Offside game

March 2nd. Dongdu No. 3 Middle School.

In the morning light, the green campus gradually came alive with life. About ten minutes before morning self-study, many classrooms were bustling with activity. In contrast, one corner of the campus was remarkably quiet. Inside each classroom, students were either hunched over their desks, working on calculations or flipping through books; any occasional discussions were conducted in hushed tones.

This is the classroom for the graduating senior class. In March, there were only four months left until the dreaded July of the college entrance examination, and the tense atmosphere was already making many people feel almost breathless.

The classroom for Class 2 of the third year of high school is located in the middle of the first floor of the three-story building. The atmosphere here is even more oppressive because this class is one of the two so-called "key classes" in the third year of high school. Compared with ordinary classes, the school has stricter requirements for these two classes because the so-called college entrance examination pass rate mainly depends on the students in these two top classes.

A stern-faced middle-aged female homeroom teacher walked into the classroom, her gaze sweeping over the students who were intently focused on their textbooks and test papers. When her eyes landed on an empty seat in the middle back, her brows immediately furrowed again.

At the same time, a pair of beautiful eyes were also secretly looking at the empty seat, lost in thought for a moment.

8:30 PM. Zhongxing Entertainment Hall.

Zhongxing Entertainment Hall is the largest and most comprehensive entertainment venue near No. 3 Middle School. It's located just 200 meters from the school gate. Its cluttered layout makes it perfect for students to escape if they realize their parents are coming. Most importantly, it boasts a full range of facilities, including several of the most popular entertainment options for boys: billiards, arcade games, computer games…

Right now, in the computer game arcade on the second floor, Su Yi was playing StarCraft online, his fair and handsome face focused intently on the screen. Suddenly, someone tapped him on the shoulder.

Su Yi hated being interrupted when he was fully focused. Although his two opponents weren't strong enough to keep him completely focused, he still felt slightly annoyed by the interruption.

He turned around impatiently and saw a young man with a tuft of dyed yellow hair looking at him with feigned seriousness, saying, "Are you Su Yi?"

"Speak quickly if you have something to say, I'm playing around." Su Yi glanced at the guy with a puzzled look, then turned back to continue playing. His tone clearly revealed his impatience.

Being treated like he was invisible, the blond-haired kid looked quite annoyed and muttered, "My name is Lu Yang. I've heard you're good at StarCraft, King of Fighters, and billiards. I'd like to have a match with you today."

Hearing the kid's name, Su Yi felt a vague recollection. He seemed to have heard someone mention a guy from the nearby Fourth Middle School who was good at gaming, named Lu Yang. The Fourth Middle School wasn't close to the Third Middle School, and there were plenty of entertainment venues nearby. The students from the Third Middle School had no reason to come all the way to Zhongxing Middle School to play. Clearly, he was here to cause trouble.

Su Yi raised his eyebrows, a disdainful expression on his handsome face: "You think we can just compete like that? Don't be ridiculous, I'm busy." What a joke! If just any Tom, Dick, or Harry could bother him, he'd be exhausted long ago. Although this Lu Yang seemed to have some fame according to rumors, he didn't want to compete for something meaningless.

Seeing the other person's dismissive expression, Lu Yang became annoyed and shouted, "Are you scared? Everyone says you're the best at these games here. Are you afraid of losing?"

Su Yi turned around, giving Lu Yang a look as if he were an idiot, and laughed, "Don't try to provoke me. I never said I was the best. But if you really want to play, you can, but you'll have to offer something. Otherwise, every Tom, Dick, and Harry will come to me for a match, and I don't have the time for that." Su Yi stopped looking at him and turned to control his troops as he spoke.

"No problem, how much do you want?" Lu Yang asked impatiently.

"That depends on your confidence in yourself. Go ahead and say it."

Seeing Su Yi's indifferent demeanor, Lu Yang suppressed his anger, but in his heart he had already likened Su Yi to a paper doll, stabbing him countless times...

"How about three events, one hundred yuan each?" Lu Yang said through gritted teeth. This amount was already quite high among students. After all, students are not well-off. Usually, the prize money for competitions is only thirty or fifty yuan. Now, the three events together amount to three hundred yuan, which can be considered a very high bet.

“Okay, no problem.” As he spoke, Su Yi had already destroyed the opponent’s last building, and his victory score was displayed on the screen. He turned around, his bright eyes looking directly at Lu Yang, and said, “Now we can begin.”

Su Yi spoke calmly, but Lu Yang was shouting loudly. As a result, this bet attracted the attention of everyone in the game room from the very beginning. Everyone was excited to witness such a bet, especially one involving the legendary expert Su Yi. Many eyes were on the two people staring at each other.

Su Yi looked at the young man opposite him and said calmly, "What should we compete in first?"

"interstellar."

The two found their seats and settled in, surrounded by a large crowd. Su Yi had Lu Yang choose a map, and he picked the classic Lost Temple.

Lu Yang chose the human race, while Su Yi's race was randomized.

Start.

Su Yi's random race was the Protoss. A few minutes later, a group of Dark Hall warriors landed at Lu Yang's base, while Lu Yang was searching for Su Yi's location.

And so, unsurprisingly, they were wiped out.

It was a best-of-three match, and neither side could attack the other for the first ten minutes. Lu Yang's exasperated voice came from the crowd.

So, it started again.

This time, Su Yi's random race was Zerg.

Ten minutes later, from the weakest point in Lu Yang's defenses, numerous Zerg hives drifted in, dropping a large swarm of Zerg soldiers into Lu Yang's main base, while his entrance was also submerged by a massive Zerg swarm...

Su Yi walked out from the crowd and extended his index finger to Lu Yang with an innocent expression.

"Want to come again?" Su Yi asked playfully.

"Compare to King of Fighters!" Those three words were spoken through gritted teeth.

The King of Fighters '97 is a classic fighting game.

Lu Yang clearly chose Yagami.

Su Yi's random... was yet another blatant display of contempt.

Then, under everyone's watchful eyes, a combo—not flashy, but very practical—continues until the screen turns bright red.

The same result occurred in two consecutive rounds. As you can see, Lu Yang's eyes were red.

Su Yi smiled and held up two fingers in front of him—a V-shape.

The billiards hall. The crowd followed, including several young women who frequented the place, excitedly eyeing the two. Some even screamed at Su Yi, and their interest wasn't just in his looks. Having played there regularly, many had witnessed Su Yi's skill, making him exceptionally popular.

Lu Yang gripped the cue tightly, as if trying to draw strength from it. Of course, if someone could read the voice in his heart through his furrowed brows, they might understand his current state. That voice was similar to—Give me strength, I am He-Man!

Su Yi walked up to Lu Yang and said calmly, "I'll give you a chance to win back your losses. We'll bet two hundred on this last one. If you win, you can win it all back. How about it? Are you in?"

“What’s there to be afraid of? I agree,” Lu Yang said without backing down.

"Hey, classmate, keep your voice down. We're not here to compete in volume. You can start the game." Su Yi leaned against the table and gestured for them to start. The elegance of that gesture alone caught the eye of many girls.

Lu Yang didn't hold back. He teed off, potted two fancy balls, then potted two more fancy balls each. On his next shot, the fancy ball missed the middle hole by less than a centimeter.

It was Su Yi's turn. He began to survey the table, tilting his head slightly with a lazy smile. That expression alone drew whispered gasps of admiration from several infatuated girls.

Next, the onlookers exclaimed in admiration and then gasped in surprise, followed by silence.

When Su Yi's final stroke sent the black 8 into the hole, a collective sigh escaped the crowd, punctuated by a few screams.

Ignoring the girls' flirtatious glances, Su Yi walked up to the dazed Lu Yang, slowly extended three fingers, waved them in front of his eyes, and then turned them into four fingers.

Lu Yang finally came to his senses, took out a wad of cash from his pocket, counted out four hundred-yuan bills, and slapped them on the pool table. It was clear that he was quite wealthy.

"Don't be so smug. I'll come back for revenge when I've mastered my skills." With that harsh remark, Lu Yang hurriedly walked out, only to stumble at the doorway, drawing a burst of laughter from the onlookers.

Today's events are firmly imprinted in the hearts of many students, and through word of mouth, Su Yi's reputation has become even more renowned.

Stepping out of ZTE, Su Yi took a deep breath of fresh air. He wasn't a flamboyant person, but he couldn't bear to refuse someone who was practically offering him money. Thinking of Lu Yang's expression earlier, a smile crept onto his face. He figured the guy would be brooding for days. Earning four hundred so easily gave him a sense of accomplishment. Lately, fewer people dared to bet with him; he really should keep a low profile.

I looked up at the sun; it was almost high in the sky. What to do next? Hmm, first I'll grab something to eat at the stalls near the school gate, then I'll go check out the playground; there should be people playing soccer there.

Just as he was thinking this, he heard someone call his name from behind, and then felt a tap on his shoulder. Turning around, he saw a chubby boy named Zhang Tao, who said to Su Yi, "Su Yi, you've made quite a bit of money again! I was watching too, it was really exciting! We should teach that kid from No. 4 Middle School named Lu Yang a lesson, let him know whose territory Zhongxing is." Zhang Tao spoke excitedly, as if he himself had just beaten Lu Yang.

Actually, it was Zhang Tao who first taught Su Yi how to play games like billiards. Unfortunately, Su Yi was too talented, and his skill level far surpassed Zhang Tao's, reaching a level that Zhang Tao could only look up to. This was something that frustrated Zhang Tao a lot. But now, at least in front of others, he can proudly say that Su Yi, who is good at everything, was originally taught by him. Whether others believe it or not is another matter.