There was a ferocious cat in A Block of the KRO Base.
Everyone who had ever set foot in A Block had a bone to pick with that cat. Ignoring it caused no problems, but anyone foolish enough to sidle up and try petting or cuddling it would regret it bitterly. After coexisting under the same roof for so long, the cat remained aloof to everyone except its master. The whole base knew it had a nasty temper and treated it like some untouchable shrine offering—no one dared lay a finger on it.
Just a couple of days earlier, Liu Ying had tested whether it had softened up at all. The moment he drew near, it bared its fangs with a hiss, slashing at him with razor-sharp claws. Liu Ying had vaulted back several meters. That very morning, he had still been griping to Chang Shu about it, calling it an untamable little white-eyed wolf.
Chang Shu had chuckled. “Why bother arguing with it?”
But the sight before them now delivered a stinging slap to their faces. The little white-eyed wolf, forever snarling and swiping on ordinary days, was acting all meek and obedient toward a total stranger? Weren’t cats supposed to be hypersensitive to smells? Shouldn’t it have triggered its defenses at an unfamiliar scent, flailing its paws to ward off the intruder?
This little white-eyed wolf had shared their space for ages without ever cracking a friendly smile at any of them. What kind of sorcery did this guy possess? How else to make sense of the scene playing out right in front of them? Someone, anyone, explain it.
Chang Shu was the first to his feet. He’d been on the receiving end of the ungrateful wolf’s claws before, so he reacted fastest. Yet when he saw the cat cradled peacefully in the stranger’s arms, no claws flying, he let out a quiet breath of relief. Plenty of questions swirled in his mind, but upon catching sight of the man’s face, an even bigger one took priority. “Qiluo?”
Yun Qi rose, cat still in his arms.
Ziwu and Liu Ying traded a quick glance before hurrying forward to join Chang Shu. They eyed Yun Qi up and down. “You…”
Yun Qi stroked the cat nestled against him for a moment longer. It pressed tight to his chest, plainly reluctant to be parted, but he had more pressing matters. Gently, he set it down and addressed the group. “Hey, everyone. I’m Yun Qi. I did trial training next door for two weeks, and starting today, I might be practicing here with you.”
Chang Shu nodded. “I’ve heard the rumors. You’re the one Brother Jin brought in, right?”
Yun Qi glanced around but saw no sign of Yu Jin, so he held off on asking. He simply nodded.
Liu Ying pressed, “You made the starting roster?”
Yun Qi shrugged. “They told me to come over. Not sure if that makes me officially on the starting roster yet…”
“Trial training for two weeks?” Ziwu tied his hair back, hands shoved in his pockets as he eyed Yun Qi skeptically. “And you’re already here?”
They had clashed in matches before, so neither side was a stranger. KRO brimmed with hotshots, and Yun Qi hadn’t banked on them remembering him—but reality proved kinder than expected. They clearly did, calling out his name on sight.
“Yeah,” Yun Qi said. No point in false modesty; it was simple fact. “I’m not sure what to do next. Mind showing me the ropes?”
Unsure of their temperaments, Yun Qi kept his thoughts to himself. Liu Ying’s reputation was legendary—nicknamed Little E God, he’d left the deepest scar from the Grand Finals. His Andre had shredded through counters, driving Chen Xia’s Crow Dog into a corner of despair. SK’s loss had been utter devastation, Liu Ying dictating every beat. No one from SK would ever forget him or that match.
Ziwu’s mid laner play was flashy enough on its own, but Yun Qi remembered him most from the rumors he’d caught wind of—and that one glimpse at Esports Night. Tall and strikingly handsome, with a wolf tail hairstyle and a cool-guy edge, Ziwu was impossible to overlook.
Chang Shu was the wildcard—a total blank to Yun Qi. No real impression, no overlap beyond the bare minimum.
“How’d you get here solo?” Liu Ying peered behind him at the empty space. “No escort?”
Just showing up like this? They couldn’t puzzle out management’s angle. Liu Ying noted Yun Qi carried nothing—no signs of moving in.
“No one came with me. Everyone’s tied up training next door, so I figured I could head over without a guide.” Unfamiliar with protocol, Yun Qi went by gut.
Liu Ying and Chang Shu shared a look. Ziwu wandered off to one side, plopping down to pour himself tea.
Yun Qi couldn’t resist stealing a couple glances his way. Those overheard words from days ago lingered, but snippets weren’t enough for snap judgments or labels. He averted his eyes quickly. Liu Ying broke the silence.
“I’ll call and check. Hang tight.”
He stepped aside. Yun Qi waited in place.
The cat padded idly around his ankles. Chang Shu glanced down. “How’d you know the cat’s name?”
This was the first time even people had shown up here. The cat didn’t usually roam around the base, and their group didn’t mingle much with the trial trainees, so logically speaking, no trial trainee should know its name.
“Someone mentioned it,” Yun Qi said, lifting his foot in response to the little cat’s enthusiasm. “It’s Eidis’s cat, right?”
Chang Shu said, “You know about that too?”
“I’m his fan,” Yun Qi replied shamelessly. “Of course I know.”
Chang Shu watched the cat cozy up to Yun Qi, baffled by the animal’s thought process. Yun Qi crouched down to rub the cat’s head, and the Little White-Eyed Wolf—which wouldn’t let anyone touch it—looked utterly delighted and pampered.
It wasn’t long before Liu Ying returned, phone in hand. He raised his wrist and said, “I checked. They said you’ll be training here from now on. Come on, I’ll show you around.”
The cat stuck close. Yun Qi glanced at Liu Ying, who waved for him to go ahead. Yun Qi scooped the cat into his arms and followed Liu Ying upstairs.
A Block’s setup was nicer than the building next door, with expansive views and luxurious renovations in a sleek European light-luxury style. Unlike the stark office vibe of the other place, this one felt like a real home—though the cool tones gave Yun Qi, on his first visit, a slight sense of detachment. He’d probably warm up to it after spending some time here.
The house was fully equipped: a spotless kitchen, a spacious training room, private streaming rooms, and bedrooms decked out with stylish flair.
Pristine, glossy walls let sunlight stream in, casting faint shadows of Yun Qi and Liu Ying. The upstairs stairs were a pair of spirals—one inside, one out—overlooking a courtyard planted with fresh greenery and flowers. Thoughtful cutouts blended it seamlessly with nature. Both led to the same spot, just with different landings. A Block wasn’t as massive as the neighboring building that could hold a hundred people, but it brimmed with cozy living energy. Only the starting roster and a handful of substitutes lived here, and the design screamed high-end quality—a world apart from the office block next door.
“Upstairs are the bedrooms,” Liu Ying said. “This side’s me, Brother Jin, and Chang Shu. Across the hall is Ziwu, Jiu Ke, and Rong Rong. The empty ones are for flexibility—ignore them. If you move in, pick whichever side you like.” The two wings were separated by a wide hallway lined with a water purifier and storage cabinets. It opened onto a balcony at the far end. Liu Ying added that Tata’s cat bed was out there, and if Yu Jin got home late, Tata had to crash on the balcony—no one dared venture over.
Yun Qi hugged the cat a little tighter at that.
“I didn’t see a bathroom anywhere?” Yun Qi asked.
“Every room has its own en suite,” Liu Ying explained. “More private that way, and you won’t wake anyone up if you’re coming in late.” He pushed open his door to show Yun Qi the bathroom layout.
“Training’s all downstairs. You stream too, right? Let me show you the streaming room.”
After checking out the bedrooms, Yun Qi headed back down to see the streaming setup.
The streaming rooms were individual pods with walls in varied hues—pink here, white there—stocked with gaming chairs, microphones, ring lights, and all the pro gear. They were fully separate from the training room. “We’re a lazy bunch when it comes to streaming,” Liu Ying said. “We’d rather grind in the training room under Brother Jin’s watchful eye—talk about pressure—so we don’t do it often. Maybe once every two or three weeks, whenever we feel like it.”
Yun Qi nodded. Liu Ying led him to the training area, where a few guys were deep in practice. Rong Rong and Jiu Ke were there too. “You saw them in the Grand Finals,” Liu Ying said. “Top Laner Jiu Ke, Support Rong Rong. The rest are substitutes. Like you know, we don’t lock in a fixed starting roster. Before the season kicks off, top performers get the spots. When the trial trainees aren’t shaking things up, it’s these guys rotating in. Things have been pretty stable the last two years—no changes among us.”
That said it all: these were the strongest players in the base right now.
Once Yun Qi had the lay of the land on the starting roster and living arrangements, he asked, “So everyone trains together day-to-day, starters and subs alike?”
“Yeah… whoa,” Liu Ying whipped around—Yun Qi was right up in his space, which put the cat even closer. He jumped back a few steps. “It really takes to you.”
“I like it too.” Yun Qi’s hand rested on the cat’s head, giving its ears a gentle pinch as he told Liu Ying, “Thanks.”
Liu Ying blinked. “For what?”
The guy was polite to a fault.
“Thanks for showing me around,” Yun Qi said.
Liu Ying grinned. “No problem at all.”
KRO had defeated far too many opponents, so there was no real reason for him to remember the young man standing before him. But they ran in the same circles, and the buzz online had forced the knowledge on him. He was aware of Yun Qi’s background, though he’d held back from asking about it.
After they’d wandered the place and the mood felt right, Liu Ying finally brought it up. “I heard Brother Jin signed you?”
“Yeah,” Yun Qi admitted readily.
“Then you must have something special going for you.” They judged a person’s skill by what Yu Jin had to say about them.
After that dinner gathering, Yun Qi had gained a very clear picture of Yu Jin’s standing in the scene. “It’s decent. Right now, among the Trial Trainees… number one Top Laner?”
Liu Ying frowned. “You? But weren’t you…”
“I switched,” Yun Qi said, already knowing what he meant. Everyone he met hit him with the same question—their intel was just that outdated. He’d patiently explained it plenty of times already, but hearing it over and over was wearing thin. “Looking forward to your guidance, Little E God?”
The last time Liu Ying had seen him—at the Grand Finals—he’d been playing Support. And now, in no time at all, he’d climbed to the top spot for Top Laner? It forced Liu Ying to reevaluate the guy all over again. But Yun Qi’s attitude was friendly enough, his face had that harmless look to it, and he even knew Liu Ying’s nickname. Grinning, Liu Ying replied, “Just fans messing around. I can’t hold a candle to Brother Jin.”
Yun Qi smiled back, and they kept chatting as they walked.
By the end of the afternoon, Yun Qi had gotten his fill of A Block. Someone finally showed up from upstairs to sort out his arrangements—but by then, all the Starting Members already knew what was going on. The guy was late to the party.
“Everything sorted?” the man asked.
