Chapter 386


    At the hotel, Aaron''s E-sports team was immersed inst-minute training before the big showdown.


    Every face bore the same grim expression as if they were each carrying the weight of a debt of


    millions.


    "We’re team fighting! You blind?"


    "You’re the one to talk! Baron got stolen!"


    "Shut up, you two feeders! We’re underfarmed. Stop rushing into fights!"


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    "Can we all just focus, please? The tournament''s the day after tomorrow!"


    Thest to speak was Bet, the team''s good-natured captain. He had not seen Vivienne at the


    club''s meeting the other day.


    "Shut up!" The three of them rounded on Bet in unison.


    Although Bet was the captain, his authority paled inparison to the team''s youngest member,


    Aaron. His seniority was the only reason he held the title.


    He sighed. The team''s recent losing streak had morale at rock bottom, and Keh''s taunts had only


    added insult to injury.


    He was relieved Aaron was not there; else, fists might have flown.


    Aaron could not find humor in the quarrels inside.


    These shes weremon, and their seven-game losing streak, a stark reversal from their previous


    seven-win streak, was a tough pill for anyone to swallow.


    With Aaron around, they managed to keep it together, but in his absence, tempers red even hotter.


    Vivienne frowned. She remembered when this team was a united force set on iming the


    championship. Now, it was a stark contrast.


    "Vivienne..." Aaron bowed his head, too ashamed to look Vivienne in the eye.


    With a loud bang, Vivienne kicked the door open.


    Everyone jumped in their seats. Quentin, known for his hot temper, mmed his headset onto the


    desk.


    "Damn it, Keh, not again... Holy smokes, Vivienne!"


    They all stood up, crowding around as they recognized Vivienne; their anger dissolved into thin air.


    "Vivienne, we thought you weren''ting."


    "Thank goodness, with you back, Vivienne, we''ve got a fighting chance!"


    "With Vivienne and Aaron, we''ll definitely regain our honor!"


    Bet looked at Vivienne with a mix of excitement and speechlessness.


    Aaron, too, was moved, his eyes shining like stars as he gazed at Vivienne.


    But to their surprise, Vivienne''s face was stormy. "You call yourselves pro gamers with this kind of


    behavior?"


    Their smiles faded, and hope dimmed in their eyes. The room fell into an awkward silence, and even


    Aaron was unsure what to say next.


    Finally, Bet spoke up. "Vivienne, everyone''s just really excited to see you."


    Vivienne raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Now you remember you''re supposed to lead this team?"


    Bet''s voice faded as he looked down, fiddling with his fingers. Despite being the oldest, he seemed


    small under Vivienne''s scolding.


    He knew all too well how he had failed as a captain.


    What could he do if he was disrespected by his teammates, overlooked by management, and


    dismissed by rival teams?


    He was twenty-six and on the verge of retirement after the World Championships. Who would respect a


    spent force on the brink of hanging up his mouse and keyboard?


    Vivienne pulled up a chair. "Bet, you''re the captain. You''re supposed to set the example and earn


    their respect. But all you do is y peacemaker. How can anyone respect that?"


    Bet felt a wave of inferiority wash over him. "I... My skills arecking. Naturally, they don''t listen to


    me."


    Aaron hesitated, wanting to defend Bet, but he did not dare with Vivienne fuming.


    "Your skills arecking? You hold the record for the highest kills in Hawk Club. You have the highest


    solo-win rate. When you were racking up championships, these kids were still in diapers. And now


    you''re telling me you''re not up to it?"


    Bet felt a lump in his throat, the glory days still vivid in his mind, now...


    Vivienne turned her gaze to Quentin. "Got a big temper, I see. Think you can do better as captain?"


    She could hear Quentin being the loudest, even outside the door just now.


    “I’m not good enough...” Quentin mumbled a response, clearly not ready to step up.


    “Oh, so you do know that!” Vivienne reprimanded, “Have you forgotten how Bet signed you despite


    the club''s higher-ups not approving? He bet his entire career on you! Before you entered this club, you


    were on the verge of being fired from the youth team!”


    Her words made Quentin’s expression shift in color. It was indeed true that he would have never made


    it into this club without Bet.


    "And you," Vivienne continued, turning to Fergus, "When you couldn''t crack the top ten, who was the


    one who trained with you day and night, helping you win that AD gold medal?"


    "It was... The captain," Fergus whispered.


    "And Lennox, when your family tried to pull you out, who traveled miles to bring you back, got beat by


    your parents, and ended up in the hospital for three days to save your career?"


    Lennox''s eyes reddened. Bet had shed more blood for him than tears he had cried in his lifetime.


    Vivienne did not spare Aaron either. "And you, with your standout solo skills and top-three world


    ranking, think you can skip training? You believe you can carry the team to number one all by


    yourself?"


    “Vivienne, I didn’t...”


    “You didn’t? You have been going to the Brooks Mansion so oftentely. You think I don’t know how


    much training time you have missed? You think you can take home the championship single-


    handedly?”


    Aaron had beening to see her recently, but she was too busy to see him until today.


    Aaron remained silent. He had no rebuttals.


    Standing up, Vivienne''s presence was like an icy storm. "Have any of you seriously reviewed your


    games? Do you even know what you’re doing wrong?"


    Bet looked up earnestly. "Vivienne, we''ll listen to you."


    Aaron blinked in surprise. "Vivienne, you''re not going to y?"


    The others turned their gaze to Vivienne, their expressions a mix of hope and confusion. They all


    thought that Vivienne showing up today meant she was gearing up to join them for the big game the


    day after tomorrow.


    Vivienne scanned the room with a sharp eye. "You guys aren''t captain material, and it''s not about


    seniority, it''s about smarts."


    Among them, only Bet understood the crux of the issue, but previously, without the clout to make


    his voice heard, his insights were brushed aside.


    The biggest problem with Team Hawk was their disunity and penchant for ying the hero.


    Everyone relied too much on Aaron, each yer trying to sync with his strategies, but they neglected


    their ownnes, leaving gaping vulnerabilities.


    Add to that a decline in their execution and reaction times, and it was no wonder they were on a losing


    streak.


    Vivienne pushed each of the five yers to their respective spots. "You''ve been training together for


    years, and you know each other inside out. Just find your groove, and you won''t even need me. But for


    now, I''m here to whip you into shape. Let''s y a match, and I''ll assess."


    Bet slipped on his headset, feeling a newfound confidence, almost as if he had returned to his


    heyday. Rolling up his sleeves, he bellowed, "Listen up, everyone! This round, we pick our best heroes.


    Get back the feel of it!"


    "Yes!" they responded, a chorus of determination echoing through the room as they rallied, ready to


    rediscover their strengths and reim their former glory.