You Boys Play Games Very Well

Chapter 7

In any case, Ling Meng was now god-ranked, lurking in Mang God’s broadcast room every day. Of course he knew that his opponent’s ranking was already higher this season, which meant that their chances of matching in the queue were very low. Ling Meng also painstakingly aimed at ambushing Mang God during his live stream hours, and so, as they say, hard work pays off. When the familiar avatar appeared on the screen, Ling Meng knew that the opportunity to grasp the real body of Mang God² had come.

[Empire] Mangosteen: Hey.

Mang God even took the initiative to say hello to him and, while already knowing the answer, Ling Meng asked:

[Federation] Lemon: Are you live?

[Empire] Mangosteen: Take a guess?

[Federation] Lemon: Aren’t you afraid that I will go to your live broadcast to stream snipe?

[Empire] Mangosteen: I’ll favorably receive you.

[Federation] Lemon: Don’t be complacent, Daddy is not who the man he used to be.

[Empire] Mangosteen: Is that so? I look forward to it.

[Federation] Lemon: Let’s make a bet?

[Empire] Mangosteen: Okay, since you’re bringing it up.

[Federation] Lemon: I heard that you’re a college student. Does your university have a school supermarket?

Ling Meng wasn’t just speaking without thinking – there was a school supermarket downstairs in their dormitory area.

[Empire] Mangosteen: Of course there is.

[Federation] Lemon: If you lose, go to the school supermarket and buy a packet of sanitary napkins, then post the photo on Weibo – do you dare?

Mang God’s live stream had reached a new record number of viewers. Many people were still coming in as no one wanted to miss this season’s drama.

[Empire] Mangosteen: But I’m not interested in you buying sanitary napkins. If you lose, how about buying condoms?

Ling Meng was stunned speechless. The school supermarket actually sells condoms?

[Federation] Lemon: That sounds like I’m getting the worst of it.

[Empire] Mangosteen: If I lose, I’ll broadcast it live.

 

In the broadcast room, the momentum of the barrage took a sudden turn for the worse:

— Humbly praying for Lemon Daddy to beat Mang God!

— Lemon Daddy, Uncle Lemon, Ancestor Lemon Daddy, the responsibility for the first in-real-life broadcast of Mang God has been handed over to you!!!

— If Meng God streams IRL, I will hold a lottery for 50 goodie bags on my Weibo!

— Tonight, we are all Lemon people!

Ling Meng saw this comment and, brimming with heroic spirit, hit the return key:

[Federation] Lemon: Deal!

 

Ling Meng pledged that he voluntarily would close the Fighting Cat app on his mobile phone. He wanted to win against Mang God once and for all, but he scorned the idea of stream sniping.

As soon as the “charge” horn sounded, Ling Meng abandoned his old style of advancing rapidly and instead developed his economy patiently. He sent troops to investigate slowly and inquisitively. Ling Meng upgraded the anti-reconnaissance equipment first and the scouts who came to test him out were strongly smashed to the ground via attrition.

— Attrition, attrition, this is the devil’s pace~

In the barrage, this chorus carried on and Mang God forced a bitter smile.

“So you’re looking forward to my loss?”

— It’s not that my support is shaky, it’s that the prize is really too attractive.

— If you won and would still reveal your face, I believe that everyone would support you to win.

Mang God chatted while arranging the troops, his voice sounded relaxed and comfortable. It was in sharp contrast with Ling Meng’s sharp vigilance.

Ling Meng had studied far too many of Mang God’s videos. He could say he knew this person like the palm of his hand. Everyone has strengths and weaknesses, Mang God was no exception. He wanted to use this advantage to take the other side by surprise.

He feinted a sneak attack on the resources, while secretly interfering with the other side’s radar. Taking advantage of the now-intermittent blank screen of the radar, he sent a fleet of flying ships to attack the other side’s nuclear station.

In the blink of an eye, the development of Mang God was slowed down a lot. Ling Meng backed off from charging forward for the win and instead took more time to collect resources and expand his fleet.

Mang God, now in the disadvantageous position, became grave and earnest. He was also aware that Lemon wasn’t god-ranked by accident this season. He just didn’t expect the other side to improve so much. Compared to the two previous encounters, he had basically become a different person.

The commentary on the live stream was much less than usual, even the barrage was quieter as well. Everyone was watching the game attentively and they completely forgot that their original purpose was just to see how the two people would go to the school supermarket to shop.

After probing the other side, Ling Meng launched a huge raid with Federation ships. Mang God’s troops weren’t his equal – they had to evacuate as they fought and couldn’t even dismantle the frontline fortifications, and so they were turned into Ling Meng’s spies.

“His progress has been huge,” Mang God praised him from the bottom of his heart.

— Mang God personally praised Lemon Dad’s JB³ for its great size!

— On that day, people finally remembered the fear of being dominated by Lemon Dad!

— My Lemon Dad community, I’m nervous, are you nervous?

Mang God was too busy to pay attention to the filthy chat in the broadcast room and he upgraded the nuclear explosion technology tree to full. “But I don’t want to stream IRL?”

— Unexpectedly, Mang God is playing so dirty, God halo no more?

— A hero is willing to gamble and face the consequences!

A red warning appeared on Mang God’s screen, a sign that the main space station has been attacked. This time, the opponent not only held the frontline, but also sent out two flanking squads. It could be said that he was bound for victory.

At the current pace, the Imperial Base would be completely destroyed in another 30 seconds. There was probably no hope of winning and the opposite side has abandoned defense entirely. This would be the first victory for Ling Meng in their three matches and this match even involved a bet of honor. Ling Meng was so excited that the palm of the hand holding the mouse was sweaty.

“What the fuck? Fuck, fuck! You’re going to win, MengMeng, you’re so handsome!” his roommate encouraged like a cheerleader.

— Lemon Dad, jiayou⁴, 666!!

— Daddy! Don’t let us down, Daddy!

Even Mang God’s chat was one-sided.

Mang God’s screen was almost completely black, no radar, no scouts, and the Federation base was like an incomprehensible, unreachable black hole to him.

“What shall I do?” Mang God’s mouse dragged aimlessly on the black screen. “Gambling on it…right here.”

— I’m going to eat S⁵ live!

“I leave it up to fate.” Mang God pressed the left mouse button.

As he was watching the health of the main Imperial Base run out, Ling Meng’s screen suddenly shook and the image of the in-progress attack turned black and white. The failure notification popped up in the center of the screen.

Struck dumb, Ling Meng stared at the monitor, wondering what had happened.

“That, MengMeng, your homebase, it seems to have been detonated by a nuclear bomb,” his roommates weakly explained.

Ling Meng quickly turned his head: “How did he aim at it?”

He had already crushed his opponent’s radar. Without radar, his base was dark to Mang God. Who would fire a nuclear bomb into pitch black darkness with no way to bias the direction?

His roommate tilted his head: “I think, this… probably by guessing?”

“Haha, lucky,” Mang God flicked the mouse, leaning against the back of the chair, and joyfully stretched his wrist.

It had been a bitter battle.

— ? ? ? ? ? ? ?

— That’s fucking possible?

— Are you kidding me?

— The hand of God!!!

— Brother who was going to eat S live just now, are you still there?

Mang God relaxed from the tension and spent some time watching the barrage flow like a waterfall. Everyone was lamenting his astonishing luck, but in fact he would have died ten seconds later. He had made some bold speculations and rigorous calculations. Although he was gambling in the moment he dropped the nuclear bomb, he didn’t fire it into the middle of nowhere as some people thought. He still had at least 30% confidence.

[Empire] Mangosteen: Good game, you played very well.

Ling Meng hammered his final words out hatefully.

[Federation] Lemon: The bet’s penalty! Just wait!