Full-time master: I have a spirit behind me.

"Then, the next step is to arrange the team competition." Ye Xiu breathed a sigh of relief and looked at Yu Wenzhou: "Old Yu, let the team captain speak first."

"Let's play to our strengths and avoid our weaknesses..." Yu Wenzhou pondered for a moment, then said with a smile.

"You said something that's really a statement, stop playing riddles at a time like this!" Sun Xiang scratched his head and said somewhat impatiently.

"What's the rush? Everyone else isn't worried, but you're the only one who's in such a hurry, King Gigi?" Huang Shaotian rolled his eyes.

Sun Xiang shut his mouth. He knew he couldn't gain any advantage over Huang Shaotian with words, and even if he was currently engrossed in reading the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, it wouldn't make a difference.

Huang Shaotian's approach to arguing is always to win by sheer volume, and it's absolutely a one-man show. No matter what the other person says, he basically won't listen to a load of nonsense. Arguing with him is a complete waste of breath.

"Alright, Shaotian." Yu Wenzhou sighed: "The American team basically has no weaknesses in team competitions. If Dominic hadn't lost his mind in the last game, even with Lord Grim on the field, it would have been difficult for us to have much impact on their mature lineup system. We could only fight a protracted war of attrition. But... in one aspect, our complete lineup is our biggest advantage."

“Mobility.” Xiao Shiqin’s eyes lit up: “If we maximize our mobility, we will be far superior to the American team.”

“That’s right.” Yu Wenzhou nodded. “So, I propose a double-sharpshooter lineup, what do you think?”

"A dual-sharpshooter lineup... a long-term ranged attack?" Fang Rui was taken aback.

“For the American team, the Mechanic isn’t very effective at initiating attacks, so the Sharpshooter is definitely the best option.” Li Wen pondered for a moment, then nodded seriously: “Then, if that’s the case… should we adjust the last position in the arena?”

This isn't because I'm worried that Zhou Zekai will be worn down, but presenting his best self in the team match is definitely the best option.

"Mm." Zhou Zekai nodded.

"Then... should we switch to Shao Tian, ​​or Captain Tang?" Xiao Shiqin looked at Huang Shao Tian and Tang Hao.

"Let Tang Hao handle it. In team matches, I'll just wait for my chance to finish off the opponents as the sixth man," Huang Shaotian said proactively.

"I have no problem on my end," Tang Hao nodded.

"You quietly secured a spot in the team competition, that's impressive!" Zhang Jiale gave a thumbs up.

"If it's a double-gunner lineup... as for bait and ambush, can a single priest act as bait?"

"Even if we could, we shouldn't use Zhang Xinjie as bait, because the enemy might actually take advantage of that bait."

"If that's the case..."

The meeting room became noisy as everyone voiced their opinions.

"We need someone to step up in the front. We'll choose between Sun Xiang and Sun Zheping. Which one of you will go?" Ye Xiu clapped his hands, temporarily stopping the others' discussion, and looked at Sun Xiang and Sun Zheping.

Although both players have responsibilities in both ring matches and doubles matches, there aren't many players in the entire national team who can take on the role of drawing fire in direct confrontations. At most, there's only Tang Hao, Sun Xiang, and Sun Zheping.

“The doubles competition is too close to the team competition, and I may not be able to recover to full condition, so I’m withdrawing,” Sun Zheping said calmly. “Zhang Jiale and I will just hold the fort in the doubles competition.”

"Okay, Tang Hao, Sun Xiang?" Ye Xiu looked at the remaining two.

“My mid-range burst damage isn’t as consistent as a Battle Mage’s, and my overall approach to ambushes is flawed when the map is uncertain. Sun Xiang can use Dragon’s Head, which makes him more agile than me,” Tang Hao said. “Furthermore, the top player in the arena will have more recovery time than me, so I’ll just focus on defending the title.”

Moreover, my coordination with Zhou was not as good as Sun Xiang's; their coordinated attacks were more stable.

"That's too kind of you!" Sun Xiang's eyes lit up and he said directly, "Then I'll gladly accept!"

"Stop using fancy words." Tang Hao sighed helplessly.

"Then, for the last bait position, Lao Yu," Ye Xiu said, looking at Yu Wenzhou. "You're the most suitable."

Yu Wenzhou pondered for a moment, then smiled and nodded: "Indeed, she's neither too soft nor too hard, and she's a tactical position that can coordinate with Shao Tian... But, I think, wouldn't Mu Cheng be more suitable?"

"Huh?" Su Mucheng was taken aback. "Me?"

“Yes.” Yu Wenzhou nodded with a smile: “It can disrupt the enemy’s formation from a distance, support the front, and cover the priest. If the enemy really breaks through, it can also help Vice Captain Zhang escape. If it were me, although my hand speed has improved, I might still be no match for those monsters from the American team.”

"Two divine guns, one gunner, one warrior, one priest..." Zhang Jiale frowned. Although he felt that something was not quite right, if he disassembled the configuration further, there was indeed no better place to replace it.

"Then, let's leave it at that for now. We'll have another chance to revise the roster before noon tomorrow." Ye Xiu jotted down the rosters for each round on a scrap of paper, glanced at them, and said, "This is the last match, everyone."

The meeting room fell silent, and everyone looked at Ye Xiu.

Ye Xiu smiled and said, "You are the best professional players I have ever seen. Let's give it our all for our glory."

"understand!"

There was no joking around, only utmost seriousness.

They were just one step away from final glory.

The roster was finally finalized. On the second day at noon, Ye Xiu submitted the roster to the World Invitational Tournament referee team for final verification and filing. Now, all that's left is to wait for the final battle.

After leaving the referee group's room, Xiao Shiqin and I strolled leisurely to the training room in the venue. We didn't push the door open and just watched everyone seriously practicing tactics from outside the glass door.

"Let's go in later, so as not to disturb them." Ye Xiu patted his pocket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes that he hadn't finished in a month, which was a great restraint for a heavy smoker.

But Ye Xiu still lit one.

"What's wrong, are you nervous?" Xiao Shiqin asked with a smile.

"Aren't you nervous?" Ye Xiu asked with a smile.

"I'm nervous, how could I not be?" Xiao Shiqin said frankly. "It would be a lie to say I'm not nervous. I'm even more nervous than when I first debuted in my fourth season."

"Hehe." Ye Xiu chuckled, took a satisfying puff, and then exhaled a long breath: "Indeed, it would be a lie to say I wasn't nervous."

"Any regrets?" Xiao Shiqin asked with a smile, "You retired before this grand event, do you regret it?"

Ye Xiu thought for a moment and nodded: "Actually... there are still some? What about you? Are you disappointed?"

“Definitely…” Xiao Shiqin shrugged: “However, when it comes to mechanics, there is really no way I can do better than Captain Li. Moreover, Captain Li can also operate Lord Grim and Qiu Musu, and he is more adaptable than me. As the deputy team leader, providing tactical support to everyone is indeed the most suitable position.”

"Our names will be on that trophy too." Ye Xiu smiled and stubbed out his cigarette on the trash can. "That's quite a consolation..." Xiao Shiqin smiled and followed Ye Xiu into the training room. Everyone had finished a round of training and was discussing shortcomings and optimizations.

After that, they began the second round of training.

No prompting or corrections were needed; everyone was doing their best in whatever they could.

After the third round of training, today's training session will be terminated.

On the way back, everyone was in a different state, but even the most carefree Zhang Jiale, Fang Rui, and Huang Shaotian didn't say much. They were all seriously rehearsing in their minds the situations they might encounter tomorrow.

Even seasoned veterans can't help but feel tense when facing the final match.

What will tomorrow bring...?

Sun Xiang breathed a sigh of relief. Of all the players on the Chinese national team, he was the only one who needed to play two rounds of matches. In the first round, there was a very high chance that he would face Dominic, so he was under the most pressure.

After dinner, I went back to my room and turned off the lights.

Can I... do it well?
In the darkness, I could almost hear my own heartbeat, thumping endlessly, and I couldn't force myself to fall asleep quickly.

"Damn, this is so annoying!" Sun Xiang sat up impatiently, scratched his head in frustration, took out his phone and glanced at it. It was only a little past seven o'clock, and he had only been lying down for ten minutes.

It's past seven o'clock, which is indeed a bit too early.

The frustration in his heart grew stronger. Should he talk to someone? But who should he talk to? Sun Xiang knew his own personality; he couldn't really connect with most people. He could only chat with Li Wen and Tang Hao. As for his own captain... well, what he needed now was feedback, not a listener.

Sun Xiang got up, walked out of the room, and prepared to go find Tang Hao first.

As for Li Wen's side, most of the Ember team members are there. If I go there, I'll inevitably be bullied by Fang Rui and Zhang Jiale, which would be a losing proposition.

Just then, Tang Hao, dressed in sportswear, came out of his room.

"I was just looking for you, what are you doing here?" Sun Xiang asked curiously.

"What do you need? I'm about to go for a jog, wanna come along?" Tang Hao asked, looking at Sun Xiang.

“Go.” Sun Xiang nodded.

Jogging is indeed a good idea. If you jog for a while, you might be able to fall asleep right after taking a shower.

She hurriedly went back to change her clothes and happily followed Tang Hao out of the hotel.

The two jogged slowly while chatting casually: "You don't seem to be in very good shape?"

"A little." Sun Xiang nodded honestly. "But don't worry, I can definitely handle it... It's just that this kind of nervousness is impossible to hide, you know?"

"I understand, I was a little nervous too, which is why I went for a night run," Tang Hao said calmly. "If you think about it carefully, our nervousness might actually stem from excitement..."

"Excited?" Sun Xiang pondered for a moment: "Indeed, it's somewhat similar to the feeling I had when I took One Autumn Leaf from Ye Xiu. But when the moment came, that feeling disappeared."

“Your change is actually the biggest.” Tang Hao glanced at Sun Xiang.

"Right?" Sun Xiang thought for a moment and then laughed to himself: "To be honest, now that I think about what I did before, it was really stupid. I can't even understand why I did it back then. You know, when I took over One Autumn Leaf, I even told Ye Xiu that he was old and should retire. But not long after, Lord Grim taught me a lesson."

Tang Hao smiled and said, "I was the same way back then... Looking back now, my behavior was indeed inappropriate, whether it was during the challenge or by simply excluding Fang Rui."

Especially during the World Invitational Tournament, when I sought advice from Lin Jingyan to improve my skills, he shared everything with me without reservation. The Ember team even brought out their Silver Weapon... and that feeling of regret grew stronger and stronger.

"Aren't you two getting along pretty well now?" Sun Xiang asked curiously.

Tang Hao's face darkened: "No, my relationship with Fang Rui will never be good."

"Is this what they call a love-hate relationship?"

"Believe it or not, I'll kick you into the river?" Tang Hao asked with a dark face.

"I believe it, I believe it, I believe it." Sun Xiang laughed.

Running along the lake felt really nice. Gradually, more and more people appeared: joggers, couples taking photos, and a little girl holding a balloon standing by the river waiting for her mother to come back with snacks while reaching out to pluck a willow branch.

Sun Xiang and Tang Hao walked past them, the lively atmosphere completely dispelling the last trace of their inexplicable anxiety: "You know, didn't we just appear in the photo? Wouldn't that guy be quite surprised if he saw us in the picture?"

"That depends on whether he knows him..."

"thump!"

There's a sound of something falling into the river!

Sun Xiang and Tang Hao were startled and immediately stopped, turning their heads to look.

The balloon floated into the night sky, and in Lake Zurich, a little girl was crying and struggling.

"Damn!" Without the slightest hesitation, Sun Xiang jumped over the fence and into the lake, swimming vigorously towards the little girl.

"Tsk! This guy..." Tang Hao paused for a moment. The riverbank wasn't too far away, he needed to find one... He'd got it!
Looking around, he grabbed a large parasol from a nearby vendor's stall without a word, folded it up, and rushed towards the shore: "Sun Xiang! Grab this!"

"You're reliable!" Sun Xiang hugged the little girl and swam desperately towards the shore. More and more people came to help, and everyone grabbed the parasols and pulled Sun Xiang, who was holding the little girl, to the shore.

Sun Xiang lifted the little girl up first, then grabbed the outstretched hands of the others and climbed ashore.

"Damn, it's completely soaked..." Sun Xiang said irritably, "Don't be fooled by how clear the river looks; it's actually dirty up close."

"You..." Tang Hao opened his mouth as if to curse, but in the end he sighed and said, "Well done."

"Let's go, let's go." Sun Xiang cheerfully squeezed through the crowd, turning his head to glance at the young mother who was crying while holding her little girl: "What a pity, I couldn't understand how they were praising me..."

"...Idiot." Tang Hao rolled his eyes. "Hurry up and go back, don't catch a cold."

(End of this chapter)