# Chapter 29
Ji Yanhan sensed something was wrong in the bathroom. His heart racing, he stood up abruptly and rushed over. Yu Sui, fighting through the agony in his internal organs, raised his hand and closed the bathroom door, locking it.
There were still many matters he needed to negotiate with Ji Yanhan.
Ji Yanhan banged frantically on the door. "What's wrong with you? Are you vomiting again? Open the door! Let me see! Is it serious?!"
Yu Sui braced one hand against the sink, the other slowly pressing down on his stomach, forcing himself to stay focused. He needed to sort through his thoughts quickly.
Mǐnmǐn's family situation had probably reached its final crisis. The funding gap Ji Yanhan was trying to plug was enormous—the change had come too fast. There was no time left for Yu Sui to waste.
The situation was already bad enough. Yu Sui couldn't bear to imagine waking up on a hospital bed to find everything already settled. That would truly be too late.
He steadied himself for a moment and called through the door, "I..."
Yu Sui bent forward slightly, cold sweat dripping down his face. It hurt too much. The pain had gotten so intense he could barely see.
"I... I'll put myself on the transfer list. Other domestic teams might not be able to afford the price." Having already reached this point, arguing served no purpose—Yu Sui didn't have time for it. Suppressing the nausea and pain, he spoke as calmly as he could. "The owner of the Wild Bull Club... has always wanted me. He's mentioned it several times over the years. Go talk to him, ask for whatever the European team offered. He should be able to match it..."
Yu Sui paused to catch his breath. "NSN might not offer as high, but you could still ask. Their owner really wants the championship. They just need a medic. They should be willing to spend. Or ICE... they contacted me before, offered fifty million—that's an astronomical price. Go talk to their owner..."
Outside the door, Ji Yanhan's voice was hoarse. "So many teams... all approached you?"
And then some.
Appealing to their shared history was useless now. Yu Sui had no desire to revisit old sentiments—not only because it wouldn't help, but because it only added to the pain.
Ji Yanhan fell silent for a long moment. Yu Sui gritted his teeth and slammed his fist hard against the bathroom door. "Are you deaf?! Didn't you hear me?! Go find them! I'll go on the transfer list for two years—set any price you want. I'll go to any of them!"
NSN was fine. ICE was fine. Any team was fine. Even Wild Bull, with whom they'd just had a falling out.
As long as he could stay in his own region.
Another long moment passed before Ji Yanhan outside spoke, strained and压抑. "You think I haven't asked? If I could have sold you domestically, why would I want you out of the region..."
"The teams that want you are many, but they only want *you*—your own two-year signing fee can't plug my hole." Ji Yanhan's voice trembled. "Only the European Holy Sword team agreed to a package deal. They want five players at once..."
"A match... they can only field four maximum." Yu Sui压抑ed his voice. "They're buying five at once—are they idiots? And there's no way they only bought FS. They must have bought other top players from other roles too. What—do they have golden water fountains? Do they need that many people watching the bench?"
Ji Yanhan was silent for a moment. Then, steeling himself, he laid it all out. "Of course you're the one they really want. The others are... decent too. They bought other people as well. They want to implement the Korean system—rotating lineups, no fixed starters—so they can best motivate players to fight for starting positions through training."
Yu Sui nodded, understanding now.
Besides himself, Chen Huo, Puppy, Old Qiao, and Shi Luo would all be going. Even starting positions couldn't be guaranteed.
Yu Sui gripped the edge of the sink so hard his fingertips went white.
"Only they're willing to buy this many people at once, to cover everyone's contract terms in full..." Ji Yanhan choked. "If any domestic team could have afforded this astronomical price, why would I sell you to Europe? You think I don't know how disgusting this is?! I was a pro player too, damn it!"
Yu Sui managed a faint smile.
You actually remembered that.
Yu Sui spat a mouthful of blood into the sink and closed his eyes, forcing himself to calm down. His mind raced through the other four players' contracts.
Shi Luo had the longest contract term, but he was actually the easiest to handle. Ji Yanhan had given him such a low signing fee that the buyout was negligible—Yu Sui could easily cover it himself, no problem. The reason he hadn't forced Shi Luo to break his contract before was twofold: Yu Sui didn't want Shi Luo going to another team, and he figured things wouldn't escalate this far. Now, looking at it... he was actually the easiest to resolve.
Chen Huo still had two and a half years left. His signing fee was too high—not much lower than Yu Sui's own—and his contract had numerous restrictions. He was also tangled up in various agency agreements. Not easy to handle. But fortunately, Chen Huo had plenty of money.
Puppy had three years remaining. His signing fee wasn't that high, but the term was long, and since he joined the latest, his contract was probably the most restrictive.
The hardest case was Old Qiao. If Yu Sui remembered correctly, Old Qiao had just renewed his contract at the beginning of this year—he had at least four more years left. And he'd entered pro gaming originally to pay off his family's debts. It had only been in the last two years that he'd cleared his family's debt entirely. He probably had almost no savings. Asking him to buy out his own contract... was basically out of the question.
Yu Sui looked up at the mirror, took several deep breaths, and his mind grew perfectly clear.
"Old Qiao and Shi Luo's buyout fees—I'll cover them. Don't try to fool me..." Yu Sui said coldly. "The Holy Sword Club absolutely doesn't want a fragger with a hand injury, and they absolutely have no interest in a rookie medic who can't even hold a substitute spot. Those two were forced on them... Don't force them on them. How much? I'll pay."
Outside the door, Ji Yanhan hesitated. "You want to buy out Old Qiao? Weren't you closest to Chen Huo? If you do this... you really won't be able to buy yourself out."
Yu Sui instinctively turned toward the bathroom door. He opened his mouth, then stopped, not bothering to argue.
Not buy out Old Qiao? Watch him go to Europe to warm the bench, then fade into obscurity on some foreign team's substitutes' bench?
As a pro player, was there anything more terrible than that?
They walked different paths—nothing more to discuss.
Yu Sui still needed to gather his strength for the rest.
"Buy Chen Huo for another six months—the money comes from Chen Huo himself..." Yu Sui said, still in pain. "After I buy out Shi Luo and Old Qiao, I should have some money left... with the rest, buy Puppy for one more year. Go revise the contracts now—change their signing terms to match mine, two years each." Yu Sui endured the agony. "Ji Yanhan... if you still have any conscience left, sell me these contract terms."
Ji Yanhan was silent.
Ji Yanhan understood perfectly. Yu Sui was planning for the future—he wanted Chen Huo and Puppy to be able to return at the same time as him, two years from now.
"I know exactly how much money I have. Since I said I'd buy and pay, I can definitely afford it..." Yu Sui pressed his hand against his stomach, forcing coldness into his voice. "I've让步 to my absolute limit. You can refuse—but then that's it... consider it bad luck for those guys. I won't give a damn about anyone else... I'll just buy my own freedom. How about that? I don't know if Holy Sword will even want the rest of them without me."
"No!" Ji Yanhan said quickly. "You can't leave... Fine. We'll do it your way."
That was enough.
Yu Sui was in so much pain he couldn't speak. He pressed his forehead against the mirror and laboriously picked up his phone.
His vision was blurry. He struggled to scroll through his contacts, his voice weak. "One more thing... promise me one more thing..."
Outside the door, Ji Yanhan rasped, "Tell me."
Yu Sui's lips moved. He spoke two sentences in a low voice.
Yu Sui's voice was low, but Ji Yanhan outside still heard every word clearly.
Ji Yanhan stared at the bathroom door in disbelief. After a long moment, he nodded. "I never will."
Yu Sui exhaled in relief. Before he could put his phone down again, Ji Yanhan outside steeled himself and spoke. "I've already played the villain. I might as well... go all the way."
Ji Yanhan's lips quivered. "I'll keep your secret for you. In exchange... you keep one for me."
Yu Sui forced his eyes open, voice hoarse. "Say it."
"I promised Mǐnmǐn a long time ago—when we get married, we'll make it a huge celebration. We'll invite every famous player in the scene. Full livestream. It'll be more spectacular than any retiring player's wedding..." Ji Yanhan's face flushed crimson, his confidence crumbling as he spoke, until he was almost begging. "I don't want her to be cursed at and ridiculed when we get married. Maybe she won't even be able to leave the house. Yu Sui, she's been with me for six years..."
Yu Sui finally found Shi Luo's name in his contacts.
"Six years." Yu Sui stared at Shi Luo's name, silently murmuring. "You've known me for barely three months..."
Outside, Ji Yanhan choked. "I've wronged her too much over the years. I didn't fulfill a single promise I made to her. Now, if news of selling you all gets out—never mind everyone coming to celebrate, I probably won't even be able to hold the wedding. Yu Sui... I've already wronged you. I can only wrong you now. The transfer..."
"Everything was my idea."
Outside the bathroom, Ji Yanhan's eyes snapped open in disbelief.
Inside the bathroom, Yu Sui's voice came through.
"I wanted to go to Europe."
"I didn't want Old Qiao weighing me down anymore."
"I didn't want Shi Luo, this benchwarmer, blocking my path and碍 my business..."
"I wanted to go to Germany. I wanted to join the best team."
Inside, Yu Sui said softly, "Captain, congratulations on your wedding."
Now I don't owe you anything.
Yu Sui finally pressed call on Shi Luo's number.
After that, Yu Sui's memory grew fuzzy.
It seemed like he'd barely hung up when Shi Luo burst through the door a few seconds later. Yu Sui wanted to unlock the bathroom door, but he didn't even have the strength to lift his hand.
Dimly, Yu Sui heard Shi Luo telling him to get back. Yu Sui尽力往洗手间里侧靠了靠，next moment Shi Luo kicked the bathroom door lock off with one powerful stomp. Yu Sui sighed internally—this guy really was something.
The sink was covered in blood. The floor was covered in blood. Both his hands were covered in blood.
Anyone seeing this might think he'd tried to slash his wrists.
Shi Luo stared at the horrifying scene inside the bathroom, clearly in shock.
Yu Sui had thought Shi Luo would be terrified and run. He was about to tell him it was fine, but before Yu Sui could speak, Shi Luo turned and kicked Ji Yanhan in the stomach. The blow nearly gave Ji Yanhan a stomach bleed too.
Ji Yanhan, sobbing outside the bathroom with tears and snot, curled up on the ground from the kick. Shi Luo didn't waste time—after knocking Ji Yanhan unconscious with another blow, he sprinted into the bathroom, supporting Yu Sui. His voice shook as he spoke. "It's okay, it's okay... I'm taking you to the hospital. You'll be fine right away. You're so young—a little bleeding won't kill you. You'll be fine right away..."
Shi Luo helped Yu Sui downstairs at top speed. Below, a crowd of people waiting to celebrate Yu Sui's birthday stared in shock for a moment before rushing over.
After that, Yu Sui had no memory at all.
When Yu Sui woke again, he was in a hospital room.
In the room, Chen Huo, Puppy, and Old Qiao were piled together on a single companion bed, sleeping in a cramped, uncomfortable heap. Shi Luo had fallen asleep with his head resting on the edge of Yu Sui's bed, still clutching the hand that had the IV drip in his sleep.
Morning light was faint. Yu Sui moved as gently as he could to grab his phone from the bedside cabinet.
Yu Sui checked the phone. It was already the 24th.
Yu Sui unlocked his phone, skipped past a flood of greeting messages, and found Ji Yanhan.
**[Ji Yanhan]**: Contracts all done according to your terms. Don't forget what you promised me.
**[Ji Yanhan]**: Yu Sui, your brother isn't human. Hate me if you want.
Yu Sui set the phone down, relieved. He surveyed the few people in the cramped hospital room and let out a soft breath.
Every year on his birthday, FS's operations department would make him a birthday celebration video. Yu Sui rarely ever watched them—most were just compilations of his glorious battle records over the years, nothing interesting.
And FS's operations team always hyped him up too much. Yu Sui himself found it cringeworthy watching them.
Fifteen years old when he debuted, establishing a new paradigm for medics. Sixteen, thrust into command as captain, breaking league records. Seventeen, shouldering the entire club on his shoulders...
All lies.
Over his years in the scene, the only thing Yu Sui truly acknowledged was his actual skill. Everything else was half-truths—he'd always treated it all as fabrication.
When did he have time to do all that? What was Ji Yanhan there for? What were all those club staff for?
Thinking back on his career now, Yu Sui suddenly felt his virtue was wholly unequal to his position.
Setting aside what happened with Blade Edge team, when FS was first established, Old Qiao was clearly more qualified. But simply because Yu Sui had more fans and was younger, and the new FS team needed hype and fan attention, they forced a "young prodigy bearing great responsibilities" image onto him and forcibly handed him the captain's position.
Did Old Qiao say anything? No. He gave Yu Sui sincere congratulations, then continued doing everything a captain should have done—taking on the responsibilities that should have been the captain's burden.
Yu Sui had inexplicably carried this title, and over these years, it felt like he hadn't contributed much to the team at all. Many things he never thought of, Ji Yanhan, Old Qiao, and later Chen Huo and Puppy had quietly done for him.
And in-game, he played a support role. He should have been a healer, saving lives and healing the wounded.
But because his playstyle was unorthodox, as an assassin-type medic, his support for teammates was limited. Sometimes it was his teammates supporting him instead.
On the hospital bed, Yu Sui rested his head on his arm, thinking back over his pro gaming years—in-game, on the stage, he'd only wanted to win. It felt like he'd never truly protected his teammates well.
Five years ago, FOG officially launched its public beta. Yu Sui downloaded the client at home and browsed through the character selection screen. As he hesitated between the entry fragger and sniper roles, his mouse cursor accidentally hovered over the Medic class.
In the game interface, beneath the character model holding a photon shield in the left hand and a long dagger in the right, the Medic class description appeared.
He'd long forgotten the lengthy explanations before it. Over so many years, only the final line of the description stayed with him.
**【As long as the medic lives, teammates never fall.】**
During his edge-lord phase, Yu Sui had been instantly hooked by this line. A guy who'd only wanted to cause trouble had inexplicably stumbled into this ridiculous class, becoming the league's first assassin-type medic. After all these years of playing, he'd never truly protected his fraggers well, never protected his snipers well.
But after all, he was a medic.
The strongest medic in the entire league, using all his assets and reputation, transforming into five photon shields with three sides and six edges, firmly wrapped around his five former and current teammates. For the first time, he fully performed a medic's duty.
As long as the medic lives, teammates never fall.
Whether he lives or dies—that's for him to bear.