Yi Jinbai's voice is inherently gentle, and with such a soft song, listening to it makes people feel happy and relaxed, and also gives them a warm feeling.
Even after listening to just a short section, Jiang Shuiyun still felt a sense of unfinished business. After thinking for a long time, she finally replied to Yi Jinbai.
[Jiang Shuiyun: It sounds nice.]
Looking at her own pale, weak, and monotonous evaluation, Jiang Shuiyun felt a bit like she regretted not having enough knowledge when she needed it. However, she really couldn't find any words to describe it, so she could only add a sentence to affirm it.
[Jiang Shuiyun: It sounds very nice.]
The reply seemed rather stupid, and Jiang Shuiyun found it almost unbearable to look at. However, she didn't know that Yi Jinbai on the other side was quite happy to see this comment.
[Yi Jinbai: It's a new song I just wrote. It's not finished yet. I'll let you hear it after it's completely finished.]
Jiang Shuiyun: Okay.
From then on, Yi Jinbai developed a habit of sending his random inspirations, newly written melodies, or lyrics to Jiang Shuiyun for her to listen to and take a look. Although Jiang Shuiyun, being an amateur, didn't understand anything, she surprisingly liked listening to Yi Jinbai's voice.
The two didn't communicate very frequently, sometimes only sending each other messages every two or three days. Apart from Yi Jinbai sending new songs and occasionally reminding Jiang Shuiyun to rest, there were also photos of the trophies Jiang Shuiyun took of each victory, which were like testaments to their hard work and struggle.
Such days make it easy to lose track of time; a month passes quickly, and the Miracle Team is about to officially begin preparing for SWC.
SWC is the highest honor in Star Wars, held annually, and is a major event in the esports world, receiving a great deal of attention, especially this year.
The previous year's favorite teams to win the championship, Fengjue and Zhulang, were already full of highlights. With the addition of the dark horse team Shenji this year, the attention of this event has been raised to a new level. Moreover, in terms of popularity, Shenji has firmly surpassed the other teams.
The attention and expectations from the outside world often put a lot of pressure on the team players, and the Miracle Team is no exception. After so many competitions, although the players have developed strong mental fortitude, they still can't help but feel some pressure when they actually face the challenge.
Jiang Shuiyun finished her morning run as usual and was having breakfast when she got back. Seeing her teammates staring blankly at their food, as if they could eat with their eyes, she put down her chopsticks. "Can you get full just by looking?"
"Captain, we're flying to H City tomorrow, aren't you nervous?"
Viper looked at Jiang Shuiyun. Every year, SWC is held in H City. Although the competition has not started immediately, teams from all over the world have already begun to head to H City. Such a big event always needs to be prepared in advance.
The Miracle Team is not what it used to be. The organizers contacted them early on, and everything was ready for them to arrive.
Are you all very nervous?
Jiang Shuiyun could sense that their nerves were getting increasingly tense during this period. Being tense is a good thing, but if it gets too tense, people can't take it. It seems that they have reached the critical point today.
Yao Yao Ling looked at Jiang Shuiyun with a wry smile, "To be honest, I feel like my legs are already going weak even before we've gone there yet."
"It's okay to be nervous, but we must have the right mindset. We all know what our goal is, and we know how much effort we've put into achieving it. Look at all our previous matches, even in the toughest times, we always forged ahead and defeated even the strongest opponents. SWC is everyone's dream, and this is our biggest battlefield. We will encounter the strongest enemies, but think about it, what's the point of just stomping on weaker opponents?"
Jiang Shuiyun picked up her chopsticks again. "We become stronger when faced with strong opponents. I believe this journey is not only a path to honor for us, but also a key to our breakthrough. Think about why you are sitting here."
Jiang Shuiyun started eating by herself. She didn't ask the others to eat too, because she knew that people lose their appetite and might even feel nauseous under extreme stress. So they needed to withstand the pressure and be able to eat.
Just as Jiang Shuiyun was finishing his meal, Jianmang was the first to pick up his chopsticks. SWC is indeed the highest honor, but they should understand that the significance of these competitions is not just about the trophy and the title of champion.
These people are all capable of understanding. Jiang Shuiyun stretched and stretched her fingers to prepare for training. She trained all morning and then relaxed in the afternoon, packing her luggage to prepare for tomorrow's flight.
Sitting in front of the computer, Jiang Shuiyun heard clanging and banging sounds coming from the kitchen, indicating that everyone had started eating.
A faint smile appeared on Jiang Shuiyun's lips. They had never let her down. No matter how many difficulties and pressures lay ahead, they could always overcome them.
After a morning of training, everyone's skill level remained stable. After lunch, Jiang Shuiyun was about to go upstairs for a nap when she heard the sound of a car parking. Looking out, she saw that it was Shen Yunyi who got out of the car.
Jiang Shuiyun recalled that when she last met Yi Jinbai, Yi Jinbai said that he had lost a lot of weight. Now, looking at Shen Yunyi, he wasn't much better off. He was running between Shengguang Group and Jianghu Company, handling all kinds of matters, big and small. He must be exhausted.
Jiang Shuiyun stood at the door and watched as Shen Yunyi and the driver took several bags out of the car, which looked like they contained clothes.
What are you doing?
Make way, Jiang Shuiyun looked at the pile of clothes with a puzzled expression.
"I brought you clothes, isn't that obvious?" Shen Yunyi put down the things and clapped his hands. "Didn't I tell you last time? I'll take care of this. I had them custom-made for you. You can see if they fit and if you like them later. I heard from Xi Rong that you're going to H City soon. You can't go to SWC wearing this tracksuit, can you? So I had them rushed out. I wish you all the best!"
Shen Yunyi hadn't asked much about the competitions Jiang Shuiyun had participated in before, but this SWC was indeed very important. In particular, Shen Yunyi knew that the reason Jiang Shuiyun hadn't given up playing games despite being so tired and busy was because she was waiting for this competition. She seemed to have a bit of obsessive-compulsive disorder; she would never give up until she did everything to the absolute best.
Of course, Shen Yunyi was mainly happy that Jiang Shuiyun was finally able to retire. Once Jiang Shuiyun retired, the burden on his shoulders would be reduced by at least a third, if not half. After all, he wouldn't have to keep an eye on Jianghu Company 24/7 anymore.
Jiang Shuiyun could easily see through Shen Yunyi's thoughts, but it didn't matter. She could learn how to manage a company. Having an extra skill wasn't a bad thing, provided she had the time.
Jiang Shuiyun accepted Shen Yunyi's kind offer. Before she could say more to him, Shen Yunyi was in a hurry to leave. He was so busy these days that he barely had time to eat, and this was the only time he had managed to find to deliver clothes to Jiang Shuiyun.
"You're so busy, you could have just asked someone to bring it over, why did you have to make the trip yourself?" Jiang Shuiyun saw Shen Yunyi off to his car, and seeing how busy he was, she felt a little sorry for him.
"There's no other way. I'm afraid that if someone brings it to you, you won't even bother to look at it, and will just throw it aside and continue running around in your tracksuit. Okay, keep it up! I'm waiting to throw you a celebration party."
Shen Yunyi knew Jiang Shuiyun quite well, and his words hit the nail on the head.
Jiang Shuiyun felt that what he said made sense.
After seeing Shen Yunyi off, Jiang Shuiyun asked someone to help carry her clothes upstairs. Poisonous Snake and Yao Yao Ling were quite curious and helped Jiang Shuiyun pick out each piece and hang it up for easy display.
"Wow! Captain," Viper exclaimed in shock as he looked at the rows of clothes, "President Shen is really too generous. Clothes from this brand are usually very expensive, especially the new styles each season. But you not only have the latest styles, but also specially customized styles and haute couture collections. Did you bring the whole store here?"
Jiang Shuiyun looked at the ready-made clothes in front of her, and finally reached out and took down the simplest one, a black and white color scheme, a classic style, low-key and convenient to wear, which was better than those that were comparable to evening gowns.
Yao Yao Ling agreed with Viper's words, "If I could wear them, I would definitely ask the captain for two sets!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Jiang Shuiyun and the Poisonous Snake both turned their gazes to Yao Yao Ling.
"Why are you all looking at me! I really can't fit into the captain's size!"
Yao Yao hugged herself tightly.
That's true. Although Yao Yao Ling is also quite thin, he is a male A, and his frame is much larger than Jiang Shui Yun's. His clothes would need to be at least two sizes larger. In addition, Poisonous Snake is much shorter than Jiang Shui Yun, so neither of them could fit into any of the clothes.
Slightly disappointed, after this little incident, everyone went back to pack their own luggage.
Jiang Shuiyun had more clothes this time, and her old backpack was no longer enough, so she had to take out her long-forgotten suitcase.
After packing their things the night before, the group boarded a plane to H City the next morning.
H City is quite far from A City; it takes several hours by plane. When the group arrived, they went to have lunch.
As one of the most important tournaments, SWC naturally provides top-of-the-line hotels and other amenities to ensure that players can stay comfortably and perform at their best.
The preparations for this competition were much more extensive than for other competitions, including taking photos—individual and group photos—for each team to use for promotion.
I've had photoshoots before, but never this time. I changed outfits three or four times, and the photographer is supposedly a big award winner, so he's really professional.
Jiang Shuiyun didn't care much about this. She just did whatever others told her to do, and apart from being a little bored, there was nothing else to it.
"Actually, Captain Jiang Bai, your conditions are simply too perfect. You could consider entering the entertainment industry. Your body proportions are perfect, your facial features are perfect, and your temperament is exceptional. You are so rare."
The photographer talked to Jiang Shuiyun while taking pictures, and couldn't help but praise the images in the lens.
“I’m not interested in this, and I don’t like taking photos,” Jiang Shuiyun refused directly.
A note from the author:
Good night. Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 2022-06-04 23:59:44 and 2022-06-05 23:59:13!
Thank you to the little angel who threw the grenade: 1 pineapple octopus;
Thank you to the little angels who watered with nutrient solution: 尛小小℉ 10 bottles; yuminous 8 bottles; 17710997 1 bottle;
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
Chapter 61
The photographer was just saying that; he had heard of Jiang Shuiyun's background before, and he knew that someone like her could never enter the entertainment industry.
After filming, Jiang Shuiyun and the others returned to the hotel. There were still two days until the competition, and their daily training could not be neglected. The hotel also had e-sports rooms prepared for each team to ensure that the players' training progress would not be delayed.
Adaptation and training flew by in two days, and the start of the competition was fast approaching.
Some of the participating teams in SWC were selected through a points system, such as the Miracle Team, the Wind Team, and the Wave Team. They earned points by achieving rankings in various large-scale competitions. The four teams with the highest accumulated points could directly participate. The remaining teams were representative teams selected from various regions. Moreover, these teams went through a selection process through competitions. In the end, there were twelve winning regional teams and four teams selected through the points system, making a total of sixteen teams.
The sixteen teams first competed in the group stage, with the top eight teams advancing through a best-of-three format. Then, they went through a points-based elimination tournament to determine the top four teams. The top four teams then competed in a double-elimination tournament, and the final was a best-of-five series to determine the ultimate champion.
The teams that make it this far are all seasoned veterans and are very familiar with these competition formats. Moreover, they all plan their matches in advance, so there shouldn't be any problems.
The entire tournament will last for a full two weeks, with corresponding matches scheduled every day. While other teams are playing, other teams can rest or watch the matches live.
The Miracle Team's appearance order was neither early nor late, but rather on the afternoon of the second day. Therefore, on the first day, Jiang Shuiyun told everyone to train as usual and go to the venue early the next morning to watch the match. There was also a Fengjue Team match in the morning, and after watching the Fengjue Team match, they could then continue preparing for the afternoon match.
During the two-month-long competition, the Miracle Team has basically encountered all the strong teams at home and abroad. The most threatening teams are the Wave Chaser Team and the Wind Absolute Team. They narrowly defeated the Wave Chaser Team, but when they faced the Wind Absolute Team, the world champion of last year truly lived up to his reputation. The two sides were almost evenly matched. Even when playing at their best, the Miracle Team could only rely on Jiang Shuiyun to barely manage a draw with their opponents.
However, such challenges also have their benefits. They gave the Miracle Team more motivation and goals to strive for. Afterwards, they also focused on studying the Wind Absolute Team's tactics. As a veteran and powerful team, each member of the Wind Absolute Team basically has their own unique skills. With the five members and their tacit cooperation, they can basically be flawless and invincible on the field.
In this SWC, the real source of pressure for the Miracle team should be the Wind team. After all, this is a team competition. Jiang Shuiyun's individual ability can indeed overwhelm everyone, but she can't possibly take on five opponents at once. So, whether she can win the championship depends on Jiang Shuiyun's consistently excellent performance, rather than the performance of the others.
Of course, they still dared not underestimate the Zhulang team. Last time, their narrow victory was also due to Jiang Shuiyun's heroic efforts, so they could not afford to make any mistakes.
On the day of the competition, Jiang Shuiyun and others arrived at the venue and sat in the lounge watching the broadcast of the match on TV. It was a match between the Fengjue team and the B City team. Based on previous years, the B City team was generally of average strength, so this match was a foregone conclusion.
The lounge was completely silent except for the sound of the television. Their faces were all somewhat solemn. The strength of the Fengjue team was indeed ridiculously strong. Their team had been formed for five years, and all of them had fought side by side for five years. The team members' tacit understanding had reached an unimaginable level, which had been fully demonstrated in the last two years. Not only in China, but even globally, they had a feeling of being unbeatable.
"I heard they plan to retire next year. If we participated in next year's SWC, we would definitely win the championship."
After the match ended, everyone in the rest room breathed a sigh of relief. Looking at the Fengjue team, who were calmly shaking hands with their opponents in front of the camera, Yaoyao Ling couldn't help but sigh.
"It's a pity," Jiang Shuiyun glanced at the group of people who were somewhat dejected after the defeat, and calmly dropped a bombshell, "After this competition ends this year, I will also be retiring."
The lounge fell silent for a moment. Apart from the sword light, this was something everyone had been avoiding for the past few days. They thought that by not thinking about it, they could ignore the fact, but now Jiang Shuiyun had directly brought it up.
“Captain…” Jian Mang looked at Jiang Shuiyun with some hesitation, wondering why she would bring this up at this time.
Jiang Shuiyun naturally had her own plans in mind. "This is my first time participating in SWC, and it will also be my last. No matter the outcome, I will retire. I can't wait until next year."
A long silence filled the lounge until the match was about to resume. Jian Mang sat up straight and looked at the screen more intently.
"Captain, we can definitely win this championship!"
"This is the last time we'll fight side by side. Captain, don't worry, we'll definitely win this championship!"
The slight hesitation that had crossed everyone's minds vanished, and their fighting spirit was rekindled. Now they had a clearer and more important goal: to win the championship.
Seeing everyone regain their spirits, Jiang Shuiyun knew that no matter the outcome of the match, she would have no regrets, because they had given their all.
The early knockout stages were relatively stress-free for the strong teams. Five days flew by, the top eight emerged, and the competition became increasingly intense, attracting more and more viewers.
Next is the points-based elimination system, which means that each team will face the other seven teams, and the wins will be accumulated into points. The top four teams in points will be the top four teams.
This means that every team will face each other, and the Miracle Team will also face the Windless Team and the Wave Chaser Team.
The tournament format is relatively reasonable, with each team's matches not concentrated in one place. In particular, matches between strong teams are usually scheduled for the last two or three days to avoid having too many early encounters that could negatively impact subsequent matches.
In the past few days, the Miracle Team has encountered virtually no opponents. Their current strength gives them an overwhelming advantage over ordinary teams, and they have been invincible all the way.
On the leaderboard, Miracle Team, Wind Absolute Team, and Wave Chaser Team have already pulled far ahead of the others, securing their spots in the top four. The next step is to see the specific rankings of the first, second, and third place teams. Every point is crucial, especially in the subsequent double-elimination tournament, where the first and second place teams will be in the winners' bracket, and the third and fourth place teams will be in the third bracket.