The atmosphere in the training room was thick with tension as the team pushed through another grueling practice. With the national championships just around the corner, every match simulation, every strategy review, felt like a step closer to either victory or defeat. The stakes were high, and everyone could feel it.
Sun Xiang, still recovering from his recent bout of self-doubt, was focused but quieter than usual. Tang Rou, on the other hand, had fully embraced Ye Xiu's advice and was playing with a newfound intensity that impressed even the more seasoned players.
But it was Ye Xiu who noticed something was off.
He paused the simulation, the screen flickering to a halt as the virtual characters froze mid-action. The team groaned in unison.
"Why'd you stop it, Captain?" Huang Shaotian asked, twirling a pen in his fingers, his trademark restlessness showing through.
Ye Xiu didn't answer immediately. He turned to face the team, his eyes narrowing slightly. "There's something missing."
Sun Xiang, wiping sweat from his forehead, shot him a look. "What do you mean? We're hitting all our marks."
Tang Rou leaned forward, curious. "What's wrong?"
Ye Xiu leaned against the desk, folding his arms. "You're all playing great individually, but there's a disconnect in our teamwork. We've improved a lot since the World Invitational, but if we want to win this championship, we need to be more than just strong players. We need to be a single unit."
The team fell silent, reflecting on his words. They had all felt the pressure, the intense push to perfect their individual performance, but Ye Xiu was right. In the chaos of their personal improvements, they had started to lose sight of what made them strong as a team.
Chen Guo, standing in the doorway, nodded in agreement. "You're all good, but you need to find your rhythm together again."
Ye Xiu straightened up. "So, here's what we're going to do. We're going back to the basics. Team coordination, communication, and synergy drills."
Sun Xiang groaned, slumping in his chair. "Drills? Again?"
Ye Xiu smiled slightly. "If you don't like them, get better."
The team shared a few tired but amused looks. They knew this was the only way forward. And though the path ahead seemed difficult, none of them were willing to back down now.
---
The next few days were relentless. Ye Xiu drove the team through drill after drill, pushing them to synchronize their movements, communicate without words, and anticipate each other's actions. It was hard work, and tempers flared at times, but slowly, they began to see progress.
"Again!" Ye Xiu shouted, as Tang Rou and Sun Xiang executed a perfectly timed combo, followed by Huang Shaotian swooping in for the final strike.
By the end of the week, the change was undeniable. The team was no longer a collection of talented individuals—they were a finely tuned machine, each part moving in perfect harmony with the others.
As the team gathered around for a break, Ye Xiu surveyed them with quiet pride. "This is what we needed. You're all playing as one now. This is the team that's going to win the championships."
Tang Rou, catching her breath, smiled. "Feels different, doesn't it?"
Sun Xiang nodded, a rare look of satisfaction on his face. "Yeah, it does. We're finally in sync."
Huang Shaotian leaned back, wiping sweat from his forehead. "Not bad. Maybe we'll actually stand a chance now."
Ye Xiu smirked. "Maybe."
---
As the days counted down to the national championships, the team's confidence grew. Their drills were sharper, their strategies more refined, and the synergy they had worked so hard to build was paying off. But amidst the growing sense of readiness, there was an undercurrent of something more personal brewing.
One evening, after a particularly long practice, Tang Rou found herself in the common room once again, this time joined by Sun Xiang. The two had shared a competitive rivalry since they first started playing together, but tonight, there was an unexpected sense of camaraderie between them.
"You're really pushing yourself lately," Sun Xiang remarked, leaning back in his chair.
Tang Rou shrugged, glancing out the window. "I don't want to leave anything on the table. We've worked too hard to come up short now."
Sun Xiang nodded, his expression more thoughtful than usual. "I used to think that being the best meant beating everyone else, proving I was number one. But now... I think it's more about what we can achieve as a team. Weird, huh?"
Tang Rou smiled softly. "Not weird at all. That's the whole point of this, right?"
They sat in silence for a moment, the weight of the upcoming tournament heavy on their minds. But beneath that weight, there was a shared understanding—an unspoken agreement that no matter what happened, they would face it together.
---
The night before the national championships, the team gathered for one final strategy meeting. The room was tense, but not with fear—there was a palpable sense of determination in the air.
Ye Xiu stood at the front, going over the final plans. "We've covered every angle, every potential scenario. You know your roles, you know the strategies, and you know each other's strengths. There's nothing left but to go out there and execute."
Tang Rou clenched her fists, her heart pounding with anticipation. This was it—the moment they had all been working toward. Everything they had endured, every challenge they had faced, had led them here.
Sun Xiang glanced at Ye Xiu, a rare look of respect in his eyes. "We're ready."
Ye Xiu nodded, a small smile on his face. "Yes, you are."
---
As they left the meeting room, the team dispersed, each member heading off to mentally prepare for the battles ahead. But Ye Xiu lingered, staring at the empty room for a moment longer. He had led teams to victory before, but this felt different. This team was special.
Chen Guo approached him, her usual bright energy subdued but present. "They're going to be great, aren't they?"
Ye Xiu nodded, his expression serious. "They are. Tomorrow, we'll show the world what this team is capable of."
Chen Guo smiled. "I always believed in them. And in you."
Ye Xiu chuckled. "Let's hope that belief holds up."
As they stood there, the weight of the next day's challenge hanging over them, there was no doubt in Ye Xiu's mind. They had come too far to fall short now. Victory was within reach.
Tomorrow, they would face their greatest challenge yet. And together, they would rise to meet it.