Chapter 1139: Feeling A Little Rusty
Translator: Nomyummi Editor: Nomyummi
10 to 0. A clean sweep. There was no outcome more tragic than this.
The ones who disliked Happy were overjoyed. The ones who supported Happy felt worried. The harsher ones had already started trashing Happy: keep our spot and become the champions? Haha, good luck on the first half of that.
In reality, the newly joined team getting swept by the reigning champions was a common occurrence. Last season, Team Heavenly Swords had also been hyped up, but they returned with big zero as well.
Of course, the hype towards Team Heavenly Swords and Team Happy were very different. In countless people's eyes, Happy wasn't a weak team. A team with three All Stars was enough to qualify them to compete against any team in the Alliance. However, they were swept clean just like any other new team. It was truly too surprising.
In the post-match press conference, the reporters had gathered, but the main guests hadn't arrived yet. The reporters had been quietly discussing this topic for quite a while now. This opening match usually wasn't given much attention. After all, it was a match between a strong team and a weak team. But this time, because of Happy, everyone thought it would be a match worth seeing. No one would have imagined that it would be no different than the opening matches of the past.
Finally, Happy's players arrived at the press conference under the guidance of the staff. According to the Alliance's rules, at least three players needed to attend the post-match press conference. They could come together or separately. It didn't matter. Four players from Happy came out: Ye Xiu, Su Mucheng, Fang Rui, Steamed Bun.
The three All-Stars had appeared. The reporters felt pleased but not satisfied. Everyone in Happy was a huge topic for discussion. The reporters hated how they couldn't have every member of Happy reply to their questions. Where's Team Blue Rain's former captain, a grandpa nearly 30, Wei Chen? Where's the beautiful rookie, Tang Rou? Where's the player who came from a champion team and changed classes, Qiao Yifan? Where's the punk who wasn't all that skilled yet dared to play the number one most difficult class, a Summoner? Where was that infamous scrap picker from the Heavenly Domain? Where was that Cleric, who held an important position but was somewhat lacking? Get over here! Only then would their cravings be satisfied!
There was no hope now though.
When the four appeared, the reporters carefully read their expressions. They wanted to see how they were affected by this disastrous loss. However, all they saw were four calm and composed faces. Even Steamed Bun, this new rookie, was unperturbed. Speaking of which, this person had only participated for a brief moment in the final Challenger League press conference, no? He had cultivated such a professional aura that fast?
In the blink of an eye, Happy's four players took their seats. The press conference began. Numerous reporters raised their hands. Ye Xiu picked a random one. The person picked asked what everyone wanted to know.
"What are your thoughts on being swept in your opening match?" The reporter asked.
"I'm very calm, but you guys don't seem to be. It's a commonly seen outcome. What's there to panic about?" Ye Xiu asked back.
Panic? We're not panicking. We're just excited about this subject, okay? The reporters silently criticized. The reporter that had been picked was stumped by this response though. The others could ridicule Ye Xiu in their minds all they wanted, but it wasn't convenient for him to say: "We were just excited because you guys got swept." He could only open his mouth and reply with an "Ah?"
"In the past, new teams being swept by the reigning champions was a common occurrence, no? Our Happy has always stayed low-profile, so of course it turned out the same as everyone else," Ye Xiu said.
"Uh… I don't think there's ever been a new team that claimed that they would become the champions, you call that... low-profile?" In the end, someone wasn't able to resist and stood up to fire back.
"You guys don't understand!" Ye Xiu said, "When Team Heavenly Swords joined the Alliance, they had originally wanted to become the champions too, but it was because of my advice that they stayed low-profile! In the end, they didn't claim they would become the champions."
This reply could be considered a mini scoop. The reporters at the scene quickly passed this news onto their colleagues on the other side. Coincidentally, the other side was the post-match press conference for Heavenly Sword's match. Team Heavenly Swords just happened to be sitting on stage too. The reporters, who received this information, were jumping with joy. Nothing noteworthy had happened and this press conference was about to end. Suddenly, everyone raised their hands in unison and waved it towards the front.
This sudden commotion frightened Lou Guanning. Did he say something wrong? For a moment, Lou Guanning didn't dare call on a reporter and immediately recalled what he had just said. But after confirming several times that he had said nothing wrong, he very carefully picked a reporter at the front.
This reporter was excited. He was talking before he even stood up: "In Team Happy's press conference, God Ye Xiu revealed that Team Heavenly Swords' goal last season had been to become the champions too. It was only because of his advice that you didn't… um… um… is this true?" This reporter was even having trouble finding the right words.
Lou Guanning suddenly started to sweat. It got exposed! Become the champions? Heavenly Swords could only say it was a joke. If they actually said it was real, wouldn't they become the jokes?
"It's just a joke. That was only a joke," Lou Guanning immediately said.
"Really? Then, when Heavenly Swords claimed that their goal would be to keep their spot and become the champions, could this be your ambitions showing?" The reporter asked.
"Every pro player has this kind of ambition, no?" Lou Guanning regained his composure and started speaking confidently. It was just a small leak. How could he be stumped by something like this?
At Happy's press conference, Ye Xiu was currently talking: "Speaking of which, hasn't the Alliance always arranged the other new team to challenge the champions? Why did they suddenly arrange for us to challenge the champions? This sudden change really caught us off guard! We thought we'd be playing against those old devils, Tyranny!"
Old devils! Aren't you one too!!!
The reporters were sullen. They really wanted to fire back! However, what they wanted to say wasn't suitable for a place like a press conference! For the first time, the reporters felt like they were the disadvantaged group and could only watch as Ye Xiu rambled on freely. They really wanted to interrupt, but it wouldn't be good to, so they could only stifle their frustration.
"So you're saying it's the Alliance's arrangements that led to Happy not performing ideally this round?" The reporters could only word it in this way.
"I never said that." Ye Xiu continued to evade the question.
"Then, what are your thoughts on your own individual performance this match?" A reporter asked.
In the previous match, Ye Xiu first came out in the group arena as their third player. He went up against Samsara's third player, Zhou Zekai, but lost. Afterwards, in the team competition, Samsara attacked even more ferociously. Happy wasn't able to hang on for very long. If you only took a look at Ye Xiu's performance, it wasn't too bad. He didn't make any terrible mistakes, but there also weren't any particularly bright spots either.
"Mm, it's been too long since I've played a pro match. I was feeling a bit rusty," Ye Xiu replied.
This… what were they supposed to say! It was true that not competing in high-level league would have an impact on his condition, but he seemed quite fierce when he fought against Excellent Era! Was that a good reason?
The reporters were doubtful. Their gazes shifted to Su Mucheng. Just when they were about to ask, she took the initiative to speak up: "It's been too long since I've played a pro match. I was feeling a bit rusty."
Su Mucheng had faced Samsara's vice-captain, Jiang Botao, but lost.
A copy and paste! The reporters fumed. But the problem was that Su Mucheng had been relegated along with Excellent Era for a year. She hadn't played in a high-level league either. After serious consideration, Happy's reasoning… held up?
Their gazes shifted again.
"I haven't played a Qi Master in a long time. I was feeling a bit rusty," Fang Rui said.
Okay, even though it was another copy paste answer, it was definitely a legitimate reason. He transferred in the last third of June and switched to a Qi Master. It had only been a month since then. It was normal for him to not do too well in his first match with a new class. Fang Rui was the second player for the group arena. Samsara's Sun Xiang had been the first to come out. After Sun Xiang beat Happy's Tang Rou, he nearly completed a 1v2 and almost beat Fang Rui too. In the end, even though Fang Rui won, it didn't take long for him to lose the second round. He practically left two players for Ye Xiu, and one of those was Zhou Zekai.
"Good joke. On the other hand, look at how sincere I am," Fang Rui said to Ye Xiu after leaving the stage, and was met with a kick.
The reporters received three "I was feeling a bit rusty." Afterwards, they looked towards Happy's fourth player, Steamed Bun. He came out in the individual competition, but lost to Samsara's All-Star Grappler, Lu Boyuan. Steamed Bun had given quite a few frights to the enemy. For a new player, this loss could be considered as an honorable one. He could completely feel satisfied with his performance today.
However, Steamed Bun looked at everyone and then immediately copied the previous three's responses: "I've never played in a pro match before. I was feeling a bit rusty."
Fuck! What was that supposed to mean? Are you saying that if you weren't feeling rusty, you would have beaten Lu Boyuan? The others might have been away from the pro scene for too long or switched classes, so "feeling rusty" was possible, but you're a genuine rookie. What do you mean "rusty"? You can't be rusty in the first place!
Fuck! The reporters could only restrain their desire to curse at them. What an uncomfortable feeling! A few people had even left the venue with their hands against their hips. Those guys had probably left out of anger!
"What are your thoughts on Happy's future this season?" A reporter was determined to keep asking questions.
"Keep our spot and become the champions," Ye Xiu said earnestly.
"Become the champions," Su Mucheng said.
"What else did I come here for?" Fang Rui said.
"What happened to keeping our spot? We don't need it anymore?" Steamed Bun saw that his two seniors had gotten rid of the "keep our spot" part and felt discontent.
"Becoming the champions implies that we'll have kept our spot," Fang Rui lectured Steamed Bun.
"Oh, that makes sense!" Steamed Bun sighed.
They couldn't… take it any longer. The reporters felt defeated. They had at least found two things from this interview though. This sweep hadn't damaged Happy's morale. What's more, Fang Rui seemed to be meshing together well with Happy! At least personality wise.