Powerful Investment Chapter 16: Catching Up

Chapter 16: Catching Up

Translated by Addis of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Karai

 

As soon as the lineup was revealed, the live stream chat lit up with viewers analyzing both teams’ picks. Not just the fans—even the players who were on good terms in the team zones began discussing the selections, speculating on each side’s strategy and what it might indicate for the match’s direction.

However, these two hero choices were hard to predict.

Yun Ye was a hero that required very high mechanical skill. Designed with an angelic aesthetic, this humanoid had wings on their back and was set up as the deity of the cloud eagle. The hero’s main skills involved summoning cloud eagles to attack and leech health, and their most unique feature was the ability to swap positions with the summoned eagle, allowing for dodging damage and repositioning.

This was also one of Lu Yao’s more frequently used heroes, so it looked like he didn’t plan to go easy on the rookie just because he was new.

What stood out more was Cheng Pian’s choice—he had picked Bai Yike. Bai Yike had been a very strong hero when first released, but due to Ji Jin’s mind-blowing plays with the character, the developers had repeatedly nerfed it for balance. At this point, it struggled to keep up in jungle fights.

And the opponent was none other than Lu Yao, who was rumored to have beef with Ji Jin. Choosing Bai Yike seemed more like a statement than a strategic pick.

The solo match took place on a single-lane map. Each side had one turret and one crystal—if the crystal was destroyed, the side would lose.

At the start of the match, Lu Yao’s Yun Ye immediately hid in the bushes and landed a surprise hit on Cheng Pian’s Bai Yike. With only a few early skills available, the match was all about micro-movements and health trades.

Cheng Pian fell behind from the beginning and couldn’t gain any advantage later either. He tried his best to hold out but was ultimately crushed with a final score of 1 to 6.

When Cheng Pian exited the isolation room, his eyes were slightly red. Anyone could tell that the single point he had scored was a mercy kill from Lu Yao. After all, it was a fun match—completely shutting someone out wouldn’t have looked good.

After the game, the host gave a quick post-match interview. Since Lu Yao wasn’t much of a talker and Cheng Pian was clearly upset, they both said only a few words before it ended.

Lu Yao found the match pretty easy. After stepping down from the stage, he skipped past the IKW team entirely and headed straight toward the MOE team area.

Ke Yu, who had been about to congratulate him, was completely ignored. His hand was left hanging awkwardly in mid-air as Lu Yao walked right past him to the back row of MOE’s seating area.

Ke Yu: ??? Whose captain are you, exactly?

The whole IKW team watched as their own captain walked over to the MOE side and straight to the last row—where others were already seated.

Onlooker Yu Huanhuan took a bag of sunflower seeds from her pocket and began sharing them with the surrounding spectators. Soon, players from other teams were no longer watching the match—they were watching the drama unfold.

Ji Jin hadn’t expected Lu Yao to return. He didn’t really mind, except now Lu Yao’s previous seat was occupied—by none other than Jiao Yue, who didn’t seem to be moving anytime soon.

Jiao Yue noticed Lu Yao approaching, but didn’t react. He just watched him come closer, step by step.

Normally, someone would at least ask if they needed to move. But not these two—they stared each other down, their gazes practically clashing with sparks. Neither was willing to budge.

Ji Jin looked at Lu Yao, then Jiao Yue, and then Ji Xingxing, feeling a headache coming on. What had he done today to attract this lineup of visitors?

Before he could come up with a solution, Lu Yao had already reached Jiao Yue and stood there, staring expressionlessly at the firmly seated man.

The air between them turned strange, a silent standoff over some unknown reason.

Especially Lu Yao’s gaze—it looked… dangerous.

“Is senior very busy today?” Lu Yao shifted his gaze from Jiao Yue to Ji Jin.

“I…” Ji Jin tried to understand what Lu Yao meant, but before he could answer, Jiao Yue interrupted smoothly.

“I’m just catching up with God Ji,” he said with a warm smile. “We joined the league in the same year—it’s been a while, and I wanted to chat.”

There was a subtle hostility in his eyes, which Lu Yao immediately picked up on.

“But I have something I want to say to senior too,” Lu Yao refused to back down.

In the esports world, seniority was taken seriously. It was considered disrespectful to go against someone older, but Lu Yao didn’t seem to care. He directly butted heads with Jiao Yue.

“Then you sit here and keep an eye on Ji Xingxing,” Ji Jin practically rolled his eyes. He stood up and gave up his seat, shoving Lu Yao into it and placing Ji Xingxing in his arms. “I’m going to check on Cheng Pian. You beat him up pretty bad—he probably needs some comfort.”

Ji Xingxing stared wide-eyed from Lu Yao’s lap, looking betrayed by being so suddenly “abandoned” by his dad.

Ji Xingxing: “Take the baby too!” He clung to Ji Jin’s sleeve, giving his dad puppy eyes from Lu Yao’s arms. But Ji Jin gently pulled his sleeve away and ruffled his little head.

“Be good, Xingxing.” Ji Jin’s voice was firm—though the words were directed at Ji Xingxing, his eyes stayed on the two adults, as if silently scolding them for being more childish than the kid.

Lu Yao tried to stand and say something, but as soon as he moved, Ji Xingxing started to slip from his lap. By the time he secured the child again, Ji Jin had already slipped away and was too far to catch up to.

And so the scene was set: Lu Yao and Jiao Yue, seated in the MOE section, with a toddler in Lu Yao’s lap.

From afar, gossip-hungry Yu Huanhuan even whipped out her phone to record the absurd moment.

Lu Yao and Jiao Yue locked eyes again. Neither moved. If looks could kill, they’d both be riddled with holes by now.

 

Author’s Note:

Jiao Yue: God Ji, I’ve got something to tell you!

Lu Yao: Me too!

God Ji: Alright, you two talk—I’m out.

Ji Xingxing: Take the baby with you!! I don’t wanna stay with them!!

 

 

 

 

 

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