Internet Cafe Manager Mu Qiu left the private room and returned to the lobby of the Internet cafe. He started his work again.
Because he had helped to take over the hammering stone and play support, the lobby was already in a mess. Customers were shouting at the top of their lungs, and the service bell at the front desk had rung countless times.
The customer quickly sent two bottles of soda to him.
The other side helped to adjust the mouse.
When he returned to the front desk, he helped to renew the internet usage for two computers. One of the Internet cafe's regular customers looked at Mu Qiu with a resentful expression while he was waiting to pay. "Hey, Qiu … I almost got a pentakill in the Grand Dragon just now, but my computer was suddenly locked. I was wiped out and turned the tables around. How are you going to compensate me —"
The pentakill was gone.
The team was wiped out and turned the tables around.
It was indeed a very painful experience.
Mu Qiu replied readily, "I'll add a can of Coke for you later. Put it on the internet cafe's tab!"
"How generous!" The regular customer instantly beamed when he heard this. He then looked at Mu Qiu. "But if you keep charging like this … when your Internet cafe owner's uncle investigates, will you be able to explain yourself?"
Mu Qiu's lips curled up. "Don't worry. That old man won't come every three to five days. He won't be able to investigate so thoroughly."
Speaking of which …
The owner of Le City Internet Cafe was indeed his uncle. So, he was not just an ordinary Internet cafe manager who was hired at the last minute. Strictly speaking, he could even be considered the "young master" of Le City Internet Cafe. When he chatted with the Internet cafe's regular customers, everyone would joke about it, and he would admit it as a matter of course.
"But to be honest, even though Le City Internet Cafe is a little small, its business is really good."
The regular customer looked around and clicked his tongue as he commented.
"When your uncle gets old, you can take over this Internet cafe. You can lie down and make money comfortably."
Mu Qiu laughed. "I'll hire two beautiful Internet cafe managers to work for me. That's great."
The regular customer had a sneaky expression on his face. "Yes, yes, yes. If there's anything, let the girls do it. If there's nothing, just …"
The two of them looked at each other in tacit agreement.
At the same time, they let out a sinister laugh that only men would understand.
After chatting for a while, Mu Qiu helped to top up the internet fee. Watching the old customer leave, the smile on Mu Qiu's face slowly disappeared, and the gaze in his eyes became a little deep and quiet.
He shook his head, sat down at the front desk, and looked at the computer screen for a while. Originally, he wanted to take advantage of the moment of leisure to sort out the accounts again, but then he found that his mind was a little scattered at the moment, and he couldn't concentrate at all.
Mu Qiu looked up at the work interface on the computer screen. He pushed the keyboard forward and stood up again. He grabbed Bao Liqun's cigarettes and lighter from the table and walked out of the Internet cafe.
…
He pushed open the curtains.
Mu Qiu stood under the bright neon sign outside the internet cafe that read "Lecheng Internet Cafe". He lowered his head and lit a cigarette.
He put the pack of cigarettes back into his pocket.
He took a deep puff, and the melancholy tobacco aroma quickly entered his lungs amidst the slight burning. He slowly exhaled a white smoke ring and squinted his eyes in satisfaction.
Leaning against the corner of the wall, he looked up at the dark night sky and the faint glow of the moon hidden behind the clouds. The young man, who was now the "young master" of Lecheng Internet Cafe, was quiet and silent.
Behind him, he could still hear the noise from the Internet cafe lobby even through the curtains.
Business tonight was really good.
It was reasonable.
On one hand, it was because the Internet cafe was located near the university. There was always a lot of student customers who came to surf the net or even overnight.
On the other hand …
After all, the finals were coming soon.
The young man took another puff and looked at the smoke that he slowly exhaled swirling in front of his eyes. The smoke dissipated into the air along with the cool night breeze. His eyes were unfocused.
The S Series World Finals.
It was really … a word that was extremely familiar but gradually became strange as time passed.
However …
It had nothing to do with him now.
Mu Qiu recalled the conversation he had with the Internet cafe's regular customers at the lobby lobby, including his so-called "young master" title. The corner of Mu Qiu's mouth curled up into a mocking smile.
It was with a sense of self-mockery.
Young master …
If he really inherited the Lecheng Internet Cafe in the future and became a small owner, he could indeed lay down and make money comfortably.
Who would have known that he was also an existence that stood at the pinnacle of the League of Legends eSports.
But it was already meaningless.
It was just like what he had said to the female guest in the private room.
Right now, he had no interest in playing professionally.
…
But was that really the case?
The night breeze in Shanghai was cool.
Unknowingly, the cigarette in his hand was about to burn out. But Mu Qiu was still silently looking at the dim street light at the corner of the street not far away, as if he was unaware.
Uncontrollably, he was still thinking about the support Hammerstone, who had replaced him in the private room just now.
Some things …
It was like it was imprinted in the depths of his soul, engraved in his bones, and flowing in his blood.
He hadn't been involved in eSports for many years.
Even so, it didn't hinder him from quickly familiarizing himself with the Warden Warden, a "new" support hero that should've been incomparably unfamiliar to him. He was still able to quickly and easily control the Warden Warden's killing rhythm as if he was mowing down weeds.
At the same time, even if he had warned himself countless times that professional esports was no longer the direction he was obsessed with and pursuing, in the ranking match just now … Every move, every kill still brought him an indescribable sense of joy that made him tremble with joy.
It was an uncontrollable joy that came from the bottom of his heart.
It was something that couldn't be hidden or disguised.
You can deceive others, but you can never deceive yourself.
The corner of Mu Qiu's mouth twitched, but this time, it was a little bitter.
But, what was the use?
Everything had probably been set in stone since the end of the S1 Season Finals, and it couldn't be changed.
Return to the arena?
In fact, as early as a year or two after his team fell apart and disbanded, with the gradual rise of the domestic esports industry, other professional teams and managers came to him through various channels and methods, throwing olive branches at him. At that time, they made the most enthusiastic invitations to him with extremely generous compensation conditions.
They hoped that he could overcome the negative emotions of losing in the finals and pull himself together again.
Join a new team and continue to fight.
"It's just one loss, it can't even be considered a loss. Back then, you guys still won the runner-up trophy for our national server in such a terrible environment. It's already a record!"
"In the new season, work harder, and you'll definitely have a chance to become the champion!"
These were the words of persuasion and instigation from the various teams and clubs who came to him.
Mu Qiu's face revealed an even more mocking expression.
Overcome … negative emotions?
Pull himself together again?
He wasn't a coward who didn't dare to face reality after losing in the finals. To him, losing the championship was a pity, but it definitely wasn't a reason for him to be completely disheartened and retire.
But he still refused all the invitations and all the expensive contracts without hesitation.
And the reason.
There was always only one —
He played as a support.
What a support always needed the most was an ADC partner that they could absolutely trust and fight side by side with.
And there would always only be one partner that he acknowledged.
So, this was the answer he gave to those enthusiastic and kind teams and clubs at that time:
"Sorry, my ADC is no longer here."
"Except for him —"
"There won't be another partner that I'm willing to support."
*****
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