In 2003, Liu Yifeng, known to Chinese Warcraft III players as SoZ.afeng, was expelled from university. Of nine courses, he had passed only physical education. He went home and asked his mother if he could try becoming a professional player. She said yes, and his family bought him a new computer.
He practiced Warcraft III at home for six months. At the Shanghai CBI tournament that year, he finished second behind MagicYang. The prize was 200 yuan, and the top two also got a trip to Beijing. It was Afeng's first journey far from home. In 2004, after a strong showing at the ESWC Shanghai regional, he joined SOZ on 1,000 yuan a month. He had the job he had asked his mother for.
His best result as a player came at the 2005 ESWC China Warcraft III event: third place and a 5,000 yuan prize. According to my account published in 2016, the prize money did not arrive until a year later. He kept competing, but never had the celebrated career of a player like WE.Sky. After leaving competition, he worked behind the scenes at events including PGL. The 2008 financial crisis stripped sponsors from those events, and by 2010 he had left the esports industry.
In 2011 Afeng joined Xindong to run a game and recruit esports figures as promoters. He later said that what he missed most was being a Warcraft III pro.
Adapted from my 2016 chapter on the people behind Chinese esports, which recounts Afeng's own reflections.