Desire to Lure [Esports] - Chapter 6

Chapter 6

The training match, dubbed “The Eviction,” arrived as expected.

Ever burst out laughing when he saw the ragtag group of “nobodies” Sheng Xu had managed to scrape together from heaven-knows-where.

Cluck! Cluck! Cluck!

“What on earth is this!” Ever’s laughter sounded a bit like a rooster crowing, earning him the internet nickname “Brother Rooster.”

His nose didn’t hurt anymore, but it was still bruised. He had to wear a band-aid, which made him look a bit ridiculous.

Ware was also stifling a laugh. “Have you guys ever heard of this top laner, ‘Nihao’? He’s not some big-time streamer, is he?”

Ware scrutinized the opponent’s account: Diamond I rank, zero skins, and pitifully low playtime. He looked exactly like a broke, silent middle-aged salaryman.

You couldn’t blame Ware for his disdain. ZZY, the foreigner from the cold lands of Norway, had grown up in modest circumstances and was incredibly frugal. No “consumer trap” like a game skin was ever going to squeeze a penny out of him.

To put it bluntly, he wouldn’t even spend money to buy his own team’s Championship skin.

Maoyi chimed in: “The support is named ‘Simida’ is he Korean? The jungler is ‘Random Foreign Aid,’ at least he’s self-aware. And the mid laner is ‘Relatively Excellent Domestic Mid,’ talk about arrogant.”

Zechuan felt a bit uneasy. In his eyes, this match was unfair it was practically a hollow victory. It was nothing more than a clumsy excuse to kick Sheng Xu out.

Zechuan stole a glance at Yu Wenzhi.

To him, the Captain was gentle, brilliant, and possessed incredibly high emotional intelligence. Even if he wanted to fire someone, he would surely do it in a way that made the person resign voluntarily and gratefully.

Could it really be as Ever said? Did the Captain actually hate Sheng Xu deep down, which is why he was being so pushy?

Ever was laughing so hard his eyes were nearly shut. He could already envision the moment Sheng Xu would be kicked out. How satisfying would that be? Even a protagonist ascending to godhood in a web novel wouldn’t feel this good.

Yu Wenzhi unscrewed a bottle of rose herbal tea, took a slow sip, and cautioned, “Do not underestimate the enemy.”

Ever replied, “Captain is right. Even among randoms, there are Kings.”

He said the words, but his mind had already drifted. Professional players against ordinary players was a total curb-stomp. Once they got on the field, he was definitely going to rack up a massive kill count.

Yu Wenzhi noticed Ever’s overconfident expression and gave a light chuckle. “One more reminder: give it your all today.”

Ever: “Cluck cluck cluck!”

Understood. The Captain wanted him to be ruthless.

Sheng Xu wasn’t in this practice room, so they spoke without restraint. Aside from the more cautious Zechuan, no one took Sheng Xu’s teammates seriously.

As soon as the match started, Maoyi bragged: “I can beat this Jax with one hand. He’s playing right into my pockets.”

Yu Wenzhi replied softly, “Alright, I’ll count on you.”

Seeing the Captain’s reliance on him, Maoyi said excitedly, “Mhm, just watch me push the towers.”

Maoyi was playing Gragas. Eager for First Blood, he tossed his Q skill. The massive barrel rolled toward Jax, kicking up dust with a wide attack range a classic surprise move.

‘Nihao’ performed a smooth twist, dodging it effortlessly, and casually last-hit a cannon minion.

Maoyi blinked. He told himself it was a fluke. Pure coincidence.

A while later, Jax used Counter Strike and took Maoyi’s head.

Maoyi went silent. His “feel” for the game was a bit off today.

Ware, the jungler, couldn’t sit still either. He had planned to invade the enemy jungle to shut down their Annie, but not only were his Red and Blue buffs stolen, the Dragon was snatched away too.

Zechuan frowned. “Jungler, go for the Rift Herald, or I can’t push the mid tower.”

Ware: “…Is it because I didn’t want to go to Harvard or Yale, Brother Chuan?”

Zechuan: “You can’t get into Harvard, and you can’t get into the Dragon Pit either?”

Ware: “Let’s put the Dragon Pit aside for a second. I’m just saying, as a mid laner, can’t you come to the jungle?”

Zechuan: “…”

Ever wasn’t doing any better. He had the world-class support Yu Wenzhi by his side. Usually, they dominated the bot lane, crushing anyone in their path.

Yet today, they couldn’t push the enemy bot lane at all.

Of course, it wasn’t Yu Wenzhi’s fault; a support’s primary job is to protect the AD Carry. But Ever, as the AD, simply couldn’t withstand Sheng Xu’s aggression.

Sheng Xu’s hand speed was terrifying. His Zeri was constantly kiting, flashing at the perfect moments to dodge skills while simultaneously striking back. Any attack Ever managed to land on Sheng Xu was blocked by that mysterious ‘Simida.’

When Sheng Xu was back at DTG, they had played against each other. Back then, Sheng Xu couldn’t get the upper hand because he was too reckless, and his support, Xu Cen, was timid and hesitant. They could never sync up.

Usually, while Sheng Xu was charging forward, Xu Cen was already retreating. Their bot lane felt like two people playing separate games; against a well-trained powerhouse team, they would collapse instantly.

But today was different. This ‘Simida’ hovered around Sheng Xu constantly. Even when low on health, he didn’t panic or retreat early, showing absolute confidence in his timing.

Ever couldn’t keep up, so Yu Wenzhi was forced to retreat with him. Tied down, Yu Wenzhi had no chance to roam mid or ward the map.

What is going on? Is the entire first team failing?

“What are you thinking about?” Yu Wenzhi’s voice suddenly rang out, his tone a bit colder.

Ever snapped out of it, realizing with a jolt that he had zoned out mid-match. His Xayah had stood still for two seconds, drifting out of Yu Wenzhi’s protective range.

Ever’s face flushed. He tried to move back toward Yu Wenzhi.

Sheng Xu fired a piercing laser, perfectly predicted. It tore right through him.

First Blood!

Ever had given up the first kill. His screen went black.

Ever’s face went white. He wiped his face, his expression turning dark as he muttered, “That was a mistake. Again!”

With Top, Mid, and Jungle all pinned down and unable to help Bot, Ever was on his own.

Three minutes later, Sheng Xu took his life a second time.

Ever couldn’t laugh anymore.

The gold gap widened. Sheng Xu bought better gear, and killing Ever became as easy as slicing through vegetables.

The system announcement rang out: Sheng Xu was Godlike.

Ever finally understood: when a powerful AD meets a top-tier support, the result is a level of combat power that breeds total despair.

TEA already had the world’s best support. The manager’s goal was to find an AD worthy of Yu Wenzhi.

An AD that belonged solely to Yu Wenzhi.

Zechuan finally regained some ground. He excitedly pushed down the first mid tower, but when he looked around… Top had collapsed, Bot was on life support, and the Jungle… the Jungle was completely lit up by enemy wards.

Zechuan: “Did I fall into a parallel universe, brothers? It looks like we’re going to lose.”

Ware: “To be honest, I’m panicking. If the manager sees this, will he sign ‘Random Foreign Aid’ to replace me?”

Maoyi was despondent: “We can be packed up and shipped out together. Is ‘Nihao’ actually some kind of genius?”

The match ended. Sheng Xu’s team won a crushing victory. Among a group of teammates with ridiculous nicknames and world-shaking skills, Sheng Xu stood out. He didn’t need to be carried; he was one of the main carries.

Ever stared at the terrifying damage stats of the opposing Zeri, unable to speak. To admit that Sheng Xu was truly stronger than him was simply too difficult.

Yu Wenzhi took off his headset, stretched his fingers, and said warmly, “Sheng Xu officially joins training tomorrow. No objections, right?”

Zechuan was the first to shake his head. He could see it now Sheng Xu was genuinely powerful. The manager bought him to win the championship; there was no way they were actually going to let him go.

As for those teammates of Sheng Xu’s, it was fairly certain they were professional players.

Ware: “Captain, I accept the loss. I just want to ask, who was that jungler? He definitely isn’t just some ‘Random Foreign Aid,’ right?”

Yu Wenzhi looked puzzled, appearing completely innocent. “I don’t know. You’ll have to ask Sheng Xu. He’s the one who found them.”

Ware: “…” Do you really think I’m brave enough to ask him?

Maoyi fell into deep thought, muttering, “I didn’t expect it. Sheng Xu looks like a walking time bomb, but deep down, he’s a social butterfly? Damn, he actually managed to seduce such incredible foreign aid.”

Yu Wenzhi: “.”

Yu Wenzhi smiled. “A loss is a loss. Don’t overthink it. Normal training tomorrow.”

With that, Yu Wenzhi stood up, grabbed his half-finished rose tea, and left the first-team practice room.

At the corner of the stairs was the youth trainee practice room. Since they hadn’t recruited any new trainees this year, Sheng Xu was the only one in there.

Yu Wenzhi thought for a moment, then pushed the door open.

Sheng Xu had already taken off his headset and exited the game. He was staring blankly at the computer screen.

Just after the game ended, his teammates had said their polite goodbyes.

Nihao: Nice to meet you Sheng, This is V6.ZZY.

Simida: Annyeonghaseyo, QZ.lika imnida.

Relatively Excellent Domestic Mid: I’m Xu Ceming. Hey, little firecracker, tell Yu Wenzhi he owes me a favor.

Random Foreign Aid: Yan Tingyu. Logging off.

Before the match started, Yu Wenzhi had casually mentioned that since Sheng Xu couldn’t find enough people, he had found four for him.

Sheng Xu had assumed Yu Wenzhi would at best find some guys from the second team.

He never imagined…

He knew these people. Every single one was a top-tier player in the world. But he didn’t really know them, because they wouldn’t have come to help just for his sake.

Sheng Xu’s fingers involuntarily tightened, gripping his knees. His arms were trembling slightly.

Yu Wenzhi… why did he help me?

The door creaked. Yu Wenzhi walked in. Sheng Xu snapped his head around, staring intently.

Yu Wenzhi set the rose tea aside, looked down at him, and smiled.

“You won. Congratulations.”

Sheng Xu’s Adam’s apple bobbed with difficulty. His expression remained stubborn, but his voice was hoarse. “Why?”

“I value your strength,” Yu Wenzhi said firmly.

Sheng Xu froze slightly, but his eyes couldn’t help but dim. Right. I still have utility. Even if it’s not as deep as teammate camaraderie, I have to be used to my full potential.

“And…”

Sheng Xu looked up sharply. The skull pendant around his neck rattled twice.

Yu Wenzhi reached out and ruffled the arrogant, prickly short hair, his fingers carrying the faint scent of rose tea.

“You’ve been wronged.”

Sheng Xu gritted his teeth, but his eyes betrayed him, turning red.

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