Grumpy Esports God Becomes a Wealthy Family’s Stepmom - Chapter 11

As soon as Huo Zhehan got off the plane, he received a call from the youth training camp. They said Huo Yu had gotten into a fight with another student. The other parents had already arrived and they hoped he could come in person.

Huo Zhehan had to go to the office first. Upon hearing this, he said, “Call my wife, Zhong Lu.”

Being married did have its perks. Whenever Huo Yu needed a parent for meetings or trouble, there was always someone to handle it.

“Uh… actually, your wife already came and helped Huo Yu in the fight.”

Huo Zhehan glanced down at the number on his phone, suspecting it was a scam call.

Just then, a text came in. He had assigned a security guard at the training camp through his secretary to keep an eye on things, and the guard had just sent over a detailed account of the incident.

Huo Zhehan’s eyelid twitched. He turned to Lu Ziming and said, “You go to the office. I have a family issue to deal with.”

He got into an SUV and tossed the phone to his secretary. “Look into the background of the parent who started this, especially her husband’s workplace.”

The secretary replied quietly, “Understood.”

The secretary quietly replied, “Got it,” while thinking with no small amount of amusement— wasn’t it your wife, Zhong Lu, who started round two of the fight? His husband’s workplace? I know it all too well.

It was a thirty-minute drive from the airport to the youth training camp. Huo Zhehan closed his eyes to rest. He had just rushed from his last meeting to catch the flight, reviewing reports on the plane. He thought once he got home, he could enjoy a meal cooked by his educator-wife and get a good night’s sleep.

Instead, both wife and kid had been detained by the training camp.

The moment the camp supervisor saw the imposing figure of Huo Zhehan walking over, he knew something was off. The coach in charge of Huo Yu had mentioned the Huo family had some background, though the details weren’t clear. Zhong Lu had only vaguely hinted that if Huo Yu could kick his internet addiction at the camp, his father might be so pleased he would reward the whole school generously.

“You must be Huo Yu’s father?” The supervisor had initially assumed Huo Yu’s parents had a May-December relationship—after all, the stepmother was so young but the father was young too? Just how rich do you have to be to maintain yourself like this?

The secretary represented Mr. Huo in the matter. The shoes Huo Yu wore were a birthday gift he had purchased himself. It was extremely limited edition worldwide, and he still had the receipt.

“Here’s the receipt for Huo Yu’s shoes. Where’s the other parent?”

Huo Yu had assumed pushing and shoving in fights was normal, and damage couldn’t really be compensated. He had worn expensive sneakers to school before, had them stepped on during gym class and had ink splashed on luxury clothes like normal peer interactions. Clothes and shoes were consumables. If people had to pay for every little damage, who would dare hang out with rich kids?

That just wasn’t how it worked.

Huo Zhehan wouldn’t allow it either.

That said, if someone deliberately ruined a pair of sneakers, using it as a scare tactic wasn’t a bad idea.

The chubby kid’s mom was sitting in the break room, assuming she held the legal advantage. Her attitude was arrogant, determined that if she saw Zhong Lu again, she would rip his face off. She kept demanding compensation, and if any staff tried talking to her, she’d ignore them and talk over them, clearly stalling for time and playing hardball.

The other side were all teenage boys without parents present. She wasn’t in a rush—she would make each and every one apologize to her son.

When someone approached, she said, “My son’s mouth is swollen! I’ve watched him like a hawk since birth and he’s never even gotten a scratch! Can they afford the medical bills? And the emotional damage?”

The coach said awkwardly, “The other side is asking for you to compensate them for the shoes.”

“Fine, then we’ll both pay. How much are the shoes? Once we’re done here, can we go to the hospital?”

“Six hundred thousand.”

“Six hun—” The moment she saw the receipt, her expression changed. “This is extortion! What kind of crappy shoes with fake diamonds are worth 600k?”

The secretary smiled. “Whether they’re worth it or not is for a judge to decide.”

“I heard your husband’s company isn’t doing well. Planning layoffs?”

“Who said that? It’s doing great,” Her husband made 50k a month and she was a full-time housewife. 600k for a pair of shoes wasn’t impossible, but if an apology could save that money, it’s better to have her son apologize. After all, the money would still go to him in the end, right?

“Why don’t you call and check?”

The woman hesitantly made the call and heard her husband complain, “We just got a sudden layoff notice—the CEO even called me in for a one-on-one. I have no idea what’s going on.”

Her face turned pale. “What do you want?” she asked the secretary.

“First, have your son apologize for what he did.”

Second of all, if your husband gets laid off too, maybe the two of you will be too busy job-hunting to hang around here screaming at out-of-town kids

The chubby boy was reluctantly shoved in front of Huo Yu to apologize.

Huo Yu immediately ducked out of the way. “You should be apologizing to Wang Qun and the others.”

The chubby kid mumbled, “Sorry.”

Wang Qun and the others looked at each other in surprise. Whoa—this snobby city kid actually apologized?

The camp supervisor announced all students in Room 303 were to be expelled.

Huo Zhehan hadn’t shown up in person, but Huo Yu could already sense danger. He ran to his stepmother. “It’s over. My dad’s here.”

All the grievances he’d endured in his pursuit of esports—Huo Yu never wanted Huo Zhehan to know. After all, chasing a “frivolous” dream will only get you scolded.

Zhong Lu had come over, grabbed the fat kid so Huo Yu could get a shot in. Just the thought already felt satisfying—even without throwing a punch himself, it was enough. He kept it measured, just scared the kid a little, and didn’t cause any trouble for his stepmom.

The frustration from losing game after game over the past few days had vanished. It felt just like in the game—like God Abandon himself had handed over the head of the sniper who kept hunting him, just so he could land the kill!

This was the perfect resolution. He would soon be able to leave the camp with his stepmom. Hell, improving on their tests was harder than improving here! Sometimes he would work hard for his grandma, and get his math score up from 50 to 70. Much easier than this!

Zhong Lu crossed his legs, then quickly sat upright again. Why was he back so soon?

He asked Huo Yu, “Do you still want to play esports?”

Huo Yu was surprised. How did Zhong Lu know it wasn’t just about internet addiction, but that he wanted to go pro? Still, he said, “Not anymore.”

These seven days had crushed his confidence. The coach was nice, always encouraging, but he just wasn’t cut out for this. The coach kept saying that actual esports training was even tougher than what they were doing.

Huo Yu couldn’t take it. Training wasn’t like playing—it was all repetitive, mechanical actions. Practicing one scope movement hundreds of times… what even was that?

He started to feel that hiking, playing ball, swimming or anything was more fun than games. Even memorizing formulas was more fun.

Formulas, once you learned them, you knew them. In esports, even after you got the moves down, the coach would still say you didn’t know what you were doing.

Zhong Lu raised an eyebrow. Good. Now he had results to report to Huo Zhehan.

He didn’t know why Huo Yu feared Huo Zhehan, but that wasn’t his concern. Mission complete.

The coach shouted “Training!” and the students of Room 302 ran to the training room, leaving only Huo Yu and his stepmom in the break room.

Zhong Lu said, “Go pack your stuff.”

Huo Yu replied, “Okay.”

“Wait.”

A cold voice interrupted as Huo Zhehan stepped in. “How many days left in the first phase of the program?”

“Twelve,” Zhong Lu replied.

Huo Zhehan looked at Huo Yu, leaving no room for negotiation. “Five days left. You’re staying.”

If you’re going to quit, do it thoroughly—train until the very thought of games makes you nauseous. Otherwise, you’ll relapse the moment you get home.

Huo Yu was shocked. Actually, he’s not shocked because this was exactly the kind of ruthless thing Huo Zhehan would do!

Huo Zhehan glanced at Zhong Lu and softened his tone. “You can go home.”

Zhong Lu: “…”

Ha! Huo Yu wasn’t around. It’s just the two of them. It’s like newlyweds after a brief separation. Only an idiot would go home now and play happy family.

He said gracefully, “I’ll stay and watch over Huo Yu.”

Huo Zhehan raised an eyebrow. “Hm?”

Zhong Lu lied through his teeth. “Huo Yu is at a critical stage of withdrawal. He needs psychological support to fully break his attachment to gaming and develop healthy interests.”

It wasn’t just Huo Yu’s critical period—it was his own technical recovery phase.

Huo Yu rubbed his buzz cut. He had a feeling his stepmom was saying one thing but planning another because he probably didn’t want to go home. He just wanted an excuse to stay out.

But hey, grown-up business wasn’t his concern.

Zhong Lu smiled at the secretary. “Please handle the arrangements.”

The secretary replied immediately, “Understood.”

Huo Zhehan was speechless. He was the one who asked Zhong Lu to check in frequently on Huo Yu. So technically, this made sense.

“Where will you stay here?”

“Room 303 moved out, right? As long as I pay, I can stay there.”

Besides, this place had tons of computers—it was practically esports heaven.

In the end, President Huo went home alone. It seemed like the trip to the camp had achieved its goal… or maybe not.

At home, the living room was untouched. The fridge was stuffed full of fish, meat, eggs, and vegetables.

He checked the surveillance feed. Zhong Lu had been eating instant noodles every day. He had instructed the butler to deliver single-person meals daily.

Yep. Not a single one had been touched.

He figured that being a “stepmom” came with rare vacations. If Zhong Lu wanted to sleep in for a week, fair enough but not cooking at all? Something felt off.

…

Zhong Lu moved into Room 303 and still stayed up late every night.

The training camp was full of teenagers. The coach didn’t dare enforce pro-gamer schedules. Wake-up call at 7 a.m. for morning drills, training from 8 to 12, again from 3 to 5:30, and two more hours at night.

Huo Yu whined constantly. At school, at least he could be late.

Every morning, Room 302 passed by the now-shut 303 and, realizing someone new had moved in, only felt more bitter.

Wang Qun whispered, “I heard the RESCUE team is coming to scout talent today.”

A kid with dyed yellow hair added, “They say Zuo Shen’s coming.”

The five of them played MOBA games, but the only one relevant to the tryout was Huo Yu.

A week ago, he might’ve been excited. Now, he just wanted to go home.

He gave a flat “Oh,” then couldn’t help himself and knocked on Zhong Lu’s door.

Wasn’t this supposed to be psychological counseling? Why did he still have to train?

Zhong Lu, eyes still closed, hurled a pillow at the door. “Scram.”

At eleven, Zhong Lu finally woke up.

He went to the canteen for a hot lunch and caught a security guard. “Where’s Training Room 1007?”

The camp director had heard of parents staying during college exams or study abroad, but never esports. Still, the Huo family was rich, and the secretary was generous. When Zhong Lu asked for a computer, the director just handed him a key to a small training room.

Room 1007 only had two or three PCs. It was for high-potential students, with a soundproof glass wall for coaches or team scouts to observe from behind.

There weren’t many standout students this term, so the room was mostly unused.

The director led Zuo Yin and Xiao Xi around, enthusiastically introducing the camp’s top talents. The camp had standard and interest tracks. Those seriously considering esports were in the standard track—twelve-day programs. Promising ones could move to phase two. The interest track was more about the experience—three to five days.

If a student signed with a team, the camp earned both a fee and reputation.

Zuo Yin frowned the whole time. After checking the top students, he even checked the worst class.

Wearing a mask, he walked between the rows of PCs. One glance at their play was enough to tell if they had potential.

It turned out, the camp’s class divisions were extremely accurate. The lower he went, the worse they got.

By the end, Zuo Yin looked like he’d eaten something rotten especially when he saw a slacker in last place. He was about to vomit.

Huo Yu glanced at his back, confused. He felt someone wanted to curse him.

Hmph.

Outside, Zuo Yin took a swig from a water bottle. The club didn’t want to spend big on veteran players, and the youth prospects were hopeless.

“We walked these floors with the team captain before,” he said.

Xiao Xi stared dreamily at a classroom. “That’s where I first saw you guys.”

Zuo Yin crushed the bottle. “Let’s go.”

“Where to?”

“To remember our captain, then head back.”

They passed a row of training rooms and mostly  were empty. The layout was shaped like a ‘7’, and the room at the end wasn’t visible unless you turned a corner.

Zuo Yin caught a glimpse of light inside. “Someone’s still in there?”

The coach replied, “No, that’s…”

Before he could finish, Zuo Yin stepped to the glass wall and saw a lone figure in front of a computer.

Crisp kill moves. Accurate black-screen predictions. Perfect control through rocky alleys.

“Looks like the captain…” Xiao Xi muttered.

Zuo Yin steadied himself. “Why isn’t he on the list? Already picked by another team?”

It was the coach’s first time seeing Zhong Lu play. He was shocked. “He’s not a student. He’s a parent.”

Zuo Yin: “A parent? What’s his job?”

Can we poach him?

Life was full of surprises. Like those stories where someone accompanies a friend to an audition and gets picked instead. Zuo Yin had a gut feeling this parent was an esports gem.

The coach didn’t see any reason to hide it. “He’s one of the student’s stepdads—a full-time trophy wife from a wealthy family.”

Zuo Yin: “…”

That presence? A full-time wife from a rich family? You could sooner convince me he’s possessed by God Abandon than believe that!

Just then, Zhong Lu noticed someone watching. He turned and saw a teammate from his past life. He was dazed for a second.

Then he saw the regretful, conflicted look in Zuo Yin’s eyes and couldn’t help but mutter, “Shit.”

Who summoned a fanfic of The Rich Stepmom?

Zhong Lu glared back, turned to the screen, slaughtered his way to victory, logged out, and slammed the door open.

He said coldly, “What are you staring at?”

Zuo Yin, usually smooth-talking, tripped over his words. Finally, he managed, “Interested in playing esports?”

Zhong Lu: “No.”

With all the club’s shady dealings, he didn’t want to sign again but without signing, he couldn’t play with teammates. He hadn’t found a workaround yet.

Buy WN and split from the club? He didn’t have that kind of money.

Xiao Xi said naively, “You sound just like our captain.”

Zhong Lu: “Oh.”

He wasn’t planning to reveal his identity yet. One, it was unbelievable and hard to explain. Two, he didn’t want to return to the team while still known as the rich stepmom. Zuo Yin would laugh him to death.

Once he figured things out or got divorced, he would get in touch.

The burden of being the “god of abandonment” was heavy.

Afraid he’d lose control if he stayed, Zhong Lu said, “Move.”

After he walked away, Zuo Yin and Xiao Xi stood there in a daze. It felt like waking from a dream.

Zuo Yin wanted to ask more, but the coach didn’t know much. What stuck out most was the brawl yesterday—especially Huo Yu’s two dads.

Zhong Lu catching someone for his son was completely unexpected.

Then Huo Zhehan arrived. He didn’t say a word and just stood there. His secretary did all the talking. You could tell right away this man was not to be trifled with. He didn’t even sit. The way he looked at the camp… as if he saw esports as a waste, a corrupting influence on youth.

Seeing Zuo Yin still unwilling to give up, the coach sincerely advised, “He’s not short on money and his husband is scary—definitely won’t agree.”

Zuo Yin: “…”

Ridiculous.