The Elder Cannot Defeat the Fighting King.

Liu Hao could only sit at Machine No. 3 next to Su Mucheng to familiarise himself with the equipment. Su Mucheng glanced at Liu Hao, frowned slightly, and then pretended nothing was wrong.

"Don't misunderstand, the boss requested this. I didn't want it either," Liu Hao whispered.

"It's okay; I know what the boss wants to do. I think you've figured it out, too," Su Mucheng replied softly. "But I hope you can keep your distance from me. I just don't like you, don't make me hate you."

"Chief Su is still gentle. In the adult world, not liking someone means hating them. We are used to speaking euphemistically," Liu Hao chuckled. "But don't worry, I'm just a minor character trying to survive. Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to focus on playing the game."

"You are not a minor character," Ye Qiu suddenly said, turning to Liu Hao. "Do you know the saying 'the eagle watches the wolf'?"

"Yes, Cao Cao used it to describe Sima Yi. Sima Yi was an ambitious man. Are you saying I am ambitious? That's impossible. I just want to become an All-Star player," Liu Hao said, aware that Cui Li, Tao Xuan's loyal lackey, was standing behind him.

"Liu Hao, you may seem harmless now, but I'm not sure if you are on Excellent Era's side or the boss's side..."

"Isn't Excellent Era the boss's?" Liu Hao pretended not to understand.

"Hehe, whatever you say..."

Su Mucheng frowned even more. "Hey, what are you two talking about?"

Ye Qiu also looked clueless. "Then what were you guys whispering about just now?"

Su Mucheng was speechless, and the people waiting behind them needed clarification. What were Su Mucheng, Captain Ye, and Hao-ge talking about?

...

Everyone checked the equipment and found no issues. They left the competition stage and headed to the players' tunnel to wait for the match.

Finally, at 8:00 sharp, all the spectators were seated. The host took the stage, capturing the audience's attention, and shouted: "Hello, everyone! Welcome to the first round of the Glory Professional League Season Eight regular season, Excellent Era vs.Tyranny! Today, our beloved players are here to compete, showcasing their extraordinary skills. Who will be today's winner? Let's wait and see! Now, let's welcome the players!"

These words immediately triggered applause and cheers from the audience.

The players from both teams walked out of the tunnel and onto the stage. As usual, Ye Qiu did not appear. He quietly sat in the players' seats, the only one among the professional players with such a privilege.

Soon, after all the players appeared, the host announced the official start of the match.

Excellent Era did not arrange for a coaching guide. Although Cui Li held the title of Excellent Era's team leader, he had no real power. It was like an emperor appointing Cui Li as a monitor while Ye Qiu, the general, commanded the army. The monitor was just the emperor's spy.

Ye Qiu decided the order of Excellent Era's players. He put Su Mucheng in the first round of the individual match, followed by Qiu Fei and Guo Yang.

Su Mucheng's opponent in the first round was Zhou Guangyi from Tyranny.

"It seems Tyranny guessed Excellent Era's lineup," Pan Lin praised. "As expected of Captain Han, he knew Ye Qiu well and guessed he would put Su Mucheng first, so he sent an assassin to counter the gunner."

"Captain Han is a dominant person who believes in overwhelming force and isn't good at analysing his opponents' minds. I guess he didn't decide the lineup," Li Yibo laughed.

"Then who arranged Zhou Guangyi? It can't be a coincidence, right?" Pan Lin played along.

"It's most likely tyranny's vice-captain, Zhang Xinjie. He's the brain of tyranny. Guessing Ye Qiu's lineup isn't hard for him," Li Yibo said confidently.

"So, you think tyranny will win the first match?"

"I can't say for sure. Su Mucheng is an excellent player, but given the profession counter, Tyranny has a higher chance of winning," Li Yibo smiled.

"Coach Li favours Zhou Guangyi, but I actually favour Su Mucheng. As the top gunner, even in a professional counter, she might still win," Pan Lin said.

The commentators' banter quickly roused the audience's emotions. They cheered and supported their favourite players.

Excellent Era's Players' Seat

Liu Hao was leaning back in his chair, resting with his eyes closed. Cui Li came over and patted his shoulder. "Come with me."

Liu Hao got up and followed Cui Li to the bathroom.

"The boss just called," Cui Li paused. "Ye Qiu must not defeat Han Wenqing!"

Liu Hao frowned. "Ye Qiu's skills are his own. Whether he can beat Han Wenqing isn't up to me."

"You can decide because you're up first in the arena match!" Cui Li said.

"What do you mean?" Liu Hao pretended not to understand.

He knew what Cui Li and Tao Xuan wanted. He was placed first in the arena match, with Ye Qiu as the last defender. Tyranny's Han Wenqing would likely be the last defender, too, facing Ye Qiu.

Tao Xuan wanted him to hold back, letting the opponent win. Excellent Era's second player, Wang Ze, was weak, ensuring that Ye Qiu would face Han Wenqing with a health disadvantage. In a match between the Battle God and the Fighting King, a 10% health difference could decide the outcome.

Ye Qiu was an "old man" about to retire, and an elder shouldn't have the strength to defeat the Fighting King.

"You know what the boss means!" Cui Li saw through Liu Hao's pretence. "If Ye Qiu beats Han Wenqing, you'll have to explain to the boss yourself!"

After a moment's thought, Liu Hao nodded and smiled like an obedient child. "Okay, I understand."

Let Ye Qiu lose to Han Wenqing? I can show you the result. As for the process...

...

Liu Hao returned to the players' seats. The first match had ended, and the last character standing was Mucheng's Dancing Rain. Despite the professional counter, Su Mucheng's operational skills were superior to Zhou Guangyi's. In esports, it's all about skill. Even a priest can beat a ghost sword with a good enough operation...

Next up was Qiu Fei, a battle mage with the ID Battle Format.

He was a newcomer this year. Tao Xuan hadn't bothered to promote Qiu Fei, so few knew about him or that he was Ye Qiu's disciple.

Liu Hao thought Qiu Fei would win this individual match, but Qiu Fei made frequent mistakes and lost his debut match.

When Qiu Fei returned, he kept his head down. Ye Qiu comforted him, saying it was okay. Newcomers often get nervous and shaky in their first matches.

(End of the chapter)

P.S. Chapters 62-66 are up on my Patreon. Do support me there. winks

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