After the Bigshot Turned into a Gold-Digging Scumbag Alpha - Chapter 26

The invitational was being held domestically, though the distance was significant—roughly a four-hour flight.

As soon as they boarded, the team, still groggy from the early start, promptly fell back asleep. By the time they woke up, they had nearly arrived.

Jiang Shuiyun had always been able to transition from sleep to full alertness in seconds. She worked with Xi Rong to rouse the lingering sleepers, gathered their belongings, and disembarked to board the shuttle bus heading to the hotel.

The bus ride took another two hours. Xi Rong sat at the front, chatting with the local reception staff, while the rest of the team drifted off again. Jiang Shuiyun, feeling quite awake, pulled out her phone to check her messages. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Yi Jinbai’s head nodding rhythmically as she succumbed to drowsiness, her brow drifting dangerously close to the window pane.

With a faint smile, Jiang Shuiyun reached out to steady Yi Jinbai’s head, gently guiding it to rest against her own shoulder before returning to her phone.

The messages were from Shen Yunyi. Her efficiency was formidable; in just a few hours, she had prepared most of the necessary documentation. However, since the company belonged to Jiang Shuiyun, her personal information and signatures were required to finalize everything.

The signing part was simple, but her background details posed a challenge—beyond the basic info on her ID card, she knew next to nothing about “herself.”

After a brief discussion with Shen Yunyi, they decided she would have to visit the police station to look up her own records after the tournament. Fortunately, the competition only spanned two days—tomorrow and the day after. If they finished on schedule, they could return the same evening without causing any delays.

The two-hour drive passed quickly. The bus rolled up to the hotel just as the team finally finished their naps. Luggage in hand, they gathered to discuss the room assignments.

The organizers had provided the accommodations: two double rooms and three singles for their group of eight.

Yao Yao Ling and Jiao Yang took one double; Jian Mang and Slaughter of Apostle took the other. Viper and Xi Rong each took a single room. That left only Jiang Shuiyun and Yi Jinbai, who were destined to share.

“Any objections?” Xi Rong asked, looking around after laying out the plan.

Everyone shook their heads. Jiang Shuiyun and Yi Jinbai shared a brief look before nodding in agreement.

Once settled, everyone headed to their respective rooms to unpack. Jiang Shuiyun and Yi Jinbai soon found themselves standing in theirs.

The hotel was high-end, so the room was spacious. Theirs specifically featured a massive two-meter bed and a small sitting area, which looked quite comfortable.

The problem was the lack of a sofa. Jiang Shuiyun scouted the room only to find a small armchair and a low coffee table in the lounge area—nothing suitable for sleeping besides the bed.

“Maybe I should room with Viper instead,” Jiang Shuiyun suggested, picking up her backpack. The armchair was far too small for her to sleep in. Since Viper was also a female Alpha, rooming together wouldn’t be an issue.

Yi Jinbai, who was busy unpacking, turned around. “Brother Xi likely arranged this room specifically because of its size. If you go to Viper’s room, it might be even more cramped and inconvenient.”

Jiang Shuiyun realized she was right. “Then I’ll sleep on the floor. The hotel should have extra bedding.”

“You should sleep on the bed,” Yi Jinbai insisted, looking at her. “The competition starts tomorrow. If you don’t rest well, it will affect your performance. I only need a tiny bit of space to sleep; I won’t disturb you.”

She gestured to a narrow, half-meter strip on the edge of the bed.

Jiang Shuiyun’s only concern had been Yi Jinbai’s comfort, not being disturbed. She knew Yi Jinbai was a very “quiet” sleeper. Hearing her say this, Jiang Shuiyun agreed but took two decorative pillows from the armchair and placed them down the middle of the mattress as a divider.

“Alright, this works. I’m a pretty still sleeper myself,” Jiang Shuiyun noted with a smile. It was true—after months of sleeping on a sofa less than a meter wide without ever falling off, her sleeping posture was remarkably disciplined.

With that settled, a stomach growled loudly. The two looked at each other; the lunch bell had effectively rung.

Meals were provided at the hotel cafeteria. When the group converged for lunch, they ran into another team staying at the same hotel: Team Tusha Zhandui. They were old rivals of the former Shenji Team, though the two hadn’t faced off in a long time due to Shenji Team’s decline.

“Since when did the barrier to entry for this invitational get so low? Even third-rate teams can come here to freeload?”

In esports, winning and losing are part of the game, and most players are good sports. However, Team Tusha Zhandui was known for being “sore losers.”

Years ago, during a friendly match, Shenji had crushed Tusha Zhandui with an overwhelming score. The grudge was born that day. Since then, the two closely-matched teams met frequently. Although the wins went back and forth, Shenji usually came out on top, causing the resentment to fester into mutual loathing.

Since the other side had initiated the provocation, the team wasn’t about to take it lying down. Yao Yao Ling stepped forward with a massive roll of her eyes. “If a bunch of ‘defeated generals’ like you can freeload here, the barrier is indeed quite low.”

“Who are you calling defeated generals? You lost the last time! You lost so badly you were almost shut out! Without ‘Captain Shen Dao,’ you’re all just trash!”

“Still better than Team Baldy! You’re rotten from the roots to the leaves, skin to core—sore losers through and through! I don’t mind playing house with you though, sniff, sniff. I’ll be your mommy!”

In the past, such comments would have been salt in the wound for Shenji—a sensitive point that would cause an immediate emotional breakdown. But now? It felt like nothing more than an itch. They knew they weren’t the same people they used to be. Even without Captain Shen Dao, they would continue to protect the honor of Shenji.

“You sissy! Who are you talking to?”

“You baldy! Your whole team doesn’t have three hairs between you. Walking around with heads like hard-boiled eggs. I’m talking to you!”

The verbal battlefield expanded. Viper, Jiao Yang, and even Slaughter Of Apostle joined in. The argument grew so heated that hotel staff had to intervene before things finally settled down.

“Just you wait!” a member of Team Tusha Zhandui shouted as they left. “When we get on that stage, we’re going to shut you out for real!”

Yao Yao Ling wasn’t about to let them have the last word. She spat on the ground and shot back, “Your grandpa will be waiting for you bald-headed grandsons to kowtow to me!”

Jiang Shuiyun watched the exchange, her eyes widening slightly in disbelief. Good grief, she thought, is this what elementary school trash-talk looks like?

“I didn’t expect them to show up here,” Xi Rong muttered, his gaze darkening as he watched their retreating backs. “Perfect. We’ll use them as our first sacrifice to wash away the humiliation of the past!”

Jiang Shuiyun understood that the adrenaline from this kind of rivalry was beneficial, so she didn’t interfere. However, no matter how pumped they were, they still needed to eat.

She reached out and took Yi Jinbai by the arm, intending to lead her to get some food. Yi Jinbai, however, clearly misread the gesture. She smiled firmly, took Jiang Shuiyun’s hand in hers, and looked her in the eye with pure sincerity.

“Don’t be nervous,” she said earnestly. “I believe you all will definitely win!”

Jiang Shuiyun: Should I act nervous just to play along?