“Nice to meet you,” Leon Batton said, reaching out to shake Alex’s hand.The moon glowed brightly on this night, making Leon's skin seem particularly luminescent and smooth as the rays of moonlight shone on him.It also made him appear cold and detached.Alex shook his hand and asked, “You know me, don’t you?”Leon nodded. “Yeah. You’re the god of Top Solo.”Alex released his hand to scratch the back of his head awkwardly when he heard that. “That’s all in the past. I’m just an ordinary coach now.”“You’re not ordinary. You’re the best coach in the League of Legends' circle,” the teenager stated.Who could be as good as Alex in the entire League of Legends' circle?None of the other coaches in the eSports industry could be better than him.Nobody had a more glorious past than Alex.He was the first person to accomplish so much. Apart from being Team XS’s coach, he was also its current president.He was only second to Xyla in the company’s hierarchy.“You’re being too kind,"
“I’m the ADC," another boy with silver hair spoke up, extending his hand to the newcomer. "My name is Jackey, but I go by Jack in the game. I’m seventeen this year, the youngest on the team.”Leon Batton nodded and shook his hand. “Nice to meet you.”He also recognized Jackey, who used to be an internet streamer and a famous gamer in eSports.Xyla Quest signed him onto the team when he turned sixteen and trained him for an entire year.Jackey could only participate in competitions when he reached the minimum age of seventeen, and when he did, Team XS became even more powerful.The team’s capabilities rose significantly to the point where opponents were afraid of them.After they shook hands, Alex looked at Leon. “Our team manager isn’t around today. I’ll introduce you to him tomorrow. Here, I'd like you to meet our analyst.”With that, Alex pointed at a pretty lady heading down the stairs.She instantly stepped forward, smiling while she extended a hand to him.He shook her ha
“All right, Leon. I’ll show you around so you can familiarize yourself with the place. The rest of you, go and shower right now. Get changed and prepare to train at the top floor,” Alex added, motioning to Leon Batton with a welcoming gesture.Leon nodded and followed Alex around on the first floor before heading up to the subsequent levels above until they finally arrived on the top floor.The entire top floor was a spacious flat surface with perimeter walls and a ceiling made of glass.Various top-performing gaming laptops were set up by the windows.There were several massive refrigerators and comfortable-looking couches scattered around the room.Leon could see the starry sky and the ocean from here.The best views were just past the windows.“This is our training room here on the base. It will also be the place you hang around the longest each day. Everything you'll need is in the refrigerator. Are you happy with this set-up?” Alex asked.Leon nodded in awe. Everything see
Alex liked the idea of Team XS retaining many talented gamers as that was the only way for the team to yield good results.Perhaps that would make Xyla Quest happy.Alex had always prioritized her happiness throughout all these years. Previously, he half-expected his feelings for his boss would diminish gradually, but much to his surprise, he couldn’t develop feelings for anyone else.He had been secretly in love with Xyla for almost twenty years now. Did time pass too quickly, or was he too devoted to her?Over the years, he did encounter some decent women.Even now, there were still many pretty young women around him, but he didn’t have eyes for any of them.He didn’t even desire to speak to any of those women, let alone date them.He was honestly concerned that he might end up alone if this went on.Meanwhile, Leon Batton grew more confident after killing the opponent's Top Solo that he killed three others consecutively right after that.His opponent was so puzzled that h
“Not bad. Indeed, the newer generation has become even better than the past generations.”Alex peered at the computer screen while he spoke, not bothering to filter his compliments.“You’re too kind,” Leon Batton mumbled humbly with a shake of his head. He was never the type of person who liked showing off.“Not at all. I’m only speaking the truth. Rare talents like you are hard to find! I’ve never seen anyone like you in the LPL Region.” Alex couldn’t help but sigh.After the match ended, the others were eager for more, so they asked to play another round.“Leon, you were too quick to kill the enemies. I haven’t even gotten the chance to demonstrate my skills.”“Yeah, let’s play another round!”“You massacred our opponents in such a short amount of time. We haven’t even had our fun yet!”“I didn’t even get to pull my sword yet, and you already killed all of them. That won’t do. We have to play a few more rounds. I want to have fun!”“Playing this game has always been fun, but
The others could understand that and agreed to stop playing.“Would you like to stay here in the future?” Alex asked.He knew Leon Batton had a place to stay back home, but he had to ask anyway.“I’m not sure yet,” the teenager answered with a smile.For him, it would have been better if he stayed at home while he still had to go to school.However, he wasn’t against the idea of staying over during weekends if training sessions lasted much longer in the evenings.“In that case, I’ll take you to your room first,” Alex said before leading the group to a room they had prepared in advance.The room had a luxurious design that hinted at European royalty.A gentle breeze blew in through the French windows. The moist sea breeze had a salty tinge, and Leon detected the taste when it gently brushed against the loose strand of hair on his forehead.Leon closed his eyes and enjoyed the feeling of the breeze caressing comfortingly against his face.“Of course, your room is the best room
The original Top Solo player, Jonathan, sighed as he played. “I guess the new generation is better than the previous one.“I guess I’m no longer the best now,” he added.Although he couldn't help but be envious of Leon Batton’s talent, he was only sighing out of frustration.Hearing his laments, Alex instantly approached him, gently patting him on the back. “Jonathan, don’t say that. It's only a phase. All professional gamers experience this.“I used to feel lost at times, too. I even doubted myself at one point,” he added.Right then, the team had just won the current match.Jonathan turned his head and peered at Alex excitedly. “How did you get back on track?”He had been trying to get back on track recently, but he could no longer return to his peak performance. He was beginning to doubt his capabilities. In fact, on some quiet nights, he would even think about quitting.Alex immediately thought back to the past, smiling at the memories.“It’s our boss, Xyla, who pulled m
“Coach, haven’t you considered leaving this club over the past few years?” Jonathan asked again.Alex shook his head without hesitation. “I haven’t.”“From what I heard, many people have offered you very high salaries. Haven’t your thoughts wavered?”Alex shook his head again.“What about you guys? Many people have been trying to poach you, too. Haven’t you thought of leaving?” he asked.Jonathan and the others quickly shook their heads.“It’s great here. Why would I leave? Compared to money, I value the team’s future and the team’s environment much more,” Jonathan said.“Exactly! I’d be crazy to leave this club,” Damien spoke up.The team’s ADC player, Jackey, also shared his thoughts. “Yeah, other clubs don’t allow players as much freedom as Team XS does. We are allowed to train however we like. Nobody cares. We can play whatever we want during matches and are given absolute freedom.”“Other clubs have targets on one’s rank increment each day. How exhausting is that?” he add
Xyla quickly reached for Hannah’s hand. “Is that right? Hannah, you’re amazing…! You’re practically on par with Leon!”Hannah laughed, slightly embarrassed. “Not at all.”“Oh, cut it out. If you hadn’t helped me, how could I have improved so quickly?” Leon chuckled.“I guess I’ve lived up to my promise.” Hannah giggled along.Back then, she had promised Leon that she would become someone deserving of him.She claimed that she would grow with Leon.Without a doubt, she had done it.Now, Hannah had become a successful woman many would often speak of. She earned her rightful seat next to Leon as the CEO of Dragon Group.Stanley also turned to look at Hannah. “Yes, Hannah’s very capable. She’s our family pride.”Hannah laughed. “I was lucky to be accepted by your family.”In fact, Hannah genuinely felt grateful toward the Batton family over the years she had spent with them.They had helped her through all the hardship she encountered when she was poor and down on her luck.Aft
“Hannah, I’ve taken the first step for you. Are you willing to walk by my side for the rest of our lives?” Leon asked, serious.“Yes, I am…” Hannah answered without missing a beat.“I’ll protect you. From now on, you don’t have to worry about a single thing.” With that, Leon placed both hands on Hannah’s face and kissed her on the lips.The moment their lips touched, everything felt surreal…Hannah could feel pink, light bubbles floating all around her. It felt as if all the flowers in the world were blossoming at once.In Hannah’s dark, depressing life, Leon was her only salvation.He was a ray of hope that led her out of hell, so she could see light once more.Hannah thought she would never have anything to do with Leon after she quit school.Even until now, she still remembered how sorrowful she was on her last day of school.But now… Not only did she get the opportunity to interact with him once more, but they also became a couple.Their driver sighed to himself while
Over time, Leon’s feelings for Hannah grew deeper, stronger, and more intense.He had grown used to having her with him all the time.Thus, he hoped she would stay by his side for the rest of his life.Upon hearing his words, Hannah’s mind went blank.What did her dream guy just say?Was she dreaming?Hannah quickly pinched her palm at the thought in an attempt to discern between dream and reality.Her palm hurt. That meant this wasn’t a dream. It was real!Hannah felt even more dumbfounded…This meant Leon actually liked her! He was confessing to her, wasn’t he?Did her dream guy actually reciprocate her feelings?Never in her wildest dreams did Hannah imagine she would go through such an experience.Excitement jammed her mind, so much that she was rendered speechless. There were many things she wanted to say, and yet, she couldn’t utter a single word.Her heartbeat increased rapidly, and her entire body began to shake. Sensing her trembling body, Leon tightened his e
Immediately after, the men in black pulled out guns from their pockets, which they aimed at Raymond’s head.Raymond panicked instantly, going pale.He subconsciously retreated a step back. “Who are you? Don’t you know what you’re doing is illegal?”Leon sneered. “You don’t deserve to know my name. In this city, I am the law.”Leon’s domineering words made him seem even more imposing.At this moment, Hannah felt as if he was a guardian angel sent from Heaven to protect her.Something about him seemed oddly sacred and heavenly.“Mr. Batton, do I shoot him in the head?” One of the men dressed in black asked.“Mr. Batton? Are you Stanley Batton’s son?!” Fear was beginning to spread through Raymond. For one to have Batton as his surname and act this arrogantly in Atlantis, he could be none other than a member of the renowned Batton family.“How dare you address our president by name?!” Another man in black leveled Raymond with a chilling glare.Suffice to say, Raymond was terrif
Terrible pain ached at every part of Hannah’s body as she collided with the cold, hard ground.The pain was such that all her bones felt close to breaking. Everywhere hurt badly.At that moment, Hannah felt like a fragile doll made of clay that had been forcefully slammed hard against the ground until it broke into small pieces.Her mind went blank from the stinging agony.She braced herself and looked at the cold eyes staring back at her, filled with terror. Stammering, she asked, “Mr. Gray… What is the meaning of this?” “What’s the meaning of this? Ha! Don’t you know what’s good for you? You dumb b*tch… You’re lucky that I set my sights on you!”“How dare you refuse my feelings! Not just that, but you even made up a story to deceive me!”“Even when you saw me, you tried to trick me again!”“Do you think I’m stupid? That I can’t think? Do you honestly think I’d fall for your lies again and again?” Raymond went, his tone steadily rising into a furious roar.He then got on o
Although the sun had long sunk beneath the horizons and darkness had set in, the lively city wasn’t about to be silent anytime soon. Hannah felt deeply unsettled, so much that she didn’t leave right away.Instead, she waited in front of the bar, filled with hesitance and anxiety.Should she really leave?Would Rihanna truly be able to sort things out?The man was Raymond Gray… Neither Rihanna nor the bar could afford to upset him, lest they face terrible repercussions.Hannah remained standing on the same spot, uncertain. She really didn’t know what to do.Finally, she came to a decision. She took out her phone and tapped open a ride-hailing application on her phone.Yet just as she did that, she instantly closed it. Afterwards, she began pacing back and forth in worried circles, going to and fro aimlessly. Right as she was trapped in her worried musings, a group of people exited the bar. Raymond Gray, dressed in black, sporty attire, led all of them in a flamboyant manner.
A handsome waiter quickly walked in and looked at Rihanna. “Ms. Jensen, Mr. Gray out there insists that Hannah should get on stage to sing another song. I told him that Hannah would only sing three songs today…”“He lost his temper and claimed he’d destroy our bar if Hannah refuses to sing another song…” The waiter added. He was visibly trembling by the end of the sentence.Hannah figured Mr. Gray was probably the only son of the new mayor of Atlantis there weren’t many people with Gray as their surname in Atlantis. There were even less people who were arrogant like him. He was the only one.Hannah had heard about how terrible this person could be. He was known to be a womanizer too.Due to his powerful background, he looked down on everyone else. He didn’t respect women at all… Moreover, he had a relatively cruel personality. One could almost describe him as being a pervert.There was once when an owner of a bar offended a female internet celebrity he was dating. He directly hired
Hannah Roland smiled politely at Lina Cohen. “Nice to meet you… Thank you in advance!”“No problem… Do let me know if there’s anything you don’t like about your makeup too,” Lina said.Hannah nodded. “Okay, sure…”“By the way… Do all the signers here get such good treatment? I’m surprised we’re even assigned our own makeup artists,” Hannah asked carefully as she wasn’t aware about things like these..However, Lina smiled without answering Hannah’s question directly. She held Hannah’s hand casually the next second, “Come here. I’ll start doing your makeup now…”Hannah nodded…Lina was a very professional makeup artist. She took an hour to finish Hannah’s makeup.An hour later, Hannah’s appearance transformed completely.Lina permed Hannah’s long, black hair into natural-looking curls.Hannah had intricate peach-colored makeup on her face which made her appear lively and youthful.Once Lina was done with Hannah’s makeup, she happily retrieved a long, white dress from a clothes
Hannah Roland smiled without saying anything.***Hannah arrived at the bar where she worked at seven o’clock the next evening and walked into Rihanna Jensen’s office.Rihanna was going through paperwork in her office. When she saw Hannah, she immediately stood up and smiled at her. “Hannah, you’re here…”“Here’s the contract…” Rihanna said before pushing a thick stack of paper to the center of the table.Hannah quickly stepped forward and skimmed through the document. She then picked up a pen and signed it…Rihanna smiled upon seeing this. “Okay… I’ll transfer the money into your account tonight… I’ve told our big boss about your situation. He’s fine with my decision to pay your salary in advance. In fact, he even told me I did a good job…”“He said you can sing without worrying about a single thing… If you need any help in the future, do let us know…” Rihanna added.Hannah felt glad when she heard this, and became teary-eyed. “Thank you… Please thank our big boss for me too.