Chapter 1 Bathed in Preparation

After all, Team Tyranny was only a potential opponent for Team Happy after this round. Worrying about them now was a bit premature. Team Happy's top priority was, of course, to focus on playing well against Team Blue Rain.

For this week and a bit, besides familiarizing themselves with the new equipment, they were naturally also actively preparing for the battle against Team Blue Rain. Without considering anything else, they focused all their attention on this one opponent. And now, the time had come to bring all of this to the field.

In the regular season, Team Happy had met Team Blue Rain twice, losing 1 to 9 and 2 to 8 – pretty terrible defeats. What would Team Happy use to defeat Team Blue Rain this time? Today's "eSports Weekly" was analyzing this very question. The "eSports Weekly," which had become a daily publication, had two main sections: one covering the matches that had just ended the previous night, and the other previewing the matches that were about to begin that night. The content was detailed and substantial, pleasing to the players, but a hectic time for the media news workers.

According to online support rates for this match, Team Blue Rain had a clear advantage, receiving 73% of the support, while Team Happy only had 27%.

However, Team Happy wouldn't be intimidated by such data. When facing Team Excellent Era in the Challenger League, they had received even less support, but what then? If voting could truly represent the outcome, then why even have a match? Just hold the vote and hand out the awards!

On match day, there wouldn't be any high-intensity training. However, they couldn't just let the players not touch their computers all day and only warm up right before the match started.

That afternoon, everyone from Team Happy arrived at the Happy Internet Cafe's training room, each occupying a computer to play Glory. Some were playing seriously, while others were relaxed and casual. Ye Xiu didn't need to teach them anymore. Warming up before a match was something they did in the regular season as well. After a season, everyone had their preferred way of warming up.

They adjusted their state in a relaxed manner, watching the time tick by minute by minute.

Around five o'clock, Chen Guo came to call everyone for dinner. On match days, dinner was usually eaten a bit earlier. With only three and a half hours left until the official start of the match, the atmosphere was extremely tense. Chen Guo only took a few bites before feeling full. She continued to pretend to eat with great effort. In comparison, the players seemed more relaxed than her.

After dinner, everyone was free to do their own thing. Around seven o'clock, they all consciously gathered together, ready for their appearance.

Leaving Happy Internet Cafe through the back door, crossing the street, entering through the player's entrance…

Team Happy had walked this route for an entire season, but never with such seriousness. It was as if every step from this point forward would affect the outcome of the match.

The preparation room was already ready, the air conditioner having been on for who knows how long, making the room temperature very comfortable. Everyone came in, found a seat, and then remained silent.

Too oppressive!

Chen Guo deeply felt the pressure. At a time like this, she really should say something! Chen Guo looked at Ye Xiu and Wei Chen, the most senior of the seniors, who usually paid attention to adjusting the team's atmosphere. Why weren't they saying anything today? Were they also deeply suppressed by this atmosphere?

Should I say something?

What should I say?

"Add oil?" "Relax?"

These slogans wouldn't help much no matter how many times they were repeated! If only she had prepared a few cold jokes. Maybe they would have an unexpected effect at this time.

Chen Guo was lost in her thoughts, still unsure how to open her mouth. Finally, Ye Xiu began to speak at this moment.

"Have you all remembered the tactics? Do I need to go over them again?" Ye Xiu said.

Everyone looked at each other, silently shaking their heads. No one spoke.

"Well, the key is still in the on-the-spot changes. We have a great advantage in this regard. When it comes to typing speed, I'm confident I can leave Yu Wenzhou an equator behind," Ye Xiu said.

"Heh heh heh…" Everyone chuckled dryly.

"Yu Wenzhou, as a professional player, his hand speed is simply failing, but he can still become an All-Star-level player. Do you know why?" Ye Xiu said.

Everyone shook their heads. To be honest, no one was really in the mood to guess anything at this time.

"Play to your strengths and avoid your weaknesses," Ye Xiu said.

"Sounds like a load of nonsense, right?" Ye Xiu said with a smile. "But it's the truth. In this league, no one is better at doing this than him. This is Yu Wenzhou's style, and it's also Team Blue Rain's tactical style. Ever since their indispensable soul, former captain Wei Chen, retired, Team Blue Rain has been on the rise…"

"Get lost!" Wei Chen had to speak up this time.

"Hahaha." Everyone laughed again, this time not as forced as before.

"Since our opponent this time is Team Blue Rain, I want to call on everyone to learn from Comrade Yu Wenzhou. Play to your strengths and avoid your weaknesses, and fiercely unleash each of your strengths on this field. If we can do this, then there won't be any regrets left in our hearts. As for the shortcomings, don't worry too much about them. Everyone has shortcomings, which is why we form a team. One person's shortcomings are made up for by the other four, and that's what's called a team."

"Everyone guards each other's backs, so everyone has someone guarding their back. Charge forward with confidence!"

"Team Happy, it's time to appear."

As soon as Ye Xiu finished speaking, someone knocked on the door of Team Happy's preparation room, notifying them that it was time to appear.

"Let's go!" Ye Xiu called out, and everyone stood up and walked out of the preparation room. Opposite them, the players from Team Blue Rain were also walking out of their room.

The two teams lined up, forming two rows in the entrance tunnel. The captains of the two teams stood at the front. Ye Xiu had just given a speech starting from Yu Wenzhou, causing the members of Team Happy to take another look at this Team Blue Rain captain with insufficient hand speed.

"Did you guess what big move we have?" Ye Xiu asked Yu Wenzhou at the head of the line.

"Didn't guess," Yu Wenzhou said with a smile. He simply didn't bother to guess.

"Now I'm not afraid to tell you," Ye Xiu said.

"I've also been waiting for this moment," Yu Wenzhou said.

"It's equipment," Ye Xiu said.

"Oh, so your Myriad Manifestations Umbrella is finally not holding everyone back?" Yu Wenzhou said. Lord Grim's Myriad Manifestations Umbrella had been at level 70 for an entire season. Now, not to mention the core characters, but any character with a Silver weapon would have their weapon upgraded first, basically completing the evolution to level 75. Weapons at level 70 were becoming an extinct species.

"Hehe, I should be saying don't drag me down," Ye Xiu said with a smile.

"Can't you die if you don't brag?" The person behind Yu Wenzhou finally couldn't bear it anymore.

"Oh, how many sentences did we just chat? He actually held back until now to interrupt, isn't that impressive?" Ye Xiu said to Yu Wenzhou with great surprise.

"Heh heh heh…" Yu Wenzhou just smiled. What else could he say?

"Don't cry when you see it later," Ye Xiu turned to Huang Shaotian and said.

"Don't you cry when you lose," Huang Shaotian said.

"How could I lose?" Ye Xiu said with a look of arrogance.

"Aren't you ashamed? You've already lost twice," Huang Shaotian was referring to the regular season.

"I didn't lose," Ye Xiu abandoned the team aspect he always talked about. Speaking individually, of course he hadn't lost, with a 37-round winning streak!

"That's just you getting lucky," Huang Shaotian had to keep arguing.

"You get lucky and show me? I only had a 37-round winning streak, and I deliberately left one round to be broken!" Ye Xiu said.

"…" Huang Shaotian didn't dare to respond, no matter how stubborn he was. Fortunately, at this time, the staff ahead signaled that the two teams should start entering.

"Let's go." The away team entered first, but Yu Wenzhou didn't forget to greet Ye Xiu before stepping in.

Not their home stadium, they were lucky to get some polite applause. Screaming and shouting would be drowned out by the home fans, even if created by their own accompanying fan group. How could they tolerate the visiting team running wild on their territory?

A holographic projection of Soaring Sword was displayed on the field, making a few random movements. Being handsome was definitely not something done for the visiting team's characters. Not making them look bad was considered ethical. The announcer's introduction of Yu Wenzhou was also just a few simple sentences, and then he began to call out the next player to appear.

Huang Shaotian then took the stage, receiving similar treatment to Yu Wenzhou. This was a common occurrence, happening at every team's home stadium. The players from Team Blue Rain had seen the world and naturally didn't take it to heart. The players came on stage one after another according to the rhythm. Then, it was Team Happy's turn to appear, and the atmosphere changed instantly. The moment Ye Xiu walked out of the tunnel, the screams and shouts instantly filled the entire stadium.

Lord Grim demonstrated the Myriad Manifestations Umbrella's multiple forms on the field. Ye Xiu waved to the audience on all sides. Compared to the appearance of the Blue Rain players, the time spent was different. Not to mention the introductions, they wanted nothing more than to describe all of his glorious history in the most exaggerated way possible.

The Happy players went on stage one by one, and then the two sides shook hands before leaving the stage. In the end, two players remained, undoubtedly the first players for the individual competition, too lazy to go down and come back up again.

"Ye Xiu, it's Ye Xiu!" The commentator Pan Lin had already shouted excitedly.

Ye Xiu was actually Team Happy's first player in the individual competition. Even in the playoffs, he still insisted on being the first to fight? Before the match, almost no one had expected this arrangement. Everyone had routinely placed Ye Xiu, this incredibly strong individual combatant, in the fourth position.

But now, he was the first to appear!

And for Team Blue Rain, the first to play was the Qigong Master player, Song Xiao! Their key player was placed in the first position of the individual competition. What kind of plan and expectation was this?

The two greeted each other again before heading to their respective team's competition seats.

"Team Happy actually sent Ye Xiu as the first player in the individual competition. This is too unexpected. What do you think, Instructor Li?" Pan Lin said.

"Uh, I think this is probably to boost Team Happy's morale! Team Happy has so many newcomers. This is their first time playing in the playoffs, so they must be under a lot of pressure. Ye Xiu going up first, winning and boosting morale, will also reduce the burden on the players who come after him. I think that's Team Happy's plan," Li Yibo guessed with a forced smile.