In the bedroom, Mu Li looked at the message on his phone, and a smile involuntarily appeared on his lips.
When this group was first established, it only had him and the eighteen-line female singer; the two had met through a game many years ago.
From previous games to the current Pokémon Glory, the two had been friends for five or six years.
However, Mu Li had always been training with the National Team before, and he spent less time playing games, so although they knew each other, they were just online acquaintances.
It wasn't until Mu Li retired that he had a lot of free time.
It was then that Mu Li learned they were both born in 1053 and were both high school students, which gave them many more topics to talk about.
Besides games, they talked about the college entrance examination and university; although they had never met, they became very good friends.
After entering university, they had even more free time and often stayed up late playing games together; it was also then that they started playing Pokémon Glory together.
This game is a 5VS5 competitive game, and their original two-person team gradually expanded to five people, including Flying Hamburger, Flying Type Groudon, and Fairy Jigglypuff, who were all real-life friends brought into the group by the eighteen-line female singer.
Although the four were real-life friends, it did not affect Mu Li's integration.
As for everyone's identity, the eighteen-line female singer once said, “Everyone is a small actor or a small singer.”
Mu Li had also asked for their names before, wanting to get to know them, but everyone felt embarrassed: “We don't have any representative works.”
Or: “Our grades are too bad; we have no face to meet people.”
So Mu Li still doesn't know their identities to this day.
However, this does not affect them playing games together.
Besides playing ranked matches in a five-person team, he and the female singer would also play some other games together or play in a two-person team.
Having known each other for so long, the two had also video chatted, but the eighteen-line female singer always wore a mask, and Mu Li had never seen her face.
Mu Li felt that she must be insecure; he had tried to persuade her several times to take off her mask, but the eighteen-line female singer always deferred, saying she would do so when they met offline.
Mu Li didn't mind this.
After washing up and getting ready, Mu Li took Togekiss to the vicinity of Chichi's house.
With the experience of visiting Xu Yunyi's house last time, this time he prepared a bouquet of fresh flowers in advance, as well as gifts for Chichi, Fan Yizhi, and Chichi's friends.
As the old saying goes, there's no harm in being too polite.
“Oh, by the way, Gardevoir, don't be invisible today,” Mu Li seemed to suddenly remember something and instructed, “Yesterday, you scared Brother Yunyi, which was quite embarrassing.”
This made the netizens in the live broadcast room burst into laughter.
“So Brother Yunyi bore it all!”
“So going to Yunyi's house yesterday was just a rehearsal for coming to Chichi's house today.”
“Xu Yunyi: Feed me peanuts!”
...
Chichi's house was in an upscale residential area, and Mu Li, carrying a bouquet of flowers half his size plus three gift boxes, was stopped directly by the security guard at the entrance.
“Delivery personnel are not allowed to enter the residential area; there's a special aisle for entry. You need to go over there and register.”
Mu Li was startled, then realized that the security guard had mistaken him for a delivery person.
“No, big brother, I'm not a delivery person!” Mu Li said with a wry smile.
The security guard carefully scrutinized Mu Li: “Running errands isn't allowed either.”
Mu Li's forehead was covered in black lines: “Big brother, I'm filming a show; I'm here to see a friend.” He then pointed to Gardevoir and the two cameras behind him.
The security guard looked closely again and sneered, “I know. You're here to shoot short videos, aren't you? What do you mean by filming a show? What show are you filming? Why are there no staff members?”
“This...” Mu Li suddenly didn't know how to explain.
At this point, the netizens in the live broadcast room were amused.
“Staff members said, 'Don't let us follow you.' Now you know, right?”
“Security guard: You can't escape my eyes.”
“Security guard: You say you're filming a show? Can you prove it to me?”
“Mu Li: Do I really look like someone running errands?”
“This errand runner, which platform can I order you from?”
...
Seeing Mu Li speechless, the security guard became even more smug: “I've seen too many people like you shooting short videos, just wanting to come to our residential area to meet celebrities or something, right? You're not the first. And you even found someone to cosplay Gardevoir? I get it, it's anime!”
Helpless, Mu Li had no choice but to pull out his phone and call Chichi: “Brother, I'm being stopped by the security guard downstairs...”
After explaining to Chichi, Mu Li held the phone and looked at the security guard, saying, “Your owner wants to talk to you...”
Who knew the security guard completely ignored Mu Li and sneered, “Stop playing. I've seen this trick in short videos. It's a routine where you just find someone to pretend to be an owner, right?”
Mu Li didn't know what to say, and Chichi on the other end of the phone also sounded a bit helpless: “Forget it, I'll come out and pick you up.”
The security guard wasn't stupid; seeing this scene, he began to doubt his own judgment.
The security guard leaned in front of Gardevoir, observed her carefully, then looked at Mu Li and tentatively asked, “Is this really Gardevoir?”
Mu Li could only nod with a wry smile: “Of course, brother. Have you ever seen anyone cosplay Gardevoir with such high fidelity?”
People who can be security guards in high-end residential areas still have some knowledge; they naturally know what kind of Pokémon Gardevoir is. From the changes in his expression, it was clear that this guy's inner thoughts were very rich.
The two looked at each other and fell silent.
Mu Li didn't know what to say. Now, if he asked the security guard to let him in, the security guard probably wouldn't stop him, but Chichi had already left. If he went in, he might miss him because he wasn't familiar with the way. It was better to wait for Chichi to come out and pick him up.
And the security guard was also very speechless. This wasn't the first time he had encountered such a thing. If the other party spoke now, he would just go along with it and let them in, but this young man in front of him didn't speak, which made him very frustrated.
If he spoke first, it would make people feel like he had given in, and he would feel a hold back ed up feeling in his heart, uncomfortable.
So the two just silently stared at each other.
But what the security guard didn't know was that this scene was authentically filmed by Gardevoir.
The netizens in the live broadcast room were already laughing hysterically.
“How long are these two going to stare at each other?”
“Security guard: You speak up! If you speak, I'll let you in!”
“Apologizing is impossible! Whoever speaks first loses.”
“Gardevoir: My arm is sore; why don't you two fight already!”
“Chichi: Don't start until I get there!”
...
Netizens had already provided voiceovers for the silent duo.
Fortunately, this awkward situation didn't last long before Chichi arrived.
Mu Li smiled awkwardly at the security guard, who said nothing and silently opened the door, letting Mu Li pass through.
Chichi clearly hadn't expected this to happen; he ran out directly in his pajamas and couldn't help but complain when he saw Mu Li: “I'm really impressed with you. This is the first time I've encountered something like this since I moved here.”
Mu Li couldn't help but smile wryly: “It's my first time too! If it weren't for this area not allowing Pokémon to park randomly, I would have already had Togekiss fly directly in. There wouldn't have been so much trouble.”
Chichi couldn't help but cover his face and say, “I'm really impressed with you. You're an artist; at least dress up when you go out, so people don't mistake you for someone running errands...”
Facing Chichi's complaints, Mu Li could only sigh helplessly.
Chichi pointed at the things hanging on Mu Li: “What are you doing? Just came back from shopping?”
“Oh, these are gifts for you all.” Mu Li then remembered the things hanging on him. “I should have had Gardevoir help me carry them.”
As soon as he finished speaking, these items floated up out of thin air, and Gardevoir's voice simultaneously echoed in Mu Li's mind: “You didn't say anything. I thought you wanted to carry them yourself to appear more polite.”
Chichi was completely speechless: “If you had done that earlier, who would dare stop you?”
The two went directly into the residential building. Chichi couldn't help but murmur, “Remember this place. You can just fly directly here in the future. The rooftop can be landed on directly. Most high-end residential areas have dedicated parking spots for Flying Pokémon.”
Mu Li nodded quickly; he rarely went out, even to his parents' place. He usually lived on a farm, so he wasn't used to such formalities.
As soon as Chichi opened the door, a muscular but not very tall man walked out of the room. Mu Li looked closely and realized, wasn't this Zheng Yun, Chichi's university classmate and good friend?
The two were in the same university and the same dormitory. Their relationship had been great since university, and after graduation, they even filmed the “Running Man” show together.
“You know Zheng Yun, right?” Chichi said, pointing at Zheng Yun.
Mu Li nodded: “Of course I know Brother Yun. Didn't we play games together before?”
Chichi seemed to just remember, his face showing a look of sudden realization: “Right, now that you mention it, I remember. It's mainly because Zheng Yun's skill level is too bad; I even forgot he plays games.”
Facing his good friend from the same dormitory, Chichi spared no mercy in his teasing.
Zheng Yun could only shrug helplessly. What could he do? In e-sports, being bad is the original sin.
“But it's good that you two know each other,” Chichi briefly explained Mu Li's situation. “A Li here is preparing to debut as a singer, and he's currently filming a show, 'I Live Alone.'”
“Oh, that show. I wanted to participate back then, but unfortunately, they only wanted single people.”
For some reason, Mu Li always felt that Zheng Yun seemed to be mocking Ming Yu and Jin Zhong.
“Brother Jin Zhong also joined this time,” Mu Li suddenly interjected.
Jin Zhong had a good relationship with both of them, and more importantly, Jin Zhong had recently built up a lot of muscle; the two of them combined couldn't beat him.
Zheng Yun's expression changed dramatically, his originally disdainful gaze directly transforming into a kind smile: “What I mean is that this show only wants high-quality single individuals. People like me, who married young, wouldn't even be considered, even if I wanted to go.”
Although Mu Li wasn't very close to Zheng Yun privately, he had watched many of his variety shows on TV and knew Zheng Yun's personality; he was a serious person but could also take a joke.
“What did you go down for just now? Did A Li not know the way?” Zheng Yun quickly changed the subject.
Chichi sneered, pointed at Mu Li, and said, “Ask him.”
Mu Li pretended as if nothing had happened, directly grabbed a packaged bag from the air, and handed it to Zheng Yun: “Brother Yun, this is a gift for you. It's an aromatherapy made from flowers grown on our own farm. It smells really good.”
Then he also took a bag and handed it to Chichi, and by the way, gave him the very large bouquet of flowers: “The flowers are also from my own farm.”
Chichi didn't say much, thanked him, and took it directly, smiling: “Your family has a lot of flower by-products. I just opened the honey you gave me last time, and it tastes good.”
Mu Li smiled: “If you like it, I'll get you more later. I don't have anything else, but I have plenty of honey.”
Chichi also smiled: “Thanks. Your sister-in-law loves to drink it.”
While the two were talking, Zheng Yun had been in a daze. It took him a while to react, and he exclaimed, “Oh my god, is this Gardevoir?”