After they got back, Bai Yu received a call from Zhao Qian.
He had just found time to watch Qi Yi’s match and the post-game interview, and was feeling a bit emotional.
“Captain Bai, you were right. Sometimes giving him pressure really does help him grow. I, Zhao Qian, truly have an eye for talent. I knew from the start you’d be the best captain.”
Bai Yu chatted with him for a while and learned that the team was considering setting up an operations department. Zhao Qian immediately went to talk to Zhou Xunwen about getting more investment.
Not long after, Zhou Xunwen called Bai Yu himself.
“It’s kind of crazy, actually. Old Zhao is like some kind of investment guru. Back when the team disbanded, everyone thought he’d lost all his money. Then boom, we qualified for the LPL and made him a fortune… I asked him if he had any investment secrets, and he told me to pray more, stay sincere, and it’ll work out.”
Bai Yu was amused. “Which god does he pray to?”
“Why are you asking?”
“We’re playing TIN soon. I want to pray too.”
“You can’t be serious, Bai Yu. You actually believe in that stuff?”
“If praying helps us beat TIN, I’d believe in Ultraman.”
“…..You’re unbelievable.”
They talked a bit more until Zhou Xunwen brought up something else.
“You know about TIN’s new jungler, right? A friend of mine mentioned that TIN kept him hidden pretty well. Apparently, they signed him really early, so if we hadn’t pushed to get Fang Zhixu, he probably would’ve been sold to DT.”
TIN had kept the new jungler under wraps. He didn’t even show up in scrims, only appearing during the regular season.
Bai Yu had always felt this new jungler was oddly experienced for a rookie, but the guy really was new to the league.
Normally, a homegrown trainee like that would be cheap. Even if their value rose, it would usually be after showing strong results. So back then, TIN most likely wanted to sell Fang Zhixu for a high price and use that money to sign Liang Xiangtian, completing their “galactic lineup.”
Keeping the new jungler hidden was just to make sure no one caught on and devalued Fang Zhixu.
Zhou Xunwen said, “I feel like what TIN did was kind of shady. They told me they didn’t want to let him go, but clearly they already had a replacement.”
Bai Yu stayed calm. He didn’t think 30 million was too much for Fang Zhixu.
“Teams still have to run as businesses. They can’t just ignore the money out of principle.”
But Zhou Xunwen had another concern. He hesitated before saying,
“My friend also mentioned that Fang Zhixu’s mechanics are just average. What makes him great is his decision-making. But he spent five years at TIN. They know everything about him. That’s why they were willing to let him go.”
Bai Yu listened quietly and just said, “Yeah, I thought of that at the time.”
He never really expected to beat TIN. He just hoped to steal a point from them. There was still time before playoffs, and they might find an opening later.
Zhou Xunwen relaxed, knowing Bai Yu had already considered this. After some small talk, they hung up.
That night, Bai Yu had trouble sleeping. The next day, he came to the training room and spent hours discussing plans with Song Bo, writing out various strategies, only to reject them all in the end.
The closer the match got, the more pressure they felt.
—
Game day arrived. RAG faced off against TIN.
Both teams were undefeated and ranked first and second respectively, so the match drew a ton of attention. The hype was sky-high.
Bai Yu did everything he could to secure RAG the best draft. They only had a 1% advantage over TIN.
But once the game started, Fang Zhixu’s every move was read by TIN. They took over the jungle early, affecting the lanes too. It was like they knew his every route. TIN’s mid-jungle synergy was superior, quickly shutting down Lu Sheng’s growth. Even when Qi Yi stepped up, he only lasted 10 seconds before being eliminated.
They lost the first game without putting up much of a fight.
In game two, Bai Yu boldly tried a new composition. Fang Zhixu changed his jungle pathing, but the gap in mid-jungle coordination was still too large. Liang Xiangtian seized on a single mistake, flew in, and wiped out RAG’s backline. TIN didn’t even bother taking the dragon. They ended the game in one push.
[Wow, is the gap between RAG and TIN really this big?]
[TIN’s so strong today!]
[I thought selling Fang Zhixu would backfire on them…]
[With Liang Xiangtian in this form? No chance.]
[Both teams were undefeated. How’s the difference this huge?]
[RAG hasn’t even faced IKG yet. TIN already beat them.]
[RAG’s just barely top three. Top two is a stretch.]
[The jungle was completely read. How do you play like that?]
[This is insane…]
[TIN had five years to study Fang Zhixu. They know him inside out.]
[He was totally countered.]
[TIN made bank. Sold off a player who can’t threaten them and used the money to upgrade.]
[RAG just lost 30 million for nothing.]
[The real battle starts in the offseason, huh.]
[This loss was brutal…]
[RAG got too many wins early. This sudden loss hit hard.]
After the match, Bai Yu sat in silence for a while. It wasn’t until the other team came over for handshakes that he finally got up.
TIN’s Liang Xiangtian was cold and expressionless. He just exchanged a glance with Lu Sheng before heading off to thank the audience.
Bai Yu watched them for about ten seconds before withdrawing his gaze. “Let’s go. Time to head back.”
On the bus, Bai Yu stayed quiet, covering his head with a jacket, not even bothering to plan new drafts like usual.
The silence was unsettling. Sitting in the back, Qi Yi fidgeted anxiously and whispered to Xu Bo, “Is Bai Yu okay?”
Xu Bo glanced over. “He should be.”
They had lost games before. Whenever that happened, Bai Yu always looked like he was giving up, but really, he was just deep in analysis. No one could interrupt him until he worked through it himself.
Hearing that, Qi Yi relaxed a little.
Chen Shi’an, seated nearby, added, “He’s got incredible mental calculation skills, so it drains him a lot. He probably can’t even hear us right now. If you don’t believe me, try calling his name.”
Everyone looked at each other.
Like hell anyone was going to try that. What if Bai Yu snapped?
When the bus arrived at base, Bai Yu still hadn’t moved.
Qi Yi whispered to Xu Bo, “You go wake him.”
“Me? No way.”
Just as Xu Bo was about to suggest Chen Shi’an, he’d already slipped away. Fang Zhixu didn’t want to poke the bear either. He tiptoed past like Bai Yu was a bomb.
Xu Bo grabbed Qi Yi and made a run for it too.
Now only Bai Yu, still covered with his jacket, and Lu Sheng, dozing in the back, were left.
Lu Sheng opened his eyes and saw Bai Yu still slouched over. Remembering what the others had said, he didn’t speak right away. But after a while, seeing how late it was, he got up and gently tapped Bai Yu’s foot.
“Hey, we’re here.”
No response. Bai Yu’s whole body was curled up under his jacket, looking weak.
Lu Sheng hesitated, then lifted the jacket a bit. Bai Yu’s eyes were tightly shut. He was fast asleep.
He’d already noticed Bai Yu’s dark circles earlier. Clearly, he hadn’t been sleeping well.
Bai Yu looked so defenseless in that moment, Lu Sheng almost wanted to hold him close and kiss him.
But of course, he didn’t dare. Instead, he slung his bag over his shoulder and leaned in to help him up.
Just as his hand touched Bai Yu’s waist, the other opened his eyes.
“What are you doing?”
Still crouched, Lu Sheng hadn’t expected him to wake up. It was awkward. Even though Bai Yu didn’t know what he’d been thinking, the cold gaze made him feel like he’d been caught.
He withdrew his hand. “Nothing.”
Bai Yu didn’t buy it. “Nothing? Then why were you so close?”
Lu Sheng had been about to leave, but hearing that, he suddenly leaned back in and kissed Bai Yu on the cheek.
“That’s what I wanted to do.”
Then he bolted off the bus, not daring to linger for even a second.
Bai Yu: "....."
His cheek still cold from the kiss, Bai Yu stared after Lu Sheng. Surprisingly, he didn’t feel upset at all.
He’d been in a bad place, exhausted and powerless in the face of failure. His thoughts were tangled and heavy, like he was sick.
He’d heard everyone’s voices and their footsteps, and he knew who stayed and who left. But he couldn’t move. He was too tired and too weighed down.
Then Lu Sheng touched his foot. Somehow, the heaviness lifted. When he opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was Lu Sheng’s hesitant gaze.
He knew Lu Sheng didn’t mean anything bad, but he still snapped at him on instinct.
And Lu Sheng’s answer had been a gentle kiss.
It felt like every time Bai Yu raised his hand to strike, Lu Sheng always believed he’d be given something sweet instead.
Maybe if he could be as fearless as Lu Sheng, nothing could stop him.
Looking at his chewed-up fingernails, Bai Yu felt a bit of strength return to his limbs. He couldn’t keep going on like this. He stood up.
Back at the training room, everyone was still up practicing. Even the staff stayed late, afraid to leave first.
When Bai Yu entered, everyone immediately snapped to attention, pretending to train hard.
But surprisingly, Bai Yu didn’t scold anyone. He calmly put his gear back in place, grabbed his jacket, and said:
“Once you’re done practicing, get some sleep. I can’t keep going. I’m heading to bed. See you all tomorrow.”
Then he left.
The room went completely silent.
Qi Yi thought he misheard and turned to look at his teammates.
Xu Bo looked spooked. “What’s going on? Did Bai Yu figure things out or not?”
Chen Shi’an was puzzled. “If he hadn’t, he’d be losing it. But if he had, he’d already be breaking down the match with us.”
Lu Sheng chuckled. “Maybe he’s just decided to go easy on himself for once?”
Chen Shi’an froze, then looked over at him.
The Bai Yu he knew would never go easy on himself. Not unless something had changed.