The setting sun dyed the horizon with a fiery red dusk. Along the streets, cyclists rang their bells as they passed by.

Akko searched for information about the X Team on Google.

“Oh my, that’s really Yuan Xiu’s hat!” Akko handed his phone screen to Lu Manman. “Take a look yourself.”

On the phone screen were four Chinese men from the X Team in their red and black uniforms. Three of them struck poses, while Yuan Xiu, expressionless, stood in the middle wearing the distinctive duckbill cap.

Yuan Xiu, the undefeated captain of X Team.

And now, the limited edition custom duckbill cap that had been his constant companion for years was now on Lu Manman’s head.

There was an abundance of information about Yuan Xiu online. Ever since the embarrassing encounter with him in the men’s restroom, Lu Manman had gone home that night and searched for legends about this man.

He emerged as a newcomer in China’s “Battle Royale” live competitive scene two years ago. Like a wild horse off its reins, he swiftly accumulated numerous solo championship titles in just a few years. After becoming the captain of X Team, Yuan Xiu led them to dominate both the north and the south, securing X Team’s unparalleled no.1 position in the domestic competitive scene.

His handsome and dignified appearance, combined with his low-key but impressive personality, earned him a large following of female fans in the national competitive scene.

And that wasn’t all. He was also the right-hand man of the god-tier male anchor in the “PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds” esports scene, driving millions of fans crazy and becoming a leading hot idol.

Lu Manman sighed heavily, holding her forehead in her hand.

Thinking back to the encounter with Yuan Xiu that night, she wished she could bury herself alive out of sheer embarrassment!

Akko took off the duckbill cap from Lu Manman’s head. “Is this your trophy from defeating the enemy?”

“Of course not.”

Lu Manman recounted the embarrassing encounter in the men’s restroom to Akko, who patted her on the shoulder with a slap that almost gave her internal injuries.

“Damn it! You landed the final shot on X Team Captain Yuan Xiu in the game, and he ended up seeing you naked in the restroom.”

Lu Manman clasped her chest. “But he doesn’t know it was me!”

“Thankfully he doesn’t,” Akko said. “They say this captain seems gentle and polite on the surface, but in reality, he’s vengeful. If he knew it was you who took him out in the finals, he might have made you cry right then and there.”

Lu Manman muttered, “…That was a close call.”

Akko changed the subject, saying, “Earlier you mentioned 20 million, that was exaggerated. If you’re going to brag, at least be somewhat credible.”

“Is it really an exaggeration?” Lu Manman frowned. “I think the value of a queen is worth that.”

“A year ago, the value of a queen, and now…,” Akko suddenly realized something, fell silent for a moment, and then said, “It’s worth it!”

“You don’t need to comfort me.” Lu Manman patted his back. “My legs are just something I have to deal with.”

“To be honest, I think Danny made a big deal out of nothing. In a live competitive game like ‘Battle Royale,’ it’s about marksmanship, awareness, precision, auditory and visual reaction times, and intelligence. Speed comes last. Your leg injury won’t significantly affect normal gameplay. Kicking you out as queen was very unwise,” Akko said.

“In this period, my performance in competitions hasn’t been good, and in global events like this, physical fitness is crucial for team members. My injury has been dragging me down,” Lu Manman said.

Akko sighed.

Lu Manman smiled. “But I’m still confident and won’t give up on ‘Battle Royale’ esports.”

Akko nodded vigorously and gave her a strong pat on the back, almost causing her to stumble forward.

Lu Manman asked, “Did the Congo Gorillas team really embed diamonds on their uniforms?”

“For a team that got eliminated in the preliminaries, how would I know? But the rumors about their players’ salaries and benefits are really high,” Akko replied.

“Would they spend twenty million dollars to buy me?”

Akko said, “Are you crazy about money?”

“…”

“Don’t daydream. Their team members are all locals, they don’t accept foreign aid.”

“Why?”

Now, whether it’s the United States or South Korea, in both real sports and the esports scene, the population is diverse.

Teams have nationalities, but players do not, which is the basic reality of the professional sports circle, because playing professional matches is all about making profits.

“The chief of the Congo is quite patriotic. Nowadays, the clubs that have teams are all about making money. The chief’s father is wealthy, he formed a team hoping to represent the country, enter world competitions, and bring glory to the nation, so they only recruit locals.”

National glory, these four words are like vines, slowly climbing into the heart.

She then asked Akko, “Why do you play professional matches?”

“Obviously, for money,” Akko said without hesitation.

“Well, me too,” Lu Manman said. “I feel like we’re not particularly noble.”

Akko said, “I’m slightly better. I also want to rely on my performance in the matches to get the admission letter and full scholarship from Columbia University next year.”

“Wow.”

“Impressive, right?”

“Very impressive.”

When they arrived downstairs at Lu Manman’s place, the night had gracefully descended upon the earth.

Lu Manman said, “I’m heading back now.”

Akko patted her shoulder, “Keep it up! Don’t give up, there will always be a way.”

“Roar!” Lu Manman also playfully punched back.

After Akko left, Lu Manman sighed softly, took off her cap, and the X on the brim shimmered softly in the moonlight.

…

In the evening, Lu Manman was sprawled out on the sofa, picking at her toes with one hand while switching TV channels with the remote in the other.

Retired life was as dull and uninteresting as the talk show on TV.

Just then, her phone buzzed with a message from Akko: “Lu Manman! Get on Facebook now!”

Lu Manman lazily opened the Facebook app, and the news on the homepage made her sit up in surprise.

[Breaking news, Team X is offering $2000 to buy Smile Goddess W, is this for real!]

[I’m at the scene, the manager of Team X said it himself.]

[Wow! Chinese backers have money!]

[That’s not the point, the point is that our W is coming back! hooooo! Exciting!]

[But even with W joining, a third-rate team like X won’t be able to make a comeback.]

[Are you kidding? Team X almost beat Queen this season!]

[What do you mean almost, they were far from it!]

[Debunked: Team X did not buy W, wishful thinking.]

The account that debunked the rumor had no posts or information on it, looking like a zombie account, and it was quickly drowned out by a flood of comments.

[Queen is going to cry now.]

[They got what they deserved for driving away my goddess.]

[Goddess W, join Team X and get your revenge!]

Sweat beads appeared on Lu Manman’s face. “This is bad, really bad.”

Akko’s message came through: “Spreading rumors feels good, sending you to the crematorium.”

Lu Manman exited Facebook and opened Weibo, where Chinese fans were also in an uproar.

[XTrueLoveForLife: OMG, breaking news from Facebook, Smile Goddess W is joining Team X!!]

[LeoStudent: Is it real? Is it real? Is it real?]

[XTrueLoveForLife: I heard Team X’s manager spent 20 million to buy Smile W!]

[MmonicaX: Wow wow wow wow wow!]

[SmileMyGoddess: My goddess is coming to China! There’s hope for Chinese esports!]

[Ah Heng is My Son: You’re exaggerating. Team X made it to the World Championship this time. Winning the title is just a matter of time.]

[Smile My Goddess: So impressive, yet Yuan Xiu still got wrecked by my goddess.]

[MmonicaX: Yuan fans are arriving on the battlefield in five seconds, handing a shield to the commenter above.]

[Smile My Goddess: Oh no, I deleted my comment.]

……

Lu Manman then tapped into the verified official Weibo account of [X Esports Club].

The latest post read:

[Battle Royale New York Finals Day 1: Team X successfully advanced to the top 20, securing a victory in the decisive match against Team Canada Joseph!]

….

[New York Finals Day 13: Team X faced fierce competition from Team Queen and was halted in the top 8. #NeverForgetTheGlory #StayTrueToTheMission#]

The official account did not mention anything about W.

Lu Manman sighed in relief, then liked the post using her personal Weibo account [Girl Manman is Trying Hard Today at 12 Years Old] and replied to Akko:

“It’s okay, it’s just a rumor. W didn’t confirm it, and the X team’s official account didn’t mention it either. Don’t worry, the rumor will die out soon.”

Akko: “Trying to be smart, now you’ve made an even bigger mess.”

Lu Manman: “Judy was too arrogant. Could you have tolerated it?”

Akko: “[Facepalm] Lu Manman, you really are 12 years old.”

Lu Manman: “Even fairies have tempers.”

***

That evening, Yuan Xiu and Ah Heng returned to the hotel, where several teammates were sprawled on the sofa browsing Weibo.

Ren Xiang asked, “Captain Yuan, is it true that Smile W is joining us? The internet is buzzing about it.”

Yuan Xiu took off his jacket and hung it on a hook, calmly saying, “What do you think?”

Ren Xiang flipped off the sofa. “They say it’s legit, with a $20 million price tag! People on Facebook are calling us ‘China’s Overlord Rich Team’.”

The lazy teenager, Gu Zhefeng, sprawled out in a relaxed manner, said lazily, “Ha, how proud.”

Ah Heng chimed in, “If anyone’s a rich guy, it’s the investor. What does it have to do with you two?”

Ren Xiang asked, “So, is it true or not?”

Yuan Xiu sat on the sofa and lit a cigarette. “It’s just a rumor made up by Smile W’s fangirls to hype their idol.”

Ren Xiang exclaimed, “Wow! How do you know?”

Ah Heng replied, “We just got back from W’s farewell party. We saw the rumor being created firsthand.”

Ren Xiang: “You guys went to an enemy team’s farewell party? Weren’t you afraid of getting mobbed?”

Ah Heng coughed lightly: “That’s not the point. The captain wanting to snag free cake isn’t the point either.”

Yuan Xiu: “If it’s not the point, then why mention it?”

Ah Heng: “The key point is that an Asian fangirl pretended to be our manager and was even wearing the captain’s limited edition X cap.”

Ah Heng suddenly frowned, looking puzzled at Yuan Xiu: “Wait, how did your cap end up on a W fan’s head?”

Yuan Xiu yawned: “There’s an international ‘Battle Royale’ friendly match tomorrow. Everyone should get some rest and be ready.”

Ren Xiang became interested, and Gu Zhefeng quickly got up from the sofa. They all crowded together, gossiping excitedly: “The captain said he was hooking up with a fan in the men’s restroom that night. Who knew it was actually a W fangirl?”

“Oh my gosh!”

“Captain, you’re amazing!”