TuxedoTranslations

Chapter 24

He Youjin swallowed hard, clearly tempted.

Though society had advanced, stereotypes around secondary genders remained. People still believed Alphas were strong, Omegas were suited to family life, and Betas filled gaps where A and O couldn’t. 

He Youjin, a classic Virgo, was competitive and a perfectionist, with a sharp and exceptional mind. Yet, as a Beta, he often faced discrimination from Alphas at work. Though Lin Mingfei was a straightforward Alpha, he didn’t have an Alpha complex. Despite his disinterest in studying when younger, he had impressive skills. Now that he was unemployed and down on his luck, encountering an old friend like Lin Mingfei offering him a lifeline was an opportunity he couldn’t easily ignore.

“Fine,” he said with a serious face. “Let me state upfront: I’m particular, hard to deal with. If I’m to be the manager, everyone must follow my lead.”

“A manager who is particular is just what we need to save money,” Lin Mingfei replied.

He Youjin squinted, rubbing his chin. “That Omega at your club… good-looking. Is he someone’s partner?”

“Not exactly,” Lin Mingfei coughed, brushing off the question.

“Then… wait,” He Youjin sucked in a breath, leaning back in horror. “Is he… is he just some plaything for all you sinful Alphas to use as a pastime?”

A huge vein popped on Lin Mingfei’s forehead as he tried to hold back his frustration. “Could you stop watching so many soap operas?”

He Youjin: “…”

—

The SUV cruised steadily down the highway. He Youjin, using a neck pillow, was deeply absorbed in scrolling through his phone. He had quickly familiarized himself with the relevant details, his brows knitting together as he went.

“What’s with these rumors about you? You wouldn’t actually go as far as fan service, would you?” He asked seriously. “Zero, if we’re to be partners, don’t hide this stuff from me.”

Lin Mingfei, stone-faced, stared straight ahead. 

“It was a friend’s child. He was in high school, going through a rebellious phase. He ran away from home to watch the King’s Tomb league match,” he said casually.

“Then why did he come to you? Was he a fan of yours?”

“Yeah.”

“Then it’s simple—just clarify it! Nothing too sensitive there,” He Youjin said.

Lin Mingfei’s lips pressed tightly, turning slightly pale.

“The kid… had some mental health issues. He left a note for his family saying he was going to see me play, which scared them out of their wits. His grandfather ended up asking me to look for him.”

“You actually went?” He Youjin was surprised. “But your match—”

“I skipped a group match and had the substitute play. Our previous points were high enough that even if the substitute didn’t perform perfectly, it wouldn’t impact the rest of the season,” Lin Mingfei explained.

“But your fans were probably furious,” He Youjin observed. “They must’ve made a huge fuss.”

Lin Mingfei was noncommittal.

He Youjin rubbed his chin, muttering, “The internet is a brutal place. If we announce it like this, someone will dig into that kid’s background, and he could get cyberbullied… but you can’t take the blame forever.”

Lin Mingfei sighed softly. “Something else happened afterward.”

“What?”

“I promised him that if he went home and focused on his studies, I’d take him to see King’s Tomb’s national finals.”

“Didn’t you make it to the finals?”

“Oh, we made it. Our team had no issue qualifying. But that year, they changed the ticket distribution, and I couldn’t get tickets. Busy with training, I told him we’d go next time. The kid, though… managed to buy a standing ticket from a scalper, outside the permitted viewing area, and then…” Lin Mingfei trailed off, gripping the steering wheel tightly.

—

“It’s the stands that collapsed!”

“That area shouldn’t have allowed spectators! They only cared about money!”

“My dear child… what will I do without you?”

“Mingfei, he got into trouble because he wanted to see you play! He was there because he admired you—”

“Why did you have to promise him a ticket to that damned game?! Why?!”

—

Lin Mingfei had stood there, frozen, as a sea of grief filled the air, and his mind went blank.

On the altar was the boy’s black-and-white photo, a vision that split into blurred fragments. He rubbed his eyes, first softly, then harder, trying to dispel the painful mirage until his eyeballs throbbed—yet the double vision wouldn’t go away.

For a moment, he’d felt as if he’d stepped into an abyss, with no way out.

“Zero, Zero, are you okay?!” He Youjin’s voice sounded anxious, grabbing his arm. “Don’t scare me!”

Lin Mingfei took a long, shaky breath, steadying himself. Everything was in the past.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know,” He Youjin muttered, awkwardly. “So that’s why you took a two-year break?”

“Not entirely,” Lin Mingfei said. “That incident hit me hard and brought out my old injury. I started seeing double, couldn’t even function normally, let alone aim in a game. At one point, I even thought it was psychological…”

“Seriously? Psychological issues?” He Youjin’s expression shifted.

“You were taken aback too, weren’t you?” Lin Mingfei chuckled. “If it were psychological, there’d be no definitive cure, and it could easily turn into a chronic condition with relapses. My career would be over.” He tapped the steering wheel lightly, adding, “Luckily, it wasn’t. I was able to get surgery.”

“Those two years…were you on your own? Didn’t tell anyone?” He Youjin felt a weight in his chest as he asked quietly.

Lin Mingfei gave no response.

He Youjin sighed in frustration. “You’re something else, tough guy. If it were me, I’d be dealing with depression by now. What a mess! Honestly, that kid’s accident wasn’t entirely on you; you did everything you could.” He paused, feeling heavy-hearted and unsure what more to say, then shook his head. “Such a tragedy… the dead should be respected, let’s just leave it at that.”

“Even if I explained it all in detail, it’s a matter of who chooses to believe. The haters won’t care,” Lin Mingfei said calmly. “In esports, winning and losing are what matter.”

“You players might think so, but I have to take action,” He Youjin replied. “We don’t have to explain, but we need to issue a denial. And…if we could get another big event to overshadow this topic, that would be even better.”

“A big event…” Lin Mingfei murmured, suddenly pressing the accelerator.

“Whoa, where are you going?” He Youjin, forced back by the sudden acceleration, shouted in panic, “A car crash isn’t the type of ‘big event’ I meant!”

“What are you thinking? We’re going back to make some waves.” Lin Mingfei snorted. “Our Polaris team is famous for stirring things up.”

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