Chapter 13 – Is Unique a little afraid of Solve?
The four devastated boys supported each other as they reached the entrance of AVG’s starting base.
Xu Shaoqiu had left the door open for them, and as they stepped inside, they were greeted by the enticing aroma of hot pot.
After an afternoon of gaming on nothing but air, the boys finally realized they were starving, their stomachs growling.
Though still nervous, their cravings overpowered their restraint. Following the smell into the dining room, they saw an aunt setting freshly washed dishes on the table. The AVG starting lineup, along with former starter Horse, were already seated, tapping their bowls and waiting to eat.
Seeing the newcomers, Xu Shaoqiu addressed them with official politeness:
“You’re here! Let’s get acquainted. No need to introduce the starters. These are this year’s tryout players. Whether they stay or not, everyone should get to know each other and share a meal.”
He added, “And you older ones, be considerate of the younger ones. Stop scrambling for food.”
Da Shu protested, “Why did you look at me the second time you said that?”
The aunt nearby smiled and reassured them, “It’s fine. I’ve prepared plenty—more than enough.”
After Da Shu’s banter lightened the mood, the tryouts relaxed a little and moved to sit down.
Remembering the in-depth discussion they’d just had in the game, everyone tactfully left the seat beside Yin Sijue for Ji Wei, and quickly took the other three open spots.
Lin Tao, the first to react and pull the others away, felt smug about his own emotional intelligence.
With such a good roommate, how could Brother Wei not fall madly in love with him?
He happily sat next to his idol, Mi Li, and began adding chopped green onions to his sauce.
Ji Wei, however, remained standing—still unseated.
He felt utterly desperate.
Now he had only two options: sit beside Yin Sijue, or thoughtlessly take the seat between Horse and Wolf, which was clearly reserved for Xu Shaoqiu.
Either way, it felt like certain death.
At last, when Yin Sijue’s puzzled gaze landed on him, Ji Wei gathered his courage and sat down beside him, pretending to be fearless.
I just hope he doesn’t realize it was me in the game earlier, Ji Wei thought.
…
Even then, Lin Tao—true to his reputation for insensitivity—forgot his earlier worries the moment he sat down and immediately turned to introduce himself to his idol.
“Brother Mi Li! I’ve admired you for so long. My name is Lin Tao, my game ID is [TAO], and my highest rank was top 20 on the Asian server. I wonder if you’ve seen me on the leaderboards? Could we take a picture together later?”
Mi Li nodded. “I haven’t been paying much attention to the Asian server leaderboards lately, but Brother Qiu told me about it.”
Lin Tao asked innocently, “What did he say?”
Mi Li replied, “He said that [Xiaohao4] just now was you.”
Lin Tao paused for a moment, then smiled faintly. “Haha, thank you, Brother Qiu.”
Xu Shaoqiu had just come in carrying a box of Wang Daji and nodded. “You’re welcome.”
Da Shu noticed the red can in his hand and exclaimed, “No way! Herbal tea? That’s so boring!”
Xu Shaoqiu replied, “Four minors at the table—what do you expect? A whole bottle of white wine?”
Da Shu shot back, “Sure.”
Xu Shaoqiu sighed. “Auntie, could you pour me a glass of boiled water? Thanks.”
Laughter rippled around the table as everyone began to eat. The bubbling, red oil-based broth released a rich fragrance. Slices of beef, tripe, and duck blood simmered in the pot, absorbing the spicy, savory flavor. The moment they took a sip, the heat washed over their tongues.
Xu Shaoqiu noticed Ji Wei sitting silently with his head down. Concerned, he asked, “Unique, can’t handle spicy food?”
Ji Wei quickly shook his head. “No, I can handle it.”
Da Shu jumped in to ease the mood. “Hey, I was watching your livestream earlier—you know, I didn’t expect you to be that good. Last time I came to see you practice, you were already doing really well.”
Pop!
The sound of a can opening rang out beside him—Yin Sijue had cracked open a herbal tea. To Ji Wei, the noise seemed magnified a hundredfold.
Mi Li leaned forward, curious. “You’re such a good player. Why were you playing so recklessly before?”
Ji Wei glanced around the table, guilt flickering in his eyes. “Just… for the livestream effect.”
His small movements didn’t escape Xu Shaoqiu. Unlike the more straightforward players, Xu Shaoqiu, a seasoned team manager, had dealt with hundreds of sponsors and developed a sharp eye for reading people.
But this puzzled him. Unique didn’t strike him as introverted, so why was he so quiet at the table? Was he still not used to everyone?
He chuckled lightly. “Unique, your face is bright red. You really can’t eat spicy food, can you? Want Auntie to make you a clear soup pot instead?”
Ji Wei shot upright in a panic.
“No—I want spicy! Thank you!”
The last thing he wanted was to make dinner any more awkward. At the very least, the food had to suit his taste.
Watching the trembling boy beside his captain, a thought suddenly struck Xu Shaoqiu.
Could it be that Unique was still holding a grudge from when Solve criticized him in person?
It had been ages ago, but maybe his mentality still wasn’t back on track.
Wait—could he really be thinking of quitting esports just because he was afraid of Solve?
Unwilling to let the thought fester, Xu Shaoqiu blurted out:
“Ahaha, is Unique still a little scared of Solve? Honestly, he’s really easygoing in private.”
Lao Ma’s head snapped up in shock. “What did you just say?”
Even Wolf, who had remained impassive until now, lifted his gaze.
Yin Sijue noticed Ji Wei’s flushed face beside him and instantly understood Xu Shaoqiu’s intention. He curled his lips but didn’t say anything.
Da Shu scooped up a mouthful of beef smothered in sesame sauce, swallowed it, then lowered his head to take a sip of his drink before looking at Solve.
“Captain, you’re not denying it?”
Ji Wei knew he had to put an end to this misunderstanding before they turned their attention on him directly.
“No, I’m not afraid. I’m just… a little nervous.”
“Nervous about what?” Da Shu asked casually. “Haven’t you already played together a few times?”
“…Two. Two!”
Ji Wei broke out in a cold sweat again, unable to believe the words that had just left his mouth.
Yin Sijue cut in coldly, “Speak properly, or just shut up and eat.”
Da Shu muttered, “How can you eat if you shut up? Brother Qiu, you call that easygoing? He scolds me even harsher every single day in the game!”
Xu Shaoqiu intervened. “Alright, that’s enough. If you get scolded, sometimes you should reflect on why.”
Then, turning to the tryouts, he added, “I didn’t tell you to play with the starters this afternoon—I wanted to test you. The result wasn’t bad, so don’t take it too hard.”
Lin Tao spoke up timidly. “Coach, could you at least give us a heads-up next time…”
Xu Shaoqiu raised an eyebrow. “There are no warnings on the field. That’s why your reactions in the moment are so important. You all did well this time—especially Ji Wei. His first game was very good… until he ran into Solve.”
Wolf lifted his head and shot Ji Wei a sullen look.
Ji Wei didn’t notice the hostility, his attention caught entirely by Xu Shaoqiu’s words: Before meeting Solve.
Indeed, after encountering him, everyone—without exception—had died a miserable death.
“Of course,” Xu Shaoqiu cleared his throat, “the rest of you also played well. I came to dinner tonight to praise you. If you hadn’t, you’d be starving in the second-team base instead.”
Realizing their meal had been hard-earned, the four players bent their heads and dug in with even greater enthusiasm.
An hour later, all the food on the table had been cleared away, and everyone was feeling a little dizzy from overeating.
Ji Wei felt the food stuck in his throat. Unable to bear it any longer, he stood up, wanting to clear the dishes and stretch his legs.
He picked up his own bowl and chopsticks, realizing he still had a bit of energy left. After hesitating for a moment, he also grabbed the empty bowl in front of Yin Sijue.
As he turned away quickly with the dishes, he didn’t notice Yin Sijue glance up from his phone.
Xu Shaoqiu was taken aback by Ji Wei’s eagerness to clear the dishes and reminded him, “There’s a dishwasher next to the oven. Just put them in there.”
After speaking to Ji Wei, Xu Shaoqiu glanced around at the others, all visibly woozy from overeating. “Once you’ve finished, get ready to head back for practice. Free queue.”
Lin Tao lingered at the table, waiting for Ji Wei. “I’m going to shower first. Do you want to?”
Ji Wei sniffed the strong hot pot scent clinging to his clothes. “Yeah.”
Lin Tao added, “By the way, Brother Wei, I just heard from Mi Li that the first player who tower-dived you was the team’s top sparring partner—888 yuan an hour!”
Ji Wei was shocked at the number. “Sparring pays that well? I should’ve quit slacking ages ago.”
With his playstyle, he rarely received gifts, and no sparring platforms had approached him yet. After all, no sponsor wanted to pay to experience a humiliating PUBG session.
Lin Tao: “? Is that really the point? I mean, you were amazing—killing them off this afternoon. You really deserve the title Brother Wei.”
Ji Wei: “…Actually, just call me Ji Wei.”
Just then, a movement came from around the corner. Seeing someone approach, both Ji Wei and Lin Tao fell silent.
Yin Sijue appeared, spotting the two idiots blocking the aisle. “Move aside. I forgot my phone.”
They scrambled to make way. Ji Wei even wanted to offer him a hand.
Yin Sijue retrieved the phone that had slipped onto a chair, pushed the chair back, and turned to leave.
But just before exiting the dining room, he glanced back at Ji Wei.
“During official matches, you can only communicate with teammates through the designated voice channels. Don’t worry about accidentally turning on all mics, Brother Wei.”