Chapter 80 – You Are My Last Trump Card
Da Shu, crouched inside the building, had actually heard the sound of the car long ago.
Just as he was about to jump down and run, someone suddenly called out to him through his headset.
Ji Wei: “Don’t run yet. I’m in this car too.”
Da Shu: ?
Is this even Chinese?
Before he could think, the enemy had already reached the base of the building.
With a loud bang, the car hood slammed hard against the outer wall. Zone got out, pulled out a grenade, and was just about to pull the pin and throw it inside—
When suddenly, unexpected footsteps sounded from behind.
As he was still wondering whether the footsteps came from a teammate or an enemy, Ji Wei had already pressed the fire button. In an instant, over a dozen bullets struck the back of Zone’s head!
Bang! Bang! Bang!—
[AVG_Unique] used an M416 assault rifle to knock down [SOP_Zone].
The entire audience erupted in screams!
Everyone there was a seasoned esports fan — they had seen countless players die to gunfire, snipers, explosions, or falls from high places. But being killed by six teammates? That was rare.
And with such a ridiculous tactic, no less.
Being killed by six players is both infuriating and humiliating — as shown by Zone’s twisted expression in the close-up shot.
Then, the broadcast replayed the elimination moment in slow motion.
In the footage, Ji Wei was automatically assigned to the passenger seat when entering the car. Then, in an instant, he switched seats, moving from position 2 to position 3 in the back.
Seeing this, the entire audience fell silent for a second.
The replay was like another cannon blast mocking Zone. The passenger seat was the most obvious one — yet he didn’t notice the switch at all. It was a serious mistake in a professional match.
On the commentary platform, Mika was just as stunned as the viewers.
“What kind of awareness is that?!” she exclaimed.
Yamy held back a laugh.
“A gentleman’s revenge can come any time — morning or night. If you deserve to be killed, you’ll still be killed!”
During the match, SOP teammates rushed in to help after seeing their captain get taken out. They immediately opened fire, but Ji Wei used the car body for cover, dodging their attacks. On the upper floor, Dashu aimed his gun at the SOP members below. Meanwhile, Yin Sijue, who had been lying in ambush nearby, pulled the trigger—
[AVG_Solve] used an AKM assault rifle to knock down [SOP_Flanker]
[AVG_Solve] used an AKM assault rifle to knock down [SOP_Hunter]
[AVG_Tree] used a UMP9 submachine gun to knock down [SOP_Shot]
[Team Wiped]
At the end of the seventh round, AVG still ranked third, just one point behind second-place SNS.
After a short break, the tournament continued.
In the eighth round, on the Rongdu map, AVG fought their way to the diagonal final circle on Tiancong, maintaining their position in third place overall.
In the ninth round on the Island map, AVG suffered an ambush during the second stage, losing three players. Yin Sijue managed to hold out until the top five, keeping the team in third place overall.
In the tenth round, also on the Island map, Ji Wei’s strategic positioning allowed him to advance to the finals and take first place, surpassing SNS in total points and moving AVG up to second.
In the eleventh round on the Desert map, AVG lost two players early on. Ji Wei and Yin Sijue reached the finals, but the terrain was unfavorable, and they were no match for SNS’s attackers—yet they still secured second place.
The overall standings were constantly updating, the rankings shifting until only the final round remained.
…
Player Lounge.
Lao Ma was replaying several players’ mistakes from the eleventh round on his iPad.
Ji Wei took a deep breath, calmed his racing heart, and discussed his reflections with the coaching staff.
“In the finals last game, I didn’t pick the right spot for the gunfight.”
Xu Shaoqiu: “Yes, and Solve rushed in a bit too fast on the reverse ramp. Da Shu and Mi Li, after an entire round, you two should’ve figured out what went wrong at the start, right?”
Da Shu pursed his lips. “Yeah, I see.”
Mi Li: “Mm.”
The mood in the lounge was subdued. Xu Shaoqiu was silent for a moment before speaking again.
“Actually, it’s not you guys who are under the most pressure right now—it’s SOP.”
He pointed to the electronic screen displaying the current team scores:
[1st: SOP – 131 points]
[2nd: AVG – 120 points]
Xu Shaoqiu: “Only eleven points behind. A PUBG win gives ten points, and second place gives six. It’s a gap that’s not impossible to close.”
Da Shu wiped his face. “Tsk, of course I know. It’s just… a bit frustrating.”
He rubbed his hands and muttered, “Sometimes, even when you know exactly how to play, you just don’t perform—and suddenly you make a mistake.”
Xu Shaoqiu replied firmly, “You’re not robots. Mistakes are normal. There’s never been a champion in this world who had everything go their way.”
“Give it your all—then you’ll have no regrets.”
Yin Sijue nodded and took Ji Wei’s hand.
The boy still had a heat pack on his wrist. In the thirty-degree heat, his hand was flushed red, but there was no other way—it was the fastest way to relieve the soreness and stiffness.
The two attackers were the most exhausted. Mili groaned under the physiotherapist’s massage, while Yin Sijue still had three plasters on his wrist; he had been shaking so badly after the match that he nearly passed out.
Ji Wei held him gently, his fingertips weaving through Yin Sijue’s, their palms pressed together, feeling his burning warmth.
“One more game left.”
Yin Sijue’s fingertips brushed against the back of Ji Wei’s hand, leaving a faint tingling sensation.
“Let’s win it together.”
…
The Final Battle
SOP held steady in first place, and the Korean crowd was ecstatic. The two PCL commentators, their faces flushed with excitement, led the audience in chanting AVG’s name over and over again.
After the players took their seats and the staff finished checking their equipment, the match officially began.
On the desert map, Miramar, the horizon was perpetually shrouded in a scorching haze. The distant mountains, sharp as knives, cast jagged shadows under the glaring sun.
For AVG, this round was a matter of life and death. They not only had to win, but also secure a chicken dinner—the surest way to claim the championship.
So despite the slightly off-course flight path, they landed without hesitation in their familiar San Martin.
After safely arriving in San Martin, AVG passed the first phase without issue.
Just as Ji Wei was preparing to pick a spot to rack up some elimination points near the circle, a sudden burst of intense gunfire erupted nearby.
Da Shu, eager as ever, said, “Over at the water plant—are they fighting?”
Ji Wei thought for two seconds. “The circle might shrink toward Lion City. Let’s head to the second mark and wait.”
He placed a marker on the road near the safe zone and called his teammates to the car.
Da Shu drove straight to the marked point and parked. But instead of getting out and setting up an ambush as planned, Ji Wei got into another car and pulled over to the roadside.
Da Shu: “What are you doing?”
Yin Sijue smiled knowingly. “Ignore him. Da Shu, go check the restroom area for enemies behind us. Mi Li and I will hide behind those two rocks.”
Elsewhere, Ji Wei adjusted the steering wheel of his rusted car, his eyes locked on the slope and the rocks by the roadside.
He accelerated to top speed and, just as he reached the crest of the slope, he swerved left and slammed the brakes simultaneously!
Bang!
The wheels lifted off the ground, and the car lurched forward in reverse. With a heavy thud, the out-of-control vehicle rolled onto its side in the middle of the road.
Now lying upside down, the car’s chassis faced upward, its wheels exposed to the blazing desert sun—creating a shallow, natural bunker.
Ji Wei crouched inside.
…
Outside, the audience and commentators had just finished watching the heated engagement between UGC and the Vietnamese team.
Mika: “UGC chose to go straight into the circle after that wave.”
Yamy: “Yeah, that’s very in line with their style—but moving in now will probably make them run into SNS near Singapore.”
Mika: “KK should’ve been ready; they were rotating east—oops! They didn’t make it around and still ran into them!”
On screen, UGC and SNS were separated by a road, the safe zone just a stone’s throw away.
Yamy: “SNS has taken the high ground on the west side of the road, completely cutting off UGC’s retreat! KK and the others are pinned behind potholes and rocks on the east—they can’t even lift their heads! This position is way too passive!”
The road stretched between the two teams like a giant, frozen python.
The four SNS players’ gunfire formed a dense web, and every time a UGC player poked their head out to counterattack, they were met with even fiercer suppression.
After a prolonged standoff, UGC was the first to fall — one player down.
Mika watched the screen nervously.
“The enemy’s too strong, and the terrain favors them. Let’s see if KK can hold out.”
After a moment, he couldn’t help but grumble: “But seriously, who flipped a car in the middle of the road? Hahaha!”
As if in silent mockery, the broadcast cut to a close-up of the overturned vehicle.
Under the car’s chassis, a scruffy human head could be seen!
Mika’s eyes widened.
“Holy crap—there’s someone under the car?!”
In the livestream chat, the viewers were already laughing at Mika’s late reaction.
[“You finally noticed…”]
[“What kind of awareness is that? And you dare roast Zone!”]
[“AVG’s logo is literally right there on the map, how did you miss it?! Hahahahaha!”]
[“Unique has once again redefined what it means to be sneaky—how can he be this shameless?!”]
[“Two world-class teams right beside him, and not one of them noticed!”]
Yamy, the other commentator, had been suppressing his laughter for a while.
“I was just waiting to see when you’d finally notice.”
Mika was silent for two seconds before muttering,
“Unique really knows how to pull a stunt…”
Yamy chuckled.
“The key is this position. UGC and SNS are locked on either side—it’s practically impossible for either team to cross over. No wonder nobody noticed someone lying in the middle.”
Just as he finished speaking, Kelly, crouched behind a rock on the east side, knocked down SNS’s top fragger. KK revived his teammate, then turned and eliminated the SNS player who had been relentlessly tossing grenades.
Bullets filled the air. Both sides instinctively used the overturned car in the middle as cover—completely unaware of the man hiding beneath it.
Mika: “Nice! Great play, Kelly! You really deserve to be called the ace player!”
Yamy: “I knocked down another one, and KK is covering the bleed from behind. Nice — UGC won this skirmish!”
Mika: “You can’t call them a support team anymore. They’re strong in straight fights too.”
Yamy mused, “AVG watched that whole fight and didn’t intervene?”
It wasn’t that they didn’t fight — Solve even stole a kill from UGC during the exchange, and the other side never noticed.
But Ji Wei didn’t fire a single shot; he watched the whole battle from under the overturned car.
Elsewhere, Kelly — hardened by countless matches — reflexively scanned his surroundings with a 4x scope, checking every corner.
Suddenly he spotted something odd under the flipped car: a rounded shape that looked like a head.
Kelly froze, then shouted in delight, “Captain! Captain! There’s someone under the car — it must be Unique! Nobody else would be so cowardly!”
He fired several shots at the shape without hesitation.
Bang. Bang. Bang.
After the burst, he was horrified: the “head” hadn’t moved at all, no blood, nothing — it was still pinned under the dark car.
What the hell is this horror story?
Outside the arena, Mika double-checked the feed and finally realized — “Oh my god, I’m impressed! It’s not a person under the car, it’s Unique’s helmet!”
“He left his helmet under the car and is actually sitting inside it!”
“Six Gods really deserve their reputation!”
The stadium erupted. It was the first time the audience had seen such a stunt live; they were equal parts amazed and amused, shouting and debating in the stands. The shadow beneath the car had created a visual illusion, making the helmet look like a human head.
Mika wiped his brow. “If they discover him like this, he’s done for. No helmet — one shot and he’s down.”
In-game, Kelly wasn’t fooled for long; she’d seen the vague outline inside the car and yelled, “There — he’s in the car! Shoot him! He’s pathetic!”
But just as UGC prepared to unload on the car and tear Lao Liu to pieces, Yin Sijue — who had been waiting nearby — pursed his lips and said calmly, “Shoot.”
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Bang! Bang! Bang!
In a flash, gunfire erupted from all directions, raining down on UGC—
But the real focus of the fight wasn’t Unique, sitting quietly inside the car.
When Kelly called for help, the entire UGC team turned their attention to the vehicle, completely unaware that three guns were already aimed at their heads nearby.
[AVG_Solve] used an AKM assault rifle to knock out [UGC_Kelly]
[AVG_Solve] used an AKM assault rifle to knock out [UGC_AM]
[AVG_Milly] used a Vector submachine gun to knock out [UGC_KK]
[AVG_Tree] used an AKM assault rifle to knock out [UGC_TT]
[Team Wiped]
The audience erupted in applause!
Mika: “Oh… damn, that’s scheming—pure scheming! Is this PUBG or Empresses in the Palace?”
Yamy: “That coordination was insane! If they’d been even a second late, Unique would’ve died, and the ambush would’ve failed. Terrifying timing!”
The director replayed the scene, including the team’s voice chat. Yin Sijue’s “shoot” came just before Kelly decided to open fire.
He had been watching Ji Wei the entire time, making sure he didn’t take a single hit.
Mika: “Tsk, I get it now.”
Yamy: “You’re so bold… never mind, I get it too.”
The chat in the livestream exploded—nobody could keep up with what was happening.
[“I said Juewei, you said——”]
[“99”]
[“99”]
[“I was watching AVG’s POV—Unique never discussed any bait tactic with him. It was Solve who told the other two to follow his lead before firing.”]
[“Our little couple expresses their love through bullets <3”]
Meanwhile, luck once again favored the opponent. SOP’s chosen landing point—Lion City—was trapped by the circle yet again.
Da Shu looked out over the vast, barren plain and cursed under his breath.
It was obvious that the only housing compound in that area was occupied by SOP, while the other teams were still lurking nearby.
At the commentary desk, Mika frowned at the position of the final circle.
Mika: “AVG’s circle control hasn’t changed one bit.”
Yamy: “Their high ground position is actually great. If they’d managed to predict the next circle, they’d be sitting pretty. Unfortunately, they’re just outside the safe zone.”
Back in the game, Da Shu hesitated, then asked, “Unique, is there any way to dodge this?”
Ji Wei said gravely, “No.”
If there were a map in PUBG least suited for Lao Liu, it would definitely be Miramar.
The desert terrain was barren—no grass, no trees, and simple buildings. It favored close-range fights or long-range sniping, not point-holding or hiding.
“Why panic?” Yin Sijue said calmly. “We’re not a team that hides for points.”
“If the terrain’s bad, we fight head-on. It’s not like we haven’t won before.”
“Drive. Head straight into the center of the circle and blow up the car.”
“Okay,” Da Shu replied, flooring the accelerator and speeding the pickup toward the middle of the plain.
Countless bullets rained down on them. A second before the car exploded, every AVG member jumped out, unleashing a storm of bullets that reduced the vehicle to a mangled heap of metal.
It was their only cover in the final round.
Da Shu kept lobbing grenades toward the housing area while Ji Wei threw five smoke bombs around them.
“It looks like heaven…” Da Shu said with a grin, eyeing the mist-shrouded scene. “Only two of them in the houses.”
Ji Wei fired a blind sniper shot toward the gunfire. He missed. The 98K clicked as he reloaded.
From a bird’s-eye view, Shot—the one firing from the window—had already lost half his health.
Yin Sijue followed up on Ji Wei’s damage, knocking the man down. But Shot quickly crawled back inside to wait for a revive.
Mi Li and Yin Sijue pushed forward, trading fire fiercely with the opponents. Ji Wei and Da Shu covered from behind, watching for flankers.
The four huddled behind the wrecked car, struggling to hold on, constantly ducking to heal. The assaulters’ armor was practically shredded.
Mi Li failed to retreat in time and was shot in the head by Zone from the housing area.
Yin Sijue revived him quickly and said decisively, “Crawl and reposition. We can’t all stay behind the car—it’s too dangerous, no firing line.”
“Mi Li and I will move to Site 2 and get closer. Da Shu, go to Site 3. Unique, stay behind the car.”
Ji Wei’s breath caught. “You—”
Yin Sijue didn’t explain. “Let’s go.”
Outside the match, Mika watched as the four players gradually spread out from their original spot.
Mika: “They really can’t all stay behind the car right now. One, the line of fire’s too limited; and two, if the enemy throws grenades, AVG would be wiped instantly.”
Yamy: “Yeah, it all comes down to how bad this position is. Without a firing line, they can’t attack; with one, they’d have to go prone in the open, completely exposed.”
He paused, then added, “The other three have no cover. Solve basically put Unique in the safest spot.”
Mika: “Why does that make me want to cry?”
During the match, Mi Li had beaten Hunter down to near-zero health, but was unfortunately shot in the head by a distant opponent. Without cover, his teammates couldn’t reach him, and he was ultimately finished off by Zone.
Yin Sijue calculated their elimination points and said sternly, “We can’t let SOP score any more points.”
Da Shu aimed at a crouching figure on the horizon ahead. “Two people at east, 23 degrees.”
After being pummeled by enemies, Yin Sijue was left with only half his health. He zeroed in on Zone in the residential area, knocking him down with a few shots. He quickly repositioned to heal, then stood and knocked out another player.
[AVG_Solve] used an AKM assault rifle to knock down [SOP_Shot]
[AVG_Solve] used an AKM assault rifle to knock down [SOP_Hunter]
Ten seconds later, Dashu was picked off by the German team to the east. Ji Wei sniped the enemy in retaliation but couldn’t save him.
Thirty minutes and fifteen seconds into the match, three teams remained—only two players were left for AVG.
Yin Sijue instinctively glanced at his magazine: only 39 rounds of 7.62 left.
Mika: “Too many enemies. Solve’s already taken down four, but there’s no way he can reload from that position.”
Yamy: “Three points left…”
Overall standings:
[SOP – 138 points];
[AVG – 135 points]
Bang, bang, bang!
Yin Sijue took down another opponent, using every ounce of strength to secure the kill. Fourteen rounds remained.
From Da Shu’s spectator view, his heart was in his throat as he muttered, “Two points left…”
The German team had already discovered Yin Sijue’s position, bullets raining down. Ji Wei held his gun on the opposite flank, while the two remaining SOP players trained their aim in the same direction.
Of the last two teams, one was AVG—the only real threat to SOP’s championship. SOP clearly knew who to target.
Yin Sijue aimed at Zone in the residential area and unleashed a burst of automatic fire. The opponent’s level 3 armor flashed red, his health bar dropping to ten percent. Yin Sijue pressed the trigger again—
Click.
He pulled the trigger, but only the cold, hollow click of the firing pin answered him.
No more bullets.
From his spectator view, Da Shu saw Yin Sijue’s final, empty shot—and his mind went blank.
At that moment, Ji Wei had just eliminated the German sniper, bringing the score within one point—when suddenly, a new kill message appeared on the screen.
[SOP_Zone] used an M416 assault rifle to defeat [AVG_Solve]
Ji Wei’s heart plummeted. His breath caught, and instinctively, his hand twitched as if to throw a smoke to save him.
“Don’t come.”
Yin Sijue’s voice cut through, cold and firm.
“Snipe me immediately. Don’t let them score.”
Ji Wei’s eyes instantly went red, but he didn’t hesitate. On the field, he couldn’t afford even a second of doubt.
[AVG_Unique] used a 98K sniper rifle to kill [AVG_Solve].
At this point there were five players left alive, with Unique the only AVG member remaining.
Almost the moment Ji Wei raised his gun, exclamations erupted from outside the arena.
Mika’s nervous voice stumbled over his words. “Solve—this time… we can’t let the other team score. Having Unique go rescue them is too risky. The decision was correct, but…”
Yamy sighed. “Yeah. Why does AVG always get such rotten luck?”
The screen showed SOP’s Zone had just run out of ammo, yet hundreds of rounds lay scattered around the room for him to grab—supplies they’d stockpiled that morning. That’s the advantage of the Destiny Circle: you can funnel supplies in and keep them within reach, even if your backpack can’t hold them all.
AVG couldn’t do that. They’d been fighting nonstop; even after resupplying, they still had to worry about backpack space. No matter how much they took, they couldn’t match teams that had held the circle from the start.
Mika: “Only Unique is left. One versus four…”
Yamy: “Solve must’ve considered this when he placed him here.”
During the match, Ji Wei understood Yin Sijue’s plan. He swallowed the bitter lump in his throat and trained his gun on the four enemies before him.
The opponents had already pinpointed his location. Bullets clanged against the wrecked car. Both sides, eager to eliminate the lone wolf first, began lobbing grenades.
Ji Wei lay on the sand, nearly drained of life, retreating again and again. No one held his gun for him; no one fed him information.
He ditched his backpack, buried himself as best he could in the yellow sand, and painfully injected himself with an adrenaline shot.
Explosions roared and bodies rustled against the dunes. He felt utterly alone in the desert, facing four well-prepared enemies from every side.
“Do you believe me?” he heard himself ask.
Da Shu answered without hesitation, “Of course!”
Mi Li: “I do.”
Before Yin Sijue could reply, more bullets streaked toward them.
Bang, bang, bang!
Bang, bang, bang!
Bang, bang, bang!
The whine of rounds grazing his ears filled his microphone; sight and sound grew sharp and stretched. Time seemed to stop for Ji Wei, and his memory snapped back three years—
In the internet café, a chorus of voices overlapped while little Ji Wei’s fingers danced over the keyboard.
SJUE: “There are two more in the room ahead. Kill them and we win.”
Accompanied by the roar of gunfire, the internet café’s computers went dark, and golden English words appeared on the screen:
[WINNER WINNER CHICKEN DINNER!]
A soft laugh echoed through the microphone, and the young Yin Sijue exclaimed confidently, “See? As long as the two of us are together, there’s no game we can’t win.”
At that time, Ji Wei had just been scolded by his parents and was using the excuse of cram school to sneak online. He was full of insecurity and a possessive need to hold on to his friends.
He opened his friends list and began typing.
[WEI: What if we’re not together?]
The person on the other end froze for a moment, then smiled and replied, “Why not? We can always play together.”
[WEI: No one stays together forever.]
[WEI: No one can guarantee they won’t make mistakes in a game.]
Little Ji Wei was awkward and stubborn, always asking the questions that lingered in his heart.
[WEI: If one day I fall first, or you fall first, how will we fight then?]
SJUE: “It seems like we always survive together…”
[WEI: What if? /crying]
The other party sighed, and after two seconds of silence, gave Ji Wei his answer.
“If you fall first, I’ll definitely avenge you—kill the one who shot you and bring you home the game.
If I fall first…”
The voice trailed off, fading with the memory. Time blurred; moments flashed like a revolving lantern—three years gone—and two identical answers overlapped in the present.
SJUE: “You are my last trump card.”
Yin Sijue: “You are my last trump card.”
Footsteps drew near. The enemies were closing in. Both sides wanted this easy point.
Ji Wei rose and fired—instantly killing one.
Crouch. Switch positions. Move to the other side of the gun line. Fire again.
Bang, bang, bang!
Lie down. Heal. Switch guns. Aim for the enemy’s head.
The last 98K bullet thundered out of the rifle, striking dead center—
[WINNER WINNER CHICKEN DINNER!]
The audience erupted in cheers!
Mika howled, “The clouds will eventually clear, and the moon will shine! Unique did it—PCL did it!”
“Only the players themselves know the hardships and obstacles of this year. The regrets of the past are finally fulfilled today.”
A shrill scream pierced through the headphones, resonating in everyone’s hearts. The dense white barrage in the livestream chat obscured the screen as fans wept tears of joy.
In the audience, Xu Shaoqiu and Lao Ma burst into tears, sobbing as they pulled the five-star red flag from their bags.
The moment Ji Wei turned around, Yin Sijue pulled him into a tight embrace, tears falling onto his shoulder. The two of them clung to each other, as if they could melt into one another’s flesh and blood.
Their teammates cheered, and the commentators’ wails mixed with the audience’s roar, filling the entire arena.
“Let’s congratulate AVG for winning the PGC World Finals!!”
…
Before the staff could intervene, Xu Shaoqiu rushed onto the stage and, through sheer determination, managed to separate the young couple.
He worried that if one of them couldn’t resist and actually kissed onstage, tonight’s trending topic might not be “AVG wins.”
The match ended with a fist bump and a hug. Da Shu, recalling his own humiliating past, wrapped Zone in a forceful embrace before SOP could leave the stage in defeat.
Zone stiffened, trying to pull away, but with the cameras aimed right at him, he could only swallow his frustration and let Dashu hug him.
As if ready to die, Da Shu whispered something in his ear in Korean—something he’d just learned from Xu Shaoqiu.
“Oppa, congratulations on winning second place!”
The hug didn’t last long before the winners were ushered onto the stage. The host and translator stepped forward to greet the crowd. The four SOP players cast one last, resentful glance at the glittering golden trophy before leaving the stage in frustration.
Golden ribbons rained down from above as Ji Wei ran up, raising the trophy high alongside his three teammates!
The scene was so beautiful that the director held the shot for a long time.
[“Woohoo! Wow! Wow!”]
[“Congratulations to AVG!!”]
[“Congratulations to AVG!!”]
[“Can the camera show the Korean team? I want to see their faces!”]
[“Awesome! Unique’s final 1v4 win made me cry!”]
[“Our JueWei will last forever! QAQ”]
The host handed out the champions’ golden frying pan necklaces one by one.
The moment Yin Sijue received his, he immediately placed it around Ji Wei’s neck in front of the entire audience.
The crowd erupted in gossipy screams.
The host smiled knowingly and handed the microphone to the players. “Congratulations to AVG for winning the championship! What would you like to say?”
Da Shu: “I’m awesome! Thank you to my brothers! Thank you to my family! Even though my dad didn’t know what game I was playing until last night, I’m still so grateful for your support!”
The audience burst into laughter.
Mi Li took the microphone next. “Thank you to my teammates, coaches, and staff. I also want to thank all the PCL teams. This championship belongs to everyone.”
Ji Wei clutched the necklace on his chest tightly, the corners of his eyes still red as he squinted against the dazzling lights before him.
Three years ago, the sky had been gray and heavy with clouds. Now, not a trace of gloom remained.
Choking up, he said, “Thank you to my coach and teammates, and also… to my captain. Meeting all of you has been such a blessing. Being able to realize this dream together with you makes me truly happy!”
When it was Yin Sijue’s turn, the giant screen behind them lit up with Solve’s kill highlights. The kill count climbed higher and higher, until it finally converged into one number—2000!
The host walked over with a smile. “Congratulations to player Solve for becoming the first professional player to surpass two thousand kills, and for setting a new record for the highest K/D in professional history!”
“Anything you’d like to say?”
Yin Sijue took the microphone, smiling lightly. “Everyone performed incredibly today. It wasn’t easy to make it this far. Thank you all for your constant support.”
He paused for a moment, then, under the gaze of the entire audience, took Ji Wei’s hand.
“You just said you were lucky to have met us.”
“I’m grateful too—grateful that you came into my life.”
The crowd erupted in cheers and screams, fans waving their JueWei support signs wildly from below the stage.
Ji Wei’s heart pounded. His cheeks, pressed against the bright red five-star flag draped over his shoulders, flushed even redder.
He gripped Yin Sijue’s hand tightly in return and, facing the crowd—and the world—declared:
“Our goal will always be the next championship. Thank you, everyone!”
The brilliant red of China’s flag fluttered through the skies of Incheon, Korea, reflecting the passion and sincerity of youth.
Their story would never end.
—The End—