“Too damn awesome, bro! You’re so awesome it’s making me wanna turn gay!” Qin Baotian was tingling with awe.
Nothing earned a pro player’s admiration more than a display of peak mechanical skill, especially when it was a teammate pulling it off.
Bai Wei lifted his eyelids, glancing sideways at Qingbao. A cold laugh rumbled from his throat. “You want to turn into what?”
Qin Baotian suddenly remembered there was a real gay guy on the team. He coughed awkwardly. “I’m just talking big. But my praise is genuine, totally awesome, my God Show!”
Yan Xiu replied, “Not really, God Qing. The gun sightlines just happened to align.”
Qin Baotian’s voice turned coquettish. “Aiyo~~ so humble, I like it.”
Bai Wei was disgusted into laughter. He let out a low, cold scoff. Before he could curse again, Qin Baotian keenly sensed something strange in the atmosphere. A bizarre thought flashed through his mind, vanishing before he could grasp it. But Qingbao knew when to shut up, so he closed his mouth.
Yan Xiu pursed his lips and explained seriously, “He really did run right into my crosshair.”
Yan Xiu wasn’t lying.
Landing a headshot on a jet-boosting Vyron while simultaneously using Red Wolf’s Slide—in four years of playing Delta Force, Yan Xiu had only managed it twice. One of those times was today. If the computers used in today’s match weren’t provided by the league, Yan Xiu couldn’t have explained it clearly, even with ten mouths.
Bai Wei asked, “What about Nameless, earlier?”
When Nameless turned to counter-attack, his bullets were just shattering Yan Xiu’s armor, while Yan Xiu’s three bullets had already pierced his skull.
Yan Xiu asked, puzzled, “Nameless didn’t have any displacement ability. Isn’t it normal to headshot him?”
Bai Wei paused, his gaze moving from his monitor to the calm-faced youth. That usually cold, clear gaze reflected the faint blue light of the screen, carrying a kind of detached, almost indifferent composure.
Bai Wei smiled and turned back to his own screen.
Qin Baotian had a sudden realization. “So you’re not humble at all, God Show.”
…
“Fers, before the match, I did some minor digging on the rookies from Chaoge and OLG. Do you know what OLG-Show’s personal ID is?” Caster Ideal, a scholarly man wearing glasses, sat at the caster’s desk and looked at his partner with a smile.
Fers could only laugh and reply, “I don’t know.”
“It’s Onlyshow. There are no wrong names, only wrong nicknames! He has lived up to it. This is the only show!”
Fers: “…”
~
OLG’s matches for the first week concluded smoothly. That evening, no team managed to break two bricks to end the match; all six rounds were played out.
With one brick decrypted and a 372M lead in extraction value over second place, OLG secured the top spot and earned 3 points.
The only thing a pro player could use to prove themselves was results.
“Show has really blown up recently. A boss I’ve known for three years asked me to get Show’s autograph for her.” Qin Baotian said while eating. He told Jack, “Before, they always asked me to help get the Young Master’s autograph. Now the requests have switched.”
Jack said, “Then go to the storage room and grab one.”
Qin Baotian grinned slyly. “Why go to storage? What relationship do Show and I have? I have to ask my God Show for a personalized signature.”
Jack suddenly frowned. “What relationship do you two have?”
“I’m the first person in all of OLG to know Show, alright? If it weren’t for me, he wouldn’t even be in OLG. I was the one taking game companion orders with God Show… cough, I mean, I was playing with a friend, he was the game companion. After we met, I recommended him for the OLG tryout.”
“Wasn’t it Danger who strongly recommended Show to CatClaw?”
“Well, didn’t he meet Show through me anyway?”
A sudden flash of insight. Qingbao understood. “So I was Show’s talent scout all along! Then our relationship goes without saying. Not just a personalized signature, he has to give me a kiss-signed one too.”
Jack was confused. “Isn’t a personalized signature more trouble than a regular signature?”
Qingbao puckered his lips, blowing imaginary kisses at the air. “Kiss-signed! Leave a lip-print on the signature.”
“… Only you would do something this disgusting!”
“Just kidding, hahahahahaha.”
Jack finished his meal and wiped his mouth. Ever since Bai Wei had been flamed for two days for a stupid reason like “going on stage to play a game without wiping his mouth properly,” all of OLG had adopted the good habit of wiping their mouths after meals.
After thinking for a moment, Jack said, “Don’t get too close to Show. Keep some distance.”
Qin Baotian’s eyes widened, his tone hurt. “Seriously, Old Ma? Am I still a top-six popularity player in the DFL? Yeah, Show is trending like crazy right now, but I have plenty of fans too. Would I actually try to leech off his popularity?”
Jack said seriously, “It’s not about that.”
The cafeteria was on the first floor, with people coming and going. The first team could come down anytime, and the academy kids might come up looking for food.
Jack brought Qin Baotian to his office. Making sure no one was outside, he said quietly, “Aren’t you afraid of pissing off the Crown Prince?”
“Huh???” Qin Baotian’s eyes widened, his mind racing.
His lips trembled for a long moment before he yelled, “That damn old gay guy is so sleazy???”
Jack replied, “It’s just a feeling. Don’t you think Danger’s attitude toward Show is exceptionally good? Compare it to Little Gun. Is Danger even half as attentive to Little Gun as he is to Show?”
Qin Baotian recalled the past month, nodding heavily. “Little Gun doesn’t even get a peripheral glance from the Young Master.”
~
It was just past 1 PM. Qin Baotian had gotten up to eat, and Rose had gone out for a massage.
In the first team training room, Guo Qiang was sitting in Yan Xiu’s seat, helping him install OBS and the streaming companion software.
Guo Qiang entered his account and password, opening a private test stream. He stood up and said to Yan Xiu, “Should be okay now. Give it a try. The new version of TikTok streaming sometimes conflicts with OBS. If there’s a problem, just turn off OBS and only use the streaming companion.”
Yan Xiu nodded.
Guo Qiang added, “Let me know if there are any issues.”
This was technically Yan Xiu’s second stream.
He’d streamed once before, back when he was at BOX. But as a BOX substitute, he had no popularity. After starting his stream, there were only a few dozen viewers, with barely any comments. The occasional comments that drifted by were just backseat gaming, telling him how to play.
Yan Xiu simply stopped streaming.
Qin Baotian walked into the training room, saw Yan Xiu fiddling with the stream settings, and went over. “About to start stream?”
Yan Xiu saw it was him. “Yeah, Guo Qiang just set it up for me.”
“You showing your face?”
Yan Xiu nodded slightly. “Sister Hua said for my first stream, I have to show my face.”
Qin Baotian said mournfully, “When she talked to me, she told me don’t you dare show your face.”
Yan Xiu: “…”
Suddenly realizing he’d gotten a bit too close to Yan Xiu, Qin Baotian felt a jolt. He glanced around, confirming no one else was in the training room. Still shaken, he walked to his own seat. After thinking for a moment, he peered around his monitor. “God Show, wanna duo queue this afternoon?”
…
“Whoa!!! Thanks to my Brother Shan for the 10 Huazis! Brother Shan is mighty!!!” [T/N: ‘Huazi’ is Chinese slang for Chunghwa cigarettes, referring here to high-tier virtual gifts.]
“Yeah, I’m duo queueing with Show. It’s his first stream, still setting up, but he’ll go live soon too.”
Qin Baotian craned his neck from behind his monitor. “All set up yet, Show?”
Yan Xiu nodded gently. “Yeah, started streaming.”
Qin Baotian’s eyes immediately bugged out. “WTF?! How did my stream lose ten thousand viewers?”
【Hahahahahahaha I just went next door to buy some oranges, Qingbao you wait right here.】
【We’ll come back, don’t worry!】
The moment Yan Xiu started his stream, his viewer count instantly hit 10,000. It quickly broke 20,000 before stabilizing just below 30,000.
OLG’s two starters duo queueing pulled a massive wave of fans into the stream.
Yan Xiu already had the skill to solo queue Aerospace, and with Qingbao, a top-tier Recon, they were slicing through the competition like a hot knife through butter.
Yan Xiu’s livestream screen was flooded with gift effects. The gifts weren’t huge, but fans were sending them continuously.
【Damn, he really is quite good-looking!!】
【Is this Show’s first stream? Why is he so shy? Look at the camera, hehehe】
【Where’s God D? Where’s God D?】
【I don’t see Rose either. Did Rose go for a massage?】
【I wanna see God D! Why isn’t my God D here? Wanna see Showbao duo queue with God D [Milk Dragon grinning]】
Less than practiced at thanking for gifts, Yan Xiu said, “Thanks to Fu Orange for the sports car, thanks to Little Sugar Cautious Words and Actions for the hot air balloon… thanks to Momo Doesn’t Eat Cilantro for the sports car, thanks to God D Says Very Good-Looking for the airplane…” The pleasant, youthful voice abruptly stopped.
【Hahahahahahahahahahaha】
【Hahahahahaha why did you stop thanking for gifts? Is it because you don’t like big airplanes?】
【He’s shy He’s shy He’s shy!】
【God D Says Very Good-Looking sent Private Jet】
【God D Says Very Good-Looking sent Private Jet x2】
【God D Says Very Good-Looking sent Private Jet x3】
【Holy shit, sis, YOU are my god!!!】
【So loaded!!!】
【I wish I had sis’s firepower too! Our CP fans’ ship is held up entirely by sis!!!】
Yan Xiu’s gaze was calm as he read out, word by word, “Thanks to God D Says Very Good-Looking for the three private jets.”
【OLG-Danger sent Carnival】
【Holy moly!!!】
【AAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!】
【Mom! The CP I ship personally fed me candy! I didn’t want this, but they are just too REAL!!】
【AAAAAHHH They are REAL!!!】
After a long pause, Yan Xiu lowered his eyelashes and said softly, “Thanks to God D for the Carnival.”
…
After all, it was his first stream. Following Sister Hua’s fan-friendly warm tips, Yan Xiu streamed until 1 AM, for a full nine hours.
At first, he duo queued with Qingbao. Later, after Qingbao went offline, he duo queued with Rose for a bit. Finally, he solo queued for another two hours. Yan Xiu said goodbye to his fans and finally ended the stream.
During the stream, the comments kept frantically asking why Danger wasn’t at the base. Yan Xiu was speechless. He naturally didn’t know the reason. Jack passing by helped him out, explaining, “Danger went home for a bit, some family stuff.”
Late at night, the faint sound of conversation came from the second team’s training room on the basement floor. The first team training room was already empty.
Conceptual Health God Rose had long since fallen asleep. Qin Baotian had a commercial event scheduled for the next morning, so he’d also rested early.
After his stream, Yan Xiu didn’t turn off his computer immediately. He queued up for another ranked match.
Except for the first team training room, all the lights above the second floor in the villa were off. In the deep night, the youth rubbed his wrist and shook his aching shoulder. He turned off the lights and walked out of the training room. The echo of his footsteps resonated in the empty villa. Only Carrier Pigeon’s screams from downstairs broke the silence of the night.
Carrier Pigeon: “Holy shit!!! Damn cheating dog, just die die die!!!”
Yan Xiu’s footsteps suddenly halted at the turn of the stairs on the second floor.
The entire second floor of the OLG villa, besides the first team training room, contained a photography studio, a bathroom, and a smoking room.
A tall, lean silhouette leaned against the glass door of the smoking room, head bowed, smoking. He wore an OLG black and white team jacket draped over his shoulders. His left hand held his phone, fingers swiping quickly to click on the next video. His right hand held the cigarette between his lips.
Bai Wei exhaled a plume of grayish-white smoke. He suddenly sensed something and looked back.
Through a thin pane of glass, the youth stood quietly outside, blending into the thick darkness of the night like a splash of ink.
Their gazes intertwined.
Bai Wei, cigarette held between his fingers, pressed the lit end into the ashtray, crushing it out with a few twists. He pushed the door open and came out. “Finished so quickly?” he asked.
Yan Xiu answered reflexively, “So quickly?”
Bai Wei smiled, a soft arc tracing his lips. A “yeah” hummed from his nose. “Came back just now. Went to the training room and saw you started another match. Your jacket.”
Bai Wei handed the jacket over. Only then did Yan Xiu notice the name embroidered on the back wasn’t OLG-Danger.
It was Show.
“It’s raining out, a bit chilly. Your jacket was hanging on the chair, so I grabbed it on the way.”
He’d only draped it over his shoulders, not worn it. The size didn’t fit; he couldn’t wear it.
The shoulders of Bai Wei’s T-shirt were still a little damp, his hair also wet, falling obediently over his eyes. A faint smell of smoke clung to him, his whole body wrapped in the dampness of rain, carrying a cool, austere air.
Yan Xiu looked away. “That last match was a clear in ten minutes, so I just pulled the switch and extracted. That’s why it was fast.”
Holding his team jacket, he suddenly said, “God D, what’s your bank card number? I want to pay back some of the money first.”
Bai Wei was stunned, then his brows slightly furrowed.
…
In the quiet staircase, Yan Xiu explained, “I earned a bit from today’s stream. Fans sent some gifts. Brother Shan—that’s Qingbao’s big supporter, you’ve played with him before—also sent me quite a bit. Also…” He paused. “You sent some too. So I can repay a portion first.”
Bai Wei asked, “How much?”
“About fifty thousand.”
Gifts received on TikTok streams required splitting the revenue with the platform. TikTok took half first. OLG also took a cut from the player’s income. In the end, what Yan Xiu received was only about a third.
If Brother Shan hadn’t come by today and sent 30 Huazis, Yan Xiu wouldn’t have anywhere near fifty thousand.
Bai Wei looked at him silently for a while, then asked, “You only borrowed money from me?”
The predatory contract at BOX required a sky-high transfer fee of two million. Yan Xiu had been a game companion for a year at most. There was no way he could’ve scraped together two million.
Yan Xiu hadn’t expected him to ask this but answered honestly, “I borrowed a bit from Brother Cai too, at Ushering Wealth.”
“Then pay him back first.”
Yan Xiu was stunned.
Bai Wei smiled faintly, taking in the youth’s astonished expression. His voice was low and husky, as if coaxing. “You’re at OLG. I’m not afraid you’ll run. Ushering Wealth is far from you. Paying him back first is more important. Are you going to run?” He started walking downstairs toward the kitchen. He glanced back at Yan Xiu. “Hungry?”
“I want to pay you back first, God D.”
A resolute stubbornness tinged the cold clarity of the youth’s voice.
Yan Xiu’s back was to the light, his expression hidden in the dim lighting of the stairwell, unclear. But he was extremely serious, enunciating each word. “God D, what’s your bank card number? I’ll send it to you first.”
~
“What’s up with the Young Master today?” Qin Baotian, cold enough to put on his team jacket, walked out of the first team training room and poked Jack’s shoulder.
Jack was analyzing next week’s opponents with the data team. Hearing this, he glanced into the training room. “What’s wrong? Isn’t he streaming? That’s rare, starting his stream so early. Didn’t he usually drag it out until the last minute?”
Qin Baotian: “Something’s off. It’s terrifying.”
That evening, CatClaw called Bai Wei into the manager’s office. He looked Bai Wei up and down before asking, “What’s up, Young Master Bai?”
Bai Wei leaned against the sofa, arms crossed, a cold smirk playing on his lips. “Is it that obvious I’m in a bad mood?”
CatClaw: “Both Qin Baotian and I think something’s up with you. Come on, what happened?”
Pausing, Bai Wei said, “I have this friend.”
CatClaw: “Alright, you have a ‘friend’.”
Bai Wei gave him a sharp, cold smile.
CatClaw immediately raised his hands. “Okay, okay! You really have a friend.”
“I have a friend who lent his crush some money. His crush also owes someone else money. But his crush insists on paying him back first. Tell me, what does that mean?”
CatClaw instantly pieced together the entire backstory. He slapped his thigh. “I was wondering how he scraped together two million—he borrowed money from others too. Tomorrow I’ll talk to Boss Yang and see about raising his base salary a bit.”
“Hm?” Bai Wei asked coldly.
CatClaw: “Fine, fine. Back to your ‘friend’. What exactly bothers you about this situation?”
Bai Wei paused for a moment. “Being that unfamiliar with me, he’d rather pay my friend’s money back first?”
CatClaw couldn’t even be bothered to point out the slip of the tongue. He just looked at Bai Wei incredulously, asking in disbelief, “What are you talking about? Have you ever owed anyone money, Young Master? If right now you owed money to both Qin Baotian and Yan Xiu, and you could only pay one person back, who would you choose?”
Bai Wei: “Qin Baotian?”
CatClaw said, exasperated, “Definitely Yan Xiu! Qin Baotian is a friend—you can pay him back anytime. At most, a bit of interest to maintain the relationship. But toward someone more important, if you owe that person money, you can’t even hold your head up around them. You’ll never forget it. Young Master Bai, owing money puts you in a lower position, understand? Nobody borrows money from the person they like unless they’re forced into a corner.”
CatClaw hesitated, then added, “Of course, I’m not saying he likes you. But admiration is likely. Rare is the DFL rookie who doesn’t admire you.”
Bai Wei sat on the sofa. After a long while, he slowly stood up.
CatClaw called out to him, “Danger?”
Bai Wei looked back, his gaze angled down. “Hm?”
“Where are you going?”
“Change clothes.” He was wearing OLG’s short-sleeved summer team uniform, the front densely plastered with colorful sponsor logos. Suddenly he remembered something and turned back. “When Huarong originally assigned rooms, why did she put him with Rose, not with me? Rose sleeps and wakes early every day. His schedule doesn’t match.”
CatClaw found this completely baffling. “You’re gay! Who would arrange for him to room with a gay guy? Besides, the OLG Crown Prince having his own room—I thought that was an unwritten rule established by all of OLG.”
Bai Wei smiled. “OLG discriminates against homosexuals.”
CatClaw: “You motherf—!”
