The King’s Moment - Volume 1 Chapter 3

Dongjiang University takes pride in its greenery, with the campus covered in various trees that cast cool shadows over everything. The only place where you can truly see the open sky is the vast sports field.

He Yu made his way to the student convenience store on the west side of the field, bought a soda, and sat on a bench by the entrance, sipping it slowly. It was just the first day of school, yet students were already playing soccer on the field. However, the shaded path between the field and the convenience store was even more bustling.

Rows of desks lined both sides of the path. Various student clubs at Dongjiang University were eagerly recruiting new members as the freshmen arrived. Some clubs hung colorful banners on the trees behind their desks, some displayed eye-catching signs, others used loudspeakers to repeatedly broadcast introductions to their clubs, and still others sent people to hand out flyers among the passing students.

Zhou Mo sat alone behind one of the desks, watching the hustle and bustle of the other clubs with a hint of envy. His table had no eye-catching signs, and he was the only person there. Most passing students were drawn to the larger, more prominent clubs, with few noticing his small setup. Not wanting to miss any opportunity, Zhou Mo would immediately put on a hopeful smile and stand up to greet anyone who glanced his way, saying enthusiastically, “Hey there, want to learn more about the Wave 7 Team?”

“What?” A student who had glanced his way out of curiosity stopped, looking at Zhou Mo in confusion, not quite catching what Zhou Mo had said.

“The Wave 7 Team—we play Honor of Kings. Do you play?” Zhou Mo asked patiently.

“Honor of Kings? Isn’t the Honor of Kings club over there?” The student glanced to the right, confirming that the Honor of Kings club, flanked by life-sized standees of two in-game heroes, Xiang Yu and Yu Ji, was indeed located there.

“That’s a club; we’re just a team. Join us, and we can play matches, rank up together, and participate in some…” Zhou Mo began to explain.

“But I already joined the Honor of Kings club,” the student interrupted.

“That’s fine; it doesn’t conflict. We’re just a more consistent team,” Zhou Mo said.

“Consistent, you say? A team that’s always had just two members,” a voice suddenly interrupted. Another person walked up to the student, patting him on the shoulder and speaking with mock seriousness.

“Senior Zhang,” the student turned around and recognized the person as a third-year senior who had just welcomed him at the Honor of Kings club—a senior who was also the club’s publicity officer.

“Didn’t I just tell you? If you want to join a team, our club has plenty to choose from. Based on your preferred position and hero, we’ll recommend the most suitable team for you,” Zhang Chenghao said.

“I know, but this senior…” the student began, only to be cut off again.

“Their team only has two people. What would you even do if you joined them? Play the Battle of Changping?” Zhang Chenghao’s comment elicited laughter from the students around him. The Battle of Changping is a lesser-known 3v3 mode in Honor of Kings. 

The main gameplay modes are the 5v5 ranked and match modes on the Summoner’s Rift map, which is also the format used in the KPL, representing the highest level of competition. The Changping mode is seen as less formal, so Zhang Chenghao’s comment was filled with mockery. Unfortunately, Zhou Mo couldn’t refute him, as what Zhang Chenghao said was true—Wave 7 Team currently only had two members.

“What’s wrong with the Changping Battle? Can you play it?” a girl’s voice suddenly interjected. Everyone turned to see a pretty girl walking over confidently, catching the attention of many onlookers. However, Zhang Chenghao and his companions didn’t seem interested in appreciating her beauty; instead, they looked rather displeased. Zhang Chenghao quickly forced a smile and said, “Oh, it’s you, Gao Ge.”

He drew out the “Ge” in her name, turning it into a playful jibe. Those unfamiliar with the girl gave puzzled looks, especially the new student, who stared at her in confusion.

“Childish,” the girl retorted dismissively. Her name was Gao Ge, but because of the similarity in pronunciation, people often joked that it sounded like “Ge” (meaning “big brother”). She had endured this kind of teasing countless times throughout her life. 

Some friends had suggested she change her name, but she had always brushed off the idea, saying, “There’s nothing wrong with my name; it’s the people who joke about it who are rude and boring. Why should I change it?”

Her friends had no response to that, and Gao Ge certainly didn’t change her name. She never took those jokes seriously and didn’t bother paying attention to people who made them. Now, without even glancing at Zhang Chenghao, she turned to the new student whom Zhou Mo had been trying to recruit and said, “Even if it’s the Changping Battle, if you take it seriously, it’s still a lot of fun. Want to give it a try?”

The new student was still processing the “Gao Ge” nickname, and his mind hadn’t quite caught up. Seeing that Gao Ge was completely ignoring him, Zhang Chenghao felt humiliated and quickly retorted, “You’re seriously talking about the Changping Battle? Who even plays that? Are you trying to become a Changping Grandmaster?”

“Great, we’re back to the same question. Can you play the Changping Battle?” Gao Ge finally turned her attention to Zhang Chenghao.

“What’s there to know?” Zhang Chenghao shot back, unwilling to back down. But he instantly regretted his words, as Gao Ge quickly followed up, “So, are you willing to have a match?”

“A match? Do you even have three members in Wave 7 to make a team?” Zhang Chenghao sneered, trying to cover up his unease.

“That’s easy. There are plenty of people here. You can pick anyone to join us, and we’ll beat you in no time,” Gao Ge said.

“Pick anyone?” Zhang Chenghao was stunned, and the students who knew the game were equally shocked. While Honor of Kings is a popular game, not everyone plays it, and even among players, skill levels vary widely, from Bronze to Grandmaster and even professional standards. Picking someone randomly? The chances of picking a weak link far outweighed the chances of finding a good teammate. Any experienced player knew that this was practically the same as playing 2v3.

“Yes, pick anyone you want,” Gao Ge reiterated confidently.

“Hey…” This time, it wasn’t the others who spoke, but Zhou Mo himself, who had finally snapped out of his daze. He called out to Gao Ge, his face filled with confusion. Gao Ge looked at him, her eyes filled with determination, along with a hint of helplessness, but her tone was unusually light. “Playing 3v3 is still easier than playing 5v5, right?”

Zhou Mo was momentarily stunned but quickly realized Gao Ge’s intentions.

Gao Ge, like Zhou Mo, had once been a member of the Honor of Kings club when they first started at the university. As a club dominated by male players, girls were always welcomed, especially someone as attractive as Gao Ge. In games, no one ever expected much from her. However, before they could place any expectations on her, Gao Ge had already found them lacking.

Gao Ge’s passion for gaming far exceeded their expectations. While most treated games as mere entertainment or a way to pass the time, Gao Ge viewed them as a pursuit, a goal to strive for. She couldn’t tolerate her teammates’ casual attitudes, and they couldn’t meet her high standards. Eventually, nearly everyone in the club refused to play with her, leading Gao Ge to quit the club and form Wave 7 Team on her own. 

Over the past two years, Zhou Mo had remained her only teammate. Each semester, they struggled to gather five members to compete in the university’s Honor of Kings league. Gao Ge’s reputation had spread, and most players in the university’s Honor of Kings scene now avoided her.

Faced with this awkward situation, Gao Ge’s challenge to Zhang Chenghao was her way of dealing with it. They couldn’t force others to share their gaming philosophy, so they had to prove themselves in other ways, like through skill. 

Although Zhang Chenghao had started playing Honor of Kings much later, only after entering Dongjiang University, he had reached Grandmaster rank by solo queuing over the past two years, and his team, Dynasty, had achieved respectable results in the university league. If Gao Ge and Zhou Mo could randomly pick someone and still defeat Zhang Chenghao and his Dynasty team, it would undoubtedly be an impressive feat and a testament to their skill. It might even convince the new student to join Wave 7 and give it a try.

Understanding Gao Ge’s intentions, Zhou Mo hesitated no longer and firmly stood by her side, just as he had done for the past two years as a loyal member of Wave 7.

Meanwhile, Zhang Chenghao had already turned to his companions and instructed, “Go get Zhou Mutong and Xu Kaihuai.”

Gao Ge had laid down the challenge, and Zhang Chenghao had no choice but to accept. Zhou Mutong and Xu Kaihuai were both key members of his Dynasty team. No matter what, Zhang Chenghao decided to field his strongest lineup and go all out. As for Wave 7…

“Do you want to pick the person, or should I?” Zhang Chenghao asked, fully aware of the answer. Gao Ge had already said he could pick anyone, and she wasn’t the type to go back on her word.

“You pick,” Gao Ge replied as expected.

Zhang Chenghao scanned the crowd, wishing he could pick a tree to join Gao Ge. Even though he had called in his team’s strongest players, he still felt a bit nervous. He had a bit of a psychological block when it came to Gao Ge. They were both in their third year, and back when he was new to Honor of Kings, he had been crushed by Gao Ge as an opponent and harshly criticized as a teammate. 

His fragile Bronze heart had been scarred. Even now, as a more experienced Grandmaster-ranked player, Zhang Chenghao had to admit, grudgingly, that Gao Ge’s skills were top-notch. And with the equally skilled Zhou Mo on her team, adding a capable third player made a 3v3 match uncertain.

So, the best choice was to find someone who couldn’t play.

Zhang Chenghao had already made up his mind, but most of the people gathered around to watch this spectacle were likely familiar with Honor of Kings. They probably played the game, which meant…

Zhang Chenghao’s eyes swept over the crowd, and he suddenly had an idea. “Most of the people here know each other, so I’m afraid you’ll accuse me of picking an undercover player to sabotage you,” he said, looking past the crowd. His gaze landed on a boy sitting on a bench in front of the student convenience store, sipping a soda and paying no attention to the commotion.

“How about that guy?” Zhang Chenghao pointed.

Everyone turned to look in the direction Zhang Chenghao had indicated. Gao Ge paused for a moment, then smiled sweetly, patting Zhang Chenghao on the shoulder with a friendly gesture. “Great choice!” she said warmly.