11. His ideal
This is Lin Jiang's private account; only a few people know about it.
There was silence on the other end of the call.
After a long while, the sound of a lighter being flicked could be heard.
The night outside the balcony grew thick and heavy, the fog obscuring the road ahead.
Lin Jiang's expression was solemn. He didn't care how the person on the other end got his number; all he wanted to say was, "Don't contact me anymore. I have nothing to do with KUG."
A low chuckle came from the phone. After taking a deep breath to control herself, she still managed to ask him, "Are you getting used to it over there?"
This greeting evoked many memories for Lin Jiang.
When he first came to KUG, he asked him the same question.
Back then, they were young and accomplished, full of vigor and could talk about anything. Now, however, they are separated by mountains and rivers and are strangers.
Lin Jiang gripped his phone tightly. "I've already left KUG."
The person on the other end seemed to have slept poorly, their voice tinged with weariness: "I just got back to China. Actually, about the contract..."
Lin Jiang squeezed his eyes shut, then opened them again to the cold darkness of the night: "Young Master He, I'm no longer with KUG, so the contract is none of my business. Also, this is my private number. Whoever gave it to you, I hope you won't call again."
The silent night, like a hopeless abyss, swallows people whole.
The lighter clicked again, sparks flew, and He Gu threw the cigarette between his fingers on the ground and stomped it out.
After a long pause, she finally replied with a deep, resonant "Okay."
He Gu is a man of his word; once he agrees, he will not go back on his word.
Moreover, how could someone as proud as him possibly bow down repeatedly for a contestant?
Lin Jiang hung up the phone, his lowered eyes filled with coldness.
He pulled up his phone list and found the culprit: "Was my number given to He Gu by you?"
The clever guy was a little scared: Ah Jiang, don't be angry yet. Young Master He has a project with us, and I can't refuse him when he asks for it. Besides, didn't you two...
Lin Jiang exhaled a breath of stale air and typed forcefully: Let me make this clear to you. No matter how good our relationship was before, it ended the moment I left KUG. If he asks for your contact information again, just say that I refused to give it to him.
Clever Guy: Okay, okay, I'm sorry, Jiang. You two used to be so close, I thought…
Lin Jiang turned off his phone screen and stood in front of the spacious balcony.
The city of S at night was like a monster, ready to devour him.
He once thought that He Gu was an idealist like himself.
Until that day, until that contract was placed in front of him, until he was trapped in KUG and spent those three years that were worse than death.
It wasn't until he learned that the contract was tacitly approved by He Gu, and that even Alike was negotiated with KUG by He Gu himself—
He only found out then.
He and He Gu were never the same kind of people.
To befriend capitalists who profit from human suffering is tantamount to putting yourself on a scale where you are weighing the extent of your friendship while they are weighing your worth.
Lin Jiang subconsciously wanted to smoke, but when he reached into his pocket, he realized that this was four years ago, and he didn't have the habit of carrying cigarettes with him.
He has tried so hard to restrain himself for so long.
As a result, a phone call tonight dragged him back into the abyss.
Thinking about all this, Lin Jiang felt breathless. He leaned on the balcony railing, his arm feeling numb.
Suddenly, the door behind them was opened, letting in a beam of light.
Like a puppy waiting for its owner to drool, Song Zhixu clung to the door frame, his eyes shining as he looked at him. "Captain, I've finished queuing with A-Deng. Can I queue with you? I just saw you supporting Chen Ju. I want that kind of treatment too..."
Lin Jiang couldn't help but laugh out loud.
He really didn't know how Song Zhixu, such a big man, could act like a child and act cute.
He raised his hand and patted his head. "No."
He then left the balcony, and Song Zhixu quickly followed.
I don't know if it was just his imagination, but the moment he pushed open the balcony door...
He saw Lin Jiang's face under the light, half-lit and half-shadowed, as if it were about to emerge from a different side that he didn't recognize.
For some reason, Song Zhixu suddenly felt a little flustered, which is why he quickly opened the door.
Amidst the interplay of light and shadow, Lin Jiang's smile held a hint of helplessness.
But Song Zhixu knew that the Lin Jiang he knew had returned.
He grinned foolishly and clung to him again, "Captain, just duo queue with me once, I promise I won't let you down..."
The day's training ended amidst noise and commotion.
Lin Jiang stretched out his arms, feeling that working at OT was much easier than working at KUG.
The atmosphere at OT was the most vibrant he had ever seen. There was no pressure from management, no control from the coaching staff, and no strange rivalry among teammates.
We were like friends living under the same roof, and it was easy and comfortable to get along with each other.
The coach gave a brief summary and then let them leave.
It was only 10 o'clock, and Lin Jiang saw that it was still early, so he went downstairs to the 24-hour convenience store to buy some water and two packs of cigarettes.
The cashier glanced at him hesitantly, and Lin Jiang smiled and said, "I'm 21."
His features are delicate, his face is not big, and although his bones have opened up, they are relatively thin, making him look very young. Song Zhixu, who is in the same team, is only one year older than him, but he looks much older.
The young woman blushed and quickly paid the bill. After paying, she whispered, "21 is quite young. Smoking is bad for your health..."
Lin Jiang nodded, put the cigarette in his pocket, and turned around to bump into Chen Ju, who was going downstairs to buy water.
Shen Ju wasn't wearing his hat, and his hair was wet and messy.
The skin exposed under her collar was very white, and you could see a section of her collarbone. She also had a damp, pleasant fragrance, as if she had just taken a shower and come downstairs to get some fresh air.
Shen Ju usually doesn't like to interact with people, and he likes to walk with his head down. He also always wears his hat at the base, so Lin Jiang has hardly seen his face.
Looking closely now, his features have matured, and he's starting to resemble the kind of wealthy young master from TV dramas.
Lin Jiang nodded in greeting, put the cigarette in his pocket, stood under the streetlight, and habitually lit a cigarette.
This body isn't really suited for smoking; it coughs if you smoke too much.
He smoked half a cigarette, then turned around and saw that Shen Ju, having finished buying his things, hadn't gone upstairs and was standing at the dark, shadowy doorway, watching him.
The lights were too dim at night for Lin Jiang to see his expression clearly, but Shen Ju could see it clearly.
Lin Jiang's slender figure stood under the bright lights, backlit, with a faint cigarette between his fingers, coughing softly, as if each puff took away a part of the life force in his body.
Shen Ju kept staring at the cigarette in his hand.
He could tell that Lin Jiang's smoking movements were very practiced, not his first time, but his body seemed unable to withstand it, and his thin eyes were red from coughing.
Light and shadow intertwine, blurring the lines between reality and illusion.
Shen Ju had never seen Lin Jiang like this before, disappearing into the smoke, as if revealing a side of him that no one knew.
Lin Jiang noticed him staring at him and asked, "Aren't you going back to sleep?"
Shen Ju shook his head. He took the initiative to slowly walk towards him in the dim light and stepped into that smoky, suffocating place.
Lin Jiang skillfully extinguished the cigarette.
Seeing that he still showed no sign of leaving, he offered, "How about we take a walk?"
OT's location is quite remote, offering a relaxing and comfortable atmosphere in the bustling city of S, especially with the sidewalk behind it lined with locust trees on both sides.
When summer arrives, locust flowers bloom in abundance.
The entire street was covered in purple, exuding a refreshing fragrance.
"You played very well today, but you have one bad habit: you don't seem to trust your teammates very much."
As Lin Jiang faced the evening breeze, the gloom in his heart gradually dissipated, and he naturally started chatting with the other person.
"You always find a good position in team fights and your damage output is very strong, but I think you can play even better. If you could try to trust your teammates more, they can help you find the right position in advance."
Shenju rarely trusts his teammates in the game.
He always observes the situation first during team fights, which results in him having a 1-2 second period of no output during team fights.
Sometimes, even when all his teammates are dead, he's still looking for a position to deal damage, and he's been criticized online for that for a long time.
“AD’s decision-making is equally important. Sometimes a fraction of a second can determine the situation. If you want to become stronger, these are weaknesses you need to overcome.”
Shen Ju listened quietly.
If these words came from someone else, he would feel that they were mocking him, but when Lin Jiang said them, he really felt that he was doing it for his own good.
He hummed in agreement, silently made a note of it, and followed in Lin Jiang's footsteps.
Lin Jiang, who was walking ahead, suddenly turned around: "Chen Ju, why are you playing professionally?"
Shen Ju suddenly stopped in his tracks, almost bumping into Lin Jiang.
The two were closer than ever before, so close that he could smell the faint scent of tobacco on the other's lips.
He took a half step back, his ears turning red. "I like playing video games."
"Just like playing video games?" Lin Jiang asked, puzzled.
"Then you can play at home, there's absolutely no need to go pro. Is there nothing you want on this path?"
What Shen Ju wanted was freedom, freedom from the constraints of the Shen family, and e-sports was the only lifeline he could grasp, so he ignored the strange looks from others and kept climbing up this straw...
Someone once asked Shenju the same question.
He honestly replied to the other party.
The group burst into laughter. "Playing esports is just to escape your family? You must be in Versailles... You really are an otherworldly young master, still playing the runaway act, how childish... Oh, I was just kidding, you're not angry, are you?"
Since then, Shenju has never mentioned this matter to anyone again.
He turned his face away and said, "All I know how to do is play video games."
After listening, Lin Jiang suddenly patted his shoulder solemnly.
"Esports is not just a game; there should be other things worth pursuing, otherwise you won't be able to continue down this path."
Shen Ju realized that Lin Jiang was talking to him about ideals, and his pupils twitched slightly.
He looked at him uncertainly: "Don't you think talking about ideals is childish?"
Lin Jiang chuckled, looking at him with amusement in his eyes: "Only people without ideals would find talking about ideals ridiculous. For people with ideals, both the process and the result are very meaningful and worth remembering for a lifetime..."
"Of course, it would be a great blessing to meet another like-minded person."
If you can meet another person who shares your ideals, that would be the greatest blessing of your life...
Shen Ju looked into his eyes, and his heart began to beat faster.
Something seems to be awakening inside me, about to burst forth.
But Lin Jiang quickly stopped smiling and asked him curiously:
"Song Zhixu said you've been fined a lot for swearing. I'm a little curious, what kinds of words get you fined? And how much?"
"For example, what about words containing the word 'Mom'? Or words involving family members? What about personal attacks? Will 'idiot' or 'moron' be punished? Would it be better to change it to 'stupid' instead?"
Shenju: ...
"I haven't tried it."
"Oh, then remember to tell me the results after you've tried it."
"…………"
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