Xiao Kai, I Always Knew You'd Amount to Something [Request Monthly Ticket]

"I can't go pro for another six months. Are you sure?"

Xu Cheng confirmed it again.

Factory Director's reaction had simply been far too unexpected.

Father Xu, Mother Xu, and Xu Cheng had agreed that he could only go pro after six months, once his guaranteed admission had been finalized.

In other words, even if Xu Cheng wanted to go pro, it would have to wait another six months. Before then, they had never planned for—or even considered—the possibility of a team signing Xu Cheng.

After all, that was equivalent to supporting Xu Cheng for free for half a year.

"Bro... we can still only give you half a year's Annual Salary, but the contract will remain the same as before. Is that okay with you?"

Factory Director looked somewhat apologetic.

But this was already the best condition he could secure. Any more than that, and regardless of whether the Club agreed or how much Boss Ai De Zhu liked him, it would never pass the finance department.

"You..."

Xu Cheng did not care about that.

Getting paid according to how much work one did was only natural.

Instead, it was that massive contract, still offering the maximum salary for a Newcomer, that left the Xu family utterly dumbfounded.

Had this guy not heard what they had just said?

Xu Cheng would be "wasting" half a year. Other clubs would not even be willing to stay here a moment longer.

Yet here he was, not only signing him immediately, but not changing the damn contract one bit?

Xu Cheng wanted to ask why. He always felt that Ming "Big Sucker" Kai was treating him a little too well.

"Oh, right, there's also this for you..."

At that moment, Factory Director pulled a card from his person and waggled his eyebrows. "You asked me to mail it to you, but I didn't. I figured I'd just give it to you in person."

"This is..." Xu Cheng took the bank card.

"V100000!"

Factory Director grinned.

"...!"

Xu Cheng was completely speechless.

The signing process afterward went smoothly. After all, EDG and Factory Director had gone this far already; this was absolutely a historically unprecedented level of treatment in the scene.

Xu Cheng did not waste any more time. Once he confirmed that there were no issues with the contract, he signed his name directly.

From that moment on, although Xu Cheng had yet to go to the Club, he was already considered a member of EDG Esports Club.

It was a magnificent transformation—from an ordinary person into a pro player reserve.

"Congratulations, bro!"

Factory Director even solemnly shook Xu Cheng's hand.

"Xiao Kai... you."

Xu Cheng pointed at him, his expression complicated.

"Uh... bro, I'll be waiting for you!"

It was still that familiar line: I'll be waiting for you. Factory Director sounded utterly sincere, but inwardly, he gritted his teeth—

Fuck, as long as you haven't joined the Club yet, as long as this hasn't been completely set in stone, I'm safe for another day.

But remember this!

Every dog has his day! Next year, it'll be my turn!

Once you step through the doors of EDG Club, just wait and see if I don't deal with you!

Imagining all that, Factory Director flashed a lewd grin. "Bro, I'll get going first!"

"Mm, go on. Be careful."

Seeing that smile on his face, Xu Cheng felt a little uneasy for some reason, though he could not figure out why. He waved and still reminded him:

"Xiao Kai, I always knew you'd amount to something!"

"...Bye!"

"Bye!"

Factory Director and Abu left. The noisy Xu family bun shop finally became quiet once more.

Father Xu, Mother Xu, and Xu Cheng looked at one another.

In the end, Mother Xu, being a woman, could no longer hold it in. Looking at Xu Cheng with a worried expression, she said, "Cheng Cheng, tell Mom the truth. What exactly is your relationship with this... Xiao Kai?"

"Why do I feel like... the way he looks at you, the feelings he has for you... are kind of perverted?"

"...Mom, first of all, we have no relationship. Second, I also feel like there's something not quite normal about it."

Xu Cheng nodded seriously.

It wasn't just the Xu family who found Factory Director's attitude toward Xu Cheng "abnormal."

Even Abu, his closest comrade and EDG's true helmsman, found it baffling.

On the way back, Abu said in confusion, "Delaying it for half a year... half a year. I honestly don't know where you got the confidence to sign him right now."

"And you gave him the same big contract as before... honestly, if word of this gets out in the scene, people are going to laugh at us."

"Why?"

Factory Director had long since lost the playful grin he wore around Xu Cheng. He merely remained silent.

Abu continued, "If it weren't for you, I absolutely wouldn't have made this decision... You should be more careful. You were already under a lot of scrutiny lately, and there are plenty of dissenting voices within the Club. With this on top of that, Boss is a little unhappy too."

"Ji Xing."

Factory Director suddenly spoke. "Do you think... you've ever seen a top laner with a style like Xu Cheng's before?"

"Hm?"

Abu froze.

A top laner with Xu Cheng's style...

What kind of style?

Aggressive Laning, a bloody playstyle, never beating around the bush, relying solely on his own mechanics to win?

In other words, a carry-style top laner?

Abu shook his head. "I haven't, but I have."

"Before they played professionally, which top laner—or any player, really—wasn't a super Passerby King picked from millions?"

"But once they truly step onto the professional stage, they realize that so-called mechanics, talent, even some invincible aggressive style... are nothing worth mentioning before professional teams and data-driven machines."

Factory Director listened without speaking.

What Abu said was the most basic understanding in the professional scene, and the road every pro player had to go through.

Forget the distant examples. Just look at that top laner called Letme whom RNG had recently promoted from their second team.

Back in the second team and before going pro, Letme had definitely been a mechanically gifted player. But once he reached the main roster, the way he played in those scrims... all one could say was, there was no such thing as being too timid—only even more timid.

There were far too many examples like that.

But...

"I think he isn't that kind of person."

Factory Director turned to look at Abu and said seriously, "Do you trust my eye?"

"...I do, I do. Don't look at me like that. I'm only reminding you out of goodwill not to go too far. After all... things aren't like they used to be. We... lost too miserably in S6!"

Unable to bear the look in his "lover's" eyes, Abu looked away, somewhat despondent.

At the mention of S6, even Factory Director's usually still heart stirred slightly.

S6...

That nightmare-like darkest hour. The entire LPL Region had been brutally crushed and ravaged by the other regions. Even a dimensionality reduction strike hadn't been that outrageous.

It wasn't the problem of any one person or any one team, but the backwardness of the entire region—its understanding of the meta, macro play, Minion Wave management... it lagged behind in every aspect.

And among the roster positions, the one universally acknowledged as the most lacking was none other than top lane.

What were the top laners in the LCK, even North America and Europe, like?

Now look at the LPL. Every single one was a coward, every single one a weakside workhorse. There wasn't a single player capable of holding the stage. At international events, they were simply treated as easy targets, picked apart and humiliated.

Team styles and the meta were certainly factors, but one couldn't deny that the player pool truly fell short. That was a fact.

There was a saying that had been circulating since the S Tournament, and it was quite telling: when facing an LPL team, top lane was always assumed to be a free clear.

When one lane got cleared from the very start, who could withstand that?

That was precisely why Factory Director had become almost obsessed with Xu Cheng—what the LPL Region desperately needed was a top laner who could step up and hold the stage.

S7...

The Bird's Nest.

For this once-in-history spectacle, a World Championship on home soil, Factory Director didn't want to see any of that happen again.

He changed his ID to Clearlove7. He also poured all the connections, favors, prestige, privileges, and even some of the competitive experience he had accumulated over the years into Xu Cheng.

I hope... you won't let me down.

That defeat in S6... had truly been too miserable... far too miserable...

Silently letting out a breath, Factory Director closed his eyes.

"Oh, right..."

Abu suddenly said, "They said half a year, but what if he doesn't get recommended admission after half a year and decides not to play professionally? What will you do then? This contract is far too lenient. If he doesn't get recommended admission and chooses not to play, there's nothing we can do!"

"It won't happen."

The Factory Director declared firmly, "He'll definitely get in through recommendation!"

"?"

"Where did that confidence come from? Do you even know his grades?"

The Factory Director chuckled. "I don't know his grades, but if he really fails to get recommended, then I... I'll swallow my pride and go find Boss Zhu... and make sure he gets recommended!"

"In short, he's definitely joining EDG!"

A new month had begun. I originally wanted to try reaching that 500 monthly-ticket milestone last month, but there wasn't enough time. Since the double rewards are still active this week, everyone, wish me luck!

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PS: The next big climax is coming soon! Join the group and discuss the plot together!