The Man They Threw Away

He opened a coin-toss app and made a random prediction. Nothing happened. He deliberately stepped toward a red pedestrian light. A gray notification appeared. **[Dangerous behavior with no competitive value will not be evaluated.]** "At least you have principles." A direct message appeared on his phone. It came from Nightglow. Lin Wanzhao was one of *Rift Dominion's* three most watched technical streamers and a former Solarion academy mid laner. A wrist injury had ended her academy career two years earlier, but elite mechanics and a tongue sharp enough to cut steel had made her the streaming scene's most sought-after practice partner. **Heard you're free?** Chenzhou replied, **Six-month noncompete.**