You’re Causing Chaos Again

End of July.

This was the last summer vacation before the final year of high school, with less than a week of holiday left.

The sound of cicadas was blocked outside the closed doors and windows of the air-conditioned room. Inside, a young man sat in front of his computer, wrapped in a thin blanket, his gaze fixed on the screen.

The battle in the game was intense when suddenly all the keys stopped responding. Shen Yanming almost smashed the left and right buttons of his mouse, but the character on the screen remained motionless.

Then a dialog box popped up, “You have lost connection to the server.”

Shen Yanming: “…”

After finally reconnecting to the internet, the character in the game had already died a tragic death.

The death was extremely gruesome. The originally handsome white-haired werewolf was now lying on the road, belly-up, in a twisted position.

Shen Yanming typed a line in the team chat.

[I’m Messing Around Again]: Dear kind-hearted nanny1Nanny: “奶妈” (nǎi mā) refers to the role of a support player who focuses on healing, providing utility, and protecting their teammates. It translate to “Milk Mom”, I just got disconnected. Please, please revive me.

The nanny remained indifferent and even stepped over Shen Yanming’s corpse without any hesitation.

Shen Yanming didn’t give up on the will to live and continued typing.

[I’m Messing Around Again]: Saving a life is better than building a seven-tiered pagoda.2better than building a seven-tiered pagoda : “胜造七级浮屠” (shèng zào qī jí fú tú), this idiom is used to express the idea that saving a person’s life is far more valuable and significant than any material wealth or accomplishments. It emphasizes the importance of helping others and prioritizing human life over material possessions or achievements.

The nanny and the mage behind the church coordinated and took down an enemy player, then split into two groups.

Still, no one paid attention to Shen Yanming’s plea.

[I’m Messing Around Again]: A doctor should have a compassionate heart, you can’t be like this.

During this game, Shen Yanming was livestreaming, and the barrage3barrage or bullet screen : 弹幕 (dànmù) in the context of online videos or live streaming platforms. It represents the scrolling comments that appear on the screen. was filled with both laughter and sarcastic comments.

-Hahaha, Luanzi ge4Shen Yanming’s ID is “我又在乱来” (Wǒ yòu zài luàn lái) it could be translated as “I’m Causing Chaos Again” or “I’m Messing Around Again” and Luanzi ge is a nickname based of that with literal translation “Brother Chaos” is so miserable.

-Why didn’t the nanny revive you? Don’t you have a clue? How many time have you died in this game? If I were the nanny, I wouldn’t revive you either. In fact, I would even chant a section of the Great Compassion Mantra for you, so that you can lie down and enjoy the beautiful starry sky of this continent. [/Rolling eyes]

-Does anyone want to guess how many times Luanzi ge will disconnect next? Betting is open.

-Luan, why don’t you just go AFK? It’s practically the same whether you’re here or not.

-What are you talking about? Luanzi ge is definitely the core of the team. Without him, how could the opponents win?

-Luanzi ge is funny to watch while playing games, but he’s really bad. I enjoy watching his livestream, but if I were matched with him, I might just quit right away…

…

Shen Yanming, with the game ID [I’m Messing Around Again], also known as Luanzi ge, glanced at the barrage and turned on his microphone, “What are you guys saying? Who said I’m bad? I really lag just now. The internet has been acting up lately, I don’t know what’s wrong.”

The barrage was filled with booing.

“Even if I’m really bad, so what? I may be bad, but I have my own style,” Shen Yanming confidently stated. “…Anyway, let’s not talk too much. I’ll show you all how to tame a ruthless nanny.”

Shen Yanming sent a private message to the nanny.

[I’m Messing Around Again]: Are you a fan of Kong-Shen?

In fact, Shen Yanming asked a stupid question. Among the nannys who play “Return to the Throne,” eight out of ten are fans of Kong-Shen. Not to mention that this nannys’s ID includes Kong’s name, and the skin they’re using is the championship skin made by the game operator for Kong’s TMM team last year.

The nanny ignored him.

If the barrage could materialize, the mockery from everyone towards Shen Yanming could pile up into a mountain.

Shen Yanming wasn’t worried. He paused for a moment while typing, then wrote another line.

[I’m Messing Around Again]: I won the spot to play with TMM at the Water Friend Competition5Water Friend Competition : “水友赛” (shuǐyǒu sài), refers to a friendly competition or tournament organized among friends or acquaintances in the gaming community. It is a term used to describe a casual or non-professional gaming event. next week.

TMM, short for “The Miracle Maker,” is a strong team that has won the world championship for two consecutive years. They rarely participate in public Water Friend Competition. This time, it was only because the sponsor forced them to do so that they reluctantly organized an event.

The lucky player who was drawn would get a free one-day tour to TMM’s base and experience the joy of being crushed by the champions.

Opportunities like this are rare. Once the lottery was announced on Weibo, enthusiastic players quickly shared resulting in astonishing data.

After Shen Yanming sent that line, the aloof nanny finally reacted.

Nanny: …

Nanny: Really??

Not only the nanny, but the barrage also exploded.

-Luanzi ge got it??? Amazing!

-Speechless. I used several of my alternate accounts to participate, but I had no luck. I can only cheer from the sidelines.

-So angry, so angry, so angry.

-What does he mean by this? Is he showing off?

-…If I were the nanny, I would be even more reluctant to resurrect him.

-Maybe Luanzi ge plans to ask for a Kong-Shen autograph and give it to the nanny?

-Hahaha, I really want to see if Luanzi ge will dare to act like this in front of Sweetie.6Sweetie: “甜蜜蜜” (tián mì mì) the literal translation is ‘Sweet Honey.’ It is a cute nickname of the TMM team by the fans, given that their abbreviation is the same. [/dog head]7[/dog head] : [/狗头] (gǒutóu) is an emoticon often used in Chinese online communities. It represents a dog’s head and is commonly used to express amusement, laughter, or joking.

…

The viewers of the live stream couldn’t figure out why Shen Yanming suddenly mentioned that he had won a spot. They came up with all sorts of guesses, but none of them guessed the true intention behind Shen Yanming’s words.

It wasn’t until another line appeared in the chat.

[I’m Messing Around Again]: I’ll give you the spot. Revive me, pretty please QAQ.8QAQ : is a popular emoticon or emoji used in Chinese internet culture and online communication. It represents a crying face, with “Q” representing tears streaming down the face and “A” representing a frown or open mouth, often used to express sadness, distress, or a feeling of being overwhelmed.

Everyone was dumbfounded.

He gave up the chance to play against TMM just to ask the ordinary nanny in a regular match for a resurrection?

This streamer was really messing around again.

After a brief silence in the barrage, someone suddenly realized and said, “You guys don’t actually believe he will give up the spot, right? He’s probably just bluffing to coax the nanny into resurrecting him…”

Others quickly agreed.

On the screen, Shen Yanming’s side seemed to be in a hopeless situation. Despite his three remaining teammates attempting to turn the tide, the gap between the two sides was too large, and they could only watch as the opponents approached the throne while carrying the crown.

The nanny also became passive, standing behind a wall without moving. However, whether due to being greatly affected or feeling speechless, she continued to ignore Shen Yanming.

Shen Yanming clicked his tongue and quickly typed on his keyboard.

[I’m Messing Around Again]: Hurry, hurry, hurry! If you don’t revive me now, it’ll be too late.

[I’m Messing Around Again]: I’m being serious. The new semester is starting, and I’m going to be a senior in high school. I have to focus on my studies since my mom wants me to choose between Peking University and Tsinghua University. I need to work hard, so even if I won the opportunity, I can’t go.

Nanny & viewers: …

Shen Yanming wasn’t completely making things up.

At least it was true that he was preparing to enter his senior year in the new semester.

But everything else was just nonsense. Shen Yanming had never been good at academics. When he was in elementary school, other kids would bring back two perfect scores, but he would come home with two eighty-point scores. His parents were delighted and praised him, thinking he was clever. In his freshman year of high school, the maximum score went up to 150, but he still brought home an eighty. Nevertheless, his parents were still overjoyed, saying that maintaining a score for ten years was not easy, and having an eighty for ten years meant that he had consistent results, which reassured them.

Later on, Shen Yanming started skipping classes more frequently, and he couldn’t even score eighty anymore. When his math score dropped to fifty for the first time in his past life, his father finally knocked on his door for a serious conversation.

Instead of urging him loudly to study harder, his father asked, “You don’t like studying but love playing games so much. How about becoming a professional player?”

——That was a story from his past life.

Yes, his past life.

Shen Yanming had been reborn.

He still remembered the day when he signed the termination agreement given to him by the team manager. Unfortunate events kept happening, and he went out to clear his mind late at night, only to encounter a speeding car.

He thought his life was over, but little did he know he would get another chance.

And… when he opened his eyes again, he found himself three years in the past.

After getting over the initial shock, during this period of time, he slowly accepted the fact that he had been reborn.

The time point where Shen Yanming returned was precisely before he became a professional esports player in his previous life. The trajectory of fate was the same as before his rebirth. He had also won the opportunity to have a friendly match with TMM, just like now.

The difference was that in his previous life, after winning the opportunity, he opened Weibo countless times the next day just to check the winning notification. He couldn’t wait to arrive at the competition… even though school was about to start, he secretly flew a thousand kilometers to the city of Haicheng.

Although it was just a friendly match, he performed impressively, and from that point on, he entered the world of professional players.

But this time, he didn’t want to go.

…

Shen Yanming was momentarily stunned. The Nanny, who had remained silent all this time, finally resurrected him and sent him a wry smile emoji.

The Nanny even took the time to educate Shen Yanming with a sincere tone, “It’s not a big deal to revive you, but you really need to be more careful. If you don’t know how to use that character well, practice with the AI mode a few more times. If you were playing with some other hot-headed brother, you would have been flamed to death by now.”

The Nanny was gentle, but Shen Yanming didn’t have time to respond. He silently thanked her in his heart and quickly activated his sprint skill, charging towards the enemy carrying the crown.

The rules of “Return to the Throne” were actually quite simple. Two teams of players entered the map in a 4v4 format. The objective was to find the hidden crown and escort it back to the throne. In the process, the teams had to employ various strategies and engage in direct conflicts to seize the crown.

Just as the enemy was about to place the crown on the throne, Shen Yanming’s teammates made a last resistance.

Unexpectedly, a little White Wolf suddenly appeared before the throne.

The little White Wolf leaped to the side of the enemy tank, appearing flustered and paused for a moment before inexplicably unleashing a powerful ultimate ability.

The White Wolf’s ultimate ability was called “Revolving Dart.” After using the ability, the White Wolf would throw its spinning dart, creating an arched trajectory. The dart would damage any enemy units it passed through. The higher the white wolf’s accumulated fighting spirit, the greater the damage caused by the ultimate ability.

Fighting spirit was accumulated by killing enemy units.

Shen Yanming hadn’t secured a single kill in this game, making it obvious that his ultimate ability couldn’t deal much damage.

Even if he could deal damage, it would be difficult for an ordinary player to maximize the benefits of this skill because the trajectory of the spinning dart is fixed, while enemy players can move flexibly. It’s common for players using the White Wolf to miss with their ultimate move

The barrage of comments started mocking him, believing that he had mistakenly used the ability out of panic.

Shen Yanming stared at the screen. The spinning dart of the little White Wolf accurately passed through three enemy characters. The position where he had paused to throw the dart wasn’t randomly chosen; it was determined after predicting the movements of the enemy players to hit the most targets.

He had anticipated which enemy players would be hit, but he said into his microphone, “Hey, lucky shot.”

The viewers didn’t take it seriously and expressed their opinions, saying that luck doesn’t matter. Since the ultimate ability couldn’t kill anyone, using it was meaningless.

Indeed, if Shen Yanming had gotten more than ten kills in this game, there would still be a chance to turn things around, but now…

However, the viewers soon realized that the several players who were grazed by the spinning dart were frozen in place.

The crown fell from the enemy tank, and Shen Yanming leisurely ran to pick it up. The only remaining mage on the enemy team, who hadn’t been controlled, attempted to grab the crown from Shen Yanming. At that moment, Shen Yanming’s teammates finally reacted and quickly held back the mage while the other enemy players were still unable to move.

The little White Wolf held the crown and took a few steps towards the dusty throne. He placed the crown back on the long-neglected throne, and a dazzling light burst forth from it.

The word “victory” appeared in the center of the screen.

The audience was still in a state of confusion, and the barrage was full of question marks.

Shen Yanming leaned back in his chair, explaining, “I picked up a bottle of anesthesia at the beginning.”

Anesthesia, as the name suggests, was a drug that rendered a character unable to move.

It could be used on an individual player or applied to weapons.

Using it individually could only stun one person, but when applied to a weapon, it could control more players. In this case, the little White Wolf’s dart had damaged three players, thus simultaneously controlling them.

However, the effect of anesthesia only lasted for five seconds, starting from when it was used. Applying it to a weapon required additional time, so for those who are clumsy, the effect might have worn off before they finish applying it.

Therefore, apart from professional players, few people chose to use it in the latter way when picking up the drug.

“I told you I could turn the tide,” Shen Yanming looked at the barrage of comments saying he was lucky, didn’t refute it. He even added, “Luck is also a kind of skill. Any problem with that? I won’t chat with you anymore. I’m going to add Miss Nanny to my friends list. 886.”9886 : is a popular term used to express “goodbye” or “take care.” It is derived from the pronunciation of the numbers in Mandarin Chinese: “8” is pronounced as “bā” and “6” is pronounced as “liù.” When pronounced together, “bā liù” sounds similar to the phrase “bā bái liù” (八百六), which means “everything is going smoothly.” Therefore, “886” is often used as a casual and playful way to say goodbye or bid farewell, similar to saying “take care” or “see you later” in English.

TMM Esports Club’s “Return to the Throne” division.

It was already time for a break, and the lights in the training room were still on, but nobody was rushing to continue training.

The two people remaining in the training room were now crouched in the livestream room of “I’m Messing Around Again.”

At first, only He Changkong was watching the livestream, and Meng Yan, who was about to pack up and leave, noticed and found it intriguing. He sat down and watched for a while.

Professional players like them rarely watched amateur streamers’ broadcasts, let alone someone like this person who was nicknamed “Luanzi ge”, seemingly more amateur than actual amateurs.

However, after watching for a while, Meng Yan realized that he had underestimated this streamer. The last move by “I’m Messing Around Again” might appear lucky to ordinary players, but Meng Yan, with his extensive experience, could tell that this combination of techniques couldn’t be explained by luck alone. He smiled and said, “This kid is interesting.”

He Changkong didn’t respond to Meng Yan’s comment. He just stared at the screen for a while before finally asking, “Why did he give up his spot in the amateur tournament to someone else? Why would he do that?”

Thank you for reading! 

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1Nanny: “奶妈” (nǎi mā) refers to the role of a support player who focuses on healing, providing utility, and protecting their teammates. It translate to “Milk Mom”2better than building a seven-tiered pagoda : “胜造七级浮屠” (shèng zào qī jí fú tú), this idiom is used to express the idea that saving a person’s life is far more valuable and significant than any material wealth or accomplishments. It emphasizes the importance of helping others and prioritizing human life over material possessions or achievements.3barrage or bullet screen : 弹幕 (dànmù) in the context of online videos or live streaming platforms. It represents the scrolling comments that appear on the screen.4Shen Yanming’s ID is “我又在乱来” (Wǒ yòu zài luàn lái) it could be translated as “I’m Causing Chaos Again” or “I’m Messing Around Again” and Luanzi ge is a nickname based of that with literal translation “Brother Chaos”5Water Friend Competition : “水友赛” (shuǐyǒu sài), refers to a friendly competition or tournament organized among friends or acquaintances in the gaming community. It is a term used to describe a casual or non-professional gaming event.6Sweetie: “甜蜜蜜” (tián mì mì) the literal translation is ‘Sweet Honey.’ It is a cute nickname of the TMM team by the fans, given that their abbreviation is the same.7[/dog head] : [/狗头] (gǒutóu) is an emoticon often used in Chinese online communities. It represents a dog’s head and is commonly used to express amusement, laughter, or joking.8QAQ : is a popular emoticon or emoji used in Chinese internet culture and online communication. It represents a crying face, with “Q” representing tears streaming down the face and “A” representing a frown or open mouth, often used to express sadness, distress, or a feeling of being overwhelmed.9886 : is a popular term used to express “goodbye” or “take care.” It is derived from the pronunciation of the numbers in Mandarin Chinese: “8” is pronounced as “bā” and “6” is pronounced as “liù.” When pronounced together, “bā liù” sounds similar to the phrase “bā bái liù” (八百六), which means “everything is going smoothly.” Therefore, “886” is often used as a casual and playful way to say goodbye or bid farewell, similar to saying “take care” or “see you later” in English.