50 million

“That kid left?”

Half an hour after Xue Wei departed, the assistant coach and the lawyer finally returned to the office.

They spotted the note on the desk at a glance.

They picked it up and glanced at it.

They both sneered in unison.

“This kid has ambitions higher than the heavens.”

The assistant coach tsked.

“I’ve seen plenty of young people like him—spoiled rotten habits.”

“If he really had the skills, would he be stuck scraping by in the practice team?”

Xue Wei walked out of the SSQ club.

He glanced around.

The driver was nowhere to be seen.

The shoot on the first floor hadn’t ended yet.

Laughter and chatter filled the air.

No one noticed him.

He headed toward the nearby bus stop.

The National Youth Training Base was right across the street.

He knew the way.

Xue Wei had just glanced at the road when he suddenly heard someone calling him from afar.

“Hey! You there! Hey, you—Nao Nao! You’re Now, right?”

A man in fluffy pajamas and thick slippers came rushing toward him from across the street.

Xue Wei recognized the voice immediately.

Coach Alan.

Alan was panting, sweat beading on his forehead.

“I just heard SSQ picked you up. I went to your club looking for you, but you weren’t there. I figured coming straight here might be faster—didn’t expect to actually catch you.”

Xue Wei eyed him, hands shoved in his pockets, looking every bit the cool boy.

“You looking for me? Something up?”

“Did you sign with SSQ?”

Alan asked, sizing up the boy in front of him, bundled up like he was headed to Antarctica.

Before Xue Wei could answer, Alan chuckled first.

“You couldn’t have signed yet, right? You’re not of age. They need your prior authorization from EGT first, plus your guardian’s consent form.”

Xue Wei glared at him, his eyelashes fluttering slightly.

“I turn eighteen in a month.”

“Alright, alright. In any case, come back with me first. I have stuff to tell you.”

Alan grabbed him.

“Come on, come on. Let’s talk in detail—about what happens after you join the national team…”

“I joined the national team?”

Xue Wei was baffled.

“You didn’t check the page?”

Alan’s eyes widened.

“You got in! Second team. New season starts in a month—you’ll come train with us.”

“They told me my info was wrong.”

Xue Wei recalled.

“I thought that meant I didn’t make it.”

“……”

Alan sniffed, his nose runny from the cold.

“It meant refill it. We need to contact you, so standardize your personal info to pass the final eligibility check.”

“Oh.”

They stared at each other, big eyes locked on small.

Silence stretched for three seconds.

Xue Wei said,

“So, you’re my coach, then?”

“Of course.”

Alan stated matter-of-factly.

“I’m the national team’s assistant coach now.”

“Oh.”

Xue Wei said.

He recalled what Zhao Xiaoyi had howled in his ear before:

—”New season, God Wen’s stepping down from coaching! Says he won’t handle youth training or join the training plans anymore! What do we doooo? Is he retiring? Wuu wuu, is he getting married?!”

Alan didn’t know why, but even though only Xue Wei’s eyes were visible, he somehow detected a faint trace of…

disappointment.

Xue Wei said,

“Let’s go.”

Alan made a phone call.

“Right, right, got the kid. Tell SSQ’s side too.”

– “Mm-hmm. Captain Wen can’t get back till the day after tomorrow. Procedures to handle. I’ll send the little guy back soon—just let them know for me. Haven’t changed clothes, can’t meet anyone like this… Oh oh oh, right, you’re spot on. Look at my head. It’s so late—just let him stay the night.”

On the other end, the team manager said,

“Got it. I’ll make a call, tell them the guy’s already ours.”

SSQ’s line connected.

Su Wei picked up the phone.

“Hello? This is EGT Club.”

– “Chinese National Esports Base here. Old Jin speaking.”

Jin manager said,

“Captain Wen asked us to give you a heads-up. Bit late on our end, but not too late now.”

“Alright, alright. Go ahead.”

Su Wei straightened up, her voice turning cautious.

“For the player Now, our national team has signed him. Next season, he’ll transfer out of EGT and operate directly under National Team Two—no ties to any other clubs.”

“Na… National Team?”

Su Wei was stunned.

“You bet. Captain Wen’s personal pick. Had to rush over and let you know.”

The voice on the other end laughed.

“Otherwise, he’d twist our heads off.”

“Captain Wen’s personal pick?”

Su Wei was stunned even longer.

Old Jin was still chuckling on the other end.

“That’s it for now then. Hanging up, bye.”

Su Wei hung up.

The assistant coach asked her,

“Now’s already signed away, huh?”

“Yeah.”

Su Wei opened the league’s internal player transfer site.

All clubs’ listings during the transfer window were public.

Clubs basically finalized deals before bidding, and contract details had to be filed.

They hadn’t expected Xue Wei to refuse.

They’d already filed—bid at three million.

A paltry sum, buried among sky-high offers.

Currently, the league’s highest-valued player was Wen Man—his worth inestimable.

But among youth training stars on the board, the historical high was forty-seven million.

She scrolled down.

In the pending deals list, a new bid popped up—refreshed minutes ago.

Listed player: EGT.Now

Anonymous bidder: CHNxxxxty

Bid: Fifty million.

****

Alan’s nose was dripping from the cold, but he finally led Xue Wei back to the base gates.

It was past eleven already, but some were still up.

The moment they arrived, national team members poured out to gawk.

A bunch of teens in the living room were chowing down on takeout.

Hearing the commotion, they all turned to look.

“Coach Alan’s back!”

“Who’s that guy?”

“Your teammate next season.”

Alan gave a quick intro.

“From EGT.”

“That practice team kid?”

They were puzzled.

“No one from this season’s youth camp qualified, right?”

“He did. Special circumstances. You’ll meet him soon enough anyway. Taking him up first.”

Alan dragged Xue Wei into the elevator to the second floor, then into a room.

Xue Wei thought it’d be a meeting room.

Instead, it was a spacious one with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the lake—great view, warm and sparkling lights filtering in from outside.

The room was spotless, immaculate.

Books on the shelves, desk holding only a crystal ashtray.

“Come here, change into some proper clothes. Heat’s cranked up—don’t wanna smother yourself sick under all that.”

Xue Wei was still taking in the room when Alan came over to peel off his jacket.

Xue Wei dodged back a bit, then said,

“I’ll do it myself.”

He swiftly shed the down jacket, ditched the hat and mask, revealing a mop of messy, flattened hair.

Alan paused, blinking.

“…You’re pretty good-looking.”

The boy before him had big eyes, long lashes, red lips, white teeth—expression a tad cold, but features flawless, like a porcelain doll.

The choppy haircut and sloppy clothes were the only deductions.

Bundled up before, no one could’ve seen his face.

That ratty jacket would’ve pegged him as some slovenly shut-in.

“Team uniforms are standardized—won’t be for a few months. Found one for you.”

Alan, unfamiliar with the room, rummaged half a day before locating the closet.

He pulled out an unopened team uniform.

“Wear this. There’s a shower in the room—go take a hot one first.”

“Oh.”

Xue Wei sniffed.

His pale nose tip was frozen cherry-red.

He didn’t mind a shower.

But it was late—he asked,

“I’m staying here tonight?”

“Yeah, too late. Long way back to EGT, messes with your rest—got a stream tomorrow?”

Xue Wei said,

“Afternoon and evening.”

“Perfect. I’ll drive you back in the morning. Sleep sound tonight.”

Alan said.

“Once formalities are done, we’ll officially move you in—you can pick your own room then.”

Xue Wei went to shower.

The bathroom was pristine too.

But fully stocked—shower gel and shampoo foreign brands, all lime-scented, nice.

After, he changed into the uniform.

Summer style, blue and white—a bit big on him, perfect as sleepwear.

He emerged toweling his hair.

Alan had set the contract on the table, along with a spread of snacks and drinks.

“Come here, Nao Nao. Let me walk you through it—real name Xue Wei, right? Call you Xue Wei?”

Xue Wei squirmed.

“No.”

The name was too dainty.

Weak as a kid, the fortune-teller said raise him like a girl—hence the pretty, girly name.

He hated it—constant reminder of his frail health.

“Then Nao Nao it is.”

Alan read through the contract, explaining national team perks and basic living stipend.

As he droned on, Xue Wei naturally tore into the chocolate bars on the table and started munching.

“We neither ban nor push commercial activities for pro players—everything centers on not disrupting team training.”

Alan said.

“Captain Wen made a hundred team rules. Violations get harsh penalties. Like, uh… never mind.”

First rule: No drinks or snacks in the training room.

Wen Man broke it himself.

Fifteenth: No killing teammates in non-internal matches.

Wen Man broke that too.

Every single one seemed tailor-made as precedents for that guy.

Xue Wei watched him intently, listening seriously.

“Like?”

“Never mind, not important.”

Alan wasn’t sure how much Wen Man had shared.

Curious, he asked,

“How much did SSQ offer? Why not go there?”

Xue Wei said,

“Three million. They’re too weak. And they wanted my account.”

“Oh.”

Alan said.

He almost laughed at the kid’s arrogance—but somehow, that dead-serious tone convinced him.

“Anything else?”

Xue Wei had polished off a pack of chocolate bars, now digging into strawberry cake.

He thought.

“And they didn’t prep any food for me there.”

These snacks were all per Wen Man’s list—itemized.

Alan couldn’t resist gossiping.

“You know Captain Wen from before, huh?”

Xue Wei froze.

Xue Wei clutched the chip bag, lashes lowering, voice flat.

“Knew him before. But he probably doesn’t remember me. Played games together, long time ago.”

“That’s it?”

Alan doubted.

“I…

I had a friend who had a crush on him back then.”

Xue Wei amended stiffly.

He folded the chip bag a few times into a tiny square, tossed it in the trash.

“Crush failed. End of story.”

“Confession rejected?”

Alan guessed.

Xue Wei said,

“No confession. Just unrequited. No hope in sight.”

First time hearing Wen Man’s romantic gossip, Alan was hooked.

God Wen’s private life was a black hole—career demon, digging his scandals harder than climbing heaven.

Alan’s said,

“That friend of yours—pretty?”

Xue Wei paused, ear tips faintly reddening somehow.

“Feels… uh… maybe decent? But he probably wasn’t into it.”

“Was God Wen good to her?”

Alan pressed.

“Very. Took my friend to play, chatted tons every day. Visited the hospital loads—no family with him.”

Xue Wei said.

“But thinking back, just…

slightly better than average netizen friends.”

“No, that’s not right. Captain Wen’s not the chatty type.”

Alan slapped his thigh.

“Potential there! How’d they not end up together?”

Xue Wei pinched his cool ear tip with cool fingers, voice solemn but faintly downcast.

“Maybe he liked the nurse in the ward.”

He recalled.

“Big chest, super pretty nurse sis. Long wavy hair, super gentle. I liked her too.”

Alan: “?”

Alan: “!”