Go Go Squid! Episode 30 Recap
> Go Go Squid! Recap
Mi Shaofei officially took on his role as K&K's team manager. Han Shangyan and Tong Nian observed from a distance as the K&K players, initially arrogant, were called into a meeting by Mi Shaofei to prepare for the semi-finals. Mi Shaofei began by introducing Team Buff, their upcoming opponent, mentioning his history with them and their recent return after a five-year retirement. He detailed their lineup, identifying Bidongran as their support and Mina as their main offense.
Shen Zhe and 97 interrupted, claiming they already knew this information. Mi Shaofei then revealed Bidongran's critical weakness: despite his technical skill, he lacks leadership and tends to panic when his strategies are broken or he's surpassed. His intense desire to win, especially at his age of 30, makes him vulnerable to pressure, and Mi Shaofei proposed that K&K must exploit this. Wu Bai intervened, scolding the players for their disrespect.
He highlighted Mi Shaofei's unparalleled knowledge of all Chinese teams and the entire history of CTF, warning them to change their attitude if they wanted his invaluable help. Mi Shaofei further added that Team Buff's concepts and tactics were outdated. Watching from the monitoring room, Han Shangyan felt relieved, noting to Tong Nian that the boys could be convinced by compelling arguments. Tong Nian visited Han Shangyan, playfully interacting with his cat, Squiddy.
Han Shangyan told her about the upcoming semi-final matches next Wednesday, with K&K playing in Shanghai and SP in Guangzhou simultaneously. He offered to take her, explaining she wouldn't need a ticket if she came with him. When Tong Nian asked if Yaya could also come, Han Shangyan suggested Yaya ask Mi Shaofei. Tong Nian then shyly asked if they were officially back together, jokingly lamenting his tendency to break up and reconcile easily.
Han Shangyan teased her, asking if she needed a formal ceremony or a kiss. Before she could answer, he kissed her. He then apologized for causing her pain recently, and she responded by kissing him back. They continued to tease each other about kissing the cat and jealousy. After the meeting, Mi Shaofei diligently continued his work, analyzing the K&K team members' individual strengths and weaknesses against SP's average, seeking ways to improve.
Han Shangyan observed Mi Shaofei's dedication with appreciation. Mi Shaofei explained that he was focused on raising the team's overall average strength, as there was a significant skill gap between top players like Wu Bai, Grunt, and 97, and lower-ranked players like One, whose performance pulled down the team average. He emphasized the urgency, noting that SP's average strength had significantly improved since the group stage.
Han Shangyan advised him to take things step by step, with the immediate priority being to defeat Team Buff. Meanwhile, at SP, Global Operations Director He Nana discussed Mi Shaofei's appointment as K&K's manager with Wang Hao and Appledog. Nana expressed concern that Mi Shaofei's deep knowledge of SP's strengths and weaknesses, stemming from his time with Team Solo and long history in CTF, posed a significant threat.
She warned Wang Hao that a loss would not only be a blow to their pride but also raise doubts about his competence at headquarters. Wang Hao suggested that sometimes knowing an opponent too well can create a blind spot. Appledog appeared happy about Mi Shaofei's new role, jokingly vowing to "extort" a meal from him since she missed their last reunion.
When asked for a counter-strategy, Appledog confidently declared that the best approach was to simply trust their own team and her as their manager, assuring them that SP's average strength guaranteed them the national championship. In her dorm, Tong Nian uploaded a sweet new song titled "Milk Bread" to NetEase Music. Her friend praised the song, and Tong Nian shyly admitted it was a favorite of both hers and "his," calling it romantic.
Online, fans reacted to "Little Squid's" song, connecting it to her previous interview where she likened love to "milk loving bread." Some fans speculated that she had found her true love, while others lamented their "one-sided first love" with her. At the K&K club, 97 discovered Tong Nian's new song and its rapid climb on the music charts.
He excitedly shared with the other boys that "Sister-in-Law" was also causing a stir on Weibo, where fans were "giving Boss a lot of shade" over the song. They surmised the song was a romantic gesture, likely inspired by her recent visit. Hearing the commotion, Han Shangyan emerged and pressed 97 for an explanation. 97, after some hesitation, revealed that Tong Nian's song was a public display of affection, which had led to the online teasing aimed at Han Shangyan.
Intrigued, Han Shangyan asked 97 to register a Weibo account for him, just as he had previously done for NetEase Music. The boys were surprised and excited by this decision. Tong Nian excitedly shared with her friends, Yaya and Chun Chun, that Han Shangyan had finally registered for Weibo. News of Han Shangyan, a legendary figure in the CTF world known as "Gun God" and "the Big Devil," joining Weibo created a frenzy across the entire community.
Fans hailed his return to social media as "the industry's revelry," quickly causing his follower count to skyrocket. Tong Nian and her friends discovered that Han Shangyan's first post was simply a link to the "K&K Club Official Website." Tong Nian was then astonished to find that the comments on her own new song had jumped from around a thousand to over thirty thousand. She soon realized the reason: Han Shangyan followed her, and she was his "only" follow.
She then saw his comment on her song: "So are you milk and I'm bread, or am I milk and you're bread?" Her friends urged her to reply, and she did, playfully stating, "Don't care. From now on, breakfast will be milk and bread." Her friends expressed jealousy at this public display of affection. Seeking privacy, Tong Nian grabbed her phone and retreated to make a call, instructing her friends not to follow or eavesdrop.
Han Shangyan took her call, while his team members teased him about it. 97 joked about Han Shangyan's "one move to conquer the enemy," prompting the boys to give Han Shangyan privacy. On the phone, Tong Nian playfully asked about his Weibo. Han Shangyan teased her back, then tried to end the call, mentioning tomorrow's competition. They engaged in a sweet back-and-forth, each wanting the other to hang up first to savor the last sound of their voice.
They agreed to talk for five more minutes, with Han Shangyan humorously counting down the seconds. Tong Nian expressed her immense happiness that he registered Weibo solely for her and follows no one else. She even offered to create a facial recognition system for his room. Seriously, Han Shangyan told her, "I miss you." Tong Nian responded that she now understood "what it feels like to be noticed by someone." Han Shangyan agreed, saying, "I understand. This feeling is. .
. so good." They reluctantly bid each other goodbye, each hesitant to be the first to hang up. On the day of the semi-finals, Tong Nian was unable to attend the match in Shanghai due to visiting relatives. Instead, she and her cousin, Dounan, tried to watch the live stream downstairs on a laptop. Tong Nian's mother brought the relatives into the living room, scolding Tong Nian and Dounan for focusing on the computer instead of socializing.
Tong Nian explained they were watching a CTF competition, which the relatives found confusing. To allow the children to continue watching, her mother eventually took the relatives outside for a tour. In Shanghai, Team Buff, comprised of veteran players in their thirties like Bidongran and Mina, was fiercely determined to win a world championship. They had reached the semi-finals against K&K without any club, sponsors, or a designated manager, with Bidongran acting as their captain.
A win would secure them sponsors; a loss would mark the end of their professional careers. Before the match, Bidongran boasted to reporters about his team's preparedness and his past victory over Han Shangyan, declaring himself Han Shangyan's nemesis. Han Shangyan confronted Bidongran, reminding him of his past losses and asserting that his current team would defeat Buff. Wu Bai reassured Han Shangyan of their determination.
Mi Shaofei gave the K&K team a pep talk, urging them to stay calm and play their best. Han Shangyan officially presented Mi Shaofei with his K&K manager ID badge, solidifying his role. During the match, commentators discussed both teams. They acknowledged K&K as favorites, led by Wu Bai, and mentioned Han Shangyan's recent Weibo debut. For Team Buff, commentators praised their difficult journey and recalled their history as former national champions, highlighting that this could be their final match.
They also brought up Han Shangyan's sole loss as part of Team Solo a decade ago, which was against Team Buff. The match, a best-of-five, began. K&K won the right to choose. In the first game, Bidongran achieved an initial breakthrough against 97, but K&K quickly recovered and turned the tide to secure the first win. K&K won the second game as well, with Wu Bai's quick security reinforcements countering Bidongran's attempts to exploit loopholes.
Team Buff made a strong comeback in the third game, with Bidongran taking three nodes to win, making the score 2-1 in favor of K&K. For the crucial fourth game, Wu Bai instructed K&K to go for a "forceful offensive, penetrate them" strategy, while Bidongran urged his team to stay steady. In the dramatic final moments, K&K reached match point.
Wu Bai executed an aggressive offense, successfully penetrating Buff's last node and securing the victory for K&K, who advanced to the finals. With K&K's victory, the team celebrated as fans cheered wildly in the arena, and Tong Nian and Dounan erupted in excitement at home. Simultaneously, in Guangzhou, the SP Team also secured their semi-final win, with their fans cheering passionately for the team and Wang Hao.
Both K&K and SP were now set to meet in the finals next month in Beijing. In the K&K lounge, Han Shangyan congratulated Mi Shaofei. Mi Shaofei, observing Team Buff's somber departure, was deeply moved. He shared with Han Shangyan that Appledog had told him the five players on Team Buff had all resigned from their jobs, at age thirty, for one last desperate attempt to achieve their dream of a world championship.
Backstage, Bidongran's teammates tried to console him, suggesting they go out for a drink as they would soon part ways. They reminded him that as former national champions, he shouldn't dwell on the loss and consider this a meaningful "journey" of memories. A staff member congratulated them on securing third place, a commendable achievement for veterans, and urged them to leave as the venue closed. Bidongran's teammates eventually departed, leaving him alone to gather his things.
Han Shangyan found Bidongran alone in the locker room. He challenged him, asking if he still refused to admit defeat. Bidongran, with tears in his eyes, wholeheartedly conceded. He acknowledged that Han Shangyan had always been his "nemesis," both as a player and a team owner, and admitted his past victory against Han Shangyan was merely a "lucky break." Han Shangyan, appearing satisfied, remarked that hearing Bidongran admit defeat in his lifetime "feels pretty good." Bidongran's teammates returned, urging him to calm down, and led him away.
