Yun Qi asked, and Liu Yushu explained that someone from upstairs wanted to meet him.
“Meet me?” Yun Qi propped himself up on his elbows, lifting his head from the desk in surprise at the news.
“You got it. Someone higher up heard about you and wants to have a chat. Count your blessings—the last guy who got this kind of treatment was probably E God.” Liu Yushu clapped him on the shoulder.
Yun Qi figured that no matter how well he was doing among this crowd, it wasn’t like he warranted a personal audience with the leadership. Every Esports Team had its own way of doing things, though, so he accepted it soon enough. His appetite had been nonexistent lately, so he tried to beg off. “Can I skip it? I’ve got no stomach for food right now.”
Liu Yushu urged him otherwise. “Don’t turn it down. You’re not an official team member yet, and this dinner could decide where you land. You know Boss Xu runs a bunch of teams. Don’t go rubbing people the wrong way before you’ve even proven yourself. Aren’t you gunning for a spot on KRO’s Starting Roster? Put on a good show tonight. It’s not really about the food—appetite or no, just play along, have a couple drinks with the bosses, and you’re golden.”
Drinking too?
As a Trial Trainee, he had to deal with this crap? What a hassle.
Yun Qi listened to Liu Yushu’s advice. Desperate to make KRO, he reluctantly agreed.
After training wrapped up that evening, Yun Qi waited by the door for Liu Yushu. Not everyone was going—just the managers from a few floors and some club executives. Yun Qi was with the Second Team now, and Liu Yushu had pulled strings to get him included.
When Liu Yushu emerged and spotted him waiting, he said, “Head back and change first.”
Yun Qi glanced down at his outfit: long-sleeved shirt, pants, sneakers. Nothing wrong with it. He didn’t get it. “Change?”
Liu Yushu called him slow on the uptake. “You’re eating with the bosses, not chilling with buddies. Dress to impress—it’s a plus. Some of them know you’ve got the looks, and they’re expecting big things from you.”
Nobody turned down a pretty face. You could have the noblest soul in the world, but raw instinct and a bit of vanity never fully went away. The Esports Circle was short on good looks, and killer visuals were key to nailing that first impression.
Yun Qi got the logic, but he couldn’t exactly strut around like a preening peacock. “I don’t have fancy clothes. Even if I went back, I couldn’t pull off anything super formal. And it’s just dinner with the leaders—this isn’t disrespectful, is it?”
Liu Yushu eyed him. Yun Qi had the goods: fair-skinned and boy-next-door cute, the kind of look that grown-ups ate up. The clothes were just too plain-Jane. “Thing is, the bosses are treating you like the next Ziwei Star. They’re curious as hell about you. This getup is kinda…”
He let it hang. Seeing Yun Qi’s hesitation, Liu Yushu shrugged it off. “Eh, whatever. Skill reigns supreme.”
He led Yun Qi out the door.
Yun Qi rode with Liu Yushu and Chen Wen. Even after landing on the Second Team, Yun Qi hadn’t drifted apart from Chen Wen. They’d chat whenever they crossed paths, though Chen Wen always joked about watching his back down the line, which left Yun Qi red-faced.
“Your little fans on the Third Floor are a mob. Little Ji was talking about tracking you down today—catch him at lunch?” Chen Wen asked once they were in the car.
Ever since that PK Match on the Third Floor where Yun Qi had dominated, leaving the other Training Room with no comeback, he’d become their messiah. The walls had finally gotten a fresh coat of normal paint, and the seat he’d used turned into hot property, with players squabbling over it like it was gold. All because he’d leaped to the Second Team. To a lot of them, he was the next big legend ready to shake up the Esports Circle.
“Nope,” Yun Qi said. “They still hyping me up?”
“Out of control,” Chen Wen said with a helpless chuckle. “These last couple days have been quiet by comparison. Earlier, it was nuts—had me mixing up the newbies.”
Strength earned respect, sure, but this level of reverence left Yun Qi more flustered than flattered.
Liu Yushu had clawed his way up the ranks bit by bit, and he just shook his head at the talk. “Kids these days.”
Newcomers were always so impatient. Yun Qi wasn’t the first dazzling Ziwei Star to shine like this. Plenty of geniuses had bubbled up from the grassroots ranks before, only to fade quietly into obscurity later on. No one wanted Yun Qi to burn bright for just a moment.
Many people had high hopes for him.
Chen Wen was one of them.
The dinner was arranged at a five-star hotel. Yun Qi had shared meals with higher-ups before, so the setting itself didn’t faze him. But when Liu Yushu mentioned that tonight’s meal would decide his final destination, Yun Qi knew he couldn’t afford any slip-ups. He had to put on a good show. Despite his experience, a faint tension stirred in his chest, nothing like the casual team dinners of the past.
Once inside the hotel, a server escorted them the whole way. Liu Yushu explained that the leaders hadn’t arrived yet—of course they wouldn’t keep the leaders waiting. The private room held just Yun Qi and a handful of men around Chen Wen’s age, managers from other esports teams who’d tagged along for the gathering.
Chen Wen and the others exchanged greetings. Even before the meal began, the managers started inviting Yun Qi to join their teams. He politely turned down each one, which only ratcheted up his nerves.
Chen Wen patted his shoulder. “We’re just messing with you. Don’t sweat it.”
How could he not?
The vibe made Yun Qi feel like a massive trap lay in wait for him tonight.
While they waited for the leaders, Liu Yushu filled Yun Qi in. This wasn’t a setup just for him. The higher-ups were there to inspect the various esports teams, ask a few questions, and catch up—it had been ages since the inner circle had gathered. With all the buzz around Yun Qi lately, one of the leaders had offhandedly suggested bringing this Ziwei Star along for a look. Somehow, it stuck, and Yun Qi found himself smoothly delivered to the scene.
That eased Yun Qi’s mind a little. He had no desire to be the center of attention at this gathering.
Playing background was more than enough.
After a long wait, the leaders trickled in one by one. Yun Qi shot to his feet, following Chen Wen’s lead as he greeted each one. The so-called leaders were amiable and polite, no airs about them. Yun Qi navigated the introductions without a hitch. Once a more authoritative figure gave the word, everyone settled into their seats.
The server handed out menus, but one of the young, sharp-dressed club leaders—Ye Tan—waved them off. “Hold on a sec. We’re still missing one.”
Liu Yushu glanced over. “Anyone else coming, Boss Ye?”
Ye Tan crossed his legs with a sly grin. “Your legendary E God. Keeps standing me up.”
Yun Qi’s heart jolted. He shot a look at Liu Yushu, who assumed he didn’t know the name and clarified, “Eidis.”
Of course he knew. What stunned Yun Qi was that he was coming too? He hadn’t laid eyes on him since that hospital visit last week. These past couple of days of grueling, immersive training and ladder climbs had nearly pushed his beloved from his mind.
With Yu Jin not yet arrived, Yun Qi seized the moment to quiz Chen Wen about his ties to these leaders. Turns out Yu Jin didn’t just get along with them—he had a special rapport with the top boss, Boss Xu. It wasn’t merely his skills; there were family connections too. Yu Jin didn’t come from ordinary stock. His mother’s side had people in government posts, a tangled web of influence. Liu Yushu admitted he only knew the basics, nothing deep.
Yun Qi had heard snippets back when they were dating, during some idle early chat—one line, nothing more. He hadn’t pressed then, just noting that his maternal family was no simple affair, while his dad was your standard working stiff. And that was that.
But knowing Yu Jin was on his way lightened Yun Qi’s mood considerably. Whatever happened, with him around, things wouldn’t spiral too far south.
Yun Qi clutched his glass and finally took a sip of plain water.
Yu Jin arrived fashionably late.
No one knew how he’d gotten there. His hair was a tousled mess, and he wore a windbreaker over a plain white short-sleeved tee that hugged his broad shoulders and slim waist. His naturally fierce features, amplified by the jacket, made him look even more intimidating. Loose gray casual pants hung low, the hems stitched with white lettering for a sporty edge. Tall and perfectly proportioned, he strode in like a walking mannequin rack, drawing every eye in the room.
A face like that, a body like that—and esports prowess off the charts to match. Yun Qi, who hadn’t dated before him, had tumbled headlong into obsession during that heated kiss in the dim corner of an internet cafe. What else could explain it? Yu Jin’s raw charisma was magnetic, intensifying the closer you got. A straight-A student like Yun Qi wouldn’t have surrendered so completely otherwise.
Even now, watching him, Yun Qi couldn’t help but marvel. Skills aside, that looks alone would earn him a spot in the esports circle. He was the kind of guy born to make everyone else look bad by comparison. While players debated in private chats—”tech or face?”—Yu Jin never had to choose.
He was blessed by the heavens when it came to both looks and skill. Yun Qi suddenly recalled the tabloid gossip he’d read about Yu Jin’s popularity abroad. Fans on the foreign servers were even wilder about him than back home—more brazen, more fanatical in their pursuit. Yun Qi had no idea if the media was exaggerating or if it was really that intense.
At least he couldn’t handle it. Every time he laid eyes on Yu Jin, his heart pounded fiercely. Heading home tonight, he feared he’d end up having another steamy dream.
This ex-lover of his had only grown more appealing with time.
“I figured you’d stand me up again today,” Ye Tan said, giving Yu Jin an appraising once-over. “But here you are.”
After stepping inside, Yu Jin swept his gaze over the group. His eyes met Yun Qi’s for a brief moment before drifting away impassively. He took a seat at an empty spot nearby and remarked, “When have I ever stood you up, Boss Ye? You’re not counting the times I never even agreed to, are you?”
Ye Tan let it slide with a grin. “So what made you drag yourself out today?”
Yu Jin was straightforward. “Wasn’t planning to. I was racing next door. Heard about this dinner, finished up hungry, figured I’d mooch a meal.”
Ye Tan beckoned the waiter to start ordering and serving.
Yu Jin pushed the menu toward the others.
Ye Tan griped, “Boss Xu’s been riding me these past couple days. Says our spending’s outpacing revenue. Doesn’t mind dumping cash on esports players—just paranoid about graft down the line. Grilled us all one by one, told me to push a fan-favorite. I said have Eidis do a livestream; we’d break even in minutes. Guess what he told me? ‘That doesn’t count.'”
