Chapter 36: A Chance Encounter. Long Time No See, Beyond
After finishing the stream, it was only 11:00 PM—quite early for the “vampiric” sleep schedule of an esports player.
The cubs spontaneously created a five-man queue room to continue training.
Zuo Chi handed over the matters regarding the endorsement to Manager Li. Then, without showing any sign of anything being amiss, he called a halt to the five-man queue: “Everyone play a game of solo queue on your own first—Wall, come out with me for a moment.”
The cubs were confused, and Wall followed him out into the corridor outside the training room with a puzzled expression.
“Coach Zuo, did something happen?”
“I wanted to ask about Beyond. He stayed in ZAP’s second team for a year before, right?”
Wall recalled: “Yeah. I remember Beyond joined the second team a few days after I was benched from ZAP’s starting roster. When he first arrived, he was extremely introverted. When the teammates in the second team talked to him, his voice was so small we could barely hear him. He’s much more cheerful now—but he plays the game exceptionally well.”
“Beyond should have come from a youth training camp to ZAP’s second team, right?”
“Yeah. He came from the Haishi Youth Training Camp.”
The Haishi Youth Training Camp’s largest shareholder was WIN. It could be said that one of the main reasons WIN remained a constant Top-4 powerhouse was their supply of fresh blood. Every year, the top few trainees from the Haishi camp were directly recruited by WIN, leaving the rest for other teams to pick.
Beyond had been in ZAP’s second team since leaving the training camp until he followed Wall to VEX. He shouldn’t have had many opportunities to come into contact with WIN’s players.
Furthermore, when Zuo Chi had taken Beyond to the hospital for a check-up earlier, they had chatted briefly, and Beyond had mentioned that his hand injury had persisted for many years.
It seemed something had happened while Beyond was still at the Haishi Youth Training Camp.
“Regarding Beyond’s old hand injury… do you know the cause?”
“Beyond’s hand injury? Maybe it’s from over-training, like tendonitis or joint wear?” Wall sounded uncertain. “Could it be that his injury has worsened in the last couple of days? He hasn’t told me anything.”
“No, Beyond’s hand is recovering quite well.” Zuo Chi’s brow furrowed slightly. His usually gentle and clear features were now tinged with a cold layer. “There’s nothing else. You go back to training—don’t tell the other players about what I asked you today.”
Wall nodded.
The resumes of the players currently in WIN could be easily searched online. One could find out which players were in the same batch of trainees as Beyond at the Haishi Youth Training Camp.
Beyond was introverted and had the least communication with the team. However, whenever someone in the team asked him for help, he never refused and always did a great job, being even more attentive to others’ matters than his own. But children like this were often more sensitive.
Beyond hadn’t told them the details of his hand injury, perhaps because he didn’t want to mention it.
Standing outside the door, Zuo Chi tried hard to recall Beyond’s reaction after hearing they had drawn WIN, but he realized he didn’t have much of an impression. He slowly walked back into the training room.
“Everyone is taking a plane home for the New Year tomorrow. Don’t play too late tonight; watch out for not being able to wake up tomorrow and missing your flight.”
The cubs gave a response, promising to go back to the dorm to wash up and sleep after this game.
Zuo Chi searched on his phone for WIN’s current starting and second-team players.
From youth training to match participation at various stages and transfer history—it was all clear at a glance.
Almost half of the players came from the Haishi Youth Training Camp, but only one person was from the same period as Beyond.
Ma Song, game ID: Pine. He was bought by WIN from the Haishi Youth Training Camp at the beginning of last year. During his time at the camp, his various stats were among the best. He was now WIN’s starting marksman. Last month, he was hospitalized for a mild concussion after an accidental fall while cycling and missed the group stage matches. He had recently recovered and returned to the starting lineup.
He stared at this name in a daze for a while when suddenly someone lightly tapped his shoulder. He pulled back his thoughts and looked up to see Ning Luzhao standing beside him. The training room had emptied at some point; the other cubs had all turned off their computers and left.
“Is Coach studying WIN’s match videos?”
“No…” He hesitated for a second and swallowed the words at the tip of his tongue, pretending to be relaxed. “I talked too much during the stream today and don’t have much energy now. I was just slacking off on my phone; I’m not as dedicated as you think.”
Ning Luzhao turned off the computer for him, then took the water from the already cooled-down thermos and poured it into the sink: “The holiday starts tomorrow. We’re resting, so naturally, Coach should rest too—let’s go. Take a hot bath tonight, and you can sleep until you wake up naturally tomorrow morning.”
He stood up and lazily stretched his limbs: “Alright. Beyond and the others all booked flights around the same time tomorrow, so we can send them to the airport and then take a stroll around the city on the way back.”
Since coming to VEX, let alone traveling around Nancheng, he could count the number of times he’d left the base on his fingers.
“Mm.”
Zuo Chi and Ning Luzhao left the training room together. Ning Luzhao walked half a step behind him, turning off the lights and the air conditioning.
“What are Coach’s plans for tomorrow evening?”
“In the evening… in the evening, you have to train for five hours.”
Ning Luzhao gave a low laugh: “I thought that spending the New Year with Coach, you might forget about that.”
“Life is life, and training is training—while you train, I need to take a good look at WIN’s previous match videos.”
Every team’s specialty draft, famous playstyles, and even the habits of each player in mechanics, ganking, and team fighting were entirely different.
He had focused his analysis on the Top-4 teams’ videos before, but time was limited, so it had been relatively superficial. This Spring Festival holiday was the last period to study WIN. After relaxing tomorrow during the day, he probably wouldn’t have much free time for the rest of the holiday.
“And after those five hours?”
“Boil dumplings, eat late-night snacks? It would be even better if we could set off fireworks. I remember when I was a kid, fireworks in the countryside would last all night during the New Year; the sky would be filled with them. It’s a pity you can’t set them off in the city now.”
Perhaps his biological clock was already set, for even though he intended to sleep until he woke up naturally, Zuo Chi opened his eyes punctually at 9:30 AM. He tried to force himself to sleep a bit longer, but he couldn’t conjure any sleepiness.
He haphazardly ran his fingers through his hair. Hearing the sound of suitcase wheels rolling over the floor outside, he guessed the cubs in the other dorms had already started their final preparations for the things they were taking back to their hometowns.
The flights were at noon, so the timing wasn’t very rushed.
His team uniform was in the wash, so he changed into a loose deep-blue hoodie and white jeans. Pushing open the door, he indeed saw Fugui and Wu Yang moving suitcases across the hall. Ning Luzhao was standing by, keeping their ID cards and bank cards for them to prevent these important documents from being buried under a pile of miscellaneous junk and trash.
“Five suitcases… Fugui, how much stuff are you moving back home exactly?”
“Aiyah, isn’t Wu Yang coming to my house as a guest? Then we must bring more sets of clothes. And our peripheral bags—we definitely have to bring those too.”
He looked around but didn’t see Wall or Beyond: “Where are our marksman and support?”
“They were fast. Wall already helped Beyond move his things down.”
Zuo Chi picked up a suitcase: “Let’s go. Land and I will send you to the airport today.”
“Wow, Coach Zuo, I knew you loved us most—”
“It’s more that after sending you off, I want to spend the afternoon playing in Nancheng with Land.”
“Ying.”
Reaching downstairs, the team car was already almost full.
There was so much luggage that one car couldn’t fit it all.
They called another taxi, and only then could the few cubs squeeze in.
Zuo Chi, Ning Luzhao, and Fugui took the taxi, while the other cubs, whose flight times were earlier, left in the team car first.
During the peak Spring Festival travel period, the road was so congested that there was nothing to see but car rears and the sound of non-stop honking. Zuo Chi didn’t dare to look at his phone for fear of motion sickness, so he put on his earphones and picked a “must-listen” playlist for the week to start listening to music, leaving one ear free to hear the two cubs talking.
“Coach Zuo, Ning-god, it’s so boring for you two to stay at the base for the New Year. Such a big base with only two people is too desolate. Won’t it be spooky at night? Why don’t you come to my house as guests too!”
“Land and I have already set today’s itinerary. If all else fails, we can watch horror movies at the base tonight for a better atmosphere.”
Fugui laughed: “Fine, fine, fine. That’s a good idea; we can use it as one of our team-building activities next time.”
From what to eat to what to play, and then to what time to start the Penguin Meeting for training tonight—the car drove and stopped on the road, arriving at the airport half an hour later than usual.
“Coach Zuo, I see our team car. It’s about fifty meters ahead—Beyond and the others are getting out and taking their luggage. I’ll go over myself; you and Ning-god go have your fun!”
“You have a lot of luggage. Let us help you move it to the boarding gate first.”
Perhaps a flight had just arrived, as a massive tide of people surged out from the exit, mixing with those entering the station. The already crowded place was suddenly filled with people, and their car was stuck there, unable to move.
[Manager Li: Where are you? The players and I have gotten out of the car. Waiting for you by the roadside.]
[Zuo Chi: Almost there. After this wave of people leaving the airport, about two minutes.]
[Manager Li: Okay. Come say hello once you arrive. Guess who we ran into? Team WIN just got off a plane and bumped right into us hahahaha. They’re doing a team-building trip on public funds and just arrived in Nancheng today.]
WIN?
[Zuo Chi: What did you talk about?]
[Manager Li: Just exchanged a few pleasantries.]
[Zuo Chi: I’m coming right now.]
The crowd thinned a bit, and he pushed open the car door to get out. At first glance, he saw several players from Team WIN dressed in private clothes, gathered with the cubs and saying something.
He didn’t have time to explain and didn’t take any luggage, walking straight over. Within a distance of four or five steps, he heard a voice say:
“Beyond, long time no see. The last time we met should have been at the Haishi Youth Training Camp, right? Having not seen you for so long, I thought you weren’t playing professionally anymore. I didn’t expect to see you again in the Spring Split as an opponent in the knockouts, hahahaha.”
The tone was giggling and joking as if it were just a normal greeting between acquaintances.
As the words fell, Beyond’s face turned deathly pale in an instant.
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