บท 16: Like Elder Brother, like Younger Brother!

บรรณาธิการ: EndlessFantasy Translation

On the exhibition stage, two female cosplayers were dressed as characters from PlPUBG¹.

One of them was dressed in a fully-white, preppy-style skirt suit, while the other was wearing a cap, an orange short-sleeved shirt, as well as a pair or camouflaged shorts.

Both of the cosplayers were beautiful, their heart-touching youths exhibited through those outfits.

However, there were not many people in the audience at that moment who were paying attention to the two female cosplayers.

Once the man in the middle started going up the stage, endless people who had heard the news rushed from all corners to the PUBG stage.

The front of the stage was completely packed.

Occasionally, the sounds of girls squealing and screaming confessions could be heard.

...

On the stage, the person who was standing between the two cosplayers wore a pair of sunglasses and had fluffy hair; he appeared rather young.

His face was slightly thin and hung at the corners of his mouth was a fickle, faint smile. He wore a team Se7en uniform that was unzipped, revealing a flower-patterned shirt underneath. His entire appearance exuded a casual sensation.

It could not be denied that with his appearance alone, he would not be seen as worse off compared to those popular, young and attractive men of the time.

Within the audience, Zhao Tiezhu stared blankly for a split second. He could not help but utter in admiration, "that's Li Muqiu. It's the first time I've seen him in person. He really is the most handsome member in Se7en!"

Seeing the way Zhao Tiezhu acted, Liu Zilang moved two steps away silently, creating a distance between the two.

It would be understandable if this came from a girl.

However, this coming from a brawny guy who was more than 1.9 meters tall, with a tone of infatuation, no less? One could not help but to feel taken aback!

Hold on a second.

"The most handsome member in Se7en?"

Liu Zilang turned his head. Displeased, he asked, "who said that?"

"Hehe, this is not something I'd be saying alone, everyone else is saying it too!" Zhao Tiezhu shrugged with a smile. His sight shifted around to the surrounding girls, who had seemingly entered a state of insanity.

Looking at the girls around him, Liu Zilang was speechless.

However, he quickly smirked again and said, "I don't think so. Wasn't there a 'black masked captain' in Se7en who has never shown his face before?"

"Yeah... It seems like it is." Zhao Tiezhu paused, and then suddenly guessed, "But maybe it was because he's too ugly, so..."

"Nonsense!"

Liu Zilang cut him off before pointing to the stage. "Had he shown his face, that kid on stage would be nothing!"

Looking at Liu Zilang's angry expression, Zhao Tiezhu asked, wondering, "Are you... a fan of the 'black masked captain?'"

"Indeed, I am a fan of him."

Just as he was about to utter those words , Liu Zilang hurriedly stopped himself so as to prevent from a slip of the tongue.

"Hey, then there's nothing to argue about. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, anyway."

Zhao Tiezhu waved his large hands and excitedly continued the topic, "But great guru Li Muqiu's incredible skill lies in him holding Asia's highest number of kills! This is not something we can dispute over, right?"

Liu Zilang paused, he felt that Zhao Tiezhu's words did not seem quite right...

However as he heard the latter half of his sentence, he could not help but feel contempt, seemingly wallowing in disdain.

Zhao Tiezhu noticed Liu Zilang's reaction was a bit strange. He suddenly thought of something and asked, "oh, have you watched the online video today, the one about thirty-five kills?"

Hearing Zhao Tiezhu's words, Liu Zilang was stunned.

Video?

What video?

Zhao Tiezhu, on the other hand, carried on with his explanation nonchalantly. "That was actually nothing. Let's not talk about the thirty-five kills, even with thirty-six or thirty-seven kills, he will never be able to shake the great guru Li Muqiu's record."

It needed to be said that, although Liu Zilang himself did not regard that thirty-five kills as anything, this was the first time he had heard what Zhao Tiezhu said.

Noticing Liu Zilang's doubts, Zhao Tiezhu chuckled. "The circumstances were different! Great God Li Muqiu's thirty-six kill was in a solo game mode, whereas the player in the video merely continued playing after his teammates died. In other words, he was playing a one-man squad. The difficulty in killing is different in both modes. Speaking of one-man squads, the current highest record is forty kills."

After listening to Zhao Tiezhu's words, Liu Zilang paused. His face revealed an expression as if he was engrossed in his thoughts.

He was just about to ask who held the record of forty kills, but who would have thought that the corner of his eyes would inadvertently catch a glimpse of a familiar figure in the crowd!

Zhang Xiaotong!

He saw that the girl's gaze was about to turn towards his direction...

In a panic, Liu Zilang flew into the arms of the huge figure in front of him.

...

After a while.

Liu Zilang discreetly gazed over Zhao Tiezhu's shoulder and saw that Zhang Xiaotong was taking pictures with her phone while simultaneously chatting away in excitement with a loli wearing glasses. Realizing that she did not notice him, he heaved a sigh of relief.

Should he be discovered, then the girl would definitely feel that he was following her.

As that appeared to be the case. Liu Zilang could not let himself be discovered by her, not especially now.

"Brother, thank you." Quickly pulling away, Liu Zilang patted Zhao Tiezhu's shoulder.

Zhao Tiezhu was shocked. He went silent for a moment before replying sincerely, "I'm sorry, man. I... do not like men."

"What?"

Liu Zilang looked up at him. He responded immediately in earnesty. "Actually… me neither."

"What a coincidence!"

"Ha ha!"

"Ha ha ha!"

...

While laughing awkwardly with 'Brother Iron Post', Liu Zilang continued to secretly observe Zhang Xiaotong's movements.

Only the loli with glasses was by her side, no other person could be seen.

Liu Zilang could not help but heave a sigh of relief as he watched.

However, before he could even finish, a thirteen or fourteen-year-old rascal suddenly rushed toward Zhang Xiaotong on a skateboard. He wore a headscarf, dressed in a hip-hop outfit, looking all excited.

What the hell?

What was this now?

Liu Zilang was stunned for a while. He then moved slowly and quietly among the crowd toward the other side, trying to snoop about.

...

He got closer…

And closer...

Finally, he could vaguely hear the conversation between the two. Although, it sounded as if only the guy was doing most, if not all, the talking.

"Xiaotong, you're here too!"

"I thought you wouldn't be coming today."

"The message last night, I was a little abrupt."

"Oh right, it looks like you're also a big fan of the great guru Li Muqiu?"

"Heh heh, I'll tell you a secret... Actually, Li Muqiu is my brother!"

"Haha, how's that! Scared you eh?"

"Hey hey! Don't go. I'm not kidding!"

"Look! Li Mufan, Li Muqiu. Our names are very similar."

"Do you want my brother's signature? I promise I can get it for you."

"..."

Liu Zilang hid among the last row of the crowd. At first, he could not help but feel upset with the boy as he was the only person among the three to keep blabbering. Zhang Xiaotong simply ignored him.

However, the more he listened in, the bigger Liu Zilang's mouth gaped open.

Upon hearingthe last sentence, he could not help but blurt out a swear.

Li Muqiu?

Li Mufan?

Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap!

He had wondered why this kid was so familiar. Like an elder brother, like a younger brother!'

Clenching his teeth, Liu Zilang took out his phone within the crowd and searched frantically for his old address book.

...