AWM: PUBG - Chapter 5

After Qi Zui ended his stream, he headed to the second-floor common room to rummage around. As expected, the base’s medical kit was only stocked with common cold medicines and anti-inflammatories; there was no burn ointment to be found.

Fortunately, there was a 24-hour pharmacy not far from the base. Without disturbing anyone, Qi Zui drove out himself and bought a tube.

He had just been warned by the manager that afternoon not to scare the kids, so Qi Zui hesitated for a moment and decided not to walk directly into the first-floor training room.

As luck would have it, he didn’t have to wait long before Yu Yang walked out.

Qi Zui tilted his head slightly, his eyes falling on the raw, red burn on Yu Yang’s right palm. “Doesn’t it hurt?”

Yu Yang looked at Qi Zui, his eyes rimmed with red and his chest heaving with suppressed emotion. The countless things he had wanted to say over the past year surged to his throat all at once, feeling as though they might burst from his chest.

His lips trembled, but before he could speak, tears suddenly began to fall, tracing straight lines down his face.

Yu Yang turned his head away, his jaw tight as he struggled to keep from making a sound.

Qi Zui watched him silently.

If this is an act, Qi Zui thought, then it’s a real tragedy Yu Yang went pro. He should have turned left out the door and applied for the Beijing Film Academy; his future would definitely be brighter there.

Straightening his team jacket, Qi Zui took a step forward. “You…”

“Brother Qi! Do you really have to reclaim three months’ worth of headlines in a single stream?” He Xiaoxu had been searching the third floor for Qi Zui for ages. After hearing he’d taken the car keys, he’d come to the first-floor entrance specifically to intercept him. Sure enough, he spotted Qi Zui and began complaining as he approached. “What are you doing?! We haven’t even officially announced Youth yet, and now you’ve… uh, you… both of you…”

Qi Zui closed his eyes. “Fuck…”

Yu Yang didn’t want anyone to see him in such a pathetic, tearful state. He hurriedly turned his back and wiped his face aggressively.

Qi Zui felt a wave of helplessness. He shot He Xiaoxu a look and lowered his voice. “Shh…”

“What’s… what’s going on?” He Xiaoxu was completely bewildered, totally out of the loop. “I just… I just wanted to talk to you about…”

Qi Zui massaged his temples, sounding drained. “Can it wait?”

Sensing the subtle tension in the air, He Xiaoxu said dryly, “It can.”

Qi Zui waved him off, telling him to get lost. He Xiaoxu looked around and saw that some of the trainees in the first-floor training room were already peering through the glass. He said awkwardly, “You two… watch your influence. Also, Lai Hua just emphasized the curfew today, even a minute late counts as a violation. Trainees have a strict door-close time, and it’s almost 1:00 AM. Youth, watch the clock. Brother Qi, you… I’ll wait for you on the third floor.”

Qi Zui felt a headache coming on. “Scram,” he snapped impatiently.

He Xiaoxu scurried off as told. The Second Team players and trainees were still stretching their necks, eyes glued to the glass wall. Qi Zui glanced toward the training room; a dozen round heads instantly ducked back behind their monitors, suddenly becoming very “busy.”

“Apply it once a day and wrap it in a single layer of gauze. Don’t overdo the wrapping.” Qi Zui handed the ointment to Yu Yang, then pulled a box of gauze from his tracksuit pocket. “If it really hurts, you can ask for time off. Don’t ask the people in charge of you; they usually won’t approve it. Just come to me… I can approve it.”

Yu Yang shook his head and said in a muffled voice, “No need. It won’t affect my training.”

“It won’t?” Qi Zui let out a small laugh, not pushing him. “Suit yourself…”

Qi Zui checked the time on his phone… 12:54 AM.

If a trainee committed a single violation, their entire month’s salary was gone. Qi Zui figured they wouldn’t be able to say much more today. “Go back for now. If there’s anything else… we’ll talk later.”

“I’m not afraid of violations,” Yu Yang blurted out. He immediately lowered his head and added stiffly, “I usually don’t go back to the dorm until three or four in the morning anyway.”

“I heard.” Qi Zui went silent for a moment before asking, “Did you contact Yu Qianxi to get him to recruit you?”

Yu Yang nodded.

Qi Zui gave a light chuckle. “He’s that big-hearted? I’ve never seen him do a favor for someone for free. What did you promise him in exchange for his help?”

Yu Yang hesitated, then shook his head. “I can’t say.”

It was as expected; Yu Qianxi had almost certainly warned Yu Yang about something. Qi Zui didn’t mind; even if Yu Yang wouldn’t talk, he could investigate it himself and likely find out even more.

Qi Zui leaned back against the wall, watching Yu Yang in the silent hallway.

Suddenly, Qi Zui asked, “Did you lie in the game just now?”

He watched Yu Yang steadily, his tone flat. “Be smart. Don’t try to play me right now. Give me the truth.”

Yu Yang looked up, hesitated for a few seconds, and then nodded.

“Do you like Qi Zui?”

“I do.”

Qi Zui froze for a beat, then let out a scoffing laugh and turned to head upstairs.

Yu Yang stood dazed for several seconds. The contemptuous smile on Qi Zui’s face was a memory burned into his mind; a year ago, Qi Zui had worn that same smile when he threw Yu Yang’s phone back and vanished.

Panic surged in Yu Yang’s heart. He opened his mouth, but as usual, the words wouldn’t come.

“I, I… I!” Yu Yang’s right hand clenched tight, sweat drenching his back. With every ounce of effort he had, he forced out a stuttering sentence: “I! I came to… HO… HOG.”

Yu Yang grit his teeth, forcing the words out one by one: “It wasn’t… wasn’t because… the team is st-strong.”

Qi Zui turned back. Yu Yang was too ashamed to meet his eyes. “It’s… because… because of you.”

A string in Qi Zui’s heart that hadn’t been touched in a long time suddenly hummed, the vibration causing a faint ache in his chest.

“You…” Qi Zui reflexively rubbed his wrist. “Was that the only lie you told?”

Yu Yang’s cheeks were bright red. He nodded.

He looked up, struggling to speak. “You… you to me…”

It was exactly 1:00 AM. The door to the first-floor training room swung open with a bang. A few trainees began to filter out. Yu Yang was mortified. Lai Hua came down from the second floor, spotted Yu Yang, and hurried over. “There you are! Come here—I’m going to review today’s match with you.”

Yu Yang hadn’t finished his sentence. Afraid Qi Zui would leave, he looked at him anxiously. With the other trainees blocking the way, Lai Hua didn’t even see Qi Zui. He frowned and urged, “Hurry up. We’ve wasted enough time today. The sooner we finish the review, the sooner you can sleep.”

Qi Zui hesitated for a moment, then headed upstairs first.

Yu Yang felt a lump in his throat. He stood his ground stubbornly for a moment longer, only following after Lai Hua repeatedly called for him.

*****

“God Qi, would you like to hear about the latest rumor thread about you?” On the third floor, Bu Nana was eating a late-night snack, laughing so hard his stomach hurt. “Less than half an hour after you went offline, a video of you appeared on Weibo. Hahaha! A fan who actually has a level 8 German certification provided full translated subtitles. Hahahahaha! That was a smooth move, Captain Qi. Truly, no one is as shameless as you.”

He Xiaoxu had originally hoped to let the matter blow over while no one was looking, but Qi Zui’s fans were incredibly persistent. Threads about the incident were already everywhere on forums and Weibo. Giving up on damage control, He Xiaoxu had the official HOG Weibo account share the video with a “Hahaha” of his own, and was forced to introduce Youth to the public ahead of schedule.

“You! This is all because of you!” He Xiaoxu complained incessantly. “We hadn’t even decided where to put Youth yet, and you went and exposed him! Now everyone knows he’s here. The club wants me to make an official announcement tomorrow. How am I supposed to do that?”

Qi Zui knew he was in the wrong and didn’t argue. He sat at his station and said vaguely, “If it’s not decided, then decide it now. I dueled him today and then played a squad match with him. He’s not bad; his skills are up to par.”

“Up to par my ass! He’s failed his sports psychology assessment three times in a row. According to the counselor, he shouldn’t even be in the Second Team.” He Xiaoxu felt like his head was going to explode. “An official announcement means signing a contract. What kind of contract? How do we sign him? Are we really putting him in the Second Team?”

Qi Zui’s brow furrowed. “What did you just say?”

He Xiaoxu snapped back, “What kind of contract should we give him?! Huh?!”

“No…” Qi Zui’s brow remained knit. “In this day and age, someone actually fails the psychology assessment?”

He Xiaoxu sighed and nodded. “Yes, and the issues are very serious. Why else do you think I’ve been delaying his contract and letting him stay with the trainees?”

A sports psychology assessment for an esports player was essentially like checking if a marathon runner had functional legs. Some teams didn’t even bother with it for newcomers. In his eight years of professional play, this was the first time Qi Zui had heard of a pro failing the test.

“He…” In Qi Zui’s mind, a vague, untouchable mist seemed to be clearing. “Yu Yang…”

“The Second Team needs a vanguard right now, and Yu Yang is good at close-quarters combat, so he’d fit.” He Xiaoxu muttered to himself, interrupting Qi Zui’s thoughts. He looked up, unable to make a decision. “Should we make an exception and let him into the Second Team?”

Qi Zui snapped out of it. He thought for a moment and shook his head. “No.”

He Xiaoxu became completely exasperated. “Then what do you want?! Are you getting back at me for making you stream?!”

Qi Zui took off his jacket and looked at the empty station next to his own.

“Our First Team,” he said, “needs a substitute.”

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