After the regular season ended, the team was given a short two-day break.
Although this was far less than what other teams were getting, for these players who had been cooped up for so long, even a short break was something to celebrate.
Qi Yi was overjoyed to learn that he could finally go home and visit his uncle. He rushed upstairs to pack his things and chatted on the phone nonstop. During the call, he found out that his uncle had bought him a brand-new 3D gaming setup. He kept repeating “Uncle, Uncle” over and over on the phone, which made Xu Bo feel incredibly bitter.
Sipping on one of the team’s complimentary drinks, Xu Bo muttered irritably, “So annoying. Who doesn’t have an uncle?”
Of course, his own uncle was nothing like Qi Yi’s.
There’s a saying that maternal uncles treat you like their own child, but Xu Bo’s uncle was a total piece of work. When Xu Bo’s mom was ill, the man avoided them completely. The one time he did show up, it was to try to sell them insurance. After Xu Bo’s mom passed away, that same uncle suddenly popped back up, aggressively trying to get recognized as Xu Bo’s legal guardian, probably aiming to take control of the money Xu Bo made from streaming.
Thankfully, Xu Bo was already an adult. He had cursed the man out over the phone, and only then did he finally back off.
So it really wasn’t surprising that Xu Bo was so jealous. The contrast between his situation and Qi Yi’s was just too stark.
Bai Yu was perhaps the only one who truly understood how Xu Bo felt. He quietly handed him a bottle of cola he had just bought.
“Any plans for the break?” Bai Yu asked casually.
Xu Bo had it all figured out. “A buddy I met while streaming invited me to stay at his place for a couple of days. We’ll play some games and just relax.”
Bai Yu let out a dramatic sigh. “And here I thought you’d stay behind at base and work on your garbage-tier hand speed.”
That made Xu Bo explode immediately. “What the hell? Even a farm mule gets a break sometimes, okay?”
He paused for a second, losing a bit of confidence. “Besides, my hand speed isn’t that bad, is it? I’ve been watching other pro players, and there are definitely some who are slower than me.”
He glanced at Bai Yu, realizing he was just teasing, which made him even more annoyed. “Do you have nothing better to do?”
Bai Yu chuckled, his eyes curving into crescents. Teasing Xu Bo always put him in a good mood. He casually reached out and tapped Xu Bo on the shoulder, but this time, his tone shifted to something more serious.
“I’ve talked to the higher-ups. They’ll settle your pay early, and your bonus too. You don’t have to wait until after the playoffs. Just make sure you don’t blow it all. Pay off what you still owe first, and save the rest for emergencies.”
Back when Xu Bo signed his long-term contract, Bai Yu had given him a substantial signing bonus. That money had already covered most of his debts, leaving just a bit left. Bai Yu knew the exact figure, and getting him his bonus early was a way to help him finish paying it off and avoid further interest.
Xu Bo muttered defensively, “It’s not like I spend money recklessly anyway.”
Then he thought about how Bai Yu was always quietly helping him like this. He felt a little awkward but still mumbled a sincere, “Thanks.”
Bai Yu pretended not to hear him. He leaned closer with a deliberately clueless expression. “Hmm? What did you say? I didn’t catch that. Say it again?”
His terrible acting made Xu Bo blow up on the spot. “You’re so annoying, Bai Yu! I’m going upstairs to pack!”
He stomped his way up the stairs, clearly flustered. Bai Yu just laughed again, took a sip of his cola, and glanced around at the others.
Fang Zhixu was leaving too. He didn’t tell Bai Yu where he was going, only vaguely mentioned he was visiting a friend.
Bai Yu didn’t press him. He simply said, “If you need anything, just let me know.”
Fang Zhixu understood that Bai Yu was referring to the situation at home. He smiled sweetly. “Of course. If something comes up, you’ll be the first person I call.”
There was nothing suspicious in his expression, so Bai Yu let it go.
Next up were Chen Shi’an and Lu Sheng. Bai Yu assumed Chen Shi’an would be heading home to spend time with his younger brother. That had always been his routine during breaks. Even if he only got half a day off, he would still make the effort to visit home.
Song Bo was also going home. He had just graduated, and this was his first job, so his family missed him a lot.
Finally, Bai Yu’s gaze landed on Lu Sheng.
Everyone else was packing up and getting ready to leave. Only Lu Sheng stood around doing nothing, hands stuffed in his pockets, watching people walk back and forth. Eventually, he just sat down and started playing a mini game on his computer.
Bai Yu couldn’t help asking, “You’re planning to spend your break at the base?”
Lu Sheng nodded. “Got nowhere to go.”
Then as if remembering something, he added, “Chu Tianyou is going to look at cars tomorrow. He asked me to go with him. Shouldn’t take more than half a day.”
Bai Yu laughed. “You don’t need to check in with me. It’s a break. Go wherever you want.”
Lu Sheng paused. On screen, his game character died, but he didn’t care. He suddenly looked up at Bai Yu. “Are you going home?”
Bai Yu nodded. For him, going home meant visiting his adoptive parents specifically Zhou Xunwen’s home. He hadn’t gone back in a while due to poor mental state and had used excuses to avoid it. But this time, he felt he really had to go, or his family would worry themselves sick.
He gave Lu Sheng a rough summary, and the latter understood.
Still, the thought of not seeing Bai Yu for two days felt strange to Lu Sheng. Something didn’t sit right. He asked, “Is it far?”
Bai Yu hadn’t expected the question and hesitated before answering. “Pretty far. It’s a small town in the south.”
Lu Sheng replied, “That’s not too bad. Still within the region.”
His tone was casual, but there was something off about his expression. When his eyes met Bai Yu’s, both of them paused.
Bai Yu seemed to catch on. Normally composed, he suddenly raised a hand to stop Lu Sheng and gave him a warning look. “Don’t even think about it. If you show up there, I’ll kill you.”
The threat didn’t carry much weight. Lu Sheng simply couldn’t imagine Bai Yu actually harming anyone. He even looked slightly amused. “What’s wrong with paying a visit to your elders?”
Bai Yu narrowed his eyes and shot back, “Try it, and I’ll send you to meet my ancestors instead.”
Lu Sheng choked on his own breath. What kind of hellish joke was that?
Still, he found it hard to picture Bai Yu being genuinely ruthless. Which made him want to test it even more.
Just then, Zhou Xunwen called Bai Yu over for something.
That left Lu Sheng alone in the training room, bored out of his mind. He eventually got up and stepped outside for a smoke. The break hadn’t even started yet, and he was already missing Bai Yu’s hellish training schedule.
Meanwhile, Bai Yu had just finished his talk with Zhou Xunwen and happened to run into Chen Shi’an.
The other person seemed to be deliberately waiting in the spot Bai Yu would pass. When he saw Bai Yu approaching, he stood up and said, “Can we talk?”
It was rare to see Chen Shi’an so serious. Bai Yu’s instincts told him this was something important, so he nodded. He glanced around and said, “Let’s find somewhere more private.”
The quietest place in the base was the fifth floor. Except for high-level meetings, it was almost always deserted.
Chen Shi’an stood on the balcony, looking down at the people moving about below. His voice was unusually calm. “Has Lin Kun returned?”
Bai Yu was caught off guard. “How did you know?”
In truth, Chen Shi’an hadn’t known for sure. He was just taking a gamble, and Bai Yu had confirmed it.
He smiled faintly. “The day we played against SG, I saw someone who looked a lot like him. I wasn’t sure at the time. But afterward, I kept noticing someone messaging you after matches. You didn’t look particularly happy or annoyed when you read them. How do I describe it... it was a complicated emotion. That gave me a feeling something was going on.”
Bai Yu hadn’t expected him to pick up on such subtle details. He nodded, not intending to hide anything. “He did reach out to me. He pointed out a lot of problems in the team. He was sharp, but accurate.”
Chen Shi’an understood immediately. With that confirmation, a lot of his previous speculations started to fall into place. He said with certainty, “That morning you weren’t at the base, you went to see him, didn’t you?”
He wasn’t even asking, it was a statement.
Bai Yu nodded again. He had no intention of lying. “He said he’s willing to be Lu Sheng’s training coach.”
After hearing that, the look in Chen Shi’an’s eyes changed.
He had anticipated a lot of possibilities, but not this one. He was genuinely surprised. “And what do you think about it?”
Bai Yu looked conflicted. “I haven’t made up my mind yet.”
He clasped his hands together and spoke slowly. “Theoretically, I should accept Lin Kun’s offer. No one understands the sardine effect better than he does. His presence would surely ignite Lu Sheng’s competitiveness, pushing him to improve. Lin Kun could help Lu Sheng identify his weaknesses. I may not be able to see Lu Sheng’s ceiling, but Lin Kun can. He really has the ability to help him grow. On top of that, he could also help me analyze Fang Zhixu’s issues. His joining would only benefit the team.”
But despite how obvious the advantages were, Bai Yu had been wrestling with the decision since the match against SG.
Chen Shi’an studied him closely. It was rare to see Bai Yu look like this. After a long silence, he seemed to notice something in Bai Yu’s expression and asked with hesitation, “Do you... really care about Lu Sheng’s feelings?”
Xu Bo, for example, always looked like a troublemaker but in reality was all bark and no bite. If Lin Kun joined, he would definitely grumble behind his back, but on the surface, he wouldn’t dare make a fuss.
Only Lu Sheng was different.
No one could predict how he might react.
Just like how he paid millions to terminate his contract and return to China, no one else in the world would have dared to do that except him.
Bai Yu’s hands tightened slightly before loosening again. He admitted, “Yes, I do care about how he feels. Maybe it’s because I hurt him three years ago, so this time, I want to handle things more carefully.”
Chen Shi’an stared at him for a long time, as if realizing something new. He looked away and said, “So there’s something more important to you than winning the championship.”
That line struck a chord with Bai Yu.
His desire to win the championship had always been extremely strong. Even when Lin Kun suggested becoming Lu Sheng’s trainer, Bai Yu had already subconsciously accepted the idea. All he had been considering was whether Lu Sheng and the others would accept it, or if there was a more tactful way to break the news. Not whether to reject it.
But he couldn’t deny the truth. He had hesitated.
The fact that he hadn’t immediately agreed to Lin Kun’s proposal was strange in and of itself.
A hint of confusion flashed across Bai Yu’s face. Maybe he realized this was beyond his usual decision-making scope, which was why he hadn’t given Chen Shi’an a direct answer earlier.
A breeze passed between them, lifting their hair slightly.
Once Bai Yu calmed down, a flood of thoughts came rushing in. He asked quietly, “What do you think I should do?”
Chen Shi’an’s usual smile had faded quite a bit. But when Bai Yu finally spoke, he turned to look at him right away. After seeing Bai Yu’s side profile, he smiled faintly, and his voice softened. “Bai Yu, if this is really making you feel conflicted, why not let me handle it? I want to help. Would that be alright?”
To Bai Yu, Chen Shi’an was someone he trusted completely. He didn’t even hesitate. “Alright.”
Then he remembered how stubborn Chen Shi’an could be. He paused for a moment and asked, “What are you planning to do?”
Chen Shi’an smiled again. “First, I’ll make sure he understands who actually calls the shots on this team.”