Chapter 25 — Middle Road Rules

The award ceremony took place immediately afterward in the bustling atmosphere of the Gymnasium.

The Head of the Organizing Committee stepped onto the stage, holding a sparkling crystal trophy and a huge prize check. The MC held the mic and loudly shouted: "And the Champion of this year's National Student Electronic Sports Tournament (NHEC), a true fairy tale, please name... HOANG DIEU HIGH SCHOOL!"

The second flare ignited. Hùng, Tuấn, Kiên and Nam lifted the championship trophy together. They screamed until they were hoarse, dancing around the trophy like children who had just achieved their biggest dream.

Hải Đăng stood next to them, one hand in his pocket, smiling and quietly observing. He did not compete to lift the trophy, because he knew that this trophy belonged to the team, not just him.

"Đăng!" Bảo Châu ran over and thrust the microphone into his hand. She asked the MC to allow the Captain to say a few words.

Thousands of eyes turned to Đăng. The whispers about old scandals began to rumble again. But Đăng did not hide anymore. He held the microphone, took a deep breath, and his voice echoed throughout the hall.

"Half a year ago, I left the professional stage with the label of a traitor," Đăng said slowly, his eyes scanning the backstage area, where Lê Hoàng was trying to hide from reporters' scrutiny.

"I thought E-sports was a game full of lies. But my current teammates taught me a different lesson." He turned to look at Hùng, Kiên, Tuấn, Nam and Châu.

"They taught me that, no matter how poor your skills are, no matter how scared you are or how often you make mistakes, as long as you never abandon the person standing next to you, you can create miracles. Today's victory is not to prove that I am the best. Today's victory is to prove that: In E-sports, and in life, teamwork always beats all dirty calculations."

The entire hall fell silent, then broke into a thunderous round of applause, lasting endlessly. Even the people who had booed him the hardest before had to stand up and applaud in admiration. It was the most spectacular and complete restoration of his honor.

...

Three months after the championship.

The computer room of Hoàng Diệu School's E-sports Club had been given a completely new look. It had better equipment, comfortable gaming chairs, and professional lighting. Thanks to the championship and the bonus, Hoàng Diệu Club became the hottest club in school, attracting dozens of applications to join.

Hải Đăng was sitting in his familiar mid-lane position, leisurely drinking strawberry milk. His right wrist had completely recovered, but he no longer forced himself to perform crazy operations. He played games simply to enjoy himself.

"Hey Đăng!" Bảo Châu walked into the room, carrying a stack of documents. She still held the position of manager, but now had far more authority over the boys. "The leadership of the VG organization has just sent an official letter of apology. They fired Lê Hoàng and Trần Quốc after someone reported illegal betting. They... want to invite you back to the professional team."

The four boys playing the game immediately stopped and turned to look at Đăng with worried eyes. They were afraid that their great Captain would leave and return to the glory that belonged to him.

Đăng received the letter, glanced at it, then calmly dropped it into the trash can next to him.

"Refuse," Đăng said.

"Are you sure? That's your professional dream, right?" Châu opened her eyes wide.

Đăng turned his chair around and looked at the five restless faces in front of him. He smiled slightly.

"My dream is right here in this room. Being Captain of this 'circus' is tiring, but much more fun than winning the world championship with strangers."

He stood up, put his hoodie on his shoulders, and patted Châu's head, making her wince. "I have to pass the university entrance exam first. If I stay as a gamer forever, the manager will later criticize me for being poor. If I fail, I will die."

The four boys burst into laughter and teased Châu by whistling, making her face turn as red as a tomato.

"You... this damn guy! Who cares about you!" Châu stammered, raised a stack of documents and tried to hit Đăng, but he quickly dodged.

Bustling laughter echoed throughout the hallways of Hoàng Diệu school under the warm autumn sunlight.

The story of the prodigy Shadow may have officially ended. But the story of Captain Hải Đăng and the scrappy HD E-sports team, carrying the timeless rule of teamwork, will forever be a beautiful legend of their youth.

After the award ceremony, the board of directors invited the whole team into the council room. The principal did not promise to turn the computer room into a modern center, but agreed to keep the room open after school hours on the condition that there was a duty schedule, equipment book, and responsible person. Châu presented the revised plan, including tutoring sessions and limits on playing time. She didn't want a victory to become an excuse for students to forget their homework.

Đăng was invited to say a few words. He stood in front of the teachers, still wearing a bandage, and said the team didn't need the school to buy them a new trophy. What they needed was a room that was safe enough for students to try, make mistakes, and stop when tired. Mr. Quang asked if the students graduated next year, who would take over. Quỳnh raised her hand first, saying she would train the lower class. Hùng nudged Kiên, and Kiên opened the book to record the handover schedule.

That afternoon, the team returned to the computer room. There were no spectators, no leaderboards, just the sound of chairs being pulled and the smell of hot dust. They took down the old posters, keeping a piece of paper with the rules of the first match. Châu added a line at the bottom: "People who come in later have the right to edit." Đăng read it and said that meant his strategy could not be set in stone. Châu agreed.

A tenth grader walked in and asked if he could join. He had never played at tournament level; he only knew how to watch videos and was afraid of being laughed at. Hùng pulled out a chair, Kiên gave him headphones, and Quỳnh asked which position he wanted to study. Đăng did not sit at the computer; he stood behind and reminded him to speak up when he did not understand. He played one game, lost quickly, then asked for a second game.

At the end of the session, Châu closed the duty book and checked the window. Đăng reminded her not to forget to rest. She told him to do the same. The two of them left the room last, but did not immediately lock it. They left the hallway lights on for another ten minutes so the lower class could clear the tables. The next day there would be tests, tutoring schedules, and new mistakes. None of them thought the story was perfect.

From then on, whenever someone stood in the mid lane and found themselves surrounded, they knew to call their teammates' names. And at the end of the hallway at Hoàng Diệu School, there was always a room open for people who wanted to learn how to play together.

That afternoon, the principal invited Châu and Đăng to the council room to discuss plans for the new school year. He did not want to turn the club into a team that only chased medals. He asked them what they needed so that lower-grade students could participate without neglecting their studies. Châu proposed a four-week tryout schedule, two sessions per week, with a mandatory rest day and an adult in charge when competing outside of school. Đăng added one more thing: anyone could leave the team without being asked why in front of the crowd. The principal wrote everything down in the minutes, then allowed them to use the computer room until six o'clock in the evening.

Before leaving, Đăng went back to the computer room to get his jacket. Tín was cleaning the board, and Hùng was repairing the wheel of an old chair. Quỳnh posted the new class schedule next to the tournament schedule. No one talked about being famous or being invited to a professional team. They fought over who forgot to turn off the lights, then laughed when they discovered that the person who forgot was Châu. She turned off the switch and looked through the window to see the sunny yellow schoolyard. A season had ended, but the middle line was still there: the gap between desire and health, between winning and losing, between a name someone else gave you and the name you chose yourself.

Đăng stood in the doorway, hearing Tín ask about the tryout session. He turned around and told Tín to come, but to remember his homework. Tín asked what would happen if he played badly. Đăng replied that if he was not good enough, he should study; if he was tired, he should rest; and if he was scared, he should talk. Châu locked the door and gave the key to Mr. Quang. The group walked down the stairs, each carrying a part of the season: medals, strategy books, class schedules and rules no one wanted to break. In the backyard, the basketball bounced steadily. Đăng looked up at the classroom and for the first time didn't see where he had to run from. He just needed to keep going, with people who knew when to advance and when to give way.

Outside the gate, everyone went their separate ways. Hùng had to run to extra class, Quỳnh cycled to the library, Kiên stopped at the network repair shop, and Vinh waited for his mother. Đăng and Châu walked a little slower. Châu asked whether she was afraid that next season others would expect too much. Đăng said yes, but now he knew he could say it. She gave him a new calendar, which had a blank box for days of doing nothing. Đăng looked at the empty box and said it was more difficult than a final. Châu laughed and said she should practice by leaving it empty. They said goodbye at the intersection. The traffic light turned green, and Đăng walked on to the sound of bicycle bells and the smell of bread from the familiar shops. Their story did not end with a big promise. It ended with the right to return to school the next day, study, rest when they were sick, and continue playing when they truly wanted to.

[END OF STORY]