Chapter 1: Retirement
This year’s winter arrived with a vengeance. It was barely past October when the temperature plummeted, and a biting chill surged in, covering everything.
Today was the second day of the WL Playoffs. As the venue, the Cloud City Sports Center was packed with a sea of people, bustling with extraordinary noise and excitement.
WL was the hottest MOBA game in recent years—bar none. Over nine seasons, it had accumulated countless die-hard players.
Even though the second day’s match wasn’t a showdown between top-tier powerhouses, tickets had still sold out completely. The spectator stands were surging with heads; not a single empty seat could be found.
If one were standing amidst the crowd, they would hear a wave of cursing and shouting, occasionally distinguishing demands to “refund the money” mixed with profanities.
One couldn’t blame the crowd for their outrage. The match that had just ended—FTK versus HG—concluded with a 2-0 score. The gameplay was chaotic, and the quality was abysmal enough to make one’s hair stand on end.
To put it bluntly, buying a ticket to watch this kind of match was an act of pure boredom—spending money just to make oneself miserable.
In the second-floor restroom of the Sports Center, the lights were dim. Separated by a door, the noise outside sounded distant.
Shen Yanjin stood before the sink, turned on the tap, and buried his face deeply into the water. The bone-chilling cold finally brought a moment of clarity to his chaotic brain.
He lifted his head to look at the soaking wet young man in the mirror.
It was a pale and ordinary face with double eyelids and corners that drooped slightly, giving him a somewhat frail appearance. He wore a red and black team uniform with the letters “HG” embroidered in gold thread on the chest, below which six or seven sponsor logos were neatly arranged.
In his pocket, the corner of a paper folded in half poked out. It was the dismissal notice sent by the club.
Five years of a professional career, gone like a fleeting dream. In the blink of an eye, he was awake.
Seeing the exhaustion on his face that was hard to conceal, Shen Yanjin froze for a moment, then lowered his head and irritably ruffled his hair.
Damn it. He cursed under his breath. He couldn’t understand—how had he ended up in this state?
Behind him, the door was pushed open.
“Today was so satisfying,” the boy walking in front, sporting flamboyant fire-red hair, said showily. “That Sliver’s gameplay was a total feast for us. I took eight heads off him in a single round. He’s a walking ATM. I think he should just change his name to Bank. I can’t believe HG still dares to let him play, no wonder they’re weak—”
The teammate behind him was quick-witted and immediately covered the boy’s mouth, nodding in greeting. “Sliver.”
Shen Yanjin lifted his hand to brush back his wet bangs and cast a downward glance at the kid whose mouth was being covered. He recognized him: today’s opponent, FTK’s ADC, Peace. Seventeen years old, just promoted to the starting lineup this year.
Since he was retiring anyway, he couldn’t be bothered with fake pleasantries. He tugged the corner of his mouth, didn’t say a word, picked up his backpack, and walked out without looking back.
“Tch.” Peace broke free from his teammate’s hand and rolled his eyes in disdain. “What a noob. What’s he giving us attitude for?”
“Enough,” Yu Lan frowned. His ADC was good at everything except his mouth; it was truly too offensive.
Peace said nonchalantly, “What? Am I wrong? In esports, being bad is the original sin!”
Yu Lan sighed, deciding not to argue further. He looked up in the direction Shen Yanjin had left.
The young man’s back looked very thin, yet his spine was perfectly straight.
Just as he had arrived five years ago amidst flowers and applause, he was now leaving amidst cold stares and ridicule.
The glory of those years seemed like yesterday, yet now, people leave and the tea grows cold. Perhaps feeling sympathy for one of his own kind, Yu Lan—as a Support player who played the same position during the same era as Shen Yanjin—felt a lump in his chest looking at how things ended.
“Alan, look at the trending search, quick.” The boy’s emotions came and went quickly. After using the bathroom, his mood had returned to the high of winning the match. He tugged at the corner of Yu Lan’s clothes and shoved his phone screen in front of his face. “This is hilarious.”
Yu Lan said helplessly, “Can you not touch me before washing your hands?” At the same time, he looked at the screen. The number one trending topic was HG-Sliver Retires, followed by a joyous, cheering yellow bean emoji.
The loser flees in disgrace, while the spectators celebrate worldwide.
A dripping, bloody wound had unexpectedly drawn countless cheers and laughter.
Yu Lan suddenly shuddered. His gaze turned to Peace, who was holding the phone in front of him.
Five years ago, the seventeen-year-old Shen Yanjin was just as high-spirited. He was promoted to the first team’s starting lineup right out of youth training. His mechanics were heavenly, he was an instant sensation, and he was hailed as an esports genius.
And now?
A piece of trash, worse than a dog, insulted into retirement, forced to give up his dream, while others pointed at his wounds and clapped in applause.
Peace felt uncomfortable under his scrutiny. “What’s wrong? Are you close with him? Alright, fine, big deal, I won’t say it anymore…”
Yu Lan snapped back to reality. “It’s nothing.” He paused, then added, “Pay attention to your wrists when we get back. Don’t overtrain.”
“Huh?” Peace didn’t react to the sudden subject change immediately, a look of suspicion appearing on his face like a weasel suspecting a chicken’s New Year greeting. “Why are you suddenly concerned about me?”
Yu Lan laughed despite himself. “Don’t I usually care about you? Be good, and I’ll take you out for seafood.”
Peace put his phone back in his pocket, his eyes lighting up at the words. “Really?”
“Yeah.”
“Just… just the two of us?”
“If you want, we can call others too.”
“No, no, no!” Peace shook his head hurriedly, his cheeks flushing red. “Just the two of us is great!”
📖 Advance Access: Complete Novel
- Option 1: Note your email on PayPal/Ko-fi.
- Option 2: Email proof to beezzzreads@gmail.com.
- Option 3: Comment below.
Recommended Reads
