C15 Part2

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Chapter 15: Phoenix (Part 2)

Ten years ago, back when esports hadn’t yet become more than a niche activity that couldn’t be put on a table, professional players hid among smoke-filled internet cafes, the air filled with the smell of instant noodles and low-quality cigarettes. They didn’t even have the guarantee of a warm and well-fed life.

At the time, their wishes were so pure, but it was because of a single sentence of their boss’s: “I want to make a Chinese team who can defeat the foreigners to become the strongest team in the world.”

When he was the only person left in the training room, Ji Xiangkong stared at the Phoenix team logo of a phoenix on the wall. He thought of that night he’d fallen to his lowest. Cris had drove to downstairs his house and told him that he was planning to invest in a new team for him.

There were no stars in the ink-black night. The bright, clear moonlight poured across Cris’s body, as if a beacon illuminating the hopelessness.

Back then, Ji Xiangkong had covered his face with both hands. When he heard his voice, tears fell from his eyes, drop by drop.

“Back when I was first playing professionally, unlike now, when we couldn’t become the champions we didn’t have a single penny left. Without results, our team was disbanded, and we irontight brothers went our separate ways.

“I once had a teammate who kept on losing successive games because of his poor condition. Finally, he couldn’t withstand the pressure. He jumped off a building and killed himself.

“At the time, I couldn’t do anything. But now, I finally have the ability to protect others.

“Xiangkong, inviting you to enter Legend is the most correct decision I’ve ever made. I have no need to care about those abuses and criticisms. I wasn’t wrong, I don’t regret anything.

“As long as you believe, you’re the strongest.”

All of the blood in his body seemed to ignite in an instant. His whole head sounded with a buzz. Ji Xiangkong lifted his head to look at Cris, his fingers trembling uncontrollably.

The man who said these words just now was the one who was called the legendary captain of Chinese Conquer.

Before the Seattle Global Finals was established, very late in the era when four-protect-one was popular tradition, he once initiated a 20-minute push and broke through the balance of the game with his power alone. During the two weeks of competition, one by one the other teams tried to imitate his lineup and playstyle, but no one could conquer the team he commanded. With overwhelming valiance, he forced D Corp. to immediately update the game after the competition. From hero skills to equipment attributes, all of the elements that pushed the boundaries were weakened.

Cris’s existence unendingly overturned the gaming traditions of Conquer. D Corp. both loved and feared him. Fans even joked, “A generation of releases, a generation of gods, generations and generations of releases to cut off C god.”

Other than him, a second tactical master had not appeared in China for a very long time. All the way until the Third Global Finals, when Ji Xiangkong brought the second-string team Newland up to the quarterfinals. His incredible acrobatic lineup, unusual way of moving around, and mysterious ever-changing combat style made him very eye-catching.

Unfortunately, the flaw of Ji Xiangkong’s hand speed made most people play close attention to him as a professional player who had extremely mediocre operating talent.

But from beginning to end, Cris held fast to his way of thinking. Heroes cherished heroes. He knew that Ji Xiangkong wasn’t randomly choosing his equipment in order to get attention at all, and that his understanding and grasp of the situation went far beyond ordinary people’s.

After bringing Ji Xiangkong under his command, such a national idol in the esports circle withstood the enormous pressure of public opinion, renounced the position of BP and commander, and haded it over to his heart’s successor. He gave him advice and support while he was at the helm, and became his most solid backer.

The grace that came from knowing him would eternally be unforgettable.

The instant Phoenix finished registering as a team, Ji Xiangkong made up his mind: the dream that Cris thirsted for, planting his flag in Seattle — he would fulfill it!

**

In the evening, after training finished, the others had already gone to their rooms to rest. Qiu Ying remembered that she’d left some information in the training room, so she went down the stairs to get it. She opened the door but discovered there was someone inside.

There was only a small lamp on in the room. Ji Xiangkong was studying competition analytics. There was a pair of glasses on the high bridge of his nose, his lips were pressed into a straight line, and he looked both proper and strict.

Qiu Ying moved a chair to sit by his side. She was holding a bag of original-flavor potato chips that was even bigger than her face. As she looked at his computer screen, she brought the chips into her mouth. Ji Xiangkong turned his head and opened his mouth at Qiu Ying. Even without words being said, she understood and gave a piece to him.

But Ji Xiangkong put the potato chip back into her mouth. He took her wrist, put her fingers by his lips, and gently licked away the remaining potato chips crumbs. As if an electric current was running through her body, Qiu Ying’s scalp prickled. She tried to break free but he easily held her back.

She glared at him in dissatisfaction, a thin mist floating up in her large eyes. “Ai, what are you doing?”

Ji Xiangkong raised his eyebrows wickedly. His previous gentlemanly appearance was completely gone. “I saw that you got so happy while eating and got hungry too.”

Her hand was much smaller than his, fair and smooth, soft as he held it. The palm that he clasped her wrist in shifted downward, fingertips stroking the back of her hand, and then he lowered his head to kiss her palm. Bullied enough by him to make her out of sorts, Qiu Ying’s whole body was both itchy and numb. As she looked at his eyes, lowered in focus, her heartbeat was so quick that she felt that as if her heart was about to jump out of her chest.

They’d been so busy during this time they were like spinning tops. There were nearly no opportunities for them to be alone. Now underneath the darkness of the lamplight, their breaths close together, it was as if they could hear the sound of sparks.

Ji Xiangkong suddenly stopped moving. He laughed, nearly silently. “Why are you tickling my leg with your foot? Are you seducing me?”

Qiu Ying shot back with a red face, “I’m kicking you!”

With that said, she repeated it again, but a little bit stronger. Ji Xiangkong knit his brows together and took in a breath. Immediately worried, Qiu Ying bent down to check, but he took the opportunity to grasp her waist until her entire body was lying down on his lap as she looked up. He loosened his collar, slowly took off his glasses and put them on the desk, and drew nearer with a smirk. Because of her nervousness, he saw her fluttering eyelashes and heaving chest.

The distance between them became closer and closer until the two tips of their noses touched each other. Their breaths mingled. He bit her lip.

……

When Lin Yixuan opened the door, there were no lights on in the room. Only Ji Xiangkong’s computer, in its screensaver mode, glowed dimly. Upon discerning the figure sitting there, Lin Yixuan said, “Xiangkong, you’re here. I have a question I don’t think I understand, so I went to your room just now and found out you weren’t there.”

Ji Xiangkong slowly got up to face the doorway, smiling. “I was just preparing to turn off the computer and go take a look over at your side.”

Behind his back, Qiu Ying was squatting on the ground sorting out her completely messy clothes. Thanks to her nervousness, her fingers were trembling; she nearly couldn’t button the buttons. Her cheeks were boiling-hot and her nerves were stretched tight. It was only when she heard Lin Yixuan’s “Alright, then I’ll go upstairs first” that she let out a sigh of relief.

Ji Xiangkong looked back to rub her head. “It’s really regretful that someone ruined a good thing.”

“Rogue.” Qiu Ying’s eyes were darkened, her face flushed, entire body soft. She hadn’t yet recovered from the circumstances that had just occurred.

“Mm.” Ji Xiangkong lifted up a corner of his mouth. Completely righteously, he said, “I like it when you curse at me.”

The next day, Qiu Ying wore a high-necked, long-sleeve shirt. From time to time, she tugged at the collar, pulled down the hem, looking completely uneasy. Upon seeing this, Lin Yixuan asked curiously, “Ying meimei, aren’t you hot wearing so much?”

As she remembered the heart-stirring moment after hearing the sound of the door opening last night, Qiu Ying’s face darkened. She ignored him.

Lin Yixuan rubbed at his neck in uncertainty. “What did I say wrong?”

Next to him, Xia Ling looked at him like he was looking at a retard and said, sincerely, “A’xuan, you’re still as stupid as you’ve always been.”

Lin Yixuan jumped up like he was a cat that’d had its tail stepped on. “A’xuan, my ass! Call me Lin ge!”

“Alright, A’xuan, got it, A’xuan.”

“Hey! You’re looking to get smacked again, aren’t you, brat?”

Later on, facts proved that you certainly couldn’t get a male student who’d decided to become vegetarian to easily resume a meat diet.

**

After getting up and washing up, Qiu Ying walked perfectly through the hallway and was suddenly caught by the waist and dragged into a room.

The door behind her closed softly. Before she could make a sound, her lips were stifled. Their kisses intertwined, as if they could quench their thirst by drinking poison.

After they briefly separated, Qiu Ying saw that out-of-print Firework collector’s album that she’d won from the variety show. Once he noticed where she was looking, Ji Xiangkong smiled. “Do you know why I always carried it on me before? Because it’s the first gift you ever gave to me.”

Qiu Ying’s heart tightened. For a very long time, she had thought that it was because he couldn’t forget Fu Miya.

“It’s too early.” Ji Xiangkong’s voice was low and hoarse, his lips pressed on her earlobe. He coaxed, “Let’s kiss for a while longer.”

Thus Qiu Ying, who got up thirty minutes before everyone, was always the last to come down the stairs. The masses who were unaware of the truth lamented as they ate, Manager’s face is so rosy every morning.

**

“Sun ge, Sun ge, I’m just several dozen coins from being able to buy a pair of boots, can you let me farm a line of troops?”

“Alright.”

The hero that Lin Yixuan was operating jumped around and cast his skill, farming the entire batch of troops. Then, he insincerely confessed, “Sun ge, I was wrong! I was seriously only going to fight one, so why can’t I control my own hands?”

Sun Zeyi was still warm. “It’s alright.”

Mid Xia Ling couldn’t keep himself from praising that Sun great-god really was the most support-like ADC he’d ever seen.

After the game ended, Ji Xiangkong gave out his commands. “A’xuan, after this, focus on practicing ‘Jungler-Support’.”

This sentence kickstarted the hell mode that came with training after Pei Xi transformed into a jungler.

Pei Xi had always thought that the support of a team was usually an honest, loyal, well-tempered type of person. Unexpectedly, he faced a day where he actually bumped into someone as unique as Lin Yixuan.

Lin Yixuan chose a busty golden-haired green-eyed girl who walked coquettishly. Under his operating, she never stopped moving, nor did his mouth stop.

Pei Xi chose to go top to support Ji Xiangkong, but Lin Yixuan stopped him from going up.

“You’re not allowed to go, stay and fight here with me.” Just as Lin Yixuan finished speaking, a scream ripped out of his throat. “Aiya aiya aiya, I’m so scared!”

Three enemies suddenly appeared in the woods and split up for an ambush. Lin Yixuan was a support with HP as low as hell who easily died, so he was killed in two attacks. While he was at the Fountain waiting for his resurrection time to pass with nothing else to do, he became a model cheerleader. “Summit, help me take revenge! You can do it! Come on, baby!1 Right! Just like that! Stun him! Slow him down! Fight him!”

Pei Xi fought 1v3 and still had to endure Lin Yixuan’s cheers and harassment. With great difficulty, he retreated with HP left over, only to see Lin Yixuan, who’d just resurrected, operate the beautiful busty girl to twist around her bum and run over to his side. “Daddy is here, Daddy is here, Daddy is here to dote on you!”

“…”

“Hey, Summit, baby, don’t go! Let Daddy dote on you for a bit!”

“…No need.”

“Don’t show off, my heart hurts to see you get hurt!”

Pei Xi was so annoyed, he could only slow down to make it easier for Lin Yixuan to heal himself.

As soon as Lin Yixuan topped up Pei Xi’s HP bar, he proudly hummed a little tune behind him. “The mouth says you don’t want it, but the body’s very honest.”

Pei Xi’s face was completely black.

Later on, in a teamfight, the enemy support’s ult could make any enemies within range slaughter each other. For some reason, Pei Xi kept on being affected. The hero he was operating beat up Lin Yixuan next to him headon. Several times, he beat him straight back to the resurrection point…

After the game, Ji Xiangkong looked at Lin Yixuan’s miserable KDA. Sincerely, he summarized, “I told you not to mess with Pei Xi. When this guy gets mad, he’ll even kill his teammates.”

One month later, the new team was broken-in pretty well, but they had a serious lack of actual battle experience. Thus they looked all around for opportunities to amass experience.

When the audience saw the former celebrity players now playing at little competitions in a shabby street shed, it felt much like they were witnessing a former pop superstar appearing on the streetside to busk, happening to coincide with the tragic drama of a tiger falling to a flat and sunny land and being bullied by dogs that they imagined. The internet gossip was everywhere, smirking at them for being on the extreme outs after leaving their old clubs and fighting to the death with pheasant teams for a couple thousand yuan.

Team Phoenix swept away the fishpond with their military successes. After they’d nearly fought all of the low-level monsters, Ji Xiangkong decided to up the difficulty a little bit for their team. But it currently coincided with the CPL Fall Season and no first-string teams were willing to divert their attention to practice with them. Qiu Ying and Ji Xiangkong went to club after club to discuss practice matches with their higher-ups and promised that their team would definitely get good results, that they had ample training value, but all of them cruelly rejected them.

Someone even mocked, “Based on what guarantee? Based on you, who made a fatal mistake in a major competition and was nearly forced to retire?

“These teammates you found are all the leftovers of someone else, right? Lin Yixuan’s performance works at times and at times doesn’t, when he’s strong he’s enough to oppose the heavens and when he’s weak he’s nowhere to be seen in the entire field. Sun Zeyi is a bunch of old bones who relies on a group of nostalgic fans to linger until his dying breath in this circle. And that Xia Ling, he doesn’t have a bit of competition experience, so he’ll definitely have issues when he gets to the field.”

After VPG’s manager rejected them, Qi Yue still didn’t forget to ridicule them.

Ji Xiangkong looked askance at him condescendingly and raised his eyebrows. “How overbearing.”

“You don’t really think you can turn yourself around by hugging onto Pei Xi’s thigh, do you?” Qi Yue crossed his arms and snorted coldly. “To be blunt, he’s something abandoned that none of the titan teams want, too. A mute guy who doesn’t get along with anyone at all isn’t fit for team games to begin with.”

Ji Xiangkong lazily waved his phone. “He gets along very well with everyone. Look, he even took a profile picture with me.”

When he saw Ji Xiangkong freely slinging his arm around Pei Xi’s neck and that Pei Xi was actually looking at ease, the corners of Qi Yue’s mouth twitched, his face stiffening. That iceberg didn’t even let people get close or play around with him normally, like he’d erected a chastity2 memorial arch! He was teammates with him for a whole year and never even got to shake his hand!

“Pei Xi doesn’t get along with just anyone. He just doesn’t want to get along with you.” Ji Xiangkong patted the other person’s shoulder with a smile. “Bro, don’t think so highly of yourself.”

“You!”

Qiu Ying, looking on from the side, couldn’t keep herself from lamenting, How does that song go again, The unreachable always agitates you, but those who are loved use it for gain…3

With that said, Ji Xiangkong stuck both hands into his pants pockets and turned to leave out the entrance. Qiu Ying glanced at Qi Yue, who was holding back a whole stomachful of anger that he couldn’t release, and trotted after him.

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1 Originally in English 😎

2 To be exact, “chastity” referring to pure relationships between men and women, haha.

3 From the song 红玫瑰 (“Red Rose”) by Eason Chen. I couldn’t find an official Youtube video of it but you can get an idea from this one. Guess who the unreachable and the loving person is…

***

Pei Xi, your Ji Xiangkong bias is showing again, but Lin Yixuan… uh…. >>

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