After the Bigshot Turned into a Gold-Digging Scumbag Alpha - Chapter 27

The incident with Team Tusha Zhandui was merely a minor interlude and didn’t affect the group much. After lunch in the cafeteria and a midday break, Jiang Shuiyun and the others gathered in a small meeting room adjacent to their quarters.

Xi Rong had just received the official entry list for the invitational, and it was time to discuss their tactics.

“Team Wind-Sever and Team Wave-Chaser didn’t show up?” Viper asked, skimming the list with a hint of confusion.

“They had a scheduling conflict and couldn’t make it. But no matter, there are still plenty of formidable opponents. Jiao Yang, come over here,” Xi Rong patted Jiao Yang on the shoulder. “Captain Jiang isn’t very familiar with these teams yet. Give her an introduction.”

To know one’s self and one’s enemy is the key to a hundred victories; this was basic preparation.

The meeting lasted about two hours. A total of eighteen teams had arrived. Aside from two or three teams including Team Tusha Zhandui that could pose a genuine threat to Shenji, the rest were expected to be relatively easy to handle.

Once the strategy was settled, Jiang Shuiyun had a clear picture in her mind. “For the drawing ceremony tonight, how about Jiao Yang and Brother Xi go?”

“That’s not a problem, but there is one thing I should remind Captain Jiang about,” Xi Rong agreed. “Starting with the draw tonight, there will be film crews following us. They’ll be releasing footage to build hype for tomorrow’s matches.

Since this is Captain Jiang’s first competition, you need to be mentally prepared for the media presence.”

Jiang Shuiyun wasn’t one to go in unprepared; she was well aware of how this worked. “Don’t worry, I know. I just need to check with Jinbai first.”

“That goes without saying. Jinbai isn’t a player, so she can request to be bypassed and stay off-camera.”

With the plan in place, the meeting adjourned. Everyone headed back to rest or relax, conserving their energy for the next day’s events.

Back in the room, Jiang Shuiyun asked Yi Jinbai. After confirming she didn’t want to appear on screen, Jiang Shuiyun had Xi Rong notify the organizers.

“Is this talking about you?”

Jiang Shuiyun was reviewing the documents sent by Shen Yunyi when Yi Jinbai approached with her phone. She looked worried as she showed Jiang Shuiyun a post from a marketing account.

[A Deep Dive into Who Exactly is ‘Jiang Bai,’ the New Captain of Team Shenji]

Jiang Shuiyun glanced at it. Most of it was baseless rumors—claims that the new captain had “used the back door” to get the position, that she had a poor relationship with the veteran players, and that Shenji was suffering from unfair treatment. It was a heap of unpleasant speculation.

“It’s fine, ignore it. It’s normal for people to start spinning stories as soon as the roster is released. Once the matches are live-streamed, the audience will be able to judge the truth for themselves.”

As Jiang Shuiyun was speaking with Yi Jinbai, a knock sounded at the door. Checking the time, she assumed it was the organizers.

She had Yi Jinbai step aside to stay out of frame before going to open the door.

The moment the door opened, a camera was thrust directly into Jiang Shuiyun’s face, giving her no time to react.

“You are Captain Jiang Bai, correct? Could we do a quick pre-match interview?”

A reporter wearing a press badge and holding a microphone stepped forward. After checking their credentials, Jiang Shuiyun stepped aside. “Please, come in.”

Jiang Shuiyun and the reporter sat down in the lounge area while the crew set up their lights and equipment. The person who had been holding the camera initially started filming the room’s interior.

Jiang Shuiyun frowned almost imperceptibly. She sent a quick message to Xi Rong, asking what was going on. They had agreed not to film Jinbai, so why was this person filming everything without permission? If Yi Jinbai hadn’t retreated to the bedroom in advance, she would have been caught right on camera.

“That’s the bedroom. It’s not convenient for filming. Thank you,” Jiang Shuiyun spoke up as she saw the cameraman reaching for the bedroom door.

“Captain Jiang Bai, filming the players’ living environment is standard procedure,” the reporter said, looking at Jiang Shuiyun with a troubled expression, as if she were the one being difficult.

“Then you can make an appointment for another time and give us proper notice. Why don’t you come back in half an hour?” Jiang Shuiyun stood her ground.

“Isn’t that a waste of time? We already said we were coming for an interview; the notice was given.” The reporter remained persistent, seemingly determined to open the bedroom door.

“Is that so? I recall the notice saying the interview would be after the draw tonight. It’s only 4:00 PM. Is it evening already?” Jiang Shuiyun picked up her teacup. Dealing with such people was making her lose her patience.

“Fine, let’s just start the interview,” the reporter conceded, her tone turning cold. She signaled the cameraman. “Roll camera. Let’s begin.”

“Captain Jiang Bai, how is your relationship with Team Shenji?”

“Excellent.”

“And how did you become the captain? Could you share some details with us?”

“I applied.”

“Uhm. Shenji was a legendary team. Do you feel a lot of pressure being their captain?”

“No.”

“What is your take on Shenji’s slump since Captain Divine Blade left?”

“It’s only natural.”

“Between you and Captain Divine Blade, who do you think is better suited for the role of captain?”

“Either is fine.”

“We heard you brought your partner to the competition. Where is your partner now?”

“Beyond competition-related matters, I have no comment.”

“What are your expectations for Shenji’s ranking in this tournament?”

“We’ll see what happens.”

“Do you think Shenji can achieve a high rank this time?”

“We’ll see what happens.”

The interview was handled by Jiang Shuiyun as if it were a lightning-round quiz, and more importantly, her answers were essentially fluff. The fake smile on the reporter’s face was beginning to crack.

“Alright, that concludes the interview. Captain Jiang Bai, could you say a few words of blessing to the camera?”

“I wish for the competition to conclude successfully.”

Jiang Shuiyun’s expression didn’t change once from start to finish. Having spoken, she stood up and promptly showed them the door.

Just as they reached the hallway, Xi Rong came rushing over. He hadn’t expected the interview to end so quickly. He helped Jiang Shuiyun see them off, then closed the door and asked urgently, “Is everything okay?”

“It wasn’t pleasant. I specifically said Jinbai wouldn’t be appearing on camera, yet they not only filmed everywhere without permission but also pried into her business. What exactly is their angle?”

Jiang Shuiyun didn’t keep Xi Rong in the dark; she told him exactly what had happened and left it to him to figure out the best way to handle it.

Xi Rong’s brow furrowed in annoyance. “How can they operate like this? I didn’t even know about this interview. They didn’t breathe a word to me as the manager. Don’t worry about the friction; their behavior makes it clear they just want to exploit Team Shenji. They think the team is still the same soft target they can manipulate for gimmicks and clicks.”

“As long as you’re aware,” Jiang Shuiyun said. Not worrying further since she knew Xi Rong was capable, she moved on to the logistics. “By the way, when is the draw?”

“Don’t get me started. That’s why I was late,” Xi Rong said, hands on his hips in exasperation. “The draw was supposed to be at 6:00 PM, but they suddenly notified me to go early. It’s already finished. The luck was decent; the opponent’s strength is middle-of-the-road. We shouldn’t have any problems.”

Jiang Shuiyun nodded as Xi Rong continued the briefing.

“Tomorrow’s schedule is the Top 18 to Top 9, then down to the Top 5, plus the resurrection challenge rounds. The day after is the Top 5 to Top 3, the Finals, the final challenge match, and a newly added Celebrity Invitational. The organizers invited five celebrities who enjoy Star Wars; the winning team will be split into two groups, each leading the celebrities in an exhibition match. It’s meant to be for fun and to boost the event’s popularity.”

This arrangement had been announced during the draw. While the regular season veterans were used to it, Xi Rong explained it for Jiang Shuiyun’s benefit. As for the Celebrity Invitational—while not strictly professional, it was a standard promotional tactic by the organizers and perfectly reasonable.

On someone else’s turf, you follow their rules.

“Anything else?” Jiang Shuiyun asked.

“That’s about it. Tomorrow, Jinbai will be in the spectator stands with me. You can focus on the game.” Xi Rong had everything settled, waiting only for the start of the tournament.

That evening, the official filming began. Jiang Shuiyun had Yi Jinbai wait in Viper’s room next door while the rest of the team gathered to provide B-roll and promotional footage.

After an hour of filming, they were all nearly numb. It wasn’t until they performed a final, choreographed high-five and a cheer for the camera that they were finally released.

Exhausted, everyone retreated to their rooms. Jiang Shuiyun brought Yi Jinbai back and they remade the bed. After taking turns washing up, they finally lay down before 10:00 PM.

It had been a long day of travel and preparation. Jiang Shuiyun lay flat on her back, listening to the soft sound of Yi Jinbai’s breathing beside her.

Sharing a bed with someone for the first time made her feel a bit tense. She meticulously smoothed her quilt, folding her hands over her stomach and forcing herself to focus on sleeping, yet her gaze couldn’t help but drift toward Yi Jinbai.

In the faint moonlight filtering through the window, she could just make out the silhouette of the blanket, rising and falling with rhythmic, quiet breaths, and Yi Jinbai’s peaceful face.

Jiang Shuiyun withdrew her gaze and closed her eyes. Slowly, she regulated her nervous heartbeat with deep breaths and, following years of habit, quickly drifted off to sleep.

She didn’t know that shortly after she fell asleep, Yi Jinbai—whose breathing had seemed steady opened her eyes. Guided by the moonlight, she turned her head to look at Jiang Shuiyun’s textbook-perfect sleeping posture and her dimly lit features. Many thoughts raced through her mind before her eyelids finally grew heavy, and she too fell into a deep sleep.

True to their words, when they woke up the next morning, they were in the exact same positions as the night before. They hadn’t budged an inch; the two divider pillows in the middle had been entirely redundant.

Jiang Shuiyun got up first to wash. She moved the pillows back to the armchair and waited for Yi Jinbai to finish getting ready.

Standing by the door, Jiang Shuiyun was already dressed in the team uniform. The solid black fabric and gold embroidery complemented each other perfectly, with the red team emblem providing a striking finishing touch. It made her look tall, sharp, and commanding.

As Yi Jinbai approached, Jiang Shuiyun placed a cap on the girl’s head and handed her a face mask. “People might try to film you today on purpose. Best to be prepared.”

After adjusting the cap and putting on the mask, Yi Jinbai’s small face was completely hidden. Only when she looked up could Jiang Shuiyun see those clear, soul-stirring eyes.

“Let’s go.”

Feeling her face heat up under Jiang Shuiyun’s gaze, Yi Jinbai lowered her head and habitually took hold of Jiang Shuiyun’s sleeve as they walked out.