# Chapter 117
Because of funding issues with their original teams, many active players had been used as working capital for transfers. There were quite a few players who, having encountered unscrupulous bosses, had been sold off to other regions far away.
But among all the foreign players who had left their homelands to play under others, there wasn't a single one who could be shaped into someone like Whisper.
Young Master Yu had also grown up seeing and experiencing plenty. Hundreds of thousands, even millions in fines—he wouldn't even blink. Go ahead and fine me, I don't care.
Chen Huo remembered an old story and couldn't help but sigh. "There's this ridiculously stupid secret story—back when we first arrived here, it hadn't even been a week yet. We were taking photos for the new season's promotional campaign. It was supposed to be a normal thing, but our manager just got possessed or something. Right when we were about to wrap up, he had to say 'let's make it fun' and have us take some playful photos for the fans. Do you know what he made us do?"
Puppy sighed. "...Cat ears. The really cute kind."
Shi Luo: "..."
Old Qiao and Zhou Huo both choked.
"I swear I think he got scratched by a cat demon! Made us wear cat ears, then do this pose..." Chen Huo made a gesture with both fists, miming it, and then gagged. "Fuck, just thinking about it makes me sick. Made us stand in a row, put on cat ears, act cute and do cat paw motions."
Puppy covered his face with one hand, unable to recall. "Damn it, traveling across the ocean, working in a foreign country—we really had to endure every kind of suffering."
Zhou Huo wanted to laugh but felt his heart ache too. "Did you actually take those photos? Do you have them? Like... the cat ears..."
Chen Huo said helplessly, "It's not that I discriminate against cat ears, you know? If you brought me one right now, I'd wear it for you. Seriously, I'd meow for you. I'm willing! It's just entertaining the fans, right? As long as I'm in a good mood, I could even do a striptease for you. But at the time? The three of us, our faces got progressively worse. We all looked like we had just lost our wives. Yu Sui was already half-autistic by then... You want us to do promotion? At least consider the timing and circumstances, okay? I was worried sick that domestic haters would dig up my ancestors' graves back home—did I have the mood to meow for you?"
Shi Luo couldn't help but ask, "Did you actually take the photos or not?!"
"Listen, let me tell you slowly." Chen Huo shifted position and said unhurriedly, "At the time, in the photo studio, just like here now, the three of us were just sitting there... The cat ears were right there on the table. Nobody was paying attention to our manager. We were at a stalemate. Then of course, Sword's manager had to find trouble with Yu Sui first. He asked Yu Sui..."
Chen Huo looked at Puppy. "You do it—act like the manager."
Puppy picked up the cue and spoke in a falsetto, "Whisper, do you know how much the fine is for refusing to cooperate with the club's normal promotional activities?"
Puppy primly held up five fingers, expression haughty. "Five thousand euros, oh."
Puppy looked at Yu Sui. "Your turn—say what you said back then, act it out."
Yu Sui glanced at Shi Luo and said helplessly, "You people are all messed up. What the hell is there to reminisce about something so embarrassing?"
"Come on,快点儿的!" Chen Huo had been acting for半天, waiting for Yu Sui to finish the performance. "You wrap up the act, and we can get right back to training!"
Shi Luo frowned, staring intently at Yu Sui.
Yu Sui had no choice.
Yu Sui raised his empty left wrist and made a motion of taking off a watch.
Yu Sui pinched at empty air and said softly, "Do you know how much this watch costs?"
Yu Sui almost broke character. He held back a smile and said, "Fifty thousand euros, oh..."
"Pfft!" Zhou Huo couldn't hold it in, clutching Old Qiao's sleeve tightly, stifling his laughter. "When did you have such a 'bitchy' side?"
Shi Luo was still watching. Yu Sui knew his little boyfriend was most afraid of him suffering or吃亏, so he forced down his rare embarrassment and continued acting out the scene as it had happened back then. "Before signing, you'd better look into my family situation. I..."
Yu Sui cringed at his 19-year-old self's edgelord showing-off move. He couldn't continue acting, sank back into his gaming chair, and cursed. "Who the hell started this? You all sick or what? Back to training!"
Shi Luo imagined the scene, held back his laughter, and returned to his seat as well.
A small episode from their time abroad. Due to the time difference and the difficulties of circumventing the Great Firewall, what was happening in Germany hadn't reached domestic fans yet. Players' attention was focused on NSN. NSN had lost one match in group stage, and overall morale had dipped a bit. The players naturally wouldn't let them off, so during the two rest days for Group A, discussions about NSN remained hot among domestic fans.
"NSN seems to be really struggling."
Zhou Huo could handle three people's worth of work as long as it had nothing to do with game content.
The next day, the day before the second round of group stage matches, Zhou Huo，一边联系 teams from various regions willing to do practice matches with Free to arrange reasonable schedules, found time on another phone to arrange proper Chinese food for everyone, and also propped up a tablet to browse domestic esports forums and keep track of public opinion.
Free's players had been grinding practice matches for eight hours straight that day, then reviewed their training mistakes while eating. When everyone finally rested, Zhou Huo, multitasking on three fronts, still gossiped with the team. "Several domestic coaches analyzed that NSN's one win earlier did have some luck involved. Their opponents made huge mistakes that match. If they can't continue performing beyond their abilities with luck on their side in the second round, they'll probably fail to advance from group stage."
Zhou Huo worried. "If they don't advance, we'll become the last hope for the entire village. The pressure will definitely be even greater then... How did you guys feel when you scrimmaged with Gu Qian's team? Are they stable?"
Shi Luo shook his head. "Nobody can say for sure. Skill is one thing, but on-the-spot performance is another... Anything can happen in competition. We still need to see it in actual combat."
Chen Huo thought about it and frowned slowly. "Performance varies in actual matches. Hard to say. There are those kinds of people who really get pumped up during competition, like..."
Chen Huo harbored resentment about Shi Luo snatching three MVPs away, and said coldly, "Like Time God—when it comes to official matches, he easily performs above his level. He got MVP in his very first pro match. Now at his first World Championship, he's gotten three in a row."
"If you made fewer mistakes, didn't throw in easy games or fall apart in tough ones, the MVP would be yours." Old Qiao said unhurriedly. "In group stage matches against weak teams, Yu Sui couldn't even get going properly. He gave you the chance... But you couldn't capitalize."
Chen Huo knew his own reputation as an inconsistent player. He shrugged and said nothing more.
"Let's rest." It was already nine o'clock at night. Puppy stood up and stretched. "Tomorrow's the second round of group stage. Let's focus on advancing steadily first. Come on, brothers."
The remaining three ignored him. Puppy got up, grabbed his jacket, and headed back to his room first.
In order to let the players train better, Zhou Huo declined the training venue the game officials offered them, five kilometers from the hotel. Instead, the team paid to temporarily rent a small conference room in the hotel as a makeshift training room. The daily rental fee was absolutely staggering, but the benefit was that everyone didn't have to travel back and forth—they could go directly to their hotel rooms after training, not much different from being at their base domestically.
Every time Old Qiao entered this makeshift training room, his heart ached at the cost. Yu Sui couldn't care less. It had been his idea for Zhou Huo to rent the hotel conference room.
The amount of money didn't matter. Convenience was what mattered.
Training had ended for the day. Old Qiao looked at all the rented computers filling the room. "It's all money..."
"Ah, don't be so stingy. Yu Sui's got money." Zhou Huo said carelessly. "Can these young masters stand going to an internet cafe with you?"
Chen Huo also stood up to head back to his room. Zhou Huo looked at Yu Sui and Shi Luo. "You guys leaving?"
Yu Sui stood up. Shi Luo, full of energy, wasn't tired at all. He was still watching replay videos, didn't even look up. "I'll watch two more hours. You guys go ahead."
Zhou Huo frowned. "How long have you been going at it consecutively? Two more hours? Are you trying to kill yourself?"
Shi Luo put on his big over-ear headphones and acted like he didn't hear. Zhou Huo couldn't get Shi Luo to listen. He couldn't help but complain to Yu Sui. "Captain! Don't just stand there watching. We're about to go into playoffs—our star is about to burn out! Get him to come back!"
Yu Sui's expression remained blank as he looked at Zhou Huo and asked, "How am I supposed to get him to leave if you guys won't leave?"
Yu Sui placed emphasis on the "get" word. Zhou Huo had an epiphany, slapped his forehead, and left laughing, pulling Old Qiao along.
In the small conference room, only two people remained.
Shi Luo stared at the monitor, watching replay videos at 2x speed, his thumb constantly tapping the spacebar to pause and examine details.
From the corner of his eye, Shi Luo saw Yu Sui walk to the conference room door and lock it from the inside.
Shi Luo smiled helplessly. He couldn't explain it, but he... really wasn't playing games this time, deliberately getting Yu Sui to stay with him.
He really just wanted to review the footage.
Yu Sui walked over to Shi Luo's side, directly sitting on the desk to Shi Luo's left, then moved one long leg and nudged Shi Luo's arm with his knee.
Shi Luo looked up.
It was deep winter, but the hotel was warm. Yu Sui only wore a short-sleeve shirt on top, sweatpants below. He had been about to leave the conference room, so he had thrown on a long, loose down jacket—the standard internet addict outfit: not cold walking in the hallway, and when he got back to his room, he could just strip and go straight to bed.
But wearing such a mismatched outfit, paired with this face and this physique, sitting on his desk like that—Shi Luo still couldn't focus on reviewing.
Shi Luo took off his big over-ear headphones and hung them around his neck.
The scumbag Yu Sui nudged Shi Luo again with his knee. "Back to the room... let's sleep together."
The tips of Shi Luo's pale ears reddened slightly.
Shi Luo pushed his desk to create some distance between his gaming chair and Yu Sui, shook his head. "I won't be able to sleep if I go back either..."
Yu Sui raised the stakes. "Holding you while we sleep."
Shi Luo's lips unconsciously twitched upward.
Yu Sui continued raising the stakes. "Holding you, telling you stories to help you fall asleep."
Shi Luo lowered his head and smiled helplessly. "I definitely won't have any problems with tomorrow's match. I..."
"After the stories, if you still can't sleep, I'll sing you a song." Yu Sui's eyes sparkled with amusement. "Have you ever heard me sing? Not bad, actually. Won't be unpleasant to the ears."
That temptation was quite appealing... With things having gone this far, Shi Luo couldn't continue reviewing, but he still couldn't help but struggle. "I'm really not deliberately flirting with you. I just..."
"Just want to perform better, better, better..." Yu Suo interrupted Shi Luo and asked quietly, "The thing with Sword—it's still affecting you a little, isn't it?"
Shi Luo paused. He knew he couldn't hide it from Yu Sui. He admitted honestly, "Yes. They're quite clever. They know exactly where it hurts in my heart... Deliberately poke there. But don't worry, I won't let it show. I won't give them anything to use against me."
Yu Sui silently looked at Shi Luo.
Returning to this old place, he and Chen Huo and Puppy had felt more than a little melancholy.
But everyone was a veteran player by now. They wouldn't be affected too much. That day when Shi Luo watched Sword's interview, the three of them had been cracking jokes and clowning around—to joke, and also to adjust each other's moods.
It was all in the past now.
That day, Yu Sui had been so cooperative, forcing himself to imitate his 19-year-old self's cringeworthy show-off move—all to cheer Shi Luo up, to help Shi Luo let go, to make Shi Luo feel that it hadn't been that hard back then.
But looking at things now...
Yu Sui was silent for a moment. He lowered his head and looked at Shi Luo and suddenly smiled. "Feeling sorry for your brother?"
Shi Luo's face betrayed a hint of discomfort. He removed his headphones.
Shi Luo was silent for half a minute. His eyes suddenly reddened.
Shi Luo turned his head away烦躁ly, couldn't help but curse at himself. "Fuck... What are you crying for."
Shi Luo thought about getting up to splash water on his face, but before he could move, Yu Sui grabbed the armrest of Shi Luo's gaming chair and pulled Shi Luo over.
Shi Luo took several deep breaths, then finally buried his face in Yu Sui's chest.
The pure cotton warm T-shirt fabric of Yu Sui's chest gently absorbed Shi Luo's tears. Shi Luo buried his face deep in Yu Sui's clothes, his shoulders trembling slightly.
"I'm really..." Shi Luo desperately suppressed the choking in his throat. "Brother, I'm really... fucking hate it..."
Yu Sui lowered his head and kissed the top of Shi Luo's hair, voice gentle. "I know."
Yu Sui said quietly, "You've always had this anger inside, never let it out... I know. If you can't digest it and need to cry, just cry. There's nobody else here..."
"I..." Shi Luo gripped Yu Sui's sleeve tightly, his voice hoarse. "I know you're the type who doesn't take吃亏. I also know those two years with them probably weren't too rough on you, but I..."
Shi Luo had held it in for two days. He couldn't hold back anymore. Tears fell. "I still fucking hate it. Fuck their blood-stained ancestors... Why the hell?!"
"Youngster." Yu Sui gently flicked Shi Luo's forehead. "Such dirty mouths at your age."
Shi Luo wrapped his arms around Yu Sui's waist, gripping tightly.
He just couldn't help it.
He was heartbroken. Heartbroken for his brother, heartbroken for his captain, heartbroken for his boyfriend.
Heartbroken that such an amazing Whisper had to go through this kind of shit, had to waste two years in this crappy place.
When Shi Luo first joined Free at the start of the season, Yu Sui told him that when he first arrived in Germany, he hadn't liked talking or going out, so his hair had unconsciously grown long—spoken about casually.
Now thinking carefully about Yu Sui's state at that time back then, Shi Luo's heart ached so badly he felt like his chest would explode.
Yu Sui back then had also been a young master with thousands and tens of thousands of people doting on him.
Yu Sui smoothed Shi Luo's hair, letting Shi Luo cry into his chest.
It had to come out somehow.
But Yu Sui still couldn't help but tease Shi Luo. After Shi Luo cried for a while, Yu Sui mischievously spread open his large down jacket and wrapped Shi Luo up in it, then asked with a light laugh, "Getting stuffy?"
It was fine at first. After a while, it naturally would get stuffy. Shi Luo sniffled and sat up on his own. He felt embarrassed and didn't want to look up at Yu Sui.
But Yu Sui still pressed. "Done crying? Let's get it all out in one go, so when Sword pulls some more bullshit later, we won't have to get angry all over again."
Shi Luo wiped his eyes with his wrist. "Yeah."
Yu Sui asked again, "You won't let them bother you anymore, right?"
Shi Luo wiped his face.
Not bothered? How could that be possible.
Bad blood had already been established. Shi Luo was never the type who let things go easily.
This matter needed to have an ending.
But Shi Luo was certain he wouldn't embarrass himself like this again, wouldn't let Sword drive him to tears. So he nodded. "Yeah."
Afraid Yu Sui would worry about him during the competition period, Shi Luo cleared his throat, not forgetting to remind him. "You just said... you'd hold me while telling me stories and singing... to help me sleep."
Shi Luo grabbed several tissues and blew his nose, voice muffled. "Are you still counting on that or not?"
Yu Sui smiled. "I'm counting. Let's go."