Chapter 27 – Pack Your Things and Get Out
“I’m not playing in the match the day after tomorrow.”
“What did you say?” Xu Shaoqiu, who had made over eight hundred calls and been so consumed with crisis PR that he hadn’t slept for a day and a night, almost collapsed at Wolf’s words.
“Things have come to this, and I still want to play?” The boy sneered, pointing at the people next to him. “Don’t say I disagree. I don’t think they want to play with me either.”
“…”
The other AVG members stayed silent, unsure of what to say. The training room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
Xu Shaoqiu rubbed his aching temples hard. “You know the situation we’re in. Let’s at least finish the summer split first. How can you expect me to find you a replacement right now?”
“That’s not my concern.”
Hearing this, Xu Shaoqiu could no longer contain himself. Sadness and disappointment welled up in his chest, his voice rasping from lack of sleep.
“Wei Chengguang, honestly—have you been treated unfairly by the club since joining AVG? It was my decision to start you against all odds. I never asked for results in return. Can’t you just play the game peacefully?”
He paused, then pressed on.
“I can turn a blind eye to what you said privately about your teammates, but why would you deceive the fans? Esports already has a bad reputation. Do you know how much I fear being singled out by the official media?”
“How is that deceiving? They all like me. I agreed to be with them. These women should be grateful. Besides, they’re all adults now. Coach Xu…” He smirked. “I didn’t break the law, did I?”
“You—!”
Wolf’s eyes burned red with fury. “Do you think I don’t know? I only joined the first team because your original pick bailed, and you let me in at the last minute. And now you’re so eager to bring someone in for a tryout? Planning to kick me out the moment you find the right fit?!”
“I’ve been here since I was fifteen, working my ass off for you for over four years—dreaming every day of starting, of winning a championship. And you’re just treating me like a backup?”
Xu Shaoqiu stared at him in disbelief, his whole body trembling with anger. He couldn’t understand how the kid he’d watched grow up had turned into this.
Pah. Yin Sijue knocked his cup against the table with a dull thud, a few drops of coffee splattering onto the back of his hand.
He pulled out a tissue and pressed it against his skin, then lifted his head, his sharp gaze cutting into Wolf like an arrow.
“You’ve got one thing wrong.”
“In esports, if you’re good, you’re in. If you’re not, you’re out. That applies to you—and to us. What’s wrong with the club wanting to bring in fresh talent?”
“Do you think Horse wants to retire right now? You’re taking over his position. Has he been playing all this time just to be your backup?”
Wolf clenched his fists and said nothing. Yin Sijue’s words hit him like a whip.
He knew deep down that the person he least wanted to face right now was Solve. Who could have imagined that his pretentious chatter would be screenshotted and shared? He couldn’t even remember how many times he’d scolded Solve.
He had expected a scolding, maybe even a beating—but Yin Sijue didn’t do anything.
Even now, his anger was directed at Xu Shaoqiu, and the chat log that had been trending all day seemed to have nothing to do with him. Yin Sijue didn’t care, and certainly wouldn’t get angry over it.
Wolf suddenly felt a surge of rage, the imbalance inside him rising all the way to his head, making him want to tear apart the halo around the person standing before him.
Why?
I’m younger than you, and my skills aren’t bad either. Why do you look down on me?
You didn’t play that well last year either. So why are you the one enjoying all the attention?
Xu Shaoqiu noticed Wolf’s increasingly terrifying glare at Yin Sijue, and it startled him. He quickly stepped forward, trying to separate the two.
The others in the training room were so frightened by the scene that they fell silent. Da Shu exchanged frantic glances with Mi Li.
Yin Sijue reached out to block Xu Shaoqiu, then folded his arms as he walked toward Wolf, his eyes devoid of emotion.
“I’ve told you—if you don’t obey my orders, I have the right to remove you from the field.
“In these past few games, I’ve lost count of how many mistakes and misfires you’ve made. I understand that players want to score more points, but do you even have the skills to justify that ambition?”
“Now it’s not a matter of whether you want to play or not. I’ll make it clear: no matter the outcome of the finals, I will not let you play again.”
With that, Yin Sijue turned and headed upstairs without sparing him a second glance.
At the stairs, he turned back and added, “But you’re right about one thing. The new player the team hired is indeed more suitable than you. Pack your things and leave.”
…
After leaving the tense battlefield and returning to his room, Yin Sijue realized something was wrong with his body. At first, he thought it was just dizziness from being pissed off by that idiot on the team. But after climbing the stairs, the dizziness grew stronger.
It was probably a fever; the air conditioner had been set too low last night.
He had to put his shower plan on hold. Catching a cold now would only make things worse. He could only grit his teeth and hope he’d recover by the time of the game.
His phone kept buzzing with notifications—no doubt about the latest trending topic. He muted it without a word and leaned back against the bed.
Even after changing clothes, he still felt uncomfortable. He went to the bathroom, soaked a towel in hot water, and wiped himself down before lying back and drifting into a deep sleep.
…
A knock on the door woke him.
Yin Sijue frowned, opened his eyes, and stared at the chandelier for two seconds before realizing he’d fallen asleep without turning it off.
Suffering from a sharp headache, he lay in bed for a moment, rubbed his forehead, then forced himself up to open the door.
Standing outside was Xu Shaoqiu, his face full of resentment and bitterness.
“What’s wrong?”
Yin Sijue opened his mouth, only to find his throat dry and itchy, his voice hoarse like a drake’s.
…Oops.
Xu Shaoqiu’s already broken heart sank further. “Grandpa, what’s wrong with you? Why does your throat sound like that?”
“I’ve got a slight fever. What did you want me for?”
“Let’s talk later.” Xu Shaoqiu reached out to test his forehead. “Damn, you’re hotter than the bottom of a pot! I’ll call the team doctor right away.”
“…What time is it? Your cousin just lets you boss him around like this?”
“Don’t worry about it. I gave him a huge red envelope at New Year.” Xu Shaoqiu was already making a call. “I’ll get you some hot water. Go lie down and rest. And don’t turn on the air conditioner.”
On his way past the training room, Xu Shaoqiu noticed Wolf’s spot on the camera feed was empty again.
Da Shu noticed his gaze and pointed at the door. “He just left. Didn’t say where.”
Left without telling me? Xu Shaoqiu frowned, speechless. “And you didn’t even ask? What if something happens?”
“What could happen to him? He’s grown. And after what just happened… we didn’t dare ask.”
Mi Li looked at him. “Why didn’t the captain come down?”
“He has a fever.”
“Huh?” Da Shu asked worriedly. “Did you take his temperature? Is it serious?”
“Damn, I forgot to check!” Xu Shaoqiu slapped his forehead. “It’ll take some time for Xu Xingchen to get here, so I’ll measure it first. Dashu, go bring up some hot water. Where’s that ear thermometer I left here last time…”
Mi Li reminded him, “Last time Ban had a fever, Team 2’s thermometer was out of batteries, so you lent him yours. Did you leave it there?”
“Oh, right. I’ll go grab it. Haven’t been to Team 2 in a while.”
…
When Xu Shaoqiu unlocked the door, several members of Team 2 were still munching melon seeds and hadn’t even had time to hide their phones.
Ji Wei, used to being caught by his parents at home, reacted first. He quickly pushed his phone behind the monitor with his thumb and started pretending to adjust the mouse sensitivity.
The others were far more clumsy. Some stuffed their phones into their pockets in a panic, some tried to toss them onto the ground, and Ban just froze, staring at Xu Shaoqiu with wide eyes, phone still in hand.
“Don’t bother hiding it, I saw everything.” Xu Shaoqiu shut the door and walked in, hands behind his back, disappointment written all over his face.
“You’ve been in the industry for years, and this is what you’re doing? Slacking off in training! Look at Unique—he’s only just arrived, but he’s more dedicated than any of you. Honestly, you’re giving me a headache.”
The three members of Team 2: ?
Ban glared at Ji Wei: Weren’t you just playing around too?!
Ji Wei winked at him gently. “Sorry, already hidden away.”
Ban: “… you ruthless!”
Xu Shaoqiu didn’t have the time to scold them. As soon as he walked in, he rummaged through the medicine box.
“Ban, where’s the ear thermometer I gave you last time?”
Ban stood up and pointed. “Should be in the second drawer. There’s a box—open it and check.”
Jerry: “What’s wrong, Coach? Someone sick?”
Xu Shaoqiu pulled out what he was looking for and gripped it tightly.
“Solve has a fever. The assistant coach will handle you guys for now. Train seriously, and don’t get involved with the online mess.”
With that, he hurried out.
“Huh?”
The moment Ji Wei heard that name, he shot to his feet—but all he got in response was the sound of the door closing.
Jerry said worriedly, “Damn, playoffs are right around the corner, and Solve’s sick? Is our team cursed lately or what?”
Dragon: “Having a fever in summer sucks. You can’t even turn on the AC. But his constitution seems decent; he should be fine.”
Ban: “Not necessarily. Even healthy people can’t always handle a fever.”
Their words only made Ji Wei more anxious. He immediately grabbed his phone and sent Yin Sijue a message.
Weiwei Dounai: [Are you okay? Feeling unwell?]
No reply.
He ran a hand through his bangs in frustration. He thought about messaging Da Shu, but they weren’t that close, and he didn’t know how to start.
When training finally ended, everyone else logged off and went to rest, leaving only Ji Wei at his station, restlessly scrolling through his phone.
He followed a few active PUBG forums and clicked into one where a new thread had just been bumped. Replies were pouring in by the second:
[Insider info: Wolf and Solve had a huge fight tonight. AVG’s finals lineup might change.]
Ji Wei’s nerves, already wound tight, snapped the instant he saw the headline. He clicked in for details.
[1L: As the title says. OP has some connections inside AVG. Heard Wolf almost fought Solve tonight, the atmosphere was terrifying. Solve supposedly got sick from the stress, and their team doctor is rushing over.]
[2L: No way, that’s so exaggerated?? Probably fake.]
[5L: Then that means that PDF on Weibo was the real deal. Wolf is honestly the cancer of the esports scene. Disgusting.]
[11L: How could it be fake? That’s solid proof, no way around it.]
[58L: Wolf is trash, sure. But what he said about Solve in those chat logs must be true too. Otherwise, why would Solve be so mad? Obviously his “true face” got exposed and now he can’t farm fans anymore.]
[59L: So the toilet isn’t just in the bathroom, it’s also in the mouths of the people above.]
[99L: You’re being slandered for no reason—aren’t you angry??]
[206L: Isn’t the point that it’s ridiculous to say Solve got sick from anger…? He’s not some old man. How could he possibly get sick from that?]
Scrolling all the way to the bottom, the original poster still hadn’t said a word, leaving everyone with nothing but speculation.
Ji Wei slammed his phone onto the table with a dull thud, metal against wood.
He knew Yin Sijue most likely wasn’t actually sick from anger, but reading the news of their quarrel still made him furious.
This rat is unbearable!!!
It wasn’t enough for Wolf to curse people behind their backs—why did he have to fight with Yin Sijue too? Absolutely despicable!