Draw

The floor where the national team was staying was indeed quiet and orderly all night.

The four EGT members didn’t go out for dinner that night; they each ordered takeout.
After eating, they gathered to play training matches.

Wanshi said: “There used to be training match exhibitions. If we came, they would arrange that segment.”

Xue Wei searched for old exhibition match videos to watch.

So-called training match exhibitions were nothing more than showcasing highlight moments of certain star players and star teams.

A solo demonstration, of course, was uninteresting.
There needed to be a subject for the display, a control group and a backdrop.

In the autumn season two years ago, the practice squad accompanied four star teams through all their exhibitions.
They could actually showcase their own tactics and operations—but their coach had left, and they had no decent tactics, so the audience only saw them getting severely beaten.

Among these, when Dangdang played as a free agent, he killed a star player and was relentlessly flamed by fans for days, who accused the practice squad of overstepping their bounds, getting too serious in an exhibition match, and being sore losers.

“This year, I wonder how it will be. There are rumors the format will change. I don’t know if we’ll have a chance to play.” Zhao Xiaoyi was restarting his computer. “If we do, at least we can’t be like last year; if we lose, we have to lose with some dignity.”

That night, only Xue Wei didn’t play games.

He sat by his bed, watched last year’s and the year before last’s All-Star Games, then searched for those foreign team leagues.

He went to sleep around midnight.

The next day, at 7 AM, there was a knock on the door.

Xue Wei rubbed his eyes and got up.
The first thing he noticed was that no one was in the room—Wanshi, who shared a room with him, had his quilt messily folded on the other bed.

A staff member outside asked: “EGT? EGT, someone needs to draw lots. Where’s your captain?”

EGT had no captain.
Their previous captain, a sniper, had long since retired.

Xue Wei threw a jacket over his pajamas and opened the door.

His cool tea-colored hair was messy from sleep, a few strands bristling on top of his head.
He wore the thickest kind of old-fashioned pajamas, his skin cold and fair.
At first glance, only his indifferent eyes stood out.

He hadn’t slept well, and the corners of his eyes were a bit red.

The staff member had clearly never seen him before, paused, then repeated after a while: “Are you from EGT? Someone from your team needs to draw lots… For the round-robin exhibition matches, the team divisions are already out.”

Xue Wei was still drowsy.
He nodded, then raised his hand to close the door.

The staff member couldn’t stop him in time.
The second before Xue Wei closed the door, he suddenly stopped and asked: “Where do I draw?”

His voice sounded faint, and the staff member somewhat suspected he might go the wrong way: “Just in the lobby on the first floor. Do you know XXX? Look for him.” He named a well-known event organizer in the league.

Xue Wei: “Don’t know him.”

He took his hat and gloves from the cabinet by the door, then went to brush his teeth.

The staff member, left standing by the door: “…………”

The weather was cold, so Xue Wei was too lazy to change out of his pajamas and went downstairs as he was.

There were many people in the first-floor lobby.
The first day of the All-Star Game was variety show interactions and fun competitions.

The exhibition matches wouldn’t be until the second day.
Everyone had been called down at this time to draw lots.

Xue Wei’s phone chimed.

Wanshi: [Where are you? We’re getting breakfast. Brought you jianbing and soy milk.]

Xue Wei: [I’m on the first floor drawing lots.]

Wanshi: [Drawing what?]

Xue Wei: [Not sure.]

Wanshi: […………]

Xue Wei looked around.

He didn’t recognize most people, but one team was easy to spot.

The national team, in red and white tracksuits and black long coats.
Team One, four people; Team Two, seven people—all gathered on one side, listening to Alan speak by the sofa.

Xue Wei walked over.

Alan was tapping on his PAD, still talking volubly: “…So don’t underestimate your opponents this time. These recreational game formats represent the most common situations encountered in matches, usually not found in regular training scrims…”

Xue Wei moved closer, preparing to wait for him to finish.
But he didn’t expect that as he approached, the people around him automatically made way, allowing him to walk directly into the center of the national team members.

A dozen pairs of eyes stared at him in unison.
Alan also stopped and looked at him.

And the man sitting on the sofa, surrounded by the crowd, also looked up.

Wen Man was sitting alone on the sofa, flipping through documents with his legs crossed.
Xue Wei hadn’t seen him before he came over.

Xue Wei: “.”

Xue Wei looked up at Alan, his eyes dark and bright, stating the fact: “They told me to come draw lots. I don’t know where to draw.”

Alan looked back at Wen Man.
Wen Man lowered his eyes, neither confirming nor denying.

Alan then casually handed the tablet to a team member: “Come, I’ll take you.”

Behind them, there were still rows of eyes.

Everyone watched this boy, the only one in the lobby wearing old-fashioned pajamas, a hat, and a mask.

“Never seen him before, is that Alan’s illegitimate child?” Someone whispered nearby, “Coach Alan is amazing, huh.”

“Nonsense, how could that be.”

Alan led Xue Wei into a side room on the first floor, guiding him while saying: “This wasn’t announced to you in advance; it’s an adjustment made by the organizing committee. You might not know since you’re new, but EGT used to only participate in the domestic team exhibition matches and generally didn’t need to play competitive matches.”

“But this year, four foreign teams came, and we adjusted the format to group drawing. Each team gets one chance to draw. We only have three teams in total, one short, so we decided to bring you guys in.”

“Teams that draw each other by default will redraw.”

Alan pushed open the door, and the people inside all stood up.

“Alright, everyone’s here. We can draw now.”

The representatives of each team came to the drawing room.

The representative for the European region was Knife.
Everyone else was silent.
He raised his emerald green eyes and smiled, greeting Xue Wei: “hi, Pretty boy.”

Pretty Boy.

‘Pretty boy.’

Or, ‘Pretty’s boy.’

Xue Wei: “Hello. I’m Now, EGT, Now.”

No sooner had he spoken than a few foreigners, not understanding, didn’t react.
Several Chinese people, however, looked up at him.

They knew about the ‘God-faced street photo’ of EGT that had no face revealed these past two days.

The photo on the subway had already surpassed Ming Xu’s in popularity.
People in the league had more or less seen him on their homepages.

And this person, Now, was also someone they all knew.
The solo king from the practice squad whom the national team bought for the highest price in league history to join National Team Two.

It was actually… the same person.

Black hat, black mask.
The exposed pair of eyes were exceptionally beautiful.

It was just his old-fashioned pajamas… a bit out of place.

Ming Xu sat on the other side, exchanging glances with his agent, feeling a bit uneasy.

The person in charge said: “You can start drawing.”

The eight team representatives present each went to pick a slip of paper, then unfolded it.

National Team One drew the North American FNC league team.

National Team Two drew National Team One.

The subsequent match schedule was set: National Team One would play against Team Two and North American FNC respectively.

…

The results of the other groups were announced successively.

After Ming Xu drew and unfolded his result, he cursed: “Damn it, that’s it.”

Ming Xu was the representative of the All-Star team—and the All-Star team was the entire SSQ roster.
Their team had the four most popular players in the CHNC league.

He said indifferently: “EGT.”

EGT’s first match confirmed: against SSQ.

The results were announced until the end, with only Xue Wei remaining.

Xue Wei unfolded his slip: “We’re against European FEC.”

European FEC, Knife’s team.
However, due to the All-Star Game, the team members were not entirely from Knife’s three-time champion team but were several popular players from the European region after a reshuffle.

The team that had repeatedly cut down the Chinese team from the championship position, one of their most terrifying enemies, was actually drawn by this small practice squad, EGT.

EGT’s two matches were thus confirmed.

The matches would take place on the third and fourth days of the All-Star Game, respectively.

The organizing committee simultaneously announced the drawing results.

A huge uproar erupted online.

“Holy crap, National Team One against Team Two, infighting, huh?”

“How did EGT get mixed in this year? Is this a joke?”

“Maybe this is special treatment for the practice squad? Anyway, the practice squad seems to… also be part of the national team, right?”

“The funniest thing isn’t EGT getting mixed in, but their draw results. Not only do they have to face SSQ, but also the European team… I can already imagine the scene; it’ll be gruesome. So embarrassing.”

After the EGT members returned and learned the news, each of them was stunned as if struck by lightning.

“No, what kind of luck is this… Naonao, how did you draw the European team right away?” Zhao Xiaoyi’s voice trembled. “We haven’t even played in the playoffs, and now we’re directly facing the European team?”

Xue Wei was quite low-key: “My luck is pretty good. I wanted to draw the European team, and I did.”

He continued to be low-key: “When I play games, my guesses about enemy positions are usually quite accurate.”

Zhao Xiaoyi: “…”

Wanshi: “…”

Dangdang: “…”

Zhao Xiaoyi broke down: “Naonao, can’t you think of something positive?”

‘This kid clearly hasn’t been brutally beaten yet.’

‘Or this kid just likes being brutally beaten.’

“You like playing dangerous games, huh?” Wanshi rubbed his hands together, “What a coincidence, I like playing dangerous games too.”

He was flushed with excitement.
After two whole years, he once again heard the sound of blood surging.

Two whole years.

EGT’s chance to see the light of day again.

The next day, there were three matches in the afternoon and evening: National Team One vs. National Team Two, Europe vs. National Team One, and Russia vs. South America.

Matches were best of three (BO3).

National Team One’s exhibition matches were all finished today.
The entire day, the floor where EGT was staying was empty; the air was exceptionally quiet.

The three of them were training operations in their room, while only Xue Wei went to watch the matches live.

He carried a small notebook.

Everyone else’s focus was on National Team One’s two matches today.

But on his notebook, only two team names were written.

SSQ.

European FEC.

Both of these teams had matches today.

SSQ’s last match finished late; it was already nine in the evening when he finished watching.

All teams were working overtime through the night, discussing tactics.

After Xue Wei returned to his room, he wrote some things for a while, then messaged Alan: [Coach, are you free now?]

Alan quickly replied: [Just finished here, anything?]

“I want to come find you; it might take twenty minutes of your time,” Xue Wei typed.

His messages were always standard and proper.
Alan, on the other end, couldn’t help but smile, replying: [Just come over, I’m in God Wen’s room.]

Xue Wei read the message, paused slightly, then left the room with his notebook, his expression unchanged.

The door diagonally opposite was open, with some cigarette smoke inside.

Xue Wei knocked on the doorframe.
Alan’s voice came from inside: “Come in.”

He walked in.
The other two people in the room looked up at him.

Wen Man and Knife.

They seemed to have been talking.
The two paused briefly, then both fell silent, watching him.

Xue Wei looked straight ahead, finding Alan: “Coach A, I want to ask you for some information about our team.”

“Uh… National Team Two?” Alan asked.

“EGT,” Xue Wei said, “I want to see their positioning and data from two years ago. Also, I think, if you have time, I’d like to report our tactics to you.”

He was proper and respectful, hands clasped, though expressionless, standing like a kindergarten child.

“Uh… ah.” Alan’s eyes grew flustered.
He glanced towards Wen Man again, then said with a forced smile, “Okay, of course. Go ahead.”

Xue Wei glanced at Knife nearby, very seriously: “It’s not convenient to discuss here.”

Knife: “……………………”

Alan raised his hands in surrender: “Alright, alright, let’s go to the next room. Wait for me a moment, I’ll print the documents for you first.”

“Mm.” Xue Wei put his hands in his pockets and waited around Alan.

On the other side, Wen Man and Knife continued their conversation.

Their voices were both low and soft, not avoiding anyone, but they spoke a mixture of German, English, and Chinese, making it difficult to hear clearly.

Xue Wei stood quietly, waiting.

He just felt that the gaze of the two beside him seemed to fall on him from time to time.

He didn’t know what Knife said, but Wen Man said lightly: “Yes… he was young then.”

Knife also switched to Chinese.
Though stiff, it was fairly fluent.
He said with a mischievous smile: “And now? I think…”

Wen Man leaned over to get a cigarette: “Still not grown up.”

Xue Wei felt they might be discussing a national team member.

The printer buzzed a few times.
Alan handed him the warm papers: “Alright, let’s go.”

Xue Wei then followed Alan.

At 3 AM, Alan returned to his room with an aching back: “Ugh, finally done. Brother Wen, your little one has quite a lot of energy. He kept asking me for many details. You should really start coaching him yourself sometime.”

“Do you think I haven’t been coaching him?”

“I duo queued with him and opened a personal sandbox for him.” Wen Man crushed his cigarette in the ashtray, smiling faintly, “I also want to know why he always comes to you?”

“Because…”

“I handled his affairs before; weren’t you off to C City for a contract then?” Alan suddenly understood something, “He thought I was his head coach???”

Wen Man ignored him, picking up the training documents to read on his own.

‘Oh no.’

The first national team member who wasn’t impressed by Wen Man, but rather by Alan.

The first member to ignore Wen Man and instead revolve around Alan.

Alan wanted to laugh but dared not, holding it in until he felt internal injuries.