Chapter Four: Ten Million in Counterfeit Applause

Two hours before the Arbitration Arena opened, Su Wanqing took Lin Jin to an abandoned studio. His address was public now; his apartment was no longer safe. As soon as he connected his headset, Zenith sent a settlement offer: five million yuan, surgery for his wrist, and withdrawal of the lawsuit—if he made a “natural mistake” in the third round. Lin Jin dragged the contract onto his stream and rejected it before twenty-three million viewers. Zhao Qian appeared for the first time. The owner of Zenith smiled from the VIP gallery. “Courage is admirable. Professional competition recognizes only results.” The rules appeared: best of three, normalized levels and equipment, random World Championship maps.