Chapter 13 - Suzaku Alliance
The young man's discontented gaze locked onto Ye Hao, his voice carrying a challenge, “You looking for a beating?”
Ye Hao nonchalantly produced a stack of cash, a thousand yuan, and placed it on the gaming table, his words a taunt, “Got the guts to take me on?”
The young man stood there, momentarily taken aback.
A quick glance at Zhou Shuai standing beside Ye Hao and the situation crystallized in his mind.
“So you're here to avenge him.” A wry grin curved the young man's lips as he spoke, “Since you're feeling flush, I'll take your money.”
“Isn't it a bit premature to declare victory?” Ye Hao's retort was icy.
“Then let's get this going.” The young man's gaze flicked to Ye Hao, the challenge evident, “You've put money down, so I'll skip my ace pick, the Big Dragon.”
The cursor danced between characters on the screen, a few spins before the young man's decisive tap.
The cursor promptly halted on the little dragon's image.
Ye Hao's tap, and the system's decision was the Big Dragon.
A countdown timer initiated on the screen.
With the match underway, Ye Hao activated his ability to slow time.
The visuals stretched, a tenfold deceleration.
The young man's control of the little dragon appeared sluggish under the time-warp.
Without hesitation, Ye Hao guided the Big Dragon into an all-out assault on the little dragon.
The young man manipulated his character, but Ye Hao's assault tore through his defense, unrelenting.
In about eight seconds, the little dragon was vanquished.
The Big Dragon still boasted a full health bar.
Zhou Shuai exclaimed, his astonishment palpable, “Ye Hao, your gaming skills are off the charts!”
“If I couldn't handle it, would I even dare to seek vengeance for you?” Ye Hao playfully rolled his eyes at Zhou Shuai.
The second round commenced swiftly.
The young man opted for a more cautious approach, sidestepping direct confrontation, seeking refuge in a corner to bolster his defense.
Yet, even through Ye Hao's temporally distended perspective, the young man's moves were riddled with errors. Ye Hao, with superior speed, promptly exploited a gap, breaching the little dragon's defenses in a single strike, then subjecting it to an unmerciful pummeling.
Beads of sweat dotted the young man's forehead.
He had never conceived of a scenario where a Big Dragon could pummel its opponent into submission, until today.
Violently beaten, the little dragon barely managed to react before succumbing to defeat.
“Exciting.”
“This is what a true expert gamer should be like.”
Amidst the gathering, young men chimed in with their opinions, asserting, “Given his skill level, he's definitely cut out for the professional league.”
Ye Hao casually tapped the stack of a thousand yuan bills on the table, uttering, “Pass it over.”
The young man handed over a thousand yuan in cash to Ye Hao. In response, he extracted an equivalent sum from his wallet. “Up for another round?” the young man proposed.
“If we're playing again, the stakes will have to be doubled,” Ye Hao announced as he set the fresh thousand yuan bills atop his wallet.
“No problem,” the young man agreed, presenting another batch of thousand yuan notes.
“Then, let's commence,” Ye Hao said in a relaxed tone.
A single round, with two bouts, unfolded swiftly, consuming around sixteen seconds.
Ye Hao's initial threshold for maintaining his time-slowing ability was set at thirty seconds.
As time elapsed, Ye Hao's capability to sustain the time manipulation extended to forty seconds.
This was the rationale behind Ye Hao's readiness to take on another round.
The outcome wasn't a subject of doubt!
The young opponent found himself utterly incapable of countering Ye Hao's moves.
The first round witnessed him initiating the attack and suffering the consequences.
In the second round, he opted for a defensive approach, yet it too ended in him being outmatched.
With a grin, Ye Hao handed the winnings of a thousand yuan to Zhou Shuai, before tucking away the total of three thousand yuan into his pocket. He offered, “Keep practicing.”
Zhou Shuai gave Ye Hao a thumbs-up and retorted, “I'll treat you to a skewer of barbecue.”
“I want ten strings of kidneys.”
“You eat so much.” Zhou Shuai scolded with a smile.
Just as Ye Hao and Zhou Shuai were about to leave, the young man caught up with them.
“You two.”
“What do you want?”
“I'm a member of the Vermillion Bird Alliance, Taishi Xiu.”
Ye Hao and Zhou Shuai exchanged puzzled glances.
Taishi Xiu hurriedly explained, “The Vermillion Bird Alliance is among the most formidable professional gaming teams in the country. We frequently take part in various competitions both nationally and internationally.”
“Cut to the chase.” Ye Hao's understanding of Taishi Xiu's intent was still elusive.
Taishi Xiu spoke with seriousness, “I'm inviting you to join our team.”
“I'm not interested.” Ye Hao dismissed Taishi Xiu's offer without much thought.
With the college entrance exams on the horizon, he couldn't spare much time for other pursuits.
Recognizing Ye Hao's likely refusal, Taishi Xiu smiled and elaborated, “Perhaps you're unaware of the perks that come with joining us. Firstly, whenever new game developers in the country roll out their products, they engage our team to identify glitches. On each occasion, we earn over 100,000 RMB. Secondly, both domestic and international gaming events happen frequently. Successful participation can lead to earnings of more than 100,000 RMB. Thirdly, our Vermillion Bird Alliance is an established name in the gaming scene. We're frequently invited to judge competitions and receive substantial rewards. The annual income for members of the Vermillion Bird Alliance doesn't fall below a million yuan.”
Taishi Xiu's words ignited Ye Hao's curiosity.
“I'll ponder over it.” Ye Hao responded after a brief moment of consideration.
Taishi Xiu grinned, “Share your phone number so I can stay in touch.”
Ye Hao replied with a hint of embarrassment, “I don't own a phone. I can give you my mother's number.”
“Sure.” Taishi Xiu jotted down Guo Xiu's contact details.
As Taishi Xiu departed, Zhou Shuai clapped Ye Hao's back and remarked, “Ye Hao, you're on the brink of something big.”
“For now, I'm just focused on my studies.” Ye Hao's reluctance to immediately embrace Taishi Xiu's proposal stemmed from his self-awareness of his own skill level.
His physique was still undergoing modifications.
Only when his body reached a certain level of modification would he contemplate this matter.
After indulging in barbecue, Ye Hao bid farewell to Zhou Shuai. Subsequently, he pedaled his bicycle homeward.
Upon reaching his doorstep, Ye Hao spotted a young man with vibrant yellow hair pacing restlessly around his residence.
“What's your purpose?” Ye Hao's voice resonated with an undertone of gravity.
The young man scrutinized Ye Hao closely before flinging something toward him.
Ye Hao deftly caught the object in his palm.
Upon recognizing it, his countenance underwent a swift change.
The bag was unmistakably Lee Qianqian's.
When Ye Hao glanced back at the young man, he realized that he had already departed on his motorbike.
Ye Hao promptly unzipped Lee Qianqian's bag.
Alongside Lee Qianqian's belongings, a piece of paper was tucked inside.
“To spare Lee Qianqian's life, hasten to warehouse 13 at the south gate. Any attempt to involve the police will result in her immediate demise.”
After reading the note, Ye Hao crumpled it into a tight ball.
“Bai Si!” As Ye Hao's eyes landed on the name, a glint of icy determination flickered within his gaze.
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