Chapter 78 – The World-Class Spray King Has Arrived
Ji Wei hadn’t bared his teeth for long before Yin Sijue pulled him into an embrace and led him off the stage.
“Why are you so fierce?”
Ji Wei reluctantly let her hold onto his arm. “…He scolded me earlier.”
Yin Sijue’s eyes curved into a smile. “I thought you weren’t angry.”
“…” Ji Wei turned his face away awkwardly. “Just a little bit.”
“It’s okay.” Yin Sijue patted his head. “Continue venting your anger in the next round.”
“Stop flirting,” Xu Shaoqiu called them into the lounge. “Lao Ma, talk to them about the issue with entering the circle in the second phase of the last game.”
The players had made a minor mistake in selecting their spots when entering the circle in the previous match, and Lao Ma quickly reviewed the situation with them using the video.
Da Shu slumped on the sofa in the lounge while his physical therapist massaged his hands. He stared at the ceiling in boredom.
“Hey, SOP’s mentality is really bad. I think when they realized UGC’s shift in the last game, their playstyle started to change. They played like sleepwalkers.”
Ji Wei asked worriedly, “Brother Qiu, will the referees notice that UGC played like that last game?”
Xu Shaoqiu spread his hands. “Actually, SOP’s coach requested a timeout halfway through your match. Youyou and I argued with them for a long time before they actually stopped the game. At the time, I told them that if the referee was going to issue a penalty, then SOP, DT, and WNL should all be penalized. Just treat them all equally. After all, their behavior in that match was a bit too obvious.”
Da Shu said angrily, “That’s right! I couldn’t find a gun in the downtown area, and two players from different teams ganged up on me. How shameless!”
Mi Li muttered, “Someone else committed the foul, and yet we’re the ones worrying about getting penalized. It’s really exhausting.”
“It’s okay, it’s okay.” Da Shu put his hands down, checked Twitter for a moment, and felt his mood brighten again. “SOP is getting roasted so badly. It’s so satisfying to watch.”
In esports, being bad is the original sin—no matter the game.
SOP’s immediate downfall provided the perfect meme for PCL fans. Several eager fans made a GIF of them getting blown to pieces and flooded Twitter threads with it.
During the group stage, three PKL teams had all jumped to G Port, and many uninformed netizens online claimed it was just a coincidence. Until today’s match—when the same situation happened again—fewer people came to their defense.
Illegal teaming and regional targeting—these two accusations pinned on SOP—would forever stain their careers, whether or not the referees called the decision.
[“@SOP Club, are you still targeting us? What tricks are you planning for the next game?”]
[“Let Bluehole develop a super bazooka for you to blow up the entire map!”]
[“I’m relieved to see Sakura Girl is criticizing them too.”]
[“With no luck in the circle, it feels like these guys are using invincibility mode to level up to 4, 3, 9, or 9.”]
[“Oh my goodness! UGC is awesome! One more win and their ranking will go up!”]
[“Did anyone notice that Solve hugged Unique after the match? I’m so dumb—I missed it!”]
[“Haha, right in front of Zone! There were rumors before that some SOP guys were being sexually discriminatory backstage, and now they’re really getting slapped in the face!”]
[“How dare they discriminate? They’re giving themselves way too much credit!”]
The audience wasn’t idle during the break either, constantly watching the highlight reels on the big screen and screaming whenever a segment related to their region appeared.
After a few rounds, fans from other regions had completely vanished, leaving only the Chinese and Korean teams locked in a passionate showdown.
Although the PCL region didn’t have a numerical advantage, their momentum was strong, and the two teams were evenly matched. After a short break, the second game finally began.
Mika: “Welcome back! You’re currently watching the live broadcast of Day 1 of the PGC World Finals!”
Yamy: “Our second game is still on the Erangel map. You can see that the route isn’t very friendly to AVG again.”
Mika: “Overall, it’s a more easterly route. Will AVG use their secondary jump point?”
In the game, Yin Sijue marked a spot in the jungle area where the car was being farmed, effectively telling the audience: No.
Da Shu landed and quickly got into the car, saying leisurely, “G Port is our eternal home. By the way, if you two get married in PUBG, can you choose G Port? Even if there’s no overpass, at least there’s an elevated road.”
Ji Wei’s hand trembled, and he almost pressed the fire button. “Did you hear that?!”
Da Shu: “Of course. I have superb hearing.”
Ji Wei: “…”
Yin Sijue put away his gun. “I’ll think about it.”
Ji Wei: “?”
Without harassment from other teams, they comfortably gathered supplies at Port G, survived safely until the second stage, and began moving toward the safe zone.
There was an airdrop mid-game, but since it was too remote for any team to reach, Da Shu managed to snag an MK14.
Da Shu: “Charm control, charm control — Unique, want it?”
Ji Wei: “No thanks, I’ll take the M24.”
Da Shu: “Oh, right, you want a bolt-action sniper. Then I’ll keep it, hehe.”
Mi Li ruthlessly pointed out, “Someone’s been eyeing it for a while now — asking if Unique wants it is just for show.”
Da Shu got defensive. “So what! At least I asked!”
With some time left before the circle closed, Ji Wei chose a seaside house for the team to rest in. Da Shu parked the car in a secluded spot, and the others waited inside for the next circle to form.
Silence settled around them. Ji Wei, holding a high-powered scope by the window, said casually, “If no one shows up in thirty seconds, we’ll drive in from the second phase. UGC hasn’t lost any players yet, so they might come from behind us — stay alert.”
He added, “We’re pretty lucky this time; we even managed to pick up an airdrop.”
Da Shu crouched in the corner, trembling slightly. “Generally speaking, it’s best not to mention that in-game.”
Tournament newbie Ji Wei asked, “What happens if you do?”
“It jinxes it.”
Yin Sijue raised his gun, listening carefully to the sounds coming through his headset. “Someone’s coming.”
…
In the Commentary Booth
Mika: “The camera’s on our AVG! The UGC team, driving into the circle, has spotted the occupants of the seaside house — they’ve finally found them this time!”
Yamy: “UGC’s speed is insane! Am’s driving has blocked the main entrance, and Kelly’s using smokes and grenades in rotation — AVG is under a ton of pressure right now!”
…
In the game, KK commanded in a deep voice: “Keep throwing smokes! One’s on the top floor, the others are on the second floor — force everyone in AVG down!”
Kelly, outside, was furiously throwing grenades. “No way I’m letting these rats get away this time!”
On the other side, Yin Sijue crouched by the stairwell, his expression calm. The sharp sound of UGC’s grenade pins being pulled crackled through his earpiece.
He glanced toward the lower right — Da Shu had already been blasted down to half health by a grenade. Mi Li was throwing grenades outward, while Ji Wei was on the rooftop, looking for an opening to take aim.
Shifting his view, Yin Sijue noticed the car blocking the building below — the same blue sedan UGC had deliberately backed up to seal the entrance.
“I’m going out. Cover me,” Yin Sijue said curtly into his mic.
Ji Wei didn’t hesitate. “Got it.”
…
Mika, in the commentary booth, clapped his hands nervously. “Solve’s moving? Is he going downstairs? The only entrance is blocked by UGC’s car! All four of them are surrounding the building — it’s dangerous!”
Yamy: “With a full team attacking a building, I still don’t recommend players go out and fight alone — even if it’s Solve…”
Before the commentator could finish speaking, the in-game character named [Solve] suddenly slid in front of the car, pressed [F] to enter, then instantly switched seats and exited from the other side.
While the enemies outside were still watching Unique on the rooftop, waiting to see if he would jump down and finish them off, Solve had already moved from inside the building to outside in a flash.
The UGC players had no idea where the opponents inside had gone before Yin Sijue fired three bursts from his AKM, instantly killing the UGC gunner hiding along the outer wall.
[AVG_Solve] used the AKM assault rifle to knock down [UGC_TT]
“Even though it’s Solve, he can definitely turn the tide in this situation,” Yamy continued calmly. “Unique forced Kelly back on the rooftop, and KK on the outer wall couldn’t withstand Solve!”
“The AKM only has 32 rounds left — can Solve still make it through? He can!!”
In the game, Yin Sijue finished off KK, then turned and knocked out Kelly, who had already been worn down by Ji Wei. Finally, he emptied his last five rounds into Am, who had rushed forward to help his teammates.
[AVG_Solve] used the AKM assault rifle to knock down [UGC_KK]
[AVG_Solve] used the AKM assault rifle to knock down [UGC_Kelly]
[AVG_Solve] used the AKM assault rifle to knock down [UGC_Am]
[Four-Strike Rampage]
Mika screamed at the top of her lungs, “Here he comes! That man is here! The PCL’s top marksman is here!”
Yamy: “The world-class flatland sprint king is here — a 32-round sprint, one versus four! This is real! Incredible! Ah!”
The audience erupted in cheers and applause. Fans holding Solve signboards were already on their feet, shouting in excitement.
In the game, Da Shu jabbed himself with an adrenaline shot, still buzzing from the fight.
“Captain, that move was insane! My heart’s racing!”
Mi Li, reloading with Kelly’s loot, teased, “Unique, how does it feel?”
Ji Wei had just come down from the rooftop and was caught off guard by the question. He stammered out the truth.
“Huh? My… my heart raced too!”
“Don’t be ridiculous.” Yin Sijue, unable to bear teasing his boyfriend further, went downstairs and started the jeep parked outside. He said calmly, “Unique, keep an eye on the circle. We might be surrounded soon.”
Ten minutes later, AVG was stuck on the edge of the circle. Two players were taken out by SOP, who had already occupied the high ground. Ji Wei and Yin Sijue fired from a wide angle, too far away to save Mi Li, who had rushed forward.
Yin Sijue: “Mi Li, keep calling out positions. Unique, go for the revive.”
After being helped to his feet, Da Shu quickly used his MK14 to burst-fire, knocking down Zone, who had killed Mili.
[AVG_Tree] used the MK14 Marksman Rifle to knock down [SOP_Zone].
Mika: “Oh my god, a point-and-shoot full-auto sister-con? He’s using that sister-con like a spray gun!”
Yamy: “This gun is really strong in close combat, but it depends on whether you can control the recoil. If you can’t, it just looks ridiculous.”
In the game, as if responding to the commentators’ remarks, Da Shu raised his gun and aimed at the head of the last SOP player.
[AVG_Tree] used the MK14 Marksman Rifle to knock down [SOP_Flanker].
After wiping out the SOP players, AVG controlled the edge of the circle. Unfortunately, they were pinned down by SNS at the foot of the mountain in the fourth stage, finishing second in the second round.
In the third round on the Taego map, AVG started strong but lost two players early, finishing fourth and ranking third overall.
In the fourth round on the Rongdu map, AVG still held third place in total points.
…
Until the sixth round, AVG hadn’t shown any particularly standout performances, remaining stuck in third place overall.
The break after the sixth round was the longest. With only six games left, Xu Shaoqiu and Lao Ma reviewed the players’ common mistakes from the previous matches and quickly gathered everyone for a debrief.
Lao Ma: “Milly and Solve, your rhythm was a bit off in the third round. Adjust yourselves.”
Mi Li: “Okay.”
Yin Sijue: “Got it.”
Lao Ma: “Unique, in the fourth round on Rongdu, your rotation into the third circle was a bit off. Look here…”
After everyone’s issues were addressed, there were still fifteen minutes left of break time.
Da Shu looked at the scoreboard on the screen and sighed. “After the first game, I thought we had it in the bag. But I didn’t expect the top two to score so high. That European couple is insane—I admit we can’t beat them in a 2v2.”
Xu Shaoqiu said firmly, “Our team doesn’t need you to play 2v2. Your strength is flexibility—flanking or sneaking in when needed. Head-on fights are Solve and Milly’s job.”
Seeing his slight disappointment, Xu Shaoqiu added, “It’s fine. Keep your mindset steady. This is PGC—every top team in the world is here. I’ve never seen any team win several chicken dinners in a row at the finals.”
Lao Ma: “Yeah, and don’t underestimate SOP either.”
Ji Wei leaned back on the sofa, her short sleeves rolled up to her shoulders, revealing arms as pale as lotus roots. A physical therapist sat beside her, massaging the players to help them relax after the intense matches.
Yin Sijue glanced at her reddened arm. “Does it hurt?”
Ji Wei shook his head. “What about you? Does your wound still bother you?”
Yin Sijue: “It’s fine.”
Ji Wei’s lashes drooped as he blinked his tired eyes. “Mm. Six rounds left. We still have a chance.”
PUBG is a game where luck plays a huge role. The flight path and the location of the safe zone often determine, at a glance, who will place in the top ranks of a match.
To ensure absolute fairness in competition, multiple rounds are played — so that no single team can win the championship just because of an extraordinary stroke of luck.
After twelve rounds, any team that can hold out until the end and emerge victorious — no one would dare say they won purely by luck.
Xu Shaoqiu steadied the team’s nerves. “At least right now, we’re facing a completely fair match. With so many Chinese players here, the referees won’t dare pull any tricks.”
Lao Ma added, “That’s right. As long as you stay steady, finishing in the top three won’t be a problem.”
Before going on stage, Ji Wei went to the restroom and splashed some cold water on his face to wake up his numb nerves.
Water dripped from his chin as he wiped it away, his ears catching the noise coming from the SOP team’s lounge.
After maintaining first place for six consecutive rounds, their earlier frustration from losing the opening match had faded. The players were laughing and chatting happily.
Ji Wei couldn’t understand Korean, but he could tell that his and Yin Sijue’s English IDs kept coming up again and again in their teasing conversation.
He recalled the semifinals last year — when Da Shu had been suddenly pulled into a hug by the SOP captain; when Yin Sijue and Lao Ma stood at the edge of the stage, watching the golden rain that wasn’t theirs; and when Mi Li stood behind Da Shu, the embarrassment on her face impossible to hide.
Ji Wei braced his hands on the sink and stared at his reflection for a long moment.
Top three? He had never even thought about it.
Just because Ji Wei didn’t voice his ambitions didn’t mean he didn’t have them.
Standing here, on the world stage with his teammates, there was only one thing he had wanted from beginning to end— the championship.