SITS CH3

Chapter 03: The Second Match

The match against TKR was scheduled for Saturday at 7:00 PM, the golden prime slot, meaning they would face the largest audience and the harshest judgment from the live stream chat.

As one of the most popular players in Heart of the Wasteland, any match featuring Shen Man’s team would sell out tickets in an instant, not to mention their opponent was TKR, currently at the absolute peak of their prime.

Even before the match began, one could easily picture how explosive the atmosphere would be.

On the team bus, Shen Man sat by the window, resting with his eyes closed and earphones in. Beside him sat Zhao Rui, currently scrolling through Weibo on his phone.

The moment the bus pulled to a stop, deafening cheers erupted outside. Accustomed to it by now, Shen Man walked at the front and was the first to step off.

Though held back by security guards, the fans’ impassioned shouts still rolled over them like a deluge. Glancing up, one could see countless glowing light boards and banners bearing their team’s name. The clamor and the packed throng made the early summer weather feel all the more sweltering. Shen Man led the way forward, neither turning back nor showing any expression.

This cold detachment did nothing to dampen the fans’ fervor. Chants of “ACE! ACE! ACE!” crested like a tidal wave, threatening to engulf everyone. Yet this was merely the tip of the iceberg; only when sitting upon the stage would one truly understand how terrifying the oppressive weight of a packed auditorium could be.

Even with white noise cranked to maximum volume in the headsets, one could still hear the blood-chilling boos following a misplay.

Suddenly, someone appeared beside him. Shen Man’s footsteps paused slightly as he glanced over.

Xu Zhouye had actually walked up to his side. His expression was calm, betraying neither nervousness nor annoyance, and he reached out an arm to shield Shen Man from the crowd trying to press in from the side.

“Captain,” Xu Zhouye said softly, catching Shen Man’s gaze. “Keep going. I’ll block them for you.”

Shen Man nodded in thanks and quickened his pace.

Once inside the arena, the fans were kept outside.

The atmosphere finally loosened, and everyone let out a collective sigh of relief.

“Good grief,” Zhao Rui broke into a cold sweat. “Why are there so many people today?”

“If we lose too ugly, will we even make it out of the arena alive?” Top laner Liu Shishi also felt faint of heart.

As they spoke, everyone’s eyes drifted toward Xu Zhouye. After all, this guy had a prior record. If he died to a neutral jungle creep again today, this day next year would probably be the anniversary of his death; the fans outside would completely lose their minds.

As the person in question, Xu Zhouye was utterly unfazed. Meeting everyone’s stares, he asked innocently, “Why are you all looking at me? Murder is against the law.”

Zhao Rui sighed: “I hope your mentality stays this good when you play the match in a bit.”

“Alright,” Shen Man said. “To the lounge first.”

The lounge was spacious, stocked with fruit and snacks. The coach began pre-match preparations, reminding the players of details that were easy to overlook.

Shen Man listened for a bit, then stood up: “Going to the restroom.”

Coach: “Go ahead.”

Turning right outside the door, he had finished his business and was washing his hands when a voice drifted over: “Long time no see.”

The voice was too familiar, so much so that Shen Man didn’t even bother turning his head: “Has it been?”

The person chuckled and said, “For me, pretty long. I heard your team brought in a new jungler who can’t even beat neutral creeps?”

Shen Man pulled out a paper towel and unhurriedly dried the water from his fingers. His hands were as gorgeous as his face—long, straight, with distinct knuckles—making even the simple motion of drying his hands pleasing to the eye. Yet the words that came out of his mouth were the exact opposite of his pretty appearance: “None of your damn business.”

“How is it not my business?” the person said. “Isn’t it because I’m afraid I’ll hit too hard and make someone cry again?”

In ACE’s final match last season, their jungler had been utterly obliterated in the head-to-head matchup. Perhaps knowing he would lose his job over it, that jungler stepped off the stage with bloodshot eyes and burst into tears on the spot, getting mocked by TKR fans for a long time.

Shen Man said impatiently, “Qin Yixing, you sure talk a lot of nonsense.”

Qin Yixing: Shen Man’s former teammate, currently TKR’s jungler, and the undisputed number-one jungler in the league.

Qin Yixing smiled, “It’s just that I haven’t seen you in a while, couldn’t resist chatting a bit.”

Shen Man couldn’t be bothered to deal with him and turned to leave, but a hand clamped down on his shoulder.

Qin Yixing said, “Shen Man, I’m inviting you once again to join TKR.”

Shen Man locked eyes with him, the coldness in his gaze nearly turning tangible.

Stung by that look, Qin Yixing loosened his grip.

“Let go,” Shen Man said coldly. “What kind of daydream are you spouting in broad daylight?”

Qin Yixing: “…”

Shen Man walked away. Qin Yixing watched his retreating figure, the hand hanging by his side clenching into a tight fist. He didn’t understand what Shen Man was holding on to. Why insist on staying in a fractured, crumbling ACE? Obviously, as long as Shen Man teamed up with him, claiming another World Championship would be child’s play. Why was Shen Man so stubborn?

Pre-match preparations wrapped up. To the host’s introduction, the players took their seats in front of their computers.

The arena below was packed to capacity. Light boards for ACE and TKR glowed in dazzling arrays, alongside numerous banners bearing Shen Man’s real name or in-game ID.

Xu Zhouye worked quickly. After calibrating his setup, he turned to look at Shen Man sitting to his right.

Wearing his headset, Shen Man was plugging in his keyboard’s USB cable. His expression was focused. From the side, the lines of his nose and jaw were sleek and exquisite—looking less like an esports player and more like a model promoting gaming peripherals. His ridiculously long eyelashes fluttered lightly, making him look slightly less cold than usual.

Truly good-looking.

Xu Zhouye pulled his gaze back. He thought: I can’t keep staring.

Until the match began, Shen Man never noticed Xu Zhouye looking at him. He was the type of person who, once focused, could hardly be bothered with his surroundings. The moment the game started, he entered a zone as if no one else existed.

The format remained the standard Best of Three (BO3).

There were three random maps in total: Lava, Glacier, and Jungle. The Lava map featured two volcanic craters to contest; the Glacier map had rugged terrain with numerous obstacles; and the Jungle map was overgrown with dense foliage and shroud-like fog, where it was common for three enemies to be camping in an adjacent bush without you ever knowing.

Game 1, Ban/Pick Phase.

TKR showed ample respect, opening by banning three of Shen Man’s comfort picks. This was practically standard operating procedure against ACE. ACE ran a classic single-Marksman-carry system; banning meta-strong duo compositions and Shen Man’s signature heroes effectively severed one of ACE’s arms. The rest of the team posed little threat.

“Xu Zhouye, pick Thick Earth,” the coach suggested, referring to a tanky hero with reliable crowd control.

Xu Zhouye hovered his cursor over it but didn’t lock in. After a brief pause, he asked softly, “Coach, can I try one of my own heroes?”

Coach: “What do you want to play?”

Xu Zhouye: “Swarm Queen, Black Snake, Male Siren—any of them are fine.”

After a slight hesitation, the coach agreed.

Xu Zhouye ultimately locked in Male Siren, an enchanting serpent-demon crowned with curls, bearing a faint resemblance to Medusa at first glance.

“Don’t overthink it,” Shen Man said. “Just play well.”

Play well, and it’s the key unlocking the gates to the pantheon; play poorly, and it’s the noose strangling your pro career.

Fate rested in one’s own hands; further words were useless.

Xu Zhouye’s eyes curved: “Thanks for the concern, Captain.”

—Game Start.

With old grievances between the two teams, both players and fans radiated thick tension.

When the casters on stage and the audience below saw Xu Zhouye lock in Male Siren, collective gasps echoed through the venue.

“Male Siren? Even though he’s strong this season, this is the very first time he’s appeared on the tournament stage!” the caster exclaimed. “Is ACE looking to switch up their system?”

ACE’s former strategy was the classic Marksman-carry setup, where all four teammates bought gold-sharing support blades as their starting item. But Male Siren wasn’t that type of hero. Male Siren was a Carry Jungler himself who needed prime gear to take over the game. He was no longer a protector, but an independent carry.

He was the true master of this match.

Both archetypes existed in the Heart of the Wasteland pro league. Teams had different styles—solo Marksman carry, solo Jungle carry, or dual carries—so after drafting, teams always had to deduce which playbook the enemy intended to run.

“He actually picked Male Siren.” Seeing Xu Zhouye’s selection, TKR’s players laughed and scoffed, “Did he get concussed from the last match? Who else is worth watching on ACE besides SLOW? Without him, they’re just a second-rate squad.”

Qin Yixing said, “Indeed.”

“Qin-ge, aren’t you going to teach him a lesson?” TKR Mage Yang Shanhe grinned, already treating the win as guaranteed. “Crank the intensity to the max and show him how cruel the adult world can be.”

Qin Yixing locked in Mountain Breaker, a standard Carry Jungler known for deciding teamfights with a single punch. Not overly strong in the current patch, but against ACE, it was plenty.

The game loaded into the Jungle map, the most prone to snowballing leads and skill discrepancies.

Everyone assumed this would be a swift stomp. Judging by Xu Zhouye’s performance last week, it would be a miracle if he could even defend his own jungle camps.

By normal game pacing, breaching high ground at twenty minutes and ending the match at twenty-five seemed routine.

Even pre-match win-rate predictions favored TKR by a massive margin.

Yet the allure of esports lay precisely in its unpredictability.

Twenty minutes in, the final sliver of health on the high-ground inhibitor tower crumbled—except the tower that fell wasn’t ACE’s, but TKR’s.

Xu Zhouye’s Male Siren displayed terrifying dominance. Sitting on a godlike score of 9-0-5 and decked out in the most luxurious gear in the game, he moved like an omnipresent phantom. From the gloomy jungle shadows, he cast out a steel cable; that deceptively slender wire plunged with pinpoint accuracy into TKR’s defenseless Mage. Two-thirds of the health bar evaporated in a split second, drawing a synchronized gasp from the audience.

“Holy shit!” Cold sweat broke out on Yang Shanhe. He had died three times, every single death dealt by the enemy jungler. When he collapsed a fourth time, he knew the game was lost. “Is this guy an OTP on Male Siren? Ban him immediately next game.”

Staring at the massive “DEFEAT” across the screen, Qin Yixing rubbed his wrist.

During the intermission, Xu Zhouye went to the restroom.

When he returned, his three teammates—aside from Shen Man—were staring at him like he was an alien creature.

“What’s with the faces?” Xu Zhouye sat down.

“You little rascal, hiding your skills like that,” Zhao Rui marvelled. “Never knew your Male Siren was this insane.”

Xu Zhouye smiled without answering, turning his gaze toward Shen Man.

Shen Man held a water bottle, gulping it down. Tilting his head up exposed his slender, fair neck, his Adam’s apple bobbing slightly. Sensing Xu Zhouye’s gaze, he turned to meet his eyes.

“What?” Having just finished drinking, Shen Man casually licked his lips. “Something wrong?” He assumed Xu Zhouye wanted to talk tactics.

Instead, Xu Zhouye grinned, his eyes crinkling into that sincere, puppy-dog smile once more: “Yeah. Next game, I want to be the Captain’s dog.”

Shen Man: “…”

Hearing their exchange, the rest of the teammates burst out laughing.

Shen Man knitted his brows: “Don’t say stuff like that. If people overhear, they’ll say I’m bullying you.”

Xu Zhouye said, “Then I’ll have to register a Weibo account.”

Shen Man: “What for?”

Xu Zhouye spouted nonsense with a straight face: “To let everyone know it’s consensual.”

Shen Man: “…”

Knowing the kid was teasing on purpose, Shen Man ignored him and slipped his headset back over his ears.

Yet Xu Zhouye still caught the faint dusting of red beneath his earlobes. Shen Man was actually flustered?

Xu Zhouye veiled his gaze, his eyes curving again.

In Game 2, Xu Zhouye’s Male Siren drew a target ban. He had no intention of pulling fancy tricks and locked in a utility jungler, ready to play ACE’s standard system.

This game was on the Glacier map, notoriously unfavorable for Marksman carries.

TKR was long accustomed to handling this version of ACE. Qin Yixing’s jungler practically bought real estate in Shen Man’s lane: after clearing the Myriad Moth camp to hit level two, he backed immediately to buy a Berserk Potion and set up permanent camp in the bot duo lane.

Shen Man was like Tang Sanzang from Journey to the West—everyone wanted a bite of his flesh to see what it tasted like. He was used to it himself, his eyes not even flinching when ganked to death.

Zhao Rui was cursing up a storm, railing that the bastard Qin Yixing was a scumbag willing to lose gold just to buy a potion to camp them; those in the know knew he was Shen Man’s ex-teammate, but outsiders would think Shen Man had murdered his whole family.

“It’s fine,” Xu Zhouye said softly. “They’ll definitely come again. I’ll be there next wave.”

Zhao Rui said, “Sigh, even if you come it won’t help much.”

Mid laner Xu Xiaochong kept wiping away cold sweat, muttering, “My bad, my bad.”

The skill gap between mid laners was too vast; the enemy mid laner roamed immediately after clearing waves, while their mid was perpetually a step behind, leaving them a man down in every teamfight.

Just a moment ago, they were four-man dive-ganked under tower. Shen Man pulled off a play on the razor’s edge to take one down with him, but it was futile.

“It’s fine,” Xu Zhouye said. “Don’t panic, take it slow.”

Though they pulled off several brilliant teamfights in the mid-to-late game, the early-game deficit was insurmountable, and they ultimately lost.

The score stood at 1-1, heading into the decider game.

As if flaunting a provocation against ACE, TKR’s Qin Yixing locked in Male Siren as his first pick.

“What are you playing?” Shen Man asked Xu Zhouye.

With an obedient smile on his face, Xu Zhouye hovered his cursor over a hero icon: “This one, of course.”

“Crush all their dreams to dust”—every hero spoke a line upon selection, and this line belonged to Mountain Breaker, the hero Qin Yixing had piloted in Game 1.

A textbook mirror-swap lesson. Gunpowder hung thick in the air from both sides.

Locking this in was declaring to the enemy: I don’t think you’re good enough. Watch me use the very same hero to show you how it’s done.

The atmosphere below the stage erupted. Fans unleashed deafening shouts, the name “ACE” piercing through headsets and vibrating against every player’s eardrums.

“Let’s go,” Shen Man said. “Decider.”

When the massive “VICTORY” banner flashed across the screen, Shen Man was the last to take off his headset.

His teammates walked ahead, circling around the grand stage toward TKR to shake hands with the opposing players down the line, observing post-match protocol.

Shen Man walked slowly. When he reached Qin Yixing, neither reached out a hand.

“Well played,” Qin Yixing said.

Shen Man replied, “Thanks for the compliment.”

Qin Yixing asked, “Was last week’s performance just to make us drop our guard?”

Recalling Xu Zhouye’s first game, Shen Man thought: Risking his entire pro career just to lower your guard? You flatter yourself too much. But he couldn’t be bothered to argue, offering no response before moving on to shake hands with the next player.

“This jungler is insane,” Yang Shanhe muttered. “How is he so different from last week…”

Qin Yixing shot him a glance: “Blame ourselves for underestimating the enemy.”

Yang Shanhe said, “True…”

It was difficult for them to connect the jungler who had dominated the rift with the guy who had been solo-killed by a neutral creep last week.

Taking the match 2-1, ACE could finally return to the team bus alive.

Outside, fans crowded the exit. Everyone’s arms were stuffed with gifts, except Shen Man’s, which remained completely empty.

“Captain, don’t you accept gifts?” Xu Zhouye asked.

Shen Man shook his head.

“Why?” Xu Zhouye asked curiously.

“Because the Captain has too many psycho fans,” Zhao Rui explained. “He has massive followings among both guys and girls. The girls are fine, but when the guys turn creepy, it’s downright terrifying…”

Xu Zhouye: “In what way?”

Zhao Rui said, “Let me tell you, just last time—”

“Why do you talk so much?” Shen Man cut Zhao Rui off.

Zhao Rui zipped his mouth obediently: “Fine, I won’t say it.”

Xu Zhouye cast a thoughtful glance at Shen Man.

ACE taking down TKR 2-1 marked their first victory against TKR since last year.

Weibo was buzzing like crazy right now; ACE, TKR, and Xu Zhouye all trended together. Netizens expressed disbelief, pulling up comparisons between his performances last week and this week.

[What happened? Did this guy get possessed by the jungle monster? Why is he so cracked?]

[Looks like they rushed him into emergency therapy and cured him after all; definitely doesn’t look like he’s drooling anymore.]

[Where’s his Weibo? Who the hell is this guy? How does he not even have a Weibo?]

[Feels like this guy treats the Jungle map like his own backyard, haunting the place like a phantom.]

Having won the match, the team manager was all smiles, treating everyone to a celebratory meal. The grandfatherly warmth in his eyes when looking at Xu Zhouye gave people goosebumps: “Xiao Zhouye, what would you like to eat?”

Two days ago he was “Xu Zhouye,” today he was “Xiao Zhouye,” and win two more matches, he’d probably become “Ye-shen (God Ye).”

Xu Zhouye: “Manager, please don’t be like this, you’re scaring me.”

Manager: “Then what are you having?”

Xu Zhouye looked over at Shen Man, who was sitting beside him playing on his phone.

Shen Man, inexplicably put on the spot: “Isn’t the manager asking you?”

“Whatever the Captain wants to eat is what I want to eat,” Xu Zhouye said with a dazzling smile.

The words sounded a bit peculiar, but perhaps because Xu Zhouye’s smile was so sincere, Shen Man felt he was overthinking things. He said, “Let’s get barbecue.”

He remembered Xu Zhouye seemed to have wanted barbecue that night, only to be mercilessly turned down. Today was the perfect time to make up for it.

“By the way, Xu Zhouye, remember to set up a Weibo account,” the manager said. “The team has promotional duties that require player cooperation.”

“Okay,” Xu Zhouye nodded.

“Some people on there say nasty things. Don’t look too much, and if you do, don’t take it to heart,” the manager cautioned.

Xu Zhouye asked, “How nasty?”

Manager: “Uh… if you’re curious, you can search your trending topic from last week.”

Xu Zhouye: “…Never mind, then.” Who goes out of their way looking for insults?

The barbecue joint was right next to the base.

Riding high on the victory against TKR, everyone was in great spirits, and scrolling through Weibo to see TKR getting flamed online only made them happier.

They were all youngsters; drinking and dining together easily bridged distances. Earlier, nobody dared get too close to Xu Zhouye purely because they were spooked by his getting solo-killed by a creep—god knew if he’d ever see stage time again, and if he couldn’t play, being too close would just make things awkward.

Shen Man sat in a dimly lit corner. Xu Zhouye had originally intended to give him the head seat, but Shen Man declined, citing it wasn’t convenient.

“How is it not convenient?” Xu Zhouye didn’t get it.

“It really isn’t,” Zhao Rui explained. “If he sat where you are, people would come over in no time.”

“Who’d come over?” Xu Zhouye asked.

“Fans, obviously,” Zhao Rui laughed. “What, haven’t you gotten used to your Captain being a mega-celebrity yet?”

Xu Zhouye had an epiphany.

He knew Shen Man was wildly popular, but he had lacked a tangible sense of it.

Hearing Zhao Rui lay it out made him realize why Shen Man chose that corner.

“If I knew earlier, we should’ve booked a private room in advance,” Xu Zhouye sighed. The dinner decision had been spontaneous; by the time they arrived, private rooms were fully booked.

“It’s fine,” Shen Man said. “Just a precaution. I’m not that famous.”

Not that famous? Hearing those words, scenes from three years ago surfaced in Xu Zhouye’s mind.

That year, Shen Man was eighteen, joining Team ACE as their ADC.

That year, Shen Man snagged fourteen MVPs in the HCC (Heart of the Wastelands Champions China) Summer Split. Team ACE carved out an unprecedented, legendary record, seizing qualification for the World Championship tournament with an undefeated streak.

That year, Shen Man hacked through the thistles and thorns to hoist his very first World Championship trophy.

That year, through streets and alleys, even people who never played video games heard of the ID “SLOW.”

Every major media outlet ran wall-to-wall coverage, and countless souls became Shen Man’s loyal devotees.

Xu Zhouye was merely an inconspicuous one among them.

Even today, he clearly remembered the soul-shaking impact when Shen Man’s gorgeous face flashed onto the big screen.

The host held the microphone to his lips. Parting his thin lips, he introduced himself with careless ease: “Hello everyone, I am ACE’s SLOW. Chinese name, Shen Man.”

It was a glance that spanned ten thousand years, and the dawn of a dream.

“Captain, a toast to you.” Xu Zhouye sat down next to Shen Man, lifting his glass.

Xu Zhouye said earnestly, “Please look after me from now on.”

Shen Man replied, “Let’s look after each other.”

Glasses clinked and chatter flowed as the atmosphere grew livelier. Shen Man didn’t care for alcohol, sitting in the corner tapping away at his phone. The rest of the team knew his disposition and left him undisturbed. Suddenly thinking of something, he looked up at Xu Zhouye beside him.

At first glance, this kid seemed shy, but spending time with him revealed he was far from the naive greenhorn of their first impression. Whether taking a scolding from the coach after a loss, or mingling with the squad right now, he was poised, smooth, and measured in every gesture. That initial shyness was, if anything, more like a calculated display of harmlessness…

Shen Man thought: This guy is quite interesting.

Drinking to their hearts’ content, the table dissolved into chaos—some played finger-guessing drinking games, others chatted up a storm.

Around twenty years old, at the age of peak vigor and youthful blood, being a bit boisterous was only natural.

Shen Man checked his phone and stood up to head outside. As he turned, someone suddenly grabbed him. A burning palm locked firmly around his wrist with an unyielding grip, yet the voice that came was pitiful and aggrieved: “Captain, where are you going? Don’t leave early.”

Shen Man blinked, explaining: “Just heading out for a cigarette.”

The grip tightened momentarily before releasing. Xu Zhouye’s eyes curved into crescents: “Okay. Don’t wander too far.”

Shen Man said, “Alright.”

Xu Zhouye watched him walk out, not looking away until his silhouette disappeared.

The early summer night carried a refreshing chill. Shen Man found an empty corner and lit a cigarette. With the hour late and pedestrians rushing by, he smoked in quiet puffs, finding it far more comfortable than inside.

The cool evening breeze entered his lungs alongside the smoke, sending a slight shiver through him.

“Captain.” A low voice suddenly drifted from behind.

Shen Man turned around to find Xu Zhouye standing behind him: “Why did you come out?”

Xu Zhouye smiled, “Saw you hadn’t come back after so long.”

The moment Xu Zhouye stepped outside, he had spotted Shen Man standing in the dim corner, a glowing cigarette resting between slender fingers. His face remained expressionless, and from a side angle, one could see the delicate curve of his small earlobe… adorable.

Xu Zhouye walked over.

“Oh, heading back in now,” Shen Man moved to put out the cigarette.

“It’s fine, no rush,” Xu Zhouye said. “Give me one too.”

Shen Man passed one over.

Xu Zhouye held it between his lips, leaning down close in front of Shen Man while making a gesture for a light. Shen Man pulled out his lighter and sparked it for him. The proximity was a little too close, making him slightly uncomfortable; but pointing it out right then felt awkward, so he held his tongue.

Fortunately, it didn’t last long, staying within Shen Man’s tolerance threshold.

Xu Zhouye took a drag, and before he could exhale, broke into violent coughing fits.

Shen Man was surprised: “You don’t know how?”

Xu Zhouye: “Cough, cough, cough—well, that’s why I’m learning.”

“If you don’t know how, don’t learn,” Shen Man frowned. “Smoking isn’t a good habit. Why learn this?”

Xu Zhouye countered, “If it’s not a good thing, how did Captain learn it?”

Shen Man gave a faint laugh: “The others smoked heavily, so I picked it up along the way.”

The pressure in pro esports was immense; everyone needed an outlet to decompress, and smoking was the simplest one. Their team was relatively tame; visiting other team bases previously, stepping inside was like entering a boiler room shrouded in thick smog. Everyone joked that if players were allowed to smoke during matches, who ended up champion would be anyone’s guess…

“Don’t learn it,” Shen Man repeated.

Xu Zhouye refused to listen, his face flushed red from coughing yet still preparing for another puff. Shen Man glanced at him twice, reached out, plucked the cigarette straight from his lips, stubbed it out casually, and tossed it into the trash can.

“Don’t be stubborn,” Shen Man said. “Come on, let’s go inside.”

Recalling the sensation of Shen Man’s fingers brushing past his lips just moments ago, Xu Zhouye gently drew in a breath.