New Beginning and Future

Chapter 48: When the Queen Commands and Devil Spawn Obeys

Summary: With Sicheng sidelined due to a wrist strain, Yao takes command of ZGDX's strategy meeting with sharp, tactical precision, claiming the ADC position to face YQCB head-on. Her leadership is ruthless, efficient, and unyielding, earning full compliance from the team and even her husband, who steps back without protest.

Overprotective: ZGDX
Overprotective/Possessive/territorial: Chessman
Chessman is literally his own warning when it concerns his girl

Notes:

⚠️Author's Note: Next Chapter has arrived for you lovely people!

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Forty-Six

Two days later, the atmosphere in the ZGDX base shifted from casual tension to something sharp-edged and electric, the kind of focus that meant game day was no longer an event in the distance, but a reality barreling toward them like a fully loaded freight train. Gone were the jokes, the lazy back-and-forths, the careless lounging in hoodies and slippers. This morning, every player was at their station before the call time. The review screens were already loaded, tactics were projected across the digital whiteboard, and match clips from YQCB's recent performances looped on a constant feed.

Yao stood at the front of the room, her light brown hair pulled up into a sleek ponytail, wisps framing her face, eyes dark and focused as she scanned the match footage. Her arms were folded, one leg slightly crossed in front of the other, but nothing in her body language was casual. The tone she set radiated with full immersion.

This wasn't casual prep.

This was war mode.

Behind her, Ming stood with his arms crossed, the coach's headset looped around his neck, his sharp gaze narrowed on the screen, nodding quietly as he absorbed her breakdown of YQCB's most recent bot lane strategy.

At her side sat Sicheng, not as the one leading the meeting, not this time. His injured wrist was braced, his other hand resting calmly on his knee. He wasn't in command this match, and everyone in the room felt it, even if no one said a word. He watched his wife with something between wariness and admiration, knowing full well she was no longer just their Midlaner for this match. She was the spear-point. Her voice rang out clearly, firm and unyielding. "Lao Mao, you're going to have to flex your pressure. YQCB's Top is predictable under lane control, but he loves baiting fights. Don't fall for it. Jungling has to be timed tight or they'll pull our resources into isolation zones."

Lao Mao gave a short nod. "I'll draw him to river brush. Just give me a thirty-second ward up."

"Good," Yao said. "Lao K, you're shadowing mid and bot both—rotations are going to be rough if they pin us down in second wave, and their jungler is greedy."

Lao K gave her a grin and flicked his fingers lazily. "I like greedy."

"Then punish him."

Yue leaned forward from his spot near the door, a lollipop between his teeth and his headset resting crookedly around his neck. "So you're really playing ADC for this round?"

Yao didn't turn. "Do you see me warming the bench?"

"She's scary today," Pang whispered to Yue.

"She's scary every day," Yue replied. "Today she's just armed."

"ADC is my position for this match," she continued. "I'll take bottom lane. Yue, you take mid. Cheng's wrist is still being monitored, which means unless we're being overrun or cornered on match point, he's benched. That includes warm-up skirmishes and side-scrim priority."