The fog lifted on the third morning of the trials, revealing a sharp, sunlit sky. It was the kind of weather Shen Wanqing usually loved, crisp, clear, like the scope of a freshly cleaned Kar98k.
But today, her mind was anything but clear.
She couldn't stop thinking about the flash drive.
Reign or Lu Zeyan wasn't who she thought. Not just the cold, unreadable star with an insane KD ratio. Beneath the layers of detachment and icy calculation was someone who'd once trusted too much… and lost everything.
She understood that kind of hurt more than she liked to admit.
And now he'd chosen to share it with her.
Training Room 3 – Tactical Theory Review
Today's trial wasn't about reflexes or headshots. It was a strategy simulation that most rookies failed.
Each participant was given a 6-minute replay of a failed pro team match and asked to rewrite the endgame strategy live, explaining their thinking to a jury of coaches and analysts.
Wanqing watched the footage carefully. A squad trapped in a compound. Smokes misused. Rotation missed. She paused, scrubbed, and rewound.
And then rewrote the entire escape path in her mind not with brute force, but with misdirection.
She stood up and calmly outlined a decoy strat, predicting sniper flanks and forcing a reposition from the enemy's main fragger.
When she finished, the room was silent.
One of the analysts murmured, "That's exactly what Reign did two years ago at the Global Trials."
Coach Duan glanced at her, then made a note.
She had no idea she'd just passed one of the hardest non-combat trials of the selection.
Cafeteria – Noon Break
She found a quiet spot at the edge of the cafeteria. She hadn't expected company, which made it all the more surprising when someone placed a second tray down beside hers.
Reign.
No hoodie this time. Just a plain black shirt and the same sharp, unreadable gaze.
She raised an eyebrow. "No fans today?"
"I'm hiding," he said flatly.
Wanqing almost laughed.
They ate in silence for a few minutes before he spoke again.
"You predicted a sniper flank. Most people only see the compound."
"I watch for shadows," she said, sipping her water.
He looked at her, something unreadable flickering in his eyes. "That's how you survive. And how you lose people."
She didn't ask what he meant. She already knew.
Training Arena – Trust Trial
A surprise trial was announced in the afternoon.
Each competitor was assigned a random partner for a duo obstacle course, a hybrid of FPS mechanics, problem-solving, and coordination.
One would be blindfolded. The other would guide them. No in-game vision. No pings. Only voice.
And by pure algorithmic chance, Shen Wanqing was paired with Lu Zeyan.
When the pairings were revealed, the room buzzed like a beehive.
"No way that's random," someone whispered. "They're testing chemistry."
As Reign approached, Wanqing stood already holding the blindfold.
"I'm guiding," she said.
He didn't argue. Just nodded and let her tie the cloth over his eyes.
The Trial
They dropped into the mock map, a maze of sound traps, dummies, and real projectile triggers. One mistake and the duo would lose points or face disqualification.
Wanqing's voice remained even, clear.
"Left two steps. Stop. Crouch. Enemy shadow at two o'clock, rotate your aim three degrees clockwise."
Reign moved like a machine, following her every word with no hesitation. No second-guessing. No arrogance.
She realized something strange: he was letting her lead.
And he trusted her completely.
Mid-course, they had to cross a collapsing beam while snipers fired blank pellets at them. The smallest mistake would reset them to the start.
She reached out and gripped his forearm.
"Don't think. Just follow."
His hand closed over hers, firm and steady.
"I do," he said.
They made it across in 42 seconds, the fastest time of the day.
Scoreboard – Later That Evening
"Team 9: 98/100 – PASS"Names listed: QingQingSnipes + Reign
As she read their score, Wanqing felt a shift she hadn't expected. Not from him.
From herself.
She was starting to lean in, without realizing it.Starting to want him to stay close.
And that terrified her more than any headshot.