Chapter 15: Soft Purple

In the elevator, an awkward silence settled between Wang Chaihong and Lu Yufei. The faint hum of the machinery was the only sound as they ascended. Chaihong fidgeted slightly, then decided to break the silence.

"Are you one of the players on the team?" she asked, her voice soft but curious.

Lu Yufei burst into laughter, shaking his head. "Me? Nah. I'm just a parasite that likes to hang around Zhang LiQiang."

Wang Chaihong tilted her head, puzzled by his choice of words. She didn't fully understand what he meant but decided not to probe further, giving a small nod instead.

The elevator doors slid open, revealing a polished hallway lined with multiple rooms. The marble floors gleamed under the LED-lit walls that displayed dynamic designs and team highlights. Wang Chaihong stepped out, her gaze sweeping over the impressive interior.

As they walked, they passed a long trophy cabinet. The gleaming trophies and medals inside sparkled under the spotlights, their brilliance matched by Wang Chaihong's faint reflection in the glass. For a moment, she caught her hesitant expression staring back at her, and she quickly looked away, focusing on keeping up with Lu Yufei.

He led her further down the hall until they reached a door. "Here we are," Lu Yufei said, opening it for her.

Chaihong stepped inside and froze. Her eyes widened in awe. The room was a gamer's paradise, equipped with rows of high-end gaming rigs, their sleek designs and glowing RGB lights dazzling her. The walls were soundproof, absorbing the hum of the equipment and creating a serene yet focused atmosphere.

Her initial nervousness melted away, replaced by pure amazement. She wandered a few steps further into the room, her eyes sparkling as she took everything in.

"Make yourself comfortable," Lu Yufei said with a grin. "I'll go fetch Zhang LiQiang."

Chaihong nodded, barely registering his words. She sank into one of the ergonomic chairs, brushing her fingers lightly over the keyboard. The keys felt smooth and responsive under her touch, and she recognized it immediately as the latest model from a famous brand she had always admired but never owned.

A few minutes later, the door swung open, and Zhang LiQiang appeared, slightly out of breath. His hair was tousled, and there were faint dark circles under his eyes, but he offered her a warm smile.

"I didn't expect you to show up today," he admitted, catching his breath as he stepped into the room. "Lu Yufei said you arrived, and I ran over here as fast as I could."

Wang Chaihong blinked, startled by his sudden appearance. She tilted her head slightly, noticing the tiredness etched on his face.

"Were you busy?" she asked hesitantly.

"Busy is an understatement," Zhang LiQiang replied with a chuckle, rubbing the back of his neck. "I was up all night going through VODs and strategies. Haven't slept a wink."

He takes a seat next to her, his tone encouraging yet professional. "Go ahead and turn on the PC and launch the game."

Wang Chaihong hesitated, her fingers lingering on the keyboard. "I'm not sure if I want to join yet," she admitted, her voice sounding uncertain. "I just want to try out first."

Zhang LiQiang nodded. "I get it. No pressure. The team will be coming for practice soon, so we can do a short match together. It's just a warm-up."

Upon hearing that she would be meeting the team today, Wang Chaihong felt a tight knot form in her stomach. She took a deep breath, forcing herself to nod. "Alright," she said quietly, then reached for the power button

The room fell silent for a moment, the only sound being the rhythmic clicks of her keyboard as she adjusted her settings in the game. 

Zhang LiQiang leaned over slightly, his eyes narrowing as he focused on the screen in front of Wang Chaihong. The moment he saw her in-game name, his expression froze. There it was, the unmistakable nickname he'd seen countless times on the global leaderboard: 'MapoTofu'

He thought about the possibility of her being in the global leaderboard as he went through it last night but he was unsure if it was someone using a similar name. 

His eyes widened, and a spark of recognition lit up his face. "No way," he muttered, barely realizing he'd said it aloud.

Oblivious to his reaction, Wang Chaihong continued adjusting her settings, her fingers methodically clicking across the keyboard. The noise-canceling headphones she wore blocked out everything around her.

Unable to contain his surprise, Zhang LiQiang raised his voice. "You're MapoTofu?"

The sudden excitement from him startled her, and she yanked the headphones down to rest around her neck. She turned to face him, her brows furrowing in confusion. "What?"

"We played together before a few times in matches," he exclaimed. It is normal for people on the leaderboard to be put on the same team or against each other. Wang Chaihong tilts her head "Which one is you?"

Zhang LiQiang leaned back slightly, pointing at the screen where the name 'Eternal' stood proudly at rank 15. "That's me," he said with a grin.

Wang Chaihong stared at the name for a moment, her brows furrowing in thought. She vaguely remembered seeing the name in her lobbies whenever she ranks. "I think I remember," she said hesitantly.

The door to the gaming room swung open, and the rest of Heavenly Jade's team began to walk in.