The King's Avatar Chapter 1733-END - 1733 Side Story: The Expectations of the Mediocre (4)

Samsara had long been mired in mediocrity, so this wasn't their debut into it. Rallies like this one had cropped up before too. The former captain, the boss, and the manager had all rallied the team similarly. Even now, Captain Zhang Yiwei wasn't holding his first such gathering. The sudden assembly today... undoubtedly stemmed from their even more dismal record this season.

Not a single pro player could stomach such a abysmal performance. Their captain hammered home the urgent need for transformation time and again, yet the core dilemma facing Team Samsara boiled down to one thing: how on earth?

Was it a matter of resolve? Tireless effort? Relentless training? Greater resolve? Harsher effort? Fiercer training?

Plenty of goals couldn't be reached through sheer grit alone! Against rival teams, Samsara lagged in both individual skill and roster depth. New season rookies typically injected fresh dynamics into squads. But this year, Blue Rain, Tyranny, Void, and Misty Rain were the ones elevated by their newcomers.

Powerhouses grew even mightier with rookie infusions.

Squads on par with Samsara also sparkled brighter thanks to fresh talents.

Samsara's own rookies held their own, yet stacked against the season's hyped names, they appeared utterly average. Just like how they stacked up against the Alliance's legends.

Ultimately, they embodied a middling outfit. Talk of change flowed easily, but deep down, everyone knew they'd hit their ceiling. It wasn't reluctance—it was sheer inability.

Thus, this round...

Squeak...

The conference room door creaked open cautiously. Rookie Fang Minghua slipped in on tiptoes. Yet Samsara's modest meeting space offered no cover; his entry drew all eyes regardless.

“I’m sorry I’m late…” Fang Minghua offered apologies to the veteran teammates gathered there.

Zhang Yiwei stayed silent, merely gesturing with a glance for him to take a seat.

Fang Minghua darted to an open chair and settled in. Zhang Yiwei pressed on without missing a beat, his words fiery. Still, Fang Minghua's focus drifted soon after. Visions of the Sharpshooter he'd encountered in-game dominated his thoughts. He itched to spill his find to the team, yet held back from cutting off the captain. He endured until Zhang Yiwei wrapped up, scanning the room with eager eyes. “Does anyone have anything to say?”

“Reporting to the Captain!” Fang Minghua shot up his hand.

“Speak.”

“I found an expert in the game today. He’s very strong…”

“If you want to explain to everyone why you’re late, there’s no need.” Zhang Yiwei cut him off.

“No. I just wanted to say that I discovered this expert. Perhaps we can try to invite him to join our team,” said Fang Minghua.

“Oh? Then tell me, what kind of expert is he?” Zhang Yiwei asked.

“He’s a Sharpshooter. He single-handedly took on the new wild boss, Night Returner on the Sea,” said Fang Minghua immediately. He felt that this record was enough to move even professional players.

“A Sharpshooter?” In the end, everyone’s first focus was on the expert’s class. After exchanging glances, they finally looked at Zhang Yiwei with evasive eyes. An awkward atmosphere filled the meeting room.

Zhang Yiwei’s expression was also a little unnatural. After Fang Minghua noticed the abnormality, he suddenly reacted. Wasn’t the Sharpshooter Zhang Yiwei’s character? Right now, he said that a Sharpshooter was very strong and could even be invited to join their team…

So far, no team in the Professional Alliance had two players with the same Class during a battle. The arrival of a player with the same Class usually meant… a replacement.

“Captain, that’s not what I meant!” Fang Minghua reacted quickly.

“Then what do you mean?” Zhang Yiwei asked.

“I just think… he’s very strong. Uh, he can help us.” Fang Minghua carefully chose his words, but his true thoughts were simple. “I didn’t realize that his Class was the same as yours at all.”

“Really? Then let him try,” replied Zhang Yiwei indifferently before changing the topic. “Does anyone else have anything else to say?”

In the first place, there was nothing much to say in this old-fashioned meeting. Now that there was such an interlude, everyone shut up.

“Alright, the meeting is adjourned.” Zhang Yiwei turned around and was the first to leave. The other members all looked at Fang Minghua, who didn’t know what to do.

“Alright, let’s go.” Then, everyone stood up. Those who walked past Fang Minghua only patted his shoulder gently. In the end, no one said anything to him.

Fang Minghua wasn't stupid. Even though the captain told him to reach out to the expert and give it a shot, it was clearly just a standard captain's reply. The captain's displeasure hung in the atmosphere long after the team departed.

Fang Minghua felt lost on what step to take next. Should he simply drop it? He pondered inwardly. Yet, the moment Zhou Zekai's fierce battle flashed through his thoughts, a surge of reluctance flooded his chest.

He refused to abandon it so easily. He... would seize another chance. Fang Minghua steeled his resolve.

Staying connected with Zhou Zekai was the top priority at this point. Contacting him meant going through the game. But Fang Minghua had only recently stepped into pro play. His pay was modest, leaving him strapped for cash. Buying a computer right away was beyond his means. Starting today, hitting the training room for online gaming wouldn't be practical. Hitting the Internet cafe daily wasn't sustainable anyway. Pros treated that spot like off-limits territory. Fang Minghua relied on his newbie status and low profile to sneak in boldly. For Samsara's other members, even without star status, getting spotted was almost inevitable.

Borrowing cash from someone was his sole option.

The instant this idea hit, that memorized number popped into his head.

Fang Minghua smacked himself in frustration. She was the girl he adored. How could she be his first thought for a loan?

Right then, surprisingly, his phone buzzed. In a stroke of odd luck, the screen showed that exact number, plus the nickname he'd assigned her all on his own with his own private poll: “Great Wife”.

Fang Minghua let the ringing drag on a bit in his stupor before answering.

“Hello.”

“What’s wrong with you today?” Her tone carried a scolding edge, yet Fang Minghua sensed pure worry beneath it. It rang sweetly in his ears.

“Today… I’m a little busy,” said Fang Minghua.

“What are you busy with?” The other party asked.

She was prying into his day now! Sweetness swelled in Fang Minghua's heart, so much that words escaped him.

“Say something,” said the other party.

“Alright, I won’t pretend anymore. I’ll confess.” Fang Minghua took a deep breath. “I’m a professional player now.”

Now silence gripped the other side. Fang Minghua double-checked the call hadn't dropped. Abruptly, a voice emerged from the phone.

“Didn’t you say that you wouldn’t pretend anymore?” The other party asked.

“It’s true. I’m Team Samsara’s new healer this season, Fang Minghua, also known as the Cleric Laughing Song,” said Fang Minghua.

Silence returned from the other end. Fang Minghua had replayed this moment endlessly in his dreams. His ideal version skipped any self-intro. Standing before her, she'd spot him in shock, gasp in awe. He'd just grin mysteriously. And upon naming himself, she'd gape in astonishment: “You are actually Samsara’s Fang Minghua.”

He'd dreamed up endless variations, but reality fell short of his visions. His name wasn't household yet. Among all of Samsara, only captain Zhang Yiwei held any real recognition.

“I just did a search. Team Samsara really does have someone called Fang Minghua this season.” Her voice finally broke through the line. She'd actually looked it up online.

“That’s me.” Fang Minghua couldn't help but chuckle wryly.

“I believe you,” said the caller.

“Why would I lie to you?” Fang Minghua asked.

“You don’t think hiding this is cheating, do you?” The other party’s tone suddenly turned cold.

“I was wrong.” Fang Minghua quickly gave in. After all, he called her “Great Wife”. The “great” part held true.

“So in the future... you always be like this and rarely come back to the game, right?” The other party suddenly asked in disappointment.

“I won’t have as much time as before, but I will still have some time. It’s just that…” Fang Minghua hesitated.

“What do you mean?”

“I need your help,” said Fang Minghua.

“What help?”

“Lend me some money,” said Fang Minghua.

“…”

“Hello? Hello? Are you there?” An extraordinarily prolonged quiet stretched out. Fang Minghua yelled after verifying the line stayed live three times.

“I need to re-examine your identity.” The voice returned at last, now steady and composed.

“Come, ask me something that only we know.” Fang Minghua loved this test.

A few minutes later… Fang Minghua passed with full marks.

“How much do you need? I don’t have much money either.”

“I just want to buy a computer, but I'm short on cash right now. Could you lend me a few thousand yuan?” Fang Minghua inquired.

“You’re on a pro team, yet you don’t even have a computer?” The other side started questioning him once more.

“The team’s machines are meant for training only. But when it comes to playing online games, using those computers isn’t practical for me,” Fang Minghua clarified.

“Still, this is all for playing online games.”

“Correct.”

“Count me in to help.” The other party spoke with unwavering resolve.

“Perfect! I owe you big time. My life is yours!” Fang Minghua declared his sincere words boldly.

“Heh, it better be,” the other party responded.

“Won’t take long. I’m just pinched for money at the moment. I’ll repay you as soon as next month’s salary hits,” Fang Minghua added quickly.

“No need to rush it…”

In under two days, a fresh new computer appeared in Fang Minghua’s room. To his surprise, after borrowing the funds, his bond with his “Great Wife” grew notably tighter. From then on, his evening downtime went straight to Glory. While hanging out in-game with his longtime buddies, he stayed in regular contact with his fresh acquaintance Zhou Zekai.