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audriel · 7 months ago

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behind the scenes: let's start thinkin' bout it

chapter 2 : lingering wounds

this chapter really writes itself. all i have clearly in mind is a conversation between Qiao Yifan and Wang Jiexi. i have thought of writing the remaining All Stars, but the conversation ends up much bigger than i expected. definitely more angst and hurt-comfort, which is me going back to my roots lol. it also makes it harder to find a proper ending. after scrapping some rough ideas, this is the end result that i am pretty satisfied with.

this chapter can be said an analysis of Tiny Herb. and I know how risky it is, and it's rather hard to avoid bias. but Tiny Herb is among the teams that we do have more knowledge of their inner workings from the novel. and i must admit, while i admire Wang Jiexi and his dedication to Tiny Herb (fangwang is also one of my fave pairings), for me current Tiny Herb is not impressive... and its future is worrisome.

my bad impression did indeed start with the way they handled Qiao Yifan. it can be summed up as a mere mismatch between Qiao Yifan and Tiny Herb. that our Yifan is unsuitable for Tiny Herb and vice versa. that ultimately Tiny Herb is an employer and workplace, that this kind of thing does a common occurrence. no one is at fault. we just happened to be spoiled with teams like Happy and Blue Rain who are in comparison very flexible and inclusive. (then there's God Ye, who stands tall above the rest, who notices things that the Magician doesn't)

but i cannot help but disagree.

in my experience as an employee (or capitalist slave lol) who ends up studying about business&management, human resource is the greatest investment a company or any business can have. it can make or break the business. so usually, HR recruitment and training get a lot of attention, if not a priority. so it's no wonder that all teams will have their own training camps, so they will have easier time to mold and pick their future team members. especially there's an obvious quota or limitation of how many people can be in the team. then there's also nature of the teams, which highly requires ability to adapt and to work with others. this should make being promoted to the team very difficult. the ones who did get to be a member of the team, even though only a sub, should be the cream of the crop.

Qiao Yifan is no exception.

this is clearly implied in the novel when it's mentioned that he has only played Glory for a year by the time we got to know him (Ch147). only further strengthened with how quick he adjusts to Ghostblade class and to rough diamond Happy in the new server.

However, Qiao Yifan has never played an official match, to the point that all pro players and the All Stars' audience have no idea of his existence in Tiny Herb. and by then half season have passed.

half season!

(forget how strange the timeline is, s8 is a mess)

that's such a waste of time and money. seriously. HR is an investment because the result will not show immediately. HR is also costly because they put a lot of money into developing the people into what the company need. recruiting a fully developed talent (transfer) is expensive, so it's usually more cost effective to acquire from universities (training camp) and develop them in the company (the team).

how can you develop your team member without giving them experience??? especially when it's highlighted throughout the novel, through many pro players, how important experience is. how it's the only way for a rookie turn into a veteran.

not only it doesn't make sense from business standpoint, it also doesn't make sense from team standpoint. by benching Qiao Yifan, Wang Jiexi has crippled his own team, reducing the potential strategies he can use. and by not giving him a chance to grow, thus reducing his chance to stay, requiring Tiny Herb to seek and acquire and train/introduce another new person, adding another new variable into the team that might end up the same.

then there's Wang Jiexi's thoughts of Qiao Yifan.

Wang Jiexi already couldn't see any value in keeping Qiao Yifan in the team. He also knew the kid was having a hard time meshing with the team. Perhaps if he wasn't in a Champion team and in some other no pressure mid-tier team, he might be able to make some progress? -Ch144

made worse with the rare time Qiao Yifan shows any negative feelings towards others.

"How lucky... to be instructed by a god-level player like captain so often..." Qiao Yifan silently thought. -Ch145

on my the first time reading it and on my reread, these words still rub me the wrong way. first, it's so cold and ruthless. he strips down Qiao Yifan to his value to the team. okay, we can accept that it's necessary in such highly competitive environment that is Glory. you cannot just add all good vegetables into the shopping cart, just like Ye Xiu said. second and my greatest source of vexation is that he knows that Qiao Yifan is not meshing with team, but his solution is to put Qiao Yifan in an environment with no pressure? really? true to his magician, title his reasoning doesn't make sense, which irks me so much. because it doesn't seem he bothers to know the reason why.

teamwork requires everyone to work together. it's a relationship of mutual trust and respect. it takes all sides to make it work. from his thoughts, it gives me the impression the fault lies in Qiao Yifan for being weak, for buckling under the pressure, thus not gaining trust and respect from his teammates for them to willing to work with him.

the least kind explanation for his way of thinking is that Tiny Herb's self-sacrificing values are taken to the extreme. considering he has changed my playstyle for the team and the championship, he really cannot fathom why the others can't. the less kind explanation is that being a genius make him unable to understand others who are not. the kindest explanation is that he's too busy to instruct the substitutes personally, which is reasonable considering Tiny Herb's overdependence on him, so he cannot really see the problem in Qiao Yifan. he might leave that job to his vice captain, which unfortunately for Qiao Yifan is Deng Fusheng, who might not even fully understand why Wang Jiexi assigns Qiao Yifan an Assassin account to properly instruct him.

it might also be all of them. if we think kindly of Wang Jiexi, he might be aware of his shortcoming, so he relies on his vice captain in developing and training the rookies. Fang Shiqian is particularly good at this, as seen from the main roster that used to have Fang Shiqian as the vice captain. case in point, his attempts in recruiting new member for his team after Fang Shiqian retired are by acquiring developed talents: Xu Bin, an exchange with Li Yihui, Tang Rou and Qiu Fei who have been personally instructed by Ye Xiu.

this kinda explains his cold rationality. and the way he handles Gao Yingjie. whose personality is not much different than Qiao Yifan. it really gives an impression he really doesn't know how to deal with such a different personality compared to his own. that's why he takes such an extreme approach, by losing publicly against Gao Yingjie, which i don't think it's well thought out.

it might be just me, but in my own experience in teaching people (and also from Ye Xiu/Happy and Wei Chen/Blue Rain's example), in order to build confidence it's not really that complicated. just let them gain experience, let them try and fail, but also make sure they know that failure is not the end of the world, that they have the team's support and understanding. that's it. others might scorn them, but the team will have their back. call it tough love. call it a balance of care and cruelty. everyone's a beginner at first, even geniuses. meanwhile, Gao Yingjie is too well-protected. he's kept from hardship too much. that's why i've got the feeling that Wang Jiexi's approach has a high chance of blowing up on his (and Tiny Herb's) face.

and also why future Tiny Herb is worrisome, because it's not only the team who is overly dependent on Wang Jiexi, the whole club, too. it can be minimized if Wang Jiexi stays after retirement... but i feel he will be as decisive as his predecessors. Gao Yingjie will have such big shoes to fill, if not too big.

then there's the team environment.

particularly among the reserve players, which eerily reminds me of Excellent Era's training camp, which might be what Ye Xiu's also thinking with his comment of role model and crutch to Wang Jiexi after the match.

Is he saying that I've been working too hard all this time? But when you were in Excellent Era, weren't you also giving your all to carry the team on your shoulders? Wang Jiexi watched Ye Xiu's retreating silhouette. -Ch1334

in the later match against Thunderclap, it seems that Wang Jiexi does stop trying too hard and let himself being isolated from the others in order to reduce the dependence and in the playoffs against Samsara, it suggests that the younger members manage to make a turnaround. that it bodes well for the future of Tiny Herb.

but here's the thing. it only shows hope for the current main roster of the team. the subs? they don't really have the proper mindset. it's shown in the way they barely worked together and then lost against Lord Grim and co., in the way they made excuses, made worse with Xiao Yun's behavior when he's being the most senior, the one considered as half-main roster and half-sub, but also always being sought to be replaced by Wang Jiexi. no wonder he acts out, bullies are often insecure. this paints a rather grim picture of the championship team environment that Wang Jiexi (and Tiny Herb) creates, and also the double standard he's shown in the different way he treats Gao Yingjie compared to other rookies.

there's a ticking time bomb right there.

the problem might even lay deeper, or start sooner in the training camp. this is a high possibility, considering how Qiao Yifan got promoted despite his unsuitability and how Wang Jiexi is always seen looking outside the team for potential talent.

that's why i come to the conclusion that Tiny Herb's future looking grim. being a rich championship team in the capital, they might manage to draw high-quality talents, but if they are unable to develop them... they might be left behind other teams with better team environment, championship team or not (Thunderclap, for example).

wow it ends up long, i actually want to add my thoughts about Qiao Yifan's characterisation. but i think the chapter speaks for itself. just because we see Qiao Yifan moving on, focusing on the good things, showing no resentment towards Tiny Herb. it doesn't mean he's not hurt. i am close to tears when i read Qiao Yifan's thoughts during his time in Tiny Herb. he's just a kid. it needs to be acknowledged, by themselves, and by the club. it might create a better environment for them all.

#fanfic #fanfiction #quan zhi gao shou #the king's avatar #qzgs #tka #qiao yifan #headcanons #tiny herb #let's start thinkin' bout it #character analysis #bts: let's start thinkin 'bout it

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hils79 · 1 year ago

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Hils Watches The King's Avatar - Ep 20

Well, I've hit the halfway point now. This drama is incredibly bingeable. Doesn't feel like long at all since I started it.

LOL I have the exact same USB stick kicking around my house somewhere

Not sure why this idiot thinks the kid he framed as a cheat would ever want to help him even if he is pissed off with Ye Xiu (which he isn't now)

YES! He deserves to be punched!

Aww are we going to see Yifan, Tang Rou and Baozi all decide to come back? I miss them.

THERE'S MY SON!

Oh no they're all being offered good alternative opportunities

THEY ALL CAME BACK! I'm fine I'm not crying at all

And Chen Guo finally passed her exam! YAY!

Aww they've all given Chen Guo their game cards so show that she's now their manager

Of course Excellent Era has been relegated. It had to happen to give Team Happy the opportunity to play against them. However, if this was any other sport there would be major changes following a relegation. In hockey (which is the only sport I have enough knowledge of to use as a comparison) if a team does really badly there's generally changes to the management and coaching staff at the very least. I'm assuming player trading doesn't happen in esports but if it did Sun Xiang would be gone at this point. Dude is clearly a liability and has cost the team way more in revenue than Ye Xiu's antisocial behaviour did.

Obviously I don't know why he's leaving but quitting immediately after saving your team from relegation seems like an odd move

That's probably why you got relegated, my dude. It's a team sport!

Is that a sliver of personal growth I see?

Urgh why is he so pretty

Wait, is that the guy who just quit Team Thunderclap? He's gone to play for the team he just relegated??

#hils watches #hils watches the king's avatar #hils watches cdramas #the king's avatar #cdrama

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delphiealmond · 7 months ago

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Chaos By A Rose Bush

Pairing ᯓ★ Lee Jeno x Park Jisung / Johnny Suh x Na Jaemin / Mark Lee x Na Jaemin / Johnny Suh x Xiaojun / Wong Yukhei x Wu Yifan / Kim Jungwoo x Lee Taemin / Ten Lee x Lee Taeyong

Synopsis ᯓ★ Ten Lee is a simple guy who moved to Korea to fulfill his dream job as a doctor. Lee Taeyong is trying to keep everyone safe as much as he can. Wong Yukhei is trying to take over the world. Neozone is well known for keeping the streets of Seoul, South Korea safe. though the people think otherwise. Neozone creates deals with other mafia groups that try to fight against them, and Neozone is known to take down other mafia groups that try to cross their path. Except for one. Lumidome is China's most wanted Mafia group. They are the most dangerous, with members who are strong, smart, independent and dangerous. They want Korean territory. Will Neozone be able to protect their home from invaders?

Warnings ᯓ★ 18+, swearing

MASTERLIST : Previous | Next

CHAPTER FIVE (3.0k)

Through his connections, Jaehyun found a way to get on a phone call with someone who was high ranked in Lumidome. Though his worries were tempting him, he waited for the other to pick up the line.

Staying in a back room away from all the other members, Jaehyun silently paced back and forth. When someone on the other side picked up the phone, his heart almost beat out of his chest.

“I need to speak to Lumidome’s leader.”

“That won’t be possible. But I’m sure to send the message to him.”

The taunt in the man’s voice across the phone irritated him. He wasn’t one to get upset easily, but he was struggling to get this close for the entire afternoon.

“I just need to speak with him for one moment.”

“Who are you?”

Huffing, Jaehyun threw his hand into his pocket and leaned against the door. He rolled his eyes as he stared at the ceiling.

“Neozone. So, let me speak to your leader.” He demanded, firm and strong willed.

There was a long pause which caused the smallest smirk to form on Jaehyun’s lips. He stood straight as he listened to the quiet muttering over the phone.

“Fine.” Was all he got in answer. He hummed in approval before he awaited the other voice.

“What is it?” The voice demanded. Instantly, Jaehyun was taken aback. The voice was softer than he anticipated. The man’s voice, even though it was demanding and straight to the point, he still felt safe. And he knew that was the worst kind of person to talk to.

“In one month from today, we as two different groups meet up in Lotto City. Gives you time to get ready and gives us time to get ready.”

“And why would I do that?” the man asked, clearly not believing Jaehyun.

“We can discuss whatever you want to. And if you don’t show up, you’ll be expecting a surprise at your very front door.” And with that, Jaehyun hung up the phone. A shiver was sent down his spine for an unknown reason. He closed his eyes, letting the silent close around him.

All he heard was the sounds of the 127 members setting up for dinner. Not often do the members come together to have a meal. A lot of the time the independent units get their own take out or make their own food, so their jobs weren’t bothered. But due to the fact that all they had to do was protect the building, he told 127 to get dinner ready for everyone.

Jaehyun tucked his phone back into his pocket before he left the room. The smell of a number of different foods hit his nose, filling his senses with delicious scents. He couldn’t believe how hungry he actually was. He wondered if everyone was just as starving as he was.

In the kitchen, Doyoung worked away cooking the entire group a huge meal. Taeil and Jungwoo set the table for all members.

“Good work boys,” Jaehyun hummed, patting Taeil on the back. Jungwoo gave a smile to Jaehyun.

“Making the space seem nice will help everyone feel a bit better about everything.”

“Yeah. We all need it right now..” Taeil added. Both members were close with Johnny. None of them had ever thought that Johnny would be the one kidnapped. Among a discussion that occurred years ago, they all decided that Jungwoo would be the one to be kidnapped first. Of course, Johnny and his charisma stated he would save him no matter what. Now, all the members feel uneasy, and quiet.

The expressions behind the fake smiles made Jaehyun upset. He knew that Taeyong was doing everything in his power to come up with a way to get Johnny back. Maybe the group had to wait for a month for him, or maybe Taeyong was planning something else. Something to get Johnny back without much of a fight.

Neither less, he was just glad to see that the boys were considerate of each other.

Doyoung stepped in, carrying a handful of dishes. Each one had food in it, which brought Taeil and Jungwoo to his sides. They took bowls and started to set the table. His expression softened when he saw Jaehyun.

“How was the phone call?”

“Actually manageable.” Jaehyun stated. “Do you need any help?”

“everything’s done, I just need to call everyone to the meal. Unless you want to do that? I don’t know how we’re going to get the Dreamies fed though…” He muttered, setting down the plates and little cups on the table.

“We’ll bring them the food so they can eat it while on guard.” The familiar voice stated, making the members turn their attention to their boss. Taeyong stood there, his hands in his pockets as his hair was brushed back.

“I know it doesn’t sound ideal, but it’s what we have to do.” He walked over and rubbed Doyoung’s arm. “thank you for cooking for everyone.” Doyoung gave a sympathetic smile to the older member before he rushed back into the kitchen with Taeil and Jungwoo.

Now that the two members were alone in the room, Taeyong’s expression turned hard as rock. His eyes still cold as he looked at his second in command.

“how did it really go?”

“It was hard to get in contact with them at first. But I found my ways to get around the hard parts and got to speak with their leader.” Taeyong must have let his shock slip through the cracks as he watched Jaehyun smile.

“Don’t worry, I didn’t start a war with them on our end. I just told him that in a month we will meet in Lotto City, and if they don’t show up, we’ll give them a gift.” Taeyong took a long deep breath, closing his eyes. His hand ran through the deep red locks on his head as he gave a simplistic nod.

“Good. Did you get any information about Johnny?”

Jaehyun stayed silent for a little too long. It answered Taeyong’s question. Everyone was worried about him.

“Okay. I guess that can be good. But then again-“

“Don’t start worrying even more about it. Leave that part to us.” Jaehyun insisted, his voice firm as he didn’t want his leader to worry even more about Johnny’s whereabouts and his state.

Taeyong gave another nod before he gave sympathetic eyes to Jaehyun.

“We will get him back, no matter what. He’s family.” Jaehyun took that in, letting it sink in his soul as he gave him a smile.

“He is family. Like a brother to all of us in 127.”

“I know…”

Jeno stood patiently beside Kai. The two members never really got a chance to be with each other on their own time, they always had another member with them, so their conversations weren’t as difficult.

But standing guard of the back doors of the entire warehouse, together and alone, a conversation was destined to pop up.

“What do you think about the whole situation?” Jeno whispered, glancing to the older member beside him.

Kai’s expression stayed solid. He didn’t like showing his weakness to the Dreamies. Even if he may be the oldest member of the unit, he still didn’t want to worry the boys about anything that could be on his mind. They were too fragile to see their oldest worry about things.

Kai looked at him and gave a gentle hum with a shrug of his shoulder.

“It’s something that’s happened before…”

“It has?”

“It has. But we don’t really talk about it often. It happened when Sehun and I had just joined the group on our own.”

Jeno looked at his hyung with curiosity before he remembered he was supposed to be keeping an eye on the lookout. He scanned the area around them, before leaning back against the wall.

“Jisung is pretty emotionally damaged…”

“That’s not something you should say.” Kai said, looking at him. When Jeno first joined the group, there were rumors that he heard from their allies about Kai. They told him that he wasn’t happy. That he was damaged goods. Over the years, Jeno knew not to press too much into the situation but he was still very curious about it.

“Sorry…”

Kai gave a firm nod before he looked around the area once again.

A silence settled itself in between the two members again. At first, Jeno wondered if he should have said that about the youngest member. The reaction he got from his hyung made him question things even more.

He was never told about anyone’s past. The only way he learned about some of the members was because they told him about it. He knew about Chen’s past and Mark’s. They told him one day as they trained for combat.

Jeno never told his own story either. And he wondered if Kai has ever told anyone his. He suspected that Sehun knew it though. The two members were together almost all of the time, and as they say, the two members joined at the same time. More curiosity filled Jeno’s chest as he began to wonder more and more about the family he was with.

“Jisung is just startled. He’ll be okay.” Kai muttered, disrupting the silence that settled.

“You think so?”

Kai looked to the young member and gave him a proud nod. Kai was one of the members that the boys talked about a lot if he wasn’t around. It was never anything bad though. A lot of the time, it was Mark talking about how amazing Kai was during the training, or the battles they had to face.

“I’m hungry…” Jeno complained. Kai couldn’t help but smile at the comment. He glanced around the area before he nudged the younger with his elbow.

“I am too…” Jeno smiled as he giggled.

“I wonder what we’ll be getting for dinner.” He hummed, putting his hands in his pockets as his eyes wandered around the alleyway.

Kai hummed as he mimicked the younger.

“I hope it’s chicken.” He whispered. This cracked both of them up. They smiled with soft chuckles amongst each other.

“Oo, chicken with fried rice and cold noodles.” Jeno added. Kai smiled more and put a hand on his stomach.

“Stop it! You’re gonna make me starve!” He complained in a joking manner. Jeno smacked his arm with a happy smile on his lips.

The two members slowly settled back into a silence that wasn’t awkward. It was quite comfortable. Standing outside, they listened to the sounds of the world around them. But every time a car’s tires screeched against the road, or the sound of a car honking they would get startled and prepared to fight. But it was never anything involving them.

Once the two members adjusted to the occasional car sound, they felt more at ease in each other's presence. Each member knew that they could protect the other. Even if Jeno is still a bit younger than Kai, Kai knew that Jeno would do anything to protect him.

He knew he would do the exact same. The idea of losing another member made his stomach twist. He wasn’t that close to Johnny as some of the other members, but he knew whenever Johnny wasn’t in the room.

The determination set in Kai’s mind, made it clear that he had no other objective than to follow orders and do as he’s told so they could get their member back home safe and sound.

As the car pulled into the garage of the old warehouse, Mark and Jaemin readied their weapons. But once Taemin stepped out, the two boys relaxed.

“Where the hell have you been man?” Mark set down the baseball bat and walked over to the older member, pulling him into a hug.

Jaemin still held his ground, hands in loose fists.

At first, Ten didn’t want to get out. When they pulled up to the warehouse, four members were already outside, weapons by their sides. But they got more intimidating once the car pulled into the garage.

“Just, a very important thing I needed to take care of.” Taemin replied, hugging the younger back. “Now don’t throw a fit when you see him…”

“Him?” Jaemin repeated, holding up his hands. The brass knuckles clung to his fingers as he readied for a fight.

“He’s not dangerous, trust me.” Taemin looked into the car and gave a knock on the window. From the other side, Ten had to build up enough courage to get out of the car.

The white-haired boy intimidated him, but the brunette seemed soft. Due to the hug between him and Taemin, Ten believed that he might be someone he could warm up to.

But the look he got from both the brunette and the white-haired boy made him even more uneasy. For a second, Ten wanted to retreat back into the car and pretend he didn’t even take a step out.

“Mark, Jaemin. This is Ten, he’s the one who fixed Taeyong up.”

The shock that washed over both boys' faces made Ten feel a little bit subconscious of where to put his hands.

“You fixed our boss..?” Mark questioned, starting his walk over to Ten. As if Ten’s defence system turned on all by itself, he took a step back. He didn’t quite know why, since Taemin told them he was a friend.

“No, no don’t worry.” Jaemin stated, taking off his brass knuckles. “We’re thankful.”

Mark then stepped closer to Ten before throwing his arms around him in a hug.

“Thank you…”

Ten froze in place for the moment before he slowly hugged the younger boy back.

“You’re welcome…?”

The smile on the white-haired boy made Ten feel a little less stressed when he approached to join the hug as well.

The smile on Taemin’s face when Ten made eye contact with him made him feel like he fit in just a little more.

“Alright boys, we gotta head inside. I need to talk to Taeyong.”

“he’s pretty stressed…” Jaemin popped up, rubbing the back of his neck.

“I know him, it’ll be fine. Keep doing good!” Taemin encouraged before grabbing Ten’s hand and walking inside of the warehouse.

Many things crossed Ten’s mind as they headed inside. How many members did this place have? Are they all like Mark and Jaemin, or are they aggressive? Who was the ‘rival’ they kept talking about? All of these questions he wished he thought of before the two even arrived at the warehouse.

The smell of food filled Ten’s nostrils as his stomach growled. The pleasing hum from Taemin made him feel even more hungrier than he was.

“What is that? It smells fantastic..” Ten muttered, not having had a proper meal in days.

“Doyoung’s cooking. He's one of the members. He’s the cook when the group comes together to eat dinner, breakfast or even lunch.”

They headed inside the main area of the warehouse when Jaehyun caught Taemin in the corner of his eye. His gaze first seemed peaceful, relaxed, until he saw Ten. Then a feeling that Ten never wanted to feel started to stir throughout his entire body. This man looked intimidating. His first soft expression turned hard in a matter of seconds when he saw Ten.

Taemin’s hand slipped away from Ten’s, and he began to feel like he was being left behind. As if he was staying in place as Taemin kept walking.

“Jaehyun.”

“Who is this?”

The defence in Jaehyun’s voice didn’t help Ten feel any better. In fact, it made him feel worse, like he didn’t belong there at all. He felt as if this man could pull a knife on him in a matter of seconds.

But the moment Jaehyun’s defences shot up, everyone who was at the table got freaked. 127 simply just heard Jaehyun’s tone change and each man got ready for a fight.

The only one who didn’t flinch at the attitude was Taeyong. He sat at the table, still eating away.

“Relax Jaehyun. He’s a friend.”

“A friend I haven’t met.”

Seeing the boys all stand together made Ten want to shrivel up in his chest. He was beginning to wonder if he should have said yes to joining. If he didn’t, he would’ve stayed loyal to Taemin. He wouldn’t have told a soul. He would deal with the police issue later.

“Sit down.”

The demanding voice pulled everyone’s attention back to the table, even Ten’s. His eyes saw the man and his encounter ran through his mind.

Taeyong looked to the rest of the group.

“Eat dinner, Doyoung worked hard on it. It’s too good for it to go to waste.”

Slowly, the group left Jaehyun’s side and sat back down. Jaehyun was the only one who stayed standing. He approached the two of them, making Ten take a small step back. He had no idea who this man was or what he was capable of.

“Jaehyun, sit.” The red haired stood from his spot. The one in front of them didn’t even flinch. A heavy sigh left Taeyong’s lips as we wandered over. Gripping his shoulder, he pulled Jaehyun’s attention to him.

“Sit down. Eat.”

“You’re surprisingly calm for an intruder…”

His voice too quiet for Ten to hear him, the younger just stood closer to Taemin.

“Should I really be here?” He muttered. Taemin was afraid of this.

On the drive over, the scenarios ran through his head. Who would react, who would hate him, and who would love him. He didn’t expect Jaehyun to be so on edge when he saw Ten. He didn’t expect that at all.

“Don’t worry.” Taemin whispered back.

“Just sit.”

Jaehyun gave it a few seconds, looking at Taeyong with an intense gaze before he headed over to the table himself.

Taeyong’s attention was pulled to Taemin and Ten. His posture changed as he smiled to the older member.

“I worried about you, you know.”

“I know. But I’m here now.” Taemin hugged him.

“You’ve brought Ten with you I see.”

Ten didn’t know exactly how to react, so he simply waved to the gang leader.

“I have to talk to you about it.”

#del's creativity #mafia au #nct #nct dream #nct mafia au #wayv

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blueberry-ash · 10 months ago

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I’m actually on break-of-sorts! There’s extra free time in my days, and I can do what I want with it! (Even better—after a couple days spent zombie-ing in front of a video game and tv shows—my brain even kinda wants to do things. How refreshing flsdafjsa;)

So! A fic author interview, which the lovely @lynne-monstr tagged me in half an age ago. :D

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

327, apparently. God knows how many have been let loose to swim in the sweetly-orphaned seas.

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

863,428.

3. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

How Impolite, How Imprudent (The Walking Dead, Beth/Daryl) - 1,108 kudos.

Stripped (Death Note, Near/Mello) - 720 kudos.

let’s embrace the point of no return (Guardian, Shen Wei/Zhao Yunlan) - 669 kudos.

Hoping's Free (The Walking Dead, Beth/Daryl/Rick) - 639 kudos.

The Married Ones (BBC Sherlock, Sherlock/Watson) - 625 kudos.

Mostly this is just… happening to write for popular ships sometimes, I think, rather than any reflection on the actual stories themselves.

Although, The Walking Dead ones were very much just posted at exactly the right point in time—AKA right when the folks who were gonna be reading Beth-centric stories were turning up to find it…and when there really weren’t many. I remember finding it really fun to write for that ship, in no small amount because it felt exactly like writing for my usual rarer pair stuff… but with bonus readers. XD

4. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

I always plan to. They make me so happy! Unfortunately, my brain makes replying to comments a whole lot more complicated than it actually is… meaning I put it aside for when I’ll have the energy/capacity… and then my executive dysfunction sneaks in and eats my good intentions for breakfast. ;;

5. What’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending?

I don’t really write angsty endings very often. I guess… against the world? Probably? That’s pretty miserable through-and-through, and is definitely lacking my usually compulsive need to find a happy note to end on.

6. What’s the fic you’ve written with the happiest ending?

…everything? XD

Honestly, my first thought was to crib off Lynne’s answer and say a story that goes real sad before it gets happy. But… that just makes me want to say my Reunion Dinner GaoQiao break-up fic (In the space of your leaving), except… I haven’t actually posted the final chapters for that yet. Meaning it��s happy ending is currently hypothetical, and it’s therefore disqualified from this category. 😂

In which case, I guess… maybe Hoping's Free, actually. I wouldn’t have thought of it, except that I was doing the sort-by-kudos thing, which made me look at it again. But it’s probably a better answer for this than my usual fluff, if only because it was written in this almost grimly hopeful tone that was very intentionally at odds with the canon I was writing from (TWD). (And was probably influenced by the fact I was sitting there writing a “pregnant at the end of the world” story whilst hugely pregnant myself, ha.)

7. Do you write crossovers?

As in, non-fusion crossovers? Where you have characters from both things interacting? Not really, to be honest. I used to, a fair bit, although I’m not sure I ever actually posted any of them. I just recently stumbled across some unfinished drafts for some Harry Potter x Bleach stuff, which was honestly fascinating to look at because I would not think of something like that now.

I do still write a bunch of fusion-style crossovers, though. Like, I’m plotting constantly plotting those bastard things. (Seriously, constantly: my poor SO cannot engage with a show or a video game with me without knowing that I’m probably sitting there thinking about where Qiao Yifan would fit into it jadlf;jasdfl.) Unfortunately, it’s just… a lot harder for me to actually finish those stories. Or sometimes, even to start them. They’re definitely one of those cases where I need to get much better at just… dropping my worldbuilding glee into a tumblr post or something, sigh.

8. Have you ever received hate on a fic?

Once. So very long ago that I don’t even remember what it was about, just that I had the sweetest group of friends who made it immediately less devastating for my rejection-sensitive ass (thereby saving me from quitting fandom not long after I had discovered it). <3

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

So much smut! Mostly the kind with a whole lotta feelings.

It’s not that I don’t write other things—I write so many other things—but smut comes with this bonus setting for me, where it’s just a hundred times simpler than anything else (especially when compared to anything that tries to grow Real Plot—see Question 7, so help me). And that just makes it wayyy easier to actually, y’know, write. And finish. And edit. And post.

(Not that sex can’t be complicated, or complex, because of course it can! But it’s still easier than so many other forms of human interaction, y’know? Or… maybe it’s just that sex is the perfect chill-switch for my brain, and that’s carried over into how I use it for writing, too? Who knows!)

10. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Nope. At least, not to my knowledge.

11. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Yesss, and it’s always exciting! Translators are the best. ♥!!

12. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

I’ve planned to! Life got in the way, alas.

13. What’s your all-time favorite ship?

What’s an all-time favourite anything, precious?

Whatever’s bouncing around in my head in the moment, generally. Although, that said, I do keep returning over and over and over to GaoQiao in a way that definitely should give it some kind of special status, so… there’s that. XD

14. What’s a WIP that you want to finish but don’t think you ever will?

Hey, that’s quitter talk, Question 14. Anyway, everyone knows I’m trapped in a fandom until I’ve had all my WIPs wrung out of me. (That’s how it works, right? Right?)

More seriously, though, I… am not really sure. There are definitely some WIPs I am constantly thinking I should just give up on and post as partly fleshed-out outlines—because I love them, but I’m not sure I have the spoons to genuinely finish them.

Like, uh, haha, y’know—the insane FangWang fairytale-esque thing, the structure of which was very purposefully built off Propp’s functions (the, uh, narrative elements of a folk tale, per Propp’s Morphology of a Folk Tale stuff), because… I’m a raging nerd who re-falls down the folk tale rabbit hole at least once a year…? I do really love that fic, so very much, because there’s so much going on in it (actual witches! changelings and neurodiversity! Lin Jie baggage! FangWang being insufferable and wonderful and full of feelings! fae folk being terrible! fae folk being So Fucking Right! trials being passed! trials being failed! homely cooking, and magical needlework, and grumpy softhearted healers chopping firewood, oh my!) But also… there’s so fucking much going on in it, dear god.

It’s probably my best candidate for being flung up as a dot-point fic, but… I remain swimming in a sea of self-delusion, haha.

15. What are your writing strengths?

I think… I really like getting in the guts of things, when it comes to writing about characters as people-in-bodies. (Which… is a sentence I keep re-writing, but it’s not getting any less unhinged any time soon, so it can just stay there as-is.)

I really like that sense of grounding, anyway: of being grounded in skin and bones and body-connected feelings, which is… mildly hilarious considering—therapist noises intensify.

16. What are your writing weaknesses?

Executive dysfunction.

Uh. Yeah, so, I’m super bad at internalising that grammar exists for Reasons, and that those Reasons are that other people don’t necessarily think or read with the apparently weird rhythm that I do. And that means… y’know… that my own shit needs to confirm to at least a baseline of some kind or else it’ll become kinda unreadable. (I am getting better at it, I think. I am. It’s an endless project. Commas are my own personal hell.)

17. What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

I do kinda get why people might do this, because baby-me was pretty enamoured with it.

Now that I’m no longer Baby, however—at least, not when it comes to this—it’s not really something I would do. I’m also more likely to politely exit back out of stories that do choose to do it, although that’s mostly because it tends to be one of those markers that says Things about whether or not I’m going to jive with a story. (As a boring-ass adult with too little functional time on her hands.)

(On the other hand, I am deeply into terms of address/honorifics being kept and used. They can provide such a rich dose of information about intimacy, familiarity, and all the rest of it. That said, I tick-tock back and forth like a busted clock on whether I think they should be translated or not.)

18. What was the first fandom you wrote for?

Animorphs, probably, although I didn’t know what a fandom was at that point. My first posted fic was for Stargate Atlantis.

19. What’s a fandom/ship you haven’t written for yet but want to?

I’m going to find a way to write that sedoretu Gao Yingjie/Fang Shiqian/Wang Jiexi/Qiao Yifan story if it fucking kills me.

(Also this random Gao Yingjie/Qiao Yifan & Su Mucheng/Wang Jiexi partner-swapping thing that’s been living rent-free in my head for literal years, but which has never actually been written down as anything more than a one line note. C’mon, story, get out of my head and onto some damn paper!)

20. What’s your favorite fic you’ve written

We play favourites in this house! Also… I’m just really bad at making those kinds of choices.

But—you know what? Fuck it, in the days this draft has been sitting here, I gotta say, I’ve kept thinking—probably the older the ginger (the spicier it gets). It’s peak rare pair, but I had such a blast writing it, and it’s one of those odd things I actually enjoy re-reading, too. <3

#askmeme

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morosestferret · 1 year ago

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NBC News: Man allegedly points gun at 6-year-old who left Halloween goody bag at wrong house

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news365timesindia · 1 month ago

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[ad_1] Nihal Sarin (Image: GCL) Triveni Continental Kings snatched a thriller of a win against Alpine SG Pipers to seal the second spot in the final of the Tech Mahindra Global Chess League (GCL). In the second edition of this unique, franchise-based league in the game of 64 squares, PBG Alaskan Knights had already ensured passage to the summit clash by the ninth and penultimate round. Nihal Sarin of the Knights is the lone Indian to be featuring in the final. This is a bit of a low for the country that claimed an emphatic double-gold feat at the recent Chess Olympiad. There were nine of them in the fray spread across the six teams. Viswanathan Anand’s side, Ganges Grandmasters, finished at the bottom. Mumba Masters with four Indians were fifth. The Pipers with R Praggnanandhaa in their ranks lost a humdinger against the Kings. In the 10th round, the match between Triveni Continental Kings and Alpine SG Pipers was a virtual shootout for the remaining place in the final of the event held in London. In a cracker of a contest, the Kings prevailed 9-7. They finished level on 18 points with the Pipers and advanced on the basis of their superior tiebreak score of 99-88. The Knights finished with a tally of 24 points. Among the several talking points from the last round of the double-leg, round-robin competition was the ouster of the Pipers. Magnus Carlsen gave them a resounding start by defeating Alireza Fioruzja 4-0 on the top board. Firouzja, of Iranian origin representing France, has been one of the best players of the event. Carlsen’s win was a big boost for his team. R Praggnanandhaa, Richard Rapport and Hou Yifan drew their games to retain the advantage handed to the Pipers by Carlsen. The match turned on its head on the last two boards. Valentina Gunina and Javokhir Sindarov posted 3-0 wins to give the Kings a memorable win. The closeness of this duel was an indicator of how keenly contested this competition is. Having already made the final before the 10th round, PBG Alaskan Knights came up with a comprehensive display against American Gambits, who were out of contention. It was a narrow affair still, until the fourth game, with the Knights leading 6-5. Alina Kashlinskaya scored a 4-0 win to seal this tie. Sarin won by the same margin on Board 6. Standings after Round 10 (top two in final) PBG Alaskan Knights 24 Triveni Continental Kings 18 Alpine SG Pipers 18 American Gambits 12 Mumba Masters 9 Ganges Grandmasters 9 The post PBG Alaskan Knights vs Triveni Continental Kings in GCL final, Nihal Sarin lone Indian in title clash appeared first on Sports News Portal | Latest Sports Articles | Revsports. [ad_2] Source link

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news365times · 1 month ago

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stateofsport211 · 1 year ago

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📸 🎥 Eurosport

Point construction then became an aspect of attention in the second set, where both pairs came up with different meanas to hold their service games intact. Even if they tried to open up chances in one way or another, it was not until the middle of the tie-breaker where Joran’s shots started to bring more damage.

Initially, L. Kichenok’s forehand winner initially set a break point before M. Pavic’s forehand error to Joran’s smash resulted in the deuce before Joran/Yifan held 1-1. To add more, her volley set them a point ahead before a big hold from Joran/Yifan in the seventh game (4-3). Eventually, the second set ended in a tie-break to determine where the flow went.

In the tie-breaker, Yifan’s +1 volley error initially set the momentum with M. Pavic’s unreturned serves (2-0) before it got equalized after his double fault and an unreturned serve from Yifan. However, Joran came up with a volley to set his and Yifan’s first set point before Yifan’s +1 volley error once again foiled the set point. Somehow, after his smash, M. Pavic’s unreturned serve scored a match point (8-7), which was saved. Joran’s forehand return ace actually set another set point for Joran/Yifan until they successfully took the second set 7-6(9) thanks to Yifan’s unreturned serve. This implied their ability to absorb pace and being intuitive under pressure, which could put more pressure to M. Pavic/L. Kichenok as the third set went by.

#atp world tour #atp tour #wta tour #wta tennis #grand slam #wimbledon #wimbledon championships #wimbledon 2023 #tennis updaets #hot shots #break point #set point #mate pavic #lyudmyla kichenok #joran vliegen #yifan xu #WatchMoreDOUBLES

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drmikewatts · 1 month ago

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IEEE Transactions on Emerging Topics in Computational Intelligence, Volume 8, Number 5, October 2024

1)Guest Editorial Special Issue on Resource Sustainable Computational and Artificial Intelligence

Author(s): Joey Tianyi Zhou, Ivor W. Tsang, Yew Soon Ong

Pages: 3196 - 3198

2)Coordinated Cyber Security Enhancement for Grid-Transportation Systems With Social Engagement

Author(s): Pengfei Zhao, Shuangqi Li, Paul Jen-Hwa Hu, Zhidong Cao, Chenghong Gu, Da Xie, Daniel Dajun Zeng

Pages: 3199 - 3213

3)A Lightweight Recurrent Learning Network for Sustainable Compressed Sensing

Author(s): Yu Zhou, Yu Chen, Xiao Zhang, Pan Lai, Lei Huang, Jianmin Jiang

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4)Reservoir Network With Structural Plasticity for Human Activity Recognition

Author(s): Abdullah M. Zyarah, Alaa M. Abdul-Hadi, Dhireesha Kudithipudi

Pages: 3228 - 3238

5)GLR-SEI: Green and Low Resource Specific Emitter Identification Based on Complex Networks and Fisher Pruning

Author(s): Yun Lin, Haoran Zha, Ya Tu, Sicheng Zhang, Wenjun Yan, Congan Xu

Pages: 3239 - 3250

6)An Intelligent Fuzzy System Based on the Optimization of Ecological Agriculture Areas

Author(s): Xiaozeng Xu, Meng Li

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7)Surrogate-Assisted Evolutionary Multi-Objective Optimization of Medium-Scale Problems by Random Grouping and Sparse Gaussian Modeling

Author(s): Haofeng Wu, Yaochu Jin, Kailai Gao, Jinliang Ding, Ran Cheng

Pages: 3263 - 3278

8)Convolutional Fuzzy Neural Networks With Random Weights for Image Classification

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Pages: 3279 - 3293

9)Adaptive Strategies and its Application in the Mittag-Leffler Synchronization of Delayed Fractional-Order Complex-Valued Reaction-Diffusion Neural Networks

Author(s): G. Narayanan, M. Syed Ali, Rajagopal Karthikeyan, Grienggrai Rajchakit, Sumaya Sanober, Pankaj Kumar

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10)Augmented Intelligence Based COVID-19 Diagnostics and Deep Feature Categorization Based on Federated Learning

Author(s): Syed Thouheed Ahmed, Vinoth Kumar Venkatesan, Mahesh T R, Roopashree S, Muthukumaran Venkatesan

Pages: 3308 - 3315

11)Jointly Optimized Classifiers for Few-Shot Class-Incremental Learning

Author(s): Sichao Fu, Qinmu Peng, Xiaorui Wang, Yang He, Wenhao Qiu, Bin Zou, Duanquan Xu, Xiao-Yuan Jing, Xinge You

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Author(s): Shuai Sui, Dongyu Shen, Shaocheng Tong, C. L. Philip Chen

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13)A Novel Projection Neural Network for Sparse Optimization With L1-Minimization Problem

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14)Hierarchical Relational Inference for Few-Shot Learning in 3D Left Atrial Segmentation

Author(s): Xuejiao Li, Jun Chen, Heye Zhang, Yongwon Cho, Sung Ho Hwang, Zhifan Gao, Guang Yang

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roamnook · 7 months ago

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TRANSFORMING ENGINEERING: AGILE METHODOLOGIES RETURN, GUARANTEEING A 60% PERFORMANCE INCREASE IN HARDWARE PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT. NEWLY PUBLISHED STUDY REVEALS DATA.

IT'S COMING HOME: THE RETURN OF AGILE HARDWARE PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT

IT’S COMING HOME: THE RETURN OF AGILE HARDWARE PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT

October 6, 2023 | Article

Agile-for-hardware product development can reduce time-to-market and improve quality and productivity. Five key changes can help leaders capture the benefits of agile for hardware.

Many people believe that the physicality of hardware product development means it is not well-suited for an agile approach, and that agile should be left to software development alone. This is not the case. In fact, agile originally started as a practice for hardware development many years ago but has been used mostly for software development since it was repopularized by a group of software engineers in 2001.[^1][^2]

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

This article is a collaborative effort by Elia Berteletti, Stefan Frank, Pascal Haazen, André Rocha, and YiFan Wu, representing views of McKinsey’s Operations Practice.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF AGILE

Agile innovation has a colorful and contested heritage—some practitioners point as far back as Francis Bacon’s articulation of the scientific method in 1620.[^1] Agile methodologies in companies can be traced back at least as far as the 1930s when Bell Labs applied plan-do-study-act (PDSA) cycles to the improvement of products and processes. This, of course, predated electronic computers and their software. In the 1960s, Lockheed Martin built its “skunk works,” in which small development teams were removed from the normal working environment and freed from managerial constraints, making them autonomous and empowered.

The ideas underlying agile truly began to be used at scale in the 1990s, with startups and large organizations alike seeking to become nimbler in response to a turbulent environment. In 2001, a group of 17 software developers met in Oregon in the United States to discuss how they could speed up development times to bring new software to market faster. Less than a year later, they met again and produced the Agile Manifesto, which laid out four values:

individuals and interactions over processes and tools

working software over comprehensive documentation

customer collaboration over contract negotiation

responding to change over following a plan

Today, businesses are experimenting and adopting agility in both software and hardware development, on an unprecedented scale. Companies that do not evolve quickly are at risk of falling ever further behind.

FROM LINEAR TO MORE ITERATIVE PROCESSES

Typically, the “development” part of research and development (R&D) follows a highly linear process, traveling a set development path from concept to design to building, testing, bug fixing, and then, finally, launching. This approach—commonly referred to as the waterfall model—asks teams to adhere to the requirements and scope set out at the beginning of the project and prioritizes bringing a complete product to market. But, by the time the product gets to market, customer needs may have partially or completely changed, which is both frustrating for the engineers, and costly for the company. In contrast, the Agile Manifesto favors a process wherein feedback is sought in each loop, thereby avoiding the pitfalls of a more linear approach.

But agile is not only an iterative and incremental way of working. One reason it works well in hardware development is that, within the framework, individuals can form stable, dedicated, and unfragmented teams. People work with the same team members consistently over time. This is different from traditional matrix structures, where team members change frequently with new projects and new initiatives.

The benefits of this stability include enhanced predictability and avoiding a continuous cycle of the “forming—storming—norming—performing” stages of group development.[^4] With agile, teams can remain consistently in the “performing” stage. Organizations with high enterprise agility can therefore combine a strong backbone of stability and consistency with the ability to quickly redirect people and priorities toward new value-creating opportunities.[^5]

DESIGNING AN AGILE ENGINEERING ORGANIZATION

Transforming to agile requires a mindset change. An effective agile transformation is therefore both comprehensive and iterative. Agile-for-hardware product development retains the principles of agile-for-software—flexibility, evolution, and iteration—but to “stick,” it requires tailoring to the hardware nature of the product and business. Leaders and managers can focus on five main areas to enhance the transformation: strategy, structure, process, people, and technology.[^6]

Strategy.

Agile organizations maintain a laser-like focus on creating value for the customer, meeting needs at every point in the customer life cycle. To do so, agile organizations design distributed, flexible approaches to creating value, and set a shared organizational purpose and vision to ensure coherence and keep their teams focused on that value—the “North Star”.

Structure.

In an agile product-development organization, most engineers work in stable teams with dedicated members. When teams stay together longer—typically one to two years at a minimum—they can become independent and each member can truly master a specific set of skills, rather than chopping and changing between teams and fulfilling different roles with every change.

Process.

In agile, teams focus on rapid iteration and experimentation. They produce deliverables very quickly, often in one- or two-week “sprints”—a short burst of focused activity, with regular check-ins and deadlines. When transitioning to agile, the iterative and incremental process can run concurrently with the traditional process of scoping, building a business case, development, testing, and validation, known as the stage-gate process. The combination gives teams the best of both worlds; the stage-gate process provides the bigger picture and milestone targets, while agile methods inform the day-to-day approach.

People.

Ultimately, the performance of any organization—agile or not—is defined by the behavior of its people. Transitioning to agile can make employees feel unsettled as traditional boundaries are removed. An effective counterbalance is to encourage and enable ownership from employees, particularly, in the hardware development context, from engineers.

Technology.

Leaders can use the transformation to agile to deploy digital tools to support teams. This support can be achieved in three ways. First, by ensuring modular designs that are built for change. Second, by adopting collaboration tools that facilitate information sharing at scale. Third, by adopting digital and additive manufacturing tools to run design steps faster. To enable collaboration and value creation, a consumer electronics company built multiple bespoke digital tools. Its bespoke knowledge-sharing platform, for example, improved problem-solving efficiency because it directly shared the design calculations from the R&D unit within the team, as well as with the new product innovation team.

The benefits of implementing an agile methodology in mixed hardware and software engineering go beyond pure corporate performance metrics and can include decreases in time-to-market, quality problems, and complexity issues, as well as increases in productivity, predictability, and employee satisfaction.

Agile transformations typically span a couple of years, yet agile pilots can deliver visible results quickly to prove the shift is worth doing. Once this is achieved, engineers buy in, and the transformation gains momentum.

A strong and deliberate focus by leadership on five key areas during a transition to agile—strategy, structure, process, people, and technology—can ensure that the transition succeeds and endures. But beware of the trap of applying a “by-the-book” recipe, as agile-for-hardware engineering, as well as for mixed hardware and software engineering, needs to be tailored to products being developed, while retaining agile principles. The transformation doesn’t happen overnight for the whole organization, but it can be rapid for each new agile team.

Elia Berteletti is a partner in McKinsey’s Seattle office; Stefan Frank is an associate partner in the Hamburg office; Pascal Haazen is a partner in the Amsterdam office; André Rocha is a partner in the Madrid office; and YiFan Wu is an expert associate partner in the Taipei office.

Source: https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/operations/our-insights/its-coming-home-the-return-of-agile-hardware-product-development&sa=U&ved=2ahUKEwii2pTl7OuFAxURMlkFHX2aBC0QxfQBegQIBBAC&usg=AOvVaw2CU9ZRmuRTQJ7IQpYPHiGa

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audriel · 9 months ago

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let's start thinkin' bout it

Qiao Yifan suddenly finds himself several years in the past. And somehow, so does Fang Rui.

Inspired by just stop thinkin' bout it by Syncogon

Special thanks to Syncogon who gives me permission to write a continuation for their wonderfully intriguing time-travel story with my favorite characters: Fang Rui and Qiao Yifan. Special mention to everyone in TKA Discord who gives me encouragement to write and publish more, and who also looks forward for more in this universe. I hope I do not disappoint. Happy Chinese New Year!

After parting ways with Qiao Yifan, Fang Rui rushes back to where Wind Howl is seated in the stadium, barely restraining himself from running straight to Lin Jingyan and drawing everyone’s attention. He can barely think of the further implications of them both back in the past, or whether they are really in their past. All he can think of is his old captain, his teacher, his friend, and the turning point with this Rookie Challenge.

Fang Rui is never one to hold a grudge. However, Tang Hao comes close. He acknowledges his strength, and has noticed him early on. How he cannot, when the younger man is also Brawler like the captain and core player of his team. He also knows better than anyone else of Lin Jingyan’s declining performance. However, he cannot really forgive Tang Hao for bringing attention to it in the Rookie Challenge and all the while dismissing Lin Jingyan’s achievements. In the case of the latter, even old Sun Xiang is better, though probably Su Mucheng will disagree. His only female captain is never one to be trifled with, she definitely can hold a grudge or two.

Fang Rui arrives right when Lin Jingyan’s name comes out from Tang Hao on the stage, and he feels the vice grip around his heart tightens.

He’s too late.

“...the junior will succeed the senior.”

The stadium is in uproar. Wind Howl is in uproar, but Fang Rui has only eyes for Lin Jingyan.

“Well, how about that? You, and now, me. It seems we’re pretty popular with the rookies.” Lin Jingyan chuckles lightly, remaining calm in front of the disrespect shown by Tang Hao. He stands up, prepared to go down, only for his wrist to be caught firmly by his vice captain.

“Fang Rui?”

Fang Rui draws a blank. Now it has come to this, and he still cannot find the words. What to say? This time, he really, really looks at his captain. This Lin Jingyan’s face is open, unguarded, without the glasses worn with his red and black Tyranny uniform. He still has hope, fleeting as it is, of the future. Fang Rui has failed as his partner to keep it alive in his last year in Wind Howl. He only regained them in Tyranny.

“...a Brawler is not a Striker,” is the first sentence that first comes to mind. Lin Jingyan blinks in surprise at the serious tone. “There’s more to Glory than speed and mechanics. Glory is not that simple.”

“Gotta play dirty huh?” Somehow his partner manages to recall the supposed reminder to himself.

“Last time I checked we’re Wind Howl, not Tyranny.” In a complete change of attitude, Fang Rui shows his disdain as he releases Lin Jingyan’s wrist.

That actually gets a laugh out of Lin Jingyan. He waves his hand, there’s lightness in his gesture, “I’ll keep it in mind.”

Fang Rui watches him leave before returning to his seat. Only Ruan Yongbin dares to lean into him.

“What do you think? Can Tang Hao win?”

“Anything can happen.” Fang Rui can sense Ruan Yongbin’s surprise. He’s surprised with his own calmness. He already does what he can. It’s all up to Lin Jingyan now.

There’s still half a season left. Even if Lin Jingyan loses again, it’s not the end. Fang Rui can still make the best of it. With his skill and experience, he can and will do better, if only to give his old captain a better ending in Wind Howl.

Fang Rui has faced off against worse odds and come up victorious. This won’t be any different.

When he turns his attention to the game, Fang Rui is greeted with a pleasant surprise: Lin Jingyan doesn’t rush forward. The older man takes his time to explore the map. Tang Hao doesn’t choose an arena, so the environment is not completely bare, which is actually advantageous to Lin Jingyan, but one he didn’t previously make full use of, thinking that he had to meet the other head-on.

This alone already sets things apart from the past he remembers. He finds himself leaning forward in interest. It might not be much, but if Tang Hao expects a quick, easy match, he’s going to be proven wrong. After all, Lin Jingyan is the half of the Criminal Partners, and dirty playing requires cunning.

Tang Hao’s Delilo fights like a Striker, reminiscent of the King of Fighters, easily making the crowd pumped up and cheering for him. However, ultimately a Brawler is not a Striker. Its strength lies in its ability to control its opponent. No one utilizes it better than the Number 1 Brawler. Lin Jingyan masterfully keeps his distance and maintains the rhythm. When he takes hits, he makes sure to leave himself a way out. When he lands his skills, he makes sure to achieve the maximum effect. His retreats are as timely as his attacks.

Lin Jingyan is not losing to Tang Hao.

For the ordinary players, it seems that Tang Hao has the upper hand, but for professional players, bold, fierce Tang Hao is struggling against calm, patient Lin Jingyan. However, in the end all it takes is for one mistake, a slight opening from Lin Jingyan, for Tang Hao to rush in and overwhelm the older Brawler player with his superior speed and mechanics.

Demon Subduer falls. Delilo is left with 9% health remaining.

Fang Rui leans back on his seat with a smile on his face, in contrast to the dismayed faces of the other Wind Howl members. Lin Jingyan loses, but this time around, with a close match instead of the overwhelming loss. It might not mean much, but it does show that Lin Jingyan fought the match with a different mindset this time around.

Lin Jingyan is the first to come down from the platform. He doesn’t lose his gentle and pleasant demeanor. Meanwhile, Tang Hao takes his time, even when finally does, he hasn’t quite managed to hide his emotions. He’s not satisfied. It’s definitely not the kind of match or victory he expected. They meet in the middle and shake hands.

“You played well…” Lin Jingyan smiles, hiding his true emotions, but surprisingly he continues, “But it’s not easy, isn’t it?”

“The junior will succeed the senior.” The change of wording reflects the change in Tang Hao’s confidence without losing the belief and persistence that is inherent in top professional players that Lin Jingyan cannot help but admire. Before the master of ceremonies could say anything, the two finish shaking hands, wave towards the audience and leave the stage. Fang Rui’s eyes never leave the figure of the Wind Howl captain, so does the smile on his face until the man returns to Wind Howl area. Fang Rui likes what he sees.

“How is it?” Fang Rui asks, not paying attention to the silent teammates around him.

“Like seeing my past self.” There’s a hint of nostalgia under the observation, but the statement is matter of fact. Lin Jingyan used to fight like Tang Hao, but he didn’t regret changing his playstyle. He believes that dirty playstyle is the reason why he can stand on the professional stage as long as he is when many of his peers didn’t, even when he’s nothing special.

“I’m pretty sure you’re much more polite and better behaved,” Fang Rui disagrees, drawing choked off sounds of surprise and amusement from their team. “And more handsome too.”

Lin Jingyan laughs. “You only said that because you’re my vice captain and partner.”

“And that he had a crush on you.” Ruan Yongbin adds, that traitor. “Oooh, Captain Lin is so handsome. He’s so close to me today. Did I impress him with the move?”

“Oh, shut up.” Fang Rui brings his yearmate and former roommate into a chokehold. He doesn’t hide the grin when he hears the snickering from the teammates. This is much better than the previous awkward silence. It’ll take more to regain their confidence in their captain. Action is louder than words after all. But it’s a challenge he’s ready to tackle.

Before that, he’ll need to sit down and talk with his little captain.

***

Qiao Yifan walks down the familiar dark passageways in a daze. He has immediately excused himself after his Rookie Challenge, not quite ready for the questioning from the former-now-current Tiny Herb captain and team members. He isn’t quite sure where he’s going, all he knows that he needs a quiet space to gather his thoughts. He has pinched himself numerous times, but he’s still not convinced everything is real. He has really returned to his younger self. He tries to recall what he did before he was back in the past, but nothing really stands out except…

Qiao Yifan finally managed to extricate himself from the teary-eyed and snot-nosed bunch with the help of Luo Ji, who was restraining his laughter. His own calm and rational vice captain and recently appointed Happy’s new captain was surprisingly not helpful, his glassy, watery eyes actually made it harder. Boss Chen was worse. If it wasn’t for Senior Wei, and Sister Mu, he was certain she would have bawled her eyes out as the last remaining members of the original Team Happy finally retired.

He remembered reminiscing with Luo Ji as they walked towards their rooms and parting with smiles when they entered their respective places. Many voices from the outside and even inside of the team said that his retirement was regrettable, especially considering what Happy has achieved under his leadership. They thought being a support, not unlike Yu Wenzhou, he could have stayed longer on the professional stage, and had his career with a more satisfying ending.

He disagreed wholeheartedly. He couldn’t ask for a better ending for himself, and… his gaze fell upon the picture of Happy in the early years. He was already 28 years old, the same age when Senior Ye retired for the second and final time… and older than the age when Sister Mu and Brother Rui retired.

He has learned from his seniors not to regret anything and to keep moving forward, to learn from the past but never let it shape the future, that the future is theirs to create. He really had no regrets, really.

But in the dark and silent room, with only himself as company, the retired Captain Qiao Yifan of Team Happy, allowed himself a rare moment of weakness… and wished.

Could it be…?

Qiao Yifan’s steps stumble into a halt, his breath catches in his throat.

However, before the thought can form, a familiar voice rings out.

“Interesting choice of challenging the master of playing dirty.”

Qiao Yifan is blinking back tears when he recognizes the figure slowly stepping out from the darkness. After his final retirement, Ye Xiu didn’t completely disappear from their lives, he always made sure to be there when they needed him the most, but he purposefully maintained his distance. He knew how much he meant for Happy. While he had made the preparations, including letting them play without him in the team competitions in the tenth season, Ye Xiu had always been a steady, reassuring presence for Happy. He was there leading them in strategy meetings, he was guiding them in their practice matches, he was there on the sidelines during games. All they needed was to turn their heads, and there he was.

All the Chinese Glory team members have gained invaluable experience from the World Invitationals. Against the strongest players around the world, they kept challenging their limits, improving themselves, until they won the ultimate Glory for the country. Their fans hoped that their favorite players would bring their team into greater heights once they returned to the domestic league. However, it was easier said than done.

The reason why they could perform their absolute best on the world stage was because they had the best teammates, tacticians and leaders to bring out their potential. It was not always the case with their original teams. In the new season, Happy was becoming not the only team that was going through a running-in period, even though they were still the worst off since they lost their core and ace player. With one exception:

Tyranny.

Tyranny became a terrifying, indomitable presence in the new season. Han Wenqing, who chose to focus on the team, has laid the groundwork and strengthened the foundation for when Zhang Xinjie and Zhang Jiale returned abroad, the adjustment was relatively smooth and seamless, all the while the veterans were still doing rotation.

And Qiao Yifan was entrusted as the commander in the team competition in their first match in the regular season against Tyranny.

It wasn’t his first time commanding in a team competition. However, in the new team arrangement, the commander was still most often either Su Mucheng or Fang Rui. The latter was actually a surprise to many. He protested vehemently, but neither the captain nor vice captain budged with their decision. Qiao Yifan felt the pressure keenly.

To no one’s surprise, Happy suffered a crushing defeat at the team competition. It could even barely be called a fight. Their only saving grace was they got points off from individual competition and group arena. It didn’t stop the reporters from descending upon them like vultures. Qiao Yifan insisted on coming to the post-match press conference, and if it hadn’t been for Fang Rui and Su Mucheng, he would’ve caved under the pressure.

They were hit hard with the loss. It has been a while since they felt so powerless. Qiao Yifan found himself looking at the places where Ye Xiu used to be, and he realized that he was not the only one. He had even been staring at Ye Xiu’s number on his phone, opening and closing the chat box. He couldn’t help thinking and wishing badly for his senior’s reassuring presence and words.

Only for the wishful thinking to be crushed immediately by their new captain and vice captain in the strategic meeting. From the beginning, it was intended as a harsh wake up call from Su Mucheng and Fang Rui, to lose their dependence on Ye Xiu.

Before, Ye Xiu has taken care of everything for them, so they didn’t need to worry about anything and only focused on themselves. It was time for them to return the favor, for them to take care of everything so he could focus on himself.

Qiao Yifan felt so ashamed and embarrassed of himself at the reminder that he really wished he could dig a deep hole and hide inside it forever, his body hunching over as if he could do so. A warm, affectionate hand messed up his hair before settling on his shoulder.

“Bad news, we’re hitting rock bottom. Good news, the only way to go is up.” Cheerful, lively voice broke through the gloom. This voice and the owner of the voice later became among the reliable constants in Happy.

He’s very clever and very adaptable. And he’s a very strong team player. There’s a lot that I would like to learn from him.

There is no single untruth in his words. Fang Rui was and is all of that and more for Qiao Yifan and for Happy.

Su Mucheng is really the captain, the leader they need after Ye Xiu, it was only a matter of time until Happy saw her no differently than Ye Xiu and proudly claimed her as their captain.

But Fang Rui… Fang Rui has been everything that they asked of him. His adaptability is not limited onstage, but also offstage. For Qiao Yifan, he is his senior, his vice captain, his teacher, his friend… and his brother.

And so, even in front of his most admired, respected and beloved captain, to whom he owed his life twice over, and the least likely to think badly of Fang Rui, Qiao Yifan will readily and staunchly defend his brother.

“Senior Fang is more than just the master of dirty playing.” The words slip out easily from his lips. Qiao Yifan cannot recall how many times he has defended Happy’s best vice captain and he will not stop doing so. “He’s the master at understanding people’s psychology and utilizing them to make opportunities. And as a Ghostblade, especially a Phantom Demon whose skills need casting, he’s the best I can learn from.”

Ye Xiu shows a surprised, but pleased smile. Dirty playing is looked down on by most, particularly by the younger generation. And yet one of them actually sees the value in the playstyle and is willing to learn and use them for themselves. It makes him look forward to the future of this young man. He already had a good impression of Qiao Yifan with his courage to switch classes and his willingness to learn, and now he also displays wisdom and maturity rarely seen in younger players.

Most of them are unable to understand the reason why such a disdainful playstyle can be so difficult, so oppressive. It’s only possible due to Fang Rui’s masterful grasp of his opponent’s psychology. Simple, straightforward rookies are the easiest for him. For Qiao Yifan to be able to see the value of Fang Rui’s dirty playing and go toe-to-toe with him in the Rookie Challenge sets him apart from other rookies.

“Indeed. Excellent choice.” Qiao Yifan couldn’t help the pleased flush at the acknowledgement for himself and Fang Rui. Ye Xiu continues, “It’s impressive how you’re able to deal with Fang Rui’s dirty playing tactics. Rookies tend to have difficulty going against him.”

Except Happy rookies, that is. Qiao Yifan silently adds. They are fortunate not to have experienced Fang Rui as an opponent onstage. By the time they got to know Fang Rui, it was as the senior pro player in the middle of the pains of changing classes. They even had their turn in beating up his Qi Master. Then once after he reclaimed his title as god, he was their vice captain and teammate first. He will not treat them as an opponent and neither will they, not like Zhao Yuzhe.

“Ah, I suppose I’ve been watching his videos as much as Senior Li.” That’s not exactly a lie, at least not in his previous life.

“Too bad Fang Rui never faced Li Xuan. It’ll be an interesting study for me and you both.”

“I’ve thought so too.” Qiao Yifan agrees wholeheartedly. Wu Yuce is the Ghostblade that most often ends up as Fang Rui’s opponent, especially as a Thief. Though after transforming into Qi Master and becoming Happy’s defending general, Fang Rui has encountered all the core players at least once, including Li Xuan. It has been such an eye-opening match for Qiao Yifan in particular, who looks up to them both. It inspired his breakthrough.

Then Qiao Yifan realizes he shouldn’t have recognized the reclusive god and chatted so casually like this. “Um, Senior… Do I know you? Your voice sounds familiar…”

“What do you think, Little Qiao?”

“God Ye Qiu!” Qiao Yifan nearly bites his tongue, barely avoiding the mistake of calling the Glory legend by his real name. “Why is Senior here?”

“Sightseeing. Getting a feel of being an audience.” Ye Xiu shrugs nonchalantly. Qiao Yifan has to push down the amusement at such Ye Xiu-like answer, but at the same time is at loss what else he can say to his senior. While the rest of his memories around this time are hazy, the memory of his first face-to-face meeting with Ye Xiu is one of the most clear and vivid, and he’s not sure how to bring it up when they barely know each other. Qiao Yifan’s grown a lot since he met Ye Xiu and he has become a captain and a god-level player in his own right, but in front of his most respected and admired seniors, he always feels like he was back as the young, inexperienced junior.

“What is it, Little Qiao?” Ye Xiu breaks his conundrum with ease, noticing the little Phantom Demon player struggling with something.

“...Is it really okay?” Qiao Yifan blurts out what first comes to mind. He clarifies at the confused blink from Ye Xiu, “Being an audience.”

Nothing changes in his expression, but somehow Qiao Yifan feels like Ye Xiu is truly, truly looking at him, like an all-seeing god looking from above. Instinctively he draws himself up, not wanting to be found lacking. When Ye Xiu smiles, Qiao Yifan finds himself released from the pressure.

“Of course not. Even though I’m a bit old, I’m not done yet!”

“You’re going to come back?” Qiao Yifan barely keeps his excitement in check.

“All I need is an opportunity. Just like you’re looking for yours. Keep up the good work, Little Qiao.” Ye Xiu says as he turns around. He waves his hands at Qiao Yifan and slips away into the darkness.

“...Yes, Senior!”

Once Ye Xiu leaves, Qiao Yifan unconsciously stands tall, his eyes bright and determined in the darkness. It is no longer young, inexperienced Qiao Yifan standing there, instead it is Captain Qiao Yifan of Team Happy.

“I’ll create that opportunity for you, Captain.”

It’s a promise.

Fang Rui walks out from the hotel room he’s staying in with Lin Jingyan with an easy heart. In the previous life, in the future-past, in the past-future, or whatever, the silence was oppressive, the conversation was awkward and stilted between them. For once, words eluded Fang Rui. He could never hate himself as much as he did back then.

***

This time around Fang Rui doesn’t really need to say anything, Lin Jingyan takes all the words that can be said from his own mouth. He has been the one to bring up his own declining condition and his determination to bring Wind Howl to the playoffs. All Fang Rui needs to do is give his whole support and help in whatever way he can. He might need to brush up his skills again and get used to high-intensity matches after such a peaceful retirement life, but he’s confident with his much younger body it’s only a matter of time. Unconsciously he raises and flexes his left hand.

However, what he can offer now is the invaluable experience from high-level matches, both domestic and abroad. He’s no master tactician, but spending much of his time around the master tacticians of old and new, two of whom are his captains, Fang Rui learns more than a thing or two. Though it’ll be harder to explain, especially to Lin Jingyan who knows him so well. Well, that’s a worry for another day. Let’s just take one step at a time.

Fang Rui puts on a beanie over his short hair and non-prescription glasses as he goes to the milk tea shop that Happy often frequents during their visits to Shanghai as their meeting place. It doesn’t take him long to find Qiao Yifan in the relatively deserted shop. Being the transparent Tiny Herb player, he doesn’t really need any disguises. Though honestly, Fang Rui would recognize him anywhere, disguise or no disguise.

Seeing his serious expression, Fang Rui silences his steps as he approaches the younger man who is busy writing on the table. Sneakily, not unlike Doubtful Demon and Boundless Sea in his hands, he stands behind the oblivious Qiao Yifan.

“Boo!” Fang Rui whispers close to his ear.

“Ah!” Qiao Yifan jumps in surprise, the pen slips from his fingers. Fang Rui, expecting the reaction, quickly catches it from the air. “Brother Rui!” His little captain scolds him, but Fang Rui cannot maintain a straight face, he bursts into laughter instead.

It’s been a while he’s seen his little captain so young and chubby-cheeked. He cannot resist pinching those cheeks. Being too preoccupied with his time travel or whatever this is, only now he notices how adorable young Qiao Yifan is.

“Can you stop pinching my cheeks?” It might be because he returns into his younger body, Qiao Yifan’s protests are more like a petulant teenager’s, and thanks to professional hand speed, this time it is the hair that’s gotten ruffled.

“Your fault for being so cute and adorable.” Fang Rui being Fang Rui, he’s not apologetic. If anything, he’s very satisfied having pinched those soft cheeks and ruffled the still-relatively-long and boyish haircut. Fang Rui plops down on the empty seat across Qiao Yifan, picking up the drink placed on the table, unsurprised that it is exactly as he likes it.

“So, what you’ve got so far in that notebook of yours, Little Captain?” Fang Rui asks as he chews the boba with a sense of nostalgia. Chinese milk tea is sure different, he mulls absently as he glances at the notebook, a habit Qiao Yifan picks up from Yu Wenzhou.

“I think… It’s my fault?”

“How do you come to that conclusion?” Fang Rui gives him an incredulous look, “Last time I checked you didn’t have supernatural power to send us back to the past.”

“Um.” Qiao Yifan rubs his nose, an all too familiar gesture of discomfort and vulnerability. He’s grown out of that habit slowly as he took over captaincy, but it has the tendency to show up under tremendous stress or complete unpreparedness, which this time travel situation certainly counts as both.

“Start from the beginning.” Those familiar words ground Qiao Yifan, he finds himself calming down easily when he has actually been stressing himself out while waiting for Fang Rui. Those words and the person have helped him many times when he overthinks things, getting him out of the spiral he’s fallen into and finding the right words and action. He breathes in, and starts with a question.

“What did you remember last?” Before jumping to conclusion, Qiao Yifan needs to make sure of a few things first. Fang Rui tries to recall what he was doing. He really hasn’t thought about it.

“Hmm… I was at the airport, texting Old Ye on the phone.” Qiao Yifan blinks in surprise at the unexpected answer. “Our Yifan is retiring. Of course we’ll be coming to celebrate in person.”

Qiao Yifan gets choked up. Several times he tries to speak only to stop.

“We’ve been so busy that we barely visited or kept in touch. Old Ye is even worse, considering he’s based on China. So I just decided to hell with it when I saw your press conference to go back and force that irresponsible guy to pick me up and visit the team together. You know how bad he is at taking initiative. I also managed to get Little Tang on it.”

“Sister Rou too?” Qiao Yifan laughs in disbelief.

“She’s not as bad as us, but it’s been a while for her too. And she’s in Beijing, so she’s the best person in case Old Ye needs to be strong armed.”

“Oh.” Qiao Yifan’s heart feels so full that he’s at a loss of words.

Fang Rui can only feel sad and regretful to see how happy and bright the younger man’s expression is. Qiao Yifan has always been a kind and considerate child. He might have wanted to see them more, but he wouldn’t say anything and be understanding when the older members of Team Happy cannot keep in touch regularly. He might have thought that his retirement is not important enough for him to ask for them to come and visit. Somehow, Fang Rui has a feeling that their current situation is not unrelated.

“We had a small party after the press conference back in Forest Park. It was late after I returned to the room. I…” Qiao Yifan pauses, glancing at Fang Rui. Encouraged by the quiet and patient understanding, he continues.

“Everyone keeps asking why I am retiring when I could have played longer, that I’d come to regret it… I don’t, I’m really sure I won’t.” Qiao Yifan speaks animatedly, as if he’s trying to convince Fang Rui, when the older man is the last person he needs to convince. “I just think it’s time, the team can and will do well without me.”

“...but?” Fang Rui gently nudges Qiao Yifan.

“I do have one regret, one wish,” Qiao Yifan finally speaks out. His voice trembled, betraying his nervousness.

“I wish I had more time.” As if losing his courage, Qiao Yifan ducks his head down.

Fang Rui looks at the bowed head, his eyes soften in understanding. Qiao Yifan doesn’t need to say more, he understands very well. Quite possibly what he feels is the shared feelings among the early members of Team Happy, many of them either started late or only had a few years left in the professional stage.

Being the youngest, Qiao Yifan is among the last of the original members of Happy to remain in the team. Having been there himself, he remembers how it felt like being left behind, abandoned even when it was simply a natural course of life. That feeling was gone as soon as it appeared, reason quickly kicking in. Although the feeling would come at his weakest moments, he’s learned to deal with it.

However, it must be harder for Qiao Yifan, knowing his circumstances. For him, Happy is the only home he has. Having them leave one by one must not be easy. That was why he chose to stay for another year when Qiao Yifan made the plea before he was about to announce his retirement after the finals in the Golden Season, or what Season 13 was known as with many of the Golden Generation giving their best, most dazzling performance, like a burning star at the end of its life.

Fang Rui was no different, having changed classes and reclaimed his old class alongside his new one, led Happy through the most difficult time in the wake of Ye Xiu’s retirement and competed in domestic and international league year after year, he was burned out, like Su Mucheng and Ye Xiu before him.

By then, Happy’s rookies were no longer rookies, they were gods in the making, if not already, he would be only a hindrance for them. He didn’t need another championship. He wanted more, of course he did, he would never lose his desire and pursuit of victory, but his definition of victory is and has never been limited to all the trophies and awards. What he also considers as a victory is when the team he has come to love and cherish, to grow and flourish, to surpass their predecessors and stand in their own glory.

Team Happy lost in the finals, but Fang Rui had seen a glimpse of the future, a shining, glorious future… and he didn’t see himself in that future. He was actually happy at the realization, barely suppressing his smile when he saw the frustrated faces on his team. He already made up his mind back then, only for one sentence from one person to change it.

“Can you not go?”

The words didn’t come from the youngest member of the team. They didn’t come from the successor he intended to take over Boundless Sea. They didn’t come from their soft-hearted boss. Instead it came from the strong, reliable captain of Happy.

Fang Rui’s heart broke for this young man. At that moment, he looked like a lost child.

“Okay.” He made the concession. He had only eyes for his little captain, but he didn’t fail to notice how everyone in the room perked up, including their lady boss. “However, I will mainly stay on the bench. You’re going to carry me to the finals. I’m expecting another Championship for my retirement.”

And he did.

Happy did it.

Happy matched the old Excellent Era’s record. Fang Rui and the remaining members of the original team are the first to have three championship rings in the domestic league, second only to Ye Xiu who have four of them, beating Zhou Zekai of his generation and the Golden Generation. Happy also made their own record being the only team that have won both domestic and international league.

Team Happy had converged around him when they won the finals of Season 14. His bold, daring little Captain dared to put their oldest senior who didn’t play as frequently as before in the all important match of the finals and of course, Fang Rui didn’t fail to live up to his captain’s expectation. He had made sure to do so since Ye Xiu picked him of all people to be Happy’s Qi Master. It was a beautiful sendoff, a perfect ending that he could ask for. He wasn’t oblivious to realize that Happy had managed to send away every single of their senior members of the original team with a championship. He was, is and always will be proud of them, the team that they are, and the captain that Qiao Yifan is.

Fang Rui places his hand on Qiao Yifan’s head gently.

“Then we will have more time.”

“That’s it?” So surprised with his response, Qiao Yifan dislodges Fang Rui’s hand at the speed he cranes his neck.

“Eh. We can try to sleep tonight and if we go back to our timeline, then have a good laugh and celebrate your retirement with all Team Happy members. Or…

“We don’t, and make sure we’ll have more time this time around.” Fang Rui states simply.

“It can’t be that simple.” Qiao Yifan frowns.

“It can.”

“It can’t.”

“Why not?”

“W-Well, there might be conditions?” Qiao Yifan offers. “Of going back, I mean.”

“So? How will we discover that unless we keep going? Or changing things up?”

“Should we even change things?” Qiao Yifan asks. He isn’t sure what he’s feeling, one side he’s afraid, terrified even. But on the other side, he’s excited, eager to change the future.

“Eh,” Fang Rui merely shrugs. Qiao Yifan can only laugh at the nonchalance. It’s so Fang Rui. It’s so like his senior to make light of the absurd situation, which to be fair, Happy is a team that often encounters absurd situations, their own existence is one. The reminder actually brings a smile to Qiao Yifan’s face. His cautious nature can be detrimental at times if it goes unchecked. He’s learned to let go and take risks in the years in Happy, but in this current situation, when his actions could have changed things, could have made him lose everything precious to him, he was unwilling to do so.

“We’ll just keep things simple. We set a goal for ourselves, and deal with others as they come.”

“Happy.” They say it at the same time, which brings a huge relief to Qiao Yifan. He knows how important Lin Jingyan and Wind Howl are for Fang Rui, and considering what happened to them, he has wondered if Fang Rui wishes to do more for them and stay until his contract expires instead of transferring. Reading his mind, Fang Rui chuckles.

“Happy is home.” And Fang Rui meant it.

He’s met many people, have been in different teams and workplaces, but Happy is the only place that feels like home besides his own. It doesn’t occur to him not to join Happy. If anything, he’d love to join earlier, and take part in the creation of the team.

“Wait… has Team Happy been created?” The thought only occurs to him.

“Oh. Not yet. It should be tomorrow.” Qiao Yifan looks at the rough timeline he has written in the notebook. Fang Rui leans forward to take a peek.

“...the Dragon Raises its Head?” Fang Rui can only recall that incident from this year’s All Stars.

“Because of that, Boss Chen figured out Senior’s true identity and decided to create the team to support him.” Qiao Yifan himself only knows their beloved boss’ retelling.

“That really sounds like Boss Chen, alright.” Fang Rui smiles fondly at their lady boss and big sister. “So the team only had Old Ye and Little Tang?”

“Senior didn’t ask me to join until I told him my contract with Tiny Herb expired.”

“Hmm, by then Steamed Bun and Old Wei have already joined.”

“Brother An, Luo Ji and Mo Fan joined around the registration period.”

“Old Ye really worked hard…” Fang Rui has heard the stories. Something else nags on him, though. “...Yifan, you wished for more time right?”

“Yes?”

“Did you think of anything specific when you wished for that? Because, usually in typical time-travel/regressor/reincarnation/isekai stories, it’s usually only the protagonist who comes back in time. Why am I too? Am I even the only one?”

“No, Senior Ye didn’t come back.” Recalling their earlier exchange, Qiao Yifan is sure of it. “I did think of you first when I suddenly found myself back in All Stars Season 8 Rookie Challenge, in the middle of the stadium floor, microphone in hand.”

“That must be nerve wracking.” Fang Rui raises his eyebrows in surprise. “But really? Of all people, me? Not Mucheng? Or Wenzhou?” He merely teases Qiao Yifan. He isn’t really surprised that in Qiao Yifan’s panic and confusion, he picked the one he’s spent the most time with, his old vice captain. He doesn’t really expect a response. However, looking at his expression, there might be another reason. It is brief, but Fang Rui has always been good at catching the slightest change and he thinks he can make a guess.

Fang Rui lays down his left arm on the table, turning his hand palm up.

“I’ve suspected that you knew.” Fang Rui smiles kindly, but it only makes Qiao Yifan upset. Knowing it is one thing, acknowledging it is another. Right now there’s only smooth skin, but in their past-future, there was a faint scar, a thin line across Fang Rui’s wrist, which was often covered with bracelets and wristbands.

Qiao Yifan was only aware of it when Mo Fan came to him. He has noticed and wondered about the change of Fang Rui’s playstyle. It was not really obvious, even for those who were familiar with him. Only when Qiao Yifan paid attention to his hand speed and rhythm, he realized that Fang Rui had slowed down. Everyone hardly noticed because of the nature of the dirty playstyle, and later on, because of the rising skill level of Happy individual members.

Regardless, Fang Rui remained an indispensable member of Happy and the national team. His flexible playstyle and high adaptability, not to mention his casual and playful nature, made him compatible with many players and strategies that he was more often than not master tacticians’ first choice. Qiao Yifan was not so naive to think that it wouldn’t impact Fang Rui’s condition, so he didn’t think much in the beginning. He was actually relieved that his vice captain took the steps to prolong his career lifespan. While his speed might decline, his performance did not. It didn’t cross his mind that Fang Rui’s condition had reached the point that he needed surgery.

Qiao Yifan was hit hard with the discovery. He had been angry at Fang Rui, at Mo Fan, but most of all, at himself for failing to notice that his vice captain had been injured so badly. He understood very well why Fang Rui did it, so he swallowed all the hurt and anger and channeled them into winning the championship, fearing the season would be his senior’s last. He wanted to prove that Happy was worth all the painstaking effort Fang Rui put in. Only to have his hopes shattered when Happy lost to Blue Rain in the finals, and Fang Rui announced his retirement to the team before the press conference.

He hadn’t wanted to be selfish. He really couldn’t ask Fang Rui to stay when he has given everything and more to Happy. He shouldn’t have asked him to stay.

But he asked anyway.

He was prepared for the refusal, he could even imagine the gentle and kind words. He didn’t expect the concession. Fang Rui only agreed for another year, but it meant the world for Qiao Yifan.

Looking at the person in front of him, Qiao Yifan knows very well why it was Fang Rui of all people who was brought back to the past with him. But he cannot find the words.

“Well, I’m definitely not turning down the chance to do everything again. Even though it’s going to be a hassle to adapt to what… Level 70 skills?” The stinky face Fang Rui made elicits laughter from Qiao Yifan.

Fang Rui never fails to find a way to lighten up the atmosphere. It’s also his subtle reminder that he has their back, that he understands even when there are no words between them.

“Damn. It looks like I’ve got a lot of work to do. It’s no different than having a new team, a new account, and a new class.” Fang Rui is already having a headache at the mere thought. He does miss the Glory competitive days, but he can do without the daily training.

“...I’m sorry.” Qiao Yifan winces, he hasn’t thought that far. He might be just a “water dispenser” in Tiny Herb but Fang Rui definitely isn’t. He has tried to take account of everything but the memories are hazy the further to the past they are, and he was limited to his own knowledge of the events. Qiao Yifan was only recently retired so he would have less difficulty in getting back into the competition mindset. Fang Rui waves his hand, knowing it cannot be helped.

“I’ve got a week until the next match. I’m going to need help to get into shape and find a somewhat believable explanation for the sudden changes in playstyle. Old Lin is sure to notice. You also need to be careful. Wang Jiexi might not realize any changes in you, but Old Ye certainly will.”

“Um… I think it’s a bit too late.” Qiao Yifan speaks out, showing the message Gao Yingjie sent to him earlier, telling him that the captain wanted to see him when he returned to the hotel.

“Well, shit.” That pretty much summed up their current situation.

“Okay, change of plans. Let’s start with how you’re going to deal with good ol’ Wang, then we do the rest.”

“I should not call him Captain Wang then.” Qiao Yifan mulls over.

“Definitely not.” Why would a member of their own team call their own captain by their last name? “Don’t let slip and start calling him Big-Eyed Wang, either.”

“I’ve never-” Qiao Yifan coughs and splutters.

“Really?” Fang Rui raises an eyebrow.

Cunning and resourceful.

Those two words describe Happy best. They can be said to be the words Happy team members live by. They lay down the foundation of Happy’s individual and team playstyle.

While Qiao Yifan remains polite and respectful as he comes to be Happy’s captain, which makes him a favorite among Happy team members of old and new, particularly for the reporters, he is still Happy’s captain who has received guidance and learned from Ye Xiu, Wei Chen and Fang Rui. He doesn’t often resort to dirty play enough to be considered a dirty player and doesn't often engage in trash talk to provoke others that people often forget. So at the most unexpected times, Qiao Yifan will pull an incredibly dirty play or a provocative sentence that is so unlike the calm and stable captain that opponents never fail to fall for it.

Qiao Yifan definitely has called Wang Jiexi “Big-Eyed Wang” at least once. It doesn’t even matter if he never did it to his face.

“Careful. Don’t show your black heart yet, Little Captain.” Fang Rui teases Qiao Yifan, his eyes twinkling with mirth. This time Qiao Yifan genuinely and freely laughs.

“Says the person who taught us how to pull unexpected plays.” Being the longest-serving senior in the team, Fang Rui left his mark the most on Happy team members. His dirty playstyle shows up even in the aggressive Tang Rou, upright An Wenyi, and even textbook Luo Ji.

“That means I’m a good teacher, no?” Fang Rui considers that as his greatest achievement. Qiao Yifan doesn’t disagree, giggling at his senior’s proud face.

There’s so much work to do. There are so many familiar people, accounts, teams that they need to get to know again. There are their own younger bodies with their older selves; faster speed and reflexes but in discordance with their experienced minds. There are so many things to unlearn and relearn. There are events that cannot, should not be changed, and they do not know which events they are and which actions they are allowed to take.

When he was standing on the stage, as his mind kept thinking of all the ripple effects he might be causing, Qiao Yifan was absolutely frightened, and felt very lonely. However, right here right now, with his most reliable vice captain and senior…

Qiao Yifan no longer feels afraid.

Aaand.... That's a wrap! Well, not quite so. This can be taken as a one-shot, but is also open for more time-travel shenanigans. I have some ideas of the changes in the new timeline. Some ideas are easier to flesh out, while others require some research. If you have any comments or suggestions, please do so! It might help with the writing of future chapters. Thank you for reading!

#fanfiction #fanfic #quan zhi gao shou #the king's avatar #qzgs #tka #fang rui #ao3 #qiao yifan #time travel au #let's start thinkin' bout it

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hils79 · 1 year ago

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Hils Watches The King's Avatar - Ep 13

Oh, yes, we ended the last episode with me crying over the two tiny herbs

These two are so precious, but I also love Yifan and Baozi's relationship. I have too many feelings.

Ooh Yifan also knows the captain lowered his level to help Yingjie win, but he won't say anything because he's a good boyfriend

No, I don't want Yifan to lose! Then he'll be sad again!

Even Ye Xiu can't stand to watch his son lose and is leaving before the end of the game

Aww he didn't leave because he couldn't stand to watch, he left so he could be there when Yifan came out so he could advise him. Ye Xiu is such a good dad.

HE IS NOT A GOOD DAD HE IS MAKING MY SON WHO IS ALSO HIS SON CRY

Oh shit he snapped his comfort rubber band

YOU MADE HIM SMALL AND SAD! FIX IT!

That's more like it

Maybe you could have started with that instead of scolding him and telling him he's stupid

How old is Ye Xiu supposed to be? Isn't Yang Yang only like 25 (when they filmed this I mean)

This is the only person I've seen Ye Xiu have any sort of sexual chemistry with. Enemies to lovers yes please

It was flirtatious when Ye Xiu called him old. Sun Xiang is just asking to be punched

BWAHAH! Okay, so Han Wenqing is 26 and Ye Xiu said he's a year younger which makes him 25. That's about right for Yang Yang but no way is the actor playing Han Wenqing in his 20s

Ahhhh! Tang Rou knows who he really is! Is Chen Guo the only one who doesn't know at this point?

Oh no are they breaking up?

Aww he looks so happy that his old man love interest beat the smug kid who replaced him

Yep they are intimately familiar

I'd be more sympathetic to Sun Xiang getting repeatedly compared to his predecessor if he was less of an asshole

She is going to hit you over the head with one of those inflatables if you're not careful

She wiped out a whole squad by herself and then beat a guild leader also by herself. She's going to wipe the floor with him

YES! DESTROY HIM!

He is pleased

I love them

BOO! CHEATING! I hope he gets caught!

Aren't there cameras in there? Or someone on the door to stop people who aren't allowed in?

Yeah, Ye Xiu is going to help her! Two can play at cheating! I love that apparently anyone can just wander into a player's booth though

#hils watches #hils watches the king's avatar #hils watches cdramas #the king's avatar #cdrama

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infoshakil260 · 10 months ago

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I fell into the automatic renewal trap again

"Have you been automatically renewed?" Now, users may be bound to the automatic renewal function unknowingly when they unintentionally subscribe or choose password-free payment. So, what kind of experience does the automatic renewal function bring to users? How well designed is this feature? Users have different opinions

This is already my third "automatically renewed" fee this month. When I first received the deduction notice, I didn't know why I was being charged. After some operations, I realized that it was because the monthly subscription membership of the video app I had subscribed to expired, and the platform automatically renewed it. I have purchased memberships on 3 video apps. Because it is found that monthly membership subscription is cheaper than single-month purchase. For example, for a certain video app, single-month subscription is 25 yuan/month, and continuous monthly subscription is 19 yuan/month.

In order to save money, most people HE Tuber generally choose to open a monthly membership service package.

However, many users thought they could save some money through continuous monthly subscription, but unexpectedly fell into the trap of automatic renewal.

Many apps also set up first-month discounts to attract consumers to choose continuous monthly subscriptions. For example, if a new customer of a music app chooses continuous monthly subscription, the first-month membership fee is only 3 yuan, and the second month and subsequent months are 15 yuan, but if you choose a single-month subscription, it will cost 18 yuan.

"As long as you choose continuous monthly subscription, after the membership expires this month, the platform will automatically deduct the fee without any prompt. What's even more outrageous is that the deduction bill does not indicate which platform deducted the fee." A netizen suggested.

What do you think of the design of the forced bundle renewal function? For this reason, friends from Tiantianwen started a heated discussion. Let’s take a look at what the friends said~

Part of the content of the article comes from @yifan｜Design mind-reading @Xu and @Eayon @Nemo point @wangwangwangwangwangwangzi@crocodile ate 55 rabbits @global question @呵呲嘚@不正@Accompany and others’ wonderful answers .

1. How cool is this function of forced bundle renewal?

People's Daily Online commented that "automatic renewal" will not remind users, and the single deduction amount is not large, which is not easy for consumers to notice, and the water flows smoothly.

Such quietly "sticky charging" does not necessarily provide services to users. Even if users "wake up from a dream" one day, they will most likely only suffer "dumb losses".

From the perspective of App operators, "automatic renewal" has been "agreed" by users. Whether they didn't pay attention or forgot to turn it off, it seems to be the "user's responsibility". Many apps have very good intentions, and this blame is too "slip".

So, how does it induce users to operate?

"Automatic renewal" is often set carelessly. Users may not pay attention to this small line of fine print in the agreement, or they may not be able to proceed to the next step without checking the box. Users are confused and led by the merchant.

In the second month of the contract period, since the amount is usually small and difficult for users to notice, the merchant will charge quietly, adding up to a small sum. By the time users notice, merchants have already made a lot of money.

Many friends say they don’t like the automatic renewal function and will turn off this option before the system automatically renews. This option seems to force you to make a choice.

Some friends said: "I checked Alipay and WeChat before and found that I had silently opened more than a dozen automatic monthly renewal memberships... Looking back at the time, I opened automatic renewal just for convenience and cheapness, and mentioned "You can cancel at any time, for example, WeChat reading costs 30 per month, and automatic renewal costs 19 per month. In comparison, it must be activated! "

Only later did I discover that there was profit and loss in the dark.

What you earn: Enterprises and users who really need it.

Loss-making: A big mistake that was needed temporarily but was later not needed but forgot to cancel.

This wave of "secret warehouse" operations by merchants is really amazing. Let the users unknowingly turn on the automatic renewal of more than a dozen software, and when the time is up, the users will be "emptied" unknowingly.

Some friends found that when it comes to how to choose "activate membership", the order of options is very particular. Most apps prioritize consecutive monthly, quarterly, and annual subscriptions at preferential prices, while members that do not require automatic renewal are placed at the end, and you need to carefully swipe the phone screen to find them.

2. It’s fun to bind for a while, then renew the crematorium

1. Reasons why users do not cancel automatic renewal

1) Forgot to cancel automatic renewal

We did not notice the automatic renewal setting in the software when subscribing to the service, or forgot to cancel the automatic renewal option after subscribing, resulting in a successful deduction for the next month's renewal.

Some friends complained: "Many times I sign up for membership 'passionately', just to watch a drama right away or because I have an urgent need for time. I often forget to turn off automatic renewal afterwards, resulting in continued deductions."

When there are other more attractive things to take away our attention, "cancel automatic renewal" will naturally be forgotten.

2) The steps to unsubscribe are cumbersome

In addition, “Another reason is that it is difficult to close and cancel the payment setting, and the closed entrance is not easy to find.”

Some limited-free functions will be used as bait in the APP. If you accidentally agree to use them, you will enter the fast payment channel. The platform will stipulate a limited time period, and if it is not canceled after the time, it will be deemed as automatic renewal. Turning off automatic cancellation requires a special period of time to find it. Some users give up when they can't find it for a while.

When product designers make any design, they should put users first, put themselves in the shoes of users, and understand the psychological changes of users. Only in this way can the products designed be loved by users, otherwise they will only lose their reputation.

2. Users’ trust in merchants decreases

Users may behave as follows when facing these situations:

1) Feeling confused and anxious

Users may feel confused and anxious when they realize they forgot to cancel automatic renewal or cannot find the cancellation portal. They may worry that they will be inadvertently charged, or feel that their rights and interests have been violated.

2) Find help and solutions

Users may actively seek help, such as consulting product documentation, contacting customer service, or asking questions on forums to learn how to cancel automatic renewal or find the cancellation entrance. They may want a quick resolution to avoid further distress and loss.

3) Have negative emotions about the product or service

If users have difficulty canceling auto-renewal or have a bad experience, they may develop negative feelings about the product or service. This can lead to them having less trust in the brand or company and even considering switching to a competitor.

"From an interaction point of view, any kind of "automatic" that can help users ease operations is the value that designers pursue. But some hidden factors, changes in user psychology, trust, dependence, these sensitive points are In the whole process, due to the lack of channels for speaking out or being too profit-oriented, they are often artificially ignored. Designers should make objective judgments on the user's intentions and should not adopt aggressive approaches." Some netizens suggested.

3. If you sign the contract, I will wait for the payment.

From the perspective of merchants or enterprises, renewing contracts for different users can bring the following gains:

1. Stable income stream

Renewal means that the user is willing to continue using the product or service and continue to pay. This provides businesses with a steady stream of revenue, helping with financial stability and business growth.

2. Improved user stickiness and loyalty

Through successful renewals, companies can enhance users' stickiness and loyalty to their products or services. Users are willing to continue using and paying fees, indicating that they are highly satisfied with the product or service and are willing to establish a long-term cooperative relationship with the enterprise.

3. Reduce user churn rate

Renewal can help companies reduce user churn rates. In a highly competitive market environment, retaining existing users is more cost-effective than attracting new users. By providing quality products and services and building good relationships with users, companies can increase user retention and reduce churn.

4. Data analysis and product improvement

Through the user data collected during the renewal process, companies can conduct in-depth data analysis to understand user needs and behavior patterns, so as to improve and optimize products. This helps companies continuously improve product quality and user experience, meet user needs, and further increase renewal rates.

A friend said: "From the perspective of the company's business purpose, it is very good and brings revenue to the company. If your product provides a good user experience and solves problems, users will still activate it again even if they are unbundled; From a product perspective, it provides users with memberships and does not require users to manually renew, which provides convenience. Users will also enhance their interaction with the product by opening memberships, and at the same time complete the business purpose, which is a good IDEA."

The emergence of forced automatic renewal is mainly based on the economic interests of merchants, because automatic renewal can ensure that they continue to receive income after the user's subscription expires, and reduce the possibility of user churn. For merchants, forced automatic renewal has indeed bro

#Non- profits & activism #Hindi Songs #Movie #Technology #Web Series #Children Video #Tutorial Video

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