"Bai Yu, the first to fake injury in esports."
"Bai Yu faced FLG in this year's World Championship again, and lost to them with a 0:2 score, which reminds people of that match from back then…"
"I think Bai Yu should retire. Instead of occupying a spot, he should make way for newcomers."
"Bai Yu is a joke! Just a vase with no use! If he could still win a championship…"
"How does Bai Yu still have fans? The esports industry really is all about face, it's hilarious…"
The volume of the short video was turned up high, buzzing through the office. Bai Yu, sitting by the window, remained quiet, as if he couldn’t hear anything.
Only Zhou Xunwen was on edge.
He had grown up with Bai Yu, and their relationship was very close. He had only joined the team thanks to Bai Yu’s recommendation. Today, he was called into the office with the team manager but instead of explaining anything, they played short videos filled with nothing but negative content about Bai Yu.
Zhou Xunwen had endured as much as he could: "Mr. Yan, it's almost time for lunch. How about we discuss this over lunch?"
The team’s manager, Yan An, adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses. His eyes gleamed behind the lenses, and his smile was insincere, almost mocking: "It’s fine, there’s no rush. We can take our time."
He finally turned off the damn short video, and the office fell silent. The heavy soles of his leather shoes echoed on the floor, their muffled sound filling the room.
"Bai Yu has been with the team for almost three years now, leading the team every year, and nurturing so many outstanding players. I’ve seen all of it. It’s a shame that the public opinion isn’t in our favor, and the team’s situation is difficult. The headquarters wants you to step down from the starting position, calm things down a bit, and take this opportunity to rest. You can say you’re recovering from an injury."
Zhou Xunwen finally understood after hearing this and almost jumped out of his chair: "What? You want Bai Yu to be benched?"
Yan An corrected him: "Not exactly. The headquarters just thinks Bai Yu needs some rest. His performance in the past two years hasn’t been great, and perhaps resting will help him get better. Of course, if the newcomers improve faster, then it will be a competition for the spot, which is fair."
Yan An finally showed his truth nature.
They couldn’t afford to lose Bai Yu’s popularity, nor could they risk offending his massive fan base. But at the same time, the team needed results, so they came up with the "injury recovery" excuse to placate the fans. This way, Bai Yu would slowly disappear from the public eye, and once the public opinion calmed down, handling the situation would be much easier.
No wonder this has been the topic for days.
Bai Yu calmly listened.
Zhou Xunwen, however, was anything but calm. He couldn’t care less about being polite and lashed out in the office: "Is this how the team treats him? Bai Yu has led the team to the World Championships every year and brought so much honor to SG. Just because this year’s results were slightly worse, you want to write him off? I know you think he’s getting old, but he can still play. The loss this year wasn’t his fault, it was the whole team’s system collapsing! As long as you replace that damn AD and mid laner, I guarantee Bai Yu will get results next year…"
His angry shout could be heard outside the office.
The AD he was referring to was currently sipping coffee, nonchalantly shrugging.
Back in the office, Zhou Xunwen tried to control his emotions, knowing he couldn’t burn bridges. He still wanted to help Bai Yu: "If the team doesn’t trust him, I’ll vouch for him. I guarantee he’ll…"
"I understand everything you’re saying," Yan An interrupted him, smiling with only his lips moving, his eyes empty. "But the issue isn’t whether the team gives him a chance. It’s whether the fans are willing to give him a chance. Every time you check online, it’s all videos of people bashing him. This has gotten too big, and we have to deal with it. This is the best outcome for both sides."
Zhou Xunwen retorted angrily: "It’s all your fault! You love watching those videos, and the big data remembers you, of course it’s full of them!"
Bai Yu pulled him back, but Zhou Xunwen was beyond furious.
He shouted: "You all begged Bai Yu to join the team back then! What was the team like before he came? It couldn’t even make it to the World Championship! He worked so hard for three years, leading you to the World Championships every year. Now that the team has finally been built up, you’re going to throw him away, huh?"
Yan An smiled but didn’t react. His voice was like a soft knife: "Making it to the World Championship is good, but if you only get top sixteen, it’s better to not make it at all. What do you think, Bai Yu?"
This insult was as sharp as throwing a handful of dirt in someone’s face.
And there was no way to argue with it.
As one of the four major leagues, all three LPL teams are guaranteed to make it to the top six. In other words, Bai Yu had worked hard to get to the World Championship, only to secure a bottom-tier spot…
Zhou Xunwen’s nose ached, and he felt like crying. He couldn’t imagine how Bai Yu must be feeling at that moment.
He wanted justice.
But Bai Yu stopped him.
Yan An wasn’t someone with a good temper. His heavy leather shoes took two steps forward, looking down from a high position, sarcastically saying: "Zhou Xunwen, don’t think too highly of yourself. The team is being polite to you because of Bai Yu. Don’t get too arrogant. If you want to stay in the industry, you’d better keep your hands and mouth in check. Know what you should and shouldn’t say, and measure your words."
The pressure from Yan An made Zhou Xunwen’s scalp tingle. He knew Yan An had been transferred from headquarters, with strong backing and a high status. He opened his mouth, but found himself unable to refute. In front of such powerful capital, even Bai Yu wouldn’t dare to speak up.
Yan An silenced him and turned to Bai Yu.
He knew Bai Yu had a special status, and if this issue wasn’t handled properly, it would cause a huge mess for the team.
With a good-natured gesture, he reached out, his fingers cold, and straightened Bai Yu’s jersey. His gaze fell on Bai Yu’s nameplate, and his voice, cold but laced with insincerity, carried a hint of false pity: "You know, sometimes the arm can’t twist the thigh. If you insist on fighting back, you’ll be the one who suffers. What do you think?"
He smiled and patted Bai Yu on the shoulder.
"I’ve always thought you were a smart person, always making the best decisions on the battlefield. Go back and think carefully about my proposal."
The corridor outside the office was spacious, and no one dared to peek in. They all knew what this decision from the headquarters meant.
On the surface, it seemed like they were leaving a bit of dignity, but in reality, it was just a final squeeze of the remaining value from Bai Yu, a tactic they had seen many times in the circle. It was just that when applied to Bai Yu, it still felt a little cruel.
After all, Bai Yu was someone who truly relied on his strength, not just a pretty face.
When they came out of the office, all around were eyes that seemed to enjoy the show, especially that damn AD, who acted as if someone was protecting him, arrogantly provoking them, which made Zhou Xunwen’s forehead throb with anger.
The reason they lost this World Championship was because of that last team fight, when the mid-laner and AD suddenly retreated! If they had trusted Bai Yu enough to follow him in initiating the fight, their chances of a comeback would have been at least 70%!
He had always felt that the team’s double carries were pushing Bai Yu out, and now, after the World Championship, that feeling was even more obvious!
He suddenly kicked the cabinet hard and cursed, “I’m damn pissed! Who the hell wants to stay in this shitty team?!”
It was a cold day, with the temperature dropping across the city, which made his heart feel cold.
Zhou Xunwen sat down at the team’s entrance with Bai Yu. Both of them were dressed lightly, and before leaving, Zhou Xunwen, in a bid to show his so-called backbone, threw down his work uniform and ID badge and stamped on them hard.
He felt relieved at the time, but now, sitting there, he was freezing like an idiot.
The more Zhou Xunwen thought about it, the angrier he got. His trembling jaw couldn’t tell if it was the cold or his anger, “These foreign managers are all fucking beasts! Even beasts know how to be grateful! If it wasn’t for you joining the team back then, would anyone even care about SG? Now that the system is in place, they just want to kick you out! I won’t accept this!”
Bai Yu had become numb to hearing it, giving a soft “Hmm,” and patted the nearby step to signal him to sit down.
Zhou Xunwen sat down as told. The cold wind blew through, and the more he thought about it, the more aggrieved he became. “What are you thinking now, Bai Yu? I feel like you played really well in that match. Maybe with different teammates, you could recreate your previous glory. And back then, when things were so tough, you never gave up. Are you really just going to give in like this, without a fight?”
Bai Yu lowered his head, “It’s been a long time. I’m pretty tired. Taking a break isn’t a bad thing.”
Zhou Xunwen didn’t want to accept it, “Back then, things were tough, and you still held on. Now you’re just going to let someone else take advantage of you? And slowly fade away, forgotten by the public like this? That’s too cruel...” He wouldn’t accept it, “Even if you retire, it shouldn’t be in such a way!”
The cold wind passed between them. Bai Yu, unusually calm, said, “Actually, Yan An said something wrong. Getting to the top 16 is probably better than not making it to the World Championship.”
Zhou Xunwen froze for a moment. He realized that Bai Yu was really giving up, and suddenly, an unspoken frustration surged in his chest.
Everything from the past seemed like a blur. Zhou Xunwen didn’t want to see Bai Yu like this, so he took out his phone. “If worse comes to worst, we’ll just break the contract with SG and switch teams. I don’t believe that someone like you, Bai Yu, can’t find another team! SG’s been to two World Championships, and now they act like they own the world. I’m going to see if they can still make it without you next year!”
Before he could finish, his phone was suddenly pressed down by a cold hand.
Bai Yu, already lightly dressed, had also been urged by Zhou Xunwen to throw off his uniform and badge, just to prove his so-called backbone.
Sitting on the cold steps, Bai Yu exhaled, and the breath was visibly cold. His long lashes formed a fog, and his eyes seemed to have a clarity that came from seeing through everything. “It’s freezing. Let’s just go back for now.”
It was a cold winter night, and there were few people on the street. Bai Yu and Zhou Xunwen walked along, watching the hurried passersby, none of whom seemed to care about them, which made it feel oddly bleak.
After a while, Zhou Xunwen was about to say something when his phone suddenly rang. He answered but hung up impatiently after a few words. “What a lunatic, inviting you to coach in the secondary league…”
Bai Yu casually asked, “Is it that person again?”
Zhou Xunwen nodded. He had to admit, that person was a bit unrealistic, but he was sincere. He had gone through connections and courtesies, and his attitude was particularly humble.
Though his brain didn’t work quite right.
But this wasn’t the time to discuss that. Zhou Xunwen asked Bai Yu, “You’re not really going to accept Yan An’s suggestion, are you?”
Bai Yu didn’t want to speak.
Zhou Xunwen hurriedly added, “Don’t! Even if we retire, we can’t let SG have the upper hand. If you retire to a substitute position, it means you’re taking the blame for this World Championship loss, even if it wasn’t your fault. Over time, people will think it’s your fault, and it will be harder for you to return to a starting position!”
Bai Yu nodded, “My contract hasn’t expired. If I don’t agree, I’ll just sit on the bench.”
Zhou Xunwen raised his voice, “Then break the contract! Transfer! If necessary, let’s take it online and burn all bridges!”
His loud voice attracted the attention of some passersby, but he didn’t care. “Bai Yu, listen to me. Let’s switch to another team! Even if we can’t get to a high-tier team, let’s go to a lower-tier one! As long as you’re still playing, you’ll have chances to win! You’ll rise again!”
But can he really rise again?
Bai Yu wasn’t so sure.
With Zhou Xunwen’s voice still ringing in his ears, he wouldn’t give up: “Back then, when you were massively cyberbullied, it got so bad you had to take medication to sleep, you never thought of giving up. Sometimes, I even wanted to give up for you, but you never did. Back then, you had that kind of unyielding spirit. Why is it suddenly gone now?”
Bai Yu didn’t answer.
To be honest, he could hardly remember what it felt like to stand at the peak, having won all the major titles.
He only knew that his face became more famous than his skills earlier on, so he had to work harder than others, do more, and make more plays to show his abilities.
He had walked that road.
So he knew how difficult it was.
He no longer had the confidence to walk it again. He no longer had that strength, or perhaps, he no longer had that will.
Bai Yu had given up.
The streets were cold at night. No matter how tightly they wrapped themselves up, the cold still seeped in, creeping into their bones.
After a long silence, Zhou Xunwen suddenly stopped. He stared at his phone and made an incredulous sound: “Shit! Lu Sheng made it to the finals again this year! If he wins the championship again, he’s really going to take off! Lu Sheng…”
Lu Sheng
This name made Bai Yu stop in his tracks.