Sorry, Stuck Again [Esports] Chapter 50

Chapter 50

Bian Yan woke up again in the hospital. Due to the intense emotional fluctuations the previous day, he had respiratory alkalosis and only regained consciousness the next day.

Lu Chang Kong had just bought some porridge and came in to see Bian Yan slowly waking up on the hospital bed. "Feeling any better? Hungry, right? Come on, have some porridge." Lu Chang Kong opened the food container while chattering, "I thought I bought it too early and it would be cold by the time you woke up, but it turned out to be just right."

Bian Yan's head was throbbing, and his body felt like it was submerged in a thick, sticky swamp, heavy and powerless. All the painful memories before he fainted rushed back at once, making his head spin and his heart race.

"Where is this?" Bian Yan's voice was barely audible.

"The hospital." Lu Chang Kong looked at Bian Yan with a pained expression and helped him sit up. "Eat first."

Bian Yan weakly pushed away the porridge that was brought to his mouth and shook his head. "Why are you the only one here? Where's Brother Pan Shi?"

Mentioning Pan Shi, Lu Chang Kong's face immediately darkened. He placed the porridge on the table, rolled his eyes, and cursed angrily, "Idiot, let him go wherever he wants."

Bian Yan tried to recall the chaotic scene before he fainted. The injury at the corner of Pan Shi's mouth, the bruises on Lu Chang Kong's face, and the obvious tension between the two…

"Lu Ge, what happened between you two yesterday?" Bian Yan asked hoarsely.

A flash of resentment crossed Lu Chang Kong's eyes, which then turned into nonchalance. "We just had a little argument, nothing serious."

Bian Yan felt that Lu Chang Kong was hiding something from him, but he couldn't think straight at the moment, so he let it go.

"Your sister Bian Tang tried calling you yesterday, but couldn't get through. She eventually found a way to contact me, and she should be on her way now."

Bian Yan felt guilty for worrying Bian Tang for so long, as his phone had been off since the fight yesterday.

"Also, those two idiots have a video of you hitting someone. They definitely won't let it go. Your sister went to find connections yesterday, so don't worry."

Lu Chang Kong gritted his teeth as he spoke.

Hearing this, Bian Yan was furious. He never imagined that the reason he joined WIN was so disgusting. He also didn't expect Pei Jing and Shen Chuan to handle a disobedient pawn in such an extreme way, preferring to be beaten by him just to kick him out and ban him permanently.

This way, he wouldn't overshadow Pei Yun Chang on the professional stage or be an eyesore to Pei Jing, hindering his twisted feelings. It was a one-time solution, no wonder those two had been plotting for so long.

If it weren't for Lu Chang Kong and Bian Tang's involvement, he would probably be facing an official ban announcement from the Sacred Domain by now.

"Thank you, Lu Ge." Bian Yan looked up at him.

"It's nothing, but thanks to you, I realized how disgusting this club is."

Lu Chang Kong waved his hand, his face full of gloom as he peeled an apple angrily. "What dreams? We're just toys for the young master."

"Is there still no news?" Bian Yan asked, feeling hopeless.

"Heh, no. After the match yesterday, he just disappeared." Lu Chang Kong handed him the peeled apple. "The team forfeited the autumn season match, wasn't it just to let him lay low?"

Forfeiting the match? Bian Yan sneered. Pei Jing blamed Shen Chuan for losing the match, yet he could forfeit the match for Pei Yun Chang. What a touching uncle-nephew relationship.

"Young Master Pei enduring humiliation to play with us commoners, how pitiful."

Lu Chang Kong was full of sarcasm whenever he mentioned Pei Yun Chang now. "It's been two days, and he hasn't dared to say a word. I must have been blind before."

Bian Yan closed his eyes in pain, feeling desolate inside. For the past two years, he had been like a fool, moved by his own one-sided feelings, thinking that he wasn't working hard enough when faced with difficulties. Little did he know that everything he did was worthless to Pei Yun Chang.

Some things were destined from the start. If he had known, he would have stayed far away from him from the first day they clashed positions at the camp, not trying to change anything. It would have been better than being humiliated by Pei Jing and facing a ban at eighteen.

Is there anyone more foolish than him in the world?! Bian Yan was both angry and annoyed, feeling a surge of rage stuck in his chest, making his face flush red as if it would burst out any second. He curled up on the hospital bed, breathing heavily, his eyes bloodshot with rage.

Lu Chang Kong frowned but said nothing, thoughtfully covering him with a blanket.

Bian Tang arrived faster than Lu Chang Kong expected. Bian Yan had only been asleep for half an hour when she arrived, guided by Lu Chang Kong into the hospital room. Her hair was elegantly styled, and her high-quality gray suit exuded an extraordinary aura, calm and powerful, completely different from the approachable vibe during the registration last time.

Bian Tang was followed by a group of assistants and bodyguards, moving in an orderly manner, exuding an intimidating presence, quickly handling all the procedures. They carried new clothes and exquisite meals, making Lu Chang Kong's hospital cafeteria porridge look pitiful in comparison.

Bian Tang walked gracefully in high heels towards her brother's bed, her eyes turning cold upon seeing Bian Yan's troubled sleeping face. Is this the aura of a top-tier female star? Lu Chang Kong now realized how restrained Bian Tang had been during the registration last time.

Bian Tang waved her hand, and the people behind her moved accordingly. She then approached Lu Chang Kong, a perfect smile on her lips. "Xiao Lu, thank you for taking care of Yan Yan. I'll take him with me now. If you have any difficulties, feel free to call me anytime."

Lu Chang Kong nodded, frowning as he watched the siblings leave. He had a feeling it would be a long time before he saw Bian Yan again.

——

After Bian Yan fainted, Pei Jing immediately took action, reporting the situation to the officials and applying pressure, trying to make Bian Yan's permanent ban a quick reality. Bian Tang, aware of Pei Jing's schemes, used all her connections to slow down the process and leveraged her status as a game spokesperson to navigate the situation, not daring to slack off for a moment.

After a week of back-and-forth, the officials reached a conclusion. The player assaulting the coach was a serious offense, and the facts were undeniable, necessitating a ban as a warning to others. However, considering his young age and it being a first offense, the ban was reduced to two years.

This was the best result Bian Tang could achieve after her efforts. The news caused an uproar in the esports community. The fall of the first marksman and genius boy pained countless fans, and even bystanders felt regretful.

Within half a day of the ban announcement, the view counts for "Nova's Live Replay" and "Nova's Internet Addiction Treatment at KP Youth Training Camp" videos doubled. As the event's influence grew, more fan creations emerged, and any topic related to Nova naturally attracted traffic.

It was a grand spectacle of mourning. People added more and more filters to Nova, even deifying him. In just a week, his Weibo account's followers nearly reached ten million. Nova became the first esports player in history to have such an impact without ever appearing on stage or showing his face.

The recent WIN announcement that "Nova will miss the autumn season due to health issues" was quickly debunked, and the official account was flooded that night. Although people regretted Nova's skills, the fact of him assaulting a coach remained.

For a time, rumors spread in the esports circle, with countless "justice" commentators speaking out. Some said Nova was unruly and disobedient, others claimed he single-handedly disrupted WIN, and some conspiracy theorists even suggested Pei Yun Chang's recent decline was related to Nova.

With the ban set in stone, over ninety percent of online comments were unfavorable to Bian Yan, and it was obvious who was behind it. Bian Tang was so angry she postponed magazine shoots to focus on managing the public opinion for Bian Yan.

Having been in the entertainment industry for so many years, Bian Tang was adept at guiding public opinion. Her team was professional and skilled, and within just two days, the situation took a dramatic turn, with more and more discussions about black-hearted clubs exploiting minors.

Bian Tang had enough evidence and initially planned to expose the whole truth. However, after consulting with PR experts, she realized that if such news were released, given Pei Jing's involvement, the beneficiary Pei Yun Chang would definitely be affected, potentially impacting his career.

Knowing this, Bian Yan refused to allow it. Although Bian Tang was furious, she had no choice but to release a few vague pieces of information to reverse the public opinion before quickly stopping.

Online opinions were divided into two camps, arguing incessantly, even overshadowing the autumn season's popularity. Despite the intense online debate, Bian Yan was unaware of it all.

After returning from Guangleng, Bian Tang firmly rejected Bian Yan's request to live alone, sending him to their parents with a plane ticket. In the early days abroad, Bian Yan couldn't sleep at night, rejecting all concern from others, including Ye Li and Wang Ge.

Every time he closed his eyes, memories of his time at WIN flooded his mind, affecting his appetite and causing him to lose weight. His mother was so worried she tried all sorts of ways to make him delicious food.

This situation only improved after Bian Yan fainted from low blood sugar and ended up in the hospital, scaring his mother to tears. Bian Yan pulled himself together, forcing himself not to pay attention to anything related to the esports circle, barely managing to stay abroad.

Bian Tang was very concerned about his state, frequently flying home to check on him, staying for over a week each time. Although Bian Yan didn't say it, he was grateful to her.

"Why don't you go to school?" Bian Tang suggested at the dinner table, "Our Yan Yan is so good at English, you can apply to any school and go out to relax."

Bian Yan remained silent. He had always been smart and did well in school. He attended high school in China, where he met Shi Yi. If he had completed high school normally, he could have gotten into a lower-tier 985 university.

But Bian Yan's mind wasn't on studying at the time, and he wanted to pursue esports after his first year of high school. Although it seemed absurd, his parents respected his decision and agreed without hesitation. No matter what happened to Bian Yan, his family had the means to support him, just like now.

"Your sister is right," his father said calmly. "You're at the age to study, why suffer outside? Go back to school."

Having never faced hardship, Bian Yan developed a shadow over the esports circle after this incident, and his passion for gaming had waned after two years of intense training. What the scene would be like after the two-year ban was uncertain, and returning to school seemed like a good way to relax.

"I can go," Bian Yan put down his bowl. Bian Tang raised an eyebrow, surprised that he agreed, as she had only mentioned it casually.

"But I have one condition…"

——

Bian Tang parked the car near the WIN club, crossing her arms and squinting her eyes, her tone full of emotion. "If I knew your last wish was to come here, I wouldn't have agreed."

Bian Yan tried to soothe her, "Big beauty, don't go back on your word. I'll be right back."

Bian Tang huffed, which was as good as agreeing. Bian Yan jumped out of the car, hands in his pockets, standing across the street, looking at the familiar building with mixed emotions.

It had been almost half a year since he left, and everything around him felt both strange and familiar, but Bian Yan's mindset had changed. In the past six months, although he and Pei Yun Chang hadn't deleted each other's contact information, they had a mutual understanding and hadn't sent each other a single message.

Bian Yan had decided to go to university, but before leaving, he wanted to take one last look here. He put on his mask and hat and walked towards the base entrance.

In the distance, a group of young people approached, laughing and joking, seemingly just returning from a gathering. Bian Yan stood in a blind spot, squinting to identify them, and when he saw the face of the person leading them, his heart skipped a beat.

That handsome, tall figure was none other than Pei Yun Chang! Surrounded by everyone, he wore a gentle, reserved smile, occasionally nodding in response to those around him, polite yet distant, much more mature than when he last parted with Bian Yan.

Afraid of being discovered, Bian Yan quickly ran away, causing a commotion. Pei Yun Chang's eyes, originally downcast, instantly lifted, his sharp gaze shooting towards the source of the sound.

Bian Yan's heart raced as he hid in the blind spot, carefully identifying the four people around Pei Yun Chang, his mouth agape in disbelief. Lu Chang Kong wasn't among them. Besides Pan Shi and Lao Miao, he didn't recognize the other two.

One of the boys looked young but was very attached to Pei Yun Chang, sticking by his side the whole time, calling him "Brother Pei" in an intimate tone, constantly trying to make him laugh. Although Pei Yun Chang's responses weren't enthusiastic, he didn't reject the boy's presence, even familiarly calling him "Xiao Bai" and another boy "Juan Juan."

How affectionate. Bian Yan gritted his teeth. Pan Shi seemed to get along well with them, smiling throughout, and even Lao Miao smiled more.

It was hard to imagine that half a year ago, it was the four of them who were so close, and now everything had changed. What Bian Yan thought was just his imagination, Pei Yun Chang never lacked people around him. A sense of indescribable loss washed over Bian Yan as he stared at them.

The laughter of the group became increasingly grating in his ears, and his heart felt like it was being squeezed by an invisible hand, prompting him to flee in panic.

"Back already?" Bian Tang flipped through her phone. "I've picked out several schools for you that meet your criteria. Take a look."

She handed the phone to Bian Yan, but he didn't take it, leaning back in his seat, silent and dejected.

"Wh…"

Before Bian Tang could ask, Bian Yan interrupted her. "I'm not going to school."

Bian Tang clicked her tongue, frowning as she glared at the WIN base. She knew something would happen!

——

Bian Yan became a game streamer, racking his brain to come up with a new ID called "Sorry," and it was the kind where he showed his face. This surprised Bian Tang, as her brother had never cared about the attention his looks brought him, yet now he was actively asking her how to look good on camera.

No matter how much she asked, she couldn't get an answer, so she let it go. Bian Yan started streaming on time every day, saying nothing throughout, but his gameplay remained sharp. His stream grew from just two or three viewers to nearly a hundred.

[The streamer is so handsome! Can you play a marksman? I want to see!]

[Are you new here? Don't you know the streamer never plays marksman?]

[Agreed, there was a sponsor who requested him to play marksman, and he still didn't.]

Bian Yan naturally saw the comments but didn't explain, focusing on his gameplay, and his follower count grew day by day. He gradually accepted the transition from a professional player to a game streamer.

——

Half a year ago, Arrow lost the first match of the autumn season miserably, leading WIN to forfeit the match, and Pei Yun Chang disappeared, almost in a semi-retired state, with no one knowing if he would continue playing.

As the year-end challenge approached, WIN announced their participation, but the lineup was kept secret, keeping netizens in suspense, all speculating whether Pei Yun Chang would play.

It wasn't until the day before the match that WIN announced the challenge lineup: Top Pan Shi, Mid Miao, Marksman White, Support Juan Juan, and Jungler Arrow.

Pei Yun Chang's ID with the glaring "Jungler" title ignited the entire esports community. The trending topics were dominated that night!

Ordinary esports players are lucky to master one position, let alone deal with bottlenecks, let alone have the mind to switch roles. Moreover, few have successfully switched roles in the esports circle, and even if they do, it's usually to support. Pei Yun Chang directly switched from marksman to jungler, arrogant and proud.

The jungler is the team's core, not only leading the team's rhythm but also paying attention to every detail, requiring faster reactions and hand speed than a marksman. Since his debut, Pei Yun Chang had always been the team's starter, with only a six-month absence, making it hard to imagine he completed the switch in such a short time.

So everyone was skeptical about his switch, eagerly anticipating Jungler Arrow's performance in the autumn season, bringing another wave of peak traffic to the Sacred Domain's official matches.

But regardless of whether Pei Yun Chang could return as a king, his fans were the happiest. No one knew how they endured the nearly semi-retired state after Pei Yun Chang lost the first autumn season match, facing external ridicule while waiting for his return.

Now, as long as Pei Yun Chang could return to the stage, the fans were satisfied. Bian Yan also inexplicably stopped streaming the night the official announcement was made. However, since he didn't have many followers, no one cared about a small streamer stopping in a corner.

Two days later, in the first challenge match, Jungler Arrow met everyone. History cleverly repeated itself, just like his first marksman appearance, this time he still left the opponents with no chance to fight back.

Marksman Arrow fell, Jungler Arrow returned to the esports circle, teaching everyone a lesson. That night, Pei Yun Chang removed the anonymity on the ladder, ranking fourth in the server as a jungler, making a stunning comeback!

Bian Yan stopped streaming for another night. His already small follower count dwindled even further. When he finally adjusted and resumed streaming, only one person named "Po Bing" was left in the chat, with nothing on their profile except a gender marked as female.

Since that day, every time Bian Yan streamed, Po Bing would be there without fail, often showering him with gifts worth thousands, but never sending a single comment, just silently accompanying him.

Feeling a bit embarrassed by the gifts, Bian Yan would chat with Po Bing whenever he had the chance. With his low popularity, many times it was just the two of them in the chat, adding a bit of fun to Bian Yan's otherwise monotonous streaming life.

Bian Yan still remembers the first comment Po Bing sent— "The streamer plays better than professional players." Although it might have been flattery, for Bian Yan at that time, it became his motivation to keep going.

As Bian Yan gradually found his streaming style, he developed the "Card Flow" playstyle, and with his good looks, his chat grew, eventually becoming Miaotu TV's top game streamer. Po Bing became the chat's "Sister Bing Bing," always topping the charts.

During the day, Bian Yan streamed abstract content, and at night, he used another account to climb the mage rankings. His life was fulfilling, gradually getting through the grueling ban period.

For Bian Yan, Po Bing held extraordinary significance, being the first person to affirm him after he broke and rebuilt himself. Po Bing didn't send many comments, but each one was etched in Bian Yan's heart.

[Po Bing: Why is the streamer called Sorry?]

[Po Bing: I think you play really well, honestly.]

[Po Bing: Have you considered going pro?]

…

In a daze, Bian Yan slowly opened his eyes, his consciousness still lingering on the edge of a chaotic dream, his head heavy as if shrouded in a thick fog. His eyes were sore and swollen, making it hard to see clearly, and his body felt leaden, struggling to sit up, his mouth dry.

How did he fall asleep? Bian Yan groggily reached for his phone on the bedside table. The screen was still on, displaying Shi Yi's last message to him.

[Bian Yan, the ban period is ending next month. Do you still want to go pro?]