# Chapter 94
After the match officially ended, the Saint staff finally went to the commentary booth. They hastily notified a few commentators and the broadcast director, asking for a few minutes to give Old A a retirement farewell.
Against the startled expressions of the commentators and all the audience, Old A held the microphone with his right hand slightly trembling. Smiling calmly, he introduced his seven years of professional career that had no highlights but was full of effort. He thanked all the staff of the Saint team he had served since his rookie days. He thanked his teammates over the years, thanked Angel Sword for years of companionship and mutual support, and wished the local region well, hoping everyone would have good results at this year's World Championship.
"Many people... might only know I exist in the league because of my retirement. Though I didn't leave any mark, I fought in the league for years just like everyone else, never dared to put in less effort than others. Limited by talent, I was never known by many—that's only fair. The arena only looks at results. All I could do was never slack off, to make myself feel justified." Old A turned to wave at his teammates, and finally said, "The honors I've won are too few, and that's only because my ability wasn't enough. There's nothing to complain about. I'm already very fortunate. I'm honored to have competed on the same stage as this group of brilliant people, and to have happily spent the most important seven years of my life at a club with such a great atmosphere. Starting last year, I somehow became the starting player for our team, and ultimately completed my retirement ceremony at such a large event—all because..."
Old A's eyes filled with tears. After pausing for half a minute, he continued, "—because our club's owner, management... and my teammates never gave up on me. They all knew my right shoulder was about to fall apart, yet they still didn't give up on me..."
Old A wiped his tears and continued, "They didn't give up on me, so I couldn't give up on the team. My ability is limited. I wouldn't dare stay on the coaching staff and hold everyone back, but after retirement I'll join our team's practice squad and do my best to repay the team. I've been a substitute for so many years, I'm really good at being a practice partner. I'll do my best to help our starting players—please rest assured, my fans. I could never leave Saint. Go Saint! Everyone, fight on!"
Old A bowed deeply and handed the microphone back to the host.
Yu Sui and Shi Luo were inside the venue and could clearly see the Saint players, coaching staff, and their owner waiting for Old A below the stage. When Old A came down, everyone held each other for a long time.
Shi Luo tried hard to hold back his tears, taking photos of them from afar.
Yu Sui looked at Shi Luo. "First time watching someone retire?"
"First time seeing it in person." Shi Luo sent the photos he took to Angel Sword and murmured softly, "When Old Qiao retired, they recorded a video. Everything he said was just standard lines, none of it from the heart. That video was less than three minutes. At the time, I just felt suffocated, but it wasn't this... this direct."
Shi Luo glanced sideways at Yu Sui, whose expression was as usual, no different from before the match.
Shi Luo asked, "How many times have you seen it?"
"Way too many. I've been a pro for so long, I've lost count." Yu Sui pretended not to see Shi Luo wipe the corner of his eye and said softly, "Don't worry about looking embarrassing. The first time I saw a teammate of mine... not Ji Yanhui, it was too early, a player you never even heard of. Also a flanker."
Yu Sui continued, "The first time I witnessed a teammate retire in person, even though I didn't cry... I changed my in-game ID and avatar to his and played straight for thirty-something games without eating, drinking, or sleeping. I was young at the time, fifteen or sixteen, way more emotional back then."
"You..." Shi Luo frowned. "Someone else retired, why did you punish yourself?"
"Because I thought it was my fault." Yu Sui looked calmly at the Saint team still embracing in the distance. "I thought it was because I wasn't carrying hard enough that he couldn't keep playing. I couldn't accept it."
Yu Sui turned to look at Shi Luo and smiled. "Everyone has their dark history, right?"
"This is hardly a dark history..." Shi Luo wasn't surprised by this reason. He glanced at Angel Sword in the distance and murmured vaguely, "You support players are all like this... then what if it were me?"
The audience in the venue was filtering out, getting noisier and noisier. Yu Sui didn't quite catch what Shi Luo said. "What about you?"
Shi Luo had barely started speaking before he felt ridiculous. After hesitating, he continued, "What if I retired—what would you do?"
"Shi Shen, there's no need to eat this aged vinegar, and besides..." Yu Sui's lips curved slightly. "It's hard to say which one of us would retire first, isn't it?"
It really was hard to say which one would retire first. Neither of them had any overuse injuries. Though Yu Sui was two years older than Shi Luo, the support role wasn't as physically demanding on players. More importantly, it relied on game sense and reflexes. Yu Sui was only twenty-one this year, at the peak of all his abilities, and his ability to control the flow of battle was only getting stronger year by year. His competitive abilities truly had no signs of decline.
It was an undeniable fact that Shi Luo's professional lifespan would shorten after switching to flanker, but he had the advantage of youth, a strong body, and exceptional talent. Comparing the two...
It really was hard to say who would retire first.
"Let's go." Except for the die-hard Saint fans, everyone had pretty much left the venue. Shi Luo rubbed his forehead. "Let's... let's go..."
Yu Sui called the driver, falling a couple steps behind. After telling the driver they were on their way, Yu Sui caught up to Shi Luo and gently squeezed the back of his neck, whispering, "That year my teammate retired, I only changed my ID for thirty-something hours before switching it back. If you retire before me... I'll change my in-game ID to yours and won't change it until I retire. How about that?"
"I'm not jealous." Shi Luo's possessiveness toward Yu Sui was too strong. He couldn't even tell if he was jealous or not. He hadn't had any particular thoughts just now, he was just affected by Old A's retirement. "Watching them, I felt terrible. Sigh..."
"I get it." Yu Sui said softly. "Someone retired, and only then did we realize Saint fought through the entire season under enormous pressure. No team makes it through without struggles."
Shi Luo nodded. "That's exactly what I meant... Let's go home."
The two had originally planned to have a date outside all day—watch the match, then go eat, watch a movie, the whole thing. But they weren't in the mood anymore. Shi Luo kept thinking about the final game. The more he thought about it, the more grateful he felt. Every single one of his teammates was more lovable than the last. His own base was goddamn so warm. No matter how many stars the outside chefs had, none of them could cook as well as their base's aunt.
But worried that Yu Sui's precious stomach would hurt from hunger, before going home Shi Luo had the driver stop at a congee shop near the venue. He got out and bought a cup of hot congee for Yu Sui.
"That time you had a stomach bleed... it really took a toll." Shi Luo handed the packaged congee to Yu Sui, still resentful about it. "Who knows how many months of professional lifespan it cost."
Yu Sui slowly blew on the congee and reminded him, "Shi Shen, while you were buying congee, it seems like you got photographed again."
Shi Luo closed the car door. "Let them photograph if they want."
Shi Luo thought that watching a retirement ceremony live would affect the most sentimental person with the least life experience—meaning him—but when they got back to base, before they even reached the door, they heard Old Qiao's wailing.
"Huh? You two... back right on dinner time?" Zhou Huo was on the first floor. He looked at Yu Sui and Shi Luo in surprise, exasperated. "You finally went on a date, and who exactly is this? Being this frugal? Coming back to eat?"
Shi Luo rubbed his ear. "What is Old Qiao doing?"
"From watching the match to the retirement ceremony to their post-match interview..." Zhou Huo rubbed his temples. "He completely self-inserted and got so moved, more genuinely emotional than anyone on the Saint team. He's been crying from start to finish."
It wasn't yet time for dinner. Yu Sui and Shi Luo went upstairs to change clothes, and on the way they glanced into the training room where Old Qiao was quietly crying.
Inside the training room, Chen Huo and Old Qiao were together rewatching Old A's retirement video. Old Qiao's eyes were red, constantly wiping the corners. Choking up, he said, "This is a proper retirement. This is a proper ending! Having teammates by your side, even losing the match is glorious..."
"So what if Old A didn't have any achievements? He had teammates! He had Angel Sword! That's enough! I'm a flanker too, I understand! That feeling when your support risks everything to protect you—it's so warm!" Chen Huo leaned against Shi Luo's cushion, clutching Shi Luo's tissues, rapidly pulling out tissues to hand to Old Qiao, self-pityingly chiming in. "What about me? If I can't play anymore and have to retire in the future, who will be my Angel? Who can I rely on? Yu Sui? Can this scumbag let me lean on him?!"
Puppy, expressionlessly blank, saw Yu Sui and Shi Luo and spread his hands. "Over an hour now. These two got moved by the other team, especially Old Qiao. He can't pull himself out."
Shi Luo knocked on the training room door expressionlessly.
Old Qiao turned and saw it was family. Not feeling embarrassed, he paused the video, kept watching while continuing to sob about his own feelings. Suddenly he turned to look at Yu Sui, touched by memories, and tears fell. "When I retired, there was no support player, no teammates. Nothing..."
Chen Huo also looked at Yu Sui, whose expression remained natural, and demanded, "Yu Sui, do you even have a heart? When the camera cut to you during the match, you didn't even get red-eyed! You're worse than Shi Luo! Look at Angel Sword, then look at yourself!"
Yu Sui was莫名其妙 (confused/confounded) at being scolded. "Shi Luo was affected because it was his first time seeing someone retire. I've seen too many... I didn't really have a connection with Old A specifically. Is it strange not to have a big reaction?"
Old Qiao gave Yu Sui a look of blame, tears still flowing.
"You just have no heart." Chen Huo said sharply. "If it were me, would you protect me like that?! Would you throw yourself in front of me without hesitation?!"
Yu Sui: "..."
Yu Sui was so exasperated by Chen Huo's question. He seriously asked, "I throw myself in front of you... are you dying or something?"
Old Qiao wanted to cry but also kind of wanted to laugh. Stuck in between, he could only grab the tissues himself and wipe his face.
Puppy coolly said, "Can you guys be a little more rational? Face our team's icy team camaraderie, don't daydream, okay? We're not the warm and fuzzy type."
Chen Huo slung his arm around Old Qiao's shoulder, patting Old Qiao while sighing, "You people have no heart."
"If you're going to dream like this, let me give you a heads up." Yu Sui sat down, languidly. "I wouldn't throw myself in front of you. There's even a chance that when you're about to get the last kill of your professional career... I'd habitually steal your head."
"Pfft." Old Qiao finally couldn't hold it in. "Even my last kill gets stolen..."
Yu Sui glanced at Old Qiao and slowly said, "I'm just this kind of person. Didn't you know that a long time ago?"
Shi Luo realized only belatedly that Yu Sui, Chen Huo, and Puppy were teasing Old Qiao, trying to get him to stop being resentful about his hasty retirement ceremony.
Sure enough, being robbed of the last kill unexpectedly hit the funny bone. Old Qiao's emotions broke. He couldn't cry anymore. Rubbing his face, he finally closed Old A's retirement video and无奈地 (helplessly/resignedly) said, "It's also good... Old A's was too sad. I might not be able to handle it. Retiring quietly was also good."
Old Qiao quickly pulled himself together. Standing up, he urged, "Dinner dinner, training after dinner. We're playing the semifinals too. Saint didn't hold anything back in their games these past days. They didn't say it, but they were basically giving us practice. Don't let their kindness go to waste. Let's all play well at World Championship."