Jiangcheng, Huating Residential Complex.
After finishing one last billion rounds of the Peak Tournament, Su Hang ended his stream.
"I went above and beyond today's target."
Su Hang finished his sugar-free cola and checked the national Gan & Mo rankings again. "If nothing unexpected happens, I'll get Gan & Mo's national top-ten badge tomorrow night!" he murmured.
At present, the gatekeeper of the national Gan & Mo top ten had a score of just over 16,000. As long as he raised his Peak Tournament score from 2,000 to 2,400 tomorrow night, the national top-ten badge was as good as his.
But.
"What's the point of going for the national top-ten badge if I don't take No. 1? I might as well not bother."
Su Hang scrolled through the national Gan & Mo rankings until his gaze settled on the current No. 1 player. He clicked on the player's game profile.
KPL professional player verified.
Game ID: Jiucheng.
Specialty hero: Gan & Mo (national top-ten badge)
Peak Tournament mid laner in the national top 100.
Current Peak Tournament score: 2,450.
Su Hang narrowed his eyes. "Jiucheng?"
He had known Jiucheng as early as 2017. He had been ten years old then, in fifth grade, and had been going for national top-ten badges as usual when he happened to reach the newly released hero, Gan & Mo.
Back then, Gan & Mo had yet to be reworked. His ultimate still involved throwing his wife, Mo, and the Twin Swords were fired one sword at a time, making him extremely difficult to master. Not many players used him.
He had spent five days raising his Gan & Mo Glory Power to over 8,000, taking the national No. 1 spot with a lead of more than 2,000 Glory Power over No. 2.
He had thought the No. 1 spot was safely his when the rankings were finalized at the end of the month. Who would have thought that when he checked the rankings late on Sunday night, the No. 2 Gan & Mo player had caught up?
He had promptly abandoned his unfinished weekend homework and logged in to raise his Gan & Mo Glory Power, finally securing the national No. 1 spot by a narrow margin when the rankings were finalized.
And that No. 2 Gan & Mo player had been none other than Jiucheng!
"This is-"
Su Hang's gaze fell on the team tags on Jiucheng's profile.
One was the KPL professional team verified on his game ID-[Chengdu AG Super Play Club].
That was the team whose recruitment manager had threatened him a few days ago, trying to make him give up on the Overlord Feast.
He actually had a favorable impression of AG. After all, many of its veteran players, such as Menglei, Laoshuai and VV... were old acquaintances from the game. Though they weren't close, they could just about be considered half-friends.
Still, he wouldn't attack unless attacked. Since the other party had threatened him first, he had no need to worry about his friendship with AG's veteran players. He could use the Overlord Feast to have a proper, aboveboard showdown with them!
The other was an independent team Jiucheng had joined.
"[Twilight of the Gods]?"
Su Hang paused, thinking his eyes were playing tricks on him after twenty-three straight hours of gaming. He shook his head and looked again. It really was the [Twilight of the Gods] team.
"Is it a coincidence?"
Su Hang pondered. Twilight of the Gods Team was currently the No. 1 team in the Android WeChat region, having dominated the top of the team rankings for nine consecutive years. Its founder had once been his closest friend in the game.
[Silver Dragon]!
But for certain special reasons, they had gone their separate ways nine years ago and had never contacted each other again.
The more Su Hang thought about it, the more he felt something was off. He opened the national team rankings for the Android QQ region and slowly scrolled through the list, his gaze wandering over the names.
Before long, the words [Twilight of the Gods] came into view at national rank 101, and the team leader was none other than [Silver Dragon]!
Su Hang's pupils contracted, because at national rank 108, another familiar team appeared!
"[Phoenix Crown and Rosy Robes]!"
Su Hang's gaze darted to the team leader field. "[Phoenix]!"
Like Silver Dragon, Phoenix had also been a close friend of his in the game nine years ago. Back then, they had even exchanged their QQ passwords to show their trust in each other!
"Silver Dragon and Phoenix are both here." By this point, Su Hang understood. "Then Mountain Lord should be here too."
Sure enough.
At national rank 123, the words [Tiger Roars in the Mountain Forest] appeared, and the team leader was none other than [Mountain Lord].
After nine years, his three old close friends from the game had returned to the Android QQ region. Naturally, Su Hang was delighted.
At the same time, though, Su Hang knew perfectly well that his three close friends weren't here to catch up with him, but to wipe away their past humiliation.
"Looks like I'll have my hands full this summer vacation."
Late the following night,
The AG training base was brightly lit.
A crowd of players and coaches watched the training room in shock.
Inside the training room, [Pei Qian] was disheveled and in a sorry state. His left cheek bore a clearly visible red mark and was badly swollen.
Facing his assailant, Pei Qian was angry but dared not speak.
"Threatening Exalted Emperor, were you? Sending people to snipe Exalted Emperor, were you? I fucking... I fucking..." Maoshen's hair practically stood on end with rage. He rolled up his sleeves and searched for a weapon that would sit well in his hands. Finally, he hoisted an air purifier onto his shoulder. "I'll smash you to death, you bastard!"
Head coach Zhan Yuwen and Menglei grabbed the frenzied Maoshen from either side and shouted in haste.
"Easy, Maoshen, easy!"
"Damn it! Calm down first."
Pei Qian's gaze was dark, without the slightest sign of remorse. "I don't think I did anything wrong. That little brat Exalted Emperor was the one who didn't know what was good for him. Daring to claim he'd crush our players was an insult to AG."
"I used my own connections to contact top players and retired pros in the scene to snipe him. I only wanted to teach him a lesson."
Maoshen gritted his teeth, fire practically shooting from his mouth. "You're still twisting the facts and turning black into white! You bastard, you're asking for a beating!"
Pei Qian grew angry too. "Everything I did was for the Overlord Feast, so everyone in AG could become an Overlord."
Maoshen's rage hit its limit, his features contorted. "Are you saying everyone in AG can't become an Overlord unless you use your connections to snipe Exalted Emperor?"
"Hard to say," Pei Qian retorted.
Maoshen instantly saw red and raised the air purifier. "I'll fucking smash you to death!"
Zhan Yuwen and Menglei held him back with all their might.
Veins bulging, Menglei roared, "Damn it, Yinuo, what are you all standing around for? Hurry up and drag Pei Qian out!"
Yinuo, Xuanran and Zhongyi hurried into action. The three of them joined forces to push Pei Qian out of the training room, and the players and coaches watching outside promptly cleared a path!
"Pei Qian, get the fuck back here!" Maoshen twisted and struggled, refusing to give up. Like a hissing cat, he shrieked wildly.
"Old Meng, Old Zhan, don't stop me! If I, Chen Zhengzheng, don't skin Pei Qian alive today, I'll take his surname!"
Maoshen was furious beyond measure.
Their AG had always been known far and wide in the scene as a good team, the team with the most heart. Even when its league results had been poor a few years ago, it had relied on the good reputation that Menglei, Dashuai, he himself and other veteran players had built up in the ancient seasons.
That reputation had kept it firmly on the throne as the league's No. 1 fan club.
AG hadn't become the league's No. 1 team because its players were exceptionally strong or its club exceptionally rich, but because generations of players, old and new, had worked together to build up its good reputation!
And now, Pei Qian's actions were ruining AG's reputation and digging up the very foundations on which the team had been built!
That was why he couldn't tolerate it.
"What happened in the middle of the night?"
The appearance of a thin man instantly calmed the furious Maoshen.
"What brings you here?"