Viper looked at Jiang Shuiyun with eager anticipation. Ever since Captain Divine Blade left, their performance had plummeted. They lost every match they played. Xi Rong then ordered them to train diligently and wait until they were truly ready to return to the field before considering anything else.
But a professional career only lasts a few years, and who can afford to waste that time? Especially since they also know that the company is already preparing to train other teams. Before Jiang Shuiyun came, they already knew that they probably wouldn't have the opportunity to return to the competition even after they retired.
With this increasingly pessimistic and dejected mindset, everyone was almost ready to give up. Fortunately, Jiang Shuiyun's arrival turned things around.
As soon as the venomous snake spoke, everyone looked at Jiang Shuiyun, and even Jian Mang's eyes showed a hint of anticipation.
"It's possible, but we'll probably need to intensify our training. He won't agree if we don't show Brother Xi our true skill level."
Jiang Shuiyun knew that it was a good thing for people to have expectations, as this was their driving force for progress, so she did not reject this somewhat hasty suggestion.
"Yay!"
"Long live the captain!"
Yao Yao Ling and Jiao Yang jumped up, not even eating, and ran to get their phones to send messages to Xi Rong. Everyone was making no attempt to hide their excitement.
Jiang Shuiyun also felt a sense of anticipation and couldn't help but look at Yi Jinbai beside her. Although Yi Jinbai didn't understand these things, he was happy for them, with a faint smile on his face and a hint of envy and melancholy in his eyes.
They were all around the same age, and while they were still pursuing their dreams with great enthusiasm, Yi Jinbai had already experienced the helplessness of life. Jiang Shuiyun knew that Yi Jinbai was looking at this group of people, and also at herself before she met the original owner.
Jiang Shuiyun knew that nothing she said or how she tried to comfort Yi Jinbai would be as effective as taking concrete actions. She didn't want to disturb Yi Jinbai in the present moment.
After Jiao Yang contacted Xi Rong, he learned that Xi Rong would come to check on the training results in three days. Everyone was immediately energized and, without Jiang Shuiyun's reminder, took the initiative to ask for extra training that night.
Jiang Shuiyun had the same idea. After dinner, she gave Yi Jinbai his medicine and then escorted him upstairs.
"We might train until very late. If you're sleepy, go to sleep first and just lock the door. I'll sleep on the sofa."
Xi Rong knew about the relationship between Jiang Shuiyun and Yi Jinbai, so he specially arranged a room for the two of them with a large bed. Jiang Shuiyun was originally wondering how she could sleep on the sofa without feeling awkward, but now the extra training gave her an excuse.
Seeing Yi Jinbai nod, Jiang Shuiyun felt relieved, closed the door, and went downstairs.
Jiang Shuiyun and the others really trained until very late. After training ended, they were so tired that they didn't even want to move and just fell asleep on the sofa on the first floor, which startled Yi Jinbai, who woke up early the next day and went downstairs.
Picking up the blanket that the venomous snake had dropped and covering it back up, Yi Jinbai walked to Jiang Shuiyun's side. Jiang Shuiyun was only covered with her own coat and was fast asleep.
Yi Jinbai looked around and realized there were no extra blankets. He could only take off his long coat and prepare to cover Jiang Shuiyun with it. Before the coat could even touch Jiang Shuiyun, Yi Jinbai met Jiang Shuiyun's eyes, which suddenly opened. There was no trace of confusion in her eyes as she woke up. Her eyes locked onto Yi Jinbai in front of her, and her gaze was cold and piercing, which made Yi Jinbai take a small step back in fright.
Jiang Shuiyun's conditioned reflexes from years on the battlefield made her alert and awake the moment Yi Jinbai approached. After recognizing Yi Jinbai, Jiang Shuiyun closed her eyes, pinched her brow, and completely concealed the coldness in her eyes. "Sorry, I wasn't fully awake just now."
"It's nothing..." Yi Jinbai was clearly still shaken by that look in his eyes. His knuckles were white as he gripped his coat tightly. Even Jiang Shuiyun's furious outbursts were nothing compared to that look in his eyes, which was suffocating, as if he were being stared at by the Grim Reaper.
Jiang Shuiyun propped herself up on the sofa and stretched her cracking joints. As soon as she looked up, she saw Yi Jinbai's pale face and tentatively took his wrist. "Jinbai?"
Jiang Shuiyun clearly saw fear in Yi Jinbai's eyes, just like the day she first transmigrated.
Jiang Shuiyun felt bad for scaring him, and gently pulled Yi Jinbai to sit on the sofa. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to. I didn't know it was you. Don't be afraid of me, okay?"
Jiang Shuiyun's voice was soft, and she looked at Yi Jinbai beside her with apology and seriousness in her eyes.
The past hurts cannot be erased, and Jiang Shuiyun cannot tell Yi Jinbai the absurd fact that she has become a different person. She can only try her best to make amends and gradually help Yi Jinbai out of the shadows of the past and return to her original bright life.
Yi Jinbai seemed to be carefully examining Jiang Shuiyun in front of him. After looking at her for a long time, he slowly placed his hand on Jiang Shuiyun's hand.
Jiang Shuiyun was pleasantly surprised by Yi Jinbai's action. She took Yi Jinbai's hand in her other hand and smiled, "Are you hungry? I'll heat up some milk for you, and you can have breakfast when Auntie comes."
Jiang Shuiyun patted Yi Jinbai's hand, stood up, rubbed her neck which seemed to be a little stiff, and walked towards the kitchen.
Good morning, Sister Jinbai!
Jiang Shuiyun was heating milk in the kitchen when she heard a snake's voice coming from the living room. "Huh? Where's the captain?"
"In the kitchen."
It was Yi Jinbai's voice that answered, sounding gentle and pleasant.
Wow! The captain can cook?
Their conversation clearly woke up the others as well, and Jiaoyang yawned and made a big fuss.
"It's just warming up the milk, do you want some?"
As the group chatted away, Jiang Shuiyun stood by the kitchen door and called out to the people in the living room.
"Drink! Thanks, Captain! Come to think of it, I haven't had hot milk since I graduated from elementary school."
"Who doesn't? Just take it out of the refrigerator and drink it, who cares if it's hot or not? As long as there are no ice crystals, it's fine."
"If you leave it outside overnight in winter and bring it back in to eat like an ice cube, you'll break your teeth."
...
When there are many people together, it's easy for them to talk a lot, especially since there are a few chatterboxes. Jiang Shuiyun listened in the kitchen and thought that these people were quite capable, even Yi Jinbai was led to say a few more words.
A note from the author:
Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 04:29:29 on April 23, 2022 and 05:16:39 on April 24, 2022!
Thank you to the little angels who threw the landmine: Socially anxious Wood and Shan'er Baby (1 person);
Thank you to the little angel who watered the nutrient solution: Qiufeng (25 bottles);
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
Chapter 15
"The milk is ready. Help yourself in the kitchen."
Jiang Shuiyun was holding a cup in one hand and couldn't carry that many, so she told the others to go and get them themselves.
"Thank you, Captain!"
The group got up to get the milk, just as the cleaning lady arrived and started preparing breakfast.
Jiang Shuiyun handed Yi Jin a glass of white milk, "Does your foot not hurt anymore?"
"It doesn't hurt anymore," Yi Jinbai said, holding the warm milk in his hand. He glanced at the others who had taken the milk and gone straight to the computers in the training hall on the first floor, ready to train. "You don't need to worry about me, go train."
Jiang Shuiyun agreed and took the milk over. After the group played two rounds, the aunt had already prepared breakfast.
"It's the same issue we discussed before. You played very well yesterday, but today I feel that you all played a bit too individually. Playing flexibly is not a bad thing, but you should keep up with the overall rhythm, okay?"
After flexing his fingers, Jiang Shuiyun was not entirely satisfied with the teamwork in these two games, but this was normal during the adjustment period.
The group nodded, and Jiang Shuiyun stood up first. "Let's have breakfast first."
The Miracle Team's meals are always good, with several options for breakfast that are nutritionally balanced and delicious.
As the group was eating, a sound came from the doorway, and then Xi Rong strode in. "Oh, what a coincidence that I'm here."
"Want to eat something together?" Jiang Shuiyun put down her chopsticks and greeted Xi Rong.
"No, no, I just finished eating," Xi Rong said with a clear smile, looking at the already harmonious atmosphere. "Teacher Jiang is really something. I didn't believe the message Jiao Yang sent me, but now that I've come here in person, it's true."
Knowing that Xi Rong had come to scout out the situation, Yao Yao stood up and started showering everyone with compliments, "Brother Xi, believe me, inviting Jiang Dashen was absolutely the wisest choice. Yesterday, Captain Jiang took on our entire team in one go, and we were truly convinced. Where did you find such a master? He's amazing!"
Xi Rong was even more surprised to hear about the 180-degree turn in Yao Yao Ling and the others in less than 24 hours. He was overjoyed. After all, this was the team he had personally trained. If they could really get back on their feet, he would be happy to see them.
"As long as you get along well, that's fine. You're lucky that Teacher Jiang is compatible with our company and is also a friend of our boss. So, as they say, nothing is more coincidental than this. You should seize this opportunity."
Hearing Xi Rong's words, Jiang Shuiyun was somewhat puzzled. Which CEO friend of the original owner was this? Shengguang Group was not mentioned in the original book.
"Brother Xi," Jiang Shuiyun decided to find out who it was first to avoid confusion when they actually met, "May I ask who your boss is?"
"Teacher Jiang, you don't know? That can't be, right?" Xi Rong scratched his head in confusion, but still answered truthfully, "Our CEO Shen's name is Shen Yunyi, aren't you friends?"
“Oh, Shen Yunyi,” Jiang Shuiyun breathed a sigh of relief. This was the only friend she knew of the original owner. She had even met him once that day. Although she didn’t know that he was the CEO of Shengguang Group, it was still better than someone she had no recollection of at all. “It is indeed a coincidence.”
"That's right. Our boss initially wanted to personally invite Teacher Jiang, but later, I don't know what happened, I'm not quite sure."
Xi Rong still doesn't understand. At first, it was Shen Yunyi who said he contacted Jiang Shuiyun, but later it was Jiang Shuiyun who submitted her resume herself. Moreover, Jiang Shuiyun didn't know that Shengguang Group belonged to Shen Yunyi... Xi Rong is not one to pry into things, and he doesn't dwell on things he can't figure out.
Reminded by Xi Rong, Jiang Shuiyun finally understood why Shen Yunyi had acted so strangely when he came to her house that day. Perhaps he was having trouble facing his former friend in such a sorry state, which was understandable.
After the two of them finally finished their discussion and had almost finished eating, the group was still most concerned about the competition and immediately wanted to show Xi Rong the results of their training.
The group went to turn on the computer first. Jiang Shuiyun poured Yi Jinbai a glass of warm water and handed him the medicine. "Would you like to go upstairs to rest or go for a walk? Staying here must be very boring."
Jiang Shuiyun saw that Yi Jinbai hesitated slightly, but still wanted to go out for a walk. Going out for a walk would be good, as it would help Yi Jinbai's foot recover sooner.
Jiang Shuiyun took Yi Jinbai's coat and escorted her to the courtyard. When she returned, everyone was already waiting for her.
During the match, everyone was fully focused and dared not slack off in the slightest. Only Jiang Shuiyun was unaffected and even reminded her teammates not to be too nervous.
They had already practiced two rounds that morning and received some pointers from Jiang Shuiyun. From the start of the game, they strictly followed Jiang Shuiyun's instructions. Although they played a bit too cautiously, they were steady and methodical, which put Xi Rong at ease and allowed them to pass the test.
"Excellent! I believe that if you continue practicing at this pace, you will definitely be a part of this year's SWC!"
Xi Rong was generous with his praise, and what he said was indeed true.
As the most popular game in the world, Star Wars has a large number of players and many corresponding tournaments, all of which are very popular. The most prestigious of these is the annual SWC (Star Wars Pro League). At the height of their glory, Team Miracle was one of the teams that made it into the top four in SWC.
Xi Rong's words successfully made the already excited group even more excited. SWC, the dream of e-sports people.
"Don't get too excited. Given your previous lackluster performance, you won't even make it into the qualifiers without some solid results. So if you want to compete, train hard. There's an invitational tournament in about two weeks. Go and practice, and maybe even redeem your reputation. Are you confident?"
"have!"
After such a long time, they finally saw the light at the end of the tunnel again. The group said in unison, eager to compete. No matter what, they couldn't afford to lose face again this time.
Let the others continue training first, and Jiang Shuiyun and Xi Rong go to the other side to have a chat.
"Teacher Jiang, is there a problem?"
Xi Rong looked at Jiang Shuiyun and found her pleasing to the eye no matter how he looked at her. Even if Jiang Shuiyun wanted a star, he could pluck it down for her.
However, Jiang Shuiyun wasn't interested in the stars. "Brother Xi, do you know where I can find good sheet music? And good musical instruments?"
“Sheet music, musical instruments?” Xi Rong repeated Jiang Shuiyun’s words, somewhat puzzled. “Teacher Jiang knows about music?”
"No, it's my wife. She likes these things, but I don't know anything about them, so I can only ask Brother Xi for help."
Jiang Shuiyun told Xi Rong the title of the book Yi Jinbai had been reading yesterday, saying that finding something similar would also be fine.
“Teacher Jiang and Miss Yi have such a good relationship,” Xi Rong understood, thought for a moment and nodded, “Teacher Jiang, don’t worry, I will definitely take care of this for you, but what specific musical instrument does Teacher Jiang want to buy?”
This question stumped Jiang Shuiyun as well. She didn't know what musical instrument Yi Jinbai had learned before, she only knew that Yi Jinbai sang very well.
When two complete novices who know nothing about music get together, something as simple as music becomes incredibly difficult. Jiang Shuiyun can only ask Xi Rong to help her find the sheet music first.
“That’s easy to talk about, but Teacher Jiang, I’d like to remind you that although I don’t know much about this, I’ve heard that any musical instrument you like is not cheap. Some can cost hundreds of thousands or even millions of yuan.”
Jiang Shuiyun thought about the clauses in the contract regarding salary and competition bonuses. Shengguang Group had already given a very generous amount, but relying solely on this to support Yi Jinbai's music was clearly not enough, not to mention that the two of them hadn't even completely solved their basic needs for food, clothing, and shelter.