The second day of the Phoenix Selection Trials dawned gray and heavy. Rain lashed the arena windows as the remaining 132 players filed into their pods. The storm outside mirrored the tension within.
Today's format: Squad Mode. Randomized teams. No communication in advance.
Wanqing scanned the roster.Her heart dropped.
She was placed in Squad 7. And one of her teammates was:
[Q1Ghost]
A national pro. Aggressive, impulsive, known for his dislike of "amateurs." He had flamed her publicly on stream last year, mocking "low-tier girl snipers."
Great.
Match Start, Miramar Desert Map
As the plane flew over Monte Nuevo, Ghost barked into voice chat:
"Don't slow us down, sweetheart. I didn't sign up for daycare."
Wanqing didn't reply. She dropped silently, looted quickly, and kept to herself.
But tension festered.
Mid-match, they ran into another squad at Power Grid. Ghost rushed without callouts, got downed, and immediately exploded:
"Where the hell was cover?! I thought you were the 'PUBG princess'!"
"I held flank. You rushed without smoke," she replied coolly.
He cursed under his breath and crawled behind a rock. She rotated to save him anyway.
Bang. Knocked one.Bang. Finished second.Third tried to flank.
Headshot.
She revived him without a word.
They reached final ten. But the worst was coming.
Final Circle – Chaos
As they approached the last fight, Ghost muttered something she almost missed.
"If I frag her now, I might still get MVP…"
Wanqing turned too late.
Click.A grenade dropped at her feet.
Teamkill.
You have been eliminated.
She stared in stunned silence as the screen greyed out.He had killed her on purpose.
For a chance at a highlight reel.
Aftermath – Trial Committee Room
The scrim replays were pulled immediately. Coaches watched in silence. Reign stood in the back, arms crossed.
Ghost was called in first.
He denied it. Claimed it was a misclick.That she "walked into" the grenade.That he "panicked."
But the slow-motion replay told the truth.
He switched inventory. Pulled pin. Deliberately walked behind her.
Coach Duan didn't need to say a word.
Disqualified.
Ghost stormed out, slamming the door.
In the Hallway
Wanqing stood outside, arms folded, jaw clenched.
She wasn't angry. She was ice cold.
As Ghost passed her, he hissed, "You're just a viral fluke. The big leagues will chew you up."
She raised an eyebrow.
"You're right," she said softly. "They chewed me. And I'm still standing."
He flinched.
A shadow approached from behind. Tall. Familiar.
Lu Zeyan.
He stopped beside her, watching Ghost retreat with a blank stare.
Then he turned to her.
"You kept your head. Most players wouldn't."
Wanqing looked up at him, unreadable.
"He tried to kill me."
"You revived him anyway."
She shrugged. "That's what teammates do."
A pause.
"…Not always," Zeyan said quietly.
That Night
Her rank for the day: 12th.Despite the betrayal, she'd scored high enough to stay in the competition.
She sat alone in the dorm courtyard, rain misting the garden stones.
Her phone buzzed.
Reign: "You deserved top 5 today."QingQingSnipes: "Didn't need it. I'm not here to be the best. I'm here to earn it."Reign: "…Good. You'll need that."
She paused, then typed:
QingQingSnipes: "You ever been betrayed by a teammate?"Reign: "Yes. Once. Cost me a championship."Reign: "Never forgot. Never forgave."
Wanqing stared at the screen.
So Reign wasn't just cold.He was… wounded.
For the first time, she wondered not how he played...but why did he play the way he did?