Chapter 8
Half the private room went quiet.
People farther away couldn't quite hear what was being said at this table, but the heavy atmosphere spread instantly. Everyone sensed something was off and turned to look over.
The private room fell silent as a library.
No one knew the details of what had happened between Yu Sui and Shi Luo, but everyone was well aware of the big grievances between them. It was an unspoken understanding.
Saying these two were like water and fire was an understatement.
If Shi Luo had pulled out a watermelon knife and lunged at Yu Sui right now, no one would be particularly surprised.
From the moment they'd learned Yu Sui had returned to the country, everyone had quietly anticipated this confrontation would eventually come.
The singing, drinking, and dice games all stopped. Everyone watched with bated breath, nerves on edge.
Shi Luo was already half-drunk, the flush on his neck spreading down into his low-cut T-shirt, making him look even more dangerous. Shi Luo rubbed his neck, nudged a small stool over with one long leg, and sat down facing Yu Sui across the table.
"Been back for a while now." Shi Luo stared intently at Yu Sui, cracking open a beer as he spoke slowly. "Still haven't been able to say hello to the God."
Before Yu Sui could respond, Chen Huo—who understood Shi Luo was here with bad intentions—laughed and tried to smooth things over: "And now you have! Hey, your match last week was brutal! I rewatched that game from your perspective—you had WaWa completely figured out, I'm telling you…"
Shi Luo didn't even glance his way, treating Chen Huo like he didn't exist. He kept his eyes on Yu Sui. "Is the God building a new club?"
Yu Sui looked surprised, then understood.
Shi Luo was just too smart.
Gu Qian watched Shi Luo warily—the young man was clearly drunk. He said firmly, "Shi Luo, you've had too much. Want me to call your team's assistant? Or I can take you back. Let's talk another day…"
Gu Qian had looked after Shi Luo before. Though Shi Luo had grown more reclusive these past two years, he'd always respected Gu Qian. But right now, none of that mattered. Shi Luo acted like he hadn't heard, his eyes only on Yu Sui. "The God is building a new club, right?"
Yu Sui knew he couldn't avoid this today. After a moment, he said, "Yes."
Shi Luo nodded, more to himself. "See, I guessed right again."
He took a sip of beer and asked, "So, do you need an entry fragger?"
Everyone froze.
The players sitting farther away exchanged bewildered looks.
What was Shi Luo getting at? Was he actually considering joining Yu Sui's team? Hadn't he sworn to never have anything to do with Yu Sui ever again?
How much had he drunk to actually ask Yu Sui if he needed an entry fragger? If these two ended up on the same team, they might stab each other at the slightest disagreement.
What kind of hellscape of a team would that be?
Gu Qian and Chen Huo exchanged glances, completely puzzled. Hadn't the little wolf pup been ready to tear Yu Sui apart moments ago?
Compared to everyone else's shock, Yu Sui remained relatively calm. After a moment of silence, he said, "Yes."
Shi Luo met his gaze directly. "Am I—right now—worthy of being your teammate?"
Yu Sui, who had thought himself already impervious to all pain, stared at Shi Luo and suddenly found it hard to breathe.
Yu Sui nodded. "You are."
Shi Luo burst out laughing, his eyes full of mockery.
Chen Huo's expression immediately soured.
After laughing for a moment, Shi Luo nodded. "Good, that's good…"
"They were playing dice just now, right?" Shi Luo took another sip and looked at Yu Sui. "God, how about you play a game with me too?"
Chen Huo's tone sharpened. He cut in, "Play what with you?"
Shi Luo's eyes seemed to contain only Yu Sui. He didn't look away, tapping his long middle finger on the marble table. "On this tray, there are nine cups of the strong alcohol they use for mixing cocktails—over ninety proof. And one cup of lemon tea."
Shi Luo looked at Yu Sui, the corner of his mouth curving up slightly. "God, you just pick one cup and down it. If you happen to pick the lemon tea…"
"Bullshit!" Chen Huo couldn't take it anymore. "Who the hell would play this? One in ten odds—who could possibly guess right? And even if they did, what's the point? Just to win a cup of lemon tea from you? Don't be insane—"
"You pick the lemon tea," Shi Luo cut him off, "and I'll join your new team for free."
The private room went utterly silent.
Shi Luo's gaze was sharp. "No signing fee. I'll fight for you. I'll play a full season. Deal or not?"
Chen Huo hesitated, stunned by this sudden windfall. For a moment he forgot what he'd been about to say, stammering, "But what if—what if you pick the alcohol?"
Shi Luo looked at Yu Sui, who still hadn't spoken. Hatred practically leaked from his eyes as he slowly ground out, "Whatever you pick, you drink it all."
"Drink it all?!" Chen Huo completely exploded. "Are you insane? That's at least four hundred milliliters per cup! Anyone drinking that much ninety-proof liquor would be in serious trouble. You want him to drink it?! Maybe other people don't know, but don't you know about his condition?!"
"His life is valuable, but isn't my entire season's signing fee also valuable?" Shi Luo said calmly. "High risk, high reward. Pretty fair."
Gu Qian stared warningly at Shi Luo. "Evil."
Shi Luo acted like he hadn't heard, pulling out a cigarette and sticking it between his lips as he lit it. "So, God, one in ten odds. Are you playing or not?"
Shi Luo took a drag, his tone growing impatient. "If you don't play, I'll have the server clear the drinks."
Chen Huo snapped, "We're not playing! Clear them!"
Shi Luo started to rise…
Yu Sui said, "I will."
Shi Luo's fingers trembled slightly, nearly dropping ash on his hand.
"Are you out of your mind?!" Chen Huo stared in disbelief before completely losing his temper. "Are you trying to die? Do you have any idea what shape your stomach is in? You want to end up in the emergency room again?!"
Yu Sui's expression was calm. "I'll play."
Shi Luo exhaled smoke and silently cursed.
Shi Luo dropped his half-smoked cigarette into the beer can he'd been drinking from. "First, let me repeat the rules…"
Shi Luo looked up at Yu Sui. "No matter which cup you pick, you drink it all."
Yu Sui nodded. "Understood."
"Yu Sui." Gu Qian had never expected tonight to go this way. If he'd known Shi Luo would act like this, he never would have brought him here on his own accord. Gu Qian frowned. "Enough joking around. Everyone's had too much to drink tonight. No telling where jokes end and seriousness begins. Let's just call it a night."
"Appreciated." Yu Sui grabbed a milk carton someone had left on the table, opened it, and took a few gulps. "Don't try to talk me out of it. I'm playing."
"Playing what?! Chugging a few sips of milk is going to do what?! That's vodka! Could be used as rocket fuel!" Chen Huo looked like he wanted to strangle both of them. He shot Yu Sui a fierce glare, stepped forward, and lowered his voice, grinding his teeth. "If you want him that badly, we can just buy him from IAC! Name a price! What's money compared to a life?"
Yu Sui slowly shook his head. "Can't buy him."
Shi Luo heard every word clearly. He let out a mocking laugh. "Wanted to buy him now? Too bad. The moment I walk out that door, there's no way I'm joining your team. Ever."
Chen Huo's blood was boiling. "You little—"
Wa Wa, sitting nearby, couldn't take it anymore. Timidly and quietly, he tried to mediate. "Shi-ge… it's not worth it. Whatever conflict or misunderstanding happened before, there's no need to actually drive someone to the hospital, right? This is going too far…"
Shi Luo ignored Wa Wa.
Yu Sui lowered his head, pulled out his phone, and sent a message to his private doctor back home. Then he set the phone aside and looked down at the ten transparent drinks on the table.
Shi Luo must have instructed the servers beforehand. Every cup was topped with a thick layer of fresh mint leaves used for mixing cocktails, completely masking any bubbles on the surface and distorting the liquid's color—as if to prevent identification by aroma. The tray holding the ten drinks was also soaked in vodka, the strong alcohol fumes mingling together, making it impossible to distinguish anything.
Yu Sui stared silently for a full minute, then gave up trying to use his experience to guess.
Ten cups arranged like this—even a trained bartender couldn't tell them apart.
Chen Huo's face was red with frustration. He clenched his teeth. "Have you lost your mind? The odds are so slim, there's no way he can pick right! Don't you get it? This little wolf pup is exacting revenge! He wants a legitimate excuse to send you to the hospital!"
Shi Luo cracked open another beer for himself and didn't argue.
Yu Sui looked at Shi Luo—the way he smoked, the way he drank, all熟练得令人心惊. For a moment, he was lost in thought.
It had only been two years.
Across the wide table and the nine cups of deadly spirits, they stared at each other.
It had only been two years.
"When I left before, I was in a bit of a rush. There's something I'd been meaning to say but kept forgetting."
Yu Sui looked at Shi Luo. "It was my fault, Ge was wrong. I didn't keep my word."
Shi Luo's eyes instantly reddened.
His Adam's apple moved painfully. He said hoarsely, "Drink."
Yu Sui nodded. Without even trying to pick, he randomly grabbed one of the cups and, before Chen Huo and the others could stop him, tilted his head back and took a sip. His whole body froze.
"What is it?! Spit it out! If it's not lemon tea, spit it out!" Chen Huo was panicking, ready to climb the walls. "What's with your expression? The car's downstairs—get up, I'm taking you to the hospital…"
Yu Sui slowly took another sip. "…Lemon tea."
Everyone in the private room immediately let out a collective sigh of relief,冷汗直冒 with residual fear.
Chen Huo still couldn't believe it. He snatched the cup and smelled it, muttering, "What the hell… What insane luck."
Yu Sui slowly finished the lemon tea. Shi Luo took a deep breath, tossed the beer can aside, and conceded with a nod. "About the transfer, I'll contact you later. Have your legal team prepare a contract in advance."
The people in the private room whispered among themselves, unable to stop marveling on Yu Sui's behalf. This wasn't just pure luck—spending nothing to directly sign the country's top entry fragger!
Gu Qian wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. Fearing more complications, he stood up. "Alright, you two can work out the specifics privately. It's late. Let's call it a night."
Having witnessed such a dramatic showdown, no one felt like singing anymore. They all nodded in agreement and started heading out. Only Shi Luo remained seated at the table, quietly staring at the remaining nine cups of vodka.
"Let's go!" Chen Huo was soaked in sweat, still recovering from the shock. He urged Yu Sui. "Come on, let's go. We'll figure out the arrangements when we get back."
Yu Sui moved slowly. He followed the crowd down the elevator, then waited at the lobby entrance of the club.
Chen Huo's heart was still pounding. He clutched his chest. "I almost died of fright… You're insane too! He's crazy, you go along with it? You're usually so careful with your health! What happened just now? If you'd actually ended up in the hospital again, it wouldn't just be a month of recovery—you know that, right?"
Yu Sui said nothing, lost in thought.
"You think getting him on the team is a good thing? He was just trying to get you killed." Chen Huo kept thinking about it and grew more alarmed. "He was never easy to deal with before. Now he's even worse. Straight-up trying to murder someone. And this is the little wolf pup you brought back and raised yourself!"
A light flickered in Yu Sui's eyes. He turned and walked back.
Chen Huo panicked. "My god, what now?!"
As Chen Huo tried to follow Yu Sui, Gu Qian happened to return from the underground parking garage, asking for his car keys. Chen Huo had no choice but to frantically dig through his bag for the keys that someone had mistakenly dropped in there, then rushed to deliver them to Gu Qian. Meanwhile, Yu Sui had already entered the elevator.
The elevator rose to the top floor with a ding. Yu Sui strode out and returned to the private room he'd just left.
In the empty room, Shi Luo was still in the same position.
Shi Luo looked up, frowned uncomfortably. "You won. Why are you still here? Come to gloat?"
Yu Sui stared at the remaining nine cups on the table. His fingertips trembled slightly.
Shi Luo realized what was happening. His voice turned sharp. "It's over. Get out!!"
Yu Sui acted like he hadn't heard. Before Shi Luo could stop him, he stepped forward and grabbed one of the untouched glasses, downing a mouthful.
Yu Sui's expression changed instantly.
His pupils dilated. He turned to look at Shi Luo in disbelief.
Shi Luo's eyes were bloodshot, like he wanted to hurt someone. He stepped forward and grabbed Yu Sui's wrist, his voice hoarse, emphasizing each word. "I. Said. Get. Out."
Yu Sui's lips trembled slightly. Slowly but firmly, he pushed Shi Luo's hand away and took another sip from another untouched "vodka" glass.
Yu Sui stood frozen in place.
After a moment, he picked up a new glass, took a sip, set it down. Then another, another sip, set it down.
Shi Luo gritted his teeth tightly.
One glass after another, his wrist shaking, Yu Sui picked up the glasses and drank from every single one of the remaining nine drinks.
Ten cups.
Every single cup, every single one, every single cup—all lemon tea.