The faint sound of clicking keys and rapid mouse movements filled the Excellent Era camp base as Su Mucheng and He Ming sat side by side in the team match. Their eyes were glued to the screens, fingers dancing over the controls with precision. The match was intense, and they worked together seamlessly, bouncing strategies off each other with ease.
"Mucheng, I'm flanking left," He Ming called out over the team comms, his voice steady despite the pressure of the game.
"Got it. I'll cover you from the right," Su Mucheng responded, her tone just as focused, her game character weaving between enemies with graceful efficiency.
Meanwhile, Ye Xiu and Liu Hao were sitting at the long table near the back of the room, papers and notes scattered across its surface. They were deep in discussion, going over the new strategies they had developed for the upcoming matches. The atmosphere was serious, and both of them were engrossed in planning.
"Blue Rain has been adapting faster than we anticipated," Ye Xiu muttered, flipping through some notes. "on the other hand, Tiny Herb has had new players who are completely different from the old ones. We'll need to throw in more unpredictable moves."
Liu Hao nodded in agreement, but just as he was about to respond, his phone buzzed on the table. Glancing at the screen, his expression changed instantly. Without a word, he stood up abruptly.
"Sorry, I need to take this. It's important," Liu Hao said, his voice strained as he walked out of the room in a hurry, phone pressed to his ear.
Ye Xiu watched him go, a small frown forming on his face. Something about the way Liu Hao had rushed off felt off, but he decided not to dwell on it for now. Needing a break himself, Ye Xiu stood and grabbed his jacket.
"I'll be back in a bit. Going to grab a coffee," he called out, though Su Mucheng and He Ming were too focused on their match to respond.
Stepping outside, Ye Xiu inhaled the cool evening air, his thoughts briefly clearing. He made his way down the street towards the nearby café, his mind wandering over their recent plans and the ever-mounting pressure of the upcoming tournaments.
As he walked, a strange feeling crept over him, like eyes were watching his every step. He paused, glancing over his shoulder. The street was quiet, only a few scattered people passing by, none of them paying him any attention. Yet, the sense of being followed persisted, gnawing at him.
Shaking his head, Ye Xiu continued walking, though his steps were a little quicker now. By the time he reached the café, the feeling had faded, and he chalked it up to the stress of everything that had been happening lately. After all, the past few weeks had been nothing short of chaos.
Returning to the campbase, coffee cups in hand, Ye Xiu found the others gathered around the table, already halfway through lunch. He set the coffees down and sat with them, Su Mucheng and He Ming animatedly chatting about their match.
"You should've seen He Ming's final play," Su Mucheng said with a smile. "He took out two opponents with a single move. It was incredible."
He Ming flushed with pride. "It was just luck."
"Lucky or not, that was a good move," Ye Xiu added, grabbing a sandwich from the spread. "What got you into Glory, He Ming? You seem like you've been playing for a long time."
He Ming smiled, his face lighting up with enthusiasm. "I've always loved competitive games, but it was watching you and your team that got me hooked. You made it look... possible. Like anyone could do it if they put in the work."
The group continued their casual conversation, each sharing their stories of how they got into Glory. The camaraderie was comforting, but underneath the surface, there was still a tension none of them could shake.
Over at Tiny Herb's practice room, the team was gathered for a meeting. The team manager stood at the front, addressing the players one by one.
"So, does anyone have any changes they want to suggest before the next tournament?" the manager asked, clipboard in hand.
One by one, the team members spoke up: Wang Jiexi, their mysterious yet brilliant team leader, mentioned tweaking their offensive strategies. Liu Xiaobie requested more time to practice joint attacks. Gao Yingjie, the youngest on the team, expressed wanting to refine his skills. The manager nodded, jotting everything down methodically.
When everyone had spoken, the manager set his clipboard aside and cleared his throat. "Good. Now, I have some news. We're bringing in a new coach. He's going to be focusing on analyzing strategies from teams like Blue Rain and Excellent Era to give us an edge."
The players exchanged curious glances as the door to the practice room opened. In walked a man in his mid-thirties, dressed in a sharp, tailored suit. His dark hair was slicked back, and there was a calm, almost calculating aura about him.
"Allow me to introduce your new coach, Bao Rongxing," the manager said.
Bao Rongxing gave a brief nod, his expression unreadable. "It's a pleasure to meet you all. I've studied your gameplay and the competition extensively, and I'm confident that with my guidance, we can make the necessary adjustments to outplay both Blue Rain and Excellent Era."
His introduction was brief, and the players greeted him politely, but there was an underlying tension in the air. Something about the man didn't sit right with Wang Jiexi.
As the meeting continued, Wang Jiexi excused himself, mumbling something about needing to use the bathroom. He slipped out of the room and leaned against the wall, deep in thought.
Bao Rongxing... where had he seen that face before?
Suddenly, it clicked. He had seen Bao Rongxing at the bar a few nights ago, sitting with their team manager. At the time, Wang had brushed it off, assuming it was just a casual meeting. But now... now that this man was their new coach, it felt like more than just a coincidence.
His stomach churned with unease. He didn't know what was going on, but he had a bad feeling about this, a feeling that he had just stepped into a trap he couldn't easily get out of.