Let Me Sleep a Little Longer [Esports] - Chapter 06

When Sun He arrived at the office, Shen Jianian was on the phone.

“I know. You first send out a statement admitting that we are indeed planning to change junglers, and then hint at Shen Sian’s misconduct, but be careful with your wording.”

Shen Jianian was not surprised to see the culprit appear; he gave Sun He a look, signaling him to wait a moment.

Sun He didn’t sit down. He heard what Shen Jianian was discussing on the phone, but he was too exhausted to think about it. He just wanted to bring up Su Heng to Shen Jianian as soon as possible.

Finally, when Shen Jianian hung up, Sun He immediately spoke, “I found someone in an internet café these past few days who is very suitable for the jungler position…”

“Is it the person you were discussing with Zhou Lingxing while Wave was live streaming?” Shen Jianian interrupted Sun He, adjusting his glasses.

Sun He was taken aback for two seconds by the sudden interruption, picking up on Shen Jianian’s displeasure. “Sorry, I forgot he was live streaming. But…”

“As the captain, you’ve never been this reckless before. I hope your explanation can convince me,” Shen Jianian interrupted Sun He again, lighting a cigarette and speaking slowly.

After being interrupted twice, Sun He instead calmed down.

He pulled out the chair in front of the desk and sat down slowly. “Her name is Su Heng. I saw her playing LOL in an internet café when I went to look for Shen Sian yesterday…”

Seeing Sun He calm down, this time Shen Jianian did not interrupt him until he finished speaking.

Sun He spoke for a long time, covering nearly all details about Su Heng.

Shen Jianian noticed the seriousness in Sun He’s tone but did not respond for a while; the reflection on his glasses made it impossible for Sun He to see his emotions.

Sun He felt a bit uneasy; Su Heng indeed had serious issues, but her strengths were undeniable.

On one hand, he believed Su Heng could fully handle the role; on the other hand, he knew the instability she brought could cause Shen Jianian to hesitate.

Sure enough, a few minutes later, Shen Jianian spoke, “A novice with unstable health, and a woman…”

Before Shen Jianian could finish, Sun He immediately rebutted, “She just sleeps a bit more than a normal person, but she still has more than enough time for a game.”

Shen Jianian was not angry at the interruption and remained indifferent: “Ordinary professional players need to play 10-16 hours a day to maintain their skills. Can she do that?”

Sun He had no response; her condition had determined from the start that she could not train for long periods.

Seeing that Sun He had fallen silent, Shen Jianian asked again, “Hypothetically speaking, even if I let her join, what if she only has awareness and calculating ability, but her gameplay can’t keep up?”

Sun He struggled, “We can let her try first. If her gameplay is adequate, we can let her officially join.”

“Do you know how much public controversy there is when introducing a female player?” Shen Jianian pressed further.

He knew everything Shen Jianian was saying; even so, he could not hide his desire for her.

Only silence.

Just when Sun He thought the decision was final, Shen Jianian spoke again, “Shen Sian fought with Zhou Ming from the neighboring CEO team over the weekend, and the team gave him a suspension. I’ve already informed the second team’s management, but they haven’t found a substitute jungler yet. If that woman you mentioned can perform adequately before next Friday’s match, we can let her play and if she wins, she can join the team.”

Seeing the joy on the man’s face before him, Shen Jianian added helplessly, “This is a special situation, and since you and Zhou Lingxing hinted at it during the live stream, this is the only opportunity. If her gameplay can’t convince everyone on the team, then there’s nothing else to discuss.”

Without any hesitation, Sun He agreed. Su Heng’s eligibility to compete would need at least a week to apply for, and during that week he would do his best to help her improve her skills.

The rest would depend on Su Heng.

He was full of confidence in the girl, and all his fatigue disappeared.

Perhaps their future would really become different.

When Sun He returned to the base feeling lighthearted, he was greeted by the gazes of three teammates staring at him.

He was in a good mood and smiled at them.

Zhou Lingxing noticed the smile on Sun He’s face and had a somewhat teasing expression.

“The coach agreed to let her try out as a substitute in next Friday’s regular season match,” Sun He made eye contact with Zhou Lingxing and proactively shared the outcome.

Zhou Lingxing raised his eyebrows, appearing somewhat surprised, and finally chuckled a couple of times.

That woman seemed to have dropped a boulder into a calm sea.

She changed Sun He’s usual steadiness and broke the principles Shen Jianian had always upheld.

Oblivious to it all, Wave and Lao Yu looked at Sun He with eager curiosity in their eyes.

Sun He smiled helplessly and gave them a brief overview of the situation.

Wave was a bit happy to hear about the change in junglers, but his expression darkened immediately when he learned that the new jungler was a woman.

It was one thing for her to be a woman; as long as she was good at the game, it would be fine. But this woman was also a novice.

Not only was she a novice, but she also had hypersomnia that prevented her from maintaining practice hours.

What use was she???

“How could you even think about it? Replacing our jungler with a sick rookie girl?” Wave finally couldn’t hold back any longer.

Sun He had expected this reaction from Wave and smiled casually. “Trust me. Play a couple of games with her, and you’ll change your mind.”

With that, he grabbed his jacket and walked off.

Wave clicked his tongue in disbelief. “Agreeing to let a rookie who can’t even meet basic practice hours? Hah, there’s a higher chance they’ll reinstate Shen Sian as jungler.”

After a pause, he turned to Zhou Lingxing, who was focused on his game. “The coach and Ling-ge actually agreed to this?”

Zhou Lingxing acted like he hadn’t heard a word, completely unbothered.

Their agreement didn’t matter at all.

He thought back to the question Sun He had asked him:

**“Don’t you want to win?”**

If victory was possible, who would want to lose? But with her condition, could they really win?

—

As it turned out, Su Heng *could* win.

She stared at the word **“Victory”** on the screen for the fourth time, savoring the moment.

Glancing at the time, Su Heng clicked her tongue in surprise.

Without realizing it, she had been playing for five hours straight and didn’t feel sleepy at all.

She stretched her slightly sore wrists, thinking about the two men who had come to find her earlier that day.

Professional players trained for over ten hours daily—how did their hands not get sore?

As expected, no profession in this world was easy.

Just as she was lost in thought, the door to the private room swung open from the outside.

She looked up to see the very person she had just been thinking about. Su Heng smiled.

The saying “speak of the devil, and he appears” turned out to be true.

Sun He had rushed over from the base, but when he saw the smile on the girl’s face, he found himself momentarily stunned. It was the first time he had seen her smile—stunning and breathtaking.

The smile quickly faded, and Su Heng looked at him with curiosity. “Why are you back again?”

Sun He gathered himself and got straight to the point. “There’s a match next Friday. Want to give it a try?”

Su Heng’s lips pressed into a thin line, her expression turning unpleasant.

She had made things clear with them before—why were they bringing it up again?

But Sun He wasn’t about to back down. “I’ve already spoken to the coach about your condition. As long as you can finish the match, it’s fine.”

Su Heng hadn’t expected him to gain the coach’s approval. For a moment, she didn’t know what to say.

Sun He pressed on. “Our original jungler got suspended after getting into a fight, and the backup the coach contacted has another match next Friday. We couldn’t find anyone else on short notice.”

He watched her closely, seeing that she hadn’t rejected the idea outright. Encouraged, he added, “You like this game, don’t you? Just give it a shot, even if it’s just to help us out. It doesn’t matter if we lose.”

She seemed to be thinking it over, so Sun He’s tone became even more urgent. “As long as your condition allows it, I’ll do everything I can to help you with the mechanics.”

Su Heng felt a subtle shift within herself.

The passion in his eyes was overwhelming, and even she could clearly read his emotions.

The room was quiet, and Su Heng felt that this might be the longest silence and most impulsive decision she had ever made.

She was infected by his enthusiasm.

Throughout her life, her interests had always been fleeting. Once she mastered something, it lost its appeal.

She couldn’t understand his persistence or his passion, nor did she understand what made victory so meaningful to them.

But suddenly, she wanted to know. She wanted to understand their world.

E-sports was still a niche and emerging industry. What drove them to practice, meet, and compete day and night? What kept them going with such dedication and passion? What sustained them through this long, misunderstood journey?

With those thoughts swirling in her mind, she could no longer refuse.

Their world sparkled, and now, that bright new world had extended an invitation to her.

It was too tempting.

Even if she might not be able to handle it, she wanted to try.

She couldn’t be at peace unless she explored it.

How could she be content spending every day in an internet café?

After what felt like an eternity, Su Heng finally found her voice.

“Please take care of me.”

For as long as she stayed interested—please take care of her.