Chapter Eleven: The Important Figure
The sound of keyboard clacking rose and fell like waves—this was a contest of teamwork and tacit understanding, a battlefield of wit and reflex!
By 9 p.m., Zheng Nange joined the PK tournament organized by the Thunderstorm Domain Internet café.
Gaming is not something one masters through sheer practice alone.
To reach an advanced level, one needs talent!
Zheng Nange was merely a team member in the capital city; no wonder his father insisted he go south of the Yangtze River for high school!
Had he stayed in the capital, he might have changed his path entirely.
In the vast internet café, Zheng Nange had no rivals, attracting a crowd watching him play.
"Damn, that micro-control!"
"Look, he’s already unleashing those dog units..."
Exclamations echoed incessantly!
Of course, many had come specifically to watch Zhou Luoyao.
Zheng Nange, caught up in the excitement, shouted, “Anyone else want to challenge? Keep it going!”
His flawless capital city Mandarin carried an unmistakable air of pride.
A bespectacled guy with a crew cut spoke up, "A pro? Let’s have a match."
That hairstyle, that gaze—clearly not an ordinary player!
Why?
Because everyone else sported either student haircuts or the flamboyant "killing mate" style. His hair was slicked down as if freshly licked by a calf.
Zheng Nange raised an eyebrow and smiled, “Bring it on!”
“Let’s raise the stakes?”
“Money?” Zheng Nange looked at the crew-cut guy with disdain.
Though short on cash at the moment, he had no need to play for money.
“No money!” The crew-cut guy sneered, pointing slyly at Zhou Luoyao, ignoring the startled look in her beautiful eyes.
Judging by the admiring glances from the crowd, it was clear this crew-cut guy might be the local master here.
He grinned, “If I win, I get to face her, no quitting halfway. Deal?”
The crowd erupted, “Ha! Send the little dog to bite her!”
“Get lost!” Zhou Luoyao retorted with disdain.
Among the onlookers, some watched the duel, others watched Zhou Luoyao. Seeing her playful, ever-changing expressions only heightened their excitement.
“Fine!”
Unexpectedly, Zhou Luoyao changed her mind and said to the crew-cut guy, “If you lose, you have to shout in the street ten times: ‘You’re stupid, you’re a ‘Big Green Spring’!’”
Then she turned to Zheng Nange, “If you lose, you have to obey me all week!”
“Let’s get started!” someone suddenly exclaimed.
Though some of the boys were not malicious, their excitement over Zhou Luoyao was palpable.
The crew-cut guy immediately set up his game, choosing Zerg: “Best of three!”
Zheng Nange joined in, selecting Protoss. As soon as his first Pylon and Gateway appeared, he sent troops scouting the map while rapidly developing his base.
Suddenly, a flash of red appeared on the map, tightening Zheng Nange’s chest.
Clicking over, he saw two Zerglings fiercely attacking his workers.
He quickly pulled his workers back.
The crew-cut guy chuckled and commanded the two Zerglings to charge straight at Zheng Nange’s base.
At that moment, Zheng Nange’s first Zealot came out, tough and resilient. After withstanding the first furious assault, he sent four Zerglings to attack the crew-cut guy’s workers.
The crew-cut guy fought and retreated, sacrificing two Zerglings to save the remnants of his forces.
That wave left Zheng Nange drenched in cold sweat!
Seizing the opportunity, he amassed half a squad of Dragoon and a squad of Zealots, clashing again in the central plains.
The crew-cut guy’s Zerg army suppressed Zheng Nange’s firepower grid;
His Zerglings swarmed like a hive, sweeping away the Dragoon ranged units;
Then he deployed a Dropship.
“Sneak attack!?”
Zheng Nange’s Dragoon defenders formed ranks, but the Dropship disgorged a flood of Zerglings that quickly overwhelmed them!
Amid sighs of regret, Zheng Nange’s headquarters became a sea of blue flames...
The crew-cut guy stretched his neck from behind the monitor and laughed, “Come on! Next round, let’s settle this!”
...
“Bang! Bang! Bang!” Zhou Luoyao’s small fists pounded hard on Zheng Nange’s back.
Zheng Nange grimaced, “Ouch! Look at this one!”
Lin Cheng watched the eldest son of the Zheng family get beaten and wanted to laugh, so he asked, “Want me to step in?”
“You?” Zheng Nange and Zhou Ye looked at Lin Cheng in surprise.
“You can? Why didn’t you say so earlier?”
“If I win, you have to promise Zhou Luoyao something!”
“Cut the crap! Win first, then talk!”
Lin Cheng took Zheng Nange’s seat.
“Calling for backup? Doesn’t matter who shows up!” The crew-cut guy snorted.
Zhou Luoyao grabbed Lin Cheng’s shoulder, “Can you handle this?!”
“Miss, just say the word—I’m ready,” Lin Cheng laughed.
“Hey—make sure you win!” With Zhou Luoyao’s straightforward temper, losing was out of the question.
Anyway, Zheng Nange’s good days were over!
Whether the battle would reach Lin Cheng’s hands would be decided in this game.
Lin Cheng, imagining Zhou Luoyao’s possible outburst, cautiously said, “I’ll do my best...”
“How dare you!”
Before Lin Cheng could finish, he took a swift hit from a pink fist!
When the crew-cut guy saw Lin Cheng choose “random,” he grew nervous.
In some matches, only versatile experts pick “random” to keep opponents guessing their opening moves.
...
For those not flaunting arrogance, there is a modest way to play!
The crew-cut guy changed tactics, abandoning the aggressive harassment that Zheng Nange used.
He built and amassed troops in a straightforward manner.
When he sent units to scout, someone uttered, “Huh?”
Playing games was like chess; a true gentleman watches silently.
Though the person stayed quiet, that “huh” showed confusion over the “enemy’s” moves.
When the crew-cut guy sent troops out, he realized the “enemy” was baffling—Lin Cheng opened with double Barracks!
What was going on?
The crew-cut guy launched an assault while rushing home to build anti-air defenses;
His keyboard clattered noisily!
He was wary of sneak attacks; if the enemy used his own tactics against him, it would be humiliating.
The current StarCraft was version 1.11, with significant changes: Zerg’s Hatchery grew to 200 health, Spine Crawlers were altered;
Terran tanks had increased range... the races were well balanced.
From then on, world-class esports tournaments saw players inventing myriad tactical variations.
Lin Cheng had once loved this game, playing it deeply until the Warcraft era arrived, mastering top players’ strategies.
The crowd gasped again—double Barracks rush?
The crew-cut guy’s eyelids twitched; he watched five Zerglings drop in health instantly.
Damn! Damn!
He checked the map and saw Lin Cheng advancing fiercely toward his base.
The Zerg troops roared, charging at the Protoss Zealots wielding energy blades!
Zerg’s fangs and claws tore through the Zealots’ energy armor;
The Hydralisks sprayed corrosive acid on the dual-energy Protoss warriors.
But then, the crew-cut guy saw a Zealot slice clean through a Hydralisk’s skull!
His base was already flooded with enraged Protoss warriors!
They came in overwhelming numbers!
Blood spilled everywhere!
“Smack!” The crew-cut guy slammed the keyboard and quit!
“Awesome!”
Everyone witnessed for the first time a brutal strategy relying on a single unit rushing relentlessly—this savagery was like a forceful city demolition!
The crew-cut guy was skilled and hardworking; he often sneaked behind top players in internet cafés to watch for a whole day, confident in his mastery of various tactics—yet he was undone by this small trick.
Infuriating!
One last round left!
Let’s do this!