2 Calling the Coach

"Sign up!" Chang-Min immediately clicked on the link after he restarted his PC. He opened the e-mail and read that the closed beta would already begin in three days.

In his notifications, he saw that Yin & Yang Games announced their new game this evening at a showcasing event in Hong Kong. "Be ready for the whole Era of Eternals experience with a new smoothly running client, amazing graphics, three newly added addictive game modes and 40 new Eternals and 20 reworked ones. We took what you liked about Era of Eternals and turned it into a game that you will love!"

Furthermore, the Head of Gameplay Zhu Huang, a bald man in his mid-forties, stated during his part of the presentation "There will be a complete account reset. Your EoE II account will not be connected to EoE I in any way… "

Chang-Min could not believe what he just heard "This means I will finally get rid of my permaban! I should start preparing tomorrow, I only have three days left before it counts."

He signed up for the game and created an account that was named as his first main account. When he could log-in a chill ran down his back. "It just feels like all of this never happened."

After that Chang-Min ordered some food to his flat. The courier was one of the very few people he saw regularly. He was dressed in an orange shirt with the name of his company in bold letters and carried a giant backpack filled with food that a person could live on for at least a year.

Chang-Min knew hardly any people in China, except a few other EoE players. Initially, he came to Shanghai to participate in a Solo Queue tournament which promised the rank one player on the Excellence Server to receive 4,000,000¥. For the first few weeks, Chang-Min slept in a cold and hazy internet cafe in one of the worse parts of the city. Without much mandarin knowledge, it was hard for him to come around, but eventually, he found a stay, some food and a PC. Playing 18 hours a day he could reach rank one in seven days and was able to defend it afterward.

The courier brought him some Chimaek that tasted nothing like the ones he knew from his time in South Korea. The chicken wings were too greasy and the beer too bitter but since the boy who delivered the food was Chang-Min's fan he always put him an extra portion into his food box.

"Just consider it a real-life donation" he used to say.

This day Chang-Min's mood was good enough to let him start chatting with the courier. "Thank you. Are you also playing Era of Eternals?"

"Nah, I did during high school but now I have too much to do, so I quit it. Studying for university at day and mini-jobbing here at night. Often when I get home I am so tired that I can't even get to my bed, before I fall asleep."

"I hope it will pay off for you one day. I really do."

The boy began to smile wryly "I am glad I can watch your stream during the few breaks I have..."

"I don't understand why people watch me, I am neither funny nor talking much because it is not my native language. Sometimes I am even too lazy to thank people for the money they give me and welcome new subscribers."

"But if I wanted to see that, there were so many others for me to watch. But you do something, no one of them could. You make the game look like art, that is already entertaining enough."

"I was already told that before, but I am just considering what I've learned over the years and apply it to the game" Chang-Min replied humbly. "Have you seen the show by Yin & Yang this evening?"

"No, I had to work. But I saw that they will release EoE II. There was an ad projected to one of the skyscrapers on Huangpu River."

Just at this moment one of Chang-Min's neighbors walked through the corridor. It was a young man who wore an unbuttoned suit and swayed from right to left while walking.

"Why do you speak to these unworthy envoys? It is not appropriate for a man who lives here."

Chang-Min just sighed and rolled his eyes.

The man tried a few times before he finally found the keyhole and got in where is girlfriend was screaming at him. "Where have you been? Did you spend time with someone else? You dirty bast…!" Chang-Min could hear them arguing before the man closed the door.

"Second-generation riches thinking they are superior to everyone else. And obviously, he was drunk, so don't worry."

"He probably didn't even work one day in his entire life, why should I even care about what he says."

Chang-Min liked this attitude. "They can't stay on the top if they did not have to get there. By the way, do you have a name?"

"I am Zheng Lei. It is an honor. See you next time."

Chang-Min nodded briefly and closed his door before he locked it twice. He was wearing an old oversized jersey of his former EoE club, Team Xcentric. Their logo was an X made of two swords.

"Everything could have been perfect..." Chang-Min remembered. He shook his head and took a violent bite of chicken. "I should get into a new team, so I have a more competitive environment."

Chang-Min thought about his daily routine. He got up at about 11 am and started his day by going to a nearby cafe where he ate breakfast. Then he would go home and start playing Era of Eternals until he became hungry and ordered lunch and later dinner. After playing for about ten hours he felt his concentration slowly declining, so he only laid onto his sofa and watched K-Dramas until he fell asleep.

"Yeah, that is the opposite of a competitive environment!" he laughed and realized how bored he became over the years. He wondered if he could still compete with the best in the world or if his skill had also decreased along with his motivation.

Chang-Min was flipping through an old tattered notebook. He looked for a number of his former manager, who brought him into Team Xcentric, a competitor in the Korean Masterclass Era. Eventually, he found the right entry with the name of Coach Lee.

But after he had found it, Chang-Min remembered how they parted on bad terms back then and it almost made him lose the courage to call him.

"I have to do it, he will probably have forgiven me by now."

< Calling Coach Lee… >

At every single beep, Chang Min's weaker self wanted to hang up. After some seconds a man picked up. He had a drowsy voice.

"Hello?"

Chang-Min gulped. "Hello, here is Wi Chang-Min."

"Damn prank calls. Do you know what time it is?"

"No, I am Minnie. Coach?"

There was no response.

Chang-Min assured himself "Are you still there?"

He heard a throat-clearing noise on the other end of the line. "So you want to be Chang-Min? Then how dare you call me at the drop of a hat?"

"I need your help..." Chang-Min said before he was interrupted.

"Don't you think your team needed your help as well?" the voice seemed angry. "I treated you like a father and you thanked me by throwing your career and running away."

"I only did what had to be done. And it has already been five years now, so..."

"You thought I forgot what you have done, then you are wrong. I found new players to win titles with, but you were a disgrace to Xcentric and the reason we were banned for an entire season. I will never forget, Wi Chang-Min. It is a shame that a talent like yours is paired with such an unreasonable mind!"

< Coach Lee quit the call >

"Arghhh!" Chang-Min took his phone and slammed it against the wall of his room.

"How could he just replace me like that? Seems like I have to start from the bottom now."