche raised an eyebrow, teasing, “Hiring so many actors is expensive. If you think it’s not impressive enough, next time, let Fu Zhou invite more people.”

They walked down the player’s corridor toward the backstage of the venue, greeting the fans on the side.

Chen Xingran also followed Yang Yunche’s example and tentatively waved his hand.

“Ahhhhh!”

“Ran Bao is so cute!!”

“Wuwuwu his face is so small! He looks even better in person than in photos!!”

“Ran Bao, good luck in the match, Mommy will always love you!!”

Chen Xingran: “…”

If he wasn’t mistaken, this ‘mommy fan’ seemed younger than he was.

Guided by the staff, they entered the backstage lounge to start their makeup. Chen Xingran had experienced this before during a commercial shoot, and this time he wasn’t as reserved as before. He cooperated obediently with the makeup artist. The makeup for the match was less elaborate than commercial makeup; it was just a light base to improve his complexion, ensuring he didn’t look too pale on camera.

Despite this, his outstanding features still made him look like a fresh-faced idol, so effortlessly attractive that the professional players nearby couldn’t help but glance over.

No wonder ZMD is so popular… When you pick players for ZMD, there must be a requirement for good looks, right?! This new team member makes the professional players look like ordinary people… And what’s even more annoying is that he’s also skilled. Sure enough, God is unfair!

Chen Xingran finished his makeup, changed into his competition outfit in the dressing room, and then waited for Yang Yunche and the others.

Yang Yunche came out afterward, looked at Chen Xingran, and smiled. He stepped forward to adjust the slightly crooked collar of his outfit. “Your collar is askew.”

Chen Xingran lowered his head consciously. “I didn’t notice.”

“This is your debut match. Your appearance is just as important as your skills,” Yang Yunche said, fixing the collar and stepping back to take a look. “There, looking very handsome. Are you still nervous?”

Chen Xingran shook his head. “Not at all.”

“There will be a press interview after the match. You might not be used to it,” Yang Yunche said. “How about I give you a little simulation first?”

He cleared his throat, clenched his fist, and pretended to hold a microphone, presenting it to Chen Xingran with a serious expression. “Excuse me, Chen Xingran, how does it feel to have your first match?”

Chen Xingran was amused by his antics and then also played along seriously, as if really being interviewed. “Hmm… It feels quite good. Each opponent is very strong, and the matches were very satisfying. I’m looking forward to the next game.”

Yang Yunche laughed in amusement. “Such a stiff answer. It sounds too official. Where did you learn that?”

“From interview videos online,” Chen Xingran answered honestly.

“Lacks personality. You can be a bit more arrogant.”

Chen Xingran blinked. “Like what?”

“For example…”

Yang Yunche mimicked Chen Xingran’s tone from earlier, saying, “Hmm, it felt a bit too easy, not much of a challenge. I hope to face stronger opponents next time, and I want to take on ten of them.”

Chen Xingran laughed heartily. “Hahaha… Can I really say that? I might get beaten up by others.”

“Others can’t say that, but you can.”

Yang Yunche said seriously, “After all, they can’t beat you anyway.”

“Okay, let’s move on to another question.” Yang Yunche paused and extended his fist toward Chen Xingran. “So, Chen Xingran, you’ve been with ZMD for a while now. How’s your relationship with your teammates? Still harmonious?”

“Hmm, mostly very harmonious,” Chen Xingran replied solemnly. “Just the captain…”

Yang Yunche gave him a stern look. “Watch your words.”

“The captain is also quite nice,” Chen Xingran conceded.

“He’s also very handsome,” Yang Yunche added. “You need to include that.”

“…”

Chen Xingran rolled his eyes at him and, under Captain Yang’s pressure, relented. “Alright, the captain is also very handsome.”

“Then.”

Yang Yunche cleared his throat softly. “So, Captain Yang Yunche, would he be your ideal type, Chen Xingran?”

“Huh?”

Chen Xingran widened his eyes. “Do reporters ask questions like this?”

Even if they did, wouldn’t they phrase it differently?

“Not necessarily. Reporters can be quite nosy,” Yang Yunche said seriously. “You haven’t been interviewed much, so sometimes reporters do ask these odd questions. I’m just giving you a heads-up.”

Chen Xingran felt something was off. After thinking for a moment, he said, “Well… if it were a girl, she might be an ideal type.”

“What? Is it not okay if it’s a guy?”

Yang Yunche raised an eyebrow. “Chen Xingran, that’s an outdated way of thinking. It’s not that kind of era anymore… Besides, you have quite a few male fans too. They’re always happily calling you ‘husband’ and ‘wife’ online.”

“It’s possible, but…”

Chen Xingran was unconsciously drawn into the conversation. He scratched his head and said, “But I don’t like guys…”

Yang Yunche’s heart skipped a beat.

“Well, it just feels a bit strange.”

Chen Xingran shook his head. “I don’t know how to answer this question. Let’s move on to the next one.”

He waited for Yang Yunche to ask the next question but didn’t hear anything for a while.

“Captain?”

“Hmm?”

Yang Yunche came back to his senses, slightly lowering his gaze to hide the flicker of emotions in his eyes. He smiled and said, “You answered well. You’re officially ready.”

“Really fast.”

Chen Xingran was momentarily stunned but didn’t think much of it. He was about to say something when Fu Zhou called him from a distance, so he turned and walked over.

Yang Yunche watched the young man’s back, feeling a mix of emotions that seemed to be a combination of grievance and disappointment. He couldn’t quite describe what he was feeling.

After a moment, he gave a self-deprecating smile, reached into his pocket, and pulled out a white-wrapped candy with foreign text on it, glistening under the light.

He looked at the candy for a while before putting it back in his pocket, letting out a barely perceptible sigh. He straightened up and walked towards Fu Zhou.

An hour later, the match ended. The players took their positions in the control cabins, and the broadcaster switched the screen to the commentary desk.

The third match of the Karma Cup regular season began.

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Translator Notes

1. Old big brother?[↩]