Chapter 114: Viivi Ma Tao's Appreciation

"Holy cow!"

Duan Rulong, seated in the front row, sprang to his feet with a shout that detonated through the arena like a depth charge. Fans from both teams were now erupting in excited clamor.

Zhou Yang’s face darkened. He snapped his rifle toward Baishi’s Li Gang, who was observing at site A, and took him out instantly.

However, he was immediately killed by Baishi’s Yi Ran at the entrance to site A.

Terrorists: 5-0.

"Damn it! So reckless!" Zhou Yang spat, his brows knitted tight.

He hadn't expected the opposition to dare split their forces after throwing two decoys. Looking back, it must have been two players entering site A—one to plant the bomb, and one to quickly infiltrate his home base or site B.

And the last remaining player had actually stayed in their base the entire time, only following up once they began their rotation.

Such a bold tactical approach caught Zhou Yang off guard, left the Cat Who Loves Fish team stunned, and sent the entire audience into a frenzy.

Trailing 3-5, employing a split-squad tactic was unheard of in professional play. It wasn't that the opportunity didn't exist, but that the odds were slim. These were professional teams, after all; with their marksmanship and game sense, a clear numerical advantage usually meant the enemy could be wiped out in a single wave.

This was practically a death-defying gamble.

Inside the gaming booths, both sides pushed aside their celebrations and frustrations, diving headlong into the next round.

In the stands, meanwhile, the audience was busy voicing their own opinions in a spirited debate.

"This is a battle of wits and courage—brilliant."

"What kind of 'wits and courage' is that? To me, it looks like a suicidal gamble."

"Who cares what it is? As long as it's entertaining. Our Baishi is going to win."

"Forget it, our Fish team still has a chance."

Just then, a man stood up in the back row of the VIP section. As heads turned to look, it was revealed to be Viivi—a team that had moved to the Jiangsu-Zhejiang division after clinching the championship in the SX division. They were a long-established, veteran squad. While they had never held the WCG world title, they frequently topped domestic tournaments and were considered a top-tier powerhouse.

Naturally, in the Jiangsu-Zhejiang division, Viivi was the heavy favorite to take the title.

The man was none other than Ma Tao, the captain of Viivi. A sniper king in individual competitions, he and the nine-time champion Shuguang were known as the two great pillars of the sniping world.

The arena fell into a sudden, expectant silence, waiting for Ma Tao’s commentary.

Even Jin Hua and his group in the front row turned around to look. Ma Tao was a top-tier esports celebrity with a massive reputation and numerous endorsements; they all recognized him.

"This isn't just a simple battle of wits; it is a masterclass in military strategy. From luring the enemy deep into the trap to the 'secret passage' maneuver, followed by removing the firewood from under the cauldron and the 'empty fort' strategy, right up to the final 'turning the tables'—the entire sequence was executed with impeccable timing."

"Of course, there is an element of luck and gambling involved. After all, the Cat Who Loves Fish team suffered four consecutive losses and was desperate for a win, so they committed all five players to the rotation and attack, ignoring their own rear. Subconsciously, they assumed that in a 3-versus-5 situation, the opponent would certainly group up. Honestly, even I thought the same."

"This commander of Baishi, Yi Ran, possesses tactical acumen that I believe places him among the elite. He combines the wisdom of former sniper king Shuguang, the cunning of Rizhao Tiger Cao Mo, and the deceptive unpredictability of Red Mill’s Bai Xiaoqiang. Blending these three results in a style that is both surprising and balanced between courage and strategy."

"I am very impressed."

Ma Tao finished his statement, sat back down, and began whispering with his Viivi teammates and managers. The crowd of over two thousand people ruminated on his words, deeply shocked.

Truly, each generation produces its own geniuses, and there is no end to the masters hidden among the common folk.

This Yi Ran—a player no one had ever heard of before—was about to become an overnight sensation.

Ma Tao’s word, "impressed," carried significant weight.

As the saying goes, one man's joy is another's sorrow. At this stage of the match, even with the Cat Who Loves Fish team bringing in a heavy hitter like world champion Zhou Yang, they were still struggling to stem the tide. To turn the game around now, they would need a miraculous 8-0 or 8-1 run—a near-impossible task.

The first half ended in a blink, with Baishi leading by a landslide score of 6-1.

"Haha, thrilling!" Lei Yin laughed heartily, his blood pumping.

As a world-champion boxer, his life was monotonous: training, competing, resting. Having spent years traveling the world’s boxing circuits, he rarely had the chance to hang out with friends. When he heard that Jin Hua and Duan Rulong were involved in the gaming industry, he had been baffled.

What was the point of this?

Yet today, watching these few rounds, Lei Yin was truly struck. What seemed like simple computer operations concealed so much—strategy, courage, teamwork, and individual heroics. He found something here that he never encountered in the boxing ring.

"Heh, interesting, right?" Duan Rulong smirked.

"Yeah, pretty good. Maybe I’ll play it properly when I get the chance," Lei Yin nodded. "By the way, I’m thinking of buying some shares."

"What? Not afraid of losing money?"

"What’s there to be afraid of? It’s just sitting there anyway. Might as well earn some pocket money with you guys," Lei Yin replied candidly.

"With you two leading the way, it’d be hard to lose money even if I tried."

A group of wealthy young heirs and socialites chimed in with laughter, though each was secretly calculating whether they should also pick up some shares. Seeing the massive profits Jin Hua and Duan Rulong were making, they were truly envious.

Inside the gaming booth, both teams were quickly discussing their tactical plan for the second half.

Li Xin remained silent, his eyes slightly closed as he leaned back in his chair, appearing to rest. No one disturbed him, as they had all learned from Jiang Chuxue that he was suffering from an illness.

"Director Jiang, what kind of illness does Li Xin have? Why hasn't he gone to get it treated?" Li Gang asked in a low voice.

"How do you know he hasn't?" Jiang Chuxue shot him an annoyed glance.

"His condition is somewhat complicated; I can't explain it to you in a few words." Jiang Chuxue intentionally concealed Li Xin’s identity. If she mentioned Parkinson's disease, many would likely guess who he was.

"Let’s not disturb him. Li Gang, you take command for the second half. We only need to win two small rounds; that shouldn't be difficult, right?"

"None at all. Don't worry," Li Gang smiled confidently. His gaze was burning; he had learned quite a bit from Li Xin. The second half would be the perfect opportunity to test those lessons and summarize his findings.

Meanwhile, Li Xin, who appeared to be resting, had his focus entirely on the *Game King* system.

He had already reached level 10. Once this match concluded, he should hit level 11 and advance to the second stage.

"The effect of the titles wasn't obvious before upgrading, but this time it's different. With every victory through fluid command, I can clearly feel my expertise in strategy maturing."

Li Xin murmured to himself, continuing to reflect.

"If the command ability of my peak period during the Dongjia era is considered a 1.0, I’m already at a 1.4 level now. Once I advance to 'Gaming Expert,' that figure should reach 1.5."

"Looking back, I had good grand-scale vision, but I lacked some passion. Now, the passion is growing stronger, and I find myself naturally coming up with strange, ingenious ideas. Very good. I am very satisfied."

With that thought, his gaze shifted toward the central area of the mechanical eye.

*Concealment*: Brightness had reached 90%; it was about to be unlocked. Li Xin was very curious about this special skill.

*Mall*: Currently in the refinement stage, also about to open. It should hold many treasures within.