Delta: With wages in place, even the Demon King's top-tier protection is crushed.

[Temporary Gold Mission: Weight Training]

[Mission Description: True warriors never complain about their circumstances. True mercenaries complete missions under any constraints. This Chen Ze Cup is your training ground.]

[Mission Requirements: Throughout the Chen Ze Cup competition, the host may only use the following weapons per game: a bare-modified M14 with a large drum magazine, or a completely unmodified weapon (no attachments allowed). After entering the map, the host may replace their equipment with the equipment obtained from defeating the operator to continue fighting.]

[Mission Reward: Upon successfully winning the championship, you will receive 20 randomly allocated attribute points.]

[Failure Penalty: If you do not win, 500 system coins will be deducted.]

[Note: This is a Gold-level mission and cannot be abandoned. The host can choose whether to accept an additional challenge—if the host wins using only unmodified weapons throughout, the reward will be doubled.]

Lu Ang stared at the line of text for a full five seconds, then slowly smiled.

It wasn't a wry smile, but the kind of ecstatic joy that comes from "even God is helping me create a good show."

He rubbed his hands together, his mind already racing—modifying an M14 for the Chen Ze Cup without any equipment, this wasn't just weight training, it was a divinely ordained script.

It's important to know that the Chen Ze Cup is different from previous competitions. This competition focuses on "finding the Demon King," encouraging proactive attacks and creative challenges.

He carried a bare-modified M14 into the map, attracting attention wherever he went; after killing someone, he would pick up the opponent's fully modified gun and continue killing, making the whole process full of highlights and the entertainment value just wouldn't stop.

There's also an extra challenge—win the championship with zero weapon modifications and the reward will be doubled.

Doubling it would mean 40 random attribute points. Lü Ang's fingers paused on the sofa armrest for a moment. The temptation was too great.

A bare-bones M14 at least has a large drum magazine, but a completely unmodified gun is truly stock, with sky-high recoil, and long-range shooting with iron sights relies entirely on faith.

For anyone else, these conditions would be tantamount to suicide.

But who is he? A man who aspires to become the MAX in all attributes.

"I've accepted it," he thought to himself.

[Host has accepted the temporary Gold Mission: Weight Training. Additional Challenge: Not selected. (Can be changed at any time before the competition begins)]

Lu Ang thought for a moment and didn't rush to choose an additional challenge.

Let's check the Group A roster first. If it's full of top players, then a basic modification will suffice; if it's a weak group, no modifications are fine too. Anyway, we can modify it before the start of the competition at the latest, so there's no rush.

He picked up his phone and sent Haotian a WeChat message: "Haotian, are you going to be the commentator for the Chen Ze Cup?"

Haotian replied instantly: "Yeah, Ang Ge! Since you weren't coming, Ze Ge contacted me. Ze Ge said he wants me to commentate on the finals with Lin Shu and Baize. I'm under so much pressure!"

Lü Ang: "What pressure? Just treat it like casual chatting during a live stream. Oh, and when you're commentating, give me a few extra compliments, say that I entered the map with a bare-bones M14 to give other players a chance."

Haotian: "...Brother Ang, are you going to do weight training again?"

Lü Ang: "That's called creating a good show effect."

Haotian: "Okay, Ang-ge, I'll definitely help you hype it up. But don't mess it up, or I won't be able to cover it up in the commentary booth."

Lü Ang: "I can't get it right. By the way, ask Brother Shu and the commander to give me a shout-out when they're doing the commentary."

Haotian sent a facepalm emoji: "Brother Ang, you're already researching this stuff? Are you even human?"

Lü Ang: "What are you saying? Do you even know what 'Little Agua Teacher's comment control techniques' are?"

Haotian replied with a string of ellipses.

Putting down his phone, Lü Ang leaned back on the sofa, unable to suppress the smile on his lips. Chen Ze Cup, Single Rank 3, Unmodified M14, Gold Mission.

These words swirled in his mind, each swirling adding to his anticipation. He'd dominated the later stages of the streamer's peak tournament, but honestly—it was pretty boring.

When all attributes are at MAX level, the opponent is no different from a bot in his eyes. He shoots, kills, takes the brick, and goes home. He goes through the whole process without feeling any emotional fluctuation.

But this time is different.

Carrying a bare-bones modified M14 into the map, the disadvantage in weapon performance will force him to use more strategic thinking.

Just like when the streamer was solo queuing in the peak tournament, Lü Ang was very happy during that time!

Now, they're coming back with partial or even complete modifications, and it's still a single three-star system!

How to use items to compensate for insufficient firepower? How to use movement to create an advantage in gunfights? How to pull off the most outrageous maneuvers under limited conditions? This is what he wants—not just to win, but to win in a way that leaves everyone speechless.

……

Soon, a sensation spread: Chen Ze officially announced the commentary lineup!

Lin Shu, Bai Ze, and Hao Tian's names appear side by side on the poster—Bai Ze in the center, Lin Shu on the left, and Hao Tian on the right.

The background features the gold logo of the Chen Ze Cup and a large caption: "Three of Delta's top commentators gather at the commentary booth!"

This lineup is even more impressive than the commentary booth for the original "Operation Red".

Because Bai Ze never participates in competitions, and Lin Shu has his own team to lead, only Chen Ze in the entire Delta region has the face to put the two of them together for commentary.

But what truly shocked everyone wasn't how strong these three were, but the fact that one person was missing—where was Lü Ang? Netizens searched through the commentary list, guest list, and halftime performance list, but Lü Ang's name was nowhere to be found.

Immediately, all sorts of speculations flew around, and the hashtag "Lü Ang is acting like a big shot" even briefly trended on social media.

Chen Ze looked at the comments popping up in the background and laughed out loud while sitting in front of the computer.

This is the moment he's been waiting for.

Chen Ze posted a video that evening.

The video title was only six words: "He's not commentating." In the video, Chen Ze sat in his signature gaming chair, adjusted his black-rimmed glasses, and said in a "don't blame me for not warning you" tone: "Brothers, Gua Chu isn't commentating, the reason is simple—he's competing." He paused deliberately, then slammed his hand on the table: "He's competing! Did you hear me? Gua Chu! Lü Ang! The man who just won the Peak Tournament recently! He's coming to play in my Chen Ze Cup!"

The live chat exploded with comments: "What the heck? He's a contestant?"

"Is Haotian a commentator or a player?"

"The henchman is sitting in the commentary box, while the boss is playing in the game?"

"I can't even imagine what that would be like... Haotian watching Lü Ang kill someone from the commentary booth, and then pretending not to know him?"

"Bai Ze and Lin Shu are still sitting there! They were both killed by Lü Ang!"

"Chen Ze, you did this on purpose, didn't you!"

In the following days, the news that "Huang Gua is participating in the Chen Ze Cup" spread like wildfire in the Delta circle.

Chen Ze's official announcement video garnered over five million views within 24 hours, and the comments section was completely out of control.

The first comment was from an old geezer with the ID "Has the idiot died today?", which consisted of only one line: "It's over. The Chen Ze Cup has become the Fried Fish Cup."

The lower floors, a multi-story building with hundreds of stories: "Fish-frying? What fish-frying? This is called a depth charge!"

"With Lü Ang standing there, the other contestants can just pull the trigger."

"Hey guys, he's a solo player, no teammates can hold him back, and no teammates can share the pressure... But the question is, is this guy the kind who needs teammates to share the pressure?"

"He got 21 kills in the final game of the peak tournament, and you're sending him to the qualifiers? That's like sending Tyson to kindergarten!"

Some attempted a more rational analysis: "Solo 3 is different from team 3. No matter how strong an individual is, they're still vulnerable to being double-teamed. The Chen Ze Cup's format encourages proactive attacking; if he gets double-teamed by other teams, he won't be able to perform well, right?"

Then a row of neat replies appeared below this comment:

"Did they manage to stop the five teams that surrounded them in the final match?"

"Even six teams combined couldn't stop them, okay?"

"Friend, have you ever heard of ZKTeco 1V15?"

"Did you see that 1v3 moment between the two members of the Aerospace Base team in the semifinals of the Peak Tournament? He killed all three professional players in one move."

After remaining silent for half an hour, the netizen who attempted a rational analysis returned and replied, "I was wrong."

……

Chen Ze looked at the comments popping up in the background and laughed out loud while sitting in front of the computer.

This is the moment he's been waiting for.

Chen Ze posted a video that evening.

The video title was only six words: "He's not commentating." In the video, Chen Ze sat in his signature gaming chair, adjusted his black-rimmed glasses, and said in a "don't blame me for not warning you" tone: "Brothers, Gua Chu isn't commentating, the reason is simple—he's competing." He paused deliberately, then slammed his hand on the table: "He's competing! Did you hear me? Gua Chu! Lü Ang! The man who just won the Peak Tournament recently! He's coming to play in my Chen Ze Cup!"

The live chat exploded with comments: "What the heck? He's a contestant?"

"Is Haotian a commentator or a player?"

"The henchman is sitting in the commentary box, while the boss is playing in the game?"

"I can't even imagine what that would be like... Haotian watching Lü Ang kill someone from the commentary booth, and then pretending not to know him?"

"Bai Ze and Lin Shu are still sitting there! They were both killed by Lü Ang!"

"Chen Ze, you did this on purpose, didn't you!"

In the following days, the news that "Huang Gua is participating in the Chen Ze Cup" spread like wildfire in the Delta circle.

Chen Ze's official announcement video garnered over five million views within 24 hours, and the comments section was completely out of control.

The first comment was from an old geezer with the ID "Has the idiot died today?", which consisted of only one line: "It's over. The Chen Ze Cup has become the Fried Fish Cup."

The lower floors, a multi-story building with hundreds of stories: "Fish-frying? What fish-frying? This is called a depth charge!"

"With Lü Ang standing there, the other contestants can just pull the trigger."

"Hey guys, he's a solo player, no teammates can hold him back, and no teammates can share the pressure... But the question is, is this guy the kind who needs teammates to share the pressure?"

"He got 21 kills in the final game of the peak tournament, and you're sending him to the qualifiers? That's like sending Tyson to kindergarten!"

Some attempted a more rational analysis: "Solo 3 is different from team 3. No matter how strong an individual is, they're still vulnerable to being double-teamed. The Chen Ze Cup's format encourages proactive attacking; if he gets double-teamed by other teams, he won't be able to perform well, right?"

Then a row of neat replies appeared below this comment:

"Did they manage to stop the five teams that surrounded them in the final match?"

"Even six teams combined couldn't stop them, okay?"

"Friend, have you ever heard of ZKTeco 1V15?"

"Did you see that 1v3 moment between the two members of the Aerospace Base team in the semifinals of the Peak Tournament? He killed all three professional players in one move."

After remaining silent for half an hour, the netizen who attempted a rational analysis returned and replied, "I was wrong."

……

No matter when or where, ( ) will always be your most loyal reading companion.

Chen Ze looked at the comments popping up in the background and laughed out loud while sitting in front of the computer.

This is the moment he's been waiting for.

Chen Ze posted a video that evening.

The video title was only six words: "He's not commentating." In the video, Chen Ze sat in his signature gaming chair, adjusted his black-rimmed glasses, and said in a "don't blame me for not warning you" tone: "Brothers, Gua Chu isn't commentating, the reason is simple—he's competing." He paused deliberately, then slammed his hand on the table: "He's competing! Did you hear me? Gua Chu! Lü Ang! The man who just won the Peak Tournament recently! He's coming to play in my Chen Ze Cup!"

The live chat exploded with comments: "What the heck? He's a contestant?"

"Is Haotian a commentator or a player?"

"The henchman is sitting in the commentary box, while the boss is playing in the game?"

"I can't even imagine what that would be like... Haotian watching Lü Ang kill someone from the commentary booth, and then pretending not to know him?"

"Bai Ze and Lin Shu are still sitting there! They were both killed by Lü Ang!"

"Chen Ze, you did this on purpose, didn't you!"

In the following days, the news that "Huang Gua is participating in the Chen Ze Cup" spread like wildfire in the Delta circle.

Chen Ze's official announcement video garnered over five million views within 24 hours, and the comments section was completely out of control.

The first comment was from an old geezer with the ID "Has the idiot died today?", which consisted of only one line: "It's over. The Chen Ze Cup has become the Fried Fish Cup."

The lower floors, a multi-story building with hundreds of stories: "Fish-frying? What fish-frying? This is called a depth charge!"

"With Lü Ang standing there, the other contestants can just pull the trigger."

"Hey guys, he's a solo player, no teammates can hold him back, and no teammates can share the pressure... But the question is, is this guy the kind who needs teammates to share the pressure?"

"He got 21 kills in the final game of the peak tournament, and you're sending him to the qualifiers? That's like sending Tyson to kindergarten!"

Some attempted a more rational analysis: "Solo 3 is different from team 3. No matter how strong an individual is, they're still vulnerable to being double-teamed. The Chen Ze Cup's format encourages proactive attacking; if he gets double-teamed by other teams, he won't be able to perform well, right?"

Then a row of neat replies appeared below this comment:

"Did they manage to stop the five teams that surrounded them in the final match?"

"Even six teams combined couldn't stop them, okay?"

"Friend, have you ever heard of ZKTeco 1V15?"

"Did you see that 1v3 moment between the two members of the Aerospace Base team in the semifinals of the Peak Tournament? He killed all three professional players in one move."

After remaining silent for half an hour, the netizen who attempted a rational analysis returned and replied, "I was wrong."

……

Read Chapter 244, "Lü Ang Wants to Participate in the Competition," now to begin today's exciting content!

Chen Ze looked at the comments popping up in the background and laughed out loud while sitting in front of the computer.

This is the moment he's been waiting for.

Chen Ze posted a video that evening.

The video title was only six words: "He's not commentating." In the video, Chen Ze sat in his signature gaming chair, adjusted his black-rimmed glasses, and said in a "don't blame me for not warning you" tone: "Brothers, Gua Chu isn't commentating, the reason is simple—he's competing." He paused deliberately, then slammed his hand on the table: "He's competing! Did you hear me? Gua Chu! Lü Ang! The man who just won the Peak Tournament recently! He's coming to play in my Chen Ze Cup!"

The live chat exploded with comments: "What the heck? He's a contestant?"

"Is Haotian a commentator or a player?"

"The henchman is sitting in the commentary box, while the boss is playing in the game?"

"I can't even imagine what that would be like... Haotian watching Lü Ang kill someone from the commentary booth, and then pretending not to know him?"

"Bai Ze and Lin Shu are still sitting there! They were both killed by Lü Ang!"

"Chen Ze, you did this on purpose, didn't you!"

In the following days, the news that "Huang Gua is participating in the Chen Ze Cup" spread like wildfire in the Delta circle.

Chen Ze's official announcement video garnered over five million views within 24 hours, and the comments section was completely out of control.

The first comment was from an old geezer with the ID "Has the idiot died today?", which consisted of only one line: "It's over. The Chen Ze Cup has become the Fried Fish Cup."

The lower floors, a multi-story building with hundreds of stories: "Fish-frying? What fish-frying? This is called a depth charge!"

"With Lü Ang standing there, the other contestants can just pull the trigger."

"Hey guys, he's a solo player, no teammates can hold him back, and no teammates can share the pressure... But the question is, is this guy the kind who needs teammates to share the pressure?"

"He got 21 kills in the final game of the peak tournament, and you're sending him to the qualifiers? That's like sending Tyson to kindergarten!"

Some attempted a more rational analysis: "Solo 3 is different from team 3. No matter how strong an individual is, they're still vulnerable to being double-teamed. The Chen Ze Cup's format encourages proactive attacking; if he gets double-teamed by other teams, he won't be able to perform well, right?"

Then a row of neat replies appeared below this comment:

"Did they manage to stop the five teams that surrounded them in the final match?"

"Even six teams combined couldn't stop them, okay?"

"Friend, have you ever heard of ZKTeco 1V15?"

"Did you see that 1v3 moment between the two members of the Aerospace Base team in the semifinals of the Peak Tournament? He killed all three professional players in one move."

After remaining silent for half an hour, the netizen who attempted a rational analysis returned and replied, "I was wrong."

……

Chen Ze looked at the comments popping up in the background and laughed out loud while sitting in front of the computer.

This is the moment he's been waiting for.

Chen Ze posted a video that evening.

The video title was only six words: "He's not commentating." In the video, Chen Ze sat in his signature gaming chair, adjusted his black-rimmed glasses, and said in a "don't blame me for not warning you" tone: "Brothers, Gua Chu isn't commentating, the reason is simple—he's competing." He paused deliberately, then slammed his hand on the table: "He's competing! Did you hear me? Gua Chu! Lü Ang! The man who just won the Peak Tournament recently! He's coming to play in my Chen Ze Cup!"

The live chat exploded with comments: "What the heck? He's a contestant?"

"Is Haotian a commentator or a player?"

"The henchman is sitting in the commentary box, while the boss is playing in the game?"

"I can't even imagine what that would be like... Haotian watching Lü Ang kill someone from the commentary booth, and then pretending not to know him?"

"Bai Ze and Lin Shu are still sitting there! They were both killed by Lü Ang!"

"Chen Ze, you did this on purpose, didn't you!"

In the following days, the news that "Huang Gua is participating in the Chen Ze Cup" spread like wildfire in the Delta circle.

Chen Ze's official announcement video garnered over five million views within 24 hours, and the comments section was completely out of control.

The first comment was from an old geezer with the ID "Has the idiot died today?", which consisted of only one line: "It's over. The Chen Ze Cup has become the Fried Fish Cup."

The lower floors, a multi-story building with hundreds of stories: "Fish-frying? What fish-frying? This is called a depth charge!"

"With Lü Ang standing there, the other contestants can just pull the trigger."

"Hey guys, he's a solo player, no teammates can hold him back, and no teammates can share the pressure... But the question is, is this guy the kind who needs teammates to share the pressure?"

"He got 21 kills in the final game of the peak tournament, and you're sending him to the qualifiers? That's like sending Tyson to kindergarten!"

Some attempted a more rational analysis: "Solo 3 is different from team 3. No matter how strong an individual is, they're still vulnerable to being double-teamed. The Chen Ze Cup's format encourages proactive attacking; if he gets double-teamed by other teams, he won't be able to perform well, right?"

Then a row of neat replies appeared below this comment:

"Did they manage to stop the five teams that surrounded them in the final match?"

"Even six teams combined couldn't stop them, okay?"

"Friend, have you ever heard of ZKTeco 1V15?"

"Did you see that 1v3 moment between the two members of the Aerospace Base team in the semifinals of the Peak Tournament? He killed all three professional players in one move."

After remaining silent for half an hour, the netizen who attempted a rational analysis returned and replied, "I was wrong."

……

Don't miss this exciting chapter: Chapter 244 Lü Ang is going to participate! Full text available, click here.

Immediately, all sorts of speculations flew around, and the hashtag "Lü Ang is acting like a big shot" even briefly trended on social media.

Chen Ze looked at the comments popping up in the background and laughed out loud while sitting in front of the computer.

This is the moment he's been waiting for.

Chen Ze posted a video that evening.

The video title was only six words: "He's not commentating." In the video, Chen Ze sat in his signature gaming chair, adjusted his black-rimmed glasses, and said in a "don't blame me for not warning you" tone: "Brothers, Gua Chu isn't commentating, the reason is simple—he's competing." He paused deliberately, then slammed his hand on the table: "He's competing! Did you hear me? Gua Chu! Lü Ang! The man who just won the Peak Tournament recently! He's coming to play in my Chen Ze Cup!"

The live chat exploded with comments: "What the heck? He's a contestant?"

"Is Haotian a commentator or a player?"

"The henchman is sitting in the commentary box, while the boss is playing in the game?"

"I can't even imagine what that would be like... Haotian watching Lü Ang kill someone from the commentary booth, and then pretending not to know him?"

"Bai Ze and Lin Shu are still sitting there! They were both killed by Lü Ang!"

"Chen Ze, you did this on purpose, didn't you!"

In the following days, the news that "Huang Gua is participating in the Chen Ze Cup" spread like wildfire in the Delta circle.

Chen Ze's official announcement video garnered over five million views within 24 hours, and the comments section was completely out of control.

The first comment was from an old geezer with the ID "Has the idiot died today?", which consisted of only one line: "It's over. The Chen Ze Cup has become the Fried Fish Cup."

The lower floors, a multi-story building with hundreds of stories: "Fish-frying? What fish-frying? This is called a depth charge!"

"With Lü Ang standing there, the other contestants can just pull the trigger."

"Hey guys, he's a solo player, no teammates can hold him back, and no teammates can share the pressure... But the question is, is this guy the kind who needs teammates to share the pressure?"

"He got 21 kills in the final game of the peak tournament, and you're sending him to the qualifiers? That's like sending Tyson to kindergarten!"

Some attempted a more rational analysis: "Solo 3 is different from team 3. No matter how strong an individual is, they're still vulnerable to being double-teamed. The Chen Ze Cup's format encourages proactive attacking; if he gets double-teamed by other teams, he won't be able to perform well, right?"

Then a row of neat replies appeared below this comment:

"Did they manage to stop the five teams that surrounded them in the final match?"

"Even six teams combined couldn't stop them, okay?"

"Friend, have you ever heard of ZKTeco 1V15?"

"Did you see that 1v3 moment between the two members of the Aerospace Base team in the semifinals of the Peak Tournament? He killed all three professional players in one move."

After remaining silent for half an hour, the netizen who attempted a rational analysis returned and replied, "I was wrong."

……

Chen Ze looked at the comments popping up in the background and laughed out loud while sitting in front of the computer.

This is the moment he's been waiting for.

Chen Ze posted a video that evening.

The video title was only six words: "He's not commentating." In the video, Chen Ze sat in his signature gaming chair, adjusted his black-rimmed glasses, and said in a "don't blame me for not warning you" tone: "Brothers, Gua Chu isn't commentating, the reason is simple—he's competing." He paused deliberately, then slammed his hand on the table: "He's competing! Did you hear me? Gua Chu! Lü Ang! The man who just won the Peak Tournament recently! He's coming to play in my Chen Ze Cup!"

The live chat exploded with comments: "What the heck? He's a contestant?"

"Is Haotian a commentator or a player?"

"The henchman is sitting in the commentary box, while the boss is playing in the game?"

"I can't even imagine what that would be like... Haotian watching Lü Ang kill someone from the commentary booth, and then pretending not to know him?"

"Bai Ze and Lin Shu are still sitting there! They were both killed by Lü Ang!"

"Chen Ze, you did this on purpose, didn't you!"

In the following days, the news that "Huang Gua is participating in the Chen Ze Cup" spread like wildfire in the Delta circle.

Chen Ze's official announcement video garnered over five million views within 24 hours, and the comments section was completely out of control.

The first comment was from an old geezer with the ID "Has the idiot died today?", which consisted of only one line: "It's over. The Chen Ze Cup has become the Fried Fish Cup."

The lower floors, a multi-story building with hundreds of stories: "Fish-frying? What fish-frying? This is called a depth charge!"

"With Lü Ang standing there, the other contestants can just pull the trigger."

"Hey guys, he's a solo player, no teammates can hold him back, and no teammates can share the pressure... But the question is, is this guy the kind who needs teammates to share the pressure?"

"He got 21 kills in the final game of the peak tournament, and you're sending him to the qualifiers? That's like sending Tyson to kindergarten!"

Some attempted a more rational analysis: "Solo 3 is different from team 3. No matter how strong an individual is, they're still vulnerable to being double-teamed. The Chen Ze Cup's format encourages proactive attacking; if he gets double-teamed by other teams, he won't be able to perform well, right?"

Then a row of neat replies appeared below this comment:

"Did they manage to stop the five teams that surrounded them in the final match?"

"Even six teams combined couldn't stop them, okay?"

"Friend, have you ever heard of ZKTeco 1V15?"

"Did you see that 1v3 moment between the two members of the Aerospace Base team in the semifinals of the Peak Tournament? He killed all three professional players in one move."

After remaining silent for half an hour, the netizen who attempted a rational analysis returned and replied, "I was wrong."

……

There's always a story waiting for you to uncover.

Immediately, all sorts of speculations flew around, and the hashtag "Lü Ang is acting like a big shot" even briefly trended on social media.

Chen Ze looked at the comments popping up in the background and laughed out loud while sitting in front of the computer.

This is the moment he's been waiting for.

Chen Ze posted a video that evening.

The video title was only six words: "He's not commentating." In the video, Chen Ze sat in his signature gaming chair, adjusted his black-rimmed glasses, and said in a "don't blame me for not warning you" tone: "Brothers, Gua Chu isn't commentating, the reason is simple—he's competing." He paused deliberately, then slammed his hand on the table: "He's competing! Did you hear me? Gua Chu! Lü Ang! The man who just won the Peak Tournament recently! He's coming to play in my Chen Ze Cup!"

The live chat exploded with comments: "What the heck? He's a contestant?"

"Is Haotian a commentator or a player?"

"The henchman is sitting in the commentary box, while the boss is playing in the game?"

"I can't even imagine what that would be like... Haotian watching Lü Ang kill someone from the commentary booth, and then pretending not to know him?"

"Bai Ze and Lin Shu are still sitting there! They were both killed by Lü Ang!"

"Chen Ze, you did this on purpose, didn't you!"

In the following days, the news that "Huang Gua is participating in the Chen Ze Cup" spread like wildfire in the Delta circle.

Chen Ze's official announcement video garnered over five million views within 24 hours, and the comments section was completely out of control.

The first comment was from an old geezer with the ID "Has the idiot died today?", which consisted of only one line: "It's over. The Chen Ze Cup has become the Fried Fish Cup."

The lower floors, a multi-story building with hundreds of stories: "Fish-frying? What fish-frying? This is called a depth charge!"

"With Lü Ang standing there, the other contestants can just pull the trigger."

"Hey guys, he's a solo player, no teammates can hold him back, and no teammates can share the pressure... But the question is, is this guy the kind who needs teammates to share the pressure?"

"He got 21 kills in the final game of the peak tournament, and you're sending him to the qualifiers? That's like sending Tyson to kindergarten!"

Some attempted a more rational analysis: "Solo 3 is different from team 3. No matter how strong an individual is, they're still vulnerable to being double-teamed. The Chen Ze Cup's format encourages proactive attacking; if he gets double-teamed by other teams, he won't be able to perform well, right?"

Then a row of neat replies appeared below this comment:

"Did they manage to stop the five teams that surrounded them in the final match?"

"Even six teams combined couldn't stop them, okay?"

"Friend, have you ever heard of ZKTeco 1V15?"

"Did you see that 1v3 moment between the two members of the Aerospace Base team in the semifinals of the Peak Tournament? He killed all three professional players in one move."

After remaining silent for half an hour, the netizen who attempted a rational analysis returned and replied, "I was wrong."

……

Chen Ze looked at the comments popping up in the background and laughed out loud while sitting in front of the computer.

This is the moment he's been waiting for.

Chen Ze posted a video that evening.

The video title was only six words: "He's not commentating." In the video, Chen Ze sat in his signature gaming chair, adjusted his black-rimmed glasses, and said in a "don't blame me for not warning you" tone: "Brothers, Gua Chu isn't commentating, the reason is simple—he's competing." He paused deliberately, then slammed his hand on the table: "He's competing! Did you hear me? Gua Chu! Lü Ang! The man who just won the Peak Tournament recently! He's coming to play in my Chen Ze Cup!"

The live chat exploded with comments: "What the heck? He's a contestant?"

"Is Haotian a commentator or a player?"

"The henchman is sitting in the commentary box, while the boss is playing in the game?"

"I can't even imagine what that would be like... Haotian watching Lü Ang kill someone from the commentary booth, and then pretending not to know him?"

"Bai Ze and Lin Shu are still sitting there! They were both killed by Lü Ang!"

"Chen Ze, you did this on purpose, didn't you!"

In the following days, the news that "Huang Gua is participating in the Chen Ze Cup" spread like wildfire in the Delta circle.

Chen Ze's official announcement video garnered over five million views within 24 hours, and the comments section was completely out of control.

The first comment was from an old geezer with the ID "Has the idiot died today?", which consisted of only one line: "It's over. The Chen Ze Cup has become the Fried Fish Cup."

The lower floors, a multi-story building with hundreds of stories: "Fish-frying? What fish-frying? This is called a depth charge!"

"With Lü Ang standing there, the other contestants can just pull the trigger."

"Hey guys, he's a solo player, no teammates can hold him back, and no teammates can share the pressure... But the question is, is this guy the kind who needs teammates to share the pressure?"

"He got 21 kills in the final game of the peak tournament, and you're sending him to the qualifiers? That's like sending Tyson to kindergarten!"

Some attempted a more rational analysis: "Solo 3 is different from team 3. No matter how strong an individual is, they're still vulnerable to being double-teamed. The Chen Ze Cup's format encourages proactive attacking; if he gets double-teamed by other teams, he won't be able to perform well, right?"

Then a row of neat replies appeared below this comment:

"Did they manage to stop the five teams that surrounded them in the final match?"

"Even six teams combined couldn't stop them, okay?"

"Friend, have you ever heard of ZKTeco 1V15?"

"Did you see that 1v3 moment between the two members of the Aerospace Base team in the semifinals of the Peak Tournament? He killed all three professional players in one move."

After remaining silent for half an hour, the netizen who attempted a rational analysis returned and replied, "I was wrong."

……