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Sometimes, Fang Rui’s mouth works faster than his brain.
He hasn’t been Wind Howl’s vice-captain for long. When Lin Jingyan pulls him aside for a quick pre-match interview, Fang Rui answers the reporter’s questions on autopilot, mind revisiting Wind Howl’s strategy tonight against defending champion Blue Rain.
Yu Wenzhou’s hand speed looks like an opportunity, but he’s too talented at unraveling the Criminal Duo’s traps...maybe Huang Shaotian would be their breakthrough point if they—
Wind Howl’s team reporter wears a look of utter horror on her face.
Fang Rui blinks, and rapidly rewinds the last few seconds. He’d been asked whether he was dating anyone - no - and whether he had anyone he liked. Fang Rui had listed off several popular actresses, a few video game characters, and…
Oh shit.
“Is that true?” Another reporter leans forward like a hungry wolf smelling blood. “Vice-captain Fang likes Excellent Era’s captain Ye Qiu?”
“Yes,” Fang Rui says with a smile, because when a scam goes wrong, the only way out is to stay confident and double down.
The reporter turns eagerly to Fang Rui’s captain, hoping for an even juicier scandal. “Captain Lin, what do you think of this?”
“Oh, we’re all like that,” Lin Jingyan answers easily.
Everyone’s eyes nearly pop out of their sockets.
Fang Rui silently gives his captain a thumbs up.
After sputtering for a moment, the reporter cautiously tries again. “Captain Lin, can you...explain what you mean?”
Lin Jingyan’s eyes curve into gentle crescents. “Of course. Having a crush on the master tacticians is natural for a pro player. When I was younger I also had a crush on Ye Qiu, though recently it’s Xiao Shiqin I’ve been admiring.”
Fang Rui nearly cackles.
The reporters look like they’ve lost their souls. “Is that...how it is?”
Lin Jingyan smiles politely, blinding them with perfect trustworthiness and innocence. “That’s how it is. Now, please excuse us while we finish our match preparations.”
Good job Old Lin! Fang Rui cheers in his head while his captain whisks him away.
Lin Jingyan maintains his ‘I’m definitely not conning you’ aura until they’re alone backstage. Then the smile falls away from his face, and he pulls out his phone, opening the captain’s chat and beginning to rapidly type.
“Fang Rui, go to the team and explain what’s happened, then reach out to anyone who might play along with us. The more people we have, the more successful we’ll be. I’m going to find Yu Wenzhou and ask if he’s willing to cooperate.”
Fang Rui’s stomach falls. “Old Lin, I’m sorry—”
Lin Jingyan smiles mischievously at Fang Rui. “What do you need to be sorry for? Aren’t we the Criminal Duo? We’re the best at dirty play.”
Smiling so widely his face hurts, Fang Rui lets out the cackle he’s been holding in, and dashes off to finish executing their scam.
Wind Howl’s interview was streamed live. #Fang Rui interview# and #Wind Howl Gay Scandal# take over the Glory media topics and became the night’s explosive trending news.
Given such a big bait, the reporters wish they could skip tonight’s matches and go straight to the press conferences afterwards. It’s equally a pity that they can’t interview Ye Qiu himself!
Unfortunately, reality is cruel: Samsara is the first team to finish tonight’s matches, coasting to an easy victory over a relegation-level team.
Getting a quote from Zhou Zekai? Better not to try. The reporters pin their hopes for generating marketable conflict on Vice-captain Jiang.
“It’s the competence that’s so attractive,” Jiang Botao explains with a straight face, adding just the right amount of earnestness. “We love Glory - otherwise we wouldn’t be pro players. Doesn’t it make sense that we find ourselves drawn to the tacticians who bring their team to victory?”
He leans back, taking in the shocked reporters. “Personally, I like Captain Yu. I feel his tactics are similar to mine and we have a lot in common.”
Fang Minghua, Samsara’s Cleric, shoves at his vice-captain’s shoulder playfully. “I disagree. We healers all feel affection for Zhang Xinjie. He’s the icon we wish our feelings will reach.”
Du Ming waves his hands. “No way, it has to be Senior Ye. Battle Mages are too impressive!”
“Captain Zhou, what’s your opinion on this?” one of the reporters asks desperately.
Zhou Zekai thinks for a while, and adds his sole contribution for the night. “Senior...like.”
The reporters regain their hopes for a messy conflict when they learn Thunderclap’s match also ended early. Thunderclap has Master Tactician Xiao Shiqin!
They flock to Thunderclap’s press conference - this time they’ll finally get a normal reaction to this craziness!
Right?
“I’m very grateful for everyone’s feelings. I hope everyone can understand that my career isn’t at a stage where I can return your intentions, but I’ll continue to work hard to deserve the title of Master Tactician.” Xiao Shiqin bows, the tips of his ears pink with embarrassment.
The reporters want to cough blood.
Naturally, Ye Qiu chooses this moment to add to the reporters’ pain, and in the true style of Glory’s greatest mystery man, he makes his opinion known through One Autumn Leaf.
Before logging out from Excellent Era’s victory in the team battle, One Autumn Leaf stands among the corpses of Hundred Blossoms’ accounts, and a single chat bubble appears above his head: “I can’t date anyone who doesn’t have as many championships as me.”
Hundred Blossoms’ home audience boos. In his booth, Zhang Jiale is crying while he curses this shameless bastard.
#One Autumn Leaf Can’t Date You# becomes an instant meme. #Fang Rui Gay Scandal#? Old news, who cares! Hurry and make more Battle God parody videos and sticker packs!
No one is paying attention as Liu Hao forces himself to go along with the other pros during Excellent Era's press conference. “I like Zhang Xinjie,” he grits out through a fake smile. “He’s the person responsible for defeating Ye Qiu. I feel he’s very admirable.”
The reporters only wish Liu Hao would go away and let Hundred Blossoms come up. Liu Hao isn’t Ye Qiu, so who cares what he thinks? Zhang Jiale will definitely give them the angry words they need to fuel their articles!
Zhang Jiale spends the whole press conference ranting like an abandoned lover that he doesn’t have a crush on Ye Qiu anymore and complaining that Ye Qiu’s standards are too high.
The reporters wonder why they picked this profession again.
Tonight’s televised match is Tyranny vs. Tiny Herb. The face-off between two strong teams lives up to the hype, leaving a very satisfying impression on the people watching. With all the rumors circulating, more people than usual choose to watch the teams’ press conference.
The reporters begin by asking several inoffensive questions before one of them plucks up the courage to ask Tyranny’s captain whether he likes any of the master tacticians.
Han Wenqing’s brows draw together; he appears incomparably furious. The reporter who asked shrinks back in a cold sweat.
Tyranny’s captain turns to his vice-captain. “I have great respect for Xinjie, but my answer is the same as always. Tyranny’s goal is to defeat Ye Qiu. My intentions have never wavered.”
Master Tactician Zhang Xinjie pushes his glasses up his nose. “No offense taken, captain. It’s fortunate that Ye Qiu is the target of your affections. My data suggests that I’m more effective without a partner, so I would have rejected you.”
Han Wenqing grunts, and that’s the end of it. The reporters meekly continue with their usual match-related questions.
As for Tiny Herb’s reaction?
No one manages to ask. Vice-captain Fang Shiqian seizes the microphone right away and gives a passionate speech arguing that the title of ‘Four Master Tacticians’ was made up by the media, and Tiny Herb’s captain Wang Jiexi deserves to be recognized as the tactician whose ability led Tiny Herb to their championship.
He’s both heartfelt and persuasive. The debate quickly takes over social media, and any ugly posts about Fang Rui’s confession are buried under the new trending topics.
Wind Howl’s match versus Blue Rain finally ends, but the topic everyone hoped would stir up a storm ended up being nothing more than a fart.
Question Fang Rui about his crush on Ye Qiu?
Why bother? Fang Rui’s confession isn’t newsworthy anymore. How many other pro players have gone gay tonight? Picking out one player doesn’t have any effect when all of them admit to it!
The reporters have lost the heart to try anymore, but their suffering continues. At press conferences all over China the players have begun confessing without being asked. Who wants this kind of news when they can’t use it!
As for the people attending Blue Rain’s press conference…
“How can people think that our captain’s brain isn’t the best, captain has the biggest brain, the absolute biggest, look at our championship he won with his big brain! I bet Wang Jiexi wishes he had a tactician like us, haha big-eye you’ll never match up to Blue Rain this is why we beat you for a championship, how embarrassing why didn’t your creepy eye tell you how to win more…”
Five minutes later, when Yu Wenzhou still shows no signs of stopping Huang Shaotian, the press officer bravely cuts off Blue Rain’s vice-captain and asks for opinions from the other pro players.
Yu Wenzhou folds his hands and accepts the invitation, eyes curving behind his glasses. “Sorry, I can’t return anyone’s feelings because I already like Senior Ye.”
Then he sits back, and Huang Shaotian begins chattering again.
That was it?
Weakened by Huang Shaotian’s sonic attack, this sudden letdown is fatal. The reporters only revive when Wind Howl, the instigator of tonight’s madness, files inside.
Immediately, dagger-like glares fall on Fang Rui’s body.
Fang Rui tries very hard to maintain a sober and serious appearance.
The killing intent from the reporters triples.
Glancing at Lin Jingyan, Fang Rui shrugs.
Wind Howl’s captain laughs quietly, and takes the microphone. “I hope everyone has had an educational evening. Do you have further questions? We’re very willing to clarify anything you don’t understand.”
Old Lin, so dirty! Fang Rui praises in his heart.
The reporters can’t find anything wrong with Lin Jingyan’s words, but they feel themselves being provoked regardless. After a moment of silence, hands shoot into the air. Doesn’t matter if they can’t figure out how they’re being provoked! Attack! Attack with everything they have!
Final score: Criminal Duo 1, Media 0
Other than a deep scar in the hearts of Glory reporters, the whole affair ends quietly. The fans move on to new gossip, and the night that all the pro players confessed to the Master Tacticians fades into the lore of China’s Glory league.
Fang Rui believes for many years he’s gotten away cleanly. His feelings for Ye Qiu weren’t anything deep. He plays for Wind Howl, gains and loses new crushes, and earns his title as the master of playing dirty.
It’s only when Fang Rui is sitting in Team Happy’s headquarters, staring at Ye Xiu’s smug smirk and his beautiful hands playing on a keyboard, that Fang Rui knows karma is real because oh shit Ye Xiu is hot.