Ye Kai Retires 2

The club could invite a new generation of top players like Sun Xiang to revive its spirit. But what about a king of his generation? He could only bear the erosion of time alone, choosing to leave quietly at this moment.

He left with grace, but his heart was not willing. He still wanted to fight; he didn't feel his professional career had come to an end. But he no longer had a choice. Accept the terms and stay in the club as a practice partner? This seemed like a choice of enduring humiliation, but Ye Kai saw through it all. He knew very well that the club expected him to be unwilling to endure such an insult and would choose to leave, which is why they offered him this choice. If he unexpectedly accepted, the club would find other ways to force him out.

It was cruel, but for the club, it was just a business decision, devoid of any personal feelings. The league had become ruthless due to commercialization.

Ye Kai wasn't ready to retire, and the club knew this. The condition of retirement was proof that they understood this. They wanted to get rid of this burden but were afraid that other competitors would take advantage of the situation and become stronger. They would rather see Ye Kai rot than become an asset to their competitors.

Thus, forcing Ye Kai to retire became their most desired outcome, and without a doubt, they succeeded. Ye Kai could see all of this, but he could only follow their script. A desperate struggle? He didn't want that, because he still had a path to continue on. Retiring for a year, this forced choice might turn out to be an opportunity. A step back could open up a whole new world, although this step seemed a bit too big...

"That's it..." When such subtitles scrolled past on the projection screen, Ye Kai could no longer bear to watch. The media made programs that deliberately played on emotions, causing some people in the internet cafe to cry out loud. But when it came to heartache, nostalgia, and sorrow, who among all the spectators could compare to him, the person involved? Ye Kai squeezed out of the crowd and escaped the internet cafe, stepping outside to take a deep breath, only to still hear sobbing. Turning around, he saw Chen Guo hiding by the door, her eyes also glistening.

They noticed each other, and it seemed inappropriate not to greet, so Ye Kai had to say, "Boss, are you crying?"

"You beast, don't you feel anything?" Chen Guo said.

"I feel too much, that's why I couldn't bear it and ran out," Ye Kai said.

"Get lost!" Chen Guo cursed, "Got a tissue?"

Ye Kai patted himself down: "Would a cigarette box work?"

"..."

"I'll go get some." Before the boss could react, Ye Kai hurried back into the internet cafe to find some tissues.

The crying inside the internet cafe seemed to grow louder, with both men and women shedding tears. This time, Ye Kai really couldn't bear it and felt a deep sorrow. He knew very well for whom these people were crying. Just thinking about it made his eyes involuntarily moisten. Ye Kai quickly ran to the front desk, grabbed a pack of tissues, rushed out, and stuffed them into Chen Guo's hands. He turned his back, took out a cigarette, lit it, and took a deep drag.

"What's the matter? Are you crying too? Need a tissue?" Chen Guo seemed to notice something behind him.

"How could I be crying?" Ye Kai turned around, conveniently exhaling a puff of smoke, which covered Chen Guo's face. The tears of sentimentality that had just been wiped away with a tissue now flowed again because of the smoke.

Chen Guo waved the smoke away and, surprisingly, didn't say anything. She stuffed the pack of tissues back into Ye Kai's hands and turned back into the internet cafe.

Ye Kai leaned against the door of the internet cafe, quietly finished his cigarette, pulled out a tissue, blew his nose fiercely, and strode toward the small restaurant across from the internet cafe.

When Ye Kai returned to the internet cafe, looking satisfied with a toothpick in his mouth, the special screening in memory of Comrade Ye Kai had finally ended. However, the atmosphere in the internet cafe hadn't completely dissipated, and many people still had red eyes. Fortunately, most people there looked the same, so there was nothing to be embarrassed about. But someone like Ye Kai, who appeared nonchalant, was easily seen as heartless and cold-blooded. If you didn't explain that you didn't play Glory, it would be awkward to greet people.

Chen Guo, the big boss, was nowhere to be found, so Ye Kai went to the front desk to inquire, mainly about what was going on with the special screening.

He learned that Xingxin Internet Cafe would host such live broadcasts whenever there were Glory matches. Today, there were no scheduled matches, but the retirement of Ye Kai was such a significant event that the esports channel had hastily produced a special program, so Xingxin Internet Cafe broadcast it as if it were a match.

If it had been a regular match screening, everyone would have been fired up with enthusiasm for the game, leading to a packed internet cafe and soaring income. But today, after the event, the Glory players were unusually subdued. Some went straight home to hug their pillows, some gathered a few friends to drown their sorrows with alcohol, and of course, some stayed in the internet cafe to continue playing games. After all, not everyone was a fan of Ye Kai, and there were always those who were indifferent to his retirement. However, under the influence of the overall atmosphere, even those who persisted in gaming seemed a bit listless.

The entire Xingxin Internet Cafe was very quiet. Normally at this time, Glory players would either be chatting excitedly through headsets or shouting loudly, creating a lively scene.

Ye Kai was considering what to do next when he saw Chen Guo coming down from the second floor. He quickly went up to greet her: "Boss, am I starting my official shift today?"

"Yes," Chen Guo said. "But you can't just sit anywhere when you're officially on duty; you have to stay by the bar here."

"Can I play games?"

"Yes, use that computer." Chen Guo pointed to the computer that the bar girl was currently using to watch Korean dramas.

"What about smoking?" Ye Kai asked.

Chen Guo glanced at him, resignedly nodded, and said, "Go ahead, but I don't want to smell smoke or see any ash when I come in the morning."

"Understood," Ye Kai said.

Chen Guo then showed Ye Kai how to start and end sessions for customers. In the end, she said, "Actually, at this time, it's mostly overnight customers who are all settled by 11 p.m., and the machines automatically shut down at 7 a.m. There's basically nothing for you to do; just be present. If customers need anything, they'll ring the bell."

"What if there's a machine malfunction?" Ye Kai asked. Although he wasn't completely tech-illiterate, he didn't have the skills to handle malfunctions.

"Restart it," Chen Guo said.

Ye Kai wiped his brow: "What if it still doesn't work after restarting?"

"Switch to another machine," Chen Guo said.

Ye Kai sweated again, just about to ask another question when Chen Guo preempted him: "You're on the night shift; there are plenty of spare machines, just switch them out, but you need to note down any issues with the machines, and we'll have someone deal with it the next day."

"Oh, got it," Ye Kai nodded.