Chapter 2 – A Feud with Weiguang
As he waved to the crowd, Shao Zhan leaned in and whispered into the rookie’s ear, “See? Your captain doesn’t have this kind of charm. If you’re interested, join my team—I’ll take you pro and carry you to victory.”
And just like that, Xinghai’s captain had officially made an enemy of Weiguang’s new generation.
Once inside the arena, Shao Zhan naturally fell into step with his old friend. Only after Mu Chen’s “helpful” reminder did he finally head up to the second floor, where his own team was seated.
Meanwhile, Tangyuan was still completely engrossed in furiously texting, oblivious to his surroundings. He muttered bitterly under his breath, venting nonstop: “That old bast*rd, that d*mn sc*mbag. I finally got a rare chance to shine, and he just had to barge in and steal the spotlight. Are you even human? If you have any shred of decency left, show your face in front of me!”
His words took a sudden shift from cursing to forced politeness as he began typing his message: [Didn’t you say you were out handling business? Didn’t go well? Hey, we’re all brothers here—don’t let setbacks get to you. Just head back to the base and rest up. Take care of yourself, our great leader. No worries, you’ll always have me, your Sweetest Tangyuan.]
Just as he was about to hit send, a long shadow loomed over him, its sheer presence suffocating, like a mountain pressing down on his soul.
Tangyuan’s chubby chin trembled as he slowly looked up. “C-C…Captain?”
Shao Zhan casually greeted the rest of the team and took the seat right next to him.
Poor Tangyuan held his breath, barely daring to move. He was terrified that even the slightest twitch of his chubby flesh might accidentally brush against his captain’s nerves.
Yet despite his best efforts, the three layers of pudge around his waist stubbornly refused to be concealed.
Shao Zhan let out a soft, amused snort.
Panicked, Tangyuan immediately sucked in his stomach, shrinking into himself like a wronged little wife, sitting as properly as he could.
Shao Zhan shot him a sidelong glance and flicked his arm playfully. “You know, Xiao Yuanyuan, back in the day, our team’s senior management actually suggested that new recruits should meet a certain image standard—well-rounded in moral character, intellect, physical fitness, aesthetics, and diligence. Specifically, they proposed a waistline limit of 27 inches.”
He sighed dramatically, admiring his neatly trimmed fingernails. “I vetoed it with a single vote. Now… I kind of regret it.”
“No, no, Captain!” Tangyuan hastily stuffed the snacks he had hidden in his equipment bag into Jiang Ranan’s hands behind him. Adopting an innocent, honest expression, he clenched his pudgy little fists. “You have to stand firm in your beliefs! Stay true to your principles—loyal and unwavering until the end!”
Shao Zhan shook his head in mock lament. “From the entrance to this seat, I took exactly 138 steps. I exhausted all my humanity just to stand in front of you.”
“So…?” Tangyuan’s Adam’s apple bobbed nervously, his pupils trembling.
Shao Zhan smiled kindly. “What I mean is…” He paused, then added matter-of-factly, “When it comes to you, I don’t plan to be human anymore.”
As soon as the words left his mouth, the greasy-faced Tangyuan turned deathly pale. He clutched the collar of his tracksuit like a warrior marching to battle, resolute and unyielding. “Y-you… what are you trying to do to me?!”
“What are you thinking?” Shao Zhan turned away, disgusted. “Starting now, if you don’t reach the standard weight within a month, you’re going to the second team. If you still can’t lose it, you’ll be demoted to the trainee squad.”
“A-and if I still don’t make it?” Tangyuan clutched his round belly, his voice weak with fear.
“Then pack up and go home to farm.”
“Come on, that’s enough. Stop scaring him,” Qin Chuan interjected, squeezing between them and unceremoniously pushing Tangyuan aside. “He’s already timid as it is. Go sit over there.”
Seizing the opportunity, Tangyuan snatched back his bag of chips from Jiang Ranan and began munching aggressively.
Jiang Ranan frowned. “You’re still eating?”
With a defiant grunt, Tangyuan waved him off. “What’s there to be afraid of? Do me a favor and call Chu Can from the second team—tell him to make some room for me. You know, talent is like pregnancy.” He patted the fat around his stomach with pride. “No matter where I go, I’ll always be a one-man powerhouse—”
His bold declaration was instantly frozen by a single icy glare from Shao Zhan. He sucked in his stomach and took shallow breaths, suddenly much quieter.
Qin Chuan, clearly uninterested in their antics, leaned in closer to Shao Zhan. “So? How did it go?”
As the team manager, he was well aware of the reason behind Shao Zhan’s business trip.
The PUBG division was in great shape—
The main team had perfect synergy, well-developed tactics, and, with Mars as a star player known for both skill and looks, they had not only swept domestic championships but also made their mark internationally.
In just a few years, the PUBG division had become the most commercially valuable asset of the entire club.
But unfortunately, the success of one division didn’t mean the Xinghai club as a whole was thriving.
Running a club meant burning through mountains of cash before seeing any real profits, and lately, Baizhan Group, their corporate backer, had hit a few financial snags—not major, but enough to cause ripples.
That said, the Shao family was far from lacking money.
Chairman Shao Shiyue was simply using this opportunity to reel in his youngest grandson, pushing him to focus on the family business.
So, he planned to sell the club.
And as luck would have it, a buyer was already lined up, ready to take over.
Shao Zhan was well aware of all this. He had only met with the buyer briefly to appease the old man. The company affairs were managed by his older sister, and even if there were real financial troubles, selling the club for a few hundred million in “petty cash” wouldn’t put out the fire.
Besides, he had no intention of selling the team.
Shao Zhan made a reassuring gesture, signaling Qin Chuan to relax and just focus on his job as a manager.
Qin Chuan, however, wasn’t as carefree. If the “father of the financial backer’s father’s father” had spoken, how could he not take it seriously?
A former classmate from headquarters had messaged him, saying this deal was almost a done deal. Word was that chaos had already erupted on the other side, and several underperforming executives were voluntarily packing up and leaving.
But seeing Shao Zhan’s attitude, Qin Chuan decided to trust him. After all, this was the young master who had fought alongside him for years.
Feeling relieved, he spammed messages in their private friend group. If the rumors had spread this wildly, wasn’t that proof it was all nonsense?
Just as he was busy debunking the rumors, Shao Zhan’s phone rang. It was a message from the headquarters with the buyer’s contact information—the very same one Qin Chuan had handled earlier, since their little lord Mars had outright refused to answer their calls.
But when he saw Mars casually decline the incoming call without hesitation, he hugged his slightly chubby face in joy. His heart blossomed with relief—so their beloved young master hadn’t abandoned them after all.
However, before he could fully indulge in his happiness, Shao Zhan’s phone rang again.
Unlike before, this time he hesitated before looking at the screen.
Qin Chuan, who had been lounging comfortably, nearly pissed his pants when he saw the name Shao Shiyue flashing on the screen. “T-the… the Old Chairman?!”
His anxiety surged again. What kind of billionaire grandfather would allow his precious grandson to waste time in an esports club?
Shao Zhan gave Qin Chuan a light punch. “Stop overthinking.” He got up and walked out to the hallway to take the call.
As he stepped through the side door, he ran into one of the Weiguang rookies—and successfully earned himself a dramatic eye-roll.
The old man didn’t even mention anything about the team.
He simply said that the apricot tree in the courtyard had borne fruit and told him to come home and eat when he had time.
The moment his grandfather hung up, the buyer’s call came in again.
With no other choice, Shao Zhan finally answered the call—but he still refused the buyer’s increased offer.
“The PUBG division is a top-tier team, but the other divisions still require long-term operations before they can take shape. Not to mention, there will be many uncertainties along the way. No one will offer a higher price than me.”
“I know.” Shao Zhan replied curtly. Born with a silver spoon in his mouth, money was the last thing he lacked.
The other party continued to persuade him, but Shao Zhan could already picture those light green eyes filled with displeasure.
Cutting off the buyer’s fluent Mandarin, which carried a slight érhuà accent, Shao Zhan asked, “Why?”
From the start, when Xinghai was acquired by the corporation, it had been a bloated institution. Despite several rounds of streamlining, it was still unwieldy. Even with the PUBG division as its golden brand, it remained a step behind the true top-tier teams.
With the buyer’s budget, they could easily acquire an elite team—or at least a well-established operational unit.
There was a brief pause on the other end before his question was completely ignored, replaced instead by another price increase.
“Mr. Shao, if you pass up this deal, you’ll regret it.”
“I’ll be waiting.” With that, Shao Zhan decisively ended the call.
Returning to his seat, he patted Qin Chuan on the shoulder, comforting him before he could burst into tears. “Just focus on the match. Don’t worry about anything else.”
“How can I not worry? You’re the young master—if things don’t work out, worst case, you go home and inherit billions. But what about the rest of them?” Qin Chuan glanced at the gluttonous Tangyuan behind him, then cursed in frustration. “All he does is eat! Useless!”
The innocent, unfairly targeted Tangyuan blinked in confusion, swallowing down his shock along with another mouthful of food.
“Haven’t we made it through all these years?” Shao Zhan said lightly. If staying with the team meant enduring these annual “sell-the-team” crises, then so be it—he was used to it by now.
On the big screen, the match had already entered the parachuting phase.
Shao Zhan asked, “What’s the situation?”
Qin Chuan refocused. “It’s Weiguang’s Bull leading the team with their rookie, Tee. They’ve also got some random newbie who just registered.”
This so-called “fan appreciation match” was an event where pro players teamed up with live audience members to boost their ranks, rewarding fans for their support in the new season.
“Pro players stomping in a rookie lobby—do you really need to take this so seriously?”
Qin Chuan urged him to relax. This young master was excellent in every way, except for his ridiculous seriousness. Despite being worth billions, he insisted on forcing a “hardworking wage slave” image on himself, dragging the entire team along with him in the act.
Oblivious to Qin Chuan’s inner complaints, Shao Zhan shook his head slightly.
“Weiguang’s rookie, Tee, paired with Wild Bull Bull, forms an aggressive, highly predictive duo. However, they lack flexibility in tactical execution. When surrounded, they tend to get overwhelmed, making poor positioning decisions in the heat of the moment. But that’s something they can refine with experience. If nothing unexpected happens, Tee will be Xinghai’s main competition in the next generation.”
“Wow, you really overthink things.” Qin Chuan patted Shao Zhan’s elbow. “He’s just a snot-nosed kid who hasn’t even fully grown yet. With you around, other teams can only dream of being anything but stomped into the ground.”
Shao Zhan ignored him. Taking every match seriously had been Xinghai’s core principle since its founding. It was through relentless grinding, match after match, that he had managed to revive a team that had once been on the verge of collapse.
The plane drew a steep diagonal line across the map. While the temporary captain, Bull, was still laying out strategies, a fan had already jumped. Left with no choice, the quick-reacting Tee immediately followed his teammate, landing at the Nuclear Plant.
Given the situation, they had to split up. Bull stayed back with another teammate to gather resources nearby, waiting for the right moment to regroup.