Chapter 13

Chapter 14: The loneliness of a master (Part two)

Wang Weiwei plugged in the controller he had brought himself. Unlike the sweat-stained PlayStation controllers of the time, their ivory paint almost completely worn away, this group's own controllers were finely made and meticulously designed. The sleek black controllers looked thoroughly professional the moment they were taken out, almost identical to the PlayStation 2 controllers of later years, though they lacked their capabilities back then, even vibration.

From Su Can's perspective, the controller's construction was simple, but it was already quite impressive. It was definitely something unavailable in China at the time. Moreover, Wang Weiwei's fingers moved nimbly over the buttons, so fast that even Xue Yiyang probably fell somewhat short by comparison. No wonder he could sweep everyone aside.

Later, consoles like the PlayStation developed rapidly, from the PS2 to the eventual PS3. Graphics, quality, and game size all changed alongside the explosive transformation of the information age. By the generation before Su Can's rebirth, the Pro Evolution Soccer series had already released "Pro Evolution Soccer: Winning Eleven 2010" across all platforms. After several generations of development, neither its systems nor its game engine could be compared to those of the past. During college, and even after graduation, Su Can had enjoyed playing a few matches with friends in a corner of the all-encompassing esports craze whenever he had nothing to do. After he started working, he had even bought a PS2 specifically to play at home.

So looking at the graphics of this version of Pro Evolution Soccer now was rather painful. There was no smoothing of the jagged edges around the characters, leaving them angular all over. The individual players' appearances could only barely be made out by pulling up their portraits and crude 3D models in the menus. Still, this had been enough to cause a sensation back then. With the excitement surrounding the 1998 World Cup, imagining favorite stars and teams winning match after match under one's control was enough to set any boy's blood pumping.

Refusing to accept defeat, Xue Yiyang stepped up next. Ever since playing Wang Weiwei that afternoon, he had felt the boy possessed astonishing reserves of skill, stronger than anyone he had encountered since he began gaming. His dribbling, the astonishing speed of his fingers on his own controller, and his coordination of the eleven-man team were all a cut above Xue Yiyang's. But the two could still put up a fight against each other. Unlike the others, who suffered spectacular five-nil thrashings at Wang Weiwei's hands, he could at least score a goal or two and force Wang Weiwei to give it his all.

Xue Yiyang had eaten his afternoon meal in a daze, his mind full of ways to counter Wang Weiwei's attacks. Now, at last, he had another chance to face him head-on, and he was ready to put all the strategies and tactics he had devised into practice.

When Xue Yiyang took Liu Rui's controller, a glint finally flashed through Wang Weiwei's eyes. A worthy opponent had finally appeared, and he could not help feeling a little more energized. After all, only crushing an opponent like Xue Yiyang, who had some chance of putting up a struggle, gave him any pleasure.

"Damn! You've still got the nerve to play? Aren't you afraid our boss Weiwei will kick you to death?" one boy called out.

"What's there to be afraid of? Boss Wei's been worrying about having nobody to amuse him lately. Since someone's come charging in without any fear of dying, let him see what it means for a team of nobodies to kick an all-star lineup to death!" This was the most disparaging remark of all. It meant using third-rate players with unimpressive stats against an entire lineup of stars, something that demanded the greatest skill, and its tone was deeply contemptuous.

Xue Yiyang grew angry. "Are we playing or not?" His skills already fell short of his opponent's, and with this added provocation, his face flushed red, his embarrassment turning somewhat to anger.

"Heh." Wang Weiwei smiled, his expression rather like a sovereign surveying the world. "Let's raise the stakes. If you win, we'll pay for everyone's drinks and cigarettes. But if you can't win even a single match against me, don't blame me for calling you one thing."

"Trash."

Everyone bristled. What a mouth on this kid. His skills were only a little better-did he have to be so full of himself? By making such an absolute declaration, wasn't he trying to grind their whole gaming parlor beneath his heel? Who would dare come here to humiliate themselves afterward? Wouldn't that leave them without even a place to hang out and play together?

Xue Yiyang's and Liu Rui's faces darkened. Liu Rui leaned close to Xue Yiyang's ear and said quietly, "You absolutely can't lose."

Xue Yiyang did not answer, only nodded silently. This had already crossed their bottom line. No matter what, they could not let the other side arrogantly slap that label on them. If everyone had simply been playing friendly matches before, it would not have mattered that their opponents were wealthy and came from privileged backgrounds. But this declaration had already struck at their personal dignity. It was unforgivable!

Su Can paused. These people did come from privileged families, after all. Their elders might usually teach them to keep a low profile, but now that they were enjoying themselves, they couldn't be bothered with all that. They had no regard for other people's dignity, either, and even used trampling it as a means of seeking excitement and pleasure. This was going a little too far.

Apparently quite satisfied with the grim, solemn atmosphere, the slightly chubby boy called Xiao Wu laughed and joked with the two beside him, while the corners of Wang Weiwei's mouth had already lifted. "Then let's begin!"

Xue Yiyang played this round with extra caution. With everyone in the gaming parlor gathered behind the two of them to watch, he felt he was pushing his abilities to their absolute limit. Even the owner could not resist standing behind them, his fists tightly clenched and slick with sweat. This was a major matter that affected his parlor's future business. These youngsters looked rather like challengers who had come to take the place down. How could he not be nervous?

Xue Yiyang's player, Verón, surged forward with the ball, breaking past several of Wang Weiwei's players and leaving them far behind. Just as everyone's hearts rose and fell with the action, a strange, cold smile appeared at the corner of Wang Weiwei's mouth. A yellow figure shot diagonally in from the side, appearing so quickly, while Xue Yiyang was so completely unprepared, that he instantly broke into a cold sweat.

"Ah!" Several younger boys from the junior high division had already cried out in alarm.

"Ow!" Several high school boys cried out in pain. The scene was so nerve-racking that, with their arms tensed, they had been painfully pinched by those beside them.

Thud! Xue Yiyang's player was already airborne, his blue uniform like a withering butterfly as the opposing yellow figure took him down with a sliding tackle, before he crashed heavily to the ground.

What happened next left everyone wide-eyed. The referee in the game stood like a wooden dummy, ignoring the sliding tackle before him that so clearly violated the rules, remaining rooted to the spot as though the game had frozen. Wang Weiwei then brought several famous players into action, took possession, and darted left and right, tearing through Xue Yiyang's defensive formation before he could react. A powerful shot added another goal!

Everyone sucked in a breath. What was going on?!

"Hahaha! Tackle you little hicks to death!" Someone on Wang Weiwei's side finally lost control and shouted with unrestrained glee.

Wang Weiwei turned and gave Xue Yiyang a thumbs-up, then rotated his thumb toward the ground. Xue Yiyang was so furious that he wanted to smash the controller.

Su Can understood. Pro Evolution Soccer had not been as polished back then as it was in his own time; it still had bugs. A close-range sliding tackle from the side, exploiting a blind spot in the character model, had an eighty percent chance of going unpunished even if it sent the opposing player flying.

As everyone angrily cursed the game's referee for making crooked calls, Xue Yiyang gritted his teeth, pressed his lips together, and kicked off again. There was little time left in the second half. This was probably his last chance to equalize.