7:00 PM sharp.
Shen Wanqing's fingers hovered over her keyboard as the PUBG matchmaking screen loaded. The invite-only scrim lobby popped up. Password required.
She typed it in.
HEADSHOT
With a soft click, the screen loaded into a lobby, but not like any she'd seen before.
12 players. Duo Mode. Invite-only. Private server.
No tags. No team names. But she recognized some of the usernames. And they weren't streamers.
[Reign][Q1Ghost][VandalX][EchoGale]
Her pulse quickened. These were national-level professionals. Titans of the scene.
She was the only outsider.
And then a notification blinked at the bottom corner.
[Reign] has invited you to his duo.
Her mouth went dry.
Him.
The same sniper god she'd killed days ago.Now asking to team up?
"What's your play, Reign?" she whispered.
She clicked ACCEPT.
Match Start – Map: Erangel
They dropped Rozhok — a high-risk, high-reward urban fight zone. Before she could ask for loot calls, Reign was already clearing buildings.
He didn't speak. Not in voice chat. Not in pings.
But his movement was surgical. Landing smokes, baiting enemies, covering her angles. He played like a mind reader.
Is he testing me… or teaching me?
Two kills in, Wanqing found herself syncing to his rhythm. She watched his flank, baited enemy footsteps, even scored a clean long-range snipe that made him pause briefly in acknowledgment.
They made it to the top 4.
The circle closed in.
4 players left. 2v1v1.
Wanqing crouched behind a haystack, heartbeat matching the zone's pulse.
"Split," Reign typed suddenly in chat.
It was the only word he said all match.
She nodded, peeled off right. As she peeked over the ridge, an enemy popped from behind a tree.
Bang. Body shot.
She took cover. The second shot would be a trade kill... unless
Bang.Enemy down.
[Kill: Reign → Gale_88]
Wanqing blinked. He had rotated behind the enemy in silence and took the shot she couldn't.
1 left.
She turned just in time to see the final opponent peeking at her left.
Bang.Knocked her.
Crawling. Smoke out.
Death was seconds away... When the final bullet fired.
[Kill: Reign → Skyrider]
WINNER WINNER CHICKEN DINNER
Post-Match Lobby
The lobby returned to silence. One by one, the pros began dropping out.
Then her screen blinked.
[Reign has sent you a private message.]
She hesitated. Clicked.
Reign: "You're not good because you're lucky. You're good because you're dangerous."Reign: "Be in Shenzhen next Friday. You're invited to the Phoenix Selection Trials."Reign: "Don't be late."
Wanqing stared at the message.
Shenzhen. Phoenix Trials.The top 10 players in China would be tested there — to form a new elite national team.
And he had just personally invited her.
Her fingers shook. Not with fear.
With fire.
"Challenge accepted, Reign."