"This is iBoy, Hu Xianzhao, our AD from the youth training system. And this is Zet, our current starting AD..."
"Nice to meet you...!"
Xu Cheng cautiously chatted for a while with his future teammates and the management.
Once the introductions seemed to be over, Factory Director called out, "Come on. I'll take you to put your luggage away first, and then you can see our love nest!"
Xu Cheng went pale. "Xiao Kai, maybe we should live separately. I'm not really used to sharing a room with a guy..."
"Aw, come on, bro. I've got everything arranged for you!"
Factory Director gave a lecherous grin. We've got plenty of time ahead of us. And you're already backing out?
This is nothing!
"Wait, wait!"
Just then, someone shouted from outside.
A handsome-looking boy with unwashed hair and a lively air about him came rushing in.
"Has my grandpa arrived? Grandpa, where are you?!"
"Uh..."
Everyone stared at Zhao Zhiming, completely bewildered.
As soon as Ai Luoli came in, he spotted the unfamiliar Xu Cheng beside Factory Director. Without thinking, he blurted out, "Grandpa... Uh, Data Monster... Monster Dad, right...? Haha, I've missed you so much!"
"...!"
Why was he calling him "you" so respectfully?
Xu Cheng looked at the boy who'd greeted him as Grandpa the moment they met, and who was clearly a few fries short of a Happy Meal. He let out a wail inside.
What kind of club is this, anyway?
Not only did it have Wolong Fengchu, but it also had You Lin and Zhong Hu?
Was there even one normal person here?
"Is it too late for me to leave?" Xu Cheng asked Factory Director.
Sai Wen was also looking awkward. His face flushed red, though he was somehow touched by Ai Luoli's filial devotion.
Caught between deep embarrassment and a feeling of parental pride, he glared at Ai Luoli with dead-fish eyes. "Look at you! Is that any way to act? Go wash your hair! How many days has it been?"
"Ah... Well... Monster Dad was coming, so I got excited..."
"Who said you could call him Monster Dad?" Factory Director said, inexplicably displeased.
"Monster... Monster Grandpa?" Ai Luoli finally caught on. He couldn't get the generations mixed up!
"...Holy crap, their family hierarchy is strict!" the people around them exclaimed.
"Get out, get out, get out! After your Spring Split performance, I feel like smacking you!"
"Please, calm down... Don't let it affect your health... Uh, Monster Grandpa... I'll be off now..."
Hearing Father Emperor say that, Ai Luoli remembered how he'd performed as the starting player in Father Emperor's place during this year's Spring Split. He shuddered and meekly prepared to leave.
"It's fine, it's fine. This guy seems like a straightforward sort."
Xu Cheng figured he shouldn't offend anyone on his first day, so he tried to reassure him.
But Ai Luoli had already stepped outside. When he heard Xu Cheng, his face filled with alarm. "Oh, I wouldn't dare!"
"How could you call me 'bro'? That'd make us the same generation... I'd lose years off my life!"
Xu Cheng: "..."
Factory Director: "..."
Everyone else completely lost it.
Truly—
Three generations under one roof, a family full of joy;
A loving father and filial son, together in blissful reunion.
What a display of filial devotion, folks!
Factory Director couldn't bear to stay there another moment. The little authority he'd just established had vanished without a trace. He grabbed Xu Cheng and made a run for their love nest.
The "love nest" was lovely—so lovely that it looked less like a dorm room and more like a suite in a four-star hotel.
Xu Cheng didn't know that, given Factory Director's standing at EDG, he had the best room in the dorms, personally arranged by Abu and Ai De Zhu.
And Factory Director had always lived alone.
It was only after Xu Cheng arrived that he'd offered to share the room, hoping to help their father-son bond along... or, in other words, to help Xu Cheng settle in quickly.
Otherwise, Xu Cheng would be sharing with iBoy.
After they tidied up the room, it was nearly time for dinner. Factory Director took Xu Cheng downstairs to the cafeteria.
As they passed through the lobby on the first floor, Xu Cheng suddenly noticed an ornate display rack in the most prominent spot. It was packed with trophies.
He hadn't noticed them earlier, having only just arrived.
Seeing where Xu Cheng was looking, Factory Director said proudly, "Those are all the championship trophies our club's won over the years."
"Spring Split and Summer Split champions in 2014, Spring Split champions in 2015, Summer Split champions in 2016... And there are the Demacia Cup trophies and plenty of others."
Xu Cheng had read a little about EDG's history before coming, but seeing row after row of trophies in person still left him stunned.
EDG had been founded at the end of 2013. That meant that, since the club's inception, they'd practically claimed every championship in the LPL!
But...
When he saw the row marked 2017, completely empty, and the large vacant section for "International Tournaments," Factory Director's proud tone faltered. His expression turned gloomy.
"I heard the club hasn't been doing so well this year?" Xu Cheng asked, glancing at him.
"Yeah."
Factory Director didn't deny it. He nodded frankly. "It's not just bad. It's the worst in our history, by far..."
He clearly didn't want to dwell on the past. Reaching out, he gently touched the only trophy in the "International Tournaments" section: the "MSI Champion" trophy. His eyes softened as he spoke in a tender voice.
"I don't need to tell you about this one, do I...?"
"2015 MSI champions. The first officially recognized international tournament championship trophy in LPL history."
Xu Cheng nodded.
He'd been in high school then and didn't follow LOL, but he still remembered the excitement it had caused around campus.
MSI had been the peak of Factory Director's Professional Career.
S7 had been the lowest point of his Professional Career.
"Yeah..."
Factory Director's eyes grew distant as he let out a soft sigh. "Too bad MSI isn't the S Tournament... The S Tournament is the real pinnacle."
"When will our LPL finally win an S Tournament trophy?"
Xu Cheng didn't answer. He felt that he shouldn't interrupt Xiao Kai just then.
But Factory Director turned his gaze on him, a flicker of hope deep in his eyes, and patted his shoulder.
"But it's all right... You're here now. With you here, we have a chance."
"...Xiao Kai, could you stop putting so much pressure on me?" Xu Cheng said helplessly.
"Haha, come on, let's go eat. After that, I'll take you through the official tryout process and get your rating tested."
Factory Director laughed and led Xu Cheng to dinner.
After their meal, they went to the training room, where the staff had already prepared everything.
The assessment.
Basically, it tested every professional player's abilities and potential in areas like reaction time and hand speed.
Nearly every professional player had to take a placement test.
Earlier, Factory Director had already hyped Xu Cheng up online and put him through one test, but that had been rushed. Now that he was at the club, the professional staff, testing equipment, and assessment program made the whole process much more comprehensive.
Xu Cheng let the staff do as they pleased. The youth training manager, Abu, and even his other teammates watched with curiosity.
Factory Director stood outside with the newly arrived coach, Nofe, looking over EDG's Summer Split regular-season schedule.
"Coach, when do you think we should put Xu Cheng in?"
"Hmm... This match, then. I think it's the safest choice!"
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