The next morning, Tang Rou woke early, her mind already buzzing with thoughts of Starlight. Despite a long night of strategy discussions and match replays, sleep had come sparingly, and when it did, her dreams were filled with flashing screens and masked figures. The image of Starlight's captain, dominating the battlefield with precise movements, haunted her.
Now, as she sat up in bed, sunlight filtering through the curtains, the question still gnawed at her: Who is Starlight's captain?
She sighed and rubbed her temples, trying to shake off the lingering exhaustion. Today would be critical. The quarterfinal matchups were about to be announced, and if fate decided to pit them against Starlight, they needed to be more prepared than ever.
Tang Rou joined the team for breakfast in the hotel dining area, her movements slower than usual. Despite the enticing aroma of fresh coffee and pastries, she found herself too restless to enjoy it. Across the table, Su Mucheng gave her a sympathetic smile, sensing her tension.
"You're thinking about them, aren't you?" Su Mucheng asked, pushing a plate of food toward Tang Rou. "You barely touched anything yesterday."
Tang Rou nodded, picking at her food absentmindedly. "I can't stop thinking about how they play—how he plays. The way Starlight's captain controls the game, it's like he's ten steps ahead at all times."
"Well, that's exactly why Ye Xiu is working overtime," Su Mucheng replied with a small grin, nodding toward their team leader, who sat a few seats away, deep in conversation with Zhang Jiale and Bao Rongxing. They were discussing something animatedly, likely dissecting more footage of Starlight's matches.
Tang Rou glanced over at them and then back at Su Mucheng. "Do you think we're ready if we face them?"
Su Mucheng's smile softened, and she leaned in a little closer. "We've been through tough teams before, Tang Rou. The Europeans, the Koreans—they were no small feat. Starlight is just another challenge. The key is to stay calm and trust our training."
Tang Rou appreciated Su Mucheng's confidence, but something still felt off to her. She couldn't put her finger on it, but there was an unease surrounding Starlight, particularly their mysterious captain. His playstyle was eerily familiar, but it wasn't just that. It was the way he read the game, his unshakable calm under pressure—it reminded her of someone.
Her thoughts were interrupted when Ye Xiu stood up, calling for the team's attention. "Alright, everyone, let's head to the briefing room. The matchups for the quarterfinals are being announced soon."
Tang Rou took a deep breath and followed the rest of the team out of the dining hall. As they walked, her mind kept circling back to Starlight, and with every step, her anticipation grew.
In the briefing room, a large screen displayed the tournament brackets. The room was filled with players from various teams, all waiting anxiously for the announcement of the next matches. Tang Rou's pulse quickened as the screen flickered, and the brackets began to update in real-time.
One by one, the matchups appeared on the screen, each team's name lighting up beside their opponent. Tang Rou scanned the list, her eyes darting between the names.
And then she saw it.
China National Team vs. Starlight.
Her heart skipped a beat. It was happening. They were going to face Starlight in the quarterfinals.
A murmur went through the room as other teams reacted to the matchups. Starlight had been making waves throughout the tournament, and now, everyone was eager to see how they would fare against Ye Xiu's team. Tang Rou's excitement mixed with nerves, her hands clenching into fists at her sides.
Ye Xiu, however, remained as calm as ever. He glanced at the screen, then back at his team, his expression unreadable. "Well," he said with a small smile, "looks like we've got the match everyone's been waiting for."
Bao Rongxing groaned, running a hand through his hair. "Of course it's them. Couldn't we have gotten an easier opponent first?"
Zhang Jiale chuckled, shaking his head. "Where's the fun in that?"
But Tang Rou couldn't bring herself to join in their banter. She stared at the screen, her mind racing. This was it—the moment they had been preparing for. The mysterious team, the dark horse of the tournament, was now their obstacle to overcome.
Ye Xiu noticed her tense posture and gave her a reassuring nod. "Don't overthink it, Tang Rou. We've handled tougher challenges before."
Tang Rou forced a smile, but the unease in her gut refused to settle. "Yeah… I know."
Back in the practice room, the team wasted no time getting back to work. Ye Xiu pulled up footage of Starlight's matches, replaying key moments and dissecting their strategies. As they watched, it became increasingly clear that Starlight wasn't just another team—they were different. Their coordination was perfect, their movements almost synchronized, as if they shared a collective mind.
"Watch how they bait their opponents," Ye Xiu pointed out, pausing the footage to highlight a particular play. "They draw teams into traps, forcing them to overcommit. Then they strike when their opponents are at their most vulnerable."
Tang Rou leaned forward, studying the screen intently. "It's like they're manipulating the entire match from the start."
"Exactly," Ye Xiu said. "And that's why we need to be unpredictable. If we follow a standard playbook, they'll read us like an open book. We have to keep them guessing."
Zhang Jiale chimed in, his tone thoughtful. "So we go unconventional, throw them off their rhythm. But how do we do that without leaving ourselves open to counterattacks?"
Ye Xiu smirked. "That's the trick, isn't it? We'll mix up our formations, make them think we're going for one strategy, then pivot at the last second. We keep them on their toes, never giving them a moment to settle."
Tang Rou nodded, her mind racing with possibilities. The plan made sense. Starlight's strength came from their ability to anticipate their opponents, but if they couldn't predict what was coming, they would lose their biggest advantage.
Still, as they continued to run through strategies, Tang Rou couldn't shake the feeling that there was something more to Starlight's captain. His movements, his style—it was all so familiar. But why? She wracked her brain, trying to recall if she had ever encountered a player like him before, but nothing came to mind.
It wasn't until later that evening, after hours of practice, that she finally voiced her thoughts to Ye Xiu.
"Do you think we've faced their captain before?" she asked, her voice low as they stood alone in the practice room. The rest of the team had already retired for the night, leaving the two of them to review the final details of the plan.
Ye Xiu raised an eyebrow, considering her question. "Maybe. Glory's player base is huge, and top players come and go. It's possible he's someone who used to compete under a different name."
Tang Rou bit her lip, her mind racing. "But his playstyle… it's just so familiar. I can't shake the feeling that I've seen it before."
Ye Xiu gave her a thoughtful look. "Trust your instincts, Tang Rou. If you think there's something off about him, there probably is. But don't let it distract you. We'll find out who he is soon enough."
Tang Rou nodded, though her thoughts remained troubled. As she headed back to her room for the night, she replayed the matches over and over in her mind, trying to place where she had seen that playstyle before.
The day of the quarterfinals arrived quickly, and the energy in the stadium was electric. Fans from around the world packed the stands, their cheers echoing through the arena as the tournament reached its most intense stage yet.
As Tang Rou and her team took their seats on stage, she glanced across at the opposing team. There, at the center of Starlight's lineup, was their captain, his face hidden behind the mask that had become his signature throughout the tournament.
Her heart pounded in her chest as the countdown to the match began. This was it—the moment they had been preparing for.
As the timer ticked down, Tang Rou's eyes locked onto Starlight's captain. She watched his movements carefully, noting every small gesture, every shift in his posture. And then, in that final second before the match began, it hit her.
She knew who he was.
Her breath caught in her throat as the realization washed over her. The masked captain of Starlight wasn't just some unknown player. He was someone from her past—someone she had faced before.
But how? Why hadn't she recognized him sooner?
There was no time to dwell on it. The match had begun, and Starlight's players moved with their usual precision, their aggression immediate and calculated. But now, Tang Rou had a new advantage—she knew who she was up against.
As the battle unfolded, she adapted her playstyle, anticipating Starlight's captain's movements before he made them. She countered his attacks with a fluidity that surprised even her teammates, blocking his attempts to bait her into overcommitting.
"You're doing great, Tang Rou," Ye Xiu's voice came through the comms, his tone calm but impressed.