SITS Ch14

Chapter 14: A Small Scrim

Scrims were played on dedicated tournament scrim servers.

Even though the coach had boasted a few days ago about wanting a BO7, it ended up being a BO5 after all.

After all, a single match plus the normal BP phase took over half an hour; finishing a BO7 would likely stretch well into the evening.

After wrapping up the BP according to the compositions discussed in yesterday’s meeting and loading into the game, TKR was the first to be taken by surprise.

TKR’s obnoxious-mouthed mid laner, Yang Shanhe, typed in [All] chat: Yo, a new comp? How rare.

ACE fielded a dual-carry system they had almost never run before, picking late-game-oriented scaling heros for both their Marksman and Jungler.

While this setup was fairly common in Heart of the Wasteland, it was a novel experiment for ACE—previously they had run purely single-carry systems. It seemed they intended to use TKR as sparring partners today.

TKR’s mid laner was actually an old acquaintance of Shen Man’s named Yang Shanhe. Back when Qin Yixing decided to leave, failing to take Shen Man with him, he took Yang Shanhe instead.

“This Yang Shanhe sure talks a lot,” Zhao Rui said, harboring a very poor impression of the guy. “I heard from them that the rumors about you bullying people on the team were spread by Yang Shanhe.”

Shen Man asked, “Them?”

Zhao Rui said, “Your fans.”

Shen Man asked, “You actually know my fans?”

Zhao Rui chuckled: “I’m a master internet surfer, I know tons of people.”

Seeing how pleased he was, Shen Man didn’t have the heart to burst his bubble—knowing all those people, yet he still resorted to e-dating.

Yang Shanhe and Shen Man had been teammates for a year, but they weren’t close. Shen Man was naturally a man of few words, and Yang Shanhe had been introverted as well; who knew why someone so quiet in real life was this chatty in-game.

Shen Man couldn’t be bothered to read his nonsense and simply muted all with a single click.

Zhao Rui said, “Feels like he hates you so much, what did you even do to him?” Everyone claimed Shen Man had a foul temper, but in reality, anyone who spent enough time around him knew he was simply aloof by nature and never the type to bully others. He was normally very low-profile, never initiating socialization, and would always tuck himself into an inconspicuous corner during meetings—unfortunately, Shen Man’s face ensured that even if he wanted to keep a low profile, he couldn’t. Still, spreading rumors that Shen Man bullied people over things like this was taking it way too far.

Shen Man said, “How would I know?” He barely had any impression of this person, hardly even remembering what he looked like.

Zhao Rui: “…Fine then.”

TKR’s strength was beyond doubt. Since running a new system was also a matter of synergy and adaptation, ACE quickly began to fall behind.

As expected of the reigning number-one player in the HCC, Qin Yixing’s skill was undisputed.

At twenty-eight minutes, TKR blew up ACE’s Nexus, concluding this game without surprise.

Zhao Rui marveled, “Qin Yixing is still fierce. I heard TKR paid an extraordinarily high signing fee when they poached him.” He looked toward Shen Man, “Shen-ge, how much did they offer you?”

Shen Man said, “Tens of millions, probably.”

Zhao Rui asked, “After tax?”

Shen Man hummed in confirmation.

Everyone in the industry knew about this, but it was the first time hearing it straight from Shen Man’s mouth.

“And you didn’t go even for that?” Zhao Rui was somewhat flabbergasted. Tens of millions post-tax versus pre-tax were two completely different worlds; Shen Man staying on ACE likely didn’t even make half of that. Refusing to jump ship despite that much money—no wonder the ACE boss doted on Shen Man like a precious treasure.

“Captain, you are truly such a good person,” Xu Zhouye marveled.

It would have been fine if he hadn’t marveled, but the moment he did, Shen Man and Zhao Rui instantly remembered his meager wage. Zhao Rui’s voice turned as soft as water in an instant: “Xiao Ye-er, want something to drink? I’ll get it for you.”

Xu Zhouye was puzzled: “No need, I’m not thirsty.”

Shen Man said, “It’s fine, let him go. He just loves fetching water for people.”

Zhao Rui: “…” There is no such thing.

In the end, Zhao Rui fetched a few bottles of sparkling water, and Game 2 began.

During their first encounter with TKR, ACE had won with ease, largely because Qin Yixing and his team hadn’t taken Xu Zhouye seriously at all. What skill could a Jungler who died to a jungle camp on his debut possibly have? Everyone had treated him like a joke.

Yet in esports, the moment you look down on your opponent, you’ve already conceded half your chances of winning.

In Game 2, TKR won again. The dual-carry system made things rather difficult for Zhao Rui and Shen Man; this kind of comp requiring patient, cowardly farming didn’t suit their aggressive playstyles.

The coach had been spectating and recording data throughout, not at all surprised by the outcome. Synergizing a new lineup wasn’t a matter of one or two tries; it required massive amounts of practice. Being able to drag TKR in as scrim partners was naturally a great thing. However, as the game concluded, TKR’s Yang Shanhe couldn’t resist typing in [All] chat again: Yo, not in top form today, huh? Cold still hasn’t healed?

If it were anyone else, people might actually think it was genuine concern, but this guy was undoubtedly being sarcastic.

Yang Shanhe thought ACE would reply with a word or two, but right until the Nexus exploded, not a single soul responded. Inexplicably feeling completely ignored, the joy of winning the match was washed away, replaced by embarrassed resentment. Yang Shanhe barked, “What’s he being so arrogant for? Thinking he’s hot shit just because he won once—aren’t they still getting pummeled by us!”

His team’s Marksman glanced at him: “We won two games, why are you still so mad?”

Yang Shanhe said, “I just can’t stand Shen Man’s high-and-mighty attitude!”

The Marksman asked, “Did you really get bullied by him often back then?”

Yang Shanhe said, “Heh, you bet.”

The Marksman grew intrigued: “How did he bully you?”

Yang Shanhe opened his mouth, wanting to list off points one through four to prove what a vile person Shen Man was, but after choking on his words for half a day, he squeezed out: “He doesn’t pay attention to people at all!”

The Marksman: “Ah?”

Yang Shanhe said, “He didn’t even accept my WeChat friend request!”

The Marksman: “…”

Yang Shanhe said, “When I asked him out to eat together, he rejected every single time!”

The Marksman’s expression turned somewhat bizarre.

Yang Shanhe also realized something sounded off, hurriedly trying to salvage it: “But there’s an even more outrageous one.”

The Marksman asked, “What?”

Yang Shanhe said, “He gave all the takeout I brought for him to other people to eat!”

The Marksman fell silent for a moment before saying cautiously, “Why does this sound a bit weird?”

Yang Shanhe flared up: “Weird your head! Shen Man is the weird one! You have no idea how terrible his personality is!”

The Marksman thought to himself that what he described sounded pretty mild; the worst offense was just not eating the takeout brought for him… did that even count as bullying?

Yang Shanhe was still fishing for validation: “Qin-ge, am I right?”

Who knew Qin Yixing hadn’t been listening to him at all, only lifting his head after being called twice: “What?”

Yang Shanhe repeated what he had just said to Qin Yixing, attempting to seek solidarity. Instead, Qin Yixing merely shot him a glance and said, “Your description sounds like an unrequited simp.”

Yang Shanhe: “…”

The Marksman couldn’t hold it back and burst out laughing with a pfft.

Unaware of TKR’s heated discussion, Shen Man’s side conferred with the coach and decided to roll out their standard Marksman Carry system for Game 3.

The coach agreed.

Right at the start of Game 3, Shen Man picked up a bizarre whiff of gunpowder: TKR insta-locked Moon Spirit as their first pick. Everyone knew this hero was Yang Shanhe’s signature Mage; no one understood what he intended by locking it in during a scrim.

“What’s he doing?” Zhao Rui asked. “Did winning two games make him angry instead?”

“This guy was always weird in the past,” Shen Man didn’t get it either. “I’m allergic to pineapple, yet he insisted on bringing me pineapple sticky rice.”

Zhao Rui: “Understood. He was harboring treacherous intentions, plotting to assassinate you with pineapple.”

Shen Man turned his head to look at Xu Zhouye: “What are you playing?”

Xu Zhouye smiled gently: “Doesn’t he love typing? Let’s play something that leaves him plenty of time to type.”

With that, he locked in Mad Hound.

Shen Man: “…” Fine then, the gunpowder smell thickened in an instant.

Xu Zhouye’s Mad Hound had never been fielded on the pro tournament stage, so TKR had yet to witness its terror.

Thus, the moment it was locked in, TKR’s side began poking fun.

“Yo, picking an off-meta Mad Hound?” Yang Shanhe didn’t miss the chance to run his mouth. “Did he get beaten silly?”

Qin Yixing said, “Why do you talk so much today?”

Yang Shanhe said, “I’m only saying a few words at the start; I don’t have time to type in-game!”

Qin Yixing: “You’d better not.”

His words proved prophetic.

When he was pinned down and slaughtered for the third time by Xu Zhouye’s Mad Hound, Yang Shanhe stared at his black-and-white screen in silence.

Qin Yixing was currently fighting in the bot lane. Shen Man had also picked his comfort hero this game, leaving TKR’s duo lane utterly outmatched and with no time to care about Yang Shanhe. Qin Yixing said, “Stay away from bushes.”

Yang Shanhe said, “I didn’t even get close to the bushes!” This game was on the Jungle map with dense thickets everywhere; god only knew which corner Xu Zhouye’s stealthed Mad Hound would leap out from to take two bites out of him.

Qin Yixing said, “Why don’t you buy a Golden Stasis?” (An item that granted brief invulnerability upon activation).

Yang Shanhe said, “I only have two hundred gold in my pocket, what am I supposed to buy Stasis with?!”

Qin Yixing: “…”

Both fell silent.

Finally, Qin Yixing delivered the verdict on Yang Shanhe’s fate: “Then wait for death.”

Yang Shanhe: “Aaaaaagh! Where the fuck did Shen Man dig up this Xu Zhouye?! So disgusting, aaaaaagh!!!”

Xu Zhouye kept his word; this game truly gave Yang Shanhe ample time to type.

Throughout this match, monochrome gray became Yang Shanhe’s primary color palette. His KDA went from 0-1 to 0-3, finally resting at 0-6.

His corpse lay coldly on the floor, deeply peaceful.

In the end, TKR lost Game 3 without surprise. Yang Shanhe sat in his chair looking completely despondent. Qin Yixing patted his shoulder and asked if he wanted to wash his face.

Before he could respond, the Marksman beside him couldn’t help chuckling: “Is washing his face going to help?”

Yang Shanhe snapped, “Whose side are you on? You’re this happy about losing a game?”

The Marksman said, “It’s not an official match. Besides…”

Yang Shanhe asked, “Besides what?”

Qin Yixing answered for his Marksman: “Besides, Shen Man is his idol.”

Yang Shanhe: “…”

The Marksman: “Hehe.”

Yang Shanhe: “…” You Marksman players are truly disgusting.

The “disgusting” Shen Man sneezed. Rubbing his nose, he wondered if Xu Zhouye had slaughtered the guy so mercilessly that someone was cursing him behind his back.