Nao Nao

For a moment, the netizens were too stunned to speak.

Wen Man never streamed and had always been mysterious.

Major streamers took pride in matching with him or solo-killing him.

After becoming captain, his solo queue time had become increasingly rare; he basically only played scrims, and his account had been missing from netizens’ sight for a long time.

No one expected that when he reappeared, it would be with such a shocking move—publicly killing teammate Ming Xu and announcing on the mic that the latter had violated youth training team rules and needed to be suspended.

Sharp media outlets had already started warming up trending topics.

#MingXuBannedByPrettyOnTheSpot#

Today, Wen Man appeared in the national team’s relaxed demotion match.

Although he didn’t say anything himself, some recent rumors and narratives were already self-defeating.

“God Wen is still leading them today, he just stepped down from the coaching position. Those who said he retired and had internal disagreements, drag them out and shoot them for five minutes.”

“Ming Xu didn’t make it into Team One, clearly because his skills weren’t good enough, it has nothing to do with the team targeting him.”

Ming Xu’s fans were going crazy—Ming Xu was currently the biggest streamer on the opposing platform. Being directly suspended for a month was undoubtedly a huge scandal, a severe blow to his popularity and buzz.

And to be banned by Pretty himself…

His public reputation also had almost no chance of recovery.

The change came too fast; the opposing fans couldn’t accept it.

Even Ming Xu himself couldn’t accept it.

SSQ team members and sponsors were holding a small meeting.

Ming Xu’s face was flushed: “I refuse to accept this! I must appeal, the opponent must be hacking! Captain Wen has no reason to ban me for a month!”

“You are still a national youth trainee. Playing on international servers, your every word and action will be magnified, especially baseless accusations of hacking, and the opponent is a team member.”

The SSQ head coach extended his hand, signaling him to be silent.

He turned to the sponsor and said, “This time, Ming Xu was indeed in the wrong, but it wasn’t actually a big mistake. What do you think?”

The sponsor’s representative said: “This incident has caused too much uproar. Ming Xu being publicly banned by Wen Man means his reputation cannot be salvaged without using some unconventional methods.”

Ming Xu’s face turned pale, and he spoke incoherently.

“He doesn’t like me!! He targeted me when he was in the youth training team!”

He was currently the most popular pro player among the new generation in the domestic league, with decent skills, but his strong point was his looks.

The club and sponsors had spent a fortune promoting him.

This incident, just a single sentence from Wen Man, was a devastating blow to his career.

“Calm down. There’s still room for maneuver in this matter.” The representative pondered for a moment, “Regardless of whether that streamer was hacking, as long as there’s a way to make him admit it, or to let the audience know he was indeed hacking – then you’re still you, and you won’t be affected at all.”

In the live stream, fans were still ‘charging the tower’ (aggressively posting comments).

“God Wen is clearly targeting him! I heard about it before, he doesn’t like him. Today they were even teammates, and he directly killed him in the match! Isn’t this a foul! This is intentional targeting!”

“Our Ming Xu is so pitiful.”

“Dying laughing, please don’t elevate Ming Xu’s status; he’s not important enough for Captain Wen to dislike.”

“If he really targeted Ming Xu, do you think he could have stayed in youth training for so long?”

Passersby quickly dug up old grievances: “Didn’t Ming Xu previously issue a press release saying he was personally chosen by Pretty to enter youth training? What happened, now he’s putting down his bowl and preparing to curse his father?”

Ming Xu’s fans fell silent.

A few younger ones who were about to curse were all talked out of it.

“Don’t cause trouble! That’s God Wen!! Are you crazy?!”

“Go home and advise Ming Xu to apologize. He can still stream if he apologizes.”

“But that streamer…” Some fans were still unwilling to give up.

They gathered in Xue Wei’s live stream, having cursed him for a long time, and were now observing whether to continue cursing. “God Wen would actually protect a hacker!”

“Like kindergarten kids arguing and waiting for the teacher to give out candy to pacify them.” The regular viewers’ spirits also rose, mocking, “God Wen isn’t running a kindergarten. Could he not tell if someone was hacking?”

Because of this spectacle, Xue Wei’s live stream popularity had already topped the newcomer chart.

Many people from competing platforms also came, watching in his live stream, and several pro players appeared.

[System: SSQ.Luosheng entered the live stream.]

[System: CHN.Alan entered the live stream.]

All major teams, anyone who wasn’t asleep, flocked over to feast on this earth-shattering gossip.

On Xue Wei’s side, everyone at EGT had also heard the buzz.

They initially treated it as an unrelated event, preparing to just scroll past it as usual.

Zhao Xiaoyi: “Wait a minute, EGT.Now, the one being accused of hacking?!”

He scrambled out of bed, rushed out of the room, then froze.

Xue Wei was sitting cross-legged in his chair, head down, trying to figure out how to filter certain bullet comments.

In the darkness, he hadn’t turned on the light; only his eyes were illuminated by the screen, carrying a moist, cool glow.

His page was already flooded with surging bullet comments, and his popularity was currently at its peak.

It was cold at night. Zhao Xiaoyi was shocked for a long time, then silently heated a hot water bottle and handed it to Xue Wei.

He knew that Xue Wei absolutely wasn’t hacking.

Xue Wei’s computer had only been repaired yesterday, and the display was visible to everyone.

“Brother, you’re awesome…” Zhao Xiaoyi’s hands trembled slightly as he held the hot water bottle, “You… you… play well.”

The other two were in their rooms, lights on, definitely not asleep, and had heard the commotion, but hadn’t come out.

Xue Wei thanked him, took the hot water bottle to warm his fingers, then picked up his mouse again.

He cleared the bullet comments.

This round was three points away from match point.

Wen Man was no longer AFK; his killing was indeed comparable to fighting robots.

However, netizens gradually noticed something.

“God Wen never confronted the streamer, huh? Why? How do they always seem to just miss each other?”

“The streamer held point A with a sniper, while God Wen pushed point B. They didn’t meet. What a shame.”

“Can you go head-to-head, streamer? Can the streamer charge God Wen? I want to know if you’re really hacking.”

“The streamer doesn’t have the advantage in this wave.” A netizen analyzed, “Playing on the CT side is a disadvantage. All teammates are throwing, the opponents are planting the bomb when he’s not around, four people are suppressing him alone. He can only manage to stay alive, or he can even kill all opponents one by one, but then he won’t have time to defuse. If he were playing on the T side this round, he might have won.”

(CT: Counter-Terrorist)

(T: Terrorists)

The final score was 4:16; Xue Wei lost this round.

His win rate dropped from 100% to 99%.

[System] displayed achievement: [Glorious Defeat: In this match, you dealt 90% of your team’s damage.]

[System] displayed achievement: [Bullseye: In this match, your sniper headshot rate was 100%.]

In front of the screen, Xue Wei’s expression showed no change. He again released the mouse, tucked his fingertips into the hot water bottle, then lowered his head, wrapped himself tightly, and exhaled a warm breath.

His lowered eyelashes were like raven feathers, beautiful and lovely.

The regular viewers comforted him: “Hope our lone wolf streamer never meets Pretty in his next life.”

“Pretty’s methods are extremely cruel.”

“Hope the big streamer on the other platform never meets our lone wolf in their next life.”

“The lone wolf’s methods are extremely cruel.”

“This is a f*cking ecosystem!”

Xue Wei had warmed his hands and was about to queue for the next match when, at that moment, a new message popped up on the page.

“Ding dong.”

This was a friend request notification.

[CHN.Pretty] requests to add you as a friend. Do you accept?

Verification message: None

The live stream instantly exploded.

“Holy crap, holy crap, holy crap!”

“Holy crap!!”

Xue Wei glanced at it and clicked decline.

Regular viewers: “?”

Professional players in front of their screens: “?”

“He’s crazy!! That’s God Wen’s friend slot!!! God Wen’s friend slot is more valuable than AWM Stellar!!”

“Save me, the lone wolf persona stands unbroken! How can there be such an introverted streamer! Have you ever heard him speak? Is he really a real person, not an AI?!”

“He’s really a real person, he spoke before. His voice is quite nice, the kind that makes voice-fetishists hard. Cough cough, I’m a guy.”

“He’s crazy!”

Zhao Xiaoyi also howled from the side: “What! Are! You! Doing?!”

No sooner had Xue Wei clicked decline than another message popped up.

[CHN.Pretty] requests to add you as a friend. Do you accept?

Verification message: EGT new team member? Come duo queue.

“Quick, quick, little practice squad member, accept! The first practice squad member personally chosen by God Wen!” Netizens were going crazy with excitement, “A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!!!”

Xue Wei paused for two seconds, then clicked accept this time.

He briefly said in the live stream: “I clicked the wrong button just now.”

Then his voice disappeared.

Wen Man sent a duo queue request, and he joined the queue.

The microphone icon next to [CHN.Pretty]’s account lit up.

Wen Man’s voice came through the headphones, “What role do you play?”

Netizens: “Lone wolf role!”

“Everyone dies, I live alone role!”

Netizens all felt it was a pity that Wen Man couldn’t see their exciting banter.

In the live stream, Xue Wei still didn’t speak, only quiet breathing.

“Do you like playing sniper?”

Wen Man’s voice on the mic was very clear. He raised his hand, offering the sniper rifle to him, “You take it. Play whatever you like.”

That was a TRG.

TRG – Stellar.

The netizens all fell silent.

“This is the first time I’ve seen God Wen give up the sniper role…”

“Did God Wen use this skin before? I remember he always used GRT-Quenching.”

“Rather than saying he didn’t use this skin, it’s more accurate to say he never used this gun… When did God Wen ever use GRT and AWM for sniping? He always used M82A1.”

Xue Wei took the gun.

The match began.

Xue Wei still hadn’t opened his mic.

Wen Man continued: “I’ll play free agent this round, the rest of you do whatever.”

The bullet comments were again filled with exclamation marks.

“Holy crap! God Wen is playing free agent! Never seen it before!”

A free agent, also known as a roamer, is neither an assaulter nor a sniper.

They are often responsible for flanking, pushing, or providing vision.

In the tactics of major teams, a free agent is generally a more supportive functional role.

Also, because they need to provide vision, a free agent often doesn’t fire a single shot an entire round; it’s an extremely low-key position, and also the position most likely to be blamed.

“God Wen is giving up the sniper role and even playing support. Streamer, hold steady, don’t feel too much pressure. Holy crap, this is too exciting.”

Xue Wei glanced at the bullet comments and silently headed to point B.

He typed in the team channel: [CAMP.]

He found a room to hold an angle.

No sooner had he stopped than he suddenly heard footsteps behind him.

Without thinking, he turned and fired a shot.

At this instant, he had already put away his sniper rifle and switched to a regular USP.

The shot didn’t hit anyone.

Wen Man appeared from behind him; his microphone flickered, but no sound came out.

Xue Wei’s movements paused.

“It’s too dangerous there for you. Let’s go to the other side,” Wen Man said, “Are you familiar with this map? I’ll take you to see another spot.”

He went to the other side.

Xue Wei put away his gun but still stood by the window without moving, which was very dangerous.

“Come over.”

Wen Man’s microphone flickered. He softly pronounced his ID, “N-O-W.”

His voice was calm and steady.

As if unfamiliar, he pronounced it very slowly, seemingly finding it strange to say, then directly changed his way of calling him.

“Come over, Naonao.”

From the audience’s perspective, Xue Wei moved, accidentally hitting some key, and directly bumped into the wall.