Captain, I Beg You to Give Me an Official Status [E-sports] - Chapter 6

At 6:00 PM, the livestream began right on time.

The first segment of the night was the Faction Battle. Currently, eight players stood on stage awaiting the host’s instructions.

“Alright, players, please draw a slip of paper from this box. Those who draw Team A, please stand to my left; those who draw Team B, please stand to my right.”

Xu Ziqi was the third to draw. He picked one out casually, and just as he was about to unfold it, Core’s small head leaned over his shoulder.

After seeing it clearly, Core patted Xu Ziqi on the shoulder. “We are on the same side.”

The two of them, along with Xiao, who had drawn the first slip, moved instinctively to the host’s right side, standing in a neat row.

Soon, the second-to-last player to draw, the Vespera team’s Shot-caller, walked over with a smile. Standing next to Xiao, he turned and remarked, “Four Shot-callers? What a cursed fate. Are we not just going to get bullied?”

Core finally realized the situation and looked left and right hurriedly. “Oh boy, you are right. How did all four of us Shot-callers end up on one side?”

[Bullet Chat]: This grouping is insane. Is there some kind of bond between Shot-callers?

[Bullet Chat]: You strikers on the other side, go easy on your captains! You guys still have to go back to your teams and play matches together.

[Bullet Chat]: I cannot wait. I just want to know if it will be a clean sweep!

On the other side stood three top-tier Strikers and the league’s current strongest Freelancer. Aside from Sheng Huanian, who remained expressionless, the other three were beaming with joy, rubbing their hands together in anticipation.

When the host handed over the microphone for trash talk, Paipai grabbed it without hesitation. With great momentum, he declared, “We will give you guys some face and let you have one round first. That one point will be the only one you get!”

The audience erupted into loud applause and cheers.

The microphone soon reached the four Shot-callers.

Looking at the microphone right in front of him, Xu Ziqi did not reach for it. Instead, he looked at Core beside him. Core immediately took the microphone and lowered his voice deliberately, though his aura remained strong. “Winning or losing does not matter. It is just a two-day exhibition match. What is wrong with letting you win? When we get back to the real arena, will you not still have to listen to us? If we tell you to go watch our backs, would you dare say no?”

[Bullet Chat]: Hahaha! The deterrent power of a Shot-caller is still there, even if it is not much.

[Bullet Chat]: I do not know about other teams, but in Team Stars, no one dares to disobey the Shot-caller.

[Bullet Chat]: These four are currently the most prestigious Shot-callers in the league. Their status might be low off-stage, but once they are in the game, they are fierce. They have totally different faces.

The match began quickly. Since it was an exhibition match, the players looked relaxed and happy in their seats.

Xu Ziqi looked down to adjust his wrist guards. He cherished his hands deeply; pre-match preparations were never to be trifled with.

The giant screen in the center of the stage displayed the game footage. This round’s map was the basic Coastal Villa, the map most players had practiced on the most.

Core said in the team voice chat, “Play well, everyone. Let us see who gets the fewest kills.”

Xu Ziqi said flatly, “It will probably be you.”

“Who are you looking down on? This is my King Map, do you understand? If I do not get ten kills, it is a failure.”

Xu Ziqi did not reply but silently rolled his eyes at him. It was an expression of utter speechlessness that was perfectly captured by the camera.

[Bullet Chat]: I want to hear the audio!

[Bullet Chat]: Director, play the voice chat! What kind of nonsense is Core bragging about now to make his teammate look that annoyed?

[Bullet Chat]: ZD’s little expression is so cute! Gasoline, go!

[Bullet Chat]: I will bet anything the Shot-caller side starts bickering. Let us count how many times Core shouts “ZD” by the end of this.

Bickering was inevitable.

When the audience was granted access to the in-game audio, the Striker side’s situation was intense. The three players were smiling as they spoke, unable to contain themselves, rushing in whenever they saw even a drop of water.

Meanwhile, the Shot-caller side spent the entire time bickering and shifting blame. Core, who had only managed three kills across eight mini-rounds, had a mouth like a machine gun, proving most adept at blaming his teammates.

“No, wait, you guys should rush! I turned around and there was no one behind me! I feel so unsafe!”

“Damn it, he was one shot away! Teammates, trade the kill! Trade the kill!”

“ZD! Stop hiding in your nest! Get out here and rush!”

“Holy crap, three of them! They are not human. How are they so fast? What is our cover-fire guy doing?”

The battle was completely one-sided. The Blue Team reached match point first.

Paipai shouted excitedly in his team chat, “Let me do it, let me do it! Let us take turns. I will go first and one versus four them!”

[Bullet Chat]: Hahaha! They are taking turns now. Can you guys even go back to the base after this?

[Bullet Chat]: Nice, Paipai really knows how to provide entertainment value.

Paipai was holding a DBS and was about to rush into the defenders’ building, but a headshot from the side hit him before he could react.

[TK. Zhidao knocked down TK. Paipai]

Paipai fell instantly and was finished off shortly after. He regretted not using smoke to cross. “Damn! Two headshots, I am done. I will stop showing off. You guys carry.”

Sheng Huanian was also holding a DBS, while the purple M416 on his back seemed like a mere decoration. He had not pulled it out once, yet he did not swap it out during the mid-match adjustment either.

His in-game character was masked and dressed in all black, like a lone traveler in the night. Despite taking two hits, he managed to slip into the building the opponents were defending.

Xu Ziqi gave an accurate call-out. “First floor. He is inside. He is very low.”

Core, holding a submachine gun, did not wait for his teammates and confidently ran downstairs to duel the intruder.

The result: he was taken down with lightning speed.

Core finally went silent. Two seconds later, he immediately shifted the blame. “You call that low health?”

Xu Ziqi replied, “What can I do if he healed up? Who told you not to wait for your teammates and rush in by yourself?”

Core yelled, “Wow! Look at these two Shot-callers, they only know how to camp! By the time you guys ambush someone, your teammates will all be dead!”

Xiao retorted dully, “You rushed in yourself. We did not force you.”

Core simply gave up. “I cannot play with you three Shot-callers!”

The live audience and the bullet chats across various platforms were howling with laughter. The entertainment value of the night peaked early, all thanks to this grouping that showcased just how differently Shot-callers thought.

Xu Ziqi automatically filtered out Core’s voice, quickly adjusted his position, and moved to the close-quarters area of his building. His teammates were all down, and the opposing side had two players left.

After leaning out to test the corner a few times, he saw no silhouette and heard no footsteps nearby.

On the other side, the usually silent Sheng Huanian spoke. “Do not move. I will duel him.”

With that, he switched to the M416 on his back, choosing not to use his last grenade to flush out the position.

Xu Ziqi remained in his favorite spot. The moment he heard a sound, he reacted instantly, landing three body shots as the opponent crossed the gap.

By the time Sheng Huanian reached Xu Ziqi’s close range, he had less than half a health bar left.

A teammate kindly reminded him, “You did not switch weapons.”

Sheng Huanian knew, but he did not switch, nor did he heal. Instead, he charged straight at Xu Ziqi.

Gunfire rang out for only about three seconds.

[Wing. Duoming killed TK. Zhidao]

The person standing over the fallen body had a health bar that was almost invisible.

Xu Ziqi’s right hand stayed on the mouse, somewhat stiff. As his left hand moved away from the keyboard, he seemed to snap out of it and let out a soft chuckle.

[Bullet Chat]: Insane! That hip-fire was insane!

[Bullet Chat]: Such hard-core mechanics! But is it really appropriate to use that gun skin against ZD? It feels weird.

[Bullet Chat]: Low damage, high insult! The rookie is a beast. ZD could not even win at full health. His close-range game is truly trash.

[Bullet Chat]: Do not start drama! Duoming has always used this M4 skin; you would know if you watched his stream. It was not intentional, stop overthinking it.

Xu Ziqi did not think much of it; he just felt that the mechanics of today’s youngsters were incredibly sharp.

Standing back on stage, Xu Ziqi took the microphone and said, “I am getting old. My mechanics cannot keep up with the young guys. The other side played very well.”

When the host asked Sheng Huanian, he only said one sentence. “We did not have a tactic. We just used our guns. If we win the fight, we win the game.”

After the Faction Battle ended, the eight players returned to their original seats to prepare for the next round.

The Solo Match was supposed to be less interesting, but in the second round, an increasing number of players began illegal teaming, adding a lot of uncertainty to the match.

Eight minutes in, in a small bungalow in the wilderness, Core recognized Xu Ziqi’s character by his perennial, unchanging outfit. He quickly used his gun to signal a code to him from a nearby building.

Xu Ziqi signaled back, and the two successfully teamed up.

By the final circle, only three people remained.

Core opened the All voice chat. “Come out! Let us have a pan fight!”

Then, from a small house near the 165 direction, almost outside the shrinking circle, a person emerged.

Sheng Huanian had fought his way out from the center of the Lake Island city. He was the Elimination King of this match, having already taken nine kills.

Core continued, “Drop your guns! The three of us will have a pan fight. A real man’s duel!”

As Sheng Huanian stepped out of the building, he saw the outfit one of the players was wearing. He decisively dropped both his guns and walked toward their position.

Xu Ziqi had just turned on his All mic. “Who are you?”

Sheng Huanian hesitated for a second before turning on his mic. “Me.”

Xu Ziqi did not recognize the voice and quickly asked, “Who are you? I did not recognize the voice.”

Core shouted, “How can you not recognize it? It is Duoming. I knew it was you the moment I saw that gun you were holding.”

Xu Ziqi looked at the ground, and seeing the M416 skin that almost no other player used, he understood.

Sheng Huanian gave a muffled response. “Yeah.”

Xu Ziqi sized up the empty-handed man and asked, “You do not have a pan?”

“No.”

Core let out an “Ah,” his mind racing. “Then how about this? Two people fight first, and the winner fights the last person.”

Xu Ziqi reacted even faster, running straight backward and crouching by the only tree inside the circle. “You two fight, I will watch.”

Core turned around, his voice rising. “Are you not the clever one? Did I agree to this?”

Sheng Huanian agreed. “Fine.” Then, he ran over to Xu Ziqi and said to him, “Then lend me your pan.”

Xu Ziqi tossed it over immediately. “Here.”

“Thanks.”

Seeing himself completely ignored, Core protested, “Wait? Did I agree to this?”

Standing in front of him, Sheng Huanian ignored whatever he was saying and simply said, “Let us begin.”

Core: “…”

[Bullet Chat]: Hahaha, the funniest scene of the day has appeared!

[Bullet Chat]: Core, seriously, his nose is going to turn red from anger.

[Bullet Chat]: ZD is dressed so shabbily, crouching by the tree like an old man from the village watching a play.

[Bullet Chat]: I am begging you, can ZD please change that outfit? It burns my eyes every time I see it.

[Bullet Chat]: Our beloved streamer is just frugal and sentimental. He has worn those rags for years and just cannot bear to change.

Soon, on the big screen, the two opposing figures swung their pans mercilessly at each other.

Xu Ziqi’s hands had already left the keyboard and mouse. He sat comfortably, watching the two figures on his monitor fight intensely.

Core narrated his own fight, his voice getting shriller as his health dropped. “Ow! No, wait!”

Sheng Huanian showed no mercy. With one final headshot from the pan, he smacked the noble-looking figure in gold right into the dirt.

Core’s shrieking voice vanished from the All chat.

At that moment, no sound came through Sheng Huanian’s headphones.

The world went quiet for a brief moment.

A few seconds later, the masked man, with only a third of his health remaining, turned around. Standing where he was, he looked back at the person who had just stood up from the tree.

Sheng Huanian spoke, his voice deep, sounding like a whisper right next to the ear.

“Now, I will fight you.”