Did The Captain Catch Up With The Coach Today [Esports] Chapter 41

Chapter 41

Wei Xiao spoke very earnestly, with the seriousness of wedding vows.

Wen Shi Yu couldn’t help but smile. “Yes, it is our future.”

He paused, and without waiting for Wei Xiao’s response, he spoke again, subtly changing the subject. “The bracket for the quarterfinals is out. Want to take a look?”

“Ah, it’s out?” Wei Xiao had been so focused on Wen Shi Yu’s emotions that he hadn’t paid attention to what was on the screen. Hearing this, he immediately shifted his focus.

A table filled with team names entered his view, making Wei Xiao dizzy.

He chose to ask directly, “Who is our opponent for the first match?”

“DIE,” Wen Shi Yu replied.

Wei Xiao tried to recall. “Oh, that team that proactively challenged us, only to be utterly crushed? The oddball that scored -14 points in the Invitational Tournament? The one that gifted us 2 points on the first day?”

“Don’t underestimate them.”

“I know. Strategically despise the enemy, tactically respect the enemy, right?”

After saying this, Wei Xiao immediately asked, “What about the opponent for the second day?”

Wen Shi Yu glanced at him, shook his head helplessly, and resigned himself to being his bracket translator. “The second day is KPI.”

Wei Xiao: “Our defeated opponent.”

Wen Shi Yu: “They were still last year’s runner-up, after all.”

Wei Xiao: “Still a defeated opponent. What about the third day?”

Wen Shi Yu: “MID.”

Wei Xiao: “We haven’t played them, I think. Are they strong?”

Wen Shi Yu: “They were sixth in the Invitational Tournament.”

Wei Xiao: “Then they aren’t our match either.”

Wen Shi Yu: “By your standard, only WI is worth taking seriously.”

Wei Xiao: “Then I’ll ask directly—which day is the match against WI?”

Wen Shi Yu: “The fifth day.”

Wei Xiao: “Ah…”

Wen Shi Yu: “Too late for you?”

Wei Xiao: “Yeah.”

Wen Shi Yu: “It’s better than them coming in on the first day and beating us 3-0.”

Wei Xiao: “How is that possible?”

Wen Shi Yu: “Don’t get ahead of yourself.”

Wei Xiao: “Aww.”

Sensing the seriousness in Wen Shi Yu’s tone, Wei Xiao instantly sat up straight.

Getting swept 3-0 by the champion team wasn’t impossible, but Wei Xiao felt that his Jungler skills were superior to WI’s Jungler, Xing Guang, and his teammates were all very capable. He still had high hopes of beating WI, right?

Moreover, to win the championship, beating WI was a necessity. They had to win no matter what.

So after that “Aww,” he quickly became stubborn again. “Whether I’m getting ahead of myself or not, we have to win. I’ll win for you to see.”

“Alright, I’ll be watching then.” Wen Shi Yu’s tone softened, and the corners of his lips curved upward slightly.

In his view, while WI’s Jungler Xing Guang had technical flaws, the team’s overall strength was undeniably the world’s best. FHM might not truly be their match at this stage.

But having the confidence to win was better than losing without a fight.

“Okay, let’s not talk about this today. We agreed to take a break,” Wen Shi Yu said, closing his laptop.

“If not this, then what should we talk about?” Wei Xiao instinctively asked.

“I’m asking you,” Wen Shi Yu looked at him, a playful smile on his lips. “A bet is a bet. I’m your servant for a day, at your command. Tell me, what do you want me to do?”

“Ah… this… that…” Wei Xiao was caught off guard by his gaze, lowered his head as if shocked, and stammered. It took him a moment to straighten out his tongue. “Then, how about you Solo Queue with me and stomp some noobs?”

He wanted Wen Shi Yu to take out the frustration he suffered from Wei Xiao on other people.

However, Wen Shi Yu refused. “We agreed on a break. Other people would throw their keyboards and mice where they can’t see them, but you? You play games even on vacation, and you won’t even switch games.”

“I can switch!” Wei Xiao changed his tune immediately. “What do you want to play, Brother Wen? I’ll join you! Any game is fine!”

“What do you want to play?” Wen Shi Yu countered. “I’m the servant, so your decision takes priority, of course.”

Wei Xiao: “…”

Then why don’t you Duo Queue with me!

Wei Xiao, of course, only said this in his heart.

According to the rules, he had the right to force Wen Shi Yu to Duo Queue with him, but rules are rigid, and people are flexible. Rules are pure rationality, while people have emotions.

Emotionally, he wouldn’t, and didn’t want to, force Wen Shi Yu to do anything he didn’t want to do.

So Wei Xiao decisively excluded “Duo Queue” from the options, got up, returned to his computer, searched for a few popular two-player games online, and selected one that tested intelligence and cooperation more than mechanical skill.

“Shall we play this?” he asked Wen Shi Yu.

Wen Shi Yu didn’t immediately agree. Instead, he sat down on the E-sports chair next to Wei Xiao, slid the chair and himself toward him, and looked at the video on Wei Xiao’s screen. “What type of game is it?”

Wei Xiao briefly explained the game type and general gameplay.

“Sounds good, let’s go.” Wen Shi Yu slid back to his computer, opened Steam, logged in, purchased, and downloaded the game, eager to start.

Wei Xiao breathed a sigh of relief, and while doing the same thing, he… couldn’t help but chuckle.

Wen Shi Yu carried an aristocratic elegance in his every move, like a young master accustomed to a life of luxury, unaware of the world’s harshness. He seemed easy to fool and bully, but in reality, he never compromised his own comfort.

Even when acting as a servant, he had to keep the initiative in his own hands.

Wei Xiao had no doubt that if he had chosen a game Wen Shi Yu wasn’t interested in, Wen Shi Yu would have made him choose again.

Wei Xiao didn’t dislike this trait in Wen Shi Yu; rather, he appreciated and liked it.

Because interacting with such a person wouldn’t lead to conflict due to neglecting the other’s feelings—the other person would clearly express their feelings immediately.

No bottling up, no need for venting.

The game didn’t require much memory and finished downloading quickly.

Before starting, Wei Xiao tentatively asked Wen Shi Yu, “Can I record the screen?”

“You can,” Wen Shi Yu replied without hesitation. “It makes it easier for post-match analysis to see who is dragging the team down.”

“Good heavens, worthy of a coach. You need post-match analysis for this game too?” Wei Xiao turned on the screen recording.

“Why else? Who are you planning to share the recording with?” Wen Shi Yu asked.

If not for post-match analysis, then the recording was obviously for sharing.

Wei Xiao: “Well… if you don’t mind, I’ll post it on JJ.”

Wen Shi Yu: “JJ Live City? Isn’t that a streaming platform?”

Wei Xiao: “You can post videos too.”

Wen Shi Yu: “Can you earn money?”

Wei Xiao: “If people tip, yes.”

Wen Shi Yu: “Then post it.”

Wei Xiao: “You want me to post it just because I can earn money? Don’t we have enough money?”

Wen Shi Yu: “If we’re not short on money, does that mean we can’t earn more? Money isn’t everything, but without money, you can’t do anything! At this stage, I don’t recommend you stream, as I want you to focus on the competition, but uploading a recording doesn’t take much effort. If you want to upload it, go ahead.”

Wei Xiao hummed in acknowledgment, already eager to upload the recording and see what kind of stir it would cause.

…Calm down. The game hasn’t even started yet; there’s no footage to speak of.

Wei Xiao sent a game invitation to Wen Shi Yu. After selecting their respective characters, they started the game.

Perhaps to retaliate for Wei Xiao defeating him in the 1v1, Wen Shi Yu was full of trash talk the entire time.

As soon as he got ahead, he would yell, “Why are you so slow? You suck!”

If Wei Xiao made a mistake that prevented them from clearing the level on the first try, he would shout, “Wow, what’s wrong with you? Can you even do this? Get it together, baby!”

Wei Xiao always graciously admitted his fault. “Yes, yes, my bad, my bad. Next time for sure!”

But there were times when Wei Xiao got ahead of him. Did Wen Shi Yu stay silent and pretend to be oblivious? No, he still shouted, “Why are you running so fast? Wait for your teammate! Wait for your beautiful, cute, and reliable teammate! How do you plan to clear the level without me? We need to be united and friendly! Never forget, this is a two-player game!”

Wei Xiao continued to push ahead, laughing uncontrollably the whole time.

Then, if they failed to clear the level due to Wen Shi Yu’s mistake, Wen Shi Yu would immediately praise Wei Xiao. “Wow, you’re amazing! Why are you so strong? How could I manage without you?”

This blocked all of Wei Xiao’s teasing remarks, leaving Wei Xiao with no choice but to smile and compromise.

Finally, Wei Xiao couldn’t help but say, “I can see how reserved you were the first time you Duo Queued with me.”

“What did I do?” Wen Shi Yu played dumb.

“I thought you didn’t like talking when you played games.”

“Whether I talk or not depends on my mood.”

“You’re in a good mood today?”

“Mhm.”

“Hahaha, as long as you’re happy.”

The stone hanging in Wei Xiao’s heart finally dropped, and he wholeheartedly enjoyed the pleasure of playing a two-player cooperative game with Wen Shi Yu.

Wen Shi Yu smiled, savoring their conversation.

—You’re in a good mood today?

Indeed, it had been a long time since he had played so happily.

It felt like returning to the very beginning of playing Hero League, the simple and pure joy of trash-talking with friends and crushing opponents.

The fun of multiplayer games lies not only in the game itself but also in the social interaction.

Wen Shi Yu didn’t regret embarking on the path of E-sports, but since he started playing professionally, something had subtly changed.

They could no longer laughingly tease each other about mistakes, nor could they easily accept being teased.

Any sentence that questioned skill could touch the most sensitive nerve, triggering an explosion.

Wen Shi Yu had once reflected on whether the problem was with him, but the members of FHM got along very well, both with him and with each other.

So, it definitely wasn’t his fault. No need for self-doubt.

The two of them cleared six levels in one go, both complaining that the game was too simple, completely ignoring the fact that their average time per level was half that of others.

Wei Xiao, who was the main controller, was about to start the next level when Wen Shi Yu suddenly said, “Xiao, I’m interested in Duo Queuing with you now.”

Xiao… Wei Xiao flinched at the address.

“Duo Queue? Hero League?” he asked uncertainly.

Wen Shi Yu hummed in affirmation.

“Didn’t you say we wouldn’t touch that game on vacation?”

“I’m interested now.”

“No.” Wei Xiao finally found a chance to be a little haughty. “Unless you play Jungler, I might consider taking a Support role and coasting.”

Wen Shi Yu chuckled. “Forget it then. I don’t want the opposing team asking you during the playoffs why you’re constantly following the Marksman’s butt.”

“If the weather is nice tomorrow, should we go out?” Wei Xiao suddenly changed the subject.

Wen Shi Yu thought for a moment.

He didn’t like going out, but with Wei Xiao… it wasn’t impossible.

“We’ll see,” he said. “Don’t forget, you still owe me compensation.”