Chapter 1: Wolf’s Den

In 2011, a hero battle MOBA online game developed by the American company Riot Games redefined gaming. As soon as it launched in China, it sparked an unprecedented wave of esports frenzy.

Its name was “League of Legends.”

On the sixth floor of Building 18 in a happy residential community in Pudong, Shanghai, bursts of shouting came from an open window.

“Go, go, go, one last push, one last push, Mr. Carter’s Riven is just insanely good!”

“Nice, nice, kill the AD, kill the AD, good, charge, charge, charge!”

“Another easy win, I told you not to let Mr. Carter play mid.”

After a round of wild shouting, deafening cheers came through the headphones. David Thompson couldn’t help but pull his headset away a bit—just a regular win could get these guys so excited.

“Calm down, calm down.”

“Mr. Carter, this time those kids from the Twelve Linked Docks have got to admit defeat, keep beating them until they do.”

“These guys have no idea that Old Carter only used half his strength to wipe them out.”

David Thompson couldn’t help but laugh and cry, “You’re all about to go pro, don’t get so jumpy, act like you’ve got some presence.”

“Haha, Mr. Carter is our biggest presence. No matter where we go in the future, we’ll always be Wolf Team.”

The most popular game right now was League of Legends, a global sensation like never before. At the same time, China’s esports market was moving forward amid controversy, producing a batch of professional idols—so much better than before.

The cheers in the headset gradually quieted down, and everyone felt a bit sentimental. They were the amateur Ionia team “Sha Po Lang,” known in the scene as Wolf Team. Since David Thompson joined, this was already the nth time they’d taken the top spot in team rankings. The Wolf’s Den had become the most mysterious and powerful place in the amateur scene. Thanks to their outstanding record, the others had all received invitations from pro teams. Today was their farewell match, and they’d given the second-ranked Twelve Linked Docks a harsh lesson.

The Twelve Linked Docks was a team formed by twelve players ranked in the top 30 of the national server. As soon as they formed, they caused a stir among high-ranked players across the server. They thought they could dominate, but every year they ended up as stepping stones for Wolf Team. Just now, they’d been crushed again in the Golden League finals. Unwilling to accept it, they challenged Wolf Team to a private match, only to lose even worse.

“Mr. Carter, I don’t know your reasons, but I hope one day we’ll meet on the pro stage, whether as teammates or opponents. I’ve learned a lot from you during this time,” said the jungler, “Greedy Carter” Brian Cooper. His motto: my jungle is mine, your jungle is also mine—his nickname reflects his hunger for jungle monsters.

“Old Carter, why are you so mysterious? You never come to offline meetups. Are you a girl or something?” joked the mid laner “Lone Carter” Henry Clark.

“Come on, what kind of girl has a voice that deep? Lone Carter, your tastes are way too wild.”

“Yeah, I still think he might not be the oldest. Maybe he tricked me into calling him ‘bro.’ If so, I really lost out,” laughed ADC Little Blake, whose ID is “Day Doesn’t Understand Night’s Darkness.” These days, the younger they are, the more sentimental.

“Old Carter, remember to ping us in the group if anything comes up, and even if not, keep in touch,” said “Mrs. Carter” Big Flynn, the top laner, who played both dad and mom for the team—even though he was only 17.

Everyone chattered on, a bit reluctant to part. Once they joined pro teams, things would never be as free and easy as now. The whole Wolf Team was talented, but honestly, the real transformation happened after Mr. Carter joined. Even those about to go pro were still curious about their amazing captain.

David Thompson’s ID was “You Can’t See Me.” Everyone usually called him Mr. Carter. A month after joining, Greedy Carter handed over the captain’s spot to him. The guys all respected him completely. They were all curious why he hadn’t gone pro yet, and guessed maybe he had other ambitions.

David Thompson smiled slightly and typed in the Wolf’s Den chat: Wishing my brothers a bright future—see you again in the world.

All four of Wolf Team’s teammates had now received tryout invitations from pro teams. ADC Little Blake had even signed directly with the legendary team WOE, a star team that produced the Four Kings of Esports. Sixteen years old, number one Draven in the national server, a limitless future.

Today, David Thompson, who always called himself a straight-up tough guy, was feeling a bit sentimental. All good things must come to an end, but there would always be a day to reunite.

He put down his headphones and rubbed his head helplessly—not wanting to go pro.

Just kidding—actually, he wanted it so badly, he dreamed about it. Even though he’d gritted his teeth and gotten into college, David Thompson knew his own limits. It was pure luck. He’d failed civil procedure for two years, and at Shanghai University of Political Science and Law, he was at the very bottom of the food chain.

During this time, he’d already emailed every team, even lower-league S teams, but basically got no response. The only reply was from an S team: Bro, how old are you? Still wasting our time? Waiting until you graduate? Are you kidding? Don’t you know we’re busy? Don’t you have any self-awareness?

No respect for elders at all. If he didn’t get his diploma, his mom would kill him. But that wasn’t even the main thing—the contract wasn’t up yet, either.

Thinking of the contract, David Thompson’s thoughts drifted, and time suddenly went back five years.