Manager’s Office of Club X.

Manager Yang Chen pointed to a jet-black invitation letter on the desk and said to Yuan Xiu, “The π team is determined to knock us, Club X, off the top spot this time. You all need to stay calm and face the challenge.”

Yuan Xiu leaned back in his swivel chair, his long fingers touching his nose, and sneered lightly, “Overestimating themselves.”

Yang Chen’s lips curved slightly, appreciating Yuan Xiu’s arrogant demeanor.

He had reason to be arrogant. In just one year, he led the X team to sweep the entire country, clinching the championship. No one could match this record. When he said there was no problem, it meant he was certain of victory.

“We have the home advantage; the venue is at the Dongying District of Mingyang Mountain. The π club is sending five teams, each with four members. Our club will also select five teams to compete. Whoever can win, let it be based on their own skills.”

Yuan Xiu looked out at the green vines outside the window, casually responding, “Hmm.”

Yang Chen changed the subject, “Your X team of four has the best coordination, but a five-person team is ideal. Adding one more official member or a substitute would allow you to achieve a grand slam in domestic competitive matches from singles to teams.”

Currently, professional competitive matches are divided into singles, doubles, triples, fours, and five-player games. Each type of match requires different tactics, strategies, and team coordination. Having a five-member team allows for better division of labor and collaboration to handle various match situations.

Winning the championships in these five types of matches constitutes a grand slam. So far, the only professional player in the world to have achieved a grand slam is W.

Only W.

She is a legend.

The club’s investors have great confidence in Yuan Xiu and the X team, hoping they can achieve a grand slam in domestic single to team competitions.

Yuan Xiu said, “Adding one more person isn’t impossible. Do you have a good candidate?”

Manager Yang Chen replied, “The X team is very strong now, so of course, I hope to bring in a player who matches your level. As for salary, we can offer a suitable increase. I’m considering inviting Lee Eun-hyuk from Korea.”

Lee Eun-hyuk was a former main member of Korea’s ESK team and recently terminated his contract. Many professional teams domestically and internationally are vying for him.

When he was with the ESK team, he led them to win several international trophies, achieving impressive results. He recently terminated his contract due to dissatisfaction with ESK’s low compensation, which no longer matched his current value.

Yuan Xiu pondered for a moment and said, “Lee Eun-hyuk is indeed very strong, but as a Korean player, if we bring him to the X team, there will be difficulties with language and other areas of integration…”

Yang Chen looked at Yuan Xiu, “You all don’t have any problems with English, right?”

Yuan Xiu considered that if they did bring in Lee Eun-hyuk, the club’s daily routine might look like this…

Early in the morning, Ren Xiang would be furiously knocking on the bathroom door: “Ah, who’s in the WC? My bladder is about to explode, hurry up and get out! F*ck you! You MB!”

…

Yuan Xiu said in a deep voice, “Lee Eun-hyuk has many years of competition experience and his own tactics. He might not be able to coordinate well with X’s members. I think… bringing in new talent isn’t a bad idea. Both Ah Heng and I can mentor newcomers from the beginning. It might be easier for them to integrate.”

Yang Chen frowned, “Using newcomers would mean a long training period, and there are unpredictable risks with their family and academic commitments. Right now, the X team needs to produce results. The board might not agree to using newcomers at this time.”

“For this industry to develop healthily, we must give newcomers a chance to shine. Gu Zhefeng is a successful example.”

Yuan Xiu recalled what Lu Manman once said: recruiting members from other teams without giving newcomers a chance is like drinking poison to quench thirst.

Yang Chen sighed and smiled wryly, “That’s not something you, as the captain of X, need to worry about. You just need to lead the team and win the matches.”

Yuan Xiu then asked, “Among the recent applicants to join X, are there any promising ones?”

“From email resumes, it’s hard to tell. Most of them are college kids who haven’t graduated yet.”

“Any girls?”

Yang Chen looked up at Yuan Xiu with a meaningful expression and said, “Oh.”

“Are there any?”

“Of course there are,” Yang Chen said with a smile. “Quite a few, actually.”

Yuan Xiu pushed the desk, leaned back in his swivel chair, and said, “I’m off.”

“Hey, it’s annoying to stop halfway through a conversation.”

“What else do you want to hear?”

“I want to know why you’re suddenly interested in the girls applying.”

Yuan Xiu glanced back at him and said, “You’re the team manager, not a gossip fan.”

“Who says managers can’t have a flair for gossip?”

“If you really have a flair for gossip, why not find out where W from the American League went after retiring?”

“Speaking of that,” Yang Chen got excited, “I actually did some digging. It seems W came to China.”

Yuan Xiu raised an eyebrow, keeping his expression neutral. “Oh?”

“But the American League is tight-lipped, so I don’t know much more. W is incredibly mysterious. If we could get her to join us, X would be unstoppable.”

As Yuan Xiu was heading out the door, he said nonchalantly, “Check the email. W might just be among those resumes.”

“You’re joking, right? W sending us a resume? She’s probably sitting at home waiting for clubs to line up to invite her.”

***

The balcony of the dormitory faced the sun, and the morning sunlight flooded the room with warmth.

Xia Tian had gone to the library early in the morning to prepare for her English major exam, while Cheng Yu was humming a song as she hung up clothes in the hallway.

“Simpler, speak in a simpler way… You’re not an actor, don’t design those scenarios~~”

Her voice was clear, and her singing drifted like leaves on the wind, swaying gently.

Lu Manman sat on her bed with her laptop, checking her email.

“Dear Miss Lu Manman, based on your resume, our club is unable to approve your application to join at this time…”

“We regret to inform you that our club currently has no plans to recruit female team members.”

“We will keep your information on file for six months. If we need to recruit new members during that time, we will contact you.”

…

This was Lu Manman’s first experience with such a disheartening failure.

In the past, her inbox was filled with offers from American teams and even international teams, inviting her to leave Queen and join their ranks.

She had never encountered such a uniform string of rejection letters.

As her father Louis had said, abandoning the name and past of W to start anew was no easy feat.

She scratched her head in frustration and hopped onto Line to complain to Akko about it.

【Akko Getting Rich Today: Reality check. It’s tough to make it in China too.】

【Lu Manman Barely Holding On at 12: At least give me an interview opportunity! Rejecting me just based on my resume, what’s that supposed to mean?】

【Akko: Who told you to act cool and start over? Who cares about that?】

【Lu Manman: Please take me under your wing.】

【Akko: Go cling to your husband’s golden thigh. Maybe that’ll work.】

【Lu Manman: Even my husband won’t help me. He won’t even give me a substitute spot.】

Thinking about the most recent email, which was a rejection letter from Team X, Lu Manman felt a chill in her heart, like autumn winds and rain. It was too cruel.

【Lu Manman: How about you give me back my W mask, and I’ll go for a wild run.】

【Akko: ……】

【Akko: Ahem, suddenly remembered my mom called me home for dinner. Talk next time.】

【Lu Manman: You sold my mask, didn’t you – -】

【Akko: …Sweat.jpg】

【Lu Manman: You sold it and didn’t even split the money with me. Trying to hide it from me. Disdain.jpg】

【Akko: I just sold it last week and was about to tell you. It sold for 140,000……】

【Lu Manman: 9283 3948 0202 098.】

【Akko: I’ll transfer it to you, I’ll transfer it to you! Right away! Damn! You’re still oppressing me even after leaving!】

Hanging up the phone, Lu Manman sighed and gathered some clothes to take to the communal laundry room.

Here, she had to wash her clothes by hand, with no washing machine available. Leaving home to struggle alone was indeed a tough journey.

Nearby, she overheard some girls chatting:

“Do you know Cheng Yu?”

“How could we not? That girl is so wild.”

“I saw someone pick her up in a Mercedes at the dorm yesterday.”

“Really something.”

“Is she being kept?”

“Who knows? I heard she works part-time at a bar at night. Definitely up to no good.”

“Tsk, such a waste of a pretty face, turns out she’s just a slut.”

“Pretty? Are you kidding? It’s just makeup. Without it, who knows what she looks like.”

…

Lu Manman could understand some of the harsh words being spoken, like “slut” or “mistress,” as her vocabulary in Chinese insults was quite extensive.

After finishing her laundry, Lu Manman picked up the basin and walked out, only to see her roommate, Cheng Yu, in the corridor outside.

Cheng Yu had long, loose, wavy hair and was holding a cigarette. Beside her was another basin filled with clothes.

Was she avoiding the laundry room because she overheard the others gossiping about her?

Cheng Yu slightly tilted her head and noticed Lu Manman, “Did you hear that?”

Lu Manman nodded frankly.

Cheng Yu shrugged indifferently and walked into the laundry room with her basin. A sharp scream from a girl immediately followed.

Lu Manman rushed into the laundry room to find Cheng Yu holding a cigarette in one hand and grabbing a girl’s hair with the other—the same girl who had just called her a slut.

Cheng Yu’s face was icy, and her voice even colder, “You enjoy talking behind my back, right? Come on, say it to my face. What did you just call me?”

The girl’s scalp was hurting from being pulled, but she couldn’t break free because Cheng Yu was too strong. The other girls around were too scared to intervene and only threatened, “Let her go! If you don’t, I’ll call the dorm supervisor!”

The girls turned to leave, and Lu Manman happened to be standing by the door. She casually closed the door.

Seeing that Cheng Yu had brought backup, the girls were genuinely scared. They huddled against the wall, unable to speak.

Two sharp slaps landed on the girl’s face. Cheng Yu had no mercy.

“Ah!”

The girl, after being struck, went crazy and charged towards Cheng Yu, ready to fight. But she was no match for Cheng Yu. Cheng Yu disarmed her and threw her aside with one hand.

“Sister will teach you how to be a person.” Cheng Yu’s eyes were cold. “Don’t be defiant. The two words you used to insult me, these two slaps are more than enough.”

Lu Manman, this time, was a spectator, watching the drama unfold.

The girls, after being thoroughly disciplined by Cheng Yu, left in a sorry state.

“Such a trash!” Cheng Yu clapped her hands, turning to Lu Manman, “I thought you would help them.”

Lu Manman said, “Why would I help them?”

“Because we have a history.”

Lu Manman remembered that they had fought right after the start of the school year. She shrugged, “I told you, one thing at a time, I don’t hold grudges.”

Cheng Yu said, “Anyway, I’m just like this. I don’t provoke anyone, but don’t try to bully me. I don’t care what others say about me, but it’s best not to let me hear it.”

Those girls, having learned their lesson today, dared not gossip behind her back anymore.

“Still, thanks,” Cheng Yu said to Lu Manman, “You didn’t go to the dorm manager to complain, and you even helped me guard the door.”

Lu Manman replied nonchalantly, “Protecting my team, allowing teammates to entrust their backs, and facing the challenge calmly, are the basic qualities of a good support.”

Cheng Yu said, “But it’s a bit edgy. What is that?”

“《Battle Royale》 real-life competition.”

“I knew you played that. When we fought that day, I felt like your skills were trained.”

“I was a professional player,” Lu Manman said, “But I retired.”

Cheng Yu’s eyes lit up, “You were a professional? I couldn’t tell.”

“Do you play too?”

“I used to, but later I found it boring, so I stopped.”

“Why boring?”

“Playing alone, always getting the chicken dinner, what’s the point?”

Lu Manman raised an eyebrow, “You’re pretty good then.”

Cheng Yu gave a cold laugh, “Sis has many talents.”

….

After the laundry room incident, Cheng Yu and Lu Manman’s relationship eased considerably.

From time to time, when Cheng Yu returned to the dormitory in the morning, she would bring Lu Manman and Xia Tian small cakes or chocolates.

She said they were gifts from clients. As for who these clients were, Lu Manman didn’t ask further. She didn’t like gossiping, especially about other people’s privacy. Of course, Xia Tian wouldn’t ask either, because she was only interested in studying.

A week later, Lu Manman finally received a job interview invitation from a gaming team.

She jumped out of bed excitedly, “Ah, ah, ah, it’s here, it’s here, finally got an interview!”

Even Xia Tian, who was watching English videos, looked up, “Are you looking for a job?”

“No, it’s a 《Battle Royale》 professional team,” Lu Manman replied to the email, “I want to continue playing professionally.”

“You’ve been gloomy these past few days because of this, haven’t you?”

“Yeah, but thankfully I finally got a reply.”

Lu Manman saw that the email was from the π team, a very strong team that was ranked closely behind X.

Xia Tian said, “Congratulations, you can finally do what you want to do.”

“Thanks.”

Lu Manman excitedly noted down the time and location of the interview. Since the π team had the foresight to invite her for an interview, she definitely couldn’t disappoint them.

Lu Manman had interviewed new recruits during her time at Queen, so she understood the general routine.

The interview would involve asking some questions to assess character, as teamwork is crucial in competitive games like this. Then there would be comprehensive physical tests, and finally, possibly a small-scale live battle simulation…

These were all minor matters for Lu Manman. She was absolutely confident that she could stand out during the interview.

…

Jiang Tian Grand Hotel.

The X team and the π team had a match scheduled for the next day. The night before, the players and executives of both clubs were invited to dinner, a chance for the teams to meet.

The professional managers at the table were actually quite chatty, discussing team development and industry prospects.

But the players, on the other hand, just stared at each other, not even bothering with fake pleasantries. They simply couldn’t stand each other.

During the meal, Yuan Xiu went to the restroom. As he came out, he overheard the π team’s manager talking.

“Old Xu, are you coming to watch tomorrow?”

The man called Old Xu was about forty years old, slightly overweight, and with a shiny face.

He stood in front of the bathroom mirror, patting his half-bald head with water.

“Can’t make it, I have a new recruit interview tomorrow.”

“The female college students you mentioned yesterday?”

“Yeah.”

Hearing the words “female college students”, Yuan Xiu paused, just about to step out of the restroom.

“That’s good. You’re recruiting female players, did the board approve?”

Old Xu chuckled, “Gotta give the girls a chance, right?”

“Heh, Old Xu, you’re such a good guy. You always like giving girls opportunities, especially young and beautiful college girls.”

Yuan Xiu frowned, walking back to the private room. He felt suddenly uneasy, like something was off.

Ah Heng pouted, “Look at π, they’re so confident, they even eat more than us.”

Ren Xiang laughed, “I saw their official account post. If they beat us and get the chicken dinner tomorrow, they’re going to sponsor the fried chicken shop at the entrance of B University for a whole day. All π fans can eat fried chicken for free.”

Ah Heng was shocked, “Wow! They’re so rich!”

Gu Zhefeng’s ears perked up, “Wanting to eat fried chicken more than chicken dinner? Let’s throw a fake match!”

Ren Xiang nodded, “I think it’s a good idea.”

Ah Heng scoffed, “You have no ambition!”

Ren Xiang said, “I just feel like out of all the professional teams in China, we X are the stingiest. Last time we entered the S-series global competition, the captain only gave fans a 250 yuan prize.”

Gu Zhefeng added, “And half of it was from our own black box accounts, which he forced us to return to him.”

Yuan Xiu absentmindedly hummed, “What?”

Ah Heng said, “They’re discussing throwing a fake match to get free fried chicken, and how you’re stingy.”

Yuan Xiu didn’t hear him. He looked up at Old Xu, the π team’s manager, opposite him. Old Xu was drinking with someone.

His face was flushed, his eyes were shifty, and he looked more and more sleazy.

Ah Heng said to Yuan Xiu, “Why are you so distracted today?”

Yuan Xiu snapped out of it, “What?”

Ren Xiang chimed in, “Ah Heng said you’re distracted, are you nervous?”

Gu Zhefeng said, “I’d believe Ah Heng would get up and do a striptease on the table, but I don’t believe the captain is nervous.”

Yuan Xiu murmured, “Nothing.”

He looked back at Old Xu.

It should be fine…