Chapter 37: The Challenge

Yang Yu and the others turned around, their mocking laughter dripping with disdain.

“What’s wrong, Gun King?”

Li Xin drew a deep breath and said gravely, “You can mock me, but you will not mock Liu Ran. Apologize to him.”

“Apologize?” The group burst out laughing.

“And who do you think you are, to demand an apology from us?”

“A cripple with Parkinson’s, and you dare play the boss here?”

“Li Xin, if you keep running your mouth, don’t blame us for forgetting old friendships!”

Their insults came one after another. Li Xin’s face grew even paler, his fists tightly clenched, his body trembling. Liu Ran sensed trouble and quickly stepped in front of him, hoping to defuse the situation. Now that Yang Yu’s power was at its peak, going against him was tantamount to courting death. What was face worth, really? It wouldn’t cost a single piece of flesh.

Lin Guo’s face lost all color, her hands twisting together in anxiety. Six years as Li Xin’s girlfriend, and though they had parted ways for their own futures, her heart still ached for him.

“Yang Yu, let’s go,” she whispered, tugging at Yang Yu’s sleeve.

“Go?” Yang Yu sneered, his tone harsh. Now he was the king—what right did someone like Li Xin, already cast aside, have to show off before him?

“Li Xin, I’ll give you a chance. Apologize for what you just said.”

“Yang Yu…” Lin Guo tugged at him again.

With a cold huff, Yang Yu shook her hands off. “Shut up! Are you still hung up on the past?”

“I—” Lin Guo’s face went ghostly pale, tears streaming from the corners of her eyes as she turned and left in anger.

Li Xin took a deep breath, a trace of guilt in his heart. Even if Lin Guo had abandoned him at his lowest, he had never held it against her. People must chase their dreams; Lin Guo was not wrong.

What truly angered him was Yang Yu’s arrogance and insolence.

Perhaps sensing something different about Li Xin, Liu Ran put on a forced smile, setting aside the charisma of an esports star.

“Yang Yu, Brother Yu, I’ll apologize for him. Please, just let it go. He’s ill, after all, and doesn’t have many years left.”

At this, the four Dongjia team members hesitated. The truth was, over the years, Li Xin had led them to countless victories and prize money. They couldn’t bring themselves to kick him when he was down.

“Brother Yu, maybe we should just let it go.”

At their words, Yang Yu sneered and flicked his sleeve. “For your sakes, I won’t stoop to the level of this cripple. Otherwise, people might say I’m heartless.”

“Brother Yu, your magnanimity commands respect,” someone chimed in.

“Truly a worthy Gun King, with such broad-mindedness.”

What had started as an act of rudeness was twisted on its head, and Yang Yu became the noble one.

Li Xin closed his eyes and exhaled slowly. He could let everything go—the Gun King’s title, millions in prize money, all fleeting as the wind. After all, what did it matter, when he would not live many more years? But to be so publicly humiliated by Yang Yu, to have both his and his friend’s dignity trampled—this he could not endure.

“Yang Yu, stop right there!”

“For fuck’s sake, what now?” Yang Yu snapped irritably, turning to curse him out. The others looked on in disbelief—had Dawn gone mad?

Yet as the five of them turned, they recoiled in shock to find Li Xin already standing before them.

Had they seen a ghost?

“Damn you, are you trying to scare me to death?” Yang Yu swore, shoving forward.

Smack!

Li Xin seized his arm, gritting his teeth and using his strength.

Agonizing pain shot through Yang Yu, who howled, “Let go, you bastard! Are you looking for death?”

“What are you standing around for? Get him off me!” Yang Yu shouted.

Stunned by Li Xin’s sudden move, the Dongjia players snapped to their senses and rushed to separate them. Liu Ran looked sick with worry, but inside he felt something else entirely.

He alone had seen Li Xin move just now.

That speed—so fast.

He was Li Xin’s oldest friend and knew well that Li Xin was no athlete. When had he ever moved like that?

It took all their combined strength to pull the two apart. Yang Yu howled in pain, clutching his wrist and swearing, still eager to rush back and settle the score.

But Li Xin only laughed.

“What the hell are you laughing at?” Yang Yu barked.

Li Xin shook his head, the bitter smile on his lips as complex and tangled as his thoughts.

He had wanted nothing more than to give Yang Yu a beating. But what then? For men like them, admired by all, only face and confidence mattered. To truly shatter that arrogance, only a match would suffice.

“Yang Yu, do you dare face me in a match? If you win, I’ll apologize. If you lose, you apologize to Liu Ran.”

“A match?” Yang Yu frowned, confused.

“Have you lost your mind? Why would I waste my time playing a game against a cripple like you? In the end, you’ll lose anyway.”

The others exchanged glances, finding this all too laughable.

“Li Xin, your health…” Liu Ran said worriedly.

“Dawn, your current level is just that of an average player. Brother Yu is about to be crowned Gun King—the gap is enormous,” Dongjia Player A said.

“Of all the things you could do, why this? We were about to walk away, but you insist on seeking trouble. Bring it on yourself, you’ll have to deal with the consequences,” Player B added.

“Brother Yu, playing him would be bullying the weak. Let’s just go. We still have our next stop, and Boss Zhang paid for this trip. Let’s not waste it here,” Player C said.

Yang Yu considered their words. Boss Zhang had indeed been generous, sponsoring their entire trip, and hearing of a new cyber café in Gaoyou, they’d come to check it out, only to run into Li Xin—just as the saying goes, enemies always meet.

Remembering the rest of the club was still waiting at the hotel, Yang Yu nodded. “Let’s go, don’t let this ruin the mood.”

“Brother Yu, wise as ever,” Player C said in relief. He had been Li Xin’s teammate for a long time and still felt some loyalty.

“What’s the matter? Are you afraid?” Li Xin, ever stubborn, pressed on, finally provoking Yang Yu completely.

“You idiot, let you off once and you get cocky! Looks like if I don’t teach you a lesson today, you’ll never learn who the real Gun King is now!”

“You three, go get ready.”

The three players hesitated, speechless, but could only obey and leave to make preparations. Any private match Yang Yu arranged could not be made public. Winning was fine, but a loss would mean more than just losing face. The identities of both sides had to be kept absolutely secret—any leak could spell disaster.

Liu Ran furrowed his brow, studying Li Xin with mounting confusion. He felt that his old friend had changed in some indefinable way. He couldn’t understand where Li Xin, gravely ill, had found the courage to challenge Yang Yu.

A fistfight was one thing—Li Xin was burly enough to win.

But he had challenged him to a match!