Chapter 18: He Is Still a Boy

Tch! Do they really think I'm stupid?

Would I waste my time running out here to exchange gunfire for no reason?

Yang Hao knew perfectly well the enemy had two people. If he exposed himself now without backup, it would be suicide. Besides, he was holding an M416—if he only fired in bursts, unless the enemy was completely helmetless, even a headshot wouldn’t be fatal. This was just a feint attack, and he was well aware of it.

As Yang Hao rushed out, Lin Zijin and her team had already quietly circled to another position. When the enemy's attention was focused on him, Lin Zijin and the others struck with thunderous force.

Their coordination was flawless!

After knocking down both enemies, Lin Zijin led the team up the building, but found no one else—the teammates of those two didn’t seem to be around.

With these hidden threats dealt with, Yang Hao retreated again.

The business of looting wasn’t finished yet, so why would Yang Hao give up halfway?

As he returned to loot, the viewers in the streaming room went wild, spamming their praise even though Yang Hao had little to do with the latest action. Still, he couldn’t resist chiming in, “My wife is amazing!”

His tendency to show off his wife was unmistakable.

While looting, gunshots echoed from the west side of the city—clearly a firefight had broken out over by the twin houses.

“Tomato and Cheng knocked down ‘Fallen Into the Abyss’ with a 98K headshot!”

“One Step Lost knocked down Tomato and Little Winter with an M16A4!”

“Tomato and Cheng knocked down One Step Lost with a SCAR-L!”

...

Him?

When these messages appeared on the screen, Yang Hao hesitated.

The gunfire in the west had just begun, and these notifications popped up at the same time. If Cheng wasn’t among those in the west, the timing would be too coincidental.

Could it really be this random?

Honestly, Yang Hao didn’t dislike “Cheng” much, but the guy had nothing better to do than come over and flirt with Lin Zijin. Anyone could see the intention, and that annoyed Yang Hao.

If Cheng was just a friend from Lin Zijin’s professional or gaming circles, with no ulterior motives, Yang Hao wouldn’t mind, maybe even greet him with a smile.

But who was he, anyway?

Yang Hao only knew that Cheng was a streamer on Tomato TV—not someone he actually knew.

As for Lin Zijin, there was even less to say.

If not for financial pressure, Lin Zijin probably wouldn’t have thought of streaming. Yang Hao understood her well—she would rather devote her time to training than broadcasting.

She was a headstrong and stubborn person. If not, she wouldn’t have defied her family to become a professional esports player.

A month ago, Lin Zijin left again to form a new team, facing immense pressure from both her family and the outside world.

Though she no longer needed to prove herself, her new team with Ling Xue’er and the others still had to achieve results.

Training became her main theme—aside from two or three hours of streaming each day, most of her time was spent practicing.

Although Lin Zijin was now also a Tomato TV streamer, she rarely interacted with others from the platform, if at all—not even knowing Cheng, just having heard of him due to his moderate fame.

During her streams, Lin Zijin spoke little. If not for her skill and reputation—and Yang Hao livening up the atmosphere—her stream wouldn't be as lively as it was.

Her fans, compared to other streamers, were extremely loyal. Even though Lin Zijin focused almost entirely on the game and barely spoke, the atmosphere remained vibrant.

Soon, the gunfire from the west faded, and as more kill messages appeared on screen, that battle was nearly over.

Yang Hao returned to Lin Zijin’s side, pulling out a med kit, three first aid packs, five energy drinks, and a rifle suppressor from his backpack.

After killing the previous two enemies, Lin Zijin had swapped her SKS for a fully equipped 98K, so she had no shortage of scopes or attachments. Yang Hao handed the extra scopes and meds to Ling Xue’er and Lu Ziqi.

Even though his main aim was to please Lin Zijin, he couldn’t afford to offend these two “allies.” Sharing resources might even save his life one day.

“Thanks!” Lu Ziqi said, picking up the supplies Yang Hao tossed over. But Ling Xue’er, for some reason, seemed to hold a grudge—she snatched up the items and immediately turned cold, leaving Yang Hao frustrated.

And there was nothing he could say about it.

A real man knows when to bend. He just had to endure.

Why bother with a little girl?

Yang Hao consoled himself. The truth was, Ling Xue’er really was younger than him.

Being a pro gamer was a young person’s game. Many stars started in their teens, and by the time they became famous, they were barely in their twenties—some even younger.

Take Lin Zijin, for instance: she became a pro at seventeen, and five years later she was still in her prime.

Of course, Lin Zijin was a special case—her legend was nearly impossible to replicate.

But it was undeniable that pro gamers were rarely old.

Ling Xue’er was, at best, an aspiring pro. Lin Zijin’s team had only been established for a month and hadn’t yet competed in any major tournaments.

Lu Ziqi and Shen Muxi, who Lin Zijin recruited, were already pros—older than Ling Xue’er but not by much.

After dividing the spoils, the group began moving toward the west side of the city.

They hadn’t forgotten that at least one enemy team remained over there.

However...

On the way, they spotted someone sneaking around—a figure suddenly appeared from a nearby house.

It was clear the person had stumbled right into their sights.

“Rat-a-tat-tat!”

“‘My Heart Is Calm’ knocked down Tomato and Little Winter with an M416!”

Unsurprisingly, the stranger was knocked down by their team.

And the one who did it was Yang Hao himself.

Yang Hao was immensely proud.

Did you see that? That’s what skill looks like!

“Hey, don’t shoot! I’m here to deliver a message,” the person on the ground suddenly called out as Yang Hao prepared to finish them off.

From the voice, it was a young woman.

But Yang Hao didn’t care.

So what if she was a girl?

She came to him, so she couldn’t blame him for being ruthless.

Spare the enemy, and you’re cruel to yourself. Yang Hao wouldn’t make the mistakes that other men so often did.

He was still a boy...

Lin Zijin was all he needed—he had no interest in any others.

Soft-hearted? Not a chance.