The Man They Threw Away

The rain began the moment the glass doors of Team Solarion's headquarters closed behind Gu Chenzhou. Inside, the lobby blazed with light. A photograph from the World Championship hung across the far wall. In its center, a younger Chenzhou raised a silver trophy beneath a storm of gold confetti, ZHOU shining across the back of his jersey. Outside, he had one suitcase and a freshly signed termination agreement. His phone would not stop vibrating. Solarion's announcement had gone live two minutes earlier: *Following an amicable discussion, world-champion jungler Gu Chenzhou departs the team effective immediately.* The first comment came from manager Pei Heng.