Chapter 95: The Fishing Mini-game

Chapter 95: The Fishing Mini-game

The face-to-face meeting was abrupt, and Chen Yibai finally understood why the name sounded so familiar.

The two staff members watched as the pair exchanged contact information, then observed their mutual silence, still puzzled about what had just transpired. They then saw Chen Moubai suddenly whisk the person away, the two of them squatting side by side at the edge of the stage.

Squatting by the stage, Li Qingzhou had already opened the contact he had been messaging yesterday, his head still in deep thought.

Having finished his contemplation, Chen Moubai leaned over to peek at the label on the screen, his eyes widening. He swallowed back the words he was about to say, incredulous. "After knowing each other for so many years, your label for me is still my full name!"

On the phone screen, it clearly read "Chen Erbai," not a single character more or less.

"…"

The focus seemed to have shifted, and Chen Erbai wasn't even this person's full name from an objective standpoint. Various thoughts tangled in Li Qingzhou's mind, leaving him momentarily speechless. Eventually, he managed to say, "I'll change it."

He meant it when he said he would change the label, proceeding to do so right there. However, his fingers hesitated as he typed.

He wasn't sure whether to label him as Yibai or Erbai.

In the end, under the watchful gaze of the other, he settled on labeling him as Erbai.

Erbai felt relieved, but after the relief came a delayed realization that something was amiss.

The familiar live stream, the familiar game, and even the familiar teammates—his cool guy persona might not hold up today.

It seemed like today had unexpectedly turned into a rather challenging day, and Cool Guy Chen couldn't help but rub his face.

It felt like they had solved something, yet nothing had been resolved. The brief conversation ended, and the two squatters returned to their seats.

Li Qingzhou tested his headphones, while Chen Yibai picked up his phone to continue sending trash talk to his good neighbor, attempting to absorb cool guy energy through electronic entanglement from his purely cool neighbor.

As he typed, the person wearing headphones beside him turned to give him a few extra glances before redirecting his attention.

At precisely nine o'clock in the morning, the lights in the audience area were switched on, allowing the spectators to enter. The live stream began, although the official broadcast had not started yet.

By half past nine, most of the audience had arrived, and the live stream commenced. The staff adjusted the camera equipment.

While adjusting the equipment, only the empty stage occasionally traversed by staff could be seen in the lens, yet the live stream room was packed with people.

Most were waiting for Chen Yibai and Qingzhou, but there was still a small group persistently searching for a certain Erbai who seemed likely to show up.

Finals tickets were bought per session, a new ticket for each new session. The invited streamers from Fruit Live had moved to another location, settling on one side of the stage, sitting in a cluster. When the camera panned over, it revealed familiar faces that had already been seen before.

At ten o'clock sharp, the host took the stage.

The lights above the audience dimmed, focusing on the center of the stage. The host, holding a card and microphone in one hand, greeted the audience.

"Dear friends, welcome to the finals venue. After two days of intense competition, we have reached..."

Even backstage, one could feel the vibrations from the sound system on stage. The host's voice became muffled, but the faint sounds of background music could still be heard.

Handing his phone to his agent, Chen Yibai allowed the stylist to fiddle with his hair for a moment before setting off from the dressing room.

Halfway down the path, he encountered his newfound buddy for the day. The staff leading the way and handling any emergencies walked ahead, while he walked side by side with his buddy.

As they moved further down the passage, the vibrations from the stage grew more pronounced. Master Chen slowly exhaled.

Li Qingzhou looked down at him and asked, "Nervous?"

Master Chen honestly nodded. "A little."

He had experienced numerous grand occasions, able to improvise on stage without panic at award ceremonies both domestically and abroad. It wasn't the scale of the event that made him nervous; rather, his intuition told him that something didn't feel right, as if something significant might happen today.

Buddy Qingzhou could only reassure him that there shouldn't be any issues. It was just a matter of less than two hours. Once the matches were over, they would leave the stage. As long as there were no unexpected incidents and he held back from speaking too much, a couple of games would pass quickly.

They had arrived. Just a few steps further, and they would step directly onto the dark blue surface of the stage. Chen Moubai acknowledged.

Picking up his cool guy persona, as the host's words faded, the staff quietly gestured. He stepped into the spotlight.

The dazzling lights illuminated the stage, and the moment he stepped onto the blue surface, a wave of cheers erupted from the audience below.

The sound filled the entire venue, overwhelming the ear canal, far louder than during the headphone test. Without raising his hand to cover his ears, the loose pink long-sleeve shirt swept through the air as Chen Bai waved with a smile.

In that instant, the noise within the venue doubled.

"It's not that I didn't know Yibai has high popularity, but why are the voices of male friends in the audience louder than those of the girls? Isn't that a bit strange?"

"My wife really looks amazing, she looks great in pink (clutching heart, collapsing)"

"Hahaha, Qingzhou's ears are so red. Fan success, you must be thrilled, kid!"

"Chen Yibai, a walking human wrench. I knew he was doomed when I accidentally saw a male colleague silently saving Yibai's photos in the office."

"To take a step back, why don't I have a ticket! Organizer, why didn't you notify us in advance and sell a hundred thousand tickets!"

The staff standing backstage and below the stage hadn't anticipated the atmosphere to be even more enthusiastic than expected. The sound in their headphones nearly drowned out by the noise.

The fact that Chen Yibai was the opening guest had not been promoted in advance. Like every time before, it was announced through the match schedule notice, which coincided with ticket sales. At that point, the tickets had already been snatched up by gaming fans who intended to watch the matches. By the time others found out that the guest was Chen Yibai, the tickets were sold out. Logically, the people present should all be fans who had come for the afternoon finals.

The darkness below was filled with incessant flashes of light, but Chen Yibai was accustomed to it. His eyes didn't dodge or hide, occasionally smiling and responding to the host's remarks.

Approaching the designated time, the host concluded his speech by expressing anticipation for the cooperation between the two guests who had not previously known each other, promptly exiting the stage on schedule.

Chen Moubai smiled, but when he heard the four words "had not previously known," his eye twitched imperceptibly. Beside him, Li Qingzhou gave a vague response, saying, "Mm."

The position was the same as the one he had scouted earlier that morning. After a brief exchange with the host, he was finally able to sit down.

Putting on the headset, the sounds around his ears instantly diminished. He could still hear some of it, but it didn't interfere with listening to the sounds coming from the headphones.

In the corner unseen by the audience, a staff member raised their hand high, signaling the start with a gesture visible only to this side.

The game map was randomized, as were the matches; once a successful match was made, the game officially began, with the computer screen's visuals projected onto the large display.

While still on the loading screen, Chen Yibai turned to look at his Qinqzhou teammate, who gave him an 'OK' sign from an angle where the camera couldn't capture it.

The last time he had watched Chen Yibai play a game was years ago, and that video still existed, now well-worn like a cherished keepsake. The person who had once put an end to the sins of a truant gamer had become his current teammate, transitioning from being across the internet to sitting right next to each other. Together, they shared a peculiar yet familiar bond.

They communicated, but not excessively. Chen Yibai, usually jovial, became serious when gaming. His slightly cold eyes would lower, his pale gray irises reflecting the screen's glow, occasionally uttering a word or two.

Selecting their landing spot, he marked Y City. When it was time to jump, Qinqzhou followed without hesitation. Only after safely landing and entering the nearest building to scavenge did the taciturn cool guy realize he hadn't asked for consent, politely adding, "Is it okay to land in Y City?"

His teammate responded affirmatively.

"Wait, do I have lag? Why is there a delay between my actions and the sound? I'm asking if we should jump after we've already landed (eyes wide)."

"It seems I might have lag too. Not playing the game, I thought it was some special communication method (closing eyes)."

"There's no lag. In real life, I jumped first and asked later."

"Dude, how can you ask after you've already started searching?! Isn't that even more deliberate?!"

Maintaining politeness was crucial for preserving the distance between them, a subtle effort only Chen Yibai and his teammate understood.

Y City was vast, and their luck held out; they didn't encounter anyone during the initial phase. As the first circle began to shrink, they found themselves conveniently inside it. Though they didn't find many valuable items, they appreciated the peace.

Others, however, fared better. Hearing gunshots in the distance, Chen Yibai casually adjusted his headset, suggesting, "Shall we check it out?"

So, they went to investigate.

Their investigation resulted in both of them securing kills, leaving their opponents stripped bare. Chen Yibai felt content, laughing and expressing gratitude for nature's bounty.

His teammate continued his operations, clearing his throat.

The cool guy's smile vanished instantly, returning to his usual stoic self.

From the outskirts to the city center, they scoped out several players, achieving a comfortable level of wealth.

But mere comfort wasn't enough. Chen Yibai had his sights set on a lone sniper rifle carried by a passerby without a partner. Determined to get what he wanted, Qinqzhou nodded without hesitation, asking, "Should I give it a try?"

Eyeing the decent gun in his hand and assessing the distance to the distant hill, Chen Yibai replied, "Give it a shot."

Qinqzhou advanced, skirting through the trees to find a suitable sniping position.

The chat speculated that this Qinqzhou was doomed.

"Who walks around with a big sniper rifle so brazenly? What a trap!"

"Encountering Yibai really turns you into mush, Qinqzhou..."

"Am I the only one who finds something odd about them? Qinqzhou and Chen Yibai should be able to tell this is a trap."

Unaware of the chat, Qinqhou moved forward, half-hidden in the woods, setting up his gun as if ready for action.

On the opposite hillside, behind a jumble of gray-green rocks, a black gun barrel emerged, aiming in their direction.

"Bang—"

Qinqzhou targeted the sniper rifle, while the figure on the hill aimed at him. After a brief silence, a gunshot echoed. It didn't come from Qinqzhou nor the silhouette hiding on the hill.

From a higher vantage point, Chen Yibai swiftly retracted his gun, sliding down the slope. A notification flashed, indicating his teammate had been knocked down. The sniper, used as bait, was momentarily stunned, noticing the commotion and raising his gun to aim.

Another gunshot rang out.

The sniper fell to Qinqzhou's hands. These two were the last remaining members of their team, and with both eliminated, there was no chance of revival, marking their permanent exit from the game.

After executing a simple yet effective teamwork maneuver, Chen Yibai successfully acquired the coveted sniper rifle, along with unexpected medical supplies, his eyes crinkling in a pleased smile.

With the sniper rifle in hand, Chen Moubai felt as though he had won half the game. The remaining half was a foregone conclusion, with no need for traditional decoy tactics. The match concluded swiftly, securing a chicken dinner victory.

The screen transitioned, and Chen Yibai leaned back, instinctively reaching for the water cup on the table. Mid-reach, he remembered he wasn't at home, and there was no cup on the table, retracting his hand silently.

Understanding his need, Qinqzhou, seated beside him, grabbed the water bottle placed conveniently on his side, unscrewed it, and handed it over.

"A casual observer here. Are these two really strangers?"

Whether they knew each other or not remained unclear, but netizens were becoming increasingly perplexed about the definition of "strangers."

The first match lasted nearly half an hour, followed by a temporary break. Once the data loaded, during the intermission, staff members connected the chat system to the computer, similar to a live stream, with translucent text continuously scrolling in the lower left corner.

Chen Yibai caught a glimpse of Erbai, then shifted his gaze away, taking a shallow sip of water.

The second round began after a brief ten-minute rest period.

The purpose of integrating the chat was to enhance interaction. Even someone as cool as Chen Moubai would occasionally respond when he had the time.

The second match also ended in a chicken dinner victory. Having smoothly navigated through two rounds, they needed just two more to comfortably complete the day. With the task progress bar halfway filled and nearing the end of the shift, he leaned back in his chair, exhaling deeply before gathering himself to start the next match.

The account provided by the organizer had a high level and rank, and Qinqzhou's account also boasted a high rank. After two consecutive chicken dinners, they were directly placed into a high-tier match.

High-tier matches had their own unique gameplay style. Chen Moubai, who frequently played in high-tier matches during broadcasts, was proficient in trading small advantages for greater ones. He exchanged two kills and his usual sniper rifle for a few health items, quickly restoring his vitality with precise recoil control.

Entering a building, Qinqzhou searched for supplies nearby, while he hid behind a window, locking onto a rapidly approaching black dot.

It appeared to be a vehicle, and he was unsure of its occupants' wealth. However, since he had the time, he decided to test his skills.

As the vehicle neared, the black dot grew larger, revealing its outline and the silhouette of a single occupant. He lifted his gun, aiming precisely.

Before the vehicle entered range, he tracked it through his scope, somewhat idle, allowing him to glance at the chat at this moment.

"Yibai's probably topped the kill count again."

"You really love ambushing from high places, don't you, Chen Yibai!"

"The Lightboat behind is diligently scavenging resources, hahaha."

"The number of kills is uncertain," Chen Yibai replied habitually, his pupils fixed on the moving vehicle, "the view is better up high."

As the vehicle approached, nearing his range, he glanced at the chat one last time before clicking.

"Didn't Yibai have his usual bait minigame today?"

His attention was on the occupants of the vehicle. Without much thought, he squinted slightly, watching the center of his scope and answered offhandedly, "Not today, let's talk about it the day after tomorrow."

He gave it some thought, even considering that he had work the next day and couldn't stream, but not for long.

"Bang—"

A gunshot rang out, and the person sitting in the vehicle fell to the ground. Simultaneously, the audience erupted.

There was a brief pause, then the chat exploded.

"!!! Chen Yibai, what did you just say! Say it again!"

"??? I knew there was something off with you! How could you coordinate so well with Lightboat! Your habits are so similar to Erbai's!"

"It didn't feel right when I wanted to drink water after the first game ended! I said so! That's where Erbai usually puts his cup during his streams, and he always drinks water after each match!"

"Erbai... Yibai you? Give me a moment, my brain can't process this."

"Turns out Lightboat was playing along! Hahahaha, no joke, look at Lightboat's expression, hahaha, he can't carry him, completely can't carry him!"

"No wonder I felt something was off, Chen Yibai, someone who talks so much (not really), how could he be so silent while gaming! Turns out you've been holding back all this time!"

The suspected Chen Erbai, who had been missing, arrived. But not where the fans had been searching for two days, on stage, right under their noses.

"..."

At the first response, Li Qingzhou turned his gaze sideways to look at the person sitting beside him.

The person involved hadn't realized what he had blurted out instinctively. With a swift movement, he fired another shot, neatly claiming another kill.

Then his eyes twitched.

...This was a delayed reaction.

His eyes left the screen for a moment, and he silently turned back to his pupils, continuing to look at the computer screen.

The game was nearing its end, the final circle began to shrink, and Chen Moubai, with his lifeless eyes, slaughtered in a strange numbness mixed with confusion, claiming the title of King of Kills.

When the game ended, the victory screen appeared. He moved his hand away from the keyboard, slowly and silently wiping his face, eyes slightly closed, barely alive.

He had dodged so many suspicious chats, but he didn't expect a sudden attack near the end of the game, when his attention was elsewhere.

Today's intuition was indeed correct.

In the last game, to some extent, the most exciting part wasn't the White Porridge Squad's rampant kill streak or the thrilling 2v5 comeback, but the audience in the live stream watched Chen Moubai's expressions throughout.

"Why aren't you smiling, Yibai, hahaha"

"Hahaha stop laughing, Bai's about to break, hahaha"

"The Unacquainted" "Mm-hmm"

"Are you naturally unsmiling, Yibai?" (Peeking) (Peering)

After the grueling final round, the naturally unsmiling Chen Moubai quickly removed his headphones, ending his workday.

He gave his teammates a quick greeting, then bounded back to the lounge.

He moved so fast, leaving no time for anyone to react. Li Qingzhou didn't even have time to reach out before the person was gone.

By the time he quickened his pace and followed back to the lounge, he saw several people leaning against the corridor, chatting and looking at their phones.

He recognized them from earlier; they seemed to be the other party's agent and assistants.

Hearing footsteps, the agent, who was talking while looking down at her phone, looked over. Noticing his gaze, she nodded slightly as a greeting and explained the current scene to avoid misunderstandings, saying, "He's inside, talking on the phone with his friend."

With the phone call, the sound of a good friend's voice brought tears to his eyes, and he couldn't leave him outside on the phone. To respect his privacy, they temporarily stepped out to give him some space.

On stage, he pounded on the keyboard, slaughtering like a god of war, but off-stage, he sought comfort from his friends, perfectly in line with Chen Moubai's usual style.

Taking a moment to realize who the good friend was, Li Qingzhou lowered his eyes and responded, "I see."

Chen Moubai's antics with his friend didn't prevent him from rapidly trending.

After the stream ended, the highly capable Sherlock Holmes-like netizens began digging through old records.

Although things seemed largely confirmed, without personal confirmation, the meticulous Erbai fans started searching for corroborating evidence. The first discovery was that Chen Erbai's streaming times coincided perfectly with the filming schedule.

They wondered why this person would disappear for months at a time. It turned out that his previous claim of working in the old forests deep in the mountains wasn't a joke. What they previously suspected to be a potential scam group was actually a film crew.

Their favorite streamer suddenly becoming a top-tier actor, the most common punctuation mark used by Erbai fans today became the question mark.

Past recordings were unearthed, and in the vast collection of gaming videos, the unique video of playing Ludo was found. Someone finally noticed something amiss:

"Not that it matters, but so Neighbor Brother is Xu Sinian?!"