Team Up

The three of them laughed and turned to look at Liu Wenxin playing by the poolside.

"She really is adorable."

Su Yang patted Meng Wenzhou's shoulder and confirmed, "Lao Meng, you’re sure she doesn’t have a boyfriend, right?"

"I’m not entirely sure about her current status, but I’ll ask her myself later."

"Good. Then our mission today is to help Fatty find true love—preferably someone who’ll follow him back to Haicheng when we return."

"Brother Yang, I don’t even know what to say. I’ll remember this favor." Liu Bo clasped his hands in gratitude toward Su Yang.

"We’re all brothers here," Su Yang replied with a wave.

Meng Wenzhou smirked. "Alright, we’ll figure out a way to help you later. Whether you can seal the deal tonight depends on your own luck."

"Heh, I’ll do my best."

......

After huddling together to scheme for a while, they dispersed and returned to grilling.

Happy moments always fly by.

Between eating and playing, over two hours passed in the blink of an eye.

In the meantime, Meng Wenzhou had managed to confirm Liu Wenxin’s relationship status—currently single.

Now, Su Yang and Meng Wenzhou lounged on deck chairs, smoking. Meng Wenzhou suddenly turned and said,

"I’ve got a great idea."

"Oh? Let’s hear it."

"There are 15 of us in total, right? Perfect for five teams. Later, I’ll come up with a random excuse to split everyone into groups. From then on, whether it’s games, drinking, or anything else, everything has to be done as a team."

Su Yang exhaled a puff of smoke and pondered. "Not bad. That way, they’re naturally paired up, and sparks could fly."

"Exactly. But we need a plausible reason."

"That’s easy—just make it fun. Group games, singing, swimming, drinking, whatever. Once teams are set, they can’t separate until bedtime."

Meng Wenzhou grinned. "Solid. But there’s only four guys, so one team won’t have any men."

"That’s fine. The real challenge is making sure Fatty ends up in the same team as Liu Wenxin. That’s the priority," Su Yang said with a laugh.

Meng Wenzhou thought for a moment. "Right, and we can’t make it too obvious. How about this: we pick one more girl to join us, and the five of us play a game to decide who picks first."

"Sounds good. But what game? Adding another girl introduces some unpredictability."

"Hmm..."

As they mulled it over, Liu Bo and Zhang Ziming returned from the restroom.

"So, you two geniuses come up with anything?" Liu Bo plopped down beside Meng Wenzhou’s chair with a grin.

Su Yang sat up. "Not only do we have a plan, but we’re even giving you an extra shot."

"What? Seriously?"

Su Yang and Meng Wenzhou explained their team idea to Liu Bo and Zhang Ziming.

The two nodded along, and Liu Bo gave a thumbs-up. "Brilliant!"

"Now we just need to decide what game to use for picking."

Meng Wenzhou looked up. "Let’s keep it simple—rock-paper-scissors. Winner picks first. I’m out of ideas."

"But that’s pure luck. What if Fatty keeps losing?" Zhang Ziming pointed out.

"Then it’s fate. If he can’t even pick one out of ten, they’re just not meant to be."

Su Yang chuckled. "The odds aren’t bad. Here’s the trick: we all throw rock first, Fatty throws paper, and the girl can throw whatever. Most people lead with rock, so she’ll eventually throw it. We keep going until Fatty wins, then switch it up."

"Deal. No more overthinking." Meng Wenzhou stood and scanned the scattered girls.

He called out, "Ladies, gather up for a sec!"

"What’s up?" Yang Yuwei floated lazily by the pool.

The other girls gradually made their way over.

Once everyone was assembled, Meng Wenzhou announced, "Here’s the plan: there are 15 of us, so let’s split into five teams. From now on, whether it’s games or drinking, everything’s team-based."

"Team battles?" Liu Meng blinked.

"Yep. Makes things more fun. Like, if someone can’t handle their drink, their teammates can step in. Once teams are set, you’re stuck with your squad until bedtime."

"Sounds kinda fun."

"Right? Gotta spice things up."

"But what if two guys end up on the same team? Wouldn’t that be unfair to the others?" Liu Wenxin voiced her concern.

Meng Wenzhou waved it off. "Won’t happen. Guys can’t be on the same team."

"That works. But then one team won’t have any guys. If we play physical games, the all-girl team might struggle," Liu Meng added.

"I thought about that, but with only four guys, we’ll just have to stick to more balanced games."

Liu Meng pondered. "How about this: four of us girls play rock-paper-scissors to pick a guy first. That way, we end up with four teams, each with one guy. Sure, one team will be short a person, but at least every group has a man."

"Uh..."

The four guys froze, momentarily speechless.

Damn, they turned the tables on us.

Meng Wenzhou smirked at Su Yang. "Well? This work for you?"

"I don’t mind. It’s just... y’know."

"Just what?" Liu Meng stepped closer.

"Never mind. Let’s do it your way—girls pick first."

"We’ll discuss it." Liu Meng turned and walked back to the others.

"Game over, Fatty. They flipped the script. Your chances just tanked," Meng Wenzhou patted Liu Bo.

Surprisingly, Liu Bo didn’t seem fazed. "Eh, no big deal. I don’t have to be with Liu Wenxin. Other girls are fine too, heh."

Meng Wenzhou rolled his eyes. "Wow, so we worried for nothing. Let’s leave it to fate. I’m curious how they’ll pick."

Zhang Ziming rubbed his hands. "I’m kinda excited. This is more thrilling than us choosing."

The four returned to their chairs, lighting cigarettes as they waited.

Ten minutes later, the girls approached.

"So, who’s your team captains?" Meng Wenzhou asked.

Pan Ning, Liu Meng, Li Yutong, and Shen Yixue stepped forward.