TuxedoTranslations

Chapter 51

Lin Mingfei froze. He felt as though he had just stumbled into uncharted emotional territory.

In the past, managing their team was a balancing act. Shi Ya was self-reliant but unruly. Bo Yu was obedient but lacked initiative. And Zhou Yanjun? Thick-skinned and stubborn as a mule. As captain, Lin Mingfei had to spend most of his energy strategizing and delegating. Once he laid out the plans, his teammates were on their own while he focused on his own responsibilities.

But things were different now.

This wasn’t just about the team’s cohesion or individual skills—it was about Xia Tong. Could he integrate into their team smoothly? Could he become a capable player before the league started?

Lin Mingfei gazed down at Xia Tong’s pleading, puppy-like eyes.

And, well… who could say no to those eyes?

Defeated, Lin Mingfei laughed and shrugged. “Fine, I’ll join you. Let’s run the dungeon together.”

“Yay!” Xia Tong brightened instantly, bouncing with joy. “I’ll go find a group now!”

“Alright. Let me know when you’ve got one,” Lin Mingfei replied.

Reassured, Xia Tong dove back into recruitment messages. He sent out a few applications and waited happily—until rejection notices started pouring in.

“Sorry, no Wizard needed.”

“Wizard slots are full.”

“No wizards allowed.”

Xia Tong: “???”

He was utterly baffled and decided to check the team recruitment info for the one that said, “No wizards allowed.” The listing clearly read, “New Siren Valley raid team forming, open to all.” Curious, he right-clicked to view the team members and discovered that the only member was the team leader—a Paladin.

That made no sense.

Puzzled, Xia Tong messaged the leader privately.

Xia Xiao Tong: “Didn’t it say ‘open to all’? Why no wizards?”

Guo Zi Li Bu Li: “Refresh and see.”

Xia Tong reopened the recruitment listing and saw that it now said: “New Siren Valley raid team forming, open to all—no wizards.”

Xia Tong: “…”

Wait, what?

His frustration simmering, Xia Tong messaged the leader again to argue.

Xia Xiao Tong: “Why did you change the announcement all of a sudden?”

Guo Zi Li Bu Li: “Because I felt like it. What’s it to you?”

Xia Xiao Tong: “But why are you excluding wizards?”

Guo Zi Li Bu Li: “Can’t you read guides? This raid doesn’t need wizards, okay?”

Xia Tong was left stunned and a bit aggrieved. He had read the guide. He remembered that one of the bosses, the Siren Queen, had lore about being deceived by a wizard long ago. As a result, every wizard passing through the valley triggered a mind control debuff that turned them against their team, often leading to disastrous wipeouts. Most teams limited the number of wizards they brought, relying on elves for quick dispels or simply focusing on overpowering the boss in one go.

Limiting wizards was understandable, but excluding them altogether felt excessive.

Still unconvinced, Xia Tong decided to push further.

Xia Xiao Tong: “But the guide doesn’t say you can’t bring any wizards!”

Guo Zi Li Bu Li: “Why are you so annoying? I’m the leader. I make the rules. I said no wizards, and that’s final!”

Defeated, Xia Tong had no choice but to give up on joining that team, feeling thoroughly deflated.

Noticing Xia Tong’s downcast expression, Lin Mingfei asked, “What’s wrong? Still no luck?”

“Mm…” Xia Tong mumbled, pouting. “All the teams already have too many wizards.”

“There’s a new team here,” Lin Mingfei pointed out, gesturing at Guo Zi Li Bu Li’s listing. “Looks like they don’t have a single wizard yet.”

“He said he’s not taking wizards!” Xia Tong’s voice grew indignant. His frustration bubbled over as he complained, “And he even yelled at me…”

He poured out the whole story of his chat with Guo Zi Li Bu Li to Lin Mingfei, who listened with amused delight.

Xia Tong is learning to complain to me! Amazing progress!

With one hand on his hip, Lin Mingfei watched Xia Tong vent with a faint smile. The little guy’s aggrieved indignation, complete with dramatic foot stomps, was oddly endearing.

“Isn’t that so unfair?” Xia Tong huffed.

Lin Mingfei stroked his chin thoughtfully. “I’m guessing he plans to bring a wizard friend.”

“Huh?”

“And he’ll rig the loot for them.”

In raid teams, one source of excitement was bidding for coveted items. Beyond that, many players joined raids for the “wages”—their share of the total gold from loot auctions. Leaders also had the option to act as “salvage buyers,” scooping up unwanted gear for a set price, dismantling it for materials later. Rigging loot for friends, however, was a shady practice: by excluding other players of the same class, the leader ensured their friend’s desired items were considered “trash” and could be acquired cheaply.

“How scummy,” Xia Tong muttered after Lin Mingfei’s explanation. “No wonder he kept dodging my questions and yelling at me!” He sighed in frustration. “Guess I’ll look for another team.”

“No rush,” Lin Mingfei said casually.

Confused, Xia Tong looked at him, only to see Lin Mingfei coolly send a request to join Guo Zi Li Bu Li’s team.

Moments later, Lin Mingfei was added to the team.

The team chat exploded in a flurry of exclamation marks.

[Team Chat]

“What the heck??? Who is this!???”

“OMG OMG OMG!!! Is this real??? I can’t believe it!!”

“Wait… Is this Polaris’s Lin Mingfei??? The legendary hunter who disappeared for two years??? Screenshot, quick!!!”

“Leader, how are you so connected??? How did Z-God join us???”

“Z-God, say something! I’m your biggest fan!!!”

“ZERO!!! I started playing Hunter because of you!!!”

Even Guo Zi Li Bu Li was too stunned to speak, clearly overwhelmed by the unexpected presence of a gaming legend.

When the team leader Guo Zi Li Bu Li received the request to join and saw the name Polaris_Zero, he felt like a chosen one!

Everyone knew of Polaris’s legendary Zero—a sniper so skilled, it was as if the gun had become an extension of his being. A battle-hardened warrior, Zero was notorious for avoiding PvE content. On rare occasions, if he did participate, it was always with his pro team, never in random public raid groups. The odds of an average player encountering Zero? Rounded to zero.

Yet somehow, here he was, as an ordinary raid team leader, chosen from the masses! What had he done to deserve this? To have Zero apply to join his team!

Guo Zi Li Bu Li was frantically spamming his screenshot key. As the team chat buzzed with questions about his connections and Zero didn’t deny anything, the chat erupted into a chorus of admiration and flattery. Guo Zi Li Bu Li’s ego swelled; he felt like he was floating. Surely, his extraordinary charisma had set his team apart!

The thought of being able to command Zero during the raid filled him with elation. Commanding Zero! What a brag-worthy experience! He resolved to record the entire session. No, better yet, he’d livestream it! He’d have to strike a balance—being respectful yet approachable to win Zero over. Who knew? Maybe they could even add each other as friends! With Zero on the team, the raid would surely fly by.

As Guo Zi Li Bu Li excitedly opened his stream, he titled it with Zero’s name. Viewership climbed rapidly.

Using a tone both restrained and deliberate, he addressed the growing audience:

“Well, what a coincidence! I didn’t expect to run into Zero either. Of course, I wouldn’t dare command Z-God. At most, I might offer a suggestion or two. Oh, someone just gifted a yacht—don’t do that yet! I promise I’ll invite Z-God to join my raids again someday…”

Before he could finish, Polaris_Zero spoke in the team chat.

Polaris_Zero: “Save a spot.”

The chat exploded again.

[Team Chat]

“Holy crap, is Zero bringing someone with him??”

“OMG, is it Timer? Could I finally get to see Timer in action?”

“I’d even take Fire or Island! There are three slots left—anyone from P-Team would do!”

“I’m freaking out! Team leader, I love you! You’re our lucky charm!”

The stream chat wasn’t any calmer, as speculation ran wild:

[Stream Comments]

“Oh my God, P-Team reunion?!”

“P-Team never streams their raids—this is history in the making!”

“Who’s Zero bringing along?!”

“I added Timer as a friend, and he’s offline. It can’t be Timer!”

Meanwhile, Guo Zi Li Bu Li smugly returned to his private messages and quietly messaged Zero:

Guo Zi Li Bu Li: “Z-God, who are you bringing? Send me their ID.”

Zero didn’t reply in private but instead spoke up again in the team chat.

Polaris_Zero: “It’s a new apprentice of mine, a wizard. Their class won’t conflict with anyone here. Please approve their invite.”

Polaris_Zero: “ID: Xia Xiao Tong.”

Guo Zi Li Bu Li’s face froze.

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