Chapter 12

“Can I call my wife over? I originally told her I’d be home for dinner tonight,” Rose asked.

Huarong nodded. “Sure. Last week, a sponsor just sent over a few sets of humidifiers. They’re in storage. Have Sister Jiahui take one home with her.”

Qin Baotian grinned. “When are you two having the wedding? You’ve had the license for a year now and still haven’t held the ceremony.”

Rose sighed. “Jiahui and I had it planned. We agreed that after winning one more championship, we’d do it. Win the championship, retire, get married—three happy events at once. Who knew we’d end up taking runner-up two times in a row? Who’s to blame for that?”

Qin Baotian: “Blame BOX’s insane luck. Blame ROC’s state at the Saudi Cup that day—they were playing like they had cheats on.”

Bai Wei glanced in the direction of his two teammates. His voice was flat, neither salty nor bland. “Blame me for being too noob.”

The training room fell abruptly silent.

Jack: “Alright, train for one more hour before the dinner. Show, you trio with Qingbao and Rose. One match Aerospace, one Bakesh. Danger, come with me.”

When Bai Wei returned to the training room, Yan Xiu and the other two had just queued up and were playing a classified Aerospace match.

Yan Xiu’s most played role had always been entry fragger. Now teamed with Qingbao, the DFL’s number one recon, plus Rose’s invincible Uluru… Jack hadn’t set any Bans for them; they could pick any operator. The three didn’t want to torture themselves, so they picked meta-strong operators.

Yan Xiu picked Vyron, Qingbao picked Luna, Rose picked Uluru.

Bai Wei stood behind Yan Xiu and watched them play a match.

The three played the classified Aerospace map like it was a normal match, taking on three teams. They handled the Tier 6 and Tier 5 gear squads with some suspense but no real danger.

Bai Wei’s gaze rested on the boy’s soft hair. After watching for a while, he turned and walked into the smoking room.

…

Huarong had booked a private room at Haidilao, with over a dozen seats. The second team members also came flooding in.

Huarong: “CatClaw is out on a business deal, can’t make it. But he transferred me a big one. Order whatever you want.”

The second team kids had no complaints, happily taking the tablet and starting to order. Qin Baotian complained, “Sister Hua, CatClaw’s treating, and we’re just eating Haidilao?”

Huarong shot back, “What, you want me to take you out for Villa Hotpot?”

“Really?”

It was the first time Yan Xiu had heard that name. He searched it on the food review app. Seeing the four-digit per-person price, he puzzledly clicked in to look twice more.

Huarong: “Really, my ass.”

Qin Baotian: “…Why you gotta cuss at me.”

Because there were too many people, the OLG business van had to make two trips. The first trip took the second team and Bai Wei. Yan Xiu and the others hadn’t finished their last Bakesh match, so they were on the second trip.

When Yan Xiu entered the private room, Bai Wei was sitting alone on one side of the round table. All five members of the second team were seated directly opposite him, each with their head bowed, playing on their phones, not daring to meet his eyes.

Rose handed the tablet to Yan Xiu. “Order some food, Show?”

“Okay.” Yan Xiu took the tablet, ordered two dishes, then passed it to Qingbao beside him.

Once the hot pot was cooking, it gradually got lively. Even the second team loosened up.

Huarong settled the bill and said, “I’m heading back to the base first. This week is the last of the break. Formal scrims start next week.”

Rose said, “I’ll head home tonight then, that okay?”

“That’s fine.”

After Huarong left, the only woman left in the room was Rose’s wife. Rose was afraid his wife would feel out of place, so after only a few bites, he left first. That left a room full of guys.

Qin Baotian suggested, “Break’s almost over, and it’s rare we all go out. Let’s hit some karaoke.”

The second team echoed the idea; Jack didn’t object either.

Bai Wei gave a derisive snort. “Karaoke? Sing what?”

Qin Baotian winked slyly. “Hehe, don’t worry about what we sing.”

Bai Wei laughed, his eyes narrowing dangerously. Before he could speak, he suddenly remembered something. He asked Yan Xiu, “You’ve never drunk alcohol. So have you ever been to a KTV?”

Everyone looked at Yan Xiu in shock.

“You’ve never drunk?”

“For real, Brother Show, you’ve never had a drink?”

“You’re an adult, right? I remember you told me last time you’re 19. Never drank?” This was Tao Shi.

Jack was also very surprised. “Did your family keep that strict a leash on you?”

Yan Xiu shook his head lightly. “Just never had the opportunity.”

Bai Wei asked again, “What about singing?”

Yan Xiu met his eyes and pressed his lips together. “Never done that either.”

At this, absolutely everyone wholeheartedly voted to go to KTV for a second round.

The club driver had already taken Sister Hua back first, so the group hailed two cabs. Bai Wei had one hand tucked in his pants pocket and scrolled through TikTok with the other.

“In-depth analysis: What is the ‘second location’? Never casually go to a second location! Most sexual crimes and murder cases happen at the second location. After finishing a meal with friends, if someone suggests going to a foot massage parlor, clubbing, or singing karaoke… never agree casually! Pay attention! The person urging you might not have good intentions, perhaps harboring ulterior motives towards you!”

Bai Wei clicked his tongue and swiped the video away.

At the KTV, Qin Baotian booked a deluxe private room and ordered several alcohol and beverage combos. The room had two large sofas. The second team members were rather reserved and all sat on one sofa. The rest sat on the other.

Bai Wei didn’t want his presence to spoil the party atmosphere; just by being there, he was already putting immense pressure on the second team. He found a corner of the sofa and sat down. Then he lifted his head and glanced.

Yan Xiu, guided by Qin Baotian, sat more than a meter away.

As soon as he sat down, he pulled out his phone and started messaging someone.

The atmosphere in the KTV was a bit awkward, but they were all young guys around the same age. Once Qin Baotian nudged things along a bit, and they had some drinks, the group of professional players loosened up.

Jack said, “Just singing and drinking like this is kinda boring. How about we play a game? Carrier Pigeon, keep singing.”

Carrier Pigeon was a complete mic hog. Every time the OLG second team went to KTV, he put on a live concert.

Qin Baotian: “What game to play? Show, scooch over. Come play. And Young Master Bai, you’re at KTV now, why are you still on your phone?”

Qin Baotian had just said it casually, never expecting Bai Wei would actually join in.

Except for Carrier Pigeon, everyone gathered on one sofa and started playing games.

Tao Shi proposed, “How about the finger-grabbing game? I’m super good at the finger-grabbing game.”

Superman disliked this kind of game. He whined, stretching his tone, “I don’t like the finger-grabbing game. I always lose. I don’t wanna drink.”

Jack was speechless. “A bunch of dudes playing the finger-grabbing game? People play that game for male-female flirtation, when the mood is right, to touch your crush’s hand and build connection. We’re a bunch of dudes playing it? Who wants to grab another dude’s hand?”

“What about the paper-tearing game?”

“Sssss…”

“Ewww…”

“Oh my god…”

In the dimly lit room, Yan Xiu asked Qin Baotian, who was sitting next to him, “God Qing, what’s the paper-tearing game?”

“Tear a sheet of paper, bite it with your mouth—as much as you want—and pass it to the next person. The next person takes it with their mouth and passes it on.”

Bai Wei’s face was half-hidden in the dim, tipsy lighting of the KTV. He explained to Yan Xiu from the other side of Qin Baotian.

Yan Xiu was momentarily stunned. “That doesn’t sound so bad.”

Qin Baotian broke out in goosebumps. “Not so bad? When you get to the end and there’s no paper left, don’t you end up kissing?”

Yan Xiu’s eyes widened in surprise, his light-colored pupils dilating. “It can get to that point?”

Bai Wei looked at him, the corners of his lips curling up. “Mm-hmm, it can get to that point.”

Jack yelled at Tao Shi, who had made the suggestion, “You go play the paper-tearing game by yourself!”

Carrier Pigeon’s singing was full of emotion, so emo it was as if his significant other had just cheated on him with ten different people yesterday.

Ultimately, everyone decided to play the “Stroll Through Three Gardens” game.

“What’s so fun about Stroll Through Three Gardens?”

“It’s no fun! Then you go play finger-grabbing and paper-tearing? Go play by yourselves! I’m not playing. I only play that with my partner.”

Qin Baotian waved his hand. “Alright, alright, then what garden are we strolling through? Show, you name it.”

Yan Xiu frowned slightly. “What’s Stroll Through Three Gardens?”

After Qin Baotian explained what the game was, Yan Xiu pondered with difficulty for a long moment. “How about we do a Delta Force firearms garden?”

“You can do that?”

Yan Xiu: “Can’t you? I don’t really understand the rules.”

Bai Wei: “Sure.” The previously rowdy second team instantly fell quiet.

“Let’s play, let’s play.”

“Then I’ll go first.”

“Strolling through three gardens, strolling through which garden?”

“Strolling through the Delta Force firearms garden!”

“K416!”

“M14!”

“AWM!”

“ASH-12!”

…

Professional players knew virtually every firearm like the back of their hand, but no matter how many guns Delta Force had, there was still a finite number. When it was Superman’s turn, he really couldn’t come up with another gun name. Tao Shi next to him tried to give his buddy a hint. Qin Baotian quickly yelled, “Foul! If you hint, you drink!”

Superman obediently drank his first cup of liquor.

The topics others thought of were much more interesting. However, with so many people playing, Yan Xiu only ended up drinking one cup in the end.

The pro players who had originally clamored to see him drink were now all drunkenly slurring their words; no one even remembered that anymore. Yan Xiu poured himself a glass of beer. He took a sip first, and his brows furrowed involuntarily.

…It doesn’t taste good.

Inside the KTV room, second team substitute Little Bo and Tao Shi had their arms around each other’s shoulders, playing a dice game, yelling about wanting to reveal each other’s dice. Superman was already drunk, mumbling something to Carrier Pigeon in a daze. Jack was sprawled directly on the other sofa, snoring heavily, his snorts occasionally cutting through the BGM music.

Bai Wei went outside to take a phone call. Yan Xiu looked down at his phone, the screen’s glow illuminating his face, flickering bright and dark.

Yan Xiu replied to Pineapple’s WeChat first. [I’ll mail the autograph to you tomorrow.]

Pineapple replied instantly. [From now on, you’re not God Show, you’re my dad! My real! Dad!!!!]

“Hey hey hey, anyone wanna sing a duet with me?” Qin Baotian banged on the microphone with thumping sounds, the noise making everyone in the room turn their heads.

Bai Wei came back just then. He sat on the sofa and opened TikTok.

“Hehe… who wants to sing?” Qin Baotian revealed a lecherous grin, shooting a meaningful glance in Bai Wei’s direction.

Carrier Pigeon, an expert on songs, asked, “What song, God Qing?”

Qin Baotian had already found the song he wanted to sing. As the intro started playing, he spoke into the microphone. “Little Wei.”

Carrier Pigeon instantly retracted his head.

Qin Baotian tried to hand him a mic, but Carrier Pigeon hid behind Superman, shrieking miserably, “My head hurts so bad!”

Bai Wei stopped looking at his phone, too. He crossed his arms, his narrow eyes sweeping faintly over Qin Baotian. The corner of his mouth curved up, seemingly there, seemingly not. “Sing. You love to sing so much, huh?”

Qin Baotian shrank his head back, intimidated, but liquid courage bolstered the coward. He didn’t dare sing alone. Seeing everyone in the second team suddenly finding other things to do, he looked at Yan Xiu, who was busy messaging. “Show, do you know this song? Sing with me.”

Yan Xiu looked up. “What did you say, God Qing? I was chatting with a friend just now and wasn’t paying attention.”

Qin Baotian: “Come sing. Huang Pinyuan’s Little Wei. Know it?”

Yan Xiu listened to the intro for a moment. “Yes.”

“Then come accompany me!”

Qin Baotian directly shoved the mic into Yan Xiu’s hands.

Holding the mic in surprise, Yan Xiu didn’t even have time to refuse before the intro ended.

Qin Baotian let out a bizarre “haha” laugh. Then a rough, hoarse male voice—winding through eighteen bends—put on a coquettish, cloying tone, singing away. “Oh~~~ there is… a beautiful little boy…”

Yan Xiu paused, thinking God Qing had drunk too much and messed up the lyrics.

Bai Wei stared at that dead fatty with a half-smile, half-not.

Qin Baotian was already drunk and muddled, unaware of the day or hour. “His name…”

“Is called—Little! Wei!”