Chapter 17 – Good News: Unique Replay
Everyone gathered around the table, watching Ji Wei work on his computer. Before long, Ban’s computer was back to normal.
He launched PUBG to confirm it was working properly, then returned the mouse to Ban.
Xu Shaoqiu’s phone was still stuck on the IT communication page. A little stunned, he asked, “How did you figure this out?”
Ji Wei explained, “A similar situation happened to me when I was working at an internet café. My brother taught me how to fix it.”
He decided he would never ignore Ji Lin again. He hadn’t expected that the things he’d taught him years ago could still be so useful.
Ban asked curiously, “Your livestream income must be good, so why did you still work at an internet café?”
Xu Shaoqiu frowned at the question. “Okay, as long as it’s fixed, I won’t have to bother IT with overtime. Remember to thank Unique.” He patted Ban on the shoulder.
The kids on Team Two might not have come from wealthy families, but they had plenty to eat and wear. Since joining AVG, they’d hardly endured any hardship—let alone the need to work part-time.
But Unique was different. Aside from his streaming career, Xu Shaoqiu had no idea how he had lived before.
When signing their contracts, everyone was required to fill out emergency contact information. Ji Wei had listed his cousin, but Xu Shaoqiu hadn’t questioned why he didn’t put his parents.
After hearing the coach’s reminder, Ban snapped back, clasped his hands together, and said to Ji Wei, “Thank you, Unique! I’ll pay for your midnight snack tonight! Anything you want, order it now.”
“Pfft!” Ji Wei laughed, the awkwardness from earlier vanishing. “We just finished dinner. Let’s talk later. I won’t let you get away from this.”
“Alright!”
…
Xu Shaoqiu returned to Team One’s base, and just as he pushed open the door, he bumped into Yin Sijue coming out of the gym.
The man was wearing a T-shirt, sweat dripping from his forehead down across his toned chest, his presence brimming with raw energy.
Xu Shaoqiu thought that if he secretly snapped a picture and sold it as team merchandise, he could fund his retirement plan for life.
“Why are you training at night? Don’t you always train in the morning?”
Yin Sijue wiped his head with a towel. “You and I have been eating too much greasy food these past couple of days. I need to train more.”
“It wasn’t that greasy, was it? Besides, you’re an esports player, not a celebrity. Why so strict? And stop doing so many pull-ups and other hand-strengthening exercises! I’d really kill you if you hurt your hands.”
The man nodded perfunctorily, pulled the towel from his neck, and went back to his room to shower. Xu Shaoqiu rolled his eyes, walked into the training room, and announced to everyone:
“We’ll be scrimming with MKBK tomorrow afternoon. I’ll also be bringing the second team along. Put any livestreaming plans on hold.”
Da Shu, who was farming in the jungle, immediately turned around. “Why so last-minute?! I was just planning to try out the newly renovated livestreaming room tomorrow.”
Xu Shaoqiu said, “It doesn’t matter when we try. Solve’s gone to shower. Remember to tell him when he comes back.”
Da Shu, still sulking over his inability to livestream, muttered, “I want to be the first to use the livestreaming room.”
Mi Li couldn’t stand it anymore. “No one’s competing with you, okay? We’re all streaming in the training room.”
Xu Shaoqiu added, “That’s right. It wasn’t meant for you anyway.”
Da Shu: “…”
Lao Ma, who was slacking off and watching a video, suddenly spotted a new Weibo post. “Huh? Unique is back on air?”
Xu Shaoqiu leaned over to check his phone.
[@Aurora TV Official Weibo: Welcome @unique to Aurora TV!]
[We are honored to announce that the highly anticipated PUBG esports streamer Unique has officially joined Aurora TV! He’ll be embarking on a new livestreaming journey here.
To celebrate Unique’s arrival, Aurora TV has prepared multiple special offers…]
Xu Shaoqiu slapped his forehead. “Oh! I almost forgot! Today’s the day Aurora TV officially announced Unique!”
He had originally planned to remind them not to reveal that Unique had signed with AVG, but surprisingly, the announcement didn’t mention it at all.
Laoma clicked into the post details. “Resuming broadcasts on July 1st? That’s next Monday. Isn’t he coming then?”
Xu Shaoqiu replied, “He should be. Don’t worry, the studio is soundproofed, so it won’t disturb you.”
Lao Ma smirked. “I’m not worried about being disturbed! I just forgot to add him on WeChat last time, so I thought I’d add him this time, hehe.”
“Okay.”
Yin Sijue showered quickly. When he returned to the training room, Da Shu was still playing.
“Fu*k, how did he find me here?! I spent the whole game hiding, picked up only some trash, and I was about to deliver a package!”
Yin Sijue saw his screen go black. “Didn’t the coach tell us to stop swearing?”
Da Shu turned around. “Brother, you still remember? It’s fine. I don’t think the newcomer, Unique, will be corrupted that easily.”
He clicked on the death replay. “No, but I’m realizing it’s not easy to just hide and score points. I tried several games and couldn’t even make it to the third circle.”
Lao Ma was watching the group stage of last year’s PGC champion team, SOP. He looked up from the video and said to Da Shu,
“You think surviving doesn’t take skill? You’ve got to learn terrain, buildings, bushes, circle positioning, and entry routes. Otherwise, how could so many experts get taken out by Lao Liu?”
As he spoke, he dragged the video back to rewatch SOP’s entry routes. “I have to say, the Koreans’ mechanics are insanely solid. There are so many tactical layers in just one group stage match—it’s chilling to watch.”
Da Shu scoffed. “The competition is definitely about fighting and grabbing resources. Strategies don’t matter that much. In this game, whoever loses the fight dies.”
“Then you have to be able to beat them! You don’t think you’re so good you can just ignore their strategic coordination and management, do you? The Purple Star of esports?”
Da Shu: “…”
Looking at his dismal record, Da Shu swallowed his pride, turned to Lao Ma, and said, “Send me a copy of the video later.”
Yin Sijue logged into the game and noticed that the [unique] avatar in his friends list was gray.
Not training?
He ignored it, closed his friends list, and prepared to play solo.
“Why don’t you add me, brother?”
Da Shu hadn’t queued for the next game since seeing him return. He’d been waiting for Solve to invite him. But instead, Solve opened his friends list and skipped right over him, even though he was clearly online and available.
Yin Sijue looked puzzled. “You didn’t say you wanted to queue.”
Da Shu said awkwardly, “I thought you’d just pull me in when you saw I was online.”
Yin Sijue shot him a disgusted look. “Pull you in? Shut up!”
…
In the second team’s training room, Ji Wei wasn’t practicing; he was secretly checking Weibo.
After Jerry’s reminder, he remembered that Aurora TV was officially announcing his signing today, so he scrolled through the site for a while.
The official Weibo post was already flooded with comments from Unique’s fans:
[Aa… I’ll uninstall this shitty Maoyu right now.]
Ban also saw the notification on the website. “Unique, you’re going live again next week?”
Ji Wei: “Yeah.”
Ban: “Can you queue with me then? Please, please, I’ll treat you to dinner. I need to be on TV.”
Ji Wei: “Sure. You don’t have to treat me, but I’ll pick two fans to join the team. Do you mind?”
Ban: “Of course not!”
After replying to Ban, Ji Wei realized that next Monday he would be heading to the Team One base to stream.
He wondered if he would run into Yin Sijue there.
It feels like I haven’t seen him in ages…
AVG Team 2 Practice Group sent a message [@everyone].
AVG Xu Shaoqiu: [@everyone, practice match tomorrow at 3 PM against Team 1 and MKBK.]
Ji Wei was delighted. Whatever he wished for, he could finally play games with Yin Sijue.
He immediately replied in the group:
Weiwei Dounai: [Got it]
AVG Xu Shaoqiu: [Shouldn’t you be practicing? How come you replied so quickly?]
Weiwei Dounai: […?]
Ban, who was standing nearby, saw the message and looked at him sympathetically.
“I forgot to tell you, Coach Xu often tests us like this, so we don’t reply to any group chat messages.”
Ji Wei asked, “Isn’t it rude not to reply?”
Dragon, who was also watching the group chat, was confused. “Who cares If you keep dropping into the jungle just to farm points, I’ll quit and solo queue next game.”
In the AVG team’s training room, Yin Sijue had been duo queuing with Da Shu for an hour. His anger boiled over, veins bulging on his forehead.
Da Shu, who usually played five minutes then spectated for thirty, flattered, “Okay, brother.”
Lao Ma saw this and patted him on the shoulder.
“This playstyle doesn’t suit you. Just give it up.”
“You don’t understand!” Da Shu said anxiously. “Once you get a six-shot kill, it’s addictive. The joy is unimaginable. I’m quitting the AVG world and joining the more prestigious Lao Liu.”
Mi Li had just finished her fight when she overheard Da Shu’s boast. “Then you should quit AVG too.”
Wolf sneered from the side and suddenly cut in: “Anyone who can be killed with a six-shot kill is a rookie, no different from a bot. Trash like that should be kept out of the competition.”
Everyone was momentarily stunned by his sudden hostility.
Da Shu explained sheepishly, “I didn’t say I was going to use it in a tournament.”
Wolf sneered. “I’ve never been killed by a bot. PUBG is all about pure skill. Using shady tricks won’t last long. Just wait and see.”
Da Shu: “Huh?”
What are you looking at?
He was about to ask when Solve called out to him: “Hurry up and get ready. It’s time for the next round.”
“Okay, brother, here we go.”
…
The next day, after brunch, the three AVG starters arrived at the practice room, waiting for Solve to wake up from his nap.
Da Shu said, “I’ve been wanting to ask this for a while. Shouldn’t people with regular sleep schedules feel sleepy at certain times? Why doesn’t the captain ever get jet lag when we go to tournaments abroad?”
Lao Ma replied, “You’re still young, so you don’t get it. People with regular schedules actually have the most energy. I suggest you learn from them, or when you’re my age you’ll feel drained every day.”
Da Shu: “…If I remember correctly, you’re only twenty-eight this year, right?”
Lao Ma sighed. “Yes, but I’ve had this kind of fatigue for a few years now. I often feel exhausted even without doing anything.”
A steady sound of footsteps echoed as Yin Sijue came down the stairs, yawning lazily. He brushed his hair back, revealing his smooth forehead and sharp brow line.
“Double queue this afternoon?” Yin Sijue called out to Da Shu.
Da Shu was flattered. “Huh? I’m really excited about your invitation and I want to accept, but I think the coach scheduled a scrim for this afternoon…”
“A scrim this afternoon? Why didn’t he tell us in advance?”
Da Shu suddenly remembered that Solve hadn’t been around when Xu Shaoqiu made the announcement yesterday.
“Well, you weren’t there when the coach told us. He told me to tell you, but… I forgot…”
Yin Sijue: “…”
Not wanting to blow up at the idiot, he pulled out his gaming chair, sat down, and started adjusting his newly bought headphones.
Da Shu leaned over guiltily. “Brother, these headphones are the latest model. Tell me later if they’re good.”
Yin Sijue was speechless. “Can you at least tell me what time and who we’re scrimming against?”
“Oh, sorry. Three o’clock. I think it’s MKBK? Or PPL?”
At that moment, Yin Sijue seriously wondered if his teammates all had IQ problems.
“Why don’t you go to the hospital one day and get your brain checked?”
“…”
Around three o’clock, Mi Li and Wolf emerged from the manager’s office. They’d had some issues with their coordination the previous day, and Xu Shaoqiu had given them a long scolding. Even as they emerged, Wolf still had a hint of anger in his expression.
Mi Li noticed his mood and soothed him, “Coach is like this with everyone. He’s just disappointed in us. Don’t take it personally.”
Wolf nodded silently, clearly still angry.
At three o’clock, the assistant coach set up a custom room and pulled all the participating players in.
“Oh! I remember now! We’re playing against MKBK!” Da Shu suddenly realized.
Yin Sijue, standing nearby, had already seen the ID in the room but didn’t bother to answer.
Mi Li was puzzled: “You even forgot that? Didn’t you just tell me that yesterday?”
Yin Sijue glanced at the unfamiliar IDs outside of the two starting lineups and casually said, “We found quite a few sparring partners this time.”
The other two had already put on their headphones, so only Da Shu heard what he said. He tilted his head in thought. “Oh, maybe someone from MKBK has shown up too.”