Chapter 1384: Too Close

Translator: Nomyummi Editor: Nomyummi

Happy responded to Chen Guo’s complaints with a grin.

Naturally, winning these awards were a cause for celebration, but Team Happy didn’t have the time for a celebration yet. They still had plenty to do in preparations for the playoffs, especially getting used to their new equipment.

Forty pieces of Pseudo Silver equipment!

In this last week, Happy’s R&D worked overtime and managed to finish the last three Silver equipment right after the end of the thirty-eighth round, giving Happy a total of forty pieces of Pseudo Silver equipment.

Compared to proper Silver equipment, Pseudo Silver equipment was disposable, a temporary fix for Happy’s lack of proper equipment, but they didn’t have any room for improvement. This expenditure pained Chen Guo, but she understood Happy’s current situation. Without special methods, it was impossible to improve their hardware so quickly. The other teams had managed to get to where they were through years of cumulative effort. No matter how talented Happy was, they couldn’t catch up to the powerhouses in these one to two years of time. So, right now, Happy could only use these short-term solutions.

It was just good that this solution didn’t use up too many valuable materials, so it didn’t conflict much with Happy’s development of proper Silver equipment.

The only proper piece of Level 80 Silver equipment was the Myriad Manifestations Umbrella. 　 For it to be equipped, the umbrella needed a five level reduction to its level requirement. They had finally managed to create this stat and apply it every form of the Myriad Manifestations Umbrella. As a result, each form’s base stats were clearly a cut above level 75 Silver equipment, and the bonus stats had gained small improvements as well.

At level fifty, when the Myriad Manifestations Umbrella had been fully developed, it had shield, spear, rifle, taichi, scythe, staff, ninjato, tonfa and estoc forms, as well as having the abilities of a Mechanic’s mechanical box.

All the further improvements had maintained these forms. And this time, Guan Rongfei successfully added new forms in the jump from level 70 directly to level 80. 　 Using the tonfa form as a base, the Myriad Manifestations Umbrella could now become Nightwalker’s dual swords.

The umbrella ribs that held up the umbrella while opened could now be detached and equipped to the wrists to form a Fighter’s claws.

With the umbrella closed, The canopy could open horizontally above the shaft of the umbrella, forming a weird shape like a poleaxe, but this was actually the Swordsman’s greatsword. . In addition to the nine old forms of the Myriad Manifestations Umbrella, there were now a total of twelve forms.

To use all low level skills, all they needed was a form for each superclass (Mage, Swordsman, Priest, Gunner, Fighter, Nightwalker). However, more forms meant more variety, and would allow the unspecialized style to become even more unpredictable and complex. Plus, considering how it was possible to set a different skill on each form, three more forms meant three more non-unspecialized, non-awakening class skills.

In the end, of the twelve forms, there were two Swordsman, one Gunner, two Fighter, three Priest, two Mage and two Nightwalker. It was pretty evenly distributed.

Everyone, including Ye Xiu, were doing their best to familiarize themselves with the new equipment in this limited time given. Esports Home’s reporter, Chang Xian, called or came to visit the Internet cafe every now and then. After all, he was a reporter, and his primary work was to gather intel. Though he knew that no team liked to be bothered at a time like this, Chang Xian still had to try and get something out of them.

However, no matter when he came, Chang Xian didn’t see anyone except Boss Chen Guo.

The only person he managed to meet in the team was the boss; this was a clear display of Happy’s grassroots status. No team’s boss was like a receptionist like Happy’s Chen Guo, easier to find than any of the team members even. If it was any other reporter trying to interview a team, then they’d probably die of happiness at such a situation.

However, Happy was the exception. Chang Xian snuck into Happy again, only to see Chen Guo looking at him with a smile. He smiled weakly, feeling a little helpless. “Sister Chen…”

“What? Not happy to see me?” Chen Guo asked. She was only just starting to learn how to interact with the media, but the reporter she had the most exposure to was Chang Xian, also a newbie in his field. He was honest and principled individual, not nearly as sly as veteran reporters. Against him, Chen Guo had no problems.

“No no, of course not,” Chang Xian hurriedly replied. He didn’t dare offend Chen Guo! Though she was almost like a receptionist in how easy it was to a get a hold of her, she was still the boss of a team.

“Sister Chen, seeing that I’ve come over so many times, could you give me some insider info?” Chang Xian was practically begging.

“There really isn’t anything to give. It’s just that they don’t want to be disturbed, so they went into closed-door training for the championships!” Chen Guo said cheerfully.

Chang Xian had heard these words many times already, but he couldn’t believe them. Although he was new to the industry, these few years had honed his observational skills. In addition, Chen Guo wasn’t someone who was adept at hiding her thoughts.Her cheerful manner of addressing Chang Xian clearly told him that she was hiding something from him.

“Ai, sister Chen, can you let me see brother Ye and the others and ask them about how they feel about the first round?” Chang Xian was close to tears. It might’ve been plain as day that there were things going on in the team that Chen Guo was hiding, but the problem was that she was hiding them, and hiding them well. Chang Xian didn’t have any way of getting her to spill. She was clearly enjoying the feeling of knowing something that he didn’t!

“They’re pretty busy recently, why don’t you wait a couple days?” Chen Guo answered, sounding completely serious.

“Then, sister Chen, what do you think of the first round?” Chang Xian could only make do with Chen Guo. 　 Yes, make do!

For any other team, getting an interview from the boss was no small feat, but over here with Happy, it was “making do”, because it was way too easy to get to see Chen Guo. Chang Xian had seen Chen Guo who knows how many times while eating noodles at the food stall on the street corner. They were familiar with each other like kin, and there was no sense of mystery to it at all. Thus, Chang Xian knew that Chen Guo was a rather unorthodox boss, and it sometimes felt like she was just one in name. Happy’s biggest decision maker wasn’t her. Of course, on the Alliance’s database and Happy’s registration forms, as well as the sponsorship forms, Chen Guo was the sole owner of Happy’s assets, the biggest boss of Happy.

This boss… was a bit of a puppet, but she was more than happy to play the part. If Chang Xian had to describe it, then he’d call her a One True Fan!

Yes, a One True Fan*!

Compared to that young master Xia Zhongtian from Chien Tea Green, she was way more of a true fan. Xia Zhongtian had far greater control of New Excellent Era than Chen Guo had of Happy, and he acted like a typical team club boss. As a City H reporter, Chang Xian had naturally gone to see the current Excellent Era.

Chang Xian really wasn’t sure how to deal with a boss like Chen Guo.

They were friends and that was great, of course. However, as an interviewee, though she had such a high position, her value was low and just thinking of it was frustrating him. He often saw Happy’s boss, but he couldn’t get any information about what was happening with Happy. He’d be considered a joke if word got out!

“The first round? We’ll defeat Blue Rain, of course,” Chen Guo said.

Chang Xian sobbed inside. There was no substance to that! He had been expecting it though, so he hadn’t even bothered to record it.

“Do you have any special strategies planned?” Chang Xian asked.

“That’s a secret, I can’t say.” Chen Guo smiled.

What secret? You don’t even know, do you? Chang Xian felt the mental tears pour.

“Will boss Wei play in the match against Blue Rain? He has history with Blue Rain, after all!” Chang Xian then asked.

“That’ll depend on our strategic needs. We won’t arrange anything for the drama,” Chen Guo informed him seriously.

Damnit, what’s with that serious attitude. That guy told you to say that, didn’t he? Chang Xian looked around subconsciously, as if someone in the Internet cafe had somehow sent her a telepathic message.

“Little Chang, sit for a while and make yourself comfortable. I have to go out to get some supplies,” Chen Guo then said.

Chang Xian nodded helplessly. See! That was Happy’s boss. She never acted like a bigshot or anything. Chang Xian watched as Chen Guo left the Internet cafe and then went into a random tobacco shop, coming out with a carton of cigarettes not long later. 　　 So she was getting cigarettes for Ye Xiu and Wei Chen! Chang Xian was familiar enough with Happy to immediately come to the conclusion.

“Little Chang, sorry to have to ask you to wait a little longer. I have to take this up!” Chen Guo returned, waving the cigarettes at him and then going upstairs.

They were too familiar!

Chang Xian’s mental tears were like a relentless waterfall. They were so familiar with each other that they didn’t think of him as an outsider anymore. Originally, this would be a great relationship to have, getting so friendly with a team would be a great convenience for any team reporter! However, Chang Xian knew that he was too close with Happy now. They were close to the point where he felt rather ashamed to pry into their preparations, like he was desecrating the shrine of their friendship!

He… really hadn’t been very good at drawing the line between professionalism and friendship! It was a little too late now for him to realize this. After a moment, Chen Guo came back down and began chatting casually with Chang Xian as she went through the bookkeeping for the Internet cafe.

Happy’s boss believed that all the regular season awards should belong to Happy…

This was what Chang Xian got from their chat. However… was this something he could write into an article? Was it??? This was just teasing between friends! Of course it wasn’t something he could write.

What was he to do?

The weekly esports issue was going to be a special on the Glory League playoffs. This issue before the matches began was meant to be about the preparations for each team. How was he going to write up an article on Happy?

Nomyummi TLNote Joui*: In China, fan culture is diverse, and people have gone as far as to label different fans. For example, I’ve used One True Fan for 真爱粉 (literally, true love fan), taking inspiration from “OTP/3” One True Pair/Threesome/etc. to mean a fan that feels sincere loyalty and love for their team/idol and is willing to follow them and help them, but generally keeps a clear head. You also have rabid/brainless fans 脑残粉 which has come up before in the novel.

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