Chapter 72 – Everything for You
After the group stage, there would be a two-day off-season, followed by the second stage of group matches.
Many teams would take this opportunity to invite foreign teams for scrimmages, but this year was different. On the evening after the group stage, no teams from the PCL region accepted any invitations.
The six PCL teams, including the two eliminated ones, sat together in the conference room, angrily discussing the newly issued penalty announcement.
Youyou had just finished a phone call and returned from the hallway. She earnestly told the other teams, “Our decision not to jump to the airport was an internal one. We never discussed it with AVG beforehand.”
UGC’s captain, KK, looked around and said, “SOP insulted our players during the scrimmages. In the first game, they were clearly targeting AVG. I was worried they’d target us next, so we decided to jump to the Zodiac in the second game. We never had any intention of avoiding competition. I hope everyone can trust us.”
MKBK’s captain, Solo, was the first to speak up. “Of course we trust you! They targeted AVG so much in the first game—so why didn’t they penalize us?! And instead, they penalized our entire region? That’s so unfair!”
Da Shu was scrolling through Weibo. “Brother Qiu, did they ask for your consent before making the penalty?”
“No.”
Xu Shaoqiu, exhausted after arguing with the organizing committee all night, collapsed on the sofa. “They just came to inform me of the violation. They said if I had any objections, I could file an appeal.”
“What about appealing?”
Youyou shook her head. “It’s useless. Shaoqiu and I argued with them for a long time. They must have received complaints from other teams before issuing the penalty. We even have video evidence. When we first entered the circle, AVG drove past the Zodiac without firing a single shot. UGC was hiding in a room at the time and used that video to report us.”
Ji Wei said with difficulty, “That was my decision. I was worried about being hunted by the SOP team, so I wanted to find a better position to fight before entering the circle.”
“I was the one driving!” Da Shu rolled his eyes. “I really didn’t see anyone from the Zodiac, okay? And how was I supposed to know UGC was there? How can they say we were teaming up illegally?”
Youyou sighed. “Another sensitive point is the UGC score. We were very close to dropping into the loser’s bracket, but after the second game, we moved up one spot. The score was on the brink, and with the early jump point change, it’s hard to explain.”
KK said, “What’s so hard to explain? We’ll still play in the loser’s bracket anyway. The score resets to zero, and we won’t face AVG. I’d rather be there. Using this as an excuse to attack us is just picking a fight.”
Kelly, young and furious, slammed the sofa. “That idiotic organizer has been messing with us since day one. Even now, we still have to train at internet cafés at our own expense.”
The PCL players present cursed softly. Not everyone had been targeted by SOP, but the two teams that advanced represented the region’s reputation—and being treated like this left a bitter taste for everyone.
A minus-two point deficit wasn’t a life-or-death score; it was just two kills in the match. What made everyone angry was being unceremoniously accused of “violating fair play,” a serious offense in the professional arena—especially when the other team had broken the rules first.
“What about what SOP did to us in the first game?” Mi Li asked angrily. “Can we report it? They can’t just punish us and not punish them, right?”
Youyou said, “I just called to deal with this. I’ve already submitted the video and am waiting for a response from the organizing committee.”
“I don’t think there’s much hope,” Yin Sijue said coldly, pouring cold water on him. “Didn’t the coach report it after the first game? The staff denied it.”
“It’s so difficult…” Xu Shaoqiu slapped his face twice to wake himself up, then said with a wry smile, “It’s okay, don’t get too angry. At least public opinion is on our side. We don’t even have to spend money on PR, haha.”
The air froze for a moment as everyone looked at each other, silently glancing at their phones.
“Manager Xu is so modest! This doesn’t feel like free PR at all…”
Less than half an hour after the penalty announcement was released, Weibo’s trending list, Tieba forums, and even Twitter were blowing up. PCL fans were out in full force, their publicity power so strong that even paid trolls couldn’t compete.
The organizing committee, which had simultaneously posted the penalty announcement on Weibo, bore the brunt of the backlash.
[How much money did SOP pay the organizing committee to let them act so arrogantly?]
[I couldn’t understand this paragraph for a long time. I copied it to PDD, but even he didn’t react.]
[I’ve seen targeted behavior at Worlds, but I’ve never seen the victim punished.]
[There was no illegal teaming. AVG crushed UGC in the late game, so what are you talking about?]
[SOP must have leverage over the higher-ups. They openly brought DT to an illegal teaming event.]
[Isn’t this supposed to be a fair 4v4 competition? Why did AVG end up in a 4v11?]
[It’s hard to believe SOP—those four must have their headphones wedged between their brains.]
Da Shu scrolled through the trending comments on Weibo. “Honestly, I was really angry when I first saw the penalty announcement, but reading the comments made me feel better.”
Kelly nodded. “Actually, I didn’t even beat you guys in the second game today. Normally, the forums would’ve been full of people roasting me. But now everyone’s bashing SOP, so I’ve escaped.”
Da Shu was still scrolling through his phone and laughing when a message suddenly popped up at the top of the screen. He tapped the link and was redirected to a Korean video.
“Holy crap! That idiot Zone even gave an interview?”
Everyone rushed over to watch. The video was from an on-site interview in the PKL region and had been reposted on Chinese social media with subtitles.
In the video, SOP’s captain, Zone, wore that same cocky expression. His chestnut hair was sprayed and combed back, revealing a forehead covered in acne.
He said regretfully to the camera, “According to the rules, illegal teaming can result in a permanent ban. These two PCL teams only received a two-point deduction. They should consider themselves lucky, right? I don’t understand what the fans in that region are mad about. At this stage, where just making the top 16 is enough to advance, a two-point deduction… well, seriously, how is that any different from no penalty at all?”
“Wow… awful!” Ji Wei, who had gathered behind to watch, blurted out a few words of broken Korean before trotting back to complain to Yin Sijue.
“Did you hear that? He’s such an idiot.”
“I heard.” Yin Sijue pinched his face. “We’ll beat them up in the knockout rounds.”
“Yes, they’ll be beaten!” Xu Shaoqiu chimed in. “Practice more teamwork over the next two days. SOP might not be able to beat you in a 4v4, but it’s hard to say if they can win in a mechanics match.”
Kelly caught the key word and immediately retorted, “Their mechanics aren’t that strong either. They actually managed to find you in Hailiu in the second game. Even ten masters wouldn’t be enough to beat them.”
Several teams gathered to ridicule SOP’s ridiculous mechanics before heading back to rest. Before leaving, the two eliminated teams told Xu Shaoqiu they would stay in Korea for free practice sessions and that they could always be contacted if needed.
“Touching! Compatriots really are the best.” After everyone left, Dashu stretched. “I’m going back to sleep too. Everyone, get up early to train tomorrow.”
The teammates left one after another, leaving only Ji Wei and Yin Sijue in the meeting room.
Yin Sijue lowered his gaze and looked at him. “Come to my room for a while?”
Ji Wei asked, “What for?”
Yin Sijue pointed to the camera overhead. “There’s surveillance here.”
“…”
Two rice balls sat on the table in Yin Sijue’s room. They were still warm, bought from the convenience store downstairs after the competition.
Ji Wei sat down, took one, unwrapped it, and started eating. His cheeks puffed up, and after swallowing, he asked, “Did you ask me to bring the rice balls? How did you know I was hungry?”
Yin Sijue sat on the bed, playing with his phone. “Actually, I bought both for myself.”
Ji Wei choked, and the rice ball in his hand immediately lost its flavor.
Yin Sijue chuckled softly. “I was kidding. You didn’t say much tonight, so I bought some food to comfort you.”
“Did SOP piss you off?”
Ji Wei was speechless. He took a big bite of the rice ball, chewing it like he was venting his frustration on Yin Sijue.
After a moment, he whispered, “It’s not just that I’m angry at them…”
Ji Wei tilted his head, his expression gloomy. “It’s just… I’m wondering if they’re targeting us so much now because I asked Da Shu to dance on their corpses.”
Yin Sijue sighed helplessly. “Weiwei, can you really blame yourself for that?”
“…”
He walked over and sat next to Ji Wei. “It doesn’t matter whether you danced or not. These people will always find a reason to target us. Finishing first in the group stage is already enough to make us a thorn in SOP’s side.”
“Oh…” Ji Wei grinned, tucking away the last piece of rice ball.
Yin Sijue stared at his rolling Adam’s apple and whispered, “A kiss?”
How did the topic change so fast? Ji Wei covered his mouth. He wanted a kiss, but he had just finished eating.
“Wait until I brush my teeth!”
He still had a lot of idol baggage. Watching the boy run into the bathroom, Yin Sijue leaned back on the sofa and waited lazily.
Ji Wei quickly finished brushing, skipped back, and sat on the sofa, pouting as he tilted his face up for a kiss.
Yin Sijue caught the faint minty scent of hotel toothpaste. His lips curled slightly as he leaned in, pecked the soft pink of Ji Wei’s lips, then cupped his face and deepened the kiss.
Ji Wei clung to him, breathless, his hands scratching at his back uncontrollably.
As his fingertips traced up Yin Sijue’s spine to his neck, Yin Sijue released him, took his wandering hand, and wrapped it in his own.
“Leave the rest for after the game.”
Ji Wei panted softly, too embarrassed to look up. “The rest… what?”
Yin Sijue didn’t answer, a smile flickering in his eyes. “What do you want?”
Ji Wei was greedy. “Everything.”
Yin Sijue murmured fondly, “Then I’ll give you everything.”
…
“Oh my god, you have no idea. My whole week was filled with Koreans. When SOP killed you, everyone around us was screaming!”
On the 15th, the four members of AVG were at Lin Tao’s house, listening to him ramble nonstop. “Then in the second game, when they didn’t kill you and got wiped out instead, those Koreans were just stunned—completely speechless.”
He had been ranting for half an hour and finally took a sip of water. “Why is it only Lao Ma here? Where’s Brother Qiu?”
Mi Li replied, “He’s at the hotel working. He needs to submit evidence to report SOP for illegal teaming.”
“Oh, that needs to be submitted quickly.” Lin Tao, seeing Mi Li still waiting for a match, dragged his swivel chair over to him.
“Brother Mi Li, why don’t I see any Chinese people at the tournament? It’s so frustrating not understanding what anyone’s saying.”
Mi Li took off one side of his headphones. “That’s normal. PUBG isn’t as popular as other games in China. Of course there’ll be fewer Chinese spectators at international events. Flights, food, and lodging all cost money, right? Having fans supporting us back home is already enough.”
“Well, that’s true…” Lin Tao nodded thoughtfully and left the practice room, giving the four starters space.
After a full day of practice, everyone stayed at Lin Tao’s for dinner. While eating, Ji Wei scrolled through his phone and saw the tournament committee’s latest Weibo post.
@PGC Referee Committee: Answers to recent questions.
Dear players and viewers:
In response to recent concerns from some viewers regarding the lack of penalties against two other Korean teams in the PGC tournament, the organizing committee conducted a thorough review and replay and hereby provides the following clarification:
1. In the first round on the Erangel map, although SOP, DT, and WNL all deviated from their usual drop points and landed in the same general area as AVG, post-match system data and a complete review of the footage indicate that the following circumstances do not constitute violations:
- Although SOP and DT changed their drop points, the overlapping landing areas were temporary decisions, with no evidence of prior consultation or coordination.
- The two teams engaged in combat immediately upon landing, with clear exchanges of fire and competition for resources—consistent with normal match logic.
- No avoidance of engagement or coordinated behavior was observed between DT and WNL, and thus their actions did not constitute passive play.
Thank you for your attention and supervision of the tournament. We will continue to strengthen on-site monitoring and strive to provide you with a fairer and more exciting competition experience.
After reading this irrelevant announcement, everyone received a new notification on WeChat.
Xu Shaoqiu, who had spent the entire day preparing the report materials for submission, posted a pitiful emoji in the group chat:
[Suspected of losing all strength and means.jpg]
Ji Wei couldn’t help but laugh. “Brother Qiu, you’re so pitiful…”
Yin Sijue shook his head helplessly. “At least I tried.”
The failed report was expected, and no one felt particularly angry. After dinner, they simply went back to training.
But just because the players weren’t angry didn’t mean the netizens weren’t.
The double standard alone was disgusting enough—but the committee even posted three consecutive explanations to exonerate the Korean teams. It was simply outrageous.
Furious fans flooded the official Weibo account, forcing the organizing committee to enable limited comment visibility.
Not satisfied with just Weibo, netizens also stormed SOP Club’s Twitter account, directly hitting their sore spots:
[Lipzhu came up with this despicable trick on a whim.]
[SOP is trash, I agree—just breathe.]
[Professional players? More like professional bootlickers. Hilarious.]
[Not even as good as AVG.]
[Where did you even find these clowns?]
[The most shameless of the shameless.]
SOP had a huge following on Korean social media, and when their fans saw their comments section being bombarded, they immediately jumped in to fight back:
[Who flew home after the first game at Worlds, again?]
[Some people should stop obsessing over our PKL players, kkk.]
[Jealous much?]
The fans of the Simplified Chinese competition were all conflicted. Seeing fans of the opposing team reply only made them angrier—
[I really wish SOP’s skills were as strong as their fans’ words.]
[What are you barking about? You can only beat AVG in a 3v1, and you still have the nerve to bark?]
[I don’t even understand what you’re saying. SOP is a complete joke.]
[All talk, all bots.]
[No need to feel inferior—you can keep being bad if you like.]
[I was too gentle before. You think PCL is easy to mess with, huh?]
[SOP, a roadside clown.]
This war of words caused quite a stir online. Foreign friends who joined in the fun spent a long time translating it and discovered the depth of the Chinese language—gaining a newfound appreciation for the creativity of Chinese trolls.
However, no matter how fierce the online battle became, the people at the center of public attention didn’t even see it.
It was already two in the morning after the last match. After saying goodbye to Lin Tao, the AVG members dragged their exhausted bodies back to the hotel by car. They fell into deep sleep, and the next day was yet another full day of scrimmages.
There are no shortcuts in professional competition. Talent is merely the entry ticket; victory comes only through relentless practice and constant self-improvement.
…
The night before the group match.
Ji Wei’s sniping had been off during the afternoon scrimmages, so he stayed behind in the training room until the early hours, repeating the same motion over and over until his wrist went stiff and numb.
At the shooting range, he reloaded his bolt-action sniper rifle, fired a single shot at a moving target, and repeated the cycle again and again.
Ji Wei had been playing an older version of the game and had been a top-tier bolt-action sniper for several years. Guns like the AWM and M24 were his trump cards, helping him secure at least five kills per match. But as his opponents grew stronger, the slow rate of fire of bolt-action rifles became increasingly unforgiving in competition.
In the current meta, almost every professional sniper—except Ji Wei—uses semi-automatic sniper rifles. They deal less damage but have a faster rate of fire, making them more adaptable in combat. After all, no sniper can guarantee a one-shot headshot with a bolt-action rifle against a fast-moving target.
The same applied to Ji Wei. Even though he held the highest official hit rate among all bolt-action snipers since his debut, he still made mistakes.
During an afternoon practice match, he missed a shot at Kelly, who was running in the distance. The mistake gnawed at him, and he practiced nonstop—without eating or drinking—from that evening until early morning.
When his magazine finally ran empty and he reached for more bullets, a chill brushed against his ear. Someone had removed his headphones.
Yin Sijue glanced at the screen. The moving target was covered in bullet holes—every one piercing the bullseye.
“Take a break. You’ve been training too long.”
He took Ji Wei’s hand and pressed it a few times. “I’ve got some ointment in my bag. Do you want to use it?”
Ji Wei shook his head. “I brought some too. I’ll put it on before bed.”
Yin Sijue continued to gently massage his palm, and perhaps it was psychological, but the numbness seemed to ease a little.
Ji Wei opened the training match replay again, watching in silence, his mood heavy.
“How about I use a DMR in tomorrow’s match instead? It’s easier to pick up anyway.”
“What do you think?” He sought his boyfriend’s opinion.
Yin Sijue could clearly sense his anxiety. He tugged Ji Wei closer by the arm and took away his phone.
“If you’re asking me, then the answer’s obviously a bolt-action.”
“No one can beat you when you’re using one.”
That was true. Even someone as skilled as Solve couldn’t win against Ji Wei in a one-on-one with bolt-action rifles.
Feeling sweet from the compliment, Ji Wei pounced on him and took a playful bite at his collarbone.
“But what if I miss again?”
“Hss—” Yin Sijue tilted his chin up and rubbed his thumb against Ji Wei’s sharp canine tooth.
“That shot at Kelly this afternoon was too far. It’s normal to make a mistake when you’re using a 4x scope.”
“Even if you miss—worst-case scenario—you still have me, don’t you?”
He cupped Ji Wei’s face, kneading his soft, tender cheeks twice.
“I’ll cover you.”
Thank you for your hard work, translator da-ren. It seems Ch. 73 is missing 😢