The Excellent Era team sat gathered around their screens, the dim glow of their computers illuminating the room as they practiced for their crucial match against Blue Rain. It was the night before the national championship, and the tension in the air was palpable. They had spent the day analyzing Blue Rain's tactics and watching hours of footage, learning how their rivals relied heavily on speed and precision. In response, Excellent Era had crafted a new strategy—one that emphasized tight teamwork, adaptability, and careful coordination. But it was untested ground for them, and the difficulty of adjusting was beginning to show.
Su Xiang's fingers moved with blinding speed as she executed a perfect series of attacks, syncing up with Su Mucheng's long-range bombardments. Qiu Fei was holding the frontline, and Liu Hao worked seamlessly between defense and offense, his eyes glued to the screen as he coordinated attacks with the rest of the team. The leader, Ye Xiu, was leading the charge, directing his team like a master tactician, his voice calm but firm as he called out commands.
"It's all about timing," Ye Xiu said. "We need to catch them when they overextend and break their formation. Stay close, keep communication tight."
The team nodded, fully immersed in the game. But despite their intense focus, the long hours of practice were beginning to take a toll. Liu Hao, ever the observant one, noticed that Ye Xiu's wrist was starting to tense up. His movements were precise but slower, a faint grimace crossing his face every time he executed a particularly complex move.
"Ye Xiu, are you alright?" Liu Hao asked, eyes darting between his screen and his friend.
Ye Xiu brushed it off with a wave of his hand. "It's nothing serious. Just a little strain. I've had worse."
"Maybe we should call it a night," Su Mucheng suggested, glancing at the clock. It was almost 11 PM, and they had been practising since morning.
"We can't afford to stop now," Ye Xiu replied, his voice firm. "We're almost there. Just a little more, and we'll have the timing down."
Liu Hao frowned but didn't push further. He knew how important tomorrow's match was. Everyone did. This wasn't just about winning—it was about proving themselves after everything they'd been through. But still, he couldn't shake the worry gnawing at the back of his mind as he watched Ye Xiu push through the discomfort.
On the other side of town, in Blue Rain's camp, their leader, Huang Shaotian, sat alone at the edge of the training room, deep in thought. His team had just finished their practice session, and while they seemed confident, Huang felt a strange weight on his shoulders. His mind kept drifting back to the encounter at the bar the night before. The briefcase, the man in the suit, the mysterious business card—it all felt off, like a puzzle he couldn't quite solve.
"Still thinking about tomorrow?" a voice cut through his thoughts. It was Mo Fan, one of Blue Rain's key players, known for his calm and calculating demeanour. He sat down next to Huang, giving him a small nudge.
"Yeah," Huang muttered. "Just… a lot on my mind."
Mo Fan raised an eyebrow. "About the match? We've been through worse. You know we're ready."
"It's not just the match," Huang said quietly, debating whether to share what he had seen. "There's something else. Something that happened last night."
Huang hesitated for a moment but decided to trust Mo Fan. "I saw Tiny Herb's manager hand over a briefcase to some guy in a suit. It didn't feel right. Then I got a weird message from an unknown number, saying I should follow directions if I want to succeed."
Mo Fan frowned, his eyes narrowing. "And you didn't think to message back? What if it's something important?"
Huang rubbed his temples. "I don't know, man. It feels sketchy."
"But what if it's a lead?" Mo Fan insisted. "Could be something that gives us an edge in tomorrow's match."
After a long pause, Huang pulled out his phone. Maybe Mo Fan was right. What harm could it do to message back? With a deep breath, he typed out a simple response and hit send.
It didn't take long for the reply to come through. Huang stared at his phone in shock. The message wasn't what he expected at all—it was a video clip of Excellent Era's practice. His eyes widened as he watched Ye Xiu and his team execute their new strategy, struggling to adapt to the faster pace. Someone had managed to record their entire practice session.
"This can't be real," Huang muttered under his breath, his heart racing.
Mo Fan leaned over, eyes widening as he watched the footage. "This... this is it. We can use this, Huang. We know their new strategy. We know how to beat them."
Huang's mind raced. It felt wrong, but at the same time, this could be the advantage they needed. He quickly called for an emergency team meeting, gathering Blue Rain in the training room.
"We're changing the strategy," Huang announced firmly. His team exchanged confused glances.
"Why?" Yu Wenzhou asked. "We've been practising our plan for weeks."
"Trust me," Huang insisted, keeping the video a secret. "I know this feels sudden, but we need to adjust if we want to win tomorrow. We'll exploit their weaknesses, and I've got a plan to counter their new strategy. Just trust me on this."
The team wasn't entirely convinced, but they knew Huang well enough to follow his lead. They stayed up late, practising the adjustments he had made to their game plan, refining their approach until they could execute it flawlessly.
Meanwhile, back at Excellent Era's camp, Ye Xiu and Liu Hao were the last two left awake in the training room. The rest of the team had gone to bed, leaving the two to discuss the match in quiet.
"This match is everything," Liu Hao said, handing Ye Xiu a cup of tea. "We need this win."
Ye Xiu nodded, flexing his sore wrist as he took a sip. "It's been a long road, but we've got what it takes. Blue Rain's fast, but we've got the teamwork to counter them."
Liu Hao smirked. "We'll show them what Excellent Era's made of. But for now, let's get some rest. We've got a big day tomorrow."
Ye Xiu agreed, though his mind continued to spin with thoughts of the match. They had prepared as much as they could, but he couldn't shake the feeling that tomorrow's battle would be unlike any they had faced before. With a final glance at the empty training room, the two leaders headed off to bed, knowing that when the sun rose, the fate of the Excellent Era would hang in the balance.