SMS CHAPTER 38

Yan Chengfeng squeezed the small note in his hand, walking out of the lounge in a good mood.

Zhen Ning’s handwriting was neat and delicate. Yan Chengfeng placed the note in his palm and, after examining it for a moment, instantly came up with countless ways to “casually” show it off in front of Tao Luo.

He couldn’t quite understand his own feelings. Perhaps it was a sense of competitiveness. Just knowing that Tao Luo only had a slightly modified draft, while the one in his own hands was written stroke by stroke by Zhen Ning, who had been sitting quietly in front of him, filled him with a satisfying sense of comfort.

Yan Chengfeng decided to hurry over and flaunt it in front of Tao Luo.

However, after taking only a few steps out of the lounge, he stopped in his tracks.

He had spotted Xiong Hao and ZC’s current top laner standing not far away.

Yan Chengfeng: “…”

He frowned impatiently.

The last time he had seen Xiong Hao was before the BO3 match against ZC, and he had no desire to engage in another round of pleasantries or witness Xiong Hao’s fake smile again.

Luckily, the spot where he stood was relatively hidden, so Yan Chengfeng decided to wait until they entered ZC’s lounge before continuing on his way.

ZC was a rare all-alpha team, with veteran jungler and bottom-lane players. Only the top laner was a young rookie fresh out of youth training. He hadn’t debuted much earlier than Zhen Ning and was a small-time streamer before joining ZC.

Yan Chengfeng vaguely remembered the kid. His name was Zhang Shao, with the ID “Flame.” He had showcased some impressive plays with a few warrior heroes.

A few years ago, Yan Chengfeng had watched Zhang Shao’s streams. He recalled him as a proud and arrogant teenager with a clever playstyle and a significant fan base. Eventually, ZC recruited him into their youth team.

However, streaming and professional matches were different. After his official debut, Zhang Shao’s performance had been average, and he hadn’t made much of an impact. His personality had turned quiet and withdrawn.

Staring at the two people in front of him, Yan Chengfeng suddenly felt that something wasn’t right.

Xiong Hao, smoking a cigarette, was saying something to Zhang Shao.

Zhang Shao stood in front of Xiong Hao with his head lowered, his posture and expression looking… somewhat tense.

Yan Chengfeng heard Xiong Hao say nonchalantly, “…Besides those things, after the interview, make sure to thank the club and the manager for taking care of you during this time. Say that although this is your first year officially playing at ZC, it already feels like home.”

“…Say more things like that. Also, manage your expressions well. Don’t look too stiff; it won’t be good if the audience reads too much into it. Understand?”

Zhang Shao, head still lowered, replied, “Got it.”

Xiong Hao snorted and added, “When asked about your outlook on the post-Spring Festival matches, say you’ll give it your all. Tell them you’ll die trying to win next time. Your fans like hearing that kind of determined talk. Got it?”

Zhang Shao didn’t respond.

After a long silence, Yan Chengfeng finally heard him hesitantly say, “But if I say that and still lose to KYM next time, I’ll definitely be mocked to death. I—”

Xiong Hao looked at him with displeasure.

Zhang Shao clenched his teeth and, after a moment, said, “Understood.”

Even Yan Chengfeng was a bit stunned.

In their last match, ZC was swept by KYM, leading to heated discussions on the forums, with #ZC ’s_state becoming a hot topic.

KYM had a smooth win in that match, but that was largely due to Zhen Ning being a newcomer. ZC hadn’t figured out his playstyle yet, making it hard to counter him.

Still, losing 2-0 was indeed disgraceful. Yan Chengfeng knew ZC had been having a rough time lately, but he hadn’t expected the internal dynamics to be… in this state.

The esports scene wasn’t like the entertainment industry, so players’ words and actions usually weren’t restricted too much as long as they didn’t go overboard.

Yan Chengfeng could kind of see why Zhang Shao was expected to say those grateful words about the club.

But it wasn’t common to see players being pushed to say things they didn’t actually mean—especially when it could stir up a lot of controversy.

Moreover, Xiong Hao’s condescending attitude during the conversation with Zhang Shao made Yan Chengfeng feel even more uneasy.

Even though Zhang Shao was a rookie, Yan Chengfeng found it strange for something like this to happen in a discussion between a player and a high-level club manager.

“Also, Xiao Zhang, don’t think that Xiong-ge deliberately didn’t let you go home for the Spring Festival or was trying to make things difficult for you.” Xiong Hao softened his tone. “But you haven’t achieved any results this year, and the fans are already critical. So during the holiday, try to stream in the early hours to show the fans that you’re staying up late to train at the base. That way, they’ll sympathize with you. This is for your future. Do you understand?”

“The club has invested a lot of resources in you over the past two years,” he said to Zhang Shao. “You don’t want to disappoint me, do you?”

Zhang Shao, who had looked somewhat discontented, hesitated at those words, then nodded. “…I understand, Xiong-ge.”

Yan Chengfeng saw Xiong Hao smile with satisfaction.

He patted Zhang Shao on the shoulder and said, “Go back and prepare for the interview.”

With a blank expression, Zhang Shao turned and walked into ZC’s lounge.

As Yan Chengfeng was lost in thought, he felt a light tap on his shoulder.

Startled, he turned to see Zhen Ning standing behind him, quietly watching him.

Yan Chengfeng let out a sigh of relief. “…It’s you.”

Zhen Ning observed his expression. “What’s wrong?”

Suppressing the strange feeling in his heart, Yan Chengfeng scratched his head and said, “Nothing much. I just saw Xiong Hao scolding ZC’s top laner, so I didn’t walk over. Ended up overhearing some gossip. It feels like their team atmosphere… is pretty tense right now.”

He noticed a slight pause in Zhen Ning’s posture.

Yan Chengfeng thought for a moment and added, “Oh, right. You might not know, but after you… left, Xiong Hao was recruited by ZC. Joe was promoted to head coach, and then Li Feng came. Anyway—”

Zhen Ning nodded and said softly, “I know.”

Yan Chengfeng responded with an “Mm,” then said, “Doesn’t matter. They’re people we won’t cross paths with again.”

His phone vibrated in his pocket—likely Li Feng urging him to hurry for the interview.

Thinking about showing off the slip of paper to Tao Luo, Yan Chengfeng cleared his throat. “Well, I’ll head to the interview now. I’ll be back in a bit.”

Zhen Ning replied, “Alright.”

Yan Chengfeng’s figure disappeared down the corridor, and Zhen Ning couldn’t help but notice that his steps were a little unsteady, as if he were eager to do something.

Zhen Ning’s eyelashes trembled.

He walked forward two more steps and bumped into Xiong Hao, who had just stepped out of the lounge again, lighting a cigarette with his lighter.

Their eyes met. Xiong Hao stopped in his tracks, seemingly lost in thought.

Zhen Ning stiffened, his brows furrowing as he almost instinctively took a step back.

Xiong Hao didn’t seem surprised by his reaction. He bit down on his cigarette, giving a thoughtful smile. “Ah, it’s Xiao Ning.”

Xiao Ning.

It was the kind of affectionate nickname an elder would use for someone younger. Back then, Xiong Hao had called everyone in the youth training team this way—Xiao Yan, Xiao Xu—as if he genuinely cared for each of them.

Zhen Ning’s stomach churned.

“You’ve grown up.”

Xiong Hao scrutinized Zhen Ning from head to toe. After a moment, he added meaningfully, “But I never thought you’d come back after all these years—”

Zhen Ning stared at Xiong Hao’s face and interrupted him quietly, “…That must be hard to accept.”

Xiong Hao’s smile stiffened. “What did you say?”

Zhen Ning remained calm. “Your carefully assembled new team has been overshadowed by your former employer for three years straight. How does that feel?”

Xiong Hao could no longer maintain his smile.

“…Sharp-tongued,” he sneered, staring at Zhen Ning. “Still the same as back then.”

“But words alone won’t change anything, and there’s no need to direct that anger at me now.”

Xiong Hao slowed his voice slightly. “Back then, I had no choice either. In the end, it was your decision, wasn’t it?”

Zhen Ning continued to look at Xiong Hao with an impassive expression.

Xiong Hao’s smile faltered slightly.

He realized that whether it was the younger Zhen Ning or the one standing before him now, neither could be manipulated as easily as the usual trainees who could be intimidated with a few words.

Zhen Ning was too composed, too smart, and that irritated Xiong Hao.

Xiong Hao had dealt with many players, from seasoned veterans to inexperienced trainees. To him, they were all just commodities with varying values. His job was to use every means necessary to raise their price tags to the highest level and maximize his profit.

A player’s mentality was easy to manipulate. Pro players often carried guilt over poor performances, and trainees feared never getting a chance to play. Because of this, many unfair demands could be forced upon them by exploiting these psychological weaknesses.

Yet, Zhen Ning was by far the most difficult person Xiong Hao had ever encountered. Zhen Ning seemed to have no mental weaknesses. Back then, Xiong Hao had almost run out of options. Luckily—

A smile crept back onto Xiong Hao’s face.

“Waiting for three years, until KYM’s management changed and I got poached by ZC.” He observed Zhen Ning thoughtfully. “To be willing to wait so long in the shadows… it’s clear you really can’t bear to let him go.”

Zhen Ning’s chest rose and fell slightly.

Xiong Hao watched his expression with interest. “So, how did you manage to come back? Let me guess… Xu Minghe? But he probably doesn’t have the capability. Then it must be Joe?”

Zhen Ning remained silent, which only made Xiong Hao feel even more triumphant.

“Of course, the answer doesn’t matter to me now,” he said. “But when speaking to your elders, you should still show some respect.”

Xiong Hao raised his hand.

Just as he had done to Zhang Shao earlier, he affectionately patted Zhen Ning’s shoulder.

“After all, Xiao Ning,” Xiong Hao said with a smirk, “don’t forget—I was the one who found you when you first went into heat.”