Chapter 45: Signing the Contract
Mi Yonghui stood frozen for a long time without moving or speaking, his eyes staring straight, which creeped Shen Yanjin out.
He wasn’t aware that UOOW joining the team had become common knowledge within KW. Right now, he just assumed Mi Yonghui was stunned because he saw that he was Sliver.
Duan Mingyue, standing aside, understood at a glance. He coughed lightly to break the silence: “UOOW’s joining is cancelled, replaced by Sliver.” He looked at Mi Yonghui. “Any problems?”
One sentence woke up two people.
Mi Yonghui, having preconceived notions, felt Duan Mingyue absolutely couldn’t be Gay. Hearing this, he didn’t suspect anything else and secretly slapped his forehead: I’m really busy to the point of confusion. How could Sliver be UOOW? I’m muddled.
Following this thought, he thought about the series of PR issues once Sliver joined their team. His face became less stiff but more worried.
Shen Yanjin, on the other hand, realized the deep meaning contained in Mi Yonghui’s gaze just now and wished he could dig a hole and bury himself on the spot.
Pretending to be a woman with a voice changer—if only he and Duan Mingyue knew, it could barely count as half a flirtatious game.
But if everyone knew, that would be ironclad black history.
Shen Yanjin felt extremely painful.
The two looked at each other and smiled awkwardly.
Mi Yonghui said, “No problem, no problem. The Legal Department is this way, follow me.” Then he turned to ask Duan Mingyue, “Does the contract need to be redrafted?”
“En.” Duan Mingyue said, “Give him the listed price of a first-tier player.”
Hearing this, Shen Yanjin suddenly raised his head, looking at him in surprise.
Mi Yonghui was used to Duan Mingyue’s spendthrift manner of treating money like dirt and responded calmly. Anyway, it was the boss spending money, and the boss was willing. As an employee, he shouldn’t worry too much about it.
He just didn’t know what went wrong with UOOW not joining. Duan Mingyue finding Sliver to fill in temporarily meant their relationship obviously wasn’t bad.
Hiss.
That creepy feeling behind Mi Yonghui’s back returned.
He recalled and suddenly remembered that when the team just returned to the country, he got angry because Sliver retweeted to leech heat and brought negativity to the team. At that time, the one who interrupted him seemed to be Duan Mingyue too…
Scary.
Mi Yonghui dared not think further.
He decided to save his pitiful brain capacity for unfinished work, smiled at Shen Yanjin, and walked toward the Legal Department.
Shen Yanjin glanced at Duan Mingyue, feeling he didn’t deserve it: “Moon God, I’m a free agent now, no contract.”
A pro player’s transfer fee, or listed price, included a portion taken by the original club, with the remainder being the player’s signing bonus.
Shen Yanjin felt, firstly, based on his ugly record when he retired and the celebratory atmosphere across the internet, getting even a rookie contract from KW now was already flattering.
Secondly, being a free agent, if paid according to a first-tier player’s listed price minus the original club’s cut, he would pocket an extra one or two million in signing bonus for nothing.
Duan Mingyue gave him a calm glance and said, “I know. I’m willing.”
Shen Yanjin felt uncomfortable all over under his gaze. Clusters of emotions surged back and forth in his heart, burning and aching.
He opened his mouth, seeming to have many words to say, but nothing came out. Just then, Mi Yonghui called him. Shen Yanjin responded, lowered his head not daring to meet Duan Mingyue’s eyes again, and hurried away.
Duan Mingyue didn’t follow but didn’t return to the training room on the second floor either. Shen Yanjin joined the team today; he had notified Mao Qiude in advance. He would personally accompany and arrange everything from the computer station to the dorm after the little support joined.
He sat on the sofa, first finding someone to pick up the forgotten luggage for Shen Yanjin from the airport, then opened the chat app and typed.
[KW-RedMoon: Chat logs from five years ago, can you find a way to retrieve them?]
[XXDY: Five years ago?]
[XXDY: Depends on luck. If the server deleted cloud records, they’re gone. If they’re still saved, they can be retrieved.]
Duan Mingyue fished out a cigarette from his pocket. Without lighting it, he bit it in his mouth to satisfy the craving: [Then please help me check.]
Chapter 46
XXDY was the IT personnel of the Duan family. Not old, work not tiring; he drank milk tea, watched movies, and slacked off in his independent office when there was nothing to do.
Although he sounded like a slacker, in reality, a large part of the cybersecurity network of all Duan family companies came from XXDY’s hand. When trouble really happened, he was the backbone.
Duan Mingyue had a good personal relationship with him. Whenever he wanted to mess with someone or investigate something, it basically went through XXDY.
XXDY, idle with nothing to do, was happy to help him stir up trouble and watch the drama. This time, thinking Duan Mingyue was probably seeking some old revenge, he immediately agreed readily.
Receiving a positive answer, Duan Mingyue felt no relief in his heart.
Biting the unlit cigarette, leaning on the sofa, he recalled the information regarding Sliver that Mao Qiude sent him back then.
HG Team…
Duan Mingyue had a slight impression. Five years ago, this team was just a nameless small workshop, the point-gift boy and charity ambassador of the league. Team management was loose, players had no discipline, no sponsors, and the base was presumably very shabby.
This situation changed after the support named Sliver appeared out of nowhere.
At that time, ADs had a huge influence on the game. Almost all teams played tactics like “four protect one” or “bot lane conjoined twins.” But Sliver took an unconventional path. AD weak? Collapsed? Can’t beat the opponent? Never mind, goodbye. Then he ruthlessly kicked them aside, turning to help other lanes or the jungler establish an advantage.
His awareness was simply too outstanding. In the words of the commentators, it was like possessing “Eagle Eyes” that could overlook the whole situation, capturing the opponent’s position and moves at any time, then piercing weaknesses with incomparable precision, controlling the rhythm, and leading the team to victory.
At that time, the whole region went crazy.
There were teams with jungler cores, top, mid, or bot cores. But a team with a support core was unprecedented.
Although no one knew he was the ranked god YanGold from back then, it didn’t affect his spectacular debut. Slowly, HG Team gained fans, sponsors, money, and changed bases, but…
How much suffering did he endure to finally exchange for that?
Even though Duan Mingyue had a distinguished family background and the team belonged to his family, he inevitably suffered a lot after entering the industry.
He found it hard to imagine with what determination the seventeen-year-old YanGold came to Cloud City alone five years ago to enter the professional circle.
The more he thought, the more Duan Mingyue felt the departure without goodbye back then was too strange.
He furrowed his brows deeply and closed his eyes, seemingly unwilling to think further. Originally, he thought he would solidify their relationship as soon as the little support arrived at the team. But reaching this step, he had no heart to think about these anymore.
Previously, Duan Mingyue thought YanGold changed his ID and secretly changed his gender to approach him just because of guilt and fear of exposing his true identity.
But looking at it now, not only was that not the case, but it was likely a helpless move.
Probably all because of something Duan Mingyue had no clue about from five years ago.
Over these days, pretending to be a woman, laughing and playing with him, watching him treat a fake persona gently and perform acts of affection—what kind of mood did he hold?
Looking back, Duan Mingyue finally realized that the tenderness and affection he thought he showed, the protection everywhere, were actually knives stabbing into YanGold’s heart tip. Burying into his most fragile heart wasn’t enough; they had to twist around, churning out a mess of dripping flesh and blood.
He… what exactly was he doing?
Thinking of this, he couldn’t help feeling his heart cut by knives.
Duan Mingyue had kept himself clean for so long, yet doing just this one thing that attracted gossip hurt the person he loved.
Saying he approached, was gentle, and treated UOOW differently because he felt UOOW was like YanGold—that was fundamentally an excuse.
If he really liked him, how could he look for his shadow in others and give tenderness and attachment to the shadow instead of the person himself?
Duan Mingyue couldn’t refute; he had nothing to say.
He held a high position; his family background and appearance were outstanding. In the professional circle, he had always been the enviable number one. Countless admirers bowed before him, willing to follow in his wake. He was the proud son of heaven; he was one in ten thousand.
Thinking carefully, back then when he was at the height of his fame, a teenage genius, and at his most arrogant, if a rookie support from a nameless small team came to get close to him, what would he have done?
Probably just smile politely and courteously, then wave his hand to refuse.
YanGold seemed to know this result too. Quietly, staying in the same region as Duan Mingyue for five long years, he never revealed his identity. He just watched him silently until they met by chance after retirement, finally tentatively and carefully approaching again.
Still daring not use his own identity.
Was pretending to be someone else fun?
Was pretending to be someone else to please the person you like happy?
Seeing the person you like show affection to the skin you pretended to be, how would the heart feel?
Knowing everything was an illusion, yet still offering his sincere heart without turning back, willing to get hurt just to taste that tiny bit of sweetness.
Duan Mingyue now understood why the little support actively and urgently sent him leg photos that day to seduce him.
Because he was joining the team soon, and the UOOW mask couldn’t be used anymore, so…
So he was that urgent to do that kind of thing with him.
Duan Mingyue didn’t know how Shen Yanjin endured these things. Anyway, just thinking about it, he felt unbearable, his heart aching like it was being cut.
He sat on the sofa waiting quietly.
Not long after, the sound of a door opening and closing came from the end of the corridor, followed by two sets of footsteps.
After seeing Sliver, Mi Yonghui was prepared to sit in the Legal Department negotiating the contract all afternoon. No matter how poor Sliver’s results were, he was a somewhat famous veteran who had played professionally for five years.
Duan Mingyue wanted him to pay the listed price of a first-tier player. After entering, Mi Yonghui tentatively proposed fifteen million for two years.
Unexpectedly, Sliver smiled and spoke up—not thinking the money was too little, but too much!
Heavens.
Mi Yonghui never expected a day would come when he had to fight to spend more money for the team.
The two talked for a while, finally settling on the price of fifteen million, and signed the contract smoothly.
So smoothly that Mi Yonghui doubted life a bit.
Having served the precious young masters and mistresses of the team for so long, suddenly encountering someone with a good temper made Mi Yonghui feel uncomfortable all over.
Sigh, I’m cheap!
He shook his head. Just as he wanted to bid farewell to Shen Yanjin, he looked up to see Duan Mingyue still standing in the lobby, looking much gloomier. Stunned, he subconsciously asked, “Moon God, why are you still here?”
This was exactly what Shen Yanjin wanted to ask too.
He thought Duan Mingyue would go busy with other things after dropping him at the base. He didn’t expect him to wait in the lobby. His eyes widened instantly, confusion mixed with surprise—he couldn’t ask for more than spending a bit more time with Duan Mingyue!
📖 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
