DTTM 15

Chapter 15: What Does It Matter If We Lose?

Just a few days before Fantong regional competition was about to begin, Xu Chengye suddenly told me that a well-known variety show in Penglai had a guest cancellation, and urgently needed me and Yi You to fill in. Given that Zong Yanlei was not the type to participate in variety shows, and Tan Yunmei seemed to have a serious lack of social skills, the dual-navigator setup was perfectly normal, and the pay was also good, so I agreed without hesitation.

To my surprise, when I arrived at the recording site in my van the next morning, I was stunned as soon as I opened the car door. Yi You was nowhere to be seen, but Zong Yanlei made a dazzling appearance in a smart and handsome outfit.

“Where’s Yi You?” I asked.

Under the sunlight, Zong Yanlei stood with his hands in his pockets, letting the staff in front of him adjust the position of his chest microphone. He glanced at me briefly when he heard my voice, then quickly looked back at the racetrack not far away.

“Fantong Station is about to start, and he said he and Xiao Mei need to practice and asked me to take his place.”

How kind of you!

Although I didn’t believe Zong Yanlei’s explanation, I didn’t say anything more after that.

The variety show started recording early in the morning. Apart from Zong Yanlei and me, all the other guests were celebrities. They all looked familiar to me, but I couldn’t remember their names. Among them was a young noble named Tang Yu, who seemed to be a rising star. He seemed quite familiar with Zong Yanlei, sticking to his side like a shadow during the recording. Even during the break, he remained glued to him, like a piece of chewing gum that couldn’t be shaken off.

As for the others, this young nobleman didn’t give them a friendly look. His eyes and brows revealed an air of superiority, which annoyed the other guests, but they dared not speak out.

“Wow, look at Tang Yu, he’s such a petty tyrant! So what if he got a hit drama? Everyone here has been famous before! Everyone here has more seniority than him! What’s so great about a fallen nobleman!”

The hot-tempered actress surnamed Mu had just been mocked for her age by the young nobleman during the recording. During a break from touching up her makeup, she vented her frustrations to her assistant without trying to tone down her voice.

I was chatting with another tough-guy middle-aged male star not far away. I could hear her clearly. We looked at each other and tacitly pretended not to hear.

“…Yes, we’re leaving for Fantong tomorrow.” I forced a smile.

“Then I wish you victory in the next battle, haha.” His laugh was even more fake than mine.

Next, we’ll be recording a polo match. The teams were divided into two groups of four. I was in a group with Ms. Mu, the tough-guy actor, and a baby-faced singer, while Zong Yanlei was in a group with the young nobleman and others.

After changing my clothes, I tugged uncomfortably at the eye patch on my face. Perhaps because it was not appropriate to be too flamboyant on a variety show, the publicity department only prepared a simple eye patch with a gold sun pattern embroidered on it, but the edges weren’t properly trimmed and felt a bit uncomfortable.

Variety shows always follow a pre-written script, and the outcome of this match was already predetermined before it even began, the score was locked at 5-4. Before the final whistle blew, our commoner team was bound to miss the crucial goal, allowing the noble team to stage a thrilling comeback and secure a narrow victory.

Perhaps knowing they were going to lose from the start, the commoners were all unenthusiastic and not very active in their discussions. In contrast, the nobles not only assigned positions early on, but also got on their ponies and got ready to fight.

Looking at Zong Yanlei in his dashing riding attire in the distance, I couldn’t help but feel a surge of emotion. He used to be completely unable to ride a horse, and even if he did, I had to protect him from behind. Who would have thought that in just six years, he would not only be able to ride a horse, but also play polo so skillfully?

Time truly flies, and life is but a dream.

“Jiang Man, why don’t you play defense?”

I looked away and turned to the baby-faced man who had asked the question. He had been elected as our team captain because of his lively and likable personality.

“I’m fine with either.”

In polo, the defender’s number is 4, which is equivalent to the goalkeeper’s position. When no one is around, he stays quietly; when someone is around, he blocks the shot. It’s a relatively easy position.

“Wait a minute…” The tough-guy actor weakly raised his hand, “Can I play the defense? To be honest, I was trampled by a horse while filming a horse riding scene before, and I have a psychological trauma from it. My riding skills are not good. It’s okay if you ask me to stand still, but if you ask me to run, that would be the death of me.”

The baby-faced man looked troubled upon hearing this: “This… Jiang Man, are you alright riding a horse?”

Polo was quite popular among the middle class and nobility in Penglai. For a member of those circles not to know how to ride a horse was about as rare as an elephant not knowing how to use its trunk. But among commoners and ordinary citizens, it was perfectly normal.

“I can ride. We’re going to lose anyway, so I might as well just pretend.” I started doing warm-up exercises by stretching my legs left and right.

“This sounds so unpleasant…” Ms. Mu came over after touching up her makeup, and her face darkened even more when she heard our conversation. “Isn’t it supposed to be four goals? I’ll take two of the spots, and you can figure out the rest yourselves. Even if we can’t win, I’ll swing the ball right past Tang Yu’s stupid face and into their goal!”

“Okay, okay, Mu-jie, calm down.” The baby-faced man raised his hands, looking like he was begging for forgiveness.

In the end, I was selected as the number 3 midfielder, Ms. Mu was the number 2 attacker, and Babyface was the number 1 striker.

After the positions were arranged, the baby-faced man gestured to the director, and soon after, staff members brought over several ponies for us.

My mount was a brown mare, gentle yet curious, who often looked back at me, her lively appearance was adorable.

The game played in three quarters, each lasting seven minutes. According to the script, the commoners should score two goals first in the first quarter, and the nobles should score one goal; in the second quarter, the commoners should score two more goals, and the nobles should also score two goals; in the final quarter, the nobles should come back and score two goals, while the commoners should lose by one goal.

However, three minutes into the first quarter, neither Ms. Mu nor Babyface had scored a single goal. They were locked in a midfield battle with the nobles team, unable to get past their number 3 player.

And the noble team’s number 3 was none other than Zong Yanlei.

The camera ball hovered in the air, capturing the game from all angles. After snatching the ball from the baby-faced player, Zong Yanlei quickly accelerated away from the crowd, advanced from the right side, and swung his mallet to score the first point.

The ball grazed my face as it entered the backfield, and the defender hadn’t even reacted before the goal was scored.

I glanced at the slightly bewildered tough-guy behind me, then gave Zong Yanlei a thumbs up: “Great job! But young master, that’s not how the script was written.”

Zong Yanlei slightly raised his chin, his eyes full of arrogance: “I never said I would follow the script.” After saying that, he spurred his pony and passed by me, switching field.

The game resumed, and everyone returned to their places.

“What’s going on?” Ms. Mu waved her mallet, looking completely bewildered. “Aren’t we going to follow the script?”

I glanced at the camera dome above and said, “The director hasn’t called ‘cut,’ so let’s continue.”

“They’ll probably let us score in the second half, right?” The baby-faced man had an unusual insistence on going through the script.

“If they won’t let me in, I’ll create my own chance!” The referee tossed the ball between the two teams, and Ms. Mu rushed forward first.

This was destined to be a fierce melee, but fortunately, Ms. Mu gained possession of the ball from the center circle. She dribbled along the left flank at great speed, and just as she was about to swing and shoot, the ball was swept out of the danger zone by Zong Yanlei, who was rushing back to defend.

The noble team’s number 2, Tang Yu, was already waiting at the ball’s landing point, ready to receive it. After successfully receiving the ball from Zong Yanlei, he spurred his pony and charged down the right flank. I anticipated his path and positioned myself in front of him. Seeing someone there, he lost his composure and immediately raised his mallet to shoot. The ball hit the goalpost and bounced towards the sideline.

“Fuck!” Tang Yu cursed when he saw that he hadn’t scored, and glared at me.

At this moment, the referee blew the whistle, ending the first quarter with the score at 1-0, and the noble team taking the lead.

With only a three-minute break, no one dismounted; they waited on their horses for the second quarter to begin.

“The director said this is good, exciting.” The baby-faced man returned with a definite answer from the director, looking helpless.

“Ha, I think he just doesn’t dare to offend the nobles. He’d nod even if the nobles said shit smelled good!” Ms. Mu said, then realized that I should theoretically be on the “nobles'” side, and quickly added, “Of course, that’s good too, fair competition.”

I stroked the pony’s mane and nodded: “Yes, fair competition, right?”

Zong Yanlei used the same trick again, making a long pass and sending the ball right in front of me to Tang Yu, who was waiting on the other side. Ms. Mu tried to chase after him, but it was too late to get back on defense. Tang Yu dribbled straight into the penalty area, easily bypassed the defender, and scored.

“Nice shot!”

“Nice shot!”

The members of the noble team high-fived Tang Yu in celebration, and Zong Yanlei was no exception.

2-0, the first round of the second period, the commoner team still failed to score.

The two teams switched sides and took turns playing. Taking advantage of this brief moment, I spurred my pony closer to Zong Yanlei and spared no effort in flattering him: “Young Master, you’ve become so good at polo in just six years, you’re truly amazing.”

Zong Yanlei rode on his tall white pony, his expression was disdainful, his words were venomous: “You’ve regressed this much in just six years, you’re quite something.”

“That just shows my talent isn’t as good as yours.” I took his sarcasm to heart. After all, I hadn’t played polo for six years, my skills had rusted.

The game resumed, and the battle for the center circle remained intense. This time, the baby-faced man gained possession. Without hesitation, he immediately smashed the ball forward. Zong Yanlei quickly returned to his position to receive it, while I was also near the landing point, and with a flick of my wrist, I sent the ball close to the penalty area.

Then, Zong Yanlei and I started almost simultaneously, scrambling side by side for the small ball on the ground. I practically hung on the side of the horse, stretching my arms as far as possible, and reached the ball first. With a flick of the mallet, the ball arced through the air, swept past the defenders, and advanced into the goal as the whistle blew at the end of the second quarter.

The score was 2-1, with the commoner team pulling back a point.

“Thank you for letting me have my way, Young Master.” I smiled at Zong Yanlei, pretending to be innocent after getting the benefit.

He scoffed, said nothing, and turned his pony away.

“Jiang Man, you’re amazing!”

“You’re awesome, Ge!”

During the break, my teammates came up to me and gave me high-fives.

The third quarter was the final quarter of the game, and the outcome depended on this one battle. After discussing it, everyone decided to pass the ball to me as soon as they got it, and I would be in charge of the offense.

This was just a variety show game at best. There was no prize money for winning and no punishment for losing. But perhaps everyone was holding back a bit, wanting to prove themselves in this contest with the nobles, and they fought with a bit of passion.

In contrast, the nobles were somewhat angered by the resistance of the common people.

When Tang Yu and I met again, our shoulders collided, and his pony veered off course due to inertia. Despite his efforts to regain control and return to the correct position, it was to no avail. Perhaps fueled by a grudge, both old and new, his anger caused him to lose his temper, and without warning, he raised his hand and slammed his mallet into my pony.

I heard the pony neigh in pain and kneel down on one knee. I lost my balance and fell off the pony as well.

The referee blew his whistle to stop the game.

Everything happened so suddenly. Tang Yu and I were right next to each other. He did it very discreetly, and the others on the field just thought it was an accidental injury.

“I’m so sorry, I made a mistake, my aim was off, I’m really sorry!” Even Tang Yu himself put on a convincing act.

Zong Yanlei was the first to arrive. He sat on his pony, quickly scanned the scene, and asked, “Are you injured?”

“No, no, I’m not injured,” Tang Yu replied hastily.

Zong Yanlei frowned: “I didn’t ask you.”

Tang Yu choked, looking somewhat sullen.

“I’m not hurt either,” I said, raising my hand to reassure the trembling pony.

Zong Yanlei’s expression softened slightly, and he looked visibly relieved.

After a while, he said, “That’s good. We’re going to Fantong in three days. If you get injured… it will be very troublesome.”

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In a formal polo match, Tang Yu’s foul would be considered a serious one, but this was just a variety show. The production team gave us more time to rest this time, and the celebrities took the opportunity to go back and touch up their makeup. Only Zong Yanlei was extremely busy, putting one thing down and picking up another. He was called to the fence by a woman who looked like a secretary and signed several documents in quick succession.

It seems the news that he had taken over the Sun God Group was true.

The mare knelt down briefly but quickly stood up, though she started to limp. The stable veterinarian examined her and said she might have injured a bone and needed to take X-rays for further confirmation.

“If it’s confirmed that the bone is injured, will she be euthanized?” I asked the veterinarian.

Horses are animals that cannot lie down and heal from injuries. If a leg is fractured, unless it can be lifted off the ground by equipment and allowed to heal, death is the only outcome. Owners are generally not willing to treat their racehorses because even if they endure the pain until the bone heals, the horse will be severely underweight and lose its value.

“It’s unlikely to be a bone fracture,” the veterinarian replied.

Therefore, if it was a fracture, it could only be euthanized.

The production team quickly changed my pony, this time to a young, black stallion that had just reached adulthood. Once mounted, I adjusted my reins and grip, signaling to the referee that we could begin.

The third quarter resumed, with the final three minutes countdown underway.

2:59…

I gave up trying to win possession of the ball and simply stayed in midfield, keeping an eye on Tang Yu’s movements.

2:43…

Zong Yanlei grabbed the ball and immediately tried to break through on his own, but he failed. He could only hit the ball to the outside, where I was already waiting.

2:28…

I caught the ball from him, dribbled around a few times, and didn’t rush into an attack. The noble team’s number 1 attacker couldn’t resist trying to steal the ball from me, so I made a long pass to the baby-faced man who had penetrated deep into the enemy territory. But then a dramatic scene unfolded. Due to the wind direction, the pass deviated in mid-air and ended up at Tang Yu’s feet.

He received the ball, glanced around, and spotted an opening on the left. He immediately dribbled forward. Seeing this, I rushed over.

1:21…

Tang Yu saw that I was going to block him, so he tried to shoot, but the ball landed in the backfield.

Although the tough-guy actor wasn’t a great rider, the ball was already in front of the goal, so how could he just sit idly by? He swung his arm, and the ball flew towards me.

0:58…

I struck the ball with my mallet, and it rolled to the vicinity of the sideline, very close to both me and Tang Yu.

0:48…

We arrived at the landing point almost simultaneously, and just like in the previous round, we collided.

This time, however, my mount was a young, uncastrated stallion. It rammed into Tang Yu’s mount, seemingly intent on knocking it off the sideline.

“Damn it, you beast, what are you doing?” Everything was similar. Tang Yu angrily raised his mallet, wanting to attack my horse again.

0:10…

The difference this time was that I also raised my mallet and swung it faster, harder, and more accurately than him, hitting him squarely in the knee.

After a bloodcurdling scream, Tang Yu fell off his pony with a pale face.

My eye patch coincidentally fell off at that moment, and the match ended just as it hit the ground.

The score was 2:1, the commoners lost.

But what does it matter if we lose? I have already accomplished something more important than winning or losing.

“Ah, I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to. Are you alright?” I threw away the mallet as if it were a hot potato, dismounted, and went to Tang Yu, who was groaning in pain.

“My leg… my leg…” He curled up, his lips trembling with pain, his eyes unfocused.

I let him lie on my lap and gently comforted him, “Shh, it’s okay, it’s okay. Medical technology is so advanced now, the doctor will give you a new set of knees.”

A rapid sound of horses’ hooves approached from afar. I looked up and met a pair of gloomy blue-green eyes.

I didn’t know about others, but Zong Yanlei seemed to have figured out what I did.