You’re Causing Chaos Again

After ending the live stream, the world became quiet.

[My Milk’s Not Working]: Do you have something to tell me?

[I’m Messing Around Again]: Yes, yes, yes.

Shen Yanming did have something serious to discuss. After receiving the ticket from Ling Qingyue, he felt delighted. He took a photo and posted it on his Moments, intending to get in touch with My Milk’s Not Working.

Although My Milk’s Not Working was currently a member of TMM’s second team and couldn’t participate in regular matches yet, it was reasonable to assume that he would attend the opening of such competitions if he had no other training tasks.

Shen Yanming thought it was a good opportunity to meet up.

After spending so much time surfing the internet, Shen Yanming had made quite a few online friends with whom he had a good relationship. Sometimes when he traveled to other cities or when his online friends visited his city, if circumstances allowed, he would meet up with them for a meal and hang out.

For him, online friends were not just a string of data, they were no different from friends in real life.

Although he had only recently met My Milk’s Not Working, Shen Yanming was impressed by his skills and found his personality quite pleasant. They got along well, and besides, they could be considered comrades who had experienced life and death together—dying and resurrecting counted as experiencing life and death.

In any case, My Milk’s Not Working was already a certified friend of this Luanzi ge! They were at a level where they could meet up with each other!

The only question was whether My Milk’s Not Working was available.

[I’m Messing Around Again]: I have a ticket for the exhibition match next week. =0=

[My Milk’s Not Working]: I know, someone mentioned it in your live stream chat earlier.

[I’m Messing Around Again]: You’ll be going too, right?

[My Milk’s Not Working]: Yes.

[I’m Messing Around Again]: Then let’s meet up!

[My Milk’s Not Working]: Okay.

[I’m Messing Around Again]: I’m a bit excited about the idea of meeting someone from online in person. =.=

He Changkong thought for a moment. It seemed that the kid still mistook him for someone else. If he didn’t clarify things, there was a chance the kid would be shocked when he saw him on the stage at the event.

He decided to explain the situation clearly.

However, relying solely on the in-game private chat function for communication wasn’t very convenient.

After chatting for so long, they hadn’t even exchanged contact information, he really is a fake wife.

[My Milk’s Not Working]: I also have something to tell you. Add my WeChat so we can stay in touch when you arrive. If our schedules align, I’ll come pick you up.

After typing this message, he sent his WeChat ID as well.

He Changkong waited for a while, checking his phone from time to time, but he didn’t receive any new friend requests.

Wondering what was going on, he noticed a new message from Shen Yanming in the game.

[I’m Messing Around Again]: Wanna queue up?

He Changkong felt somewhat strange. Did the kid not want to add him as a friend or something? Why did he change the topic so abruptly?

Although he couldn’t figure it out, He Changkong still responded to Shen Yanming.

[My Milk’s Not Working]: Sure, but we can only play one match.

…

When they said they would play one game, they really only played one game. After that they chatted briefly and then logged off.

Shen Yanming left his computer desk, pulled out his suitcase, and began packing the items he needed to bring to Haicheng for the competition.

The competition was scheduled for the following Sunday, and his parents had booked him a flight for Saturday afternoon. He planned to have his dad drop him off at the airport right after school on Saturday, so he needed to pack in advance.

He played music on the speakers, and old Cantonese songs from thirty years ago slowly flowed through the small room.

“Countless times, facing cold stares and ridicule. I never gave up on my ideals. In a fleeting moment of confusion, a feeling of loss washed over me. Unconsciously, it faded. The love in my heart. Who would understand me…”

“Forgive me for living a rebellious life, indulging in freedom. I’m also afraid that one day I might fall. Abandoning my ideals, anyone can do it. Why would I be afraid that one day there’s only you and me…”

Shen Yanming hummed along, slightly out of tune, and felt a hint of nostalgia in his heart

He used to enjoy listening to old songs purely because he liked the music style of that era, but now he could faintly resonate with them.

When he received the ticket from Ling Qingyue, he could somewhat guess his parents’ intentions.

They simply wanted him to personally witness what it was like to watch professional players compete in a match.

In his previous life, he chose to become a professional player not only because he enjoyed playing games and was good at it, but also because he was inspired by other players.

Taking off the headphones, leaving the mouse and keyboard, and removing the team uniform—these boys in their teens and early twenties were no different from any other teenagers on the street.

They were even more scorned by adults than ordinary teenagers.

Poor academic performance, lack of self-discipline, and various bad habits… These labels were stuck to these gaming-addicted youths for a long time.

They were ordinary, insignificant, and seemingly had nothing worthy of praise.

But on the competition stage, they would shine.

Once they entered the game, everyone transformed into brave soldiers, charging forward without hesitation, even if powerful enemies lay ahead, no one would retreat.

Before Shen Yanming became a player, he had witnessed many matches where they were pressed in the early stages but managed to turn the tide and achieve a comeback victory.

He had also seen some teams that weren’t highly regarded in the first few seasons, but through relentless practice and coordination, they accumulated experience and finally achieved satisfying results.

There were too many examples in the e-sports arena of turning the impossible into possible. Every time he saw these, his blood boiled with excitement.

E-sports, in his heart, meant never giving up.

But that was the mindset of the reckless youth in his previous life.

Now, he still couldn’t let go of this game, but he “was also afraid that one day he might fall.”

In his previous life, the mess Shen Yanming ended up in was certainly not solely caused by Aji, who betrayed him.

Of course, he would still go and watch the competition, but now that he had been given a second chance, he truly didn’t want to fall again.

Listening to this kind of song always makes one’s mind wander. Shen Yanming skipped to a song called “Sweet Honey” and continued humming while tossing the clothes he wanted to wear into his suitcase.

Shen Yanming returned to school and attended classes for a few more days.

These days were destined to be restless. His current mood was similar to the night before a school-organized spring outing during his elementary school days. There was always a feeling that something in his heart was about to burst out.

Whenever he got excited, he tended to lose focus during class.

During breaks, he actively joined the group of students secretly playing with their phones. His own phone was still with his dad, and he would get it back when his dad came to school on Saturday.

There wasn’t much news recently, and Weibo was filled with promotional content from various team official accounts.

Shen Yanming found it boring, but a classmate showed him an anonymous post from a gossip account.

Classmate: “This post was made by someone from CTG. Not sure who it is, but they said that after Ji ge was crushed by Luanzi ge last time, he went crazy. He didn’t train properly and didn’t perform well in matches, losing all the time… It’s said that the management were already dissatisfied with him because he couldn’t beat a certain streamer, and now seeing him like this, they’re planning to demote him to a substitute…”

Shen Yanming raised an eyebrow, “He deserves it. In e-sports, being bad is the original sin.”

Classmate: “Yeah, but the person who wrote this post said that Ji ge begged their management for a long time, and in the end, they decided to give him another chance to perform well in the regular season. But looking at how he usually plays, how can he suddenly cure his gaming disabilities when he gets to the competition?”

Shen Yanming didn’t want to continue discussing this topic. “Stop talking about that loser. Let me see if my Kong Shen has posted anything new on Weibo this week.”

“Why are you acting like a fangirl… Does it really matter what he posts on Weibo? Besides, what can he post? His Weibo is full of advertisements and retweets, nothing else,” the classmate opened Kong’s profile, “…Holy shit, he actually posted something new.”

Shen Yanming leaned closer, “Let me see, let me see!”

Although it was a new Weibo post, it was just promotional content for the team, and the text was probably written by the club, talking about breaking through the wind and waves, moving forward courageously.1breaking through the wind and waves, moving forward courageously: “就什么乘风破浪勇往直前的”(Jiù shénme chéngfēngpòlàng yǒngwǎngzhíqián de), it conveys the idea of facing challenges head-on and persevering despite difficulties.

The post included a new solo promotional photo.

In the photo, He Changkong wore a black team uniform, with his hands crossed in front of his chest and his gaze fixed ahead. His expression was calm, but it seemed to hide a hint of frost, giving the impression of a freezing winter.

Upon closer inspection, there were actually some snowflakes photoshopped into his pupils, and his jawline was excessively sharpened, making it exceptionally sharp.

It seemed that the graphic designer really wanted to create a fierce and cold image of Kong Shen.

Looking at the picture, Shen Yanming furrowed his brows, clicked his tongue, and said, “What kind of photoshopping skills are these? Thankfully, Kong Shen is naturally handsome, so he can withstand this kind of exaggeration. Truly amazing.”

Classmate: “You sound like those fans who criticize the studio for photoshopping ugly pictures of artists. Can’t you act like a normal e-sports enthusiast and not be so concerned about a player’s looks?”

“Well, isn’t he handsome? It’s a fact, right? I don’t easily call someone handsome, so when I say someone is handsome, it means they really are,” Shen Yanming countered. “Since you know so much, are you a fan too?”

The classmate blushed and smiled shyly, “Yeah, I often help my girlfriend leave comments on her idol’s posts.”

Fine, single dogs have no rights.

Seeing Shen Yanming rolling his eyes, someone else beside them brought up the opening exhibition match, “Yan ge, you’re going to Haicheng on Saturday, right? We’re so envious.”

Shen Yanming waved his hand, “Well, I’ll give you guys live updates then.”

“How many days are you going for? Did you take a leave of absence?”

“I’ll probably be back on Tuesday. After watching the match, I might meet up with some online friends… Ah!”

As he said this, Shen Yanming suddenly remembered something.

He didn’t have Milk’s Not Working2Milk’s Not Working: shortened or nickname by Shen Yanming for My Milk’s Not Working contact information. He would have to find him when the time came.

He also recalled the day he played the game with Milk’s Not Working. Before logging off, Milk’s Not Working told him to “remember to add” him. At the time, he didn’t understand and responded with a question mark.

Milk’s Not Working saw his question mark and said, “Scroll up the chat history.”

Shen Yanming completely couldn’t understand what Milk’s Not Working was saying and sent a few more question marks.

After that, Milk’s Not Working didn’t reply, and the matter was left unresolved.

Now Shen Yanming has a feeling like his Ren and Du meridians being unblocked.3Ren and Du meridians being unblocked: “任督二脉被打通” (rèn dū èr mài bèi dǎ tōng), a Chinese idioms. It literally translates to “the two major meridians (Ren and Du) being unblocked.” It is used figuratively to describe a feeling of great relief, satisfaction, or enlightenment when facing a significant breakthrough or accomplishment. It implies that the person’s energy channels are open and flowing freely, resulting in a sense of revitalization and clarity.

At that time, Milk’s Not Working must have given him her WeChat ID!!! But this stupid game automatically blocks any messages containing the keyword “WeChat” to prevent players from encountering scams. Not only WeChat, but the names of other communication apps are also in the blocklist.

So, Shen Yanming never received those messages from Milk’s Not Working and thought he was being strange for no reason.

Shen Yanming sighed helplessly… Usually, when he wanted to exchange contact information with someone, he would use abbreviations or homophones. How could Milk’s Not Working not understand such a simple principle?

Oh well, Milk’s Not Working’s features are quite distinctive, so it shouldn’t be difficult to find him if he appears at the venue.

After all, there’s only one chubby guy in TMM’s second team, and Shen Yanming has also seen his photo on the official website.

 

Translator’s Note:

My favorite sentence of this chapter, “They were ordinary, insignificant, and seemingly had nothing worthy of praise.” I teared up a bit reading that.

Anyway, if anyone is curious the song that Shen Yanming is humming to is probably 海闊天空(hǎikuòtiānkōng) by Beyond, and the song Sweet Honey is 甜蜜蜜(Tiánmì mì) by Teresa Teng. 

I’ll do a double release again for the weekend, please look forward to it

Thank you for reading! 

Hope you enjoy the rest of your day

If you like reading my translations, do consider supporting me with ko-fi

1breaking through the wind and waves, moving forward courageously: “就什么乘风破浪勇往直前的”(Jiù shénme chéngfēngpòlàng yǒngwǎngzhíqián de), it conveys the idea of facing challenges head-on and persevering despite difficulties.2Milk’s Not Working: shortened or nickname by Shen Yanming for My Milk’s Not Working3Ren and Du meridians being unblocked: “任督二脉被打通” (rèn dū èr mài bèi dǎ tōng), a Chinese idioms. It literally translates to “the two major meridians (Ren and Du) being unblocked.” It is used figuratively to describe a feeling of great relief, satisfaction, or enlightenment when facing a significant breakthrough or accomplishment. It implies that the person’s energy channels are open and flowing freely, resulting in a sense of revitalization and clarity.