"That doesn't count! No way! He must've just gotten lucky! No one's that good—how could he beat F-Da?"
Lü Xiqing's face had turned a shade of sour green. He jumped to his feet, clearly unwilling to accept defeat.
"Pfft! Then why don't you go 'get lucky' too? If you can't handle losing, maybe don't bet in the first place, you sore loser. Now get down and call me Grandpa like you promised."
Howie was absolutely glowing with satisfaction. Just moments ago, it had looked like all hope was lost. But somehow, Doug Feng had pulled off the impossible—turning a certain loss into a crushing win. It was a last-minute miracle that flipped the entire game.
"We're not done yet!" Lü Xiqing snapped. "You only beat three of us. I'm still standing. If you can sub Doug in for your last life, then I can bring in F-Da for mine. One more match—I don't believe your luck can hold."
Clearly unwilling to admit defeat, Lü Xiqing clung to the idea that Doug's clutch shot was nothing more than a fluke. In his mind, if they played again, his handpicked champion F-Da—one of China's top ten CS players—would crush Doug for sure.
But then, F-Da pulled his cap down low, stood up from the computer, and said calmly, "Sorry, Young Master Lü. I'm no match for him. Whether it's one round or ten, the result won't change. I'll return your thousand yuan when we get back."
"You hear that? Even your precious F-Da admits he's no match for my boy Doug." Howie let out a long, satisfied sigh. "Oh, and what's this? You paid him to show up? Lü Xiqing, you snake. You had this whole thing rigged from the start, didn't you?"
Now the pieces clicked in Howie's head. No wonder Lü Xiqing was so smug earlier—he'd been planning this ambush from the get-go. He must've known Howie would come to the net café to relax after exams and laid the perfect trap. If it hadn't been for Doug, he would've walked right into total humiliation.
"F-Da, just give it one more shot. Win or lose, that thousand yuan's still yours. Just do your best!"
Even Lü Xiqing had to admit now—Doug was no amateur. If even F-Da was nervous about him, then Doug might really be the real deal. But Lü had no other options. F-Da was the strongest player he could afford to bring in. Lü's own skills were average at best—going in himself would just be suicide.
"Sorry, no can do," F-Da replied again, shaking his head. "I have my own principles."
For a top-tier CS player like F-Da, duels between masters were usually settled in one round. A rematch without leveling up would just be a repeat beatdown—and a dent to his pride.
"Really? No one?" Lü Xiqing muttered bitterly, pulling out several red bills from his pocket. "Whoever can beat Doug gets five hundred yuan—cash!"
He wasn't about to throw himself into the fire. If there was some hidden gem in the net café, now was the time to flush them out.
"Damn… five hundred? Dude's got money to burn."
"I make a thousand a month at my job… half that just to play a game?"
"I wouldn't, man. Didn't you hear? Even F-Da tapped out. You go in there with your scrub-level skills, and you're just asking to get headshotted."
"Still… five hundred is five hundred…"
Some players were tempted. A reward like that could bring out bravery in the most unlikely places. But bravery didn't equal skill, and no one wanted to get publicly humiliated.
"Tsk tsk… Looks like cash can't fix everything, Young Master Lü," Howie said with a smug smirk. "I'd say nobody—not in this café, not even in the whole city of Zhicheng—can beat my boy Doug. So quit while you're behind. Be a good grandson and kneel!"
With Doug's skill on full display, the crowd had firmly turned on Lü Xiqing. Howie leaned back with his legs crossed, patting his belly like a victorious emperor.
"Seriously? No one?" Lü Xiqing's voice cracked. Gone was the cocky young master—now he just sounded desperate.
And then—
"What's the big deal? Let me have a go."
A soft but confident voice echoed from the back of the café.
All heads turned at once. A girl stepped forward from the last row of computers, wearing a baseball cap pulled low and a high ponytail swaying behind her. She was petite—barely over 160 cm—and kept her gaze down, her features mostly hidden.
"Who the hell is this girl? Talking big like that when even F-Da bowed out?"
"Just 'cause you wear a baseball cap doesn't mean you're some kind of god-tier player."
"Bet she's just trying to cozy up to the rich kid."
The whispers spread like wildfire. A girl stepping up? Most of the room looked ready to laugh—until F-Da, who had just been packing up to leave, suddenly froze mid-step.
"You… You're Rose, aren't you?"
Gasps rippled through the crowd.
"Rose? As in the Rose?"
"You seriously don't know? She was the only female player to make top ten in the National CS Tournament. Total legend. Rose is the dream girl for every CS geek in the country!"
"Wait… she's ranked higher than F-Da?"
"No contest. She took second place. She's known for being the most well-rounded player in the game. Rumor has it she's even a real-life firearms expert."
"You've gotta be kidding."
"Hey, haven't you heard the saying in the CS world?"
"What saying?"
'When Rose appears, you might as well surrender.'
"Meaning… if she shows up, there's no need to play—the result's already written."
"No way… but she's not from around here, is she? What's she doing in Zhicheng?"
The tension in the room hit a fever pitch.
Doug looked down at the girl who now stood in front of him. At 180 cm, he towered over her, but she met his eyes with a smirk full of fire and challenge. There was no fear—only excitement.
"So, you're the one who beat F-Da?" she asked.
"That's me. What—you gonna fight on Lü Xiqing's behalf now?"
Doug didn't take her lightly. His instincts told him she was dangerous. Really dangerous.
He studied her face more closely—tanned skin, sharp eyes, lips pressed in a firm, stubborn pout. She wasn't the cute type like Linda or Hailey. No, she was fierce. Defiant. The kind of girl who never backed down from a challenge. And that made her… intriguing.