Upon receiving the provocative message from that bastard, Yan Yibing got so irritated that he ended up eating an extra bowl of rice noodles.
After finishing his meal, as usual, he headed to the club’s therapy room to take care of his hands.
Yan Yibing had been privileged his whole life and hadn’t experienced much hardship. Unlike other players who would stay up for days during the competitive season, he never did.
He practiced when he needed to and worried when necessary, but he never pushed himself to the brink.
Because of this, he was one of the few professional players without any physical ailments. His wrists, neck, back, knees—everything was in excellent condition.
The therapist was applying aloe vera gel on his hands, paying special attention to the area near his wrist. He paused for a moment and asked, “Bro, is the wound okay?”
Yan Yibing had a faint, shallow scar near the back of his hand, accentuating the delicate and slender wrist, giving it a touch of a pitiable beauty.
Though it was only a superficial wound, such an injury on an esports player was quite sensitive.
“It’s fine. Just a scratch from a tree branch. I can’t even feel it now.”
Yan Yibing wiggled his fingers. His fingers were long and elegant, with round fingertips and graceful knuckles. They could easily pass for a hand model, but the scar disrupted the otherwise perfect picture.
The therapist sighed, “I’m just saying, with your carefree personality, you really should consider getting a high-value insurance policy for those hands. After all, these hands hold the fate of Zero!”
Yan Yibing chuckled, “How about this? You start a charity company specifically for esports players to get high-value insurance.”
The therapist replied with reluctance, “…No thanks.”
Yan Yibing continued to massage his hand while stretching lazily. “Check the forums for me. I want to see what those idiots are saying this time.”
The therapist remarked, “…Even though you know they’re a bunch of idiots, you still want to read their comments?”
Nevertheless, he obediently pulled up the esports forum and displayed it on the LCD screen.
Sure enough, the C-PUBG leaderboard was flooding the forum.
Although it was an unimportant ranking, the involvement of certain individuals had caused the topic’s popularity to skyrocket.
【The esports world is about to undergo a changing of the guard; even Yan Yibing can’t hold on to the top spot anymore!】
【Doesn’t this count as betraying one’s teacher? After all, the Bing Shen used to nurture him as his successor.】
【At twenty-five years old, the mighty Bing Shen… the new era belongs to the Han Shen1Han Shen: 寒神 is a nickname for Han Mo(寒陌) that can also be translated as Cold God; Bing Shen has gone weak, he should retire.】
【Everyone knows who’s just all talk and age-baiting. After all, apart from age, there’s nothing else to brag about!】
【Hilarious, a washed-up leaderboard is trending. In the world of PUBG, Bing Shen will always be the father, that’s common knowledge!】
【Father? Useless!】
Fans of the opposing side often mocked his declining gameplay, claiming that the former king of sharpshooting had withered away, leaving behind a world-class support player.
Yan Yibing remained indifferent to their comments.
When he first entered the world of esports, he was a lone wolf who only cared about playing to his heart’s content.
Then, he was entrusted with leadership when the club required him to be the captain.
During his time as captain, Zero’s performance had plummeted significantly. It wasn’t due to Yan Yibing’s decline in skill, but rather because Zero couldn’t keep up with his aggressive playstyle and individual brilliance.
As the first entry fragger, any overaggression on his part easily resulted in being taken down by the opposing team.
That’s when he realized that his predecessor as the captain, willingly assuming the support role, had allowed him to shine on the field.
Then, Han Mo entered the picture with the youth training camp.
With exceptional talent and incredible skills, Han Mo could headshot enemies with an AK without using a scope.
From that point on, Yan Yibing began to suppress his aggression, worked on team coordination, and gradually took on the role of in-game leader and support player.
He had intended to promote Han Mo to the first entry fragger, taking over his position and leading Zero into a new era.
But then…
Yan Yibing rubbed his temples, his eyelids slightly creased, and his almond-shaped eyes faintly tinged with red.
Han Mo didn’t stay with Zero; Yan Yibing had driven him away with his own hands.
The situation had been quite ugly, too painful to revisit, so he hadn’t bothered keeping tabs on Han Mo’s whereabouts.
Then, six months later, the league suddenly announced that Han Mo had joined Prince, instantly promoted to captain, becoming the youngest captain in the history of all esports clubs.
In stark contrast to Yan Yibing, Han Mo, as the captain of Prince, was a true lone wolf.
Prince’s playstyle revolved entirely around Han Mo as the core, characterized by aggressiveness and recklessness. Whenever they faced an opponent, it was a battle of life and death.
As a result, despite Prince’s increasing popularity, their performance remained inconsistent.
Everyone believed that Han Mo had created his unique style and led Prince to success, as opposed to Zero, where Yan Yibing had molded the team and defined their gameplay.
No one knew that this playstyle was almost identical to Yan Yibing’s early days.
In the esports world, the only one capable of controlling Han Mo’s style of play and effortlessly handling the gun was Yan Yibing.
Two years had passed in the blink of an eye.
Han Mo had become the cornerstone of another team, yet Yan Yibing still hadn’t found a successor capable of taking the lead.
Yan Yibing lit a cigarette, took a deep drag, and exhaled a wispy cloud of smoke to obscure his reddened eyes.
The therapist cleared his throat as a reminder, “Bro, smoking is prohibited in the club.”
Yan Yibing lazily asked, “What did you say?”
The therapist replied, “Nothing.”
The forum refreshed once more, and the latest discussion rose to the top.
【Two years have passed. Is it time to pass the first place gold gun to Han Mo? What a pity, the little golden gun is so adorable.】
【Emerald Catfish: Ah, the little golden gun! I even bought merchandise of it.】
【Chicken Dinner King: The league should make another one; hereditary titles are just too stingy.】
【An Unimportant Person: The little golden gun is made of pure gold. Even if the league’s brains are squeezed, they won’t remake it.】
Yan Yibing suddenly remembered.
The little golden gun was hanging on the club’s honor wall. It was a reward from the league for being first in the C-PUBG leaderboard.
Originally, they were supposed to return it after keeping it for two months, but because Yan Yibing had held the first place for five years and didn’t bother to return it, the league didn’t bother to ask for it back either. So, it had been hanging in Zero’s display all this time.
Now—
It was a bit awkward.
Just as he thought about this, Song Tang pushed open the door to the therapy room with a serious expression, snatched the cigarette from Yan Yibing’s fingertips, and said, “Captain, Han Mo is here to collect that damn gun. Cheng Bin got into an argument with him.”
Yan Yibing furrowed his brows.
He didn’t even bother with the aloe vera gel on his hand, simply wiping it off with a piece of tissue. Then, he got up and headed for the door.
A conflict between two teams was a big deal. It wouldn’t just involve the club manager; it might also lead to inquiries from the league.
As he reached the second-floor staircase, he could hear Cheng Bin shouting.
Cheng Bin: “Han Mo! Can’t you speak properly? Bing Shen, after all, was your master. Are you so ungrateful?”
Yan Yibing hadn’t expected the captain of Prince to come in person.
Han Mo smirked, his eyes devoid of any kindness. “Where’s Yan Yibing?”
Cheng Bin saw that Han Mo didn’t even consider him and became red-faced with frustration. “Our captain is busy and doesn’t have time to meet you!”
Yan Yibing’s head throbbed as he listened to their exchange.
He disliked hearing about his past, especially when people mentioned that he was Han Mo’s mentor.
The fact that he had taught such a troublesome disciple felt like a punishment from the heavens.
Yan Yibing held the small golden gun and leisurely descended the stairs. The pure gold gun handle felt smooth and glossy in his palm, pressing heavily against his chest.
Standing on the steps, Yan Yibing’s gaze lowered, and he spotted Han Mo.
The young man had grown quickly in just two years.
At nineteen, he wondered if he would continue to grow. If he did, he’d easily surpass 1.9 meters in height, making it hard to find a girlfriend.
Yan Yibing’s mind wandered.
However, Han Mo, with his scarce words and cold demeanor, possessed a dark, wild charm.
The hint of innocence from his face had faded, replaced by an intimidating aura that made him difficult to approach.
This combination of looks and personality made him even more popular among young girls nowadays, and Han Mo’s Weibo followers were increasing faster than Yan Yibing’s.
It made people a little envious.
Cheng Bin whispered, “Bing Shen…”
Yan Yibing regained his composure and walked over to pat Cheng Bin on the shoulder, soothingly saying, “What’s the fuss about?”
Han Mo raised an eyebrow, and his gaze focused on the hand Yan Yibing had placed on Cheng Bin’s shoulder.
Yan Yibing’s fingers were lightly resting there, with slightly curved joints and well-defined contours.
After looking for a few seconds, Han Mo’s Adam’s apple bobbed, and he let out a soft scoff.
“It seems that, regardless of how virtuous Bing Shen pretends to be, he’s always surrounded by a group of sycophants.”
Song Tang’s temple pulsed, and he retorted coldly, “Has Han Shen forgotten how he knelt before the captain and got kicked out of Zero?”
Yan Yibing stopped Song Tang.
There was no point in rehashing old grievances.
He raised his left hand, hooked the small golden gun with his fingertip, and handed it to Han Mo.
With a casual lift of his eyelids, Yan Yibing indifferently said to Han Mo, “Here, take it and leave.”
Han Mo’s gaze dropped slightly, and he noticed the scar on Yan Yibing’s left hand.
The wound had already scabbed over, and next to the scab was a pale pink patch of flesh, silently lying across his wrist bone.
Beneath this lightly drawn red mark, one couldn’t tell how deep the wound went.
Clearly, these hands were precious…
Han Mo’s gaze deepened.
Yan Yibing raised an eyebrow and then gave a faint smile. “Are you waiting for me to kick you out for the second time?”
Han Mo contained his emotions and reached out to accept the small golden gun.
The gun’s surface was smooth and exquisite, still carrying the warmth of Yan Yibing’s palm.
In this warmth, there was a faint scent of aloe vera.
Not cloying, but rather refreshing.
Han Mo hooked his finger around the trigger, twirled the small golden gun on his index finger, and then held it in his palm, concealing it without a word.
He took a step forward, lowered his gaze, and looked down at Yan Yibing. His eyes carried a teasing glint as they brushed over Yan Yibing’s earlobe.
He lowered his voice, and said jokingly, “You’ve received my text messages. Why didn’t Master call me ‘husband’?”
The entire base fell eerily silent. Everyone could hear what was being said.
Yan Yibing froze.
The entire base froze.
No one could believe that the ever-so-serious and cold Han Shen would crack such a joke.
After a while, Yan Yibing’s ears gradually turned warm. The sunlight fell on his thin earlobes, casting a rosy hue.
Yan Yibing gritted his teeth. “Get lost.”
Translator’s Note:
Hello everyone👋, I have made a slight change in the last chapter translation regarding the nickname Ice God, from this chapter onward I have decided to use Bing Shen instead of Ice God for the translation. I have also edited the last chapter to change it to Bing Shen and added an explanation regarding the name. There’ll be another update tomorrow, please look forward to it 🤩
Thank you for reading! 
Hope you enjoy the rest of your day 🍀
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