After the Bigshot Turned into a Gold-Digging Scumbag Alpha - Chapter 16

The moment Xi Rong returned to the company, he was summoned by Shen Yunyi. Pushing open the door to the CEO’s office, he saw Shen Yunyi standing before the floor-to-ceiling windows.

“President Shen, you were looking for me?”

“How’s the Shenji Team doing?”

Shen Yunyi didn’t turn around—she went straight to the point.

Xi Rong knew perfectly well what this was really about. As the CEO of Shengguang Group, Shen Yunyi normally wouldn’t bother with such trivial matters. But since the esports team was under the company banner only because the CEO herself liked gaming, she tended to pay extra attention. Still—not this much attention. Clearly, she wasn’t actually asking about the team, but about Miss Jiang.

“President Shen, honestly, it’s all thanks to you. Shenji Team really did pull off a comeback this time—Miss Jiang practically resurrected them. I just checked on them earlier. Their current level is already close to their old peak. And that’s after only half a day of training with her! You wouldn’t believe it. Those brats were all prideful yesterday, doubting everything she said. Today? They call her ‘Captain’ every other sentence. Completely convinced.”

Guessing what Shen Yunyi wanted to hear, Xi Rong naturally emphasized Jiang Shuiyun’s merits—though he didn’t have to exaggerate a thing.

Shen Yunyi finally turned around to look at him, looking skeptical, though Xi Rong had no reason to lie. “She’s really that impressive?”

“I’m already putting it mildly. President Shen, you’ll understand once you see it yourself. And those kids are already itching to get back on the competitive stage. They begged me just now to arrange a chance for them to compete. I’ll take care of everything—you won’t be disappointed.”

While he was at it, Xi Rong also reported the team’s upcoming participation in the international invitational.

Shen Yunyi rotated the watch on her wrist, thoughtful. “Anything else?”

Xi Rong scratched his head, thinking. “Nothing major, just—well, I’m not sure if I should say this.”

One look from Shen Yunyi had him spilling instantly.

“President Shen, did you meet Miss Jiang while doing that whole ‘incognito investigation’ thing of yours? She seemed unaware you’re the CEO of Shengguang Group. When I mentioned your name, she looked like she only just realized. I might’ve blown your cover. Did I cause trouble?”

This aligned suspiciously well with what Jiang Shuiyun had said earlier about having “memory issues.” Shen Yunyi thought for a moment.

“It’s fine. We’ve known each other for many years. She never asked, so I never said anything. Anything else?”

Xi Rong wasn’t sure who was more carefree—his CEO, or Jiang Shuiyun. But it wasn’t his business. And since Shen Yunyi kept digging, he decided to report everything honestly.

“Miss Jiang also asked me for a personal favor.”

“What favor?”

Shen Yunyi’s tone made it clear—she intended to get answers to the bottom.

Xi Rong hesitated for a moment. Wasn’t the CEO being a little too invested in Miss Jiang? Still, he was being paid—so he owed complete honesty.

He explained that Jiang Shuiyun had asked him to purchase sheet music and good-quality instruments for Yi Jinbai.

“And Miss Jiang, honestly, she’s flawless. Competent, reliable, great personality—humble, direct, and good with people. She treats her wife with total dedication. President Shen, how can someone be this perfect?”

The longer Shen Yunyi listened, the deeper the crease between her brows grew. Everything Xi Rong said felt contradictory to the Jiang Shuiyun she remembered.

In the past, the name “Jiang Shuiyun” was inseparable from words like: useless, spoiled, arrogant, disrespectful, morally questionable—a walking list of every bad habit a pampered heir could have.

And now—she was suddenly perfect?

A person couldn’t change so drastically in such a short time.

“Go make the arrangements.”

Shen Yunyi waved him out.

After Xi Rong left, the more Shen Yunyi thought, the stronger the sense of wrongness grew. It was the same strange feeling she’d had every time she recently saw Jiang Shuiyun—someone who looked the same, yet felt entirely different.

Jiang Shuiyun, however, was completely unaware of her suspicions. She was fully focused on training.

The team’s improvement was obvious. After round after round of scrimmages, once they entered the game, everyone followed her commands without hesitation. This match meant too much to them—there could be no mistakes. Whatever Jiang Shuiyun said, they executed. Even today’s usually prickly Viper seemed distracted but managed not to slip up.

Jiang Shuiyun was pleased with the progress. Still, obedience and team cohesion were only the first steps. After lunch, she had Jiao Yang replace her position and continue training.

“As long as you stay within the framework of the team, you’re free to adapt on your own. Start.”

The team didn’t quite understand her intention, but they obeyed. With Jiang Shuiyun no longer directing them, their first game began shakily. But training had not been for nothing—they quickly adjusted, found the key points of their synergy, and took the win.

“Good. Just like that.”

Jiang Shuiyun looked at them seriously.

“We are a team—not because of a single person, but because we are the Shenji Team. The game brought us together; the team keeps us united. Every one of you is a crucial part of this whole. Some members may someday leave—just like a machine missing a component. But the remaining components shouldn’t scatter. Instead, you should find ways to fill that gap together and move forward.”

She didn’t rush them into another match.

“Today, the one playing this position could be your captain Shen Dao. It could be me. It could be Jiao Yang. It could be any one of you. This game doesn’t have fixed rules, nor does it require the ‘optimal’ lineup. As long as we win—it’s enough. Likewise, as long as you’re Shenji Team—that’s enough.”

After Jiang Shuiyun finished speaking, no one said a word. They all understood exactly what she meant.

Once, after their previous captain was forced to retire, the team fell apart—scattered into pieces rather than functioning as a whole. Now, because Jiang Shuiyun’s abilities were so far beyond theirs, they gravitated toward her, relying on her too much in the game. But this still wasn’t a true team. It was more like a lopsided, fragile structure—one that might deliver results in the short term, but if left unchecked, would only lead to bigger problems down the line.

It wasn’t that Jiang Shuiyun simply “saw through” everything. Rather, everything was unfolding according to the rhythm she set—tightening and loosening, probing from both sides, guiding them toward the balance they truly needed.

Only then could the team be integrated swiftly into a cohesive, unified force. This required not just skill, but a shift in mindset.

“Captain,” Viper spoke first after Jiang Shuiyun. “Back then, it wasn’t just because of Captain Shen Dao’s retirement. There was also—”

“Viper.” Blade cut her off. “Let’s not bring up the past. Captain just joined us.”

Jiang Shuiyun looked at the tension between them, sensing there was something she still didn’t know.

“Precisely because Captain just joined—and is still new to the industry—she should know about this.” Yao Yao Ling picked up the thread, turning to Jiang Shuiyun. “Captain, are you really friends with President Shen from Shengguang Group?”

“Huh? I guess so?” Jiang Shuiyun answered uncertainly. “Does she have something to do with this?”

“No, not exactly.” Yao Yao Ling hesitated. “Captain, do you know what match-fixing is?”

Jiang Shuiyun thought for a second, took out her phone. “I’ll look it up.”

“Huh?” The group collectively wore question marks on their faces. “Captain, have you really never been exposed to this? You don’t know something this basic?”

Jiang Shuiyun finished reading the explanation and nodded. “Got it. So, you guys fixed matches?”

“No!”

Viper slapped her forehead in despair. The heavy, somber atmosphere just moments ago had been completely shredded by her two sentences. “We didn’t fix matches! Captain Shen Dao was framed! Someone accused him of taking money to throw a game. The company found out, and that’s why he was forced to retire. He was innocent—someone was clearly targeting us. But the company insisted he step down.”

Viper’s words came fast, laying out the entire situation in one breath.

Jiang Shuiyun glanced back down at the explanation on her phone. “But something like that should require solid evidence, right?”

“The company claimed they had it. Brother Xi said they had it too. But they said the evidence couldn’t be shown to us. Captain Shen Dao only said ‘the innocent will remain innocent,’ and then chose to retire. But from start to finish, none of us ever saw that so-called evidence. It was obviously a setup—pure slander!”

Solar Flare added, answering her question.

Jiang Shuiyun nodded. “So, you want me to ask for that evidence?”

“That’s not what we mean. We only wanted to explain why, for the past half-year, we completely fell apart—why we refused any newcomers, and why we treated you the way we did yesterday. It’s because this whole thing has been a thorn in our hearts. We couldn’t get past it. But now that you’re here, we’ve finally understood something: only if we become strong enough—important enough—will we have the right to access the truth. We get that now. So, from here on, we’ll work twice as hard.”

Yao Yao Ling finished, and they all looked toward Jiang Shuiyun.