After the Bigshot Turned into a Gold-Digging Scumbag Alpha - Chapter 10

The atmosphere grew tense in an almost tangible way. Xi Rong led the way, clapping his hands. “Come on, everyone, let’s give a warm welcome to Captain Jiang!”

Aside from Xi Rong and Coach Zhang, no one else raised a hand to applaud. It was clear—they were not happy to see Jiang Shuiyun.

Xi Rong’s face faltered slightly, and he quickly put on a stern expression, slapping the table. “Let me remind you: things aren’t like they used to be. Ms. Jiang is a top-tier talent the company fought hard to bring back. I risked everything to get her here for you, giving this team a chance to revive. Otherwise, with your current performance, you might as well proudly retire tomorrow as third-rate esports players! Is that what you want? For the company to dissolve the team on the spot just to please you? Huh?”

Xi Rong clearly understood their psychology. After his words, the few players who had been openly hostile reluctantly clapped, albeit half-heartedly.

“I know you were close with Captain Shen Dao, but his retirement isn’t an excuse for you to slack off. Now that Shen Dao is gone, each of you is the backbone of Team Shenji. You are the face of the team. How do you want people to remember Shenji in the future? Do you want to honor Shen Dao’s legacy—or disgrace him after he’s retired? Think carefully about it!”

Xi Rong’s words hit hard. Seeing the players lower their heads in silence, he shook his head in frustration. Then he turned to Jiang Shuiyun. “Ms. Jiang, I’ll leave things in your hands from now on. If anything comes up, just call me.”

“It’s my job.”

Jiang Shuiyun nodded, fully aware of her responsibilities.

Xi Rong and Coach Zhang had other matters to attend to, so after arranging accommodations for Jiang Shuiyun and Yi Jinbai, they left.

Once they were gone, Jiang Shuiyun returned to find that the five players had disappeared. Each of their doors was firmly shut, and she didn’t need to see inside to know what that meant.

Yi Jinbai sat stiffly in her seat, clearly uncomfortable. The sense of being deeply excluded was unpleasant, reminiscent of when she had first joined the Jiang family—stepping into a completely unfamiliar world, surrounded by strangers and hostility.

Jiang Shuiyun walked over, pulling Yi Jinbai gently into her arms to help her up. “Not used to it, huh? It’s okay. If it’s really too much, we can move out.”

She felt Yi Jinbai clutch at her clothes, lightly patting her back. Jiang Shuiyun could guess what was going on. She didn’t care about the others’ attitude, but Yi Jinbai, naturally sensitive, had absorbed some of that animosity. This problem needed to be addressed soon.

Yi Jinbai clung to the one familiar presence—Jiang Shuiyun—pressing her lips together and shaking her head. She knew the situation perfectly. This job had been hard-won for Jiang Shuiyun, and it came with excellent conditions. She couldn’t let her own discomfort make her give up at the very start.

“I’m fine. This is your job,” Yi Jinbai said softly.

Jiang Shuiyun knew Yi Jinbai always bottled things up like this, but she couldn’t bear to see her hurt. Gently holding her close, she said, “Go upstairs and rest. I’ll handle all of this.”

After Yi Jinbai nodded, Jiang Shuiyun escorted her to their room. Fortunately, the villa had an elevator, so even though their rooms were on the third floor, they didn’t need to climb stairs.

With Yi Jinbai settled, Jiang Shuiyun checked the time. They hadn’t eaten much since last night, and it was almost noon—their stomachs must be growling.

She headed to the kitchen. The fridge was stocked with ingredients, and she pulled up a few recipes on her phone, setting aside the items she would need.

The kitchen was far more advanced than what she was used to. Jiang Shuiyun explored and quickly got the hang of it—high-tech appliances were actually easier to handle, and the clear instructions made things simple.

Rolling up her sleeves, she started by steaming rice according to the recipe’s proportions, then prepared the other ingredients one by one. Everything was methodical. Thanks to her previous experience, she no longer looked like a kitchen novice, except for needing guidance from the recipe.

The clatter of cooking drew the attention of the other team members. The first to appear was the heavily made-up Yao Yao Ling. “Aunt Zhang, lunch already? Are you preparing some super fancy dish? My mouth is watering just thinking about it.”

As Yao Yao Ling’s gaze landed on who was in the kitchen, her words immediately caught in her throat, as if someone had strangled her. She let out a cold snort, crossed her arms, and leaned against the doorframe, giving Jiang Shuiyun a sidelong, sarcastic look.

“Well, well! Isn’t this our mighty Team Captain Jiang? Does it really take all your effort to handle something like this? What if a careless knife, hot oil, or boiling water got in your way—would you even survive this game? Our team isn’t short on babysitters; no need for you to snatch this auntie’s job. Maybe you should check out some other teams—there might be babysitter openings there.”

The first dish came out perfectly. Jiang Shuiyun glanced at the recipe, gave the pan a quick wipe, and continued cooking. “You’ve arrived at the right time. Notify everyone: 1:30 PM, gather in the first-floor lounge for training. I want to see your level. If you’re all a bunch of amateurs, then I really have no reason to stick around.”

“Who are you calling amateurs?” Yao Yao Ling’s eyes went wide, lined with dramatic eyeliner, looking ready to fight Jiang Shuiyun.

Fortunately, at that moment, Jiao Yang assumed it was mealtime and came downstairs. Seeing the scene, he quickly grabbed Yao Yao Ling to pull her away. Though none of them wanted a new team captain, if a real fight broke out, the company might get angry and actually disband them.

Jiang Shuiyun glanced at the two leaving, but didn’t get upset. To her, they were like kids whose bodies had grown but whose minds hadn’t fully matured. Many newcomers with a little skill had this same problem—nothing serious. They just hadn’t been through any tough training yet. Once they did, they’d naturally toughen up.

While Jiang Shuiyun continued cooking leisurely, Yao Yao Ling, still fuming, was dragged by Jiao Yang into Jian Mang’s room. “Yang Yang, call Du She and Apostle of Slaughter too!”

Jiao Yang glanced at Jian Mang, then went off to gather the others, leaving Yao Yao Ling behind.

Soon, all five gathered in Jian Mang’s room. Once the door closed, Yao Yao Ling recounted Jiang Shuiyun’s words with embellishments, causing an immediate uproar.

“This is way too much! Who does she think she is?”

Du She puffed up her face in anger. Even when the legendary Shen Dao was around, no one had ever spoken like this.

“Yeah, why should she replace Shen Dao? Shen Dao was,”

Before Yao Yao Ling could finish, Jian Mang lightly knocked on the table. “Since she says we’re amateurs, let’s show her who the real amateurs are. Those who aren’t even worthy of being called amateurs don’t deserve to stay here.”

“Exactly!” the Apostle of Slaughter raised his hand in agreement with Jian Mang.

“Fine!” Du She raised her hand too.

“I’m following Big Brother Jian Mang, though I’m a little rusty,” Jiao Yang admitted, still a bit concerned. After all, Xi Rong had just mentioned the new team captain was a top-tier player—her skills shouldn’t be weak.

“Yang Yang, we’ve got each other,” Yao Yao Ling patted Jiao Yang’s shoulder. “Anyway, the ones leaving this place laughing today will definitely be us!”

“Xi Rong mentioned she’s famous. This ID seems familiar. Let’s look her up—know your enemy, win every battle!”

Everyone agreed. Du She pulled out her phone and searched for Jiang Shuiyun’s gaming ID.

“Whoa.” Du She stared at the results in shock, hesitating. “This person, she’s actually really strong. The Rising Victory God who’s suddenly appeared these past two days seems to be her.”

Because Jiang Shuiyun’s original game name was strange, other players had given her the nickname “Rising Victory God” to avoid confusion and conflict. Ever since she was discovered, she hadn’t lost a single match—always the ultimate winner.

All eyes now focused on Du She’s phone. Online, people were still trying to uncover Jiang Shuiyun’s identity, though no one had succeeded yet.

As they exchanged glances, Jian Mang booted up his computer. “Are we going to give up just because of this? She can’t just become our team captain!”

“Of course not! For our captain, we have to win!”

Their initial shock passed, replaced by a surge of determination. Their fighting spirit flared, just like when Shen Dao was still around. The harder the battle, the more excited and motivated they became!