The Coward‘s Esports Legend

Old Wang wasn't an ordinary electrician. He was afraid of heights, afraid of sparks, afraid of electrical leaks, and even afraid of falling off utility poles—even just the thought of it. This was a well-known joke among his colleagues, who secretly called him "King Rat." But Old Wang became the most sought-after electrician in the area.

Not because he overcame his fear, but quite the opposite, because of his fear.

He always said that his hands trembled not because he was nervous, but because he could sense the slightest fluctuations in the current, fluctuations that others saw as mere noise. He described electricity as if it were alive, with each wire connected to invisible nerves. Others tightened screws based on experience; he tightened screws based on listening. He could hear the "breathing" of the current and determine the fault point in the line from the faint "hissing" sound.

Initially, this was treated as a joke, until one time, a cable box short-circuited, and the entire neighborhood lost power. The experienced masters were overwhelmed, unable to find the fault. Old Wang hid in a corner, his face pale as if he were about to faint, muttering, "Listen...can you hear it? It's the fifth...the fifth one, it's crying!"

No one believed him until someone, taking a chance, cut open the fifth cable, which was charred black inside. From that point on, Old Wang became a legend. He did not become famous through courage, but through cowardice.

The company equipped him with the latest electromagnetic induction headphones that amplified what he called the "breathing of the current." To prevent him from "fainting from fright," they also provided a mobile first-aid kit. His working style also became a spectacle in the industry: he was always cautious, like a startled rabbit, yet he could pinpoint problems with accuracy. At work, he always wore a helmet, not for protection, but to shield himself from the "horrible" scenes he didn't want to face.

Old Wang was afraid to touch faulty cables because he could hear the painful groans of the electricity. He imagined them as a group of ghosts trapped in pipes, struggling and crying. He feared their pain, and even more the secrets about how the world worked that they told him.

Later, the company established a "Smart Grid Fault Diagnosis Team," with Old Wang as the team leader responsible for standardizing his "auditory diagnosis method" for training new recruits. The rest of the team were all high achievers with high-tech equipment. Old Wang felt like they were giants armed with guns and cannons, while he was a child holding a branch.

One day, a new female engineer, with admiring eyes, asked him, "Master Wang, how did you become so proficient? Can you really hear the sound of electricity?"

Old Wang was so startled he almost dropped his headphones. He stammered, "No...no, I actually...actually can't hear anything." He pointed to the headphones and said, "These are fakes I bought from the street, they just make a buzzing sound."

The female engineer looked confused, thinking he was being modest.

Old Wang looked at her bewildered gaze and felt an unprecedented weariness. He suddenly realized that he was nothing more than a screw in this massive machine, an amplified tool. His fear was no longer a weakness, but a skill the company depended on. The company didn't need someone who could hear the electricity, but a tool that could solve problems. And the value of this tool depended precisely on how cowardly he was.

He walked to the window, looking down at the busy crowd below. "Perhaps," he thought silently, "everyone is afraid, some just show it more clearly."

In the evening, Old Wang walked home, the streetlights were dim, and the utility poles looked like a row of silent guards. He took off his headphones, and the world was quiet. He took a deep breath, wanting to hear the real sound of electricity. But there was nothing, only the sound of the wind.

The next day, Old Wang submitted his resignation, stating that he could no longer hear the sound of electricity.

The company leaders were surprised and tried to persuade him to stay, offering him a higher position and better benefits. Old Wang just shook his head and said, "I really can't hear it anymore."

Later, Old Wang opened a small convenience store, selling snacks and drinks. He turned his radio up as loud as it could go every day, even if customers complained about the noise. He liked the commotion, he was afraid of hearing those "groans of the electricity" again. Only in the cacophony could he pretend that he couldn't hear, couldn't hear those sounds that scared him but also gave him his reason for being. He occasionally thought of the days when he was an electrician, when electricity, like a ghost, spoke to him in his ears. But he would never go back. What he needed to do was to run his small store, in this noisy world, as an ordinary person who couldn't hear anything.