Factory Director

Biodata

Feature	Information
Name	Ming Kai
Alias(es)	Factory Director; Clearlove; LPL001; 7 Sauce
Gender	Male
Affiliation	EDG Esports Club
Occupation/Role	Professional jungler; talent scout and mentor; prospective coach after retirement
Status	Retired from active play; remains with EDG
First Appearance	Chapter 3

Background / History

Factory Director was one of the LPL's most prominent professional players before S6, carrying the standing of “LPL001.” His legacy was deeply damaged by EDG's loss to ROX in the S6 quarterfinals, particularly the series in which his Lee Sin and Olaf were defeated after the opposing jungler swapped champions; the event became known as the “Ruinous Match.” 9 129

After encountering Xu Cheng's play in a Normal match recording, Factory Director immediately identified his professional potential and raised the possibility of recruiting him despite having seen only limited evidence. He regarded Xu Cheng as a possible answer to the LPL's international struggles following S6. 3 9

His first direct attempt to contact Xu Cheng was disastrous: Xu Cheng mistook the request for a recruitment deposit as a scam and did not recognize the name Clearlove, ultimately blocking him. 8 Factory Director persisted for a week, eventually adding Xu Cheng on WeChat and beginning a paid arrangement that outwardly resembled boosting but became systematic tutoring in professional play. 11 21

Factory Director personally backed EDG's decision to sign Xu Cheng despite a six-month delay for his studies. He gave Xu Cheng a ¥100,000 bank card upon the signing and committed his connections, experience, and reputation to developing him. 37 38

Personality

Factory Director is intensely persistent and highly protective of talent. While other clubs lost interest in Xu Cheng because of his lack of response, he continued pursuing contact because he trusted his own judgment. 11

He is capable of humility when pursuing a larger goal. Although an established LPL star, he repeatedly accepted Xu Cheng calling him “Little Kai,” paid him for “lessons,” and presented his own macro instruction as casual advice so Xu Cheng would keep learning. 18 19 21

His mentorship is also calculating. He deliberately downplayed Xu Cheng's unprecedented Level 18 talent-test result to prevent arrogance and keep him invested in competitive play. 22 Later, he used Xu Cheng's uncertainty about the future to reinforce his decision to join EDG. 39

Behind his teasing and manipulative streak, Factory Director is driven by the regret of S6 and a long-term desire to see the LPL win an international title. He sees Xu Cheng as both an extraordinary prospect and a continuation of his own unfinished ambitions. 21 38

Abilities & Skills

Jungling and Game Awareness

Factory Director is a veteran jungler with strong predictive awareness, vision control, and macro-level understanding.

• Identified Xiang Guo's counter-gank intentions and created pressure in mid lane before attempting a top-lane play. 62
• Coordinated top-side pressure and dives with Xu Cheng during EDG's World Championship match against C9. 120
• His cautious, calculation-heavy jungle style contrasts with more aggressive junglers such as Xiang Guo. 48 62

Macro Play and Professional Instruction

Factory Director's chief strength as a mentor is translating professional experience into structured lessons.

• Taught Xu Cheng awareness, teamwork, rotations, ward placement, laning details, and professional-scene fundamentals. 19 21
• Organized additional instruction from Xi Ye and Uzi to accelerate Xu Cheng's development. 21
• Recognized that Xu Cheng's mechanics far surpassed his own, but that macro knowledge was the prospect's crucial weakness. 21
• Criticized Xu Cheng's habit of taking risky fights against low-health opponents, emphasizing restraint and risk assessment. 50 51

Talent Evaluation and Recruitment

Factory Director has a proven instinct for identifying exceptional players.

• Recognized Xu Cheng's potential from early gameplay footage and personally pushed EDG to recruit him. 3 9
• Confirmed Xu Cheng's unusually broad champion pool through repeated role- and champion-restricted games. 12
• Interpreted Xu Cheng's raw mechanics, intuition, hand speed, and reaction time as evidence of an unusually high ceiling. 19 22
• Considered bringing Xu Cheng into professional play his most meaningful career investment. 244

Relationships

• Xu Cheng / Murder / Data Monster — Recruit, student, teammate, and close friend. Factory Director persistently recruited him, taught him professional fundamentals, and remained emotionally invested in his career. 11 19 21 176
• Abu — EDG management colleague and confidant. Abu initially questioned Factory Director's assessment of Xu Cheng but later supported the signing and discussed the pressure of promoting him as a star. 9 37 55
• Xi Ye — Fellow professional enlisted by Factory Director to help train Xu Cheng; also one of the players Factory Director called on to attempt Auto Attack Flash. 18 21
• Uzi — Fellow professional recruited into Xu Cheng's training sessions; later involved in banter with Factory Director after his retirement. 21 226
• EDG roster — Longtime teammates and players he continues to support after leaving active competition. 176 226
• KT — A major rival tied to Factory Director's past; he specifically wanted to watch EDG defeat them in person. 219 226

Story Role / Major Arcs

Discovery and Recruitment of Xu Cheng

Factory Director notices Data Monster's talent, attempts to recruit him, and becomes the target of Xu Cheng's suspicion after failing to prove he is Clearlove. 3 8 He overcomes that distrust through persistence, WeChat contact, payments, and daily games. 11 13

Paid Tutoring

Under the guise of hiring Xu Cheng for boosting, Factory Director teaches him the professional skills he lacks: macro play, teamwork, rotations, vision, and laning knowledge. He stops streaming these sessions to keep his accumulated experience from becoming public. 19 21

Bringing Xu Cheng to EDG

Factory Director and Abu remain at Xu Cheng's home after other clubs balk at waiting six months for him to finish his studies. 37 Factory Director secures Xu Cheng's EDG contract, gives him a ¥100,000 card, and helps integrate him into the club. 38 40 41

EDG's World Championship Run

As an active EDG jungler, Factory Director adjusts to Xu Cheng's aggressive style, corrects his risks, and increasingly recognizes that Xu Cheng is a player who performs even better on stage than in practice. 50 51 Xu Cheng saves him twice in EDG's match against C9, demonstrating the trust built between their top-jungle pairing. 120

After EDG wins the World Championship—the LPL's first title in seven years—Factory Director breaks down in tears while lifting the trophy, and Xu Cheng embraces him. 176 177

Retirement and Continued Support

Factory Director retires after winning the World Championship but remains with EDG. He is expected to become a coach, though he delays taking over in order to stay alongside the team during its pursuit of further titles. 179 226 He continues supporting EDG from off-stage and covertly attends their 2018 World Championship victory over KT. 219 226

Notable Quotes

“Thank you all so much...!” 176

“I want to personally watch Cheng Zi and the others defeat KT!” 219

Trivia

• Xu Cheng's question, “Who is Clearlove?”, becomes a widely repeated joke after Factory Director fails to establish his identity. 8
• Factory Director repeatedly calls Xu Cheng “Big Brother” during their early tutoring arrangement, despite being the established professional player. 19 21
• His record in the reaction-speed mini-game was Level 9, while Xu Cheng completed Level 18. 22
• Fans misinterpreted a photograph of him secretly watching EDG versus KT as a lonely retirement image; Factory Director stated that he was comfortable and enjoying retirement. 226