Chapter 1: The Exiled Expert
"Kakaka, click-click..."
A pair of nimble hands danced, manipulating the keyboard and mouse with rhythmic keystrokes, creating a melody of light taps. The screen flickered with brilliance, and the opponent, showered in a splatter of blood, fell.
"Hehe." Ye Qiu smiled, lifting the cigarette dangling from the corner of his mouth. The silver ash had formed a long chain, yet it remained intact as Ye Qiu swiftly moved the mouse and tapped the keyboard. After removing the cigarette, he quickly extinguished it in a peculiarly shaped ashtray on the table. His hand swiftly returned to the keyboard, ready to say something to his opponent, when the door was forcefully pushed open.
Ye Qiu didn't turn around, as if he had been waiting for this moment. He just asked, "Here?"
"Here." Su Mucheng's reply was equally concise.
"Let's go then!" Ye Qiu declined another invitation for a match, casually taking a card from the dedicated Glory game login device. As he stood up and walked to the door, he casually grabbed a coat from the nearby rack.
The night was already deep, but the Jia Shi Club was still brightly lit. Ye Qiu and Su Mucheng left the room, walking all the way to the end of the corridor. Here, there was a spacious meeting room with an electronic display occupying almost an entire wall. It showed the rankings and various statistics of the Glory Professional League.
Rankings: Jia Shi Team overall rank 19th, second to last.
For a once-dominant team that had achieved three consecutive championships, this ranking was particularly glaring. However, the atmosphere in the room was far from dull. Jia Shi's players were gathered around someone, seemingly oblivious to Ye Qiu's entrance. For those who managed to cast a glance, their eyes were filled with indifference and mockery.
"Ye Qiu, the club has decided that Sun Xiang, our new transfer, will take over the captaincy. One Autumn Leaf will now be controlled by Sun Xiang." The club manager, upon seeing Ye Qiu enter, immediately turned and spoke. There was no prior communication, no subtle expression, just a direct and cold announcement, as ruthless as discarding a used tissue.
Su Mucheng was about to speak but was gently pulled back by Ye Qiu. He smiled and shook his head at her, indicating that he didn't mind.
"Ye Ge, sorry for taking your seat as soon as I came in." Sun Xiang, the captain's exclusive seat on the left side of the meeting table, was originally meant for Ye Qiu. Sun Xiang, however, sat there casually and made this remark. He didn't even spare a glance at Ye Qiu, showing not just indifference but also contempt.
"Right, it's perfect for Brother Xiang to sit in this position." The others quickly followed up with the previous conversation.
"Yes, some people are already old and outdated."
"One Autumn Leaf should indeed be controlled by Brother Xiang to fully unleash the strength of the Battle God."
This was the focus of attention at the moment. Sun Xiang, a new-generation genius in the Glory Professional League, had won the Rookie of the Year title shortly after entering the league last year. His individual stats were not inferior to the MVP of the same year. This season, Sun Xiang led the mediocre OverCloud team to rank eighth in the league, with the prospect of entering the playoffs. However, midway through the season, he transferred to the struggling Jia Shi Club. The reason was simple: Jia Shi might have a poor record, but it possessed the account character known as the Battle God.
Sun Xiang willingly joined Jia Shi to take over One Autumn Leaf, a top-tier account. Ye Qiu, who had controlled One Autumn Leaf, had faced conflicts with the club due to the declining performance. Sun Xiang was confident that he could replace Ye Qiu and bring glory back to the title of Battle God.
"It's in my hands!" As Sun Xiang caught the account card, he felt a bit of resistance.
Feeling Ye Qiu's reluctance, Sun Xiang, excited and greedy, smiled, "Let go, Ye Ge. Look at your hands, they're trembling like this. How can such hands bring out the strength of the Battle God? Let me handle it! I'll make the title of Battle God resound throughout Glory again. As for you? Retire!"
As soon as these words were spoken, Sun Xiang saw a sharp glint in Ye Qiu's eyes, a moment of shock when he realized that Ye Qiu's hands, which had been slightly trembling as he handed over the account, suddenly stopped shaking steadily.
"Do you like this game?" Ye Qiu suddenly asked Sun Xiang, looking him straight in the eyes.
"What?" Sun Xiang was bewildered.
"If you like it, treat all of this as glory, not showoff."
"What are you talking about? What does it have to do with you?" Sun Xiang suddenly lost his composure. In that moment, he felt as if he had become shorter than Ye Qiu, and he didn't want to lose the momentum to the other. He came here to replace Ye Qiu, to obtain the account of the Battle God, One Autumn Leaf.
"Keep it." Just when Sun Xiang was about to regain his composure, Ye Qiu had already let go of the account card, saying lightly, then turned around to leave.
"Ye Qiu!" At this moment, the manager spoke up, stopping him.
Ye Qiu halted, turned his head slightly, and heard the manager say, "Currently, the club doesn't have a suitable match account for you. For now, just serve as a training partner in the team!"
Training partner... For a veteran player who had created a dynasty in the league and accumulated all personal honors, it was reduced to being a training partner.
Sun Xiang, with a cheeky smile, interjected, "Ye Ge, taking this position suits you perfectly."
"Yes, it's right for Brother Xiang to control One Autumn Leaf. That's the only way to truly unleash the power of the Battle God."
Ye Qiu took a final look at the place where he had spent seven years. Without saying any polite farewell words, he silently turned around to leave.
"I'll accompany you." Su Mucheng, the only one following him, said.
