Chapter 17: Shiny Purple

Lixin looks at the lobby screen " What map are we playing?" as he watches LiQiang doing the settings for the warmup match.

Jihan raises his hand "Midtown sounds fun, no?"

Everybody in the room knows Midtown is one of the hardest maps to defend as it has many covers to hide and corners to check before clearing the site.

LiQiang looks at Chaihong, ensuring she is comfortable with the suggestions "Any objections from you?" 

She shakes her head " I am okay with anything."

Kaito's eyes filled with excitement " Alright then! Let's go! "

The match opened on a sprawling urban map with tight alleyways and a central plaza. Chaihong dragged her mouse across the table and bought a sniper. Seeing her purchase, Zihan decided to provide mid-range support with an assault rifle.

The game began without hesitation, the tension crackling like static in the air. Each player immediately moved into position. Wang Chaihong's thumb tapped lightly on the spacebar, her character landing quietly on a high crate overlooking the alley.

"Zihan," she said, her voice calm through the microphone, "You can play any angle. The goal is to bait them into wide swinging into my line of sight."

Zihan adjusted his character's position, his movements deliberate. He glanced at her through the corner of his screen. "And if they don't?"

Chaihong's light laughter came through his headset. "Oh, they will."

Game Start: Round 1

From the get-go, Lixin lived up to his aggressive reputation, storming through the alleys with his shotgun ready. His brash confidence was audible even without words. Meanwhile, Kaito moved with stealth and precision, flanking quietly through another entryway, clearly aiming to set up a crossfire.

Chaihong remained motionless atop the crate, her eyes looking between the mini-map and the alleyway.

True to her prediction, Lixin swung the angle as soon as Zihan came into view, his shotgun aimed squarely at him.

Chaihong's reaction was instant. She spotted Lixin's bold movement and fired a precise shot.

Headshot

"First blood!" the game announcer declared triumphantly.

"Are you kidding me?!" Lixin groaned as his character crumpled to the ground. "A sniper on the first round? Really?"

Chaihong's laugh was audible through the mic. "You make it too easy."

"First blood!" the game announcer declared.

Meanwhile, Kaito took advantage of the chaos. His character crept along the shadows, closing in on Zihan from the other entryway. A burst of silenced fire erupted, catching Zihan off guard.

"On me!" Zihan called out, diving behind cover and returning fire. Their exchange was tense, each bullet grazing its mark. But Kaito's precision won out.

Headshot!

Zihan's character fell, and the scoreboard evened.

"Ugh I almost got him," Zihan admitted, his tone level despite the defeat.

Chaihong, however, was already tracking the sound. Her crosshair snapped to the left the moment the gunfire ceased.

Before Kaito could reposition, her shot rang out like a thunderclap.

Round lost

"Whoa!" Kaito exclaimed, jumping in his seat as the sound of his in-game headshot echoed. "That scared me!"

Round 2

Chaihong clicks to buy the smoke grenade on the buy screen, and she instructs "Jihan, let's play aggressively this time". Understanding her intentions, Zihan bought a flash grenade and a shotgun instinctively.

Lixin and Kaito moved methodically, deploying a wall of smoke to cut off key sightlines. They tossed a flashbang into Zihan's suspected position, hoping to catch him out.

Unaware of them, Chaihong and Zihan had already pushed into the smoke. Chaihong's sharp game sense told her exactly how they would move.

"They're playing cautious as I predicted," she whispered, her tone almost unfazed. "Let them think they're in control."

The pair crouched silently within the dense cover of the smoke, their movements muffled. The flashbang from Lixin and Kaito could be heard, igniting signaled their opportunity.

"Jihan," Chaihong said firmly, "flash now."

Jihan tossed his flash grenade with practiced precision, and the bright white light shot through the smoke.

"What the—!" Lixin exclaimed as he noticed the flash too late. He tried to look away, but his screen was already flashed with white.

Kaito, caught off guard, fumbled to retreat, but Chaihong stepped out of the smoke with impeccable timing.

Bang!

Her first shot took Lixin down before he could react.

Bang!

The second shot dropped Kaito as he tried to trade the kill.

The screen displayed a bold Double Kill! as Chaihong let out a chuckle. "Just as predicted," she said, her voice filled with satisfaction.

Lixin groaned, leaning back in his chair. "This is ridiculous! She's reading us like a book!"

Jihan looked at Chaihong in awe of respect, he chuckled softly, the corner of his mouth twitching in a smile. "Good call, Chaihong."

Zhang LiQiang leaned back in his chair, arms crossed, a faint smile tugging at his lips as he observed the match. His sharp eyes followed Wang Chaihong's every move, taking in her precise timing and split-second decisions.

"She's incredible," he thought to himself, feeling a surge of satisfaction. Chaihong's gameplay was a perfect blend of aggression and patience, a rare balance that many players struggled to achieve.

Her ability to read the enemy team's movements was uncanny, almost as if she had anticipated every choice Lixin and Kaito made. But what impressed him even more was how she seamlessly directed Zihan without breaking her rhythm. 

His thoughts briefly drifted to the future. With her as a potential in-game leader, they could refine their strategies and elevate their gameplay to the next level. For now, though, he was content to watch her shine, knowing that Heavenly Jade might have just found their ace.