C13 Part3

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Chapter 13: Internal Troubles and External Onslaughts (Part 3)

In the months that followed, Qiu Ying lived a prison-structured life.

Senior year of college was primarily graduation projects and internships. In order to become a permanent STV Conquer commentator, Qiu Ying accepted every kind of offline competition commentating work, running all around the world. No matter whether it was a commercial match held in a thousand-person stadium or a college league on a crude site without any soundproof rooms — you could see her at any of them.

There were times when the organizers didn’t make the proper arrangements. She even had to help set up the commentators’ desk, pulled out of thin air, outside the venue. The weather hadn’t yet gotten warmer, and as she spoke she took gulps of cold wind. Several times she had been photographed not going out to a restaurant with the other commentators because she was too busy at noon, instead finding a step to sit down on and reviewing materials while gnawing away at her lunch box.

After each new update, other than professional players, commentators as well had to memorize all of the data at once and understand for themselves the newest version. Regarding this, Qiu Ying’s diligence was nearly matchless. When she commentated at games, the changes in the heroes’ skills and descriptions of new items flowed from her mouth as she opened her mouth. Not only that, she still tried to continually improve her Conquer skills and rank higher, so she could do enough work to expose Qiao Xin as a substitute.

Because the top teams only participated in the country’s major offline competitions, Qiu Ying had nearly no way of seeing Ji Xiangkong during this time. She buried all of her doubts and anxieties deep within her heart. She cheered him on every day before they went to sleep, and as long as she saw his smile in his side of the video, it was as if all of her exhaustions could be scattered by the wind.

In June, the CPL Spring Season closed its curtain. Beyond everyone’s expectations, Lin Yixuan’s team that had just advanced into the ranks of the strong, Newland, defeated the three giants to become the champion of the Spring Season.

Every year, the Conquer China region had three tickets to advance into the Seattle Global Finals. The champions of the Spring and Fall Seasons each got one, and the last was set aside to be selected out of the four teams with the highest total score across seasons.

Legend and Dragon — there would be one team without a chance to go fight for their country.

After twin defeats, as expected, only the two giants were left in the end. Qiu Ying wasn’t the commentator for the final game; she was helping out backstage. When she ran out to run an errand, she bumped into Ji Xiangkong and Pei Xi talking with each other.

This was the first time Qiu Ying had seen the two of them in a private conversation. The atmosphere surrounding them was a bit tense, the two’s expressions both very serious. Ji Xiangkong pointed out how Pei Xi disregarded his teammates’ fates and that his arbitrary playstyle would become the team’s weakest point; Pei Xi dug his heels in, he didn’t believe in his teammates, so he always prioritized guarding his own economy as the norm during games.

“Pei Xi, if it’s just a one-v-one, you can win against anyone in the world.” Barely audible, Ji Xiangkong sighed. The corners of his mouth were still lifted, but it was a sign of him suppressing his ire. “But Conquer is a team’s game. If five fight against one, you won’t be able to win them all, no matter how strong you are.”

Seeing Pei Xi in silence without saying anything, Ji Xiangkong laughed lightly. The expression of his eyes gradually grew imposing, his voice becoming more and more aggressive as well. “Or, are you just enjoying the happiness that comes from your own heroism and you don’t care about how the other four teammates feel? For you, could it be that esports is just something fun that a genius who’s never encountered any failures dabbles in once in a while?”

Pei Xi still had no response. To Ji Xiangkong, that was the same as acquiescing. His eyes curved and his right hand slowly formed itself into a fist, then loosened again. Doing his best to restrain the trembling of his voice, he said, “You have so much talent but don’t value it properly. Then why not give it to me?!”

Qiu Ying’s heart tightened as well. Ji Xiangkong had always said he didn’t like Pei Xi, and it was true that he played Conquer well, was handsome, and arrogant to boot. But how could such an open minded person truly regard the other as a thorn in his eyes, yet also hate him for letting down his expectations and so persuade him to improve himself?

No matter whether it was like or hate, perhaps it was because the other person had always had it, everything he longed to possess himself.

“I’m serious.” Pei Xi shook his head, gaze fixed on Ji Xiangkong. “I want to win.”

Ji Xiangkong’s eyebrows finally relaxed. He smiled without anything more to say.

Thus the two of them parted. When they passed by each other, Ji Xiangkong knocked on Pei Xi’s shoulder with his fist. “Good luck.”

In the following game, Pei Xi unleashed his bravery and Legend steamrolled Dragon 3:0, obtaining the very last ticket to Seattle.

Along with the end of the CPL Spring Season, STV published the list of names of those who were made permanent employees. Qiu Ying was the only one admitted.

With solid basic techniques, accurate BP lineup predictions, and immediate analysis of teamfights, under witness of countless people, Qiu Ying had step by step worked hard to shake off the title of “vase”.

Of course, Qiao Xin’s team wasn’t idle. How could the one that Youxing extolled as its First Jie be left off the list like this? They mobilized their water navy and constantly pointed out Qiu Ying’s game technique as substandard, as well as Qiu Ying’s previous crushing defeat in solo mid. Qiao Xin’s fans beat their drums of injustice to attack right at STV. A few weeks later, for some unclear reason in the end, STV released an announcement. Qiao Xin once again became Qiu Ying’s colleague.

This news made Qiu Ying feel as if she’d been struck with a thunderbolt. She’d long known that Qiao Xin had backstage connections, but she didn’t expect that Qiao Xin’s backstage was this solid! Qiu Ying and Qiao Xin were again pulled into the whirlpool of public opinion, up until a video published by an alt account dropped into the world.

In the video, Qiao Xin had carelessly been besieged by the enemies several times. In the camera frame at the lower left corner, she wailed and covered her face with her hands. After the video faded to black, a line of white words appeared: “Her hands are raised, but the cursor is still moving.”

It was like a stone falling into a pool of water, waves rippling out , but most people actually whitewashed Qiao Xin, saying that the video poster was maliciously splashing dirty water on her. Qiu Ying’s long-suppressed dissatisfaction and rage burst forth here. She sorted out every piece of evidence she had of Qiao Xin’s substitution in full detail and then disclosed it to Youxing Livestream Platform.

Who’d know that Youxing had long known that Qiao Xin was a substitute, but she was a pillar of their platform. Her reputation and many fans brought the platform a huge amount of pageviews, so they watched while turning a blind eye to it!

Qiu Ying was trembling from head to foot in anger. Thinking about how she’d be on the same stage, commentating, with such a despicable person from now on, she was wholly disgusted. In anger she exposed the details of Qiao Xin’s substitution on Weibo, writing with bolded black words: “If getting a substitute and gaining fans for the money is esports, then what on earth are the people who train arduously every day and are serious about this profession?!”

As soon as this Weibo was posted, the circle fell into an uproar, but public opinion was still one-sided. Qiu Ying discovered with a chill that the streamers had a tacit agreement about Qiao Xin’s substitution. They had qualms for how solid her backstage was and were afraid of offending those who were in authority. Every one of them dared to be angry but not to speak up, playing it safe to protect themselves, unwilling to stir up trouble.

There were even some famous commentators and esports reporters who supported Qiao Xin on Weibo. Qiao Xin’s fans took advantage of this to attack her in droves and wildly assault her, criticizing Qiu Ying as planting the blame to cover up her own.

Even Ji Xiangkong and Lu Yiyi did not support her at this time in her head-on conflict with Qiao Xin.

Qiu Ying turned off her computer and phone. Suddenly, she felt very, very tired. In these few months, as she grew to understand the circle deeper and deeper, she had seen that the halo of her dream had covered the utterly ugly side of it. Her hot blood was gradually cooling, but her heart was yet unwilling to accept it.

Qiu Ying was on the bed with her eyes open. For a long time, she couldn’t sleep.

There was a rainstorm outside the window. Raindrops pounded on the glass like a heavy hammer hitting the door of her heart. And the dark night had just begun.

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Good job Lin Yixuan and Newland, good job! A bit of a shorter update today, and it’s slower too, setting up the next chapter — the title of which also follows the last sentence of this one. Now it’s been nearly 1 year in-universe since the beginning of the novel… time flies, and we see how things have changed and stayed the same.

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