Haikyuu!!: The Disaster of Gamers

On a winter morning in Chengdu, the dawn doesn't break quickly. Thick clouds, like an unfinished texture, hang hazily overhead.

Inside the blankets was a seal, outside was an extreme, frigid hell. Lu Ren burrowed his head under the covers, trying to escape the cruel reality of waking up early through physical isolation. But Qingze Yazhi clearly wasn't buying it; her movements as practiced as a professional demolition director were.

"Get up!"

Lu Ren felt a gust of cold wind rush straight to the top of his head. Before he could even cry out, a down jacket was thrown at him and covered his face.

"If we don't get up soon, the pandas will be off work." Ya-zhi's voice was full of energy, showing no signs of fatigue from a long flight yesterday.

Downstairs, Lu De had already started the car. This older cousin, who had just experienced a "social death" last night, was now slumped over the steering wheel with huge dark circles under his eyes, looking utterly hopeless.

Lu Ren opened the car door and got in, handing over a bottle of hot milk: "Brother, please accept my condolences."

Lu De turned his head and gave him a long, meaningful look: "Thanks to you, my mom came knocking on the door at six this morning, saying she's arranged three blind dates for me. A nurse in the morning, a teacher at noon, and a civil servant in the afternoon. She said as long as I don't bring any men home, she'd even accept a female monkey."

Lu Ren almost couldn't hold back his laughter and quickly buried his face in his scarf: "This is a good thing, it's a great cause for the continuation of the family line."

"roll."

The car entered the morning rush hour traffic. Chengdu's traffic jams have a unique sense of relaxation; everyone is in no hurry, and even the occasional honking of the horn is listless.

Our first stop was the Panda Base.

When Lu Ren arrived at the destination, he finally understood what "a sea of ​​people" meant. The queue at the ticket counter was even more exaggerated than the Tokyo subway during rush hour, with various dialects mixed together, making Lu Ren think for a moment that he had accidentally entered the assembly hall of some large-scale dungeon.

"Is this server overloaded?" Lu Ren looked at the densely packed crowd and felt his social anxiety level rising.

Ya-zhi was very excited, pulling on his sleeve and weaving through the crowd, managing to squeeze to the front using her agility.

Inside the enclosure, a black and white dumpling lay sprawled on a wooden frame, clutching a bamboo shoot in its hand, chewing a couple of times, then pausing for three seconds. Its posture and expression were practically a carbon copy of Lu Ren himself, on vacation at home.

"Ahhh! So cute!" Ya-zhi cupped her face, her eyes sparkling. "Look at its ears! They can even move!"

Lu Ren, hands in his pockets, calmly commented: "Is this the composure of an apex predator? Earning a long-term meal ticket just by being cute—I give this career planning a perfect score."

"Don't you think it looks a lot like you?" Ya-zhi pointed to the panda that had rolled over and continued sleeping.

"Nonsense," Lu Ren retorted. "Its body fat percentage is much higher than mine. And when I play games, my hand speed is very fast; it even needs to gather energy to turn over."

An elderly man who was also there to see the pandas overheard this and chuckled as he chimed in, "Young man, that's called 'ba shi' (comfortable/satisfying). Chengdu is all about taking it slow."

Lu Ren glanced at the old man, then at the panda, and suddenly thought that if there were an afterlife, being reborn as a panda in Chengdu would indeed be a good choice. No need to run, no need to receive passes, and no need to face unreasonable left-handed powerhouses like Ushijima Wakatoshi.

After visiting the panda base, Lu De drove them to lunch.

To get revenge on Lu Ren, Lu De deliberately chose a hot pot restaurant that looked like a "hole-in-the-wall" eatery. The red oil was bubbling in the pot, and the smell of Sichuan peppercorns was so strong that it made people sneeze.

"Eat! Eat more!" Lu De shoveled a large mouthful of tripe into Lu Ren's bowl. "This is authentic extra spicy; you can't get this in Japan, can you?"

Lu Ren expressionlessly picked up a piece of tripe, dipped it in the oil sauce, and stuffed it into his mouth.

The spiciness explodes on the tip of the tongue, followed by a refreshing sensation.

"Not bad," Lu Ren commented. "It feels a bit sweeter than the day I lost to Shiratorizawa."

Lu De: "..."

Is this kid a devil? Why does he have to make such a comparison when eating hot pot?

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The afternoon's itinerary is the Wuhou Temple.

Red walls, bamboo shadows, and ancient cypress trees. It's much quieter here than the panda base, and a solemn atmosphere permeates the air.

Lu Ren stopped in front of the statue of Zhuge Liang.

He wasn't particularly interested in history, but he had a natural affinity for the profession of "strategist." In the game, that's the core role responsible for controlling the battlefield, devising tactics, and maximizing the abilities of teammates.

"Is this the person who 'devoted himself to the cause until his dying breath'?" Ya-zhi asked softly, standing beside her.

"Hmm." Lu Ren looked at the feather fan in the statue's hand. "He's destined to be a worrier. His teammates are terrible, and his boss is too idealistic, so he has to carry the team forward all by himself. A typical single-core team leader, and he's even out of mana in the late game."

"Can't you say something nicer?" Ya-zhi rolled her eyes at him. "That's loyalty and righteousness."

"On a tactical level, this is a case of unreasonable resource allocation." Lu Ren habitually began to review the situation. "If Shu had a few more decent damage dealers, they wouldn't have had to send a support to jungle."

At this point, Lu Ren suddenly paused for a moment.

This configuration sounds familiar, doesn't it?

The current Karasuno is somewhat like the early Shu Kingdom. Hyuga is the vanguard charging into battle, Kageyama is a gifted general, and Daichi is a steady lord. And himself…

Lu Ren stroked his chin.

I'm at best a strategist still leveling up in the newbie village, far from being a max-level character like Zhuge Liang. But one thing is common to all—to win, brute force alone won't do.

"What are you thinking about?" Yazhi asked, waving her hand in front of his eyes when he didn't answer.

"I'm thinking about how to upgrade Kageyama's single-celled brain," Lu Ren said, snapping out of his reverie. "Or maybe give him an external processor."

"You're talking nonsense again." Yazhi took his hand. "Come on, let's go take pictures over there. That red wall is really beautiful."

Lu Ren was dragged along by her, and he glanced back at the statue of Zhuge Liang one last time.

The statue still stood there quietly, its feather fan gently swaying, as if it had seen through a thousand years of time. Lu Ren actually read a hint of mockery in the clay sculpture's face: Young man, you still have a long way to go.

Exiting the Wuhou Temple, you'll find Jinli Ancient Street right next to it. Although it's a bit commercialized, its antique architectural style is still quite impressive.

Lu De received a phone call at that moment, and his face instantly turned deathly pale.

"It's over." Lu De hung up the phone, his hands trembling. "My mom said that nurse didn't like me, so she arranged an extra shift for me tonight. This time it's a forensic doctor."

Lu Ren patted him on the shoulder: "Forensic medicine is great. It's a calm, rational profession, and you're very knowledgeable about human anatomy. If you ever feel unwell, you won't need to go to the hospital; they can do an autopsy for you at home."

"Lu Ren!!!" Lu De let out a scream, attracting the attention of passersby.

To comfort his cousin who was on the verge of a breakdown, Lu Ren suggested going to Du Fu Thatched Cottage to clear his head.

The thatched cottage is more secluded than the Wuhou Temple. Although the cottage has been renovated, one can still feel the desolate feeling of "the autumn wind howling in August".

"Is this the romance of scholars?" Lu Ren looked at the few thatched huts. "The houses are so dilapidated, yet they still think of 'providing shelter for all the poor and needy, making them all happy.' Their awareness is indeed higher than ours in volleyball."

"That's sentiment," Yazhi corrected. "Just like how Senior Dadi wanted to go to Spring High School, it wasn't for profit, but for the principles in his heart."

Lu Ren fell silent.

Looking at the withered lotus leaves in the pond, he suddenly realized that Yazhi was right. He had always used the logic of a game to deconstruct this world, calculating gains and losses, and weighing the pros and cons. But some things cannot be displayed on the data panel.

For example, Hyuga's tireless jump, Kageyama's obsession with making the perfect pass, and Daichi's desire to win another game.

These things don't have numerical values, but they can often deal critical hits.

"What's wrong? Why are you suddenly so serious?" Ya-zhi leaned over and nudged him with her shoulder.

"It's nothing," Lu Ren smiled. "I just think that it might be nice to be a fool sometimes."

As dusk fell, the three drove to Tianfu Square.

This is the heart of Chengdu. A colossal statue of Chairman Mao stands in the center of the square, his waving gesture exuding power and grandeur. Surrounding it are modern skyscrapers, their neon lights flashing, painting the night sky in vibrant colors.

Lu Ren stood at the edge of the square, watching the bustling traffic.

"You're going back tomorrow, right?" Ya-zhi asked, holding a string of candied fruit, her lips smeared with syrup as she ate.

"Yes." Lu Ren nodded. "Winter break is coming to an end."

Are you scared?

"What are you afraid of?"

"You'll have to go through special training when you get back," Ya-zhi said, looking at him. "Coach Wu-yang definitely won't let you off the hook. And that Spring High school thing, it sounds really tough."

Lu Ren snatched a candied fruit from her hand and stuffed it into his mouth.

Crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, it's cloyingly sweet.

"What's there to be afraid of?" Lu Ren mumbled, chewing on some fruit. "Right now, Wuye's equipment isn't fully developed, and their level isn't high enough. But we have cheat codes."

"Hang?" Ya-zhi asked, puzzled.

"Me?" Lu Ren pointed to his head, "and that monster Kageyama, and that bug with Hinata's infinite stamina bar. As long as I assemble these random parts, even a max-level boss can be worn down."

Ya-zhi looked at him.

Standing amidst the bustling nightscape of Chengdu, Lu Ren's eyes no longer held their usual laziness and nonchalance. Something called "ambition" was slowly gathering in his eyes.

It's like a player about to enter the final instance, checking their inventory and skill slots.

"That's good." Yazhi smiled and stuffed the rest of the candied fruit into his hands. "Eat more to replenish your blue bar. You'll have to work hard when we get back."

Lu Ren looked at the bamboo skewer in his hand, then at the brightly lit city in the distance.

Although he was only back for a few days, the sense of relaxation he felt at "home" really soothed away the tension he had felt during the previous competition.

It's like going back to town to replenish your resources, repair your equipment, and even get a double experience buff.

Lu Ren shouted at Lu De, who was on the phone explaining to his mother why he hadn't arrived at the blind date location yet, "Stop explaining! Hurry up and take us out for a late-night snack! I want pig's trotters! And rabbit heads!"

Lu De hung up the phone, turned around with a look of grief and indignation: "Eat, eat, eat! All you ever think about is eating! I'm about to be kicked out of the house!"

"That's called turning grief into appetite," Lu Ren laughed. "Let's go, it's my treat tonight, I'll use my New Year's money."

"That's more like it." Lu De muttered, taking out his car keys. "Come on, I'll take you to eat the most authentic Lao Ma's Pig Trotters, the kind that you can't find anywhere else."

The car started again and disappeared into the gentle night of Chengdu.

Lu Ren leaned back in his chair, watching the street scenes rushing past the window, but his mind was already starting to conceive his training plan after returning to Japan.

Physical fitness training is a must; it's a fundamental attribute, no question about it.

We need to develop more variations of the serve, as the current jump float serve has already been countered.

As for Kageyama... we need to find a way to teach him a lesson about his bad temper.

And Hinata...

As he pondered this, Lu Ren's eyelids began to droop.

Yazhi, who was next to him, had already fallen asleep, her head nodding little by little until it finally rested on his shoulder.

Lu Ren adjusted his posture to make her more comfortable.

"Goodnight, Chengdu," he said silently to himself.

Good morning, Karasuno.

Although they were still thousands of kilometers apart, he could almost hear the sound of the crows flapping their wings.