“Sounds easy. Foreign servers want me competing, brands want endorsements, and just the other day they tried booking me for a variety show. I couldn’t clone myself for a stream even if I wanted to.” Yu Jin shrugged off his jacket and draped it over the chair. The table was full of familiar faces; nods all around served as greetings.
“No time for shows or streams, but plenty for go-karting next door?” Ye Tan shot back. “Xu Muzhe’d hang himself if he heard.”
There was a bottle of liquor in front of him. He cracked it open and poured Yu Jin a glass. Everyone else kept their eyes glued to the pair—ever since Yu Jin had walked in, all attention had zeroed in on them.
“You lot finally catch me taking a rare break after ages.” Yu Jin glanced up leisurely, perfectly at ease as he bantered. No trace of stiffness about him. Out of the corner of his eye, he scanned the table: Chen Wen sat across from him, flanked by Second Team Captain Liu Yushu and a new Second Team member.
Yun Qi had only given him that one look when he’d first arrived.
No word from him these past couple days, no sightings at the SK Base. And now he was acting like total strangers—after that initial glance, he’d been deep in hushed conversation with the Second Team captain, not so much as lifting his head again.
Yu Jin swirled the glass in his hand.
The waiters brought out dishes one after another. The group chatted away freely in the relaxed vibe of old friends. Ye Tan and Yu Jin went way back; there was no player-boss divide between them, and they were deep in lively conversation. Ye Tan eyed him with blatant envy. “Born with a killer face and esports-god skills—talk about starting life on easy mode. So, E God? Two years grinding foreign servers, no spicy girls catch your eye? Holding out single with looks like that? Fans are suspicious—even I’m starting to wonder if something’s wrong with you.”
E God was a legend with every advantage imaginable, scorching hot in the esports circle, yet zero scandals. It baffled the execs: was he a saint or just playing it too discreet? But only Ye Tan had the guts to prod outright under the guise of a joke.
“Oh, there is,” Yu Jin said. The waiter poured his drink, and he nodded his thanks before adding candidly, “Got a mental hang-up. Incurable.”
Ye Tan offered, “Girls can fix that. Give it a shot.”
He raised his glass. Yu Jin clinked his against it. “Not even a little.”
The other execs jumped in, Chen Wen among them, all laughs and chatter. Yun Qi and Liu Yushu couldn’t really join the fray; they stuck together like a duo, heads down over their plates.
Liu Yushu leaned in and murmured to Yun Qi, “The guy next to Boss Ye? That’s Eidis. Player or not, he’s on another level—you can tell from how he talks with them. Go toast him, say hi. Can’t hurt your prospects.”
Yun Qi flicked a glance Yu Jin’s way. That corner was buzzing with leaders talking shop; barging in would be awkward. “Nah, I’m good.”
Liu Yushu frowned. “Aren’t you gunning for KRO’s Starting Roster? Brother Jin’s got pull…”
“I know,” Yun Qi said, fiddling with his wine glass. As he watched Yu Jin drink with such effortless grace, a flicker of laziness stirred in him. Over the past week, he hadn’t crossed paths with Yu Jin or sought him out, throwing himself completely into training instead. Now he realized it wasn’t such a bad approach. After reflecting on his clumsy ploy from last week, he suspected Yu Jin had seen through it. A touch of distance was called for at a time like this.
Liu Yushu had no inkling of the subtleties at play and figured Yun Qi was being stubbornly inflexible. Why stand on ceremony now? He kept prodding. “Tsk, don’t you get it? Cozying up to Brother Jin will make landing a starting roster spot a whole lot easier. Your skills are solid, no doubt, but don’t be so rigid about the networking side. No shame in it—go on over.”
Unable to hold out against Liu Yushu’s relentless encouragement, Yun Qi bided his time for the perfect moment and approached with his glass in hand.
But he didn’t toast Yu Jin. Instead, he turned to Ye Tan seated beside him, all timid and bashful in a way that didn’t suit him at all. Clutching his glass, he said, “Boss Ye… thank you for treating me to dinner tonight. I’d like to toast you.”
Yu Jin shot him a glance. Yun Qi held his glass with restrained politeness as he toasted Ye Tan, who looked utterly taken aback but responded with full graciousness. “The kid knows how to handle himself.”
With that, Ye Tan lifted his own glass. Yun Qi dipped his lower in deference. Flattered and his ego thoroughly stroked, Ye Tan’s smile warmed even further. “Bright future ahead of you.”
They clinked glasses and drank.
Yun Qi wasn’t a drinker—his tolerance was pitiful. This one glass was his limit; he had no intention of going further. So he tilted his head back resolutely and downed it like a soldier marching to his doom.
Oblivious to Yun Qi’s inner calculations, Ye Tan boomed approvingly, “Now that’s spirit! I like it.”
Off to the side, Yu Jin raised his glass and took a casual drink of his own, his eyes taking in every bit of Yun Qi’s little scheme.
At that moment, someone next to Ye Tan piped up. “You’re that Ziwei Star Lu Rong and the others keep raving about, right? Word is you’re a beast as top laner—jumping ranks like it’s nothing.”
“Brother Wen and the guys think highly of me. They gave me the chance to scrim against the second team, and thankfully I didn’t let Brother Wen down. KRO’s roster is stacked; I felt the pressure big time.” Yun Qi’s words landed perfectly, giving Chen Wen a huge boost of pride. Liu Yushu was equally stunned—just moments ago, he’d seemed immovable, but now his tongue was smooth as silk.
What had he been fretting about on the way over?
The leader chuckled. “You’re the standout among the trial trainees lately. But KRO’s got no room—they’re set. Don’t get hung up on their starting roster. Their team’s in great shape, top laner included. With Eidis back, dominating the foreign server is only a matter of time under his lead. You wouldn’t get to shine. Join my team instead. Pay’s just as good, and I’m short a player right now.”
“Boss Wu jumping the gun on poaching already? You need a Ziwei Star under you? Did Boss Xu ship you some talent to keep you afloat? Hand this one over to me. Slot him in as Chole’s top laner, and top three next year is locked in. Let KRO chase the foreign server—they can stay off our domestic turf.”
The team leaders chimed in one after another, each nursing their own schemes. They all belonged to the same club, but the rivalry was real.
Once the flurry of olive branches had been extended, Chen Wen strolled over with his glass and clapped a hand on Yun Qi’s shoulder. “Everyone wants the talent, but we’ve got to see what our Ziwei Star wants deep down. Even the second team couldn’t hold onto him. It’s his free choice, after all—the player’s own preference matters most.”
“Yo, does that mean the kid’s already got his heart set on a team?” One man scooted over, yanking Yun Qi down beside him. “Come on, spill to big bro—which one? I’ll give you the rundown.”
Ye Tan jabbed a finger at him. “Fuck, show some shame. You’re starting already? That’s not how we play.”
Yun Qi found himself plunked down among the leaders. They weren’t that old and knew each other well. Yu Jin sat right beside him. Yun Qi stole a quick, subtle glance at the man next to him.
The one who’d dragged him over waved it off. “No pressure—speak your mind. We’re not like those petty types who sabotage people. Our club’s all straight shooters. Come on, tell big bro: which team catches your eye?”
Yu Jin toyed with his lighter, the unlit cigarette dangling from his fingers, looking thoroughly entertained by the show. Yun Qi flicked another fast glance his way, his heart uneasy. That bungled scheme from last week might’ve been rumbled; he needed to dial it back now.
He did have a preference, but he wasn’t ready to voice it. Beating around the bush, he said, “I don’t know much about the club’s teams yet, so big bro, could you introduce them? Tell me which one’s the best fit for me.”
That man immediately perked up. He slung an arm around Yun Qi’s shoulders and pressed his face close in a buddy-buddy manner, pointing at the group one by one as he introduced them. “That guy over there is the boss of the Chole Team. He’s got a ton of talent under him—including Yi Yang, who can 1v5 all by himself. They don’t need more players, so I wouldn’t recommend heading their way. The one next to him is…”
Yun Qi followed the direction of the man’s pointing finger. The leaders were scheming against one another, all of them eyeing him like a prime cut of meat. This moment might be the pinnacle of someone else’s life, but Yun Qi knew better than anyone how vicious and treacherous this world could be. He neither would nor could afford to play the diva right now.
The man kept rattling off introductions. “So yeah, I wouldn’t suggest that team either. My advice? Join a brand-new esports squad that’s desperate for players—one that’s just getting off the ground. Then you can burst onto the scene and take everyone by storm, just like Eidis did back in the day…”
He didn’t get to finish. Yu Jin suddenly rose to his feet. He tossed his lighter aside, snatched up a wineglass from nearby, shoved the man’s hand off Yun Qi’s shoulder, and set the glass down in front of Yun Qi. Propping his arm on the table, he forced a gap between the overly friendly man and Yun Qi, then addressed the crowd. “Tell them. Which team do you want?”
Chen Wen hunched his shoulders and slunk quietly back to his seat.
Yun Qi hadn’t expected Yu Jin to address him so abruptly in front of everyone. Every nerve in his body went rigid. The leader sitting beside him scooted his chair far away in a hurry. Yun Qi didn’t even need to look to know that every eye in the room was now locked on him. Perfect—Yu Jin had turned him into the spotlight’s unwilling star with a single move.
The room waited for his response, but Yun Qi held his breath and said nothing.
Growing impatient, Yu Jin looped an arm around him, leaned down, and murmured in his ear, “I bought your way in here.”
Yun Qi caught the sharp tang of alcohol. He glanced at Yu Jin’s hand resting beside him, let his own arms drop limply, and whispered a reminder under the crowd’s watchful eyes. “…You’re drunk.”
Yu Jin pulled his hand away. Yun Qi had just begun to relax when a warm pressure settled at the nape of his neck. Yu Jin’s palm cupped the back of it now, and he declared to the room, “He’s already mine. Don’t poach him. Don’t even ask.”
Whether by design or not, Yun Qi felt the grip tighten briefly on his neck. Then came Yu Jin’s final card, flipped for all to see. “He doesn’t get a choice.”
