[FLOTG] Chapter 32: Group Meal

Training ended early that evening, and the manager was already waiting for them with the team car when they went outside. Once inside the car, they chatted happily with each other, glad to have new teammates.

Shen Huai was the last one to enter the car. Almost no one caught his movements, only seeing a streaking shadow, and then the car door was being softly closed.

Fan Jing-Ming said jokingly, "Shen Huai is an assassin both in and out of the game. You moved so quickly that even I couldn't get a good look."

Hai Xing saw how Shen Huai had covered himself up so carefully with his hat and face mask. "It's really not easy to be a star. Having to act like a thief just to go out."

Right after he said this, he noticed Zhou Jing rolling her eyes at him from the front row of the car. His hackles were raised instantly. "What are you glaring at me for?!"

Zhou Jing said calmly, "I'm just wondering who taught you your metaphors."

As soon as she said this, Hai Xing realised how inappropriate his metaphor had been and blushed. "I-I didn't mean it that way. I'm just saying that Shen Huai really has it tough."

"It's okay." Shen Huai knew Hai Xing was just that straightforward.

Zhou Ning turned as well to say, "Shen Huai, which is harder? Being an actor or playing esports?"

Everyone's attention fell onto Shen Huai as he considered the question. "Being an actor is just as competitive as being an esports player. The lack of boundaries between day and night, having to work hard to improve yourself while also maintaining your image to win fans... it's hard for both."

The group deeply agreed with what he said. Hai Xing nodded his head repeatedly, "Yeah, and if you don't play well, you'll be cursed out."

Shi Yi nodded emphatically{点头如捣蒜: The original phrase here is very cute. Literally, "nodded like pounding garlic". This is in reference to how garlic is pounded with a pestle and mortar in asian cooking.}. He probably had the most to say on the matter of being scolded.

"But esports players have more freedom. At least we don't have to cover up and sneak around when going out," said Hai Xing thoughtlessly.

Zhou Jing snarked, "That's because you aren't famous."

"Why do you keep quiet when others talk but always interrupt me as soon as I say something?!"

Even Shen Huai had noticed this. Zhou Jing was usually very subdued, virtually never speaking up. Only Hai Xing was able to get her to say anything at all, though every sentence from her then was very pointed and to the point.

Zhou Jing rolled her eyes at him and then simply turned away to face the front again.

Hai Xing was disgruntled. "Even if I were famous, esports players are not as recognizable as celebrities. Do any of you need to armour up just to go out for fear of being recognised by your fans?"

From his corner, Shi Yi feebly raised a hand.

Hai Xing was shocked. "No way! Really?"

Shi Yi clutched at a corner of his clothes. "For a while after I caused my team to lose to WG, I had fans of my team chasing after me trying to beat me up every time I went out."

For a beat, everyone's heart went out to the teenager, and Shen Huai could almost see his former self in him. "My dad told me before that the fact everyone is scolding you proves that they still expect something from you, so you have to live up to that expectation."

Shi Yi's eyes lit up. He had always felt that he was worlds apart from Shen Huai, and coupled with Shen Huai's taciturn nature, Shi Yi thought that it would be very hard to get along with the other. Surprisingly, Shen Huai had actually taken the effort to comfort him.

More importantly, these words from anyone else would have come across as perfunctory, but Shen Huai's father was none other than Shen Nuo, an international superstar within the halls of fame of the film industry. He was a great figure who might even be featured in a child's essay!{T/N: Hahaha, I guess this works as a measure of judging how popular someone is. Even young kids know about you and care enough to write about you!}

He nodded vigorously, suddenly brimming with energy.

Whether by chance or by design, Song Xue-Yang had booked the same restaurant as before, "Gourmet Corner". When the manager dropped them off, he expressly reminded them, "Don't drink so much. We have a promotional photoshoot tomorrow."

This pronouncement was greeted by shocked faces all around, but Song Xue-Yang had clearly known about this for a while. He patted the manager on the shoulder. "Don't worry, we're lightweights."

The new members didn't notice anything wrong with the statement, but all the older members blanched.

Coincidentally, they were also received by the same reception manager as before. When she saw Song Xue-Yang walking alongside Shen Huai, her surprise was palpable as her gaze roved over the group. Hai Xing was living for it, wishing he could sling his arm around Shen Huai and say "We're good bros."

The group entered their private room and placed their orders. Song Xue-Yang then opened the wine and poured out a glass for everyone. "Come, a toast to our teammates in arms for next year."

Seven wine glasses clinked, the sound ringing out crisp and clear. Shi Yi took just a sip at first, but seeing that the others had drained their glasses, he quickly tipped his glass back to drain it too.

The old members knew that this was Song Xue-Yang's habit — the first glass of wine must be downed in one go. Zhou Jing had been clued in by Zhou Ning before coming here, and Shen Huai was an old hand at this kind of meals and gatherings, figuring out what to do just by observing the rest of the group.

Shen Huai watched Song Xue-Yang refilling his glass with a worried look. "Take it slow if you're a lightweight."

Song Xue-Yang put on a good act, bringing a hand up to support his head. "I do feel a little dizzy, but I'm just so happy that all my teammates are finally gathered together now."

The rest looked at their captain pretending to be an innocent white rabbit and really didn't know where to begin exposing him.

Shen Huai understood how Song Xue-Yang was feeling very well. Song Xue-Yang had indeed put in a lot of effort into finding suitable teammates... Shen Huai himself had made Song Xue-Yang come seeking right to his front door.

"Drink as much as you want. I'll help you back to the dorms when you're drunk."

Song Xue-Yang's eyes narrowed. "You have a high tolerance?"

He recalled Shen Huai being so drunk that he fell unconscious immediately after jumping into their car last time.

Shen Huai said evenly, "Just average, but probably still better than yours."

He thought about the parties and events large and small that he had had to participate in while he had still been in the entertainment industry. In terms of drinking, he was surely more experienced than Song Xue-Yang. It never occurred to him that some people were naturally gifted and had no need of experience.

"Then let me drink a toast to you." Song Xue-Yang raised his glass, smiling widely. Shen Huai somehow felt like he had fallen into a trap.

The two of them downed their glasses, and before Shen Huai's glass could be lowered, Song Xue-Yang had raised his glass again.

"Shen Huai, this toast is my apology to you."

He said this so seriously that everyone around the table looked over at him.

Song Xue-Yang said slowly, "I lied to you. <Falling Sleet> inside the game is me."

Shen Huai had suspected that since a while back, but so many things had happened since then that the matter had been pushed to the back of his mind. Now that Song Xue-Yang was outright admitting it, Shen Huai wasn't really taken by surprise.

"I intentionally chose the <MuWanGe> account for you, and I asked for the <Falling Sleet> side account just so I could get close to you. I shot the people from the Primo Wolf guild who were chasing you to draw Guan He's attention. The reason why he didn't respond when you hinted at your desire to join his team was because he thought you had already joined Maple Moon."

Shen Huai: "......"

He had been wondering why there were always things that didn't add up when he tried to fit the identity of Song Xue-Yang with <Falling Sleet>. Who could have known that Song Xue-Yang would be so good at muddying the waters?!

The team members who had known all along what Song Xue-Yang had been doing were now sweating on his behalf. They thought that everything was done with since Song Xue-Yang had managed to fool Shen Huai completely without exposing himself in any way. They never expected Song Xue-Yang to just reveal the truth like this in front of everyone.

Little did they know that Song Xue-Yang had planned this out from the very beginning. "I'm the captain. You trust me, so I will never hide anything from you. Even though I tricked you in order to get you into my team, what's wrong is still wrong. You can hold onto this and not forgive me. I will make it up to you with the championship trophy next year."

Shen Huai chuckled dryly, dumbfounded. The sheer arrogance and sincerity of Song Xue-Yang's words made it impossible to be mad at him.

The planes of Song Xue-Yang's face were softened by the lamplight, and there was only a layer of beer foam left in the glass beside his hand. The situation felt unreal, like a dream, but his every word echoed in Shen Huai's mind, making waves in his heart.

This was no apology — Song Xue-Yang was pretty much serving him a bowl of chicken soup for the soul.

He thought it was truly just like Song Xue-Yang to be able to come up with such pretty words and to carry out such thorough preparations. And it was precisely because it was Song Xue-Yang that Shen Huai did not regret joining Maple Moon.

Shen Huai levelled a long stare at Song Xue-Yang, until a smile finally touched his eyes. He poured himself a drink from the bottle on the table and raised his glass, saying, "It would be impolite to refuse now."

Although Shen Huai drank often, he did not really like to drink. However, this glass of wine was one he downed gladly.

The group let out a mutual breath of relief. Following Song Xue-Yang's lead, Hai Xing also raised his glass. " Shen Huai, I also want to apologise to you. I was <Horizon> inside the game."

The tension was broken just like that, the mood mellowing out. After three rounds of drinks, Fan Jing-Ming asked, "Captain, what will I be playing this year?"

Unlike other pro players who had job classes they specialised in and fixed positions on their teams, Fan Jing-Ming did not. He did not have any outstanding operational skills, nor did he have any character class he was particularly good at. But by the same token, he also did not have any class he was really bad at, so he could pick up any class depending on the needs of the team.

This was also why he had just been paddling along noncommittally before the rest of the team members were decided.

Both Shen Huai and Shi Yi had heard about this, but it still felt novel and curious to actually see it play out in person.

Song Xue-Yang already had a plan. "Warrior."

Fan Jing-Ming nodded. It was as he expected. The team currently had DPS, Support, and  Vanguard, and was only lacking a Frontliner.

Song Xue-Yang clarified, "A berserker."

Everyone at the table was gobsmacked.

Warrior was the only class designated as a tank-type within the game, but its subclass the berserker went against the archetype. The berserker's special move granted control immunity and damage reduction, giving the berserker free rein to wield their giant hammer to dish out massive damage, so they were known as the mad dogs of the battlefield.

Consequently then, berserkers were not meaty tanks. They were just slightly better off than the fragile long-range damage dealers, perhaps a half-tank at best.

Fan Jing-Ming could hardly believe his ears. "A berserker? How are we supposed to fight in team battles without any frontliners?"

He voiced out what everyone was thinking.

"What do you mean no frontliners? Aren't you and Zhou Ning our frontliners?"

Fan Jing-Ming was referring to tanks when he said frontliners, not those charging right at the very front, thank you!

Zhou Ning's character was a heavy swordsman, which had more crowd control skills. It might have slightly more HP than the other two swordsman subclasses, but it was by no means tough enough to be a tank.

Song Xue-Yang didn't seem to care about that at all though. "Don't worry, it'll be fine. And if it doesn't work out, we still have Shen Huai. We can win just by relying on the Arena round."

So the captain was planning to slack off after recruiting Shen Huai into the team?!

Song Xue-Yang had no intention of discussing this any further. "There's a shoot tomorrow for promotional posters. The club expects to announce our line-up for the coming year on New Year's Day."

The group nodded, but Shi Yi was a little disheartened. "I'm sorry. You all might be flamed because of me once the promotional posters are released."

Only the two teams involved currently knew about Shi Yi's transfer to Maple Moon, but once the promotional posters were released, the whole internet would know. And then, the anti-fans who loved throwing rotten eggs at him most likely wouldn't suddenly just stop and let him go.

"They won't," Shen Huai said calmly.

Shi Yi shook his head. "You don't understand."

Fan Jing-Ming guffawed. "You're the one who doesn't understand."

Shi Yi stared at the gleeful looks of schadenfreude around the room in befuddlement. Song Xue-Yang's smiling gaze turned towards Shen Huai, "Don't worry, God Huai will shield you from the storm."

That's right! Compared to the big news of Shen Huai retiring from the entertainment industry to become a pro gamer, Shi Yi's own transfer to Maple Moon was a trivial matter! Even if they were comparing anti-fans, the firepower of Shen Huai's anti-fans was surely a hundred times greater than his!

Right then, seeing Shen Huai's unruffled composure, Shi Yi felt ashamed of his own cowardice.

Song Xue-Yang seized upon the opportunity for another drink. "Now that we're all in Maple Moon, we're teammates on the same team. No matter what happens, I will never give up on any of you. From now on, whether it's praises or abuses, we will bear it all together."

"Yeah! All together!" Hai Xing raised his glass spiritedly.

Zhou Jing snarked, "You're the one who gets scolded the most."

Fan Jing-Ming laughed heartily while Zhou Ning smiled silently.

Shi Yi ducked his head, his vision growing blurry.

Shen Huai could also see the smile in Song Xue-Yang's lidded gaze.

The seven wine glasses clinked against each other once again, background music to the group's heartfelt laughter and cheer.

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Previous: Chapter 31: All Members Assembled
Next: Chapter 33: Promotional Posters

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