The two walked all the way to the plaza’s outer edge—practically beyond it—before finally reaching their destination.

Tucked beneath a tree’s shade stood another booth, utterly secluded. A bold sign read “E-Sports and Entertainment Club.” Below it sat only a desk and one guy, hunched behind it, glued to his phone.

Frankly, it was downright shabby. Even the Model Club had displayed a few plastic models. This club? Barely one person—and not exactly handsome.

The chubby guy strode over and slammed the desk twice. The force made Shu Yuxin, trailing behind, worry the rickety desk might splinter apart. The phone guy jolted. Once he had his attention, the chubby guy spoke in that weirdly serious-yet-scoundrel tone, annoyed: “I asked you to watch the booth. *This* is how you do it? No wonder nobody’s showing up.”

He hadn’t spotted Shu Yuxin behind the chubby guy—Kai’s bulk blocked the view completely. He shot back, “Holy shit, blaming *me*? I came here on a weekend to cover your booth for half an hour—that’s already generous! With this rickety setup and a club name like that, who’d even care? You lost your mind?”

“Oh yeah? I found one.” Kai stepped aside like proof. Shu Yuxin came into view.

The guy’s phone clattered onto the desk. “Holy shit!”

“Watch your mouth. Show some manners—we’re in a harmonious society,” Kai said with exaggerated solemnity. He turned to Shu Yuxin. “Meet this skinny guy—Guan Di. Call him Old Guan. He’s our club’s second-in-command.”

“Please. Our club barely has members,” Guan Di said, snapping out of shock. He scratched his head, picked up his phone. “Hey miss, thinking of joining?”

Shu Yuxin hesitated. “Somewhat… I heard you have lots of games?”

“Absolutely! Games? We’ve got piles,” Guan Di stood, one hand braced on the desk, the other waving like a low-tier pyramid scheme recruiter. “Join us—you get *any* game someone’s into. We pool funds to buy it. Plus: PCs, PS—PlayStation, Sony’s console—you use a controller; Xbox (library’s thin); our president even donated several Nintendo Switches. Play anytime! What’re you waiting for? Fill this form—you’re family!”

He yanked an application form from the desk and slapped it down with a crisp *thwack*.

Shu Yuxin blinked, momentarily overwhelmed.

Kai wiped his brow and stepped closer. “Full transparency: we’ve got barely fifty members. Seniors are quitting this year. All those consoles? Not on our campus. Our activity building’s been under renovation since last year—only a few rooms left, and small clubs like ours got none. Our activity room’s at Minghai University. Great setup, but far. Run there, run back. Sometimes the neighboring uni locks us out… so we wait.”

Guan Di yanked him aside. Dragging Kai several meters flushed the skinny guy’s face crimson. “Kai, for fuck’s sake—get her to join *first*, spill the downsides later!”

“Why?”

“Afraid she’ll bolt? Who dumps ‘we have no room here’ on a newbie?”

“If she runs, she runs,” Kai shrugged carelessly.

“And what’s your plan? Trick her in, then handle the drama if she’s unhappy? Trying to sink the club?” Kai scratched his belly, shot Guan Di a baffled glare. “Drop it. We’re not a scam. So she’s a girl—big deal? Can’t your waifu satisfy you anymore?”

Guan Di took two sharp breaths, exasperated. “Fuck you.”

“Go fuck yourself,” Kai replied with mock politeness.

Kai turned back to Shu Yuxin. “No rush deciding. Join anytime. If curious, I’ll show you the Minghai activity room today. Facilities are solid.”

“Your room’s at Minghai University?” Shu Yuxin asked after a pause.

Kai nodded.

“How’d you even get access?”

“No way we applied alone. Partnered with the *other* E-Sports and Entertainment Club next door. Two clubs, one team. Few members, so we chip in for games/gear. Shared costs ease the load.”

Shu Yuxin froze. “Does everyone pay? …Not that I mind—but if it’s too much, I can’t. My family’s situation isn’t great.”

“We planned for that. Not buying stuff daily. Ten to twenty yuan monthly—standard club fee.”

Shu Yuxin let out a quiet sigh of relief.

“Shu Yuxin!” A girl’s voice called. Peng Xiaoxiao ran over, waving. “Finally found you! You left without telling me?”

Shu Yuxin smiled apologetically. “You were chatting happily… I wandered off alone.”

“What club? E-Sports and Entertainment? Gaming?” Peng Xiaoxiao stopped beside her, eyeing the shabby booth.

Guan Di nodded, opening his mouth to pitch again—

“Holy shit, Kai, seriously? Poaching members? Not cool,” cut in a new voice.

They turned. The chubby guy from the Model Club strode over, face twisted in pained disbelief.