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Sharpening The Knife Doesn’t Delay The Cutting of Vegetables With The Bow[eSports]: Chapter 41
41. You Hongwei
The highest-tier operation cabin was truly exceptional.
Lying inside the operation cabin, Chen Xingran thought to himself.
After logging into his own account and entering the game, he created a practice room and added an AI opponent for himself. Using Yang Yunche’s operation cabin, he could clearly feel the difference compared to the operation cabins commonly found in internet cafes.
For example, the graphics quality.
Although it was the same iHuntian City, it felt completely different. Chen Xingran had thought the visuals were already quite realistic before, but now, with the customized gaming cabin, the graphics were undoubtedly on another level. It was like adding a cinematic filter to the current display. He could see every detail on each pillar, every tile on the roofs of buildings. The surroundings were no longer an empty plaza; the texture of the cobblestone ground looked much more realistic, and he could even spot wild grass growing between the cracks, swaying gently in the breeze.
There was also a significant improvement in sensory feedback. His body’s perception felt more real, and he could even sense the slight coolness when a breeze brushed against his skin. Because there was no motion correction system, this might not make a big difference for the average player, but for Chen Xingran, it made a world of difference.
He had 0% motion correction; all actions had to be performed manually. This required a higher level of precision, especially for techniques like the Thunderclap, which demanded the coordination of every muscle in his body. The enhanced sensory feedback from the customized operation cabin meant that he could better control every inch of his muscles. This sense of freedom in his movements, even as a first-time experience, made Chen Xingran fall in love with it completely.
He flexed his hand, feeling the feedback from his body, then took various weapons from the weapon rack: a Tang sword, a long spear, a dagger, a broadsword, a whip… Unconsciously, he was fully immersed, and various sword and weapon techniques flowed one after another, as if he were an eagle soaring freely through the sky.
“Swish!”
A sword thrust out; the power from his waist transferred through his arm to the sword. The sword’s tip trembled slightly in the air, producing a faint, whistle-like sound. A leaf fell and was directly pierced by the sharp blade, then the momentum continued, piercing through the AI opponent’s throat!
Chen Xingran let out a long breath, gracefully sheathed the sword with a flourish, and a satisfied glint appeared in his eyes.
Exhilarating.
Checking the time, he realized that nearly twenty minutes had passed while inside the operation cabin. Although he was not entirely satiated, he didn’t want to occupy too much time, especially since Yang Yunche was waiting outside. He exited the practice room, closed the system panel, and logged off.
*Sss.*
The operation cabin emitted a faint sound, not too loud, but quite noticeable in the quiet training room.
“Huh?”
Fu Zhou looked at the operation cabin in surprise. “Did you bring someone in?”
“Sure, why not?”
“…You’re the captain, so of course it’s fine,” Fu Zhou hesitated, then continued, “But you’ve never let anyone use your operation cabin before. What’s going on today? Are you dating someone? Although there’s no rule against dating during our service in the team, you’re a public figure, and any romantic involvement should be reported…”
As he was speaking, Chen Xingran walked out of the operation cabin, and Fu Zhou’s words got stuck in his throat when he saw the young man’s face.
“Hero!”
Fu Zhou stood up excitedly and rushed toward Chen Xingran like a fan meeting their idol. “I finally get to see you again, Hero!”
“…?” Chen Xingran was puzzled, shook Fu Zhou’s hand, and looked a bit confused.
“Why didn’t you say you were coming? I would have asked Auntie Tong to prepare something delicious,” Fu Zhou beamed warmly. “Haha, I didn’t expect that you and our team captain already knew each other. Honestly, I’ve loved watching martial arts movies since I was a kid. I even wanted to learn martial arts in a temple when I was younger. You should visit our base more often, and maybe teach me a thing or two…”
He glanced at the gaming cabin behind Chen Xingran. “I didn’t expect that you, Hero, also play games. How about it? Our base’s customized operation cabin is pretty good, right? By the way, what’s your in-game ID? I’ll ask our team captain to play games with you sometime. And how should I address you, Hero?”
“I’m Chen Xingran, just call me Xingran, no need for ‘Hero’…” Chen Xingran felt a bit uncomfortable with Fu Zhou’s enthusiasm, so he withdrew his hand. “My in-game ID is Ye Shao.”
“Xingran, that’s a nice name. Ye Shao, right? This name has quite a meaning… F*ck!”
Fu Zhou suddenly realized that this ID sounded familiar. It has been mentioned frequently online these days in connection with the newly crowned dueling king of the national server.
As the team manager, he was quite sensitive to news and trends in the gaming community. The name Ye Shao had been associated with Lu Mingyu frequently in recent days. He couldn’t believe that the person standing in front of him, who had effortlessly defeated five or six adults, was actually Ye Shao himself.
“I brought him to experience the operation cabin,” Yang Yunche explained. “Manager Fu, I hope you don’t mind?”
He had mentioned several times to Fu Zhou that he wanted to sign Chen Xingran for one of the teams. However, Chen Xingran had not given his approval yet. To prevent Fu Zhou from blurting out things he shouldn’t, he hinted at it indirectly.
Fu Zhou quickly understood, cleared his throat, and put on a serious expression. “I apologize for not introducing myself properly earlier. I’m Fu Zhou, the team manager of ZMD.”
“Hello, Manager Fu,” Chen Xingran replied with a smile.
“Chen Xingran, have you signed with any team yet?” Fu Zhou, in his professional capacity, couldn’t help but ask.
“Not yet,” Chen Xingran thought for a moment and replied honestly, “but the folks from All-Stars have been in touch with me.”
“All-Stars, huh…” Fu Zhou paused for a moment, then continued casually, “It’s a good team with a lot of strengths. By the way, Yunche, isn’t All-Stars’ base located nearby?”
Yang Yunche nodded, “Yes, it is.”
Fu Zhou said, “It seems their base is only about two-thirds the size of ours. I can’t believe they’re being so frugal. Maybe they’re on the verge of going bankrupt?”
Yang Yunche pretended to be surprised, “Really?”
Fu Zhou sighed dramatically, “Who knows? I find it hard to believe, too. But with these things, you never know for sure. If their performance isn’t good next season, they might not even get their prize money.”
Yang Yunche added playfully, “How could that happen? It would be tough on All-Stars’ team members.”
Fu Zhou continued, “Yeah, it’s such a pity. Unlike ZMD, our salaries and bonuses keep increasing every year. If it keeps going like this, I might have to buy more figurines to spend my money on.”
Chen Xingran, “…”
These two were indeed cut from the same cloth, with their witty banter.
However, Chen Xingran didn’t mind this atmosphere at all. Rather than being in a team where training was the only focus every day, he preferred to be around interesting people like Yang Yunche and Fu Zhou.
“Oh, I almost forgot about the main business.”
Fu Zhou, while mocking Full Sky Stars, suddenly smacked his forehead. “Yunche, come with me. There are some things I need to discuss with you.”
“Now?” Yang Yunche raised an eyebrow, glancing at Chen Xingran.
Chen Xingran was considerate. “You guys go ahead; you don’t need to worry about me.”
Yang Yunche thought for a moment. “Alright, you can use my operation cabin freely, or you can explore the base. Don’t worry, there aren’t many people around right now. I’ll be back soon.”
“Okay.”
…
“What’s the matter?” Yang Yunche closed the door to Fu Zhou’s office.
“Does Ye Shao have any intention of joining ZMD?”
Fu Zhou turned around and asked, “I’ve already talked to Yu Hongwei. He won’t be renewing his contract for the next season, which means we’ll be short one main tank. If you really want to bring Xiao Nan in to fill that tank position, what about the assault role?”
“What does the board of directors say about it?”
“Their suggestion is to promote someone from the second team or look for talent in the youth training camp, similar to how we recruited Luo Baibai initially.”
Yang Yunche shook his head. “The players in the second team… aren’t suitable. Having Xiao Nan switch to the tank position will already take some time for him to get used to. If the assault role also lags behind, our situation for the next season won’t be optimistic.”
“Is Ye Shao the only option?”
“It’s not just him, but…”
Yang Yunche’s expression became more serious. “If we can’t sign him, we will regret it.”
His firm tone surprised Fu Zhou for a moment. After a while, he continued, “What if he still refuses?”
Yang Yunche looked at him puzzled. “Then offer more money. We haven’t even discussed the signing fee yet. How do we know he won’t agree?”
“That makes sense.”
The straightforward financial approach left Fu Zhou rubbing his temples as he asked, “So, like Yu Hongwei, should we start with a B-tier contract?”
Yu Hongwei, as an official member of the first team, had signed a B-tier contract. However, as a prestigious club, both the signing fee and the treatment were much higher than those offered by ordinary teams.
“Are you kidding? If we bring out a B-tier contract, he might immediately run off to All Stars.”
“Huh?”
Fu Zhou was astonished, “But he’s a newcomer, and he hasn’t even played any matches yet. According to the rules, he should start with a B-tier contract, and then we can change it once he achieves some results, right?”
“Rules can be flexible,” Yang Yunche sighed. “Don’t you think that someone with the potential to rival Lu Mingyu would warrant more sincerity from ZMD?”
Fu Zhou paused for a moment, then he realized it.
Indeed, Chen Xingran was no ordinary newcomer. His recent battle with Lu Mingyu had proven his strength. A new national server sword master who could compete with the likes of Lu Mingyu and Li Haoyuan was a hot commodity everywhere. Even without competitive experience, he wouldn’t be easily signed with just a B-tier contract.
“As for the terms, I’ll discuss it with the board. You don’t have to worry about that,” Yang Yunche said, waving his hand.
“Alright.”
…
Chen Xingran wandered around the training room and grew more and more fond of it. He opened Yang Yunche’s operation cabin and scanned the interior. Suddenly, he seemed to notice something unusual.
Behind the opened operation cabin door, there seemed to be a strange lump, taped with tape of the same color as the pod door. It was hard to notice if you didn’t look closely.
Curiously, he leaned in to take a closer look.
At that moment, the door to the training room opened, and a person walked in.
It was an ordinary-looking guy, tall with a somewhat muscular build, dressed in a gray tank top that accentuated his bulging muscles. His features carried a bit of a harsh expression, suggesting he was in a bad mood.
You Hongwei walked into the training room and immediately spotted Chen Xingran next to the operation cabin.
He furrowed his brows. “Who are you?”
“I…”
Chen Xingran began to speak but was interrupted by You Hongwei.
“You’re from the youth training camp, right?”
You Hongwei made his judgment with just a glance. The other person looked quite young, so he likely belonged to the youth training camp. He was in a terrible mood at the moment. After talking to Fu Zhou, he realized his current situation. Although he had anticipated this day, hearing Fu Zhou say, “ZMD won’t be renewing my contract next season, let’s part on good terms,” still ignited his anger.
Why?
Hadn’t his contributions been a part of ZMD’s journey to its current success? He had spent so many years with ZMD, and now he was being discarded so casually. Moreover, when he had passed by Yang Yunche and Fu Zhou earlier, Yang Yunche’s indifferent gaze and the absence of words made him feel like Yang Yunche didn’t regard him at all.
Frustration at being ignored, coupled with the impending humiliation of being kicked out of ZMD, surged through him. You Hongwei’s anger was evident, and he didn’t mince words when speaking to Chen Xingran.
“You, go to the tea room and get me a glass of water with ice.”
He treated Chen Xingran as if he wanted to vent the anger he had experienced with Yang Yunche on the young trainee standing in front of him. His attitude was domineering and condescending, and he pointed at Chen Xingran with a superior air.
Chen Xingran furrowed his brow but didn’t move.
“I’m talking to you. Didn’t you hear me?!” You Hongwei saw that Chen Xingran had ignored him and became even angrier.
Even though he was about to leave ZMD, he was still a full-fledged team member until the contract was officially terminated. A mere trainee, how dare he disregard his words?
“You ill-mannered thing.”
You Hongwei slapped the table, raising his voice, “Didn’t your parents teach you to listen attentively to your seniors? What’s with your attitude?”
Chen Xingran’s eyes suddenly darkened, and he stood up straight, saying coolly, “Didn’t your parents teach you to add ‘please’ before asking for help?”
TN:
I don’t like this Surname You”🔪”.
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