The Red Era: Living in Seclusion in a Siheyuan as a Boss

Chapter 823 These days, playing games can even bring glory to the country!!!

At 2 a.m. in the training room, Li Dapeng was still practicing the game controls repeatedly.

Sweat trickled down his temples, splashing tiny droplets on the mechanical keyboard.

The occasional announcements from night buses outside the window remind me that the city never stops running.

The turning point came in the fifth week after Li Dapeng entered the camp.

In the intra-team scrimmage that day, Li Dapeng's team defeated the players from the other teams.

Head coach Wang Lei watched the entire game from behind him. After the game, he patted him on the shoulder and said, "You'll replace the sick A-K from the main team in next month's city championship."

"Ah, this is great! I'm finally going to participate in the professional league!" Li Dapeng couldn't contain his joy and jumped up on the spot.
Coach Wang Lei roughly ruffled Li Dapeng's hair, making it a mess, and said, "You brat, you need to work harder, or you'll have to go back to the reserve team."

"Yes, Coach, I promise to complete the mission." Li Dapeng gave him a funny American-style military salute.

Coach Wang Lei smiled and shook his head. As he turned to leave, he added, "Starting tomorrow, you'll train with the main players. Don't be late."

Li Dapeng watched his coach's retreating figure, so excited he forgot himself, feeling an irresistible urge to represent the "Star Club" in the competition.

I sat back down at the computer; the results of the previous match were still on the screen.

As his fingertips gently traced the sweat-soaked keycaps on the keyboard, Li Dapeng suddenly remembered that just three months ago he was just a casual gamer spending all night in internet cafes, but now he was about to become a professional e-sports athlete in China.

The next morning, as the first rays of sunlight shone through the blinds of the training room, Li Dapeng was already sitting in front of the main team's designated camera position.

As his teammates arrived one after another, team captain Jiao Buli tossed him a can of chilled "Arctic Ocean" soda: "Rookie, welcome to the main team."

The joint training was more difficult than expected.

The main players' tactical coordination was seamless, and Li Dapeng's several operational errors led to the team's defeat.

As the halftime whistle blew, Li Dapeng bit his lower lip, his eyes fixed on the computer screen.

The whispers coming from the bench pierced his ears like needles, and his grip on the water bottle tightened unconsciously.

"Dude, don't worry about it too much." A warm hand suddenly landed on his shoulder. Captain Jiao Buli had appeared behind him without him noticing. "It's normal for newcomers to need an adjustment period."

I've watched your training sessions, and they're excellent. Given time, you'll definitely become a key player on our team.

Li Dapeng turned around and found his captain giving him an encouraging smile.

Jiao Buli then asked, "I heard you're also from Liujiazhuang in Yanjing?"

"Yes!" Li Dapeng's eyes lit up. "Captain, are you also from Liujiazhuang?"

“That’s right.” Jiao Buli nodded, a hint of nostalgia flashing in his eyes. “Five years ago, our whole family moved to Shanghai because of my father’s job transfer.”

Come to think of it, it's been a long time since I've been back.

"What a coincidence!" Li Dapeng's face immediately lit up with a smile, and the gloom from before vanished.

He patted the captain on the shoulder warmly, "It's really fate to meet a fellow villager in this unfamiliar place."

Captain, you'll have to look out for me from now on!

Jiao Buli laughed heartily: "Sure, by the way, after training I'll take you to try some authentic Beijing cuisine. I know a restaurant near the club that makes particularly authentic Zha Jiang Mian (noodles with soybean paste)."

Da Peng's eyes lit up upon hearing this, and he readily agreed, "That would be wonderful! This meal is on me, Captain!"

In the afternoon training match, Li Dapeng's performance improved significantly.

He deliberately slowed down the pace and carefully observed his teammates' positioning habits, resulting in excellent teamwork in crucial team fights.

Jiao Buli praised loudly in the voice chat: "Beautiful! Da Peng's move was at a professional level!"

After training, the two changed into casual clothes and went to the small restaurant hidden deep in the alley.

Pushing open the wooden door adorned with a copper bell, the familiar aroma of fried sauce wafts out.

The boss, speaking with a heavy Beijing accent, greeted them, "Oh, Xiao Jiao brought a friend?"

"Okay, Uncle Zhang, two bowls of noodles with soybean paste, extra cucumber shreds. And a plate of braised beef, and spicy stir-fried pork intestines..." Jiao Buli ordered the food with practiced ease, then turned to Li Dapeng and said, "The owner of this restaurant is a genuine Beijing native, and the dishes he makes are just like those of us from Beijing."

When the noodles were served, Jiao Buli said with a smile, "Dapeng, do you know that this time the City League has invited your idol Sky to be a special guest commentator?"

"Really? Then I'd better do my best and try to meet my idol, Sky," Li Dapeng said excitedly.

Li Dapeng picked up a mouthful of noodles, and the rich aroma of the sauce instantly reminded him of the old noodle shop at the entrance of the alley in his hometown.

While slurping his noodles, he asked indistinctly, "Captain, do you think Sky will be able to defend his WCG title this year?"

Jiao Buli added a spoonful of chili oil to the noodles and said with a smile, "Sky has been on a very good track record these past two years and has a great chance of defending his championship title."

"By the way, I heard Sky really likes to discover new talent. If you can show off your skills in the competition, you might actually catch his attention."

Upon hearing this, Li Dapeng's eyes lit up, and his chopsticks stopped in mid-air: "Captain, are you serious? Then I will definitely do my best!" He was so excited that he almost knocked over the vinegar bottle, attracting the attention of diners at the next table.

The training room was lit up until the early hours of the morning, but this time the sound of typing was accompanied by the rustling of turning pages.

The night before the competition, Li Dapeng tossed and turned in his dormitory, unable to sleep.

Suddenly, A-Jie, the guy from Guangdong who shared a room with me, sat up and said, "Brother Peng, I heard that our Star Team is planning to sign a foreign player from South Korea."

These words struck Li Dapeng like a stone. He stared at Sky's poster on the wall and, for the first time, truly felt the brutal competition in professional e-sports.

In front of the live broadcast camera of the City Showdown, Li Dapeng's hands no longer trembled.

Li Dapeng performed exceptionally well in this city league, winning the championship in his first competition representing the "Starry Sky" club.

This is Li Dapeng's first official championship in his professional career, which is very memorable.

On the podium, Li Dapeng, with the heavy gold medal around his neck, was somewhat dazed by the intense light from the spotlights.

The cheers from the audience surged like a tide, and he saw his idol Sky smiling and giving him a thumbs up in the front row.

In that moment, all the three months of relentless training, the calluses on the keyboard, and the sweat-soaked team uniforms all became worthwhile.

At the celebration banquet held by the club after the game, Li Dapeng had his first close chat with his idol Sky.

Sky, holding a champagne glass, walked up to Li Dapeng with a smile: "Dapeng, that incredible comeback today was absolutely brilliant."

Li Dapeng was so excited that his palms were sweating. He quickly put down his cola and stood up: "Sky God, I... I've been watching your matches for years!"

“Hehe, don’t be nervous. We’re about the same age…” Sky patted his shoulder, gesturing for him to sit down. “I’ve watched your matches; your hand speed and reaction time are excellent. But there are some things I suggest you…”

Sky's real name is Li Shaofeng, and he is a relative of Li Dapeng.

As the two got into a lively conversation, Li Shaofeng and Li Dapeng started talking about their e-sports careers, and their experiences were quite similar.

In the mid-1990s, Li Shaofeng, who was only 16 years old at the time, was a junior high school student at Liujiazhuang No. 4 Middle School. He accidentally came across the game "StarCraft".

He was quickly drawn to it and became addicted to it, even skipping school and speeding up his showers just to save time going to the internet cafe near the school.

After that, Li Shaofeng developed a habit of sneaking out of the house every night after his family had gone to sleep to go to an internet cafe and play games all night.

Later, Li Shaofeng became completely obsessed with e-sports competitions because of StarCraft.

Moreover, Li Shaofeng possessed an exceptional talent for e-sports competitions; he was unmatched in StarCraft in Liujiazhuang High-tech Zone. However, Li Shaofeng's performance in the following year's high school entrance examination was dismal, with only English and History passing, and all other subjects failing to reach 40 points.

Li Shaofeng's father worked in the medical system of Liujiazhuang, and in his anger, he severely punished Li Shaofeng.

They used their connections to send Li Shaofeng to Liujiazhuang Medical College as an adult college student, hoping that he could get rid of his gaming addiction by taking over a job after graduation.

After entering Liujiazhuang Traditional Chinese Medicine College, Li Shaofeng's academic performance was not satisfactory.

Therefore, he frequently visited internet cafes near the school and joined the Liujiazhuang e-sports team "Interstellar Aliens".

"Interstellar Alien" club is no unknown entity; it is one of the earliest established esports clubs in China and possesses considerable strength.

Here, Li Shaofeng encountered many masters, which further ignited his competitive spirit.

Li Shaofeng began training harder than anyone else. In order to be able to snag his favorite computer during an all-night session, he was even willing to wait at the internet cafe two hours in advance.

Before training, Li Shaofeng, also known as Sky, would carefully clean the ash off his keyboard, unscrew the ball from his mechanical mouse, and meticulously wipe it with newspapers he brought from his dormitory.

When the night was deep and quiet, while everyone else started chatting and relaxing, Sky remained focused on training. He begged his teammates to keep quiet and play StarCraft with him.

His teammates kept changing tactics to fight against Sky, but Sky stubbornly used a single tactic, constantly honing it until it became a conditioned reflex.

In the summer of 97, five top StarCraft professional players from South Korea visited Dongda University for a wonderful match and exchange.

During this event, Dongda players xiaOt and CQ2000 stood out in Beijing and Chongqing respectively, defeating visiting players Grrrrr and Byun, a feat that shocked the e-sports world.

Although CQ2000 performed well in the WCG expedition team, Sky fell behind due to insufficient training.

However, he was not discouraged by this. Instead, he devoted himself to training with amazing perseverance, practicing for up to 10 hours a day, and sometimes even up to 18 hours, until he almost fainted.

In contrast, CQ2000's daily training volume at that time was only 2 to 5 hours, and sometimes he would even do a week of relaxation training.

Not long after, in order to compete for a tournament that offered a prize of only 2000 yuan for the champion, Sky borrowed money to travel to Tianjin Port.

However, after three rounds of fierce battles, he was defeated by an unknown player and gained nothing.

This defeat left Sky feeling deeply frustrated, and he even began to question whether he was suited for the path of esports.

In the latter half of 97, Sky finally won his first e-sports championship at the "Lenovo Cup" StarCraft competition held at Liujiazhuang Gymnasium, and received a prize of 800 yuan.

This victory undoubtedly brought him new hope and motivation.

The following summer, Li Shaofeng began his internship at the hospital, but deep down he did not want to become a doctor.

At the same time, he is eager to participate in the WCG Yanjing regional qualifiers, hoping to make another push in the gaming field and prove that the path he has chosen is the right one.

Li Shaofeng mustered his courage and assured his father that this was his last attempt, and if he didn't perform well, he would give up on the game altogether.

Although his father was worried, he still gave him travel expenses.

Li Shaofeng is busy with his internship during the day, and then spends his evenings preparing for the WCG.

However, the results of the preliminary rounds were even more dismal, with Li Shaofeng being eliminated in the first round.

He walked dejectedly to the window in the stairwell, and at one point contemplated suicide, but was fortunately stopped in time by his friends.

After returning to Liujiazhuang High-tech Zone from the city, Sky fell into depression.

But after he calmed down, he did not keep his promise to "give up esports".

Instead, Li Shaofeng borrowed 200 yuan from the former captain of the "Interstellar Alien" team for travel expenses and once again embarked on his journey to the WCG Tianjin Port Regional Qualifiers.

Although he ultimately failed to qualify, he achieved a commendable third place and won a prize of one thousand yuan.

At the beginning of the new millennium, the WCG Yanjing regional qualifiers moved online, and Sky engaged in fierce battles at home.

In the final, he once again faced Cao Shuxin, the opponent who had eliminated him last year and nearly driven him to his doom.

However, Sky did not repeat the same mistake in this match.

At a crucial moment in the game, a sudden thunderstorm and heavy rain caused a power outage at Sky's home.

He quickly contacted the organizing committee and learned that as long as he could log back in within 15 minutes, he would have a chance to retake the competition.

Ignoring the power outage at home, Sky hurriedly ran downstairs and rode his bicycle to an internet cafe in the Hedong District that was unaffected by the power outage.

However, when he was halfway there, the phone rang at home.

After hesitating for a moment, Li Shaofeng decided to continue to the internet cafe to ensure he could make it to the rematch.

Back in the match room, Sky and Cao Shuxin resumed their battle.

He adjusted his tactics, cleverly using the Dark Templar Assassin's stealth ability to launch a surprise attack, successfully turning the tide of the battle.

Finally, Li Shaofeng raised his hands high and excitedly shouted, "Good Game!"

After five years in StarCraft, experiencing countless failures and struggles, Li Shaofeng finally earned the precious opportunity to participate in the national finals.

This experience brought him to the attention of the club, and after the Spring Festival in 2001, he received an invitation from "Changxiang Club", a top e-sports club in Yanjing, with a monthly salary of 2,000 yuan.

This is a top-tier e-sports club heavily invested in by "Lianxiang Technology Group". It frequently participates in international competitions and has achieved some good results.

As one of the two most powerful high-tech companies in China, Lianxiang Group, with the strong support of the "Liu's Financial Investment Group" behind it, has been among the top high-tech enterprises in the world in recent years.

Of course, the company spares no effort in promotion, and esports clubs are just one aspect of that.

Although Li Shaofeng initially wanted to continue playing StarCraft, the StarCraft team of the "Changxiang" club was full, so he turned to Warcraft 3 competitions.

In the "Dream" club, Sky developed a unique Sky style of play—a clever combination of Archmage, Beastmaster, Sorceress, Sorceress, summoned units, militia, and mini-towers to form an ALL IN offensive strategy.

He honed this tactic to perfection through tens of thousands of rigorous training sessions.

After joining the "Dream Club", Li Shaofeng's life underwent a dramatic change.

The club provided him with professional training equipment, arranged for a nutritionist and a physical trainer, and even hired a foreign coach for tactical guidance.

At the WCG East Regional Finals, Sky fought his way through the competition and met his old rival Cao Shuxin in the finals.

This match adopted a best-of-five (BO5) format, and the first four games ended in a 2-2 tie.

In the decisive game, Sky boldly adopted a new tactic, achieving a stunning comeback despite being at a resource disadvantage, thanks to precise micro-management.

When the opponent typed "GG", the entire audience stood up and applauded, and the commentator excitedly shouted, "This is the strength of the number one StarCraft player from Dongda University!"

This victory not only earned Sky a prize of 10 yuan, but also qualified him to represent Dongda University in the WCG World Finals.

On the field in Seoul, the "Kimchi Country," Sky displayed amazing strength against top players from around the world.

They ultimately won the championship, achieving the best result ever for a student from the University of Tokyo in this event.

After returning to China, Sky's story was featured in a special report on CCTV's "Oriental Horizon," and his father finally understood his choice.

In 2001 and 2002, Li Shaofeng stood out in the WCG World Finals for two consecutive years with his unique playing style, winning the championship and being inducted into the Hall of Fame.

(End of this chapter)