To prevent fans from harassing the players, the backstage channel at the venue is usually closed during matches. Those who know the entrances and exits of the backstage channel must be professional players, coaches, or venue staff.

Lining up to leave with the audience would take at least half an hour. Since they could leave early, Ye Shaoyang didn’t think much of it. He stood up and said to his younger brother beside him, “Xiao Rui, let’s go.”

A bewildered Qin Rui finally came back to his senses. He quickly followed behind his brother and whispered in Ye Shaoyang’s ear, “Brother, aren’t you afraid he’s a scammer? Are you really going with him?”

Ye Shaoyang held back a smile and said, “Sending 200,000 in gifts just to scam me? He doesn’t seem like someone with a sick brain.”

Qin Rui still couldn’t believe it. “So, he really is a coach and wants you to become an esports player, Brother?”

Ye Shaoyang: “Yeah.”

As they spoke, the two had already followed Chi Shuo at a brisk pace to a hidden door near the stage.

Chi Shuo took a card from his pocket and placed it on the sensor area. The hidden door opened before them. He bent down to walk in, then turned back to Ye Shaoyang and said, “Be careful, there are steps here.”

Ye Shaoyang walked up the steps and pulled Xiao Rui in as well.

After passing a flight of stairs going up, they arrived at the second-floor lobby.

The lobby was brightly lit, and Ye Shaoyang finally got a clear look at him. The man in front of him was nearly 1.9 meters tall, a full half-head taller than himself. The Alpha’s legs were straight and slender—an enviable model-like figure.

Ye Shaoyang looked up at him. “Are we going out through the backstage?”

Chi Shuo nodded and said, “Going out from here leads to the parking lot on the second floor of the Esports Center. We’ll drive out directly.”

The two followed behind him through a wide corridor. Ye Shaoyang noticed there were many rooms on both sides of the long corridor, including lounges, viewing areas, press interview areas, and so on.

A conversation drifted over from the viewing area: “Little Star, why didn’t I see your Master?”

“Master didn’t come today, he’s resting at the hotel.”

“Oh, I was just saying, how could Captain Chi not come to the venue for such an important match.”

A young teenager suddenly ran out of the viewing area and almost crashed right into Ye Shaoyang. The teenager froze for a moment, looking up at Ye Shaoyang with some confusion. That look seemed to say: Who are you? How come I’ve never seen you before?

Ye Shaoyang smiled politely at him, walked past him, and quickly caught up with Chi Shuo.

Cheng Xing scratched his head. He couldn’t shake the feeling that the tall man’s back profile ahead looked especially like his Master’s? Before he even had time to speak, the man’s back quickly disappeared around the corner of the corridor.

Chi Shuo walked very fast. There were too many professional players and reporters in the viewing area; it would be hard to explain if they bumped into anyone. Ye Shaoyang also quickened his pace to keep up. Within three minutes, they exited the backstage area and arrived directly at the second-floor parking lot.

The Star City Esports Center’s venue design was very considerate.

By taking the second floor, players could avoid the audience swarming out from the first floor.

Chi Shuo walked up to a black sedan. Sensing its owner’s approach, the car automatically turned on its daytime running lights. He opened the rear door and said politely, “Get in.”

Ye Shaoyang brought his brother and got into the back seat together. Chi Shuo got into the driver’s seat and started the car.

The black sedan swiftly drove out of the parking lot and onto a nearby highway.

Ye Shaoyang looked through the car window at the aerial traffic network outside. Since arriving in this world, he had been staying at home playing games; today was his second time going out. He was still very unfamiliar with this city, but he figured he would slowly get used to it later.

Anyway, he had always been a homebody. As long as there was food and drink, he could stay at the base for half a year without going out.

Half an hour later, the car got off the highway and turned onto a relatively remote side road. Ye Shaoyang looked up and saw a signboard hanging on a building in the distance. It read: “Star City Esports Youth Training Base.”

Chi Shuo said in a low voice, “The country now attaches great importance to the cultivation of youth trainees, so Star City has a youth training base. Kids interested in playing esports are sent here by their parents for testing. Those who pass the tests can undergo a period of trial training. Major teams also come to the youth training base every year to select people.”

Such a training system was indeed very good; it prevented talents suited for esports from being buried.

And for those who had the dream of playing esports but didn’t meet the qualifications, they could also learn they had no talent through professional testing, giving up their illusions early and finding another way out.

Ye Shaoyang asked with interest, “What do the test items include?”

He wondered if the esports player testing items were the same as in his previous life.

Chi Shuo said, “You’ll know in a moment.”

He pulled the car into the parking lot, then opened the door to let Ye Shaoyang and Qin Rui out.

Chi Shuo took out his phone and dialed someone’s number. “Hello, Coach Xu, I’ve arrived… Yes, go straight to the second floor, right? Okay, see you in a bit.”

He hung up the phone, turned back to Ye Shaoyang, and said, “Let’s go. I’ve already informed Coach Xu that we’ll be borrowing their testing equipment.”

Ye Shaoyang followed behind him and walked into the building together.

The afternoon match had lasted for three and a half hours, so it was already 6:00 PM when they arrived here.

It was exactly dinner time, and the newcomers in the youth training camp were pouring into the cafeteria to eat. Ye Shaoyang encountered many seventeen- or eighteen-year-old youths in the stairwell, all of whom cast curious glances at him.

Seeing him heading towards the testing center on the second floor, many youth trainees whispered in confusion:

“Who is this guy?”

“Never seen him before. Is he here for testing?”

“His mask is covering him up so tightly, can’t even see what he looks like!”

“The kid walking at the very back is pretty cute, looks like an Omega.”

“An Omega coming for testing? No way.”

Hearing their hushed discussions, Qin Rui’s ears turned slightly red. He said, “Brother, how about I don’t take the test? I’m afraid… I’ll fail.”

Ye Shaoyang smiled and looked at his younger brother. “You can give it a try. What if you have talent?”

Qin Rui immediately waved his hands. “I definitely can’t. When a team fight breaks out, it takes me forever just to press a skill. I’ll just wait for you outside.” He obediently went outside to find a stool and sat down.

Chi Shuo pointed to the door ahead and said to Ye Shaoyang, “It’s right here.”

A sign hung on the door, reading “Esports Player Talent Testing Center.” Ye Shaoyang remembered that the GD team’s base in the past also had a testing center like this. The familiar sign couldn’t help but make him smile.

Chi Shuo knocked on the door, and a gruff voice came from inside: “Come in.”

Pushing the door open, they saw a middle-aged man wearing casual clothes. The man had a beard, a head full of messy hair, and an unkempt appearance, looking exactly like a Beggar Sect elder who had just woken up.

Ye Shaoyang: “…”

Chi Shuo took the initiative to introduce him, “This is Coach Xu, the head coach of the Star City youth training camp. Many professional players who came out of the Star City youth training base received his guidance when they were rookies.”

Coach Xu laughed heartily. “Forget about guidance; it was more like a severe beating.”

He opened his arms and gave Chi Shuo a hug, lowering his voice to say, “Little Chi, what’s the meaning of this? You come to the base wearing a hat and a mask, putting on airs with this old man?”

Chi Shuo said softly, “Just came from the venue, special circumstances, please understand. I need to trouble you to test this person’s talent.”

Coach Xu looked at the person next to him, then met a pair of bright, smiling eyes.

Those eyes were confident and calm, showing absolutely no tension or panic about coming to an unfamiliar place. Just this psychological quality alone was far superior to those trembling rookies who came to the base for the first time.

Coach Xu’s first impression of him wasn’t bad. He raised an eyebrow and asked while drinking tea, “Kid, you want to play esports too? How old are you this year?”

Ye Shaoyang smiled and said, “Coach, I’m not a kid, I’m 21.”

Pfft! Coach Xu almost spat out his tea. He looked at Chi Shuo with a face full of confusion. His gaze seemed to say: Have you lost your mind, bringing a 21-year-old here for testing?

Chi Shuo said in a low voice, “Let’s test him and see.”

Coach Xu set down his teacup and waved at Ye Shaoyang. “Alright, follow me.”

He led Ye Shaoyang into the adjacent room.

There was a lot of professional testing equipment here. Coach Xu pointed to a computer, signaling Ye Shaoyang to sit down. “The first item is very simple. In a moment, different colors will appear on the computer screen. The instant the color changes, immediately press the mouse. This item tests your reaction speed.”

Ye Shaoyang asked, “What’s the required reaction speed for an esports player in milliseconds?”

1 second equals 1000 milliseconds, and an esports player’s reaction speed is indeed calculated in milliseconds. In his past life, the domestic requirement for an esports player’s reaction time was 150~170 milliseconds, which is 0.15~0.17 seconds.

Coach Xu said, “The standard for a professional player requires reaching 150~170 milliseconds. You need to test 5 times, and the fluctuation across the 5 tests cannot exceed 30 milliseconds.”

It was the same as the rules from his past life.

An ordinary person’s reaction speed is usually over 220 milliseconds (0.22 seconds). Esports players need to reach 150~170, for five consecutive times, without a fluctuation of more than 30 milliseconds (0.03 seconds). Because fluctuations mean you won’t be stable enough on the stage, which is something coaches and teammates don’t want to see.

Ye Shaoyang nodded. “Understood, let’s begin.”

Coach Xu pressed start, and Ye Shaoyang immediately became focused.

The color block in the middle of the screen would suddenly change colors. The instant it changed, he swiftly clicked the mouse, and the computer automatically recorded the data. After five consecutive tests, Coach Xu looked at him with some surprise. “Five consecutive times, all exactly 0.15 seconds. Your reaction is very fast, and extremely stable!”

Chi Shuo stood to the side without saying a word.

Coach Xu became excited, as if he had discovered a rare animal. “Come on, next item.”

The second item was a dynamic vision test.

In the blank area in the middle of the computer, randomly arranged little squares would appear. Those squares would only stay on the screen for 1 second. The player needed to instantly capture the image, memorize it, and recreate it.

At first, it was only 5 or 6 small squares, which was relatively easy to remember. Later on, the number of squares increased, and the arrangement became more chaotic. Forget about memorizing them instantly; an average person’s eyes would go blurry just looking at them.

However, Ye Shaoyang sat calmly in front of the computer, his mouse clicking rapidly to recreate the squares.

The fifth level, the tenth level… all the way to the final thirteenth level. Over a dozen small squares flashed before his eyes instantly, then disappeared. And he was actually able to completely recreate it without a single error??

Coach Xu glanced at Chi Shuo in surprise, asking with his eyes: Where did you find this talent?

Chi Shuo said in a low voice, “Next item.”

Coach Xu withdrew his gaze and adjusted the testing equipment to the third item. “The third item is an anti-interference dynamic vision test. You will see 6 numbers flash before your eyes on the screen. You need to memorize them immediately and use the keyboard to type the corresponding numbers, recreating them quickly.”

Just 6 numbers flashing by isn’t hard to remember.

However, the anti-interference dynamic vision test didn’t just have numbers; it also had a massive amount of graphics, symbols, and even text in Japanese, Korean, French, etc. The 6 numbers were mixed in among this messy text. The test-taker needed to instantly capture them, memorize them, and type them out exactly as they were on the keyboard.

Ye Shaoyang stared intently at the screen.

Level 1: 678931;

Level 2: 901352;

…

Those numbers flashing by, hidden among Japanese, Korean, English, and French text, were always immediately reflected in his eyes and mind. This was the “anti-interference dynamic capture ability” that was essential for a professional player.

Many newcomers who want to play professional esports get stuck on this stage during testing.

Let alone remembering them, they couldn’t even catch the numbers!

Ye Shaoyang could.

He continued to sit calmly in front of the computer, his long, slender fingers typing rapidly on the keyboard.

Eyes watching the screen, hands quickly touch-typing, 13 strings of numbers in a row—

Not a single mistake.

By this point in the test, Coach Xu’s eyes were full of pleasant surprise. He hurriedly pulled Ye Shaoyang and said, “The fourth item, hand, eye, and brain coordination ability. The row of buttons in front of you will flash randomly in a moment, getting faster and faster. You need to use your hands to strike the flashing buttons. Hitting the wrong one or missing one counts as an error. It lasts for 60 seconds.”

It was a bit like a game of “Whack-a-Mole.”

This item tested hand, eye, and brain coordination. It was the most crucial test for determining a player’s “effective hand speed.” Sometimes, your brain knows what skill to cast in a team fight, but your hands just can’t press it out—this is what netizens often call being “hand-handicapped.”

It’s not actually being hand-handicapped, but rather, your hands are unable to keep up with your brain’s commands.

Esports players need to achieve a high degree of coordination and unity among their eyes, hands, and brain. The instant the eyes spot the enemy and the brain determines what to do, the hands must react immediately.

The number of test-takers stuck on this level was also countless. The buttons would flash faster and faster, even flashing several simultaneously within 0.1 seconds, requiring both hands to strike them at the same time.

The test began.

Ye Shaoyang’s hands crackled as they swiftly pressed the constantly flashing buttons, like a pianist rapidly playing the keys.

He wasn’t panicked, he wasn’t nervous…

His expression remained calm throughout.

During the 60-second test, the buttons flashed faster and faster, and Ye Shaoyang’s hand speed also increased. At this moment, the young man’s long, fair fingers seemed to be leaping in a magnificent dance.

Coach Xu looked at the young man in front of him in astonishment.

Because, on the testing instrument’s screen, the error rate displayed so far was—0.

Under such a rapid keystroke speed, it was still 0 misses, 0 errors!

Coach Xu and Chi Shuo exchanged a glance and drew a sharp breath.

The 60 seconds quickly ended. In those 60 seconds, he had struck the keys a total of 300 times, with a 100% accuracy rate.

Ye Shaoyang glanced at the result, smiled faintly, and asked, “Is there more?”

Coach Xu snapped back to reality and said, “The final item, the hover test.”

The hover test was very simple. It gave the test-taker a pen, asking them to hold the pen and suspend the tip inside a tiny groove. The pen tip could not touch the four walls of the groove.

It tested the stability of the hands.

Coach Xu took a deep breath and said, “Don’t let the simplicity of this test fool you; less than 10% of players can pass it. You have to keep the pen perfectly still in a hole with a diameter of 2.5 millimeters for 60 seconds, without touching the sides.”

Ye Shaoyang gave a nod, picked up the pen with his right hand, and hovered the tip inside the 2.5mm hole.

His hand was incredibly steady.

For a full 60 seconds, his hand didn’t move a single inch; the pen in his hand seemed completely frozen in time.

He switched to his left hand.

Similarly, for a full 60 seconds, his fingers didn’t move an inch, looking like a completely static statue.

The 60 seconds quickly passed, and the instrument displayed: Passed!

Coach Xu printed out the test results and handed them to Chi Shuo, his expression highly complex.

First item, instant reaction speed: all 5 tests resulted in a reaction speed of 0.15 seconds. Rating: S.

Second item, dynamic vision: cleared all 13 levels of highest difficulty. Rating: S.

Third item, anti-interference dynamic capture ability: Level-13, fully cleared. Rating: S.

Fourth item, hand, eye, and brain coordination ability: 60 seconds, 300 keystrokes, 100% accuracy. Rating: S.

Fifth item, hover stability test: 60 seconds, 2.5mm hole diameter, 0 errors. Rating: S.

Chi Shuo took the test sheet. Five distinct “S” ratings—an extremely rare talent-type player.

Coach Xu whispered in his ear, “Fuck, where did you find this massive treasure! His test results are exactly the same as yours back in the day—a 5S rating! If trained properly, he’s definitely an absolute talent!”

Chi Shuo smiled faintly.

Yes, he had a premonition early on.

—He had discovered a treasure.