Old Tan had obtained VIP seats through internal channels, and they also had access to the special staff passage. Regardless of which team the fans in the audience supported, it was impossible for them not to recognize Timeless. Even though all three of them were wearing masks and baseball caps, the curse that Timeless would always be recognized as soon as he stepped outside was just as effective in Korea.

This time, it wasn’t an ordinary fan who recognized them, but one of the live broadcasters at the venue.

They were seated just behind the EAU coaching team. The broadcaster turned the camera to focus on EAU’s Coach, and in passing, they included them in the frame. The commentators at the venue were Korean, and Yu Zhaohan couldn’t understand what they were saying, but he clearly sensed a change in the commentators’ tone. It was like they were welcoming them while also being a bit sarcastic.

Come on, where is my royal interpreter.

“They’re saying that the training at various clubs is very intense now, and they didn’t expect R.H’s two C’s and support to have the time to come to the venue to watch the match. It seems like the relationship between R.H and ZC is really good. If ZC could borrow two players from R.H to play the match, they might not have had ten consecutive losses.” Timeless sneered, “They probably think they’re very funny—idiots.”

The camera lingered on the three R.H members on the big screen at the venue. Among the Korean audience, there were also quite a few fans who liked Timeless. Cheers and boos were evenly split. Some Cobra fans in the back row stood up, waving Cobra’s team flag and shouting incessantly. They felt justified in believing that Timeless, who had insulted their own team, should be banned from competing. A mere $1,000 fine was far from enough.

Timeless had promised Old Tan not to cause any trouble. He simply lifted his chin slightly, revealing only half of his nose as he casually waved his hand amidst the cheers and jeers aimed at the camera. Yu Zhaohan sat next to him, his face covered to leave only half of his nose exposed, his presence contrasting with his younger teammate with an air of cold composure.

The noise in the venue grew even louder.

Timeless felt that he had been discreet enough, not even showing his face, but he didn’t expect to be called out and criticized by Old Tan in the WeChat group.

[Old Tan: Timeless, how did you manage to get recognized again?]

[Cheese: The use of the word “again” is perfect.]

[Timeless: I thought you wanted me to be recognized. After all, you gave us tickets in the front row. [Smile]]

[Old Tan: I want to get you tickets for the back row, but unfortunately my strength does not allow me]

[Old Tan: We’ve made a lot of enemies in Korea, so be careful outside. Shine, Jiang, take good care of your little brother.]

[Shine: Got it.]

[Jiang: Okay]

Shi Du was a little speechless, he lowered his head and asked Yu Zhaohan, “I seem to need your protection?”

Yu Zhaohan stared straight ahead and said, “You’re the youngest, not as strong as Jiang, and not as mature as me. Naturally, we need to protect you.”

Shi Du: “Oh.”

The matches began quickly. In the first match, Chongqing EAU lost to Seoul TCO with a score of 1:3.

In the second match, Hangzhou DSD faced Busan Cobra. DSD was ranked second in the Eastern Division and had only lost one regular-season match, which was a 2:3 loss to R.H. Facing a mid-tier team like Cobra was a walk in the park.

After losing 0:3 to R.H, Cobra was once again swept by a Chinese team, and their chances of advancing to the playoffs looked grim

In the third match, Guangzhou ZC faced Seoul JSE. Both teams had already been eliminated from playoff contention, so this match was about salvaging some pride. In such situations, the players’ pressure would be much lower, allowing them to play more carefree. However, for the boys from ZC, their biggest pressure was to secure their first win, which was within their reach.

Alligator came to the spectator seats, and greeted Yu Zhaohan excitedly and nervously: “The manager said he gave you a few tickets, but we didn’t expect you to actually come.”

Yu Zhaohan replied, “Your tickets are not enough; Cheese and the others also wanted to come.”

Alligator sighed, “There’s nothing I can do; after all, it’s their home turf.”

Shi Du heard the commentators saying, “We see ZC’s head coach having a friendly exchange with Shine. He might be consulting Shine for tactics. Inviting the captain of the top-ranked team to be their strategist, ZC really knows how to seek help for themselves.”

Shi Du muttered, “You invited us here; you’re not trying to make us watch ZC lose, are you? I can’t bear to see that.”

Alligator wore a slightly embarrassed smile as he looked at the four young men sitting together on the stage. His eyes were bright as he said, “I believe in them.”

For the first map, ZC chose a map with an open field of vision. The commentators were still talking, saying that ZC had abandoned their dirty tactics against Cobra and that changing for the better was worthy of praise. But by selecting this map, which purely relied on gunplay, did ZC give up on pursuing their first victory?

As the commentators were speaking, ZC’s two carries coordinated, with the sniper rifle hitting JSE’s support, and the shotgun finishing the job, securing the first kill.

The Korean commentators paused for a moment and said, “Goddess of Luck seems to be favoring ZC today. The sniper’s aim is on point. Let’s hope they can maintain this.”

To their surprise, ZC’s sniper not only maintained their form but also heated up, opening several team fights and leading ZC to capture point A smoothly.

Alligator and Yu Zhaohan joked, “He really likes you. Your lucky charm is in his pocket, and it’s working today.”

Yu Zhaohan replied, “Hmm.”

It wasn’t just the sniper; the rest of ZC’s team was also performing surprisingly well. It seemed like they had transformed into a completely different squad, firmly controlling the objective. The progress reached 87, 88, 89…

The commentators said, “This scene looks so familiar. ZC has been close to victory several times, only to be overturned at the last moment. JSE doesn’t need to worry; ZC will definitely reveal a vulnerability soon.”

Alligator couldn’t sit still any longer and shouted toward the stage, “Stay focused, don’t slack off! Hold on—”

The players on the stage couldn’t hear the cheers from the audience, nor could they see beyond their screens. However, they knew their coach was watching them.

The progress bar for point B capture: 97, 98, 99…

During an official match, the golden “victory” appeared on the ZC players’ screens for the first time.

Alligator became ecstatic and hugged Jiang Di, who was sitting next to him tightly. “We did it! We did it!”

Jiang Di was slightly startled, and said, “Congratulations.”

Shi Du raised his eyebrows, “Nice.”

Yu Zhaohan curved his lips under the mask, “Steady.”

By overcoming their biggest psychological barrier, ZC could now unleash their true potential.

Securing a small victory meant that they had broken the spell of never winning a single round, showing that they were capable of winning. They could win all along, but their lack of self-confidence had disrupted their mindset and caused them to miss numerous chances for their first victory. They were starting to doubt themselves, but their coach repeatedly told them that, in his eyes, their talent was no less than that of Shine and timeless.

What qualifications and abilities do they have?

One hour later, ZC swept JSE 3-0, ending their ten-game losing streak and securing their first victory of the season in Seoul, a foreign country.

Alligator appeared disheveled but joyful, his eyes swollen from tears and laughter. He asked, “Don’t leave right away, let me treat you to a meal, and invite Cheese and the others too.”

Yu Zhaohan remembered the last time he had been treated by Alligator, and it was the cheapest boxed meal available. “No need,” Yu Zhaohan said, “we already have plans.”

Shi Du asked, “Which one of you will be interviewed?”

Alligator: “It should be our captain.”

Shi Du smiled and said, “For his first interview, don’t forget to remind him to thank your boss.”

That boss who pretended to be bad?

Alligator understood and said, “Got it, I’ll go remind him!”

After the match, ZC’s team captain gave an interview to the league.

“Today’s first victory wasn’t unexpected. Not only today, but for the remaining games, we have confidence in performing well.”

“Thanks to our coach, who never abandoned us. Without our coach, we probably wouldn’t have lasted this long. Thanks to our boss for allowing us to come to Korea.”

“Finally, thanks to our domestic brother teams. Despite us not making the playoffs, they were still willing to spar with us in practice matches. Thank you, thank you, brothers! See you next year!”

After watching the interview, Yu Zhaohan said to his two teammates, “Let’s go.”

The game lasted from the afternoon into the evening, and it was already 9 PM when they left the venue. They hadn’t eaten dinner yet. Shi Du recommended a nearby Korean barbecue restaurant. He had been there with his teammates last year during IPL, and although it wasn’t cheap, the quality and taste justified the price.

The three of them took a taxi to the barbecue restaurant. In the car, Yu Zhaohan recalled the famous quotes and internet catchphrases he had memorized yesterday, preparing himself for the upcoming conversation. With both the real and fake aloof personalities sitting together, there was no need for conversation. Yu Zhaohan sat next to Shi Du, scrolling through his phone.

The topic of ZC’s first victory had surged to the top of trending lists both online and offline. Apart from JSE and Cobra fans, most fans, including Western gamers from the Western Conference, were celebrating ZC’s first win.

ZC’s victory was too spectacular, with no flaws to be found in both tactics and marksmanship. Haters could only resort to comments like “ZC is riding Shine’s coattails and didn’t achieve the victory independently,” but the replies beneath these comments were full of insults, which put Shi Du’s mind at ease.

The taxi pulled up at the entrance of the barbecue restaurant, and the three of them got out of the car. A young lady, responsible for welcoming guests, approached them. Shi Du communicated with her in Korean and confirmed the availability of a private room. Just as he turned around to tell Yu Zhaohan, his expression suddenly changed drastically.

The young lady pointed behind Yu Zhaohan and let out a sharp scream.

A man wearing a baseball cap came rushing from the direction of the greenery, holding a fruit knife and heading straight for Yu Zhaohan, who was closest to him. Before Yu Zhaohan could react, when the fruit knife was only a step away from him, Shi Du pulled him behind him.

The sharp fruit knife left a five-centimeter-long gash on Shi Du’s arm, and blood immediately began to flow.

Yu Zhaohan was momentarily stunned. For the first time in front of Jiang Di, he used an exclamation-mark-worthy tone: “Shi Du!”

Jiang Di reacted quickly. He delivered a left hook to the attacker’s cheek. The attacker’s mouth started bleeding from the punch. Shi Du took the opportunity to grab the fruit knife and followed up with a kick to the attacker’s chest. The attacker flew backward and crashed into a nearby trash can with a loud thud.

His baseball cap fell to the ground, with Cobra’s logo embroidered on the brim.

Yu Zhaohan’s voice trembled as he said, “Shi Du…”

“It’s just a minor injury,” Shi Du said with a reassuring smile. “I’m fine, don’t be scared. Think of it as me cutting my hand while cooking for you.”

Yu Zhaohan stared at Shi Du’s wound in a daze. It wasn’t deep, but there was a lot of blood. He took a deep breath and said, “I’m not scared.”

He couldn’t be scared. He was Shine, Jiang’s idol, Timeless’s big brother and boyfriend.

He was the captain of R.H. Right now, he had to stay calm.

A mature and composed captain, how would he handle such a situation? Just like Wan Feng… If it were Wan Feng, what would he do?

“I’ll stay with Timeless and take him to the hospital,” Yu Zhaohan said, looking directly into Jiang Di’s eyes. “Do you know what you need to do?”

Jiang Di glanced at the attacker writhing on the ground in pain and said, “I’ll stay with you.”

Shi Du assessed his wound and casually remarked, “It’s just a minor injury. By the time we get to the hospital, it will already be healing. We just need a band-aid.”

Yu Zhaohan ignored him and said to Jiang Di: “The attacker is a Cobra fan. He should know the league’s rules that prohibit professional players from getting into physical altercations. If he reports this to the league first, both you and Timeless could be banned. So, you need to keep an eye on him, don’t let him get away. Then, open your translation app and ask the boss for the surveillance footage. And don’t forget to call the police.”

Jiang Di immediately responded, “Got it.” He had just taken a couple of steps when the captain called him back, “Jiang Di.”

Jiang Di halted in his tracks.

“Justice and fairness never assert themselves,” Yu Zhaohan found the most suitable quote from the countless famous sayings he had transcribed by hand, “To achieve what we want, we must go after it ourselves.”

Jiang Di suddenly froze, his eyes misting over.

Shi Du couldn’t help but admire Yu Zhaohan. His way of giving advice sounded unreliable when you heard it, but in practice, it seemed to work. No wonder he never seemed to fail.

Jiang Di watched Yu Zhaohan, clenching his fists and cracking his knuckles. He nodded slightly and approached the attacker, lifting him up with one hand.

One of the restaurant’s staff members brought over disinfectant and bandaging materials. Yu Zhaohan quickly performed a simple bandage on Shi Du and then took him to the roadside to wait for a taxi.

Shi Du spoke in a relaxed tone, “I was really scared just now. Thankfully, our captain stayed calm and collected in times of danger, and he even managed to give Xiao Jiang a life lesson. Amazing.”

Yu Zhaohan spoke softly, “I’m sorry, Shi Du. I couldn’t help it. I wanted to cry. Seeing your wound, I really wanted to cry.”

Shi Du was taken aback: “Yuyu?”

“Please don’t talk to me right now.” A tear rolled down from the corner of Yu Zhaohan’s eye, sliding gracefully down his face. “I have to cry as much as I can before the car arrives.”

Under the city’s lights, Yu Zhaohan cried very calmly. There was hardly any expression on his face as he let the tears trickle down, crying more beautifully than the female leads in a melodrama.

Shi Du was almost melting from his beautiful wife’s tears. He teased, “Is this the result of careful planning in how to cry?”

Yu Zhaohan nodded with tears in his eyes. “Yes, does it look good?”

“Looks good, but it can be even better. Let me teach you.” Shi Du acted like a director, instructing, “Furrow your brows a bit and slow down the frequency of your tears falling. Cry like this…yes, just like that.”

Despite Yu Zhaohan’s efforts, he couldn’t quite control the frequency of his tears falling. “You’re so annoying,” he briefly laughed and immediately returned to his gloomy expression. “You won’t even let me cry properly.”

Shi Du chuckled, “I made you cry, but it’s your fault if you can’t cry properly.”

Yu Zhaohan whispered, “It’s you who comforted me so well that I couldn’t cry.”

“If you can’t cry, then just hug,” Shi Du urged, using his uninjured arm to pull Yu Zhaohan into his embrace. “Finish hugging before the car arrives.”

Yu Zhaohan cautiously snuggled into Shi Du’s embrace, avoiding his injured arm. “Shi Du…”

“Umm?”

“You’re not as good at fighting as Xiao Jiang.”

Time Du: “.”