The invitational was three days away.
Every team in the region would be watching.
Every camera pointed at us.
And I planned to use it as my stage.
Luna caught me rewiring our analytics terminal.
"You're upgrading before a tournament?" she asked.
"Reinforcing," I corrected. "Sometimes, the best move isn't on the board."
She blinked, then smiled faintly. "You and your chess metaphors."
I didn't tell her that the new code wasn't about strategy at all.
It was bait — a mirror of the original breach, one that would point directly back at Lin Jie once triggered.
---
Day One — The Arena
The crowd was thunderous, lights flaring like electric storms.
ECLIPSE versus ZGDX.
The match everyone wanted — and the one I couldn't afford to lose, on or off the field.
Across the stage, Lao K met my eyes.
We didn't nod, didn't smile.
But we both knew what tonight was really about.
---
The first game was brutal.
ZGDX pressed every lane, every weakness.
We lost early towers, but not composure.
Every move I made was deliberate — part defense, part distraction.
While the audience watched the fight, the background systems quietly ran the secondary protocol.
Lin Jie would be monitoring, looking for proof that I'd cheat again.
He wouldn't be able to resist taking another peek into our feed.
At 17:22, the log pinged.
Unauthorized access detected — ID: L.J.
Hooked again.
Only this time, the patch traced directly to the league's central server.
---
Backstage — Break between games
Lao K found me near the water station, his voice low.
"You got him?"
"Yes," I said. "His signature's all over it. He fell for the trap."
He looked at me for a long moment. "You realize when this goes public, it'll blow back on both of us."
"I know."
"Then why risk it?"
I met his gaze. "Because I don't lose to cowards who hide behind systems."
He smiled then — small, proud, maybe a little worried.
"That's what I thought you'd say."
---
Final Match — Live Broadcast
Every key stroke felt like pulling a trigger.
The last team fight was chaos — flashes, shields, everything collapsing into light.
And then: victory.
The crowd roared, confetti falling like static.
ECLIPSE had won.
But I wasn't smiling at the camera.
I was watching the main screen as the league feed suddenly flickered —
and Lin Jie's digital footprint appeared, live, for every analyst to see.
> MATCH DATA BREACH TRACE: ORIGIN — LEAGUE ADMINISTRATION NODE
The room erupted.
Commentators stammered.
Lao K's eyes met mine from across the stage.
And for a heartbeat, the world went silent.
Then the crowd started chanting my name.
---
Later — After the chaos
Security escorted Lin Jie out before the press could swarm him.
The league issued a statement by midnight:
> "ECLIPSE cleared of all allegations. Internal investigation ongoing."
I read it once, exhaled, and finally let myself lean back.
When my phone buzzed, I didn't need to check who it was.
> Lao K: You play a dangerous game, Queen.
Me: You taught me the value of risk.
Lao K: So what's next?
Me: The board resets. But this time, I choose who stands beside me.
I hesitated before sending it, but the truth felt lighter than silence.
> Lao K: Then consider this my move.
---
Outside, the arena lights dimmed one by one, until only the skyline glowed.
For the first time since the breach began, I felt still.
Not safe — but still.
And somewhere, between victory and vulnerability, I almost allowed myself to breathe.
---
✨ End of Chapter Fourteen — "Precision Strike."
---