I Won't Lose

In the shadows of the high-rises, smoke wreathed a narrow alley, and laughter and curses rang out without pause.

The girl sitting in front of the computer screen had a placid gaze, the game interface reflected in her eyes as her fingers flew over the controls. Finally, the mechanical cry of "Victory" sent the crowd into an uproar.

"Hahahahaha, that's fucking awesome! She actually won!"

"Those moves were insane! She completely crushed him!"

"You suck so bad you can't even beat a girl. What good are you?"

The loser sat in his chair, staring at the screen in disbelief. The crowd's jeers made his neck flush red, and he muttered a few curses under his breath.

Wu Jin stood and cast a dispassionate glance at the person sitting across from her. Ignoring the people around her, she took all the cash on the table—the prize money for winning the solo match.

Realm of the Forbidden Domain was the hottest PC game at offline gaming venues. Wu Jin had happened to pass by and discovered that this illegal internet café was gambling on games, so she had gone inside...

The rain outside hadn't stopped. Wu Jin put on her hat and walked straight out.

A steady drizzle shrouded the entire city in a heavy, oppressive gloom.

At the training base.

Brother Qian paced around the office, making several circuits as he sighed again and again.

Jiang Yun, leaning against the sofa, was much calmer. He was even in the mood to scroll through short videos.

"You're still in the mood to play on your phone? My head's about to explode. We still haven't found a suitable newcomer to replace you. What are we supposed to do?"

Brother Qian leaned against the edge of the desk and pinched the bridge of his nose, his brow furrowed the whole time. On the other side of the room, Coach Ming also wore a troubled expression as he kept scrolling through his tablet.

After the World Cup last year, the GOD Team had undergone a major roster overhaul, with Jiang Yun the only one retained. Because there was no suitable top laner to replace him, Jiang Yun, the team's owner, had no choice but to stay on the roster.

But he had promised his family he would retire this year, and the year was almost over, yet GOD still hadn't found a suitable person to take over the starting top lane position.

Jiang Yun, however, had long wanted to make a run for it so he could enjoy a sweet life alone with his wife...

Shi Mu, sitting beside Jiang Yun, glanced at his rosy cheeks and nodded in relief. "No wrinkles. You've taken good care of your skin."

"You little brat."

Jiang Yun smiled, but his eyes didn't.

GOD did have a second team, but Xiao He, their top laner, had only joined a few months ago. His skills were decent, but putting him in the starting lineup for a match would be a stretch.

Jiang Yun turned off his phone, his lips curving slightly. "I've already found a successor."

Brother Qian and Coach Ming both turned to look at him.

Shi Mu raised an eyebrow. Sure enough, Jiang Yun had a backup plan.

Wu Jin carried the lean pork congee she had bought from a restaurant and gently turned the handle to enter the hospital room.

"Xiao Jin, you're here."

The old woman in the hospital bed opened her eyes at the sound. When she saw Wu Jin, her eyes brightened involuntarily, and a kind smile spread across her face.

"Grandma, did I wake you?"

"No, no. I was just bored and closing my eyes to pass the time."

Wu Jin sat down beside the bed and took out the congee. Holding it in her bandaged hands, she fed Grandma Wu with great care.

Only after she had cleaned up the trash did she sit back down beside her grandmother and put her reading glasses on for her.

Once her vision cleared, Grandma Wu saw that the wisps of hair on Wu Jin's forehead were plastered together with moisture. The black clothes made it hard to tell, but they were surely soaked through as well.

"How did you get so wet? I told you to buy an umbrella."

"It's all right, Grandma."

Seeing her granddaughter like this, the old woman's eyes reddened. After she fell ill, Wu Jin had brought her to the city and sold their house and land back home to pay for her treatment. She didn't know how Wu Jin, so young, kept finding ways to cover the hospital bills.

Wu Jin said a few things to comfort the old woman, then finally broached the matter she had come to discuss.

"Grandma, I found a job. I might be busy most of the time, so I'll only be able to visit you on weekends. I've hired a caregiver to look after you."

"What kind of job?"

"Playing games. The pay and benefits are very good, so don't worry, Grandma."

Grandma Wu didn't understand. Only after asking several questions to make sure she hadn't run into a scammer did she feel a little reassured. Her granddaughter had grown up fast because of their family's circumstances and had always known how to handle things.

After Grandma fell asleep, Wu Jin washed the fruit and put it on a plate. She quietly watched Old Madam Wu for a while, and only as she listened to her steady breathing did Wu Jin feel at peace. Before leaving, she looked back once more...

"Well? Not bad, right?"

Brother Qian and Coach Ming watched the gameplay in the video and nodded repeatedly. Both the mechanics and game sense were excellent, and the playstyle was fierce and fast. Not a single match lasted more than twenty minutes.

The player's profile showed many national server-ranked heroes and a very high win rate. They were all using default skins, too, and even more shocking was that the account was less than a hundred days old.

The account's ID was rather "commercial," though: Boosting Services.

"She's really good. Where did you find her?"

"I ran into her while playing on a smurf. She solo-killed my Akaloi."

Coach Ming's head jerked up. Jiang Yun was the FPL's number one Akaloi player. Almost nobody could beat him, and his win rate was as high as ninety-six percent. Akaloi had practically taken up permanent residence in the ban slot in all their matches.

This player really did have some talent.

Jiang Yun looked at Shi Mu. "What do you think?"

Coach Ming and Brother Qian were also looking at GOD's captain, Shi Mu, waiting for his opinion.

"She is pretty talented."

"I'll contact her right away!"

With a definite answer, Brother Qian immediately pulled out his phone.

Jiang Yun stopped his hand and smiled faintly. "I already contacted her and asked her to come today. She should be here soon."

He had just finished speaking when someone outside the door called out that someone was looking for them.

Brother Qian gave Jiang Yun a knowing look and immediately headed out. As expected of a member of their GOD Team, he got things done fast.

The other members of GOD were all huddled by the door, eavesdropping. They had long known about Jiang Yun's physical condition and had been prepared for his retirement. Suppressing their sadness, they couldn't help being curious when they heard a newcomer was coming.

The rain was growing heavier. Brother Qian hurried along with an umbrella, the cuffs of his suit pants getting a little wet. From a distance, he saw a small, slender figure standing motionless in the rain, and he anxiously ran over.

"Oh, you're Boosting... uh, here for the tryout, right? Why are you standing in the rain? Come inside, quick!"

Brother Qian didn't have time to be shocked that the random-match ace from the video was a girl. He hurriedly held the umbrella over her head.

A group of people watched eagerly from the first floor. When the door opened, a girl drenched from head to toe walked in behind Brother Qian. For a few seconds, the atmosphere was terrifyingly quiet.

It was a girl!!!

Ever since their previous jungler, Cat, had retired, their team was finally going to have another girl!!!

Shi Mu's gaze darkened. He stepped away for a moment, and when he returned, he handed Wu Jin a clean towel.

"Thank you."

Wu Jin took the towel and dried her face.

"What are you all standing around staring for? Hurry up and find her some clean clothes!"

Brother Qian yelled at the team members in exasperation. What a bunch of oblivious straight guys.

"Oh, oh, oh, oh!"

The men came to their senses and started searching everywhere like headless flies. It took them a while to remember that, as a bunch of men, they had no girls' clothes, and they didn't know whether she would mind wearing something they had already worn.

In the end, Shi Mu fetched a new team jacket and an unworn pair of pants for Wu Jin.

Sitting in the office, Brother Qian poured Wu Jin a cup of ginger tea, worried she might catch a cold. They had finally found a rare top laner; they couldn't let her health suffer.

"Hello, I'm Qian Xiang, the team manager. You can call me Brother Qian. The gentleman across from you is the team coach. You can just call him Coach Ming."

Wu Jin greeted them politely.

"This is Jiang Yun, the one who contacted you. He's GOD's current top laner."

Jiang Yun smiled and waved at Wu Jin. When their eyes met, Jiang Yun seemed to glimpse a deeply buried tenacity in her, the refusal to admit defeat that belonged to someone like him.

She was rather like him.

As expected of the successor he had found.

"Boosting Services, right? We've looked over your profile. We'll start with a tryout and talk about the contract if you pass. Is that all right?"

"What should we call you?"

Coach Ming sat across from Wu Jin, a hint of surprise in his eyes. Although there were female esports players in the FKL, judging by her playstyle in the matches alone, it was hard to imagine she was a girl.

Wu Jin sipped the ginger tea in her hands and looked Coach Ming straight in the eye. Her voice was cool. "Just call me Wu Jin."

Seeing how small and thin the girl was, Brother Qian was still concerned and asked another question. "Are you an adult? Does your family know you're playing competitively?"

"I turned eighteen yesterday. My family knows."

That was good, that was good. Brother Qian felt reassured.

"Are you feeling up to it right now? Would you like to..."

"I'm fine. Let's do it now."

Coach Ming had intended to let Wu Jin rest for a while first, but he hadn't expected her to agree so quickly. He had no choice but to take Jiang Yun and Wu Jin to the practice room for the tryout.

"Don't be too nervous. That kid Jiang Yun has an injured hand, so he might not be able to beat you."

Although they would sign Wu Jin even if she lost, they still needed to give her a little confidence now!

Wu Jin turned to look at Brother Qian, who was fired up for some reason, then faced forward again and said softly, "I won't lose."