Overtime Victory and Post-Game Banter

“Damn it, you dog, you didn’t hold mid again!”

“No, they have a damn AWP; isn’t it normal I can’t counter it? Damn it, you try countering an AWP!”

“Why don’t you peek with a small angle, then wide swing and spray him down? Damn it, you give away mid every round. Who’s going to relieve the pressure on my lane?”

“Stop yelling, you animal, Gao. Yi Chang is still alive; we can still win this round.”

Gao Qinghong and Huang Zhouyu argued incessantly over the team comms. Amidst their heated exchange, I could barely discern the enemy’s footsteps, allowing me to guess their approximate positions.

The smoke Gao had deployed at the last moment bought us some time. The enemy didn’t plant the bomb immediately after entering the site, which allowed me to flank to a favorable position.

Emerging from the terrorist spawn’s attack point, I caught two enemies from behind and quickly eliminated them. Another enemy reacted, but failed to pinpoint my location, missing both their shots before I took them down as well.

As one more enemy pushed from cover, I retreated, peeking twice to try and locate the last opponent. The enemy, clearly not at full health and growing desperate, fired several pre-aim shots that missed. I then flashed them with a quick pop-flash, swung out, and secured the kill.

The bomb’s alarm began to quicken.

Time was running out.

“Where’s the last one?” I asked over the team comms.

“Our spawn, our spawn,” Gao Qinghong replied. “He pushed straight in after mid fell.”

“Full health, full health,” a random teammate warned.

Moving to the bomb site, I aimed towards the second floor of CT spawn, initiating a fake defuse to listen for footsteps. Silence. I began to defuse, but halfway through, I heard movement.

I tossed my reconnaissance dagger, confirming the enemy’s position on the second floor. I then threw a grenade to block their path and started another fake defuse. I gambled they would push through the grenade’s damage.

And they did. One headshot, and they were down.

“Holy hell! Brother Yi, you’re amazing!” Huang Zhouyu’s roar erupted in my headphones.

His triumphant shout, however, was premature. The bomb still hadn’t been defused.

“Defuse, defuse, defuse! Brother, defuse the bomb!” they chorused.

Yet, I didn’t need their reminders; the instant the last enemy fell, I immediately pressed the defuse button. Still, the alarm grew more frantic, the collapsing visual distortion around the bomb intensified, and every beat of my heart felt like it could herald an explosion and defeat.

“We’ll make it, we’ll make it, we’ll make it…” Huang Zhouyu muttered repeatedly.

“Damn it, if we lose this round, I swear I’ll beat you up at school tomorrow,” Gao Qinghong threatened.

The top right corner of the screen showed four spectators: my four fallen teammates. I held no particular desire for victory or defeat; as long as it passed the time, I was content.

However, I could tell they desperately wanted to win, constantly shouting encouragement: “Awesome,” “Good shot,” “It’s fine, it’s fine,” “My bad, my bad.” They actively called out enemy positions, communicated, and provided information.

I knew the opponents certainly didn’t want to lose, but we on our side also wanted to win. Both teams had tried their best, but a victor had to be decided, and there was no avoiding it.

And so, the bomb was defused with a mere 0.13 seconds remaining before detonation, securing our victory in the final round of overtime.

“AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!!!” all four shouted in unison through my headphones.

****

“Woohoo! Gold rank, here we come!” Huang Zhouyu cheered. “Brother Yi is incredible! What a satisfying day of wins, racking up points beautifully.”

“You’re truly goddamn awful, you dog,” Gao Qinghong seethed, seemingly holding back a torrent of frustration. “Can you tell me how many times you flashed me tonight, huh? Why do you always throw a flashbang when I’m in a gunfight?”

“I was trying to cover you; it’s just that my throws weren’t perfectly placed.”

“Playing a few rounds with you has used up all my patience for the week; I’m utterly speechless. Your aim is consistently terrible: aiming at the feet like Plankton, running and gunning with an AK, stubbornly holding unconventional angles, and pulling out a grenade mid-gunfight. Without my master carrying you, would you ever even make it out of Silver rank?”

“Didn’t I just say Brother Yi is amazing? He can carry even an FPS noob like me. Brother Yi is truly formidable! Did you used to play CS:GO or Rainbow Six? Your aim is incredibly precise.”

“‘Brother Yi? God Yi, Master Yi, Baby Yi, Little Yi Yi, Brother Chang, Baby Chang, Yi Chang?’ ‘Did you disconnect? Did you go to the bathroom?'”

“Oh, I’m here.” I pulled the headphones from around my neck back onto my head. “I was just replying to a message. Do you want to play more?”

“Let’s stop for today, I’m tired,” Gao Qinghong said.

“Indeed, if we keep playing, I’m afraid I’ll drop out of Gold just after getting promoted,” Huang Zhouyu remarked, his voice brimming with satisfaction. “I’ll take a screenshot and post it on Moments first.”

“Remember the caption: ‘This lineup could win even with a dog on the team.'”

“Damn it, you animal, Gao! How many clutch rounds did my Blue Jester not win with ultimate plays?”

“If you didn’t pick your damn Yoru, we wouldn’t have had to play so many clutch rounds in the first place. You’re utterly useless!”

My phone constantly chimed with new messages, while the voices in my headphones continued their endless dispute. For a moment, I wasn’t sure whether to reply to my messages or address them first.

“Alright, if we’re not playing anymore, what’s next?” I asked. “Switch to another game, or disband?”

“Oh, come on, let’s chat for a bit~” Huang Zhouyu whined playfully.

“Chat about what?”

“Tell us who you were replying to,” he said, his tone suggesting a cunning plan had succeeded. “Who are you chatting with? Share it with your brothers.”

“Who else could it be? It’s obviously Yu Tianman. Can you ask something more insightful, you dog?”

“It could also be Mei Ruolan…” He pondered for a moment. “Doesn’t Yi Chang’s club also have a little Lolita?”

“The German mixed-blood?”

“Ah, right. With Brother Yi’s capabilities, he might have already hooked up with her.”

These two were surprisingly gossipy.

“‘…That’s certainly possible,’ he surprisingly agreed. ‘Master, I still have to say, when it comes to relationships, you must be devoted. If you want a girl to put you first in her heart, then you should also put that girl first in your heart. Love is reciprocal; if you have other girls in your heart, then she will naturally have other guys in hers. That is the greatest tragedy for a couple.'”

“Wow, you’re quite the speaker, Old Gao~ It sounds like you and the class monitor are an item now.”

“I’ve already taken the first step. With Master giving me advice, it’s only a matter of time before Xiaoxiao and I become a couple.”

“Oh, ‘Xiaoxiao’ now, is it? I bet you two had a delightful chat after exchanging contact information,” Huang Zhouyu said, his tone dripping with sarcasm, whether in retaliation for earlier or simply out of mischief.

“Relationships between men and women require a gradual approach, don’t you understand? Clinging to someone right from the start will only cause annoyance. You need to maintain a friendly distance first.”

“You talk a good game, but in the end, it’s just because you don’t know what to talk about with the class monitor.”

Gao Qinghong was clearly stung by the remark.

“So, who exactly are you chatting with?” The conversation then turned back to me.

“Yu Tianman, Mei Ruolan, Dorothy, my mom, and some online friends.”

“Multitasking, are you?” he said. “Can you keep up with all of them?”

“Barely.”

I considered myself a fast typist; ever since elementary school, when we practiced typing with software in the computer lab, I always achieved excellent scores.

“Send over your chat logs,” Huang Zhouyu said. “Teach this guy, Gao Qinghong, how to talk to girls.”

“That invades other people’s privacy,” I reminded him. “Besides, there’s nothing interesting to see.”

“You’re truly outrageous, you dog,” Gao Qinghong retorted. “Master Yi’s character and moral integrity are five hundred streets ahead of yours. It serves you right that girls dump you every day.”

Huang Zhouyu ignored his taunt. “Alright then, just show us the messages *you* sent.”

“That’s fine by me.”

“No, Master, don’t listen to this dog-headed strategist’s nonsense. He’s not doing it for me; he just wants to amuse himself.”

“It’s alright. As I said, there’s nothing interesting to see anyway. If you only look at my messages, then go ahead.”

[Here]

[Anything works]

[No]

[Gray, I suppose]

[You don’t have to]

[Mhm]

[That works too]

[Mhm]

[Haven’t been, don’t know]

[Okay, as you say]

[Alright]

“Who can tell what you’re even talking about from this!” he shouted. “Can’t you type a few more words?”

“There’s nothing much to say.”

“Whose chat logs are these?”

“My mom’s.”

“Send us yours with Yu Tianman!”

[Not asleep yet]

[Okay]

[Mhm, okay]

[What else did you expect?]

[Is that so?]

[You decide]

[I’m fine with anything]

[Mhm, we’ll talk then]

[No, I’m playing a game]

[With friends]

[I will]

[Mhm, alright, go ahead]

[Good night]

“These aren’t any different!”