"Boss."
Everyone silently lowered their heads, not daring to speak.
Ye Jiuliang turned his gaze to the others, his voice growing cold, "Have you all gone mute?"
"Boss, it was Anders and his group." Gao Yangâs voice was hoarse as he briefly explained the situation.
Anders?
Ye Jiuliang had little impression of this character, vaguely recalling only that his team was like a band of peacocks with all sorts of colorful hair.
No matter what they looked like, this feud was now established.
He turned his gaze to Baona, "Baona, arrange for someone to take Lin Yan to the hospital."
"Boss, I still have a match later," Lin Yan said softly.
Ye Jiuliang gave him a glance, "With both hands bound up like pigâs trotters, how are you going to compete?"
Lin Yan shrank his neck, intimidated by her gaze.
"Lin Yan, listen to the boss. With the boss here, we wonât lose the match," Liu Cong said.
"Letâs go, letâs go." Gao Yang and Liu Cong each took one side of Lin Yan, supporting him as they left.
"Boss, without Lin Yan, weâre one person short for the team match," Wu Bin said.
Ye Jiuliang lifted his eyes to Xiang Tian, his indifferent voice calm and unrushed, "Adjust the lineup first. Donât worry, if weâre one person short on our side, I wonât allow them to have an extra person on their side either."
"Boss, you..." Xiang Tianâs face showed astonishment.
That tone sounded like it was implying a fight was about to happen.
"Iâll step out for a bit and will be back soon. No one is allowed to follow me. Baona, watch them," Ye Jiuliang turned and left, closing the door behind him.
"Is the boss going to cause a scene?" Wu Bin swallowed, a hint of worry appearing on his face.
"Captain, wonât the boss be at a disadvantage?"
Xiang Tian shook his head. He had seen Ye Jiuliangâs skills before and doubted that even all of Andersâs team together would be enough for her to beat.
"Listen to the boss, adjust the lineup first, and weâll make further decisions when the boss returns."
Everyone nodded.
...
Another locker room
Even through the slightly ajar door, the sound of raucous laughter could be heard.
Uninitiated onlookers might think they had already won the championship and were celebrating.
"Lei Ding, you went too hard on him. That Lin Yan was beaten so badly by you that even Xiang Tian might not recognize him," someone said.
Lei Ding scoffed, "If I were really hard, that kid Lin Yan wouldnât have been able to walk back. He got what he deserved for overestimating himself."
"But still, with Lin Yan in that state, he definitely wonât be able to play. This way, their team match is undoubtedly lost," someone else chimed in.
"Lei Ding, if only youâd taken down Gao Yang too, then their individual matches would be doomed, and weâd win without lifting a finger," Yake said with a laugh.
"Bangâ"
The sound of the door being kicked made everyone tremble.
The smile that had not yet faded from Lei Ding and the othersâ faces froze as they turned to look.
Against the light, a tall and lean figure had taken over everyoneâs field of vision.
Ye Jiuliang pulled back her foot, one hand casually in her pocket, strolling in nonchalantly.
"How exactly do you plan on winning without lifting a finger? Why donât you tell me about it, hm?" Her gaze was cold and oppressive, as a chill rose from the soles of their feet.
At that moment, everyone felt as if theyâd fallen into an ice cave.
Despite the bright sun outside, it was chillingly cold in the room.
"Who are you?" Yake, slow on the uptake, realized heâd been intimidated by a young girl and showed annoyance.
"This is our locker room. Who let you in?"
Anders stood up and pushed Yake aside, locking his gaze on Ye Jiuliang, "Are you a friend of Xiang Tian?"
After last yearâs competition, he had inadvertently seen Xiang Tian talking with this young woman, and her delicate features were hard to forget.
Ye Jiuliang didnât pay him any attention, slowly rolling up her sleeves, her brow and eyes showing a defiant hue, "Who hit Lin Yan, step forward."
Her slow speech was laced with a chilly undertone.