Chapter 2

*Slap* ——

A sudden slap echoed.

On Hu Hui's face, five clear fingerprints were imprinted.

Shen Zuige, sitting next to Hu Hui, had a seductive smile on her lips, as if nothing had happened. She blew on her long, slender fingers, which usually danced over the keyboard, and said with a smile, "Oops, that hurt a bit. I hope my hand isn't injured..."

Shen Zuige played a support role in the game, commonly known as a healer, or more accurately, a male healer. She had a face that could pass for a gender-bender, and her character's name was simply called "Finger Devil." She was usually the most amiable, always with a smile on her face.

So, Hu Hui was completely caught off guard and was stunned by the sudden slap.

Chen Bin raised an eyebrow: "What's going on here?"

Su Haotian, who was sitting next to Lin Wei, slammed the table and stood up: "Captain Chen, don't stop Devil today. If I don't tear his mouth apart today, I'll..."

"What will you do? How old are you? Still making vows like this? Did your kindergarten teacher teach you this?"

"At the time we formed the team, we didn't even sign a contract. Later, after winning so many championships, when we brought up the contract with our manager, he kept delaying it, day after day. In the end, he even came up with the ridiculous reason that the captain was embezzling the prize money. He's the one who lost his face first. So what if Devil hit him?" Su Haotian shouted.

Shen Zuige narrowed her eyes: "Don't be silly. Which eye saw me hit anyone, and right in the face? Tsk, tsk, how could a kind healer like me do such a thing?"

Hu Hui was completely confused, looking from one person to another, holding his burning face, shocked.

Chen Bin frowned: "Alright, Rat."

"Let me finish. He's been withholding the prize money for over two years, and no one has said a word. Now that we're leaving, he's pushing all the responsibility onto you. What kind of thing is this? And now, he even has the nerve to think about the Tianluo Jinyu account?"

Hu Hui looked at them in surprise. Weren't they afraid that the scandal would spread and affect their future careers?

After all, no matter who was at fault, when a player had a conflict with the team, the player would always be the one to suffer.

Because, in the future, when other teams wanted to sign this player, they would definitely think twice—would this player cause trouble and create a scandal in their team?

Liu Lika, the main output player of Jiuhu, sat in the corner, silent the whole time.

Not good with words, he saw that Su Haotian and Shen Zuige had done what needed to be done and said what needed to be said. He felt it wasn't his business, so he stood up and turned to leave.

Chen Bin, with his sharp eyes, stopped him: "Kai, wait a moment."

Liu Lika paused, not liking to talk, but he was clear in his mind. He understood Chen Bin's consideration to avoid conflict from the beginning and knew why he was stopping him now.

"Don't try to persuade me. I won't take a single cent of the money from selling the account. I know what kind of person you are!" He said, dodged Chen Bin's attempt to stop him, and left directly.

Chen Bin sighed and looked at Hu Hui, who was staring blankly at Liu Lika's back.

Because Liu Lika didn't like to talk, Hu Hui always thought there was a conflict between him and Chen Bin...

Chen Bin's gaze swept over everyone, then he turned and handed the bank card to Lin Wei: "Alright, I'm leaving first. Weiwei, you're responsible for distributing the money to Kai and the others. Persuade everyone to keep their competitive form in the new team."

"Okay." Lin Wei bit her lip and nodded. She never refused any of Chen Bin's requests, no matter what.

Su Haotian, however, got angry as soon as he heard this: "What are you doing?"

This guy had a short temper and, when agitated, stood on the table.

"Nothing special..." Chen Bin glanced at him sideways.

"Can we take the money from selling your account? What will you do without it?" Su Haotian shouted.

"Is your voice the loudest?" Chen Bin's face turned cold, and he suddenly raised his voice, "I said take it, so take it! Now you're acting up with me. Who will you act up with in the new team? Go ahead, keep shouting. Shout until you're done before you leave. Don't embarrass me in front of Luo Qi when you join Buyun."

"..." Su Haotian was stunned by the scolding and immediately calmed down.

"Don't worry. I'll get Tianluo Jinyu back. Then... well, there's nothing else. I'm leaving. Take care, everyone." Chen Bin took a deep breath and left the shabby meeting room without looking back.

Under the spotlight, professional players were worshipped like emperors by their fans.

But in this meeting room, without the spotlight, even a bit dim, was the real professional circle.

Team conflicts, prize money disputes, operational crises...

Not just in "Jianwu," but in every competitive game, the professional circle would face similar issues during the transition from amateur to professional. "Jianwu" was just at the stage where a large amount of capital was pouring in.

For Jiuhu, an old team without contracts, standard salaries, or team rankings, disintegration was inevitable.

Chen Bin walked down the empty street at night, holding his account card for the last time.

Tomorrow morning, when the courier service started, he would send this account card, which had been with him for nine years, to the Longyin team.

Then what? Which team would he join?

For some reason, he instinctively felt a strange aversion to the newly established, well-funded professional teams.

"Whatever, I'll think about it later." Chen Bin smiled bitterly, took out his phone from his keyboard bag, and dialed a number after searching through his contacts.

...

Lan Bai, the owner of the Blue Sailboat Internet Cafe, sat quietly in the exclusive room on the second floor, lighting a cigarette.

Every Saturday night, he, like the fans downstairs, waited to watch the first-person perspective videos of various professional players.

Lan Bai's fingers tapped lightly on the mouse pad, one tap, then another.

Very rhythmic, very regular.

The network administrator ran up a few times, saying the game area couldn't handle it, with cigarette butts and fruit peels everywhere, making a mess.

Lan Bai could only laugh helplessly, telling them to be careful and not to get too close, to avoid being hurt.

On the 24-inch computer screen, Chen Bin's matches with "Tianluo Jinyu" were playing in fast forward.

Next to the mouse, a phone lay quietly.

Not long after, the phone screen lit up.

Lan Bai pushed up his glasses.

The phone didn't ring, but Lan Bai, as if expecting it, picked it up and pressed the answer button with his long, slender fingers.

"Hey, bastard, still alive?" Lan Bai looked very refined, but as soon as he opened his mouth, the scholarly air vanished.

"Come on, if you're still alive, how could I be dead..." Chen Bin's voice, heard through the phone, was slightly weary.