After the group of them finished their dinner quickly, the youth who identified himself as San Wu led the people from fellow StarCraft league . Together, they sent the team members to the Workers Cultural Palace .
To the majority of the youths, a place like Workers Cultural Palace felt very distant . While those from the older generation would bring up this mysterious place often, the younger generation more often than not still had no idea what this place was for . Now that they’ve entered the Palace, they saw how multi-purposed it was . Apparently it was a theatre in the past, but it was now a library, outfitted with a digital reading room . There were even courses going on inside .
The fellows league managed to book the entire theatre in the Palace . There was a huge screen on the stage . A row of computers facing the audience was placed horizontally across the stage . The screen behind played the various gameplays of each team, including the current in-game situation as well as a live view of the players playing . The players from BZ country were playing while situated in their own country .
When the clock struck seven, and the group of them entered the hall, the audience seats below were filled with people . There were even some sitting on small stools by the two sides of the stage, and others who simply squatted or stood watching . Majority of the audience people youths . When they saw the team entering, enthusiastic cheers erupted . There were even some people in the crowd waving their country flag .
Ah La Lei was lazy so he didn’t create any logo for their team . Despite so, there were quite a number of DIY logos made by their fans printed on flags that were being waved in the air . At that, Ah La Lei immediately squinted his eyes, as though selecting a piece of meat as he chose: “Aye! That one there’s pretty good, let’s just use it straight, aye, I like this one too!”
There were five people in each team . Tan Lu En and Lu Yu Chen were discussing something in low voices . Xuan Mo was silent and as usual, ignored everyone . Ah La Lei hence pulled the last member in the team and started making conversation . Fang Zheng Yu was young, he’d just graduated from junior high this year . Though he doesn’t speak much and appeared particularly arrogant at times, his reaction speed and gameplay was good enough to be selected into the main team . He’d played together with Ah La Lei for many years but their team did not make any outstanding achievement . Hence, this year felt like a dream to him; to say he was nervous was an understatement .
The few of them sat at their seats . Someone asked if they should play the instructions Xuan Mo gave out loud . Team communications usually weren’t played out loud in tournaments . Each member would set up their base accordingly on the own in the early game before communicating on how to cooperate as they progressed, and so, it wouldn’t help the audience much even if they did hear it . This time however, because Thunder team was known for being completely ‘synonymous’, and it was said that Xuan Mo’s one-man set-up was the it factor to their gameplay, there were a lot of people that wanted to see their team communications played aloud .
Ah La Lei was a little hesitant . He was concerned that their opponents had planted some spies among the audience, and their opponents could prepare ahead of time if they were to play their communication out loud .
And so, he asked Xuan Mo . Xuan Mo didn’t even look up . When her account entered the in-game waiting room, and while they were waiting for the match to begin, she replied casually: “You guys decide… if the opponent is good enough to catch up to my speed and retaliate… I don’t have anything to say . ”
While her voice was flat, it was confident . Ah La Lei instantly puffed up in confidence as well . And so, he said with gusto: “No problem! Play it out loud then!”
Following which was the audio adjustment sound . The audience cheered, excited that they could hear them first hand . Even in recorded gameplays, a team’s communication wouldn’t be included; coming down to watch the match live was indeed worth the trip .
“Get abu a cup of water!” The admin said .
“No thanks, it gets in the way . ” Xuan Mo rejected, her voice plain and bland . Despite so, a wave of commotion erupted .
“Ahh, is that abu’s voice?!”
“Their commander!? Has a loli voice!?”
“What! How! My battle god is a loli! I came all the way here to watch a lol!”
“…” The buzz continued .
“You guys have thirty seconds to shut up, or get out . ” Her clear voice sounded again . Xuan Mo’s mouse flew as she bullied her human opponents on Chain Me Up .
Though there were voices of dissent given the varied audience, the hall quietened down gradually .
Everyone here to watch today were passionate fans of StarCraft and weren’t too bad at the game, or at least their speed when playing would be above average . And so, Xuan Mo’s Chain Me Up gameplay didn’t surprise the crowd . After all, having acknowledged her as a good player, it wasn’t a surprise to see how fast she was .
Very quickly, the time was seven twenty . Players from both sides entered the platform used for the international league tournament . The number of people spectating indicated a number close to ten thousand . Though it wasn’t as high as the spectators during the match between M and E country, the latter match was after all a game between two powerhouse teams, but it was already much higher than expected .
Without Xuan Mo having to speak, Ah La Lei had already announced: “Everyone, since we are connecting our mics to the speaker, we aren’t afraid of our gameplay being leaked . At the same time, we hope that everyone can remain quiet so that we will be able to hear our teammates when we communicate, thank you!”
After speaking, he didn’t bother waiting for a response from the audience before he entered the game . After all the players on both sides arrived, the game started selecting a random location before it began loading .
The audience did quieten down after Ah La Lei’s announcement .
Their opponent had a few well-known players on their team, Ah La Lei muttered to himself . When no one acknowledged him, he spoke: “Abu, begin when you’re ready . ”
“Enh . ” Xuan Mo looked at the arrangement of their team . She made a few clicks immediately, seemingly mindless as she plunged headfirst in, starting without even pausing to think . As per Ah La Lei’s request this time, she clicked her teammates’ positions . “A7 set up three aircraft infantry troops, have them patrol from your nine o’clock direction to six o’clock direction . You have three minutes to level up your military depot . I want seven scout teams ready in five minutes . Arrange anti-aircraft space cannons in your spare time, put them according to the patrol locations . B12, you’re our front line . Don’t set up any space fortress, be ready to be sacrificed . Set up fleets and infantry troops, create as many as possible . F9, level up your weapons research centre, and craft expedition aircrafts and space navigation platform . Keep the unmanned warships to twenty units . T7, create mist fortresses and hide yourself . Craft three troops of class A armed aircraft fleets and seven scout teams . ”
After dishing out the chain of instructions, her four teammates were still operating their characters to carry them out . Xuan Mo on the other hand already had an operating base ready . Her base was circled by space fortress, with some space cannons and military depots scattered around . There were some StarCraft workers travelling around harvesting and scouts ready to move at a moment’s notice . Her progress indicated her incredible speed; she was able to operate all the while planning the battle arrangement . Not only so, her movements were as fast as her mind spun . And given the inhumane speed at which her brain processed things, she hence easily exceeded the speed of a normal person, both mentally and physically…
“What a god… if I was as fast as her…”
“I realised every single setup she creates is different, she’s either doing it randomly or she already had everything planned out . If it was the latter, she would need to have thought things through from the very beginning, exactly how quickly do you need to think in order to do something like this . ”
“I can’t, she’s too fast, I can’t follow . ”
“Why are you stressing, just watch, don’t think too much…”
“A7, prepare eight sets of aircraft with long-range fixed-point cannons, shoot continuously in your twelve o’clock direction . B12, set up the electronic self-defense system…”
“My level isn’t high enough . ”
“It is . ” Xuan Mo was sure .
“It really isn’t… ah, it is!”
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