Esports world champion, debuted as the center of a talent show

The sunlight was blinding, but the boy stood backlit before him, his smile flamboyant and dazzling, his features clean-cut and radiant with confidence. The boy stood with his hands on his hips, his tone revealing undisguised confidence and ambition:

"I've signed up for this year's talent show! Jiang Zhiyu, let's bet! I'll definitely debut, and you'll definitely win. We'll stand at the very top together, becoming stars at the pinnacle!"

Those words still echoed in my ears.

The image suddenly shattered.

As the painkillers gradually took effect, Jiang Zhiyu's hands began to tremble uncontrollably. He clenched his forearm tightly, feeling the slight undulations of the scar tissue on his forearm with his palm, and then took a deep breath.

"Zhiyu? Zhiyu? Are you listening?" Lin Shi's voice pulled him back to reality. "Okay, I'll come find you now, and we'll talk face to face."

"Brother Lin," Jiang Zhiyu interrupted him, his cool voice transmitted to Lin Shi through the phone, slightly distorted, "You know my illness. I've been stopping my medication to avoid affecting the competition, but now... it's getting worse, and I'm starting to lose control."

There was an instant silence on the other end of the phone.

Lin Shi's heavy breathing came through the receiver. He opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a single word.

He knew better than anyone what Jiang Zhiyu was carrying on his shoulders.

It wasn't the championship aura, nor the sky-high contract, but a crack that could collapse at any moment, one that even he himself couldn't control.

"Did you go for a follow-up checkup?" After a long silence, Lin Shi asked with difficulty.

"I checked." Jiang Zhiyu's voice was calm. "The doctor advised that I immediately stop the high-intensity training, change my environment, and take a complete rest for a while."

"……I see."

Both ends fell silent at the same time, with only the hum of the computer tower running.

"So what are your plans next?" Lin Shi's voice was much lower, no longer a persuasion, but an almost resigned question.

Jiang Zhiyu slowly opened his eyes.

He turned his head and looked out the window, which was blocked by the curtains. Although he couldn't see it, he seemed to be able to see the scattered starlight in the deep night.

He let out a soft breath: "I'm going to the talent show."

It's not retirement, it's not a break.

It is about starting anew, with a different identity, to fulfill a unique dream.

-

Although Lin Shi was still in shock at the fact that "the only star player of his club was suddenly going to cross over into another field," his body had already silently taken care of everything for Jiang Zhiyu, just like a worried old mother.

Daylight had already broken. Jiang Zhiyu leaned back in his gaming chair, his hands covering his eyes.

Maintaining that position all night left him stiff. He emptied his mind, unwilling to think about anything, as if he were the only person left in the world.

He heard the sound of the door lock being entered, followed by rustling sounds of someone tidying up in the living room.

Click—the room door opened.

Jiang Zhiyu opened his eyes and saw Lin Shi carefully walking in with a bowl of porridge.

"I packed some breakfast. Have some to warm your stomach first, and then we can talk about your specific plans." Lin Shi gently placed the bowl of porridge on the table in front of Jiang Zhiyu, looked him up and down, and then frowned. "You haven't slept all night again. How can your body take this kind of strain?"

"It's nothing... I can't sleep." Jiang Zhiyu relaxed his slightly sore shoulders and back, and reached out to test the temperature of the rice porridge. The temperature was just right, neither too hot nor too cold.

Lin Shi watched as Jiang Zhiyu sipped his rice porridge with a spoon, like a kitten, and hesitated for a moment, leaning against the table.

"I know that once you've made up your mind, no one can change it, but I have a request."

Jiang Zhiyu nodded, signaling him to continue.

"Your contract with the club is about to expire. If you trust me, I can terminate my contract with the club first and take on your agent contract independently."

"Sure, I was hoping Brother Lin could help me with some minor issues anyway." Jiang Zhiyu ran his fingers along the rim of the bowl and agreed without hesitation. "Just deduct the penalty fee from my card."

Lin Shi breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this, his tense nerves finally getting a moment's respite: "You don't need to worry about the breach of contract fee. You can't just blindly rush into participating in the talent show. There's still a month left, so don't worry too much about your voice. Oh, I remember you practiced folk dance when you were little...? Anyway, I've contacted a few dance studios for you. You can choose one later. They're all very professional dance teachers. Have them help you choreograph your first stage performance and such."

"Um."

"There's one more thing. The club will release an announcement about your temporary leave, but as you know, no one can appease your fans unless you personally address this issue."

Lin Shi didn't spell it out, but the two understood each other implicitly.

Jiang Zhiyu swallowed the last mouthful of rice porridge and gently placed the empty bowl back on the table: "I understand."

Although RXG's training and match management have been heavily criticized by fans, the club's operations are still among the best in the league in some aspects.

That afternoon, RXG's official account released a statement that stirred up a huge wave of discussion, almost instantly igniting the internet and trending on social media.

"RXG Esports Club's Announcement Regarding River Player's Rest and Adjustment"

Dear fans and followers:

Following thorough communication and friendly consultation between the club and player River, and with full respect for the player's personal wishes and physical condition, we hereby officially announce:

Starting today, River players will enter a rest and adjustment period and will not participate in subsequent competitions and related activities with the team for the time being. The return time to the competition is yet to be determined.

The club will do its utmost to ensure the player's well-being and support during his rest period, and will continue to monitor his condition. We will update everyone on River's return arrangements as soon as they are finalized.

Thank you all for your continued support and understanding of RXG Club and River players. Please be patient and give the players ample room to adjust.

RXG Esports Club

As Lin Shi had predicted, the comments below the announcement were filled with negative sentiments and skepticism.

【？？？？？】

What does this mean? Demoted right after winning the championship??

[R God, if you've been kidnapped, just blink.]

Is this River's own opinion? We don't accept the club speaking on his behalf.

After posting the video blog post he had just edited on his personal account, Jiang Zhiyu turned off his phone screen and turned to walk into the hospital clinic.

Jiang Zhiyu's attending psychiatrist was a young man wearing silver-rimmed glasses, and a nameplate—Shen Jiaping—was placed on the consultation table.

Dr. Shen has been in charge of his psychological treatment for the past few years and knows Jiang Zhiyu's condition and causes very well.

He looked up and saw Jiang Zhiyu walk into the consultation room. He nodded and said, "You're here. Have a seat."

Jiang Zhiyu sat on the soft chair in front of him, swinging his legs gently in a relaxed manner.

"It's been about a month since your last pre-match checkup. How have you been? Are you feeling any better?"

The patient being questioned didn't seem to realize they were being examined by a doctor and simply shook their head: "I don't know."

Shen Jiaping was already used to this: "I told you before that you need to rest for a while after the game. Have you thought it through?"

Jiang Zhiyu finally found an opportunity to give a positive answer. He leaned back in his chair and said, "We need to take a break for a while... an announcement has already been made."

Hearing his answer, Shen Jiaping was somewhat surprised. Making him rest had become an essential part of Shen Jiaping's medical practice in recent years, and he had never succeeded in doing so before.

Shen Jiaping nodded in satisfaction: "Not bad—let's go into the evacuation room."