Ancestor Saiwen made his way over in an excellent mood, imagining Xu Cheng standing meekly before him, letting himself be plucked like ripe fruit. The thought filled him with satisfaction.
If we switched places, I'd show you what cruel really means!
Everything I lost, I'll take back with my own hands—
Then he ran into a traffic jam on the way, and got stuck for four or five hours.
"Can we get any unluckier...?"
Factory Director looked over, speechless. "Looks like there's been an accident up ahead."
"It's fine. We'll take things as they come."
Abu, who had come along with them, tried to reassure him.
"I'd be happy to take things as they come, but I'm worried everyone else will get there first..."
Factory Director's worry wasn't unfounded.
After they'd been held up on the road for so long, the other clubs had arrived at Xu Cheng's home without a hitch.
Xu Cheng's parents warmly welcomed these strangers who had traveled from afar—
But their expressions betrayed a faint reluctance and displeasure.
The people the clubs had sent were all seasoned professionals who specialized in scouting young talent. Naturally, they could pick up on it.
They paid it no mind, however, and enthusiastically explained to Xu Cheng's parents and Xu Cheng the bright future of the Esports Circle, as well as how their own clubs were doing in the scene and what achievements they'd earned...
In short, they all said their club was the best, and if their kid joined, he'd definitely make the starting roster in the country's top league, the LPL, and become famous and successful in no time!
Among them, RNG was the most enthusiastic and confident.
Their youth development manager even declared, "Once you join RNG, don't even think about leaving! We guarantee Cheng Cheng will make a name for himself and earn big money. Even after he retires, the club will take care of him. We absolutely won't let you go!"
As he spoke, he handed Xu Cheng a fifty-yuan milk tea. "This is a little welcome gift. Our boss knows Cheng Cheng likes V50 milk tea, so he specially asked me to bring one!"
Xu Cheng's parents exchanged glances. They both thought RNG seemed like a pretty good club.
After all, they wouldn't even let you leave once you retired!
And, from what they'd heard, it was the only strong All-China Team.
If Xu Cheng joined them, there wouldn't be any language barrier...
Clearly, Xu Cheng's parents were also undercover Wolf Warriors.
They only ate Baixiang noodles, only used Huawei phones, only watched Wolf Warrior movies, and only supported the R...
"Uh... ahem, well, we at IG also...!"
After the IG youth development management team beside them had finished their anxious pitch, Xu Cheng's parents exchanged glances and said apologetically:
"Um... thank you, everyone, for coming all this way. You haven't eaten yet, have you? Why don't you have a meal and rest for a bit? We still need some time to think it over..."
They said they needed time to think, but Xu Cheng's uneasy parents had already asked someone to bring in a team of lawyers. They probably wouldn't arrive until the afternoon.
The shrewd club representatives knew perfectly well what was going on. They nodded and said nothing more.
Only the RNG management team looked displeased.
Damn it, they were bringing a lawyer to join the club...
What kind of serious person brought a lawyer to a team?
Xu Cheng's parents had the club representatives settle in at their family's bun shop. The place was quite nice: not big, but clean, tidy, and tastefully decorated.
Everyone had hurried over as soon as they got the news. To be honest, they were hungry.
As they ate, they "exchanged" their thoughts and impressions of Xu Cheng after meeting him for the first time—
"Who would've thought? I can't believe the Data Monster is really that young."
"He's seventeen, not even eighteen. He lied about his age back then. That's the ideal age for a pro player!"
"And look at the kid's looks... handsome! With his looks and talent, I guarantee that as long as he follows the club's arrangements, he'll become another Star Player."
"Who doesn't agree? There's one thing I'm curious about, though. EDG was the loudest before. Why hasn't anyone from them shown up?"
The WE youth development manager glanced around at everyone. Their rival's absence today filled him with secret delight.
"Heh, never mind whether EDG shows up. What I can't understand is why certain teams would shamelessly come here over a single membership card. Tsk, that's honestly hard to watch."
These youth development departments had spent years competing and scheming against one another for promising young players. IG and WE had been at odds for a long time.
So when he heard that, the IG management team immediately fired back sarcastically.
"Coming from you? Sure, we're broke as hell, but at least we don't announce that we're taking off every year, only to crash and burn every year. Hey... how many times have you announced you're taking off now?"
IG: "?"
"Come on, settle down. You're just bored."
The RNG youth development manager smiled without saying a word. He pulled out a soft-pack Zhonghua cigarette, lit it, and took a deep drag.
A few seconds later, he exhaled a smoke ring in bliss.
Then he said emphatically, "Nothing beats a Zhonghua!"
"Our RNG just loves a good Zhonghua!"
Watching the other man's smug, self-satisfied face, everyone felt angry but had nowhere to vent it—
Because compared to RNG, IG and WE's results and rosters really were pretty pathetic.
Now that EDG, the only team that could go toe-to-toe with RNG and had the advantage of an emotional connection, hadn't shown up...
If they were honest, they'd also want their kid to choose RNG.
"RNG really is great. They just seem to be going through lawyers like crazy. Look, the kid hasn't even joined the team, and they're already getting ready."
WE made a sour remark. Everyone except RNG broke into strange smiles.
"? Who are you taking a jab at?"
"Hey... someone's here!"
Just then, a representative from a small club who hadn't said a word pointed toward the entrance.
Everyone looked over and saw two familiar figures appear in the doorway—
Factory Director and Abu, both famous throughout the LPL Region!
"Why are Factory Director and Abu here for EDG?!"
The RNG youth development manager's expression changed. He looked bewildered and shocked.
To be honest, in the Esports Circle, aspiring young players were always the ones who went to clubs for tryouts. Clubs never went to a player's home to recruit him.
What's more, every club had sent someone with real authority. Even the least senior representatives were management.
At the higher end, big clubs like RNG had even sent their youth development managers in person.
The attention and treatment Xu Cheng was getting was unprecedented in the scene. It was a first.
After all, Xu Cheng hadn't even tried out for a club or played a scrim yet. He was still just an ordinary player who'd never been professionally scouted.
After arriving, the club representatives had privately congratulated themselves for deciding to come in person.
RNG especially had been convinced that with such an impressive show of interest, they were sure to win Xu Cheng over.
But they had never imagined that EDG would send Factory Director and Abu themselves.
There was no need to explain who Factory Director was. He'd been the face of the LPL. Even after S6, he was still one of the three most popular players—a superstar in esports.
Abu was a veteran of the prestigious EDG club and the top manager in the scene. Whatever people thought of his character, his position and status were beyond question.
He was no longer responsible for LOL alone, but for every esports division at EDG.
And now these two had traveled all this way just for a potential pro who hadn't even played a scrim.
This kind of treatment, this level of attention...
After comparing it all, everyone felt an unprecedented sense of crisis rise within them.
Warning! Warning! Warning!
Outside.
Factory Director wore an inscrutable smile as he held his phone.
"X-Xu... Little Xu, we're here. Where are you?"
"I see you."
Xu Cheng, who'd been in touch with Factory Director already, walked out and waved at him.
"Oh... good. Which one's you... I see you!"
As if sensing an inexplicable bond and the pull of destiny,
Factory Director's eyes locked on Xu Cheng in the distance almost instantly.
Their gazes met.
A spark flew between them.
The father and son who'd loved and fought each other online, constantly messing with each other's heads, had finally met face-to-face.
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