Chapter 2
Teaming Up with Dangerous Fart to Become Killers
That is how Liu Zuo came to meet Dangerous Fart (TL Note: Wei Xian De Pi in Chinese). On February 15th, 2002 C.E. , the day that all earthlings should remember, Liu Zuo was first fired from his job, then pressed by his landlord for rent, and despite all that hardship, fought a duel with the fake F5 (Which turns out to be the guy called Dangerous Fart). The result of the duel was that Liu Zuo won out with a slight lead. While the guy kept on insisting “You get what you paid for”, he had to relent in the end that Liu Zuo was slightly better. In his own words, Dangerous Fart said: “You brat always just popped up in front of me like a ghost, and took me out in a few shots. Oh right, you can also call me Ah Pi, or Big P like those on the street.”
Only god and I, the writer of this book, know what fate has in plan for Liu Zuo and Dangerous Fart. Of course, I shouldn’t be appearing here, but I can’t help to remind you to focus on these two characters. I have chosen them to be protagonists.
The next morning, Liu Zuo was woken from his sleep by sounds of knocking doors. He quickly considered the possible identities of the unwanted guests.
1. Landlord: Just send him off with the rent yesterday, he probably won’t be back for round two so soon.
2. Weightlifter Girl: Never told her my address, she probably doesn’t have what it takes to find her way here. If it is really her, I’ll concede defeat and tell her my wife is on a work trip but will be back today
3. Parents: Dad and mom are busy with the senior dance classes, probably don’t have the time or energy to come for an inspection.
4. Co-workers: Since they insisted on coming over after the last birthday party, no one dared to come back to this textbook example of terrible organization and sanitary practice.
5. Someone who got the wrong door: Very likely. The times I received people who got the wrong door show a positive distribution, the reasoning behind which is worth investigating.
6. Aliens: Very unlikely. The times I received aliens are zero, no cause for concern.
After Analysis, Liu Zuo came to the conclusion that it is someone who got the wrong door, and decided to go back to sleep. Finally, as a self-employed individual, no one is gonna come bother you even if you sleep until you are dead. Yet the knocking did not stop, the steady sound is patient, yet persistent.
“You are getting stubborn with me? Probably got the wrong guy.” Thought Liu Zuo.
After a while, a Donald Duck like voice spoke up from outside the door: “Liu Zuo!”
“It’s not like I know Li Yang (TL Note: Chinese VA for Donald Duck), why would he be visiting me?”
When he opened the door, a ruddy-faced chubby man whom Liu Zuo does not recognize stands before him. The visitor is about as tall as Liu Zuo, around 178cm. The chubby guy was almost excited to tears when he saw Liu Zuo: “Liu Zuo, is it really you?”
Liu Zuo: “I just walked by the door after waking up, didn’t even brush my teeth yet.” With that, he reached to close the door.
The chubby guy quickly moved to hold the door: “Don’t shoot… captain, it’s me! I am ‘Dangerous Fart”, the one they call Big P.”
Liu Zuo stood motionless, it is unclear what he was thinking. On the other hand, Big P quickly made himself at home and walked in: “Your place is pretty easy to find. I knew I was in the area the moment you brought it up yesterday. Ho, the place's pretty clean. You sure know how to live, kid. What, why am I here?”
“Heh heh,” He smiles “After the close encounter we had last night, by that I mean our duel as mercs, I think we are quite compatible with each other, so I decided to move in with you.” With that, he opens the bag he is carrying, and starts taking stuff out of it. That bag wasn’t particularly big, but Big P took out one thing after another. The stunned Liu Zuo watched as Big P took out tooth brush, towel, shoe oil, eye drop, keyboard, computer chassis, display, plastic M4 model toy…… and finally even a mini vacuum cleaner.
“Why don’t I live in the outer room, your place is pretty big.” Said Big P as he empties his bag.
Liu Zuo: “I think there is a misunderstanding, I don’t roll that way.”
Big P raises his head and looks at Liu Zuo, his voice filled with sadness: “You really don’t roll that way?”
Liu Zuo: “No.”
Big P suddenly starts laughing: “Then I can rest easy as you wouldn’t be harassing me! Haha, you must love to pick up chicks, just like me.”
Liu Zuo: “It seems to me that besides the fact that we are both good at CS, you and I have nothing in common.”
Big P nods : “That’s good, we complement what each other lacks, and have common interests we can share.”
Liu Zuo, now almost overwhelmed, asked with a slight stutter: “Why do you have to move in with me? Have you got no home?”
Big P Signs: “It’s a long story, so I will make it short. I will leave the part about me for later. I’ll just ask you, have you seen “Men in Black” ?”
Liu Zuo: “Haven’t watched it, why?”
Big P: “What about Juedai Shuangjiao?”
Liu Zuo: “Heard about it, haven’t watched, why?”
Big P: “Then at least you know about the story of Holmes and Dr.Watson?”
Liu Zuo: “Heard about it, haven’t read, what do you want?”
Big P: “I’ve seen many uncultured individuals throughout the years, but some one as uncultured as you are, that’s a first.”
Liu Zuo: “Holy, you just don’t stop talking. I’ll ask you the most basic --- Do you know the COMBIN language, can you program with C+? What do you want? Get to the Point!”
Big P: “Let us become partners of life and death, killers that prowl the servers.”
Liu Zuo: “Why?”
Big P: “Because two people will have a broader connection, and thus can take more jobs and get more money. Although you are still a 25 bucks nobody, you might soon enter the 50 bucks level under your big bro’s guidance.
Liu Zuo watched as Big P approached the washroom with his mug and toothbrush, and asked in despair: “You are really living with me?”
Big P: “Yes. But worry not, I will not forsake you. Big P too is making a living on the road, I know my principles.”
Liu Zuo once again appreciated the vicissitude of life. He raises his middle finger, and roars to the sky: “God envy my talents!” as Big P begins to pee loudly in the washroom.
February 15th, 2002, truly was an important date. Besides Liu Zuo’s life being turned upside down, another event at another place on planet earth also changed the fate of others. Coincidentally, part of this event took place in Beijing, but the other part of it in Nanjing, in a net cafe right next time comrade Liu Zuo’s place of residence.
That’s the good thing about the age of the internet, an event had to take place at two places at once --- Put simply, two CS teams had a match. A CS team is a team formed by a group of like minded CSERs, and its members train to cooperate with each other in a manner similar to a basketball or soccer team. Though unlike traditional sports, a CS team competes in E-Sports.
The goal of the competition between two teams is dependent on the map. For example, on a demolition map, the terrorist team wins if they manage to plant and detonate the bomb at designated locations, otherwise they lose. There are also other objectives like terrorists trying to escape, or the counter-terrorists trying to escort VIPs from a danger zone, and so on. To those not interested in CS, team matches are just a bunch of idiots doing foolish things. Yet to those who are passionate about CS, a CS match is just as exciting and intense as traditional sports competition.
The two teams that competed on February 15th, 2012 are X·FILES and Black Heaven. They played three matches against each other, on the popular map Cbble, Office, and Nuke. Cbble and Nuke are demolition maps, while Office is a hostage rescue map. X·FILES is based in Beijing, while Black Heavens are from Nanjing, the two teams play through internet servers.
What was unexpected is that the result of this match became a legend in the history of CS. Under the leadership of their captain A Jie (Team ID being X·FILES│JIM) and their gifted sniper Xi Cheng (X·FILES│X), X·FILES created a terrifying record: Not only did they win all three matches, they have not lost any round within each match. That is to say, Black Heaven did not win even a single round. While Black Heaven isn’t a renowned team, they are quite famous in Jiang Su, and had just won the Nanjing Regional Jia De Cup champion in the end of 2001, and second place in the Jiang Su Provincials. Such a strong team losing in such a manner to X·FILES is a testament to the incredible skills of X·FILES.
The discussion for this match was posted on the discussion forums of CCSK (China CS Alliance). The thread maker seems to be a Beijing CSER, and he reported the detail of this match with great excitement. The post made particular mention of A Jie and Xi Cheng;s involvement, and argued that these two core members are the reason behind X·FILES’ growth from No.1 in Beijing towards national championship. Netizen’s reply are quite interesting, some of which are recorded below:
Little Poster: Seriously? That’s scary~ Up~
I’m your dad: Hacks~ Up ~
So you want nothing: Cries :(((((( I cry for Black Heaven~ But X·FILES is just too strong.
NECK – CUTER: Haha, A Jie is my apprentice~
MINER: You’ve been drinking right? Full of nonsense~ When A Jie was playing CS you were still liquid!
Pervy Onion: Poster two post up is a girl???? Up~
Cool Dude: Hot Girls? Who is? QQ number???
Asia’s #1 Cricket: Monstrous Men~~~Men are born of Men’s mother, Monster’s are born of monster’s mother…..If monsters have a heart of kindness, they are not monsters, but monstrous men.
I barf: Disgusting~~~
Real Emperor: Fuck, that’s all I gotta say.
Internet Capitalist: Want to learn a easy way to make money online? If you read this post carefully, you can easily make thousands of dollars every month. I didn’t believe it either, but I realized it is true after giving it a shot, no jokes. (1200 words omitted below)
…….
As the match servers are password locked and HLTV server aren’t turned on (TL Note: Half Life TV, server used to allow viewers to watch CS matches live back in the day), no one but the players on both sides knew the true details of the match. These three matches, together with the 24 rounds in each match seems to be locked away forever from onlookers behind a mysterious code. Black Heaven suddenly disbanded after the game, its members moving on to the MMORPG ‘The Legend of Mir” without ever mentioning their history with Black Heaven. This once prominent team disappeared forever, almost as though it never existed, and even memories of it must be cast aside.
Two months later
Time: Evening of April 15th, 2002
Map: de_DUST
Teams: X·FILES vs JACK (Anhui province)
(TL Note: Map of De_Dust added for reader's covenience, T spawn left and CT spawn to the right, bomb site marked with X)
The section in the netcafe reserved for X·FILES is filled with people, but everyone kept quiet, without any sounds of conversation or jokes. X·FILES team members sat quietly on their chairs, looking towards their captain A Jie. A Jie looks at his watch again, it is already 19:45. Everyone is here, except Xi Cheng. His face remains expressionless, but his gaze glances over at the entrance of the netcafe from time to time. Yet no figure appeared. Finally, he asks everyone to put on their earphones and enter the designated server.
A young team member asks: “Xi Cheng still isn’t here, who will be the sniper?”
A Jie: “Leave it open for now. If he is still not here when the match starts, he will be disqualified from participating this time. As for his punishment of being late, I will announce it after the match.”
He paused for a moment, and emphasized: “Though this is a friendly match, I want everyone to take it seriously. The opponent is a famous team from Anhui, work hard, everyone!”
The audience that stood around the team began to get excited. While some of them tried to start conversing amongst themselves, all backed down under the stern gaze of A jie. The players log on one by one, four people total with A Jie, only Xi Cheng is still missing. The second and third-line team members lined up neatly behind the players, concentrating on observing the match.
The match is between JACK from Anhui and the famous X·FILES. The roster of players for JACK are as follows:
=JACK=232 (Captain)
=JACK=dead (Sniper)
=JACK=gigi (Fragger)
=JACK=so (Hired Gun)
=JACK=Yoki (Hired Gun)
The roster of players for X·FILES:
X·FILES│JIM (A Jie, Captain)
X·FILES│X (Xi Cheng, Sniper)
X·FILES│li ming (Li Ming, Fragger)
X·FILES│rabbit (Rabbit, Grenadier)
X·FILES│peter (Peter Wang, Free Role)
The map being used is Dust, a demolition map. There is a one-minute warm up period at the start of the match. Both teams chose to stay in base. For the first half, X·FILES will be CT while JACK plays as T. A Jie used the CT team chat to inform his teammates to use plan 1 for the pistol round.
The one minute quickly passed. The audience are getting restless again. “Go for it! A Jie!”, shouted someone in the audience. A Jie focuses on his screen, ignoring the commotion around him.
Meanwhile. Nanjing.
“Where did my tea cup go?” Dangerous Fart asked Liu Zuo, without turning his head from the screen.
Liu Zuo: “At the place where it should be”
Silent feel between the two men for a while. Dangerous Fart says: “Fine, not gonna drink it, the match is starting soon anyway.”
Liu Zuo: “You finally realized, if it's laziness, you will always lose to me. Just like how you will always lose to me in CS.”
Big P: “Everyone has their own talent, you can’t just generalize. Don’t you think you are getting luckier after we teamed up? We have business every week now.”
Liu Zuo: “Some business you got --- 30 bucks for one match, and only if we win.”
Dangerous Fart sighs: “The economy is bad in Japan and the states, even China is seeing a lot of unemployed workers, money’s hard to come by. 30 bucks is still quite a bit. Besides, they did say we probably won’t win big, as long as we win a few rounds, it will be good enough. Don’t say unnecessary things later, lest they found out that we aren’t from JACK. Those guys are seriously too scared of X·FILES.
Liu Zuo slowly turned his head around and gazed towards Big P’s face. Surprisingly, Big P began to blush, he said sheepishly: “Don’t look at me like this… It’s kinda corny…”
Liu Zuo: “Did I hear you right? This team X·FILES something are strong? I am the first batch of …….
Big P continues: “ I am the first batch of CSER in China, coming from DF. Back when I played DF those little brats were still playing street fighters…… I memorized all your lines already. Let me tell you, X·FILES is seen as the strongest team in China, it was the champion of Beijing Regional and Hua Bei Region Champion last year. This year it was picking up even more momentum. In the last two months, they beat almost every regional champion team in China. Mostly winning by a huge margin……”
Big P gulped and continues: “…… their captain A Jie and sniper Xi Cheng are the idols of Chinese CSER…… Shit, you don’t know how many girls are after them. Makes me angry just thinking about it. I’m just a fucking lone grass in the wind, miserable… Crap, the match is starting. Don’t forget that you are a player for team JACK, ID is =JACK=so, my ID is =JACK=Yoki. Shit, what crappy names.
Liu Zuo suddenly jumps up: “The tea cup is on the floor beside the cupboard in the kitchen, whoever has less kills at half time will go pour water!”
Big P grumbled: “You are always bullying me!”
Dust is a world of sandy yellow, like a half-abandoned ruin. Even the stone fence gives off a sense of solitude, like some forgotten corner of the world. The CT and T spawn on the two sides of the map, with two passageways in the middle. One is a sloped ramp with some rusty boxes as cover; the other is a tunnel within a building, with three exits to the outside. One of the demolition objectives is the CT Spawn (Meaning T will have to attack the CT spawn to seize this point); the other is located outside of one of the exits of the middle tunnel.
A Jie lead the X·FILES players as they stood in their base. The CT spawn is slightly more elevated, and allows for observation of the situation below. Faced with the barren landscape of Dust, A Jie took a deep breath: “It is time, head out!”
The CT players quickly sprinted towards their position, trying to capture strategic terrain as quickly as possible. A Jie and the grenadier Rabbit entered the middle tunnel, fragger Li Ming and free role Peter Wang turned towards the ramp. Only Xi Cheng’s lone figure remained in base with no response.
Rabbit bought nothing except a grenade and a flash. A Jie knew what he had to do, and positioned himself beside the tunnel exit. With a leap, the rabbit chucked a flashbang into the tunnel. A Jie followed up like lightning, and ran head into JACK’s fragger gigi, A Jie took him out with three shots.
The screen displays a headshot.
Though left with only 9 bullets in his pistol, A Jie did not rush to reload. He switched to walking and stalked past his enemy’s corpse in complete silence. Sure enough, another T waited quietly at the other exit with a grenade. Both players spotted each other at the same time. The T with the grenade is none other than the self-proclaimed “Charming, elegant, well-loved but sadly born at the wrong time” Big P --- Dangerous Fart.
Big P is no push over, the moment he saw a CT sneaking up, he immediately threw his grenade, and jumped up to prevent a head shot. Then began to back into cover as he fired back with his pistol. Big P’s whole movement is smoothly executed, his reaction quick, and his strategy sound. He did everything a tough T ought to have done. Even as he backed off, he spoke to himself: “I will send you right back to your spawn!”
But he is facing A jie. The moment Big P threw his grenade, A Jie already moved behind a box. Rabbit couldn’t dodge in time and was killed by the grenade. Even as Big P laughed as he “Bagged them good”, his body flew into the air, blood spewing high into the ceiling. Big P stares at the screen, dumbfounded --- “I’m dead? This kid wallbanged me with USP?”
A Jie did not stop there. He listened for movements in the tunnel, then decided to turn back the way he came to reinforce his teammates at the ramp.
Perhaps X·FILES simply hasn’t warmed up, or perhaps they are overrated after all, but Liu Zuo and the other two JACK players charged through the ramp and took out both of the X·FILES players waiting there. Now only captain A Jie and sniper Xi Cheng remain alive on the playerlist. In terms of number, JACK has the advantage. Once they rushed on top of the ramp, Liu Zuo signals JACK’s captain that he is going to plant the bomb, the other two JACK players spread out to provide cover.
One of the two players that excitedly followed Liu Zuo around was their captain 232. It needs to be said that due to limited funding (In other words, they are kinda poor, and without a net cafe willing to host them), JACK players are scattered around their own homes or net cafes, entering the game separately. 232 sat in front of his computer at home, feeling slightly more relieved. The situation isn't as terrifying as he had imagined.
“These X·FILES players are people after all, if we play carefully, we probably won’t lose too bad. Maybe we could even get lucky and turn the table on them. If we actually beat them, CSER across the nation will see JACK in a new light.” 232 even begin to imagine the comment’s flooding the internet “JACK pulling off a surprising victory, X·FILES faced with regrettable defeat……” “JACK’s captain displays wild personal skill and team coordination abilities, they truly deserve this victory”
232 blushed slightly at the thought --- “What am I thinking, this is the middle of a match”, he thought to himself, “But these two mercs we hired are quite good, what a brilliant decision by me…..”
The moment Liu Zuo entered the door toward CT spawn, 232 and his teammate moved to follow. Suddenly, gunshots rang behind him, and the name of the player behind 232 showed up in the kill message. 232’s heart skipped a beat, and he quickly turned to look for the source of the shooting, while trying to get behind cover.
It was all too late, A Jie jumped to the ground from a wall, and fired while he was still in the air. 232 slumped to the ground, and dumbfoundedly looked at the message that he has been headshotted --- “He dinked me with a pistol while in the air, what kind people can do this……” 232 switched his view to follow Liu Zuo’s camera, watching worryingly as the latter ran towards the CT spawn. “It’s all up to you now……” He mumbles.
Liu Zuo saw the death message of his teammates one by one. He did not stop, but kept on going towards the plant site. At the distance, he saw the lone figure of Xi Cheng standing there, and realized immediately that he was an ‘Afker’. Liu Zuo took him out with two shots, and began to plant.
It takes 35 seconds for the bomb to explode in game. If the CT diffused the bomb during this time, the T would still lose. Thus, the T cannot leave right away after the plant, and would usually defend the bomb until they are certain the CT will not have time to diffuse. Yet Liu Zuo did not stand beside the bomb, instead, he headed towards the cover to the left. This provides cover for him, and still allows him to see the approaching CT.
A Jie already knew where Liu Zuo would be even before he planted. He approached from the small path in CT spawn, and switched to walking as he neared Liu Zuo’s position. He approached Liu Zuo at a calm pace, like a confident hunter approaching his prey. His calmness and confidence send a chill through the air.
Liu Zuo waited for A Jie to show up behind cover. He knows the genius CSER is approaching, his precise calculation bringing his gun closer to Liu Zuo. --- Isn’t life just a life of waiting? Waiting to be born, waiting to grow up, waiting for love, waiting for marriage, and finally waiting for a tombstone at the end of everything?
Yet what will be the result of this wait? Wait for him to show up, kill him and win the round? Or actually waiting for my own death? Although all these questions will be answered within a few seconds, these few seconds feel longer than any other. Liu Zuo isn’t sure why, but the hope to face that person is already surpassing the hope to win this round. A Jie’s score on the scoreboard is 4:0. Liu Zuo feels his hand on the gun getting warmer, he knows he is itching for this fight.
Time pass by one second after another. Nothing out of the ordinary appeared in Liu Zuo’s view. He knew he should be retreating by now, there is no point in staying further. C4’s powerful explosion will kill him as well. Yet Liu Zuo suddenly feelt a shiver down his spine, he clearly sensed a strange danger approaching him. Without hesitation, Liu Zuo jumped and turned around.
Behind him is A Jie’s expressionless face.
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