The Whole World Thinks I’m a Woman Disguised as a Man [E-Sports] - Chapter 63.2

Xue Lan, immersed in a solo quest alongside Duan Wenzheng, slid off his headphones and asked, “What’s the matter?”

“What did Glory Team say?” Qi Siyu turned to him.

“No.” The recollection fueled Zhou Kanqing’s anger. “Before us, Thunder Team also had an agreed match with Glory. His scheduled practice match escalated into a crushing defeat — fine, that happens. But they wasted no time in approaching Chen Rong, asking if he’d like to join their team. At this juncture, it’s common knowledge that they’re openly attempting to poach players. Even if done discreetly, that’s somewhat tolerable. Yet, the line was crossed when they resorted to mocking Glory Team during the practice game in the voice chat, and they were telling Chen Rong not to waste any more time and join their team instead.”

As Zhou Kanqing continued to speak, his mood soured with every word, oblivious to the shifting expressions of Xue Lan and Qi Siyu, which contorted in a downturned dance of dissatisfaction.

In this instance, Wen Yan reentered the training room after contacting the Glory Team.

“Get ready.”

“We’re still playing?” Zhou Kanqing blurted out. “Is their condition okay?”

Wen Yan glanced at Zhou Kanqing, who then shut his mouth in embarrassment. Aware that Zhou Kanqing’s indiscretions had spilled the beans to those present, he explained, “Thunder may appear arrogant and domineering, but truth be told, they lack a key player. The more they flaunt this demeanor, the clearer it becomes that they lack complete confidence in the imminent new season.”

“Exactly!” Zhou Kaning swiftly rectified his statement. “If they believe they can beat us, why must they scramble to create a new starting lineup for the upcoming season? Besides, can individuals temporarily poached in this manner truly foster effective collaboration?”

“Okay.” Wen Yan gestured to the team and motioned for Zhou Kanqing to be silent.

Not long after, the rival team started filing into the room one by one.

Xue Lan’s attention was grabbed by one of the IDs —

“If we’re all ready, we’ll start now?”

RY-Srrr, aka Chen Rong’s, who was assaulter, contract with Glory Team was coming to an end.

He had almost forgotten about this person. Following Meng Qi’s departure and Wen Yan’s fruitless search throughout the training camp, this person emerged as the assaulter who transferred to LGW after the disbandment of Glory Team.

He had also almost forgotten that the impending start of the new season also marked the descent of the once-veteran Glory Team.

And this assaulter, who was supposed to come to LGW — now that Xue Lan himself had taken the place in LGW, which team would he join?

If not himself, he…

Xue Lan’s fingers involuntarily sought out his jacket’s pocket, yearning to explore the candies nestled within as a habit.

But this time, his pocket was devoid of such things.

Gradually, his heart sank, a subtle unease corroding his nerves inch by inch, leading his eyes to unconsciously droop.

In the midst of his perturbation, possibly induced by an eerie premonition, a candy was silently presented before his eyes.

Surprised, Xue Lan lifted his head, casting his gaze toward Duan Wenzheng, seated beside him.

Duan Wenzheng was propping up his head, silently fixing his gaze upon him as well.

He didn’t speak, didn’t flaunt or take credit as usual. Instead, he quietly placed that candy in Xue Lan’s palm.

A sudden ache welled up in Xue Lan’s eyes for reasons unknown.

He delicately stowed away the candy in his pocket with great care. In this very moment, as the game commenced, he swiftly regained his composure and readied himself for the initial skirmish.

As he configured his keys and presets while the countdown for the match unfolded, a private message popped up in the chat window.

LGW-Reset: Why are you not eating?

Xue Lan’s cheeks flushed. He lowered his head and typed.

LGW-Exist: I’ll eat after we win.

LGW-Reset: There’s more anyway. Just eat. Is gege ever short of candies for you?

The sentences were short, and the blush on Xue Lan’s face slowly intensified.

As the match neared its commencement, Xue Lan abruptly averted his gaze from the chat window. He gathered his focus and fell into step behind his teammates.

At its zenith, Glory stood as the pinnacle team in Dawn of the Apocalypse, crafting numerous moments of brilliance. However, the lament of veteran teams lay in witnessing departures and the erosion of skill. Like meteors, many teams faded into obscurity in mere seconds.

In the original text, Glory Team was one such team.

In the original text, Wen Yan struggled to find a suitable replacement assaulter following Meng Qi’s retirement. Consequently, he recruited an assaulter from two different teams to fill Meng Qi’s position temporarily.

Chen Rong of the Glory Team stood as the sole member, still at the pinnacle of their prowess. Leading up to the impending season, the Thunder Team extended numerous invitations to him, accompanied by a generous offer.

Following repeated rejections, Thunder Team dealt a significant blow to Glory in the new season’s confrontation, effectively removing them from contention for the finals. It was at this juncture that Glory Team announced their disbandment, with Chen Rong subsequently joining LGW.

As the game commenced, both parties clashed head-on in the mid-lane.

Wen Yan, alongside Zhou Kanqing, forged the path ahead. Trailing behind, Xue Lan focused all his attention on ensuring Qi Siyu’s safety as he shielded the team.

In this intense clash, both sides engaged in a spirited exchange with mutual respect. Ultimately, despite Xue Lan and a few others teetering on low health, they successfully vanquished four opponents, emerging victorious in the encirclement.

Chen Rong, also hanging on with a sliver of health, narrowly survived by sheer luck. Glancing at the time, Wen Yan signaled to everyone, prompting them to advance toward the enemy’s camp.

Xue Lan felt a sense of uncertainty. If the events from the original text unfolded again, then Chen Rong might join LGW, as detailed in the text, and potentially… take his position.

He was also uncertain of Chen Rong’s destination if he remained in LGW.

However —

The only certainty in his mind now was that as long as he remained with LGW, as long as Duan Wenzheng stood beside him, he would expend every ounce of his energy in each match, steadfastly advancing toward the unfulfilled dream of the past.

As everyone reached the enemy’s camp that very moment, Xue Lan was startled to catch a glimpse of a figure darting behind a shelter.

As if intuitively sensing something, he hoisted his rifle and switched to combat mode. In that precise instant, a volley of shots erupted from that shelter —