You Boys Play Games Very Well

71-73: Younger Generations Will Do Alright On Their Own

Chapter 71

Buying a camera was the right decision. It is said that people who don’t usually catch colds have difficulty recovering once they get sick. After Shan Zhu went back to North Hebei, not only did his cold not get better, it instead got worse and worse. It made one’s heart ache to listen to him speak with a hoarse voice.

He couldn’t commentate, he could only play the game, so fortunately there was a camera to appease the powder. Passers-by came in to take a look from the homepage recommendation: Ah? This anchor is silent? Paying attention.

Mang God’s illness was a matter of great urgency to his girlfriend powder, they were crying and giving huge gifts. Ling Meng even saw someone brush a cat courtyard just to send a four-word message: Drink more hot water.

Ling Meng himself was very anxious; first, how could Shan Zhu catch such a bad cold and second, this was his own real-life boyfriend; he hadn’t done much yet but the girlfriend powder had done so much more, so he felt a strong sense of crisis.

Lemon Ma was distraught to find her son’s food intake dropped from three to two bowls. He was already slim, how could he go on like this.

So, two days later, Shan Zhu received a message from Ling Meng asking him to open the door. When he opened it, he was surprised to find Ling Meng standing outside.

“How did you find this place?”

“I asked for your home address.”

“But you said you were arranging a medicine delivery for me.”

“That’s right,” Ling Meng pulled a bag of ban lan gan out of his pocket and presented it, “Delivering medicine to the door.”

Shan Zhu smiled and pulled this person in: “My illness will only get better if I take this medicine.”

Mama Shan heard the activity and said: “Hey, this is…..”

Ling Meng covered Shan Zhu’s mouth: “Hello, auntie. I’m Shan Zhu’s xuedi. I heard he was ill and came to see him.”

He was not going to come out of the closet as soon as he met her, how awkward!

Shan Zhu looked at him with sympathetic eyes. Mama Shan froze, stunned, then greeted him with a warm expression: “This child is pretty thoughtful, come in and sit down.”

Shan Zhu dragged him straight into his room: “How did you get auntie to agree you could return to school from vacation before the term began? I would have been almost better in the next two days.”

“I told her you were so sick you couldn’t stand up and that your muscles would atrophy if no one massaged them.” Ling Meng put down his backpack, “She saw that I had no appetite for food or drink so she took the initiative to pack my bags and send me to North Hebei.”

“No appetite for food or drink?” Shan Zhu held his arm and looked at it, “You did lose a little weight.”

“Oh yeah, only you and my ma can see that I lost two liang (1 kg).”

Shan Zhu held him in his arms. Neither of the two spoke, just hugging quietly for a moment, until Ling Meng poked Shan Zhu.

“Hey….”

“Ah?”

Ling Meng gestured to the bedroom door: “Hmm.”

A boy the size of a junior high school student lazily leaned against the door frame, looking at them and curling his lip in disdain.

“This is your didi, right?”

Shan Zhu let go of Ling Meng: “Shan Zha, say hello to your MengMeng-gege.

“Didi, hi.”

Shan Zha snorted and ignored him: “Ge, sign for me.”

“Sign what?”

Shan Zha raised the A4-sized paper in his hand, “VEGETABLE’s consent form for the youth training squad.”

Shan Zhu refused: “If ma and pa don’t agree, I can’t sign it. Besides, I don’t approve, you’re not old enough.”

“If you don’t sign it for me, I’m going to tell ma and pa that you two were just hugging each other.”

“Wow, at young age, such a cunning BOY!”

Shan Zhu shrugged: “Whatever.”

Shan Zha also felt this threat was of no use against his Ge: “Never mind, I’ll get Shan Yao-gege to sign it.”

“If you really think that’ll work, go ahead.”

“Wait, wait,” Ling Meng called him back, “I remember that you’re 14, right? Isn’t the youth training only for 16+?”

“I’m virtually 15, rounded up it’s 16.”

“Ah? I’m 19 so then rounding up, I’ll be pushing 30.”

“You? 19?” Shan Zha turned to his Ge, “He can change his age, why can’t I?”

Ling Meng:???

“I didn’t change it! I’m really 19!”

Shan Zhu’s didi was his own didi, Ling Meng’s sense of parental responsibility ignited.

“Child, don’t you think that it’s easy to go pro. It’s a lot more tiring to be a pro than to study, training more than 10 hours a day, with no rest on weekends either.”

“I’m not afraid of exhaustion.”

“Hard work is not enough. Your opponents will all be geniuses, but I’m afraid you can’t even beat me — an outstanding game anchor all are unable to defeat.”

Shan Zha rolled his eyes: “You never know if you don’t try.”

“SOLO three rounds, do you dare? If you win, I’ll admit you have the potential to go pro.”

Shan Zhu looked at him with sympathetic eyes, Ling Meng thought he was always only seeing that look recently.

“Don’t worry, I will show mercy to the junior high school student. But if I make your didi cry, don’t blame me later.”

After three rounds, Ling Meng was beaten to the point of tears.

“Why didn’t you tell me your didi played so well? Aren’t you against him going pro?”

“I’m against it because he’s too young, not because he can’t play well.”

“This fucker is a genius, isn’t he? Just what are your Shan genes? If I were a woman, I’d borrow your sperm.”

Shan Zhu smiled as his shoulders shook: “No borrowing.”

“So I’m going to go pro now,” Shan Zha deliberately said as he walked out of the room, “outstanding game anchor MengMeng-gege.”

“You just wait!”

Ling Meng whispered a few words in Shan Zhu’s ear, Shan Zhu was dubious: “Is he going to say yes?”

“I don’t know, let’s try it.”

Chapter 72

This was Shan Zha’s first visit to the base of a professional team, but he didn’t look happy.

“I’m going to VEGE, why did you bring me to FRUIT?”

“Do you hate FRUIT? These people were champions last season. If you really join VEGE, you’ll be their opponent later. Isn’t it good to take you in advance to scout out the enemy. A kid is still a kid.”

Shan Zha squinted: “Who was just 3:0’d by a kid?”

Ling Meng: =_,=

“I’ll let you be proud of that again for now, but I’ll make you cry later!”

“That’s what you said just now.”

“Shut up.”

The group was led to the second floor training room. The FRUIT players, who had not been seen for a long time, were delighted at the sight of Ling Meng.

“Lemon Daddy! You haven’t had many streams this season!”

“Pineapple-chan, long time so see. And Ying Tao, Li Zhi, Niu YouGuo-dage…..you all should focus on the game and watch less streams.”

Xiang Jiao had just finished a ranked match, slowly standing up from his chair.

“Let me introduce you, this is Mang God’s didi, Potato.”

“Potato? Who is Potato?” Shan Zha protested.

“If you’re going to VEGE in the future, you’ll have to use this kind of plant stage name or they won’t accept you.”

“I don’t care! My name is Hawthorn!”

“Fine. That one over there the mortal enemy of your Shan Yao-gege, Fruit’s current captain, Banana.”

Shan Zha grunted, “Of course I know Banana.”

“Your 3:0 victory over me is all fine and well. But when you become pro, facing a talented player like Banana, who even your Shan Yao-gege is no match for, do you think you can do it?”

Shan Zha bit his lower lip: “What about talented players, don’t I take them seriously. Didn’t he also drop out of school to go pro? Why can’t I?”

Shan Zha had bit his lip when he was nervous since he was young, but of the people there, only Shan Zhu knew he had this habit.

“Then, come on,” Xiang Jiao asked Ling Meng, “SOLO three rounds, right?”

“Yes, thank you for promising me.”

Xiang Jiao sat back slowly: “It’s nothing. Today’s a holiday anyway. Just pick one.”

“Pick mine, pick mine!” Bo Luo pushed Shan Zha in front of his computer, “My equipment is good to use!”

Ling Meng gave Shan Zhu a look in order to communicate: Am I good?

Shan Zhu didn’t expect Xiang Jiao to agree to come down so readily. There were many people who wanted to go pro, but 1v1 SOLO with the player at the top of the national ranking? He was afraid it was a chance most people couldn’t ask for.

“Pretty good,” Shan Zhu whispered, “It’s just that I’m a little jealous.”

Ling Meng gently elbowed him: “You lemon essence, ah.”

“What did you play in those three rounds just now?” Xiang Jiao’s fingers were on the mouse as he asked seemingly carelessly.

“Federation, Empire, Aliens, all three of them were used.”

“Ah, what about the tech tree?”

Ling Meng roughly described it to him. He would soon realized why Xiang Jiao asked, because the other side used the same development strategy as himself in the third round, which was to use the same tactics Shan Zha used to win in order to defeat him now.

“Is this going to go too far?” Ling Meng quietly asked Shan Zhu.

“Didn’t you say it’s necessary to wake the hot-blooded kid up?”

“I didn’t expect Xiang God to be so ruthless. Wow, that was too much just now. In other words, he probably won’t even want to play games anymore.”

The three rounds took less time than they just previously had. After three rounds, Shan Zha bit his lip in the face of the image of a base explosion on the screen. He clenched his fists, tears swirling in his stubborn eyes.

Looking at him like this, Ling Meng said, using a sentence he prepared in advance, “See the gap between you and a pro?” It wasn’t easy to say it.

“Guava, sorry to bother you, then we’ll stop disturbing you first…..”

“Do you want to go pro?”

Shan Zhu:?

Shan Zha:??

Ling Meng:??????

“Is that all you can say?” If he didn’t know Xiang Jiao well enough, Ling Meng would really want to shake his collar and question him. I brought him here for you to wake up, not to solicit him, ah ah ah!

“Nice match. Although you lost, the level is still good.”

“I think so too,” who knew when the coach showed up, giving Ling Meng a fright, “How old are you?”

Ling Meng: “14.”

Shan Zha: “Virtually 15!”

Ling Meng: “Rounding up is 16, right? Let me speak for you.”

“Wow, so good at 14 years old? Not easy!” Bo Luo put his arm around his shoulder, “Heard you’re going to VEGE? Don’t do it, come to our FRUIT, we’re allowed to find love at FRUIT!”

“We don’t contract under the age of 16,” Xiang Jiao said with a blank face, “But if you can maintain your present level for two years, I can recommend you for youth training.”

“It’s rare for the captain to recommend a newcomer,” Bo Luo patted him happily, “I hope I can see you here in two years.”

Looking again at Xiang Jiao, he had already opened a new ranked match. Shan Zha coming or not seemed to have nothing to do with him.

“If you don’t train well, you can only be replaced by new people,” Xiang Jiao said over his shoulder.

“What? Coach, look, the captain, he threatened me!”

“I think the captain is right.”

“…….I’m going to RANK!”

“Two years from now, I’m not going to stay at this level!” Shan Zha yelled at his back.

Ling Meng: Ah?

“Two years from now, I’m going to be stronger than I am now, I’m going to beat you!”

Ling Meng: Hah?

“Wait, wait,” Ling Meng tugged at the impulsive BOY, “Over at VEGETABLE?”

“I changed my mind, I’m not going to VEGE, I’m coming to FRUIT! I’m going to make him retire!”

Ling Meng: →_→

Shan Zhu: ←_←

Xiang Jiao: “Oh.”

Other FRUIT players: Praise!

Chapter 73

The three people came out of the FRUIT base: Shan Zha looked like he was in a good mood, Ling Meng looked like he was conflicted, Shan Zhu’s mood was indecipherable.

“What to do, I was trying to back him out of an awkward situation, but it turned into pushing him onto the pro path.” Ling Meng was very twisted up inside.

Shan Zhu patted his head: “Never mind, younger generations will do alright on their own (idiom). Don’t worry too much about being a father.”

“And I seem to have inadvertently obliterated VEGE’s future hope, Potato. I feel so sorry for Shan Yao.”

Walking in front, Shan Zha shot back a smile, showing a mouthful of white teeth: “MengMeng-gege.”

“Oh my god!” Ling Meng hugged his arms, “You calling me that gives me goosebumps. Please, is it okay to go back to the version from when we first met?”

Shan Zha: “Ah →_→”

Ling Meng breathed a sigh of relief: “This is a lot more comfortable. That’s right, where can I stay the night? Is there a hotel near your house?”

Shan Zhu was puzzled. “Why would you go to a hotel? Of course, you should stay in my house.”

“Staying the night on a xuedi’s first visit, not very good, ba?”

Shan Zhu: …..

“MengMeng.”

“Ah.”

“I forgot to tell you.”

“Ah?”

“My ma saw my stream a long time ago. It must have been earlier than you. Because she didn’t read much because she couldn’t understand it.”

“Ah…..oh?”

“So she knew you since a long time ago too. She went your first day of streaming and told me the kid was cute.”

Ling Meng:???

“Remember when I had a housekeeper ID in the studio that was a bunch of digits?”

“I remember, I also called him a phone number.”

“That’s my ma.”

Ling Meng:?????

“Such an important message, why didn’t you tell me?”

“As soon as you enter the door, you cosplayed as a primary school xuedi. I didn’t have a chance to tell you.”

“The point is auntie also went along with my act!”

“Probably thought you were amusing.”

“What to do? I’m not ready to curry favor with my zhangmu.”

“I’ll do all the hard work, you don’t need to. You just sit there like a housewife killer.”

“….hasn’t your Ning Blower Experience card expired?”

“I recharged the funds again.”

Shan Zha impatiently felt that they were walking too slowly.

“What are you two muttering about back there.”

“We’re talking about adult matters, kids don’t need to worry.”

When a rebellious child was left alone, he’d always run over.

“You won’t let me call you MengMeng-gege, so what should I call you?”

“Whatever.”

“Stupid Meng.”

“What???”

“Where did you get the age on your ID changed? I want to change it too.”

“??? I didn’t change it!”

“You look about the same age as me.”

“????? I look way older than you, okay? I’m telling you, Banana is my powder; if you talk nonsense again, I’ll ask him to refuse to recommend you to the team!”

Shan Zha scoffed: “Banana is your powder? What about you does he worship, liking you because you lost to me 3:0?”

“People who are 3:0’d aren’t entitled to laugh at others!”

“3:0 by a pro player and 3:0 by a junior high school student, we’re not the same~~~

“Hey, still singing, you bear child, call me Ge!”

“Stupid Meng.”

“Call me Ge!!”

“Stupid Meng.”

“Ge!!!”

“Sigh.”

……

—

Footnotes:

1. ban lan gan: Isatis root is a renowned antiviral and antibacterial, which makes it quite useful for conditions such as colds, influenza, sore throats and mumps

2. xuedi: younger male classmate/brother

3. housewife killer (师奶杀手): slang for a man that can charm housewives or that middle-aged/elderly women view as an idol

4. Er (二): Literally two, Beijing slang for “stupid/silly”

5. bear child (熊孩子): slang term for brat, little devil

—

Shan Zha (单吒) – Hawthorn (山楂) ps. Rose hip is the fruit of hawthorn.

Niu YouGuo – Avocado (he showed up previously but was only called by Avocado)

I’m pretty sure there was never any mention in the novel previously about this “phone number housekeeper” in Mangosteen’s chat. so it just happened off-screen, I guess. poor Shan Yao will never find love because his team forbids relationships T_T I think he needs to transfer to FRUIT so he can find a partner.