Pei Qian played the recording of the call.
Menglei listened closely. At first, Pei Qian had spoken to Exalted Emperor in a gentle, professional manner, with no problems whatsoever. It was just that Exalted Emperor might have been too wary of phone scams, so his words were full of caution.
"Where did it go wrong?" Menglei's eyes filled with thought as he continued listening.
Then Pei Qian said, "If a player turns down an invitation from AG, the other teams won't dare take him."
Menglei's face darkened instantly. He had finally found the crux of the problem.
The rest of the conversation went much as he had expected. Pei Qian had been arrogant and conceited, acting as though everyone else was beneath him and making veiled threats against Exalted Emperor. That was what had led the latter to declare that he would crush AG at the Overlord Feast!
"Pei Qian!" Menglei glared at the man in the suit, his voice as cold as ten-thousand-year-old ice. "What gives you the right to threaten Exalted Emperor? Do you know you're ruining AG's reputation? If Exalted Emperor puts this call online, have you thought about the consequences?"
Faced with the three deadly questions and Menglei calling him by his full name, Pei Qian's expression soured. "Teacher Meng, I did threaten him, but that little bastard was the one who didn't know what was good for him first."
"Damn it, you're still acting like you're in the right, and you're even calling him a bastard." Menglei forcibly suppressed his anger and looked at Yinuo. "Nuozai, tell me, isn't Pei Qian smearing the team's name?"
"Teacher Meng, Brother Pei did do something wrong, but this Exalted Emperor really is far too arrogant," Yinuo said coldly.
Zhongyi and Xuanran chimed in from the side as well.
"Fuck! He says he'll crush us? Who the hell does he think he is?"
"He's just a small-time streamer whose follower count isn't even a fraction of AG's, yet he's already this overbearing. If he had a million followers, wouldn't his arrogance reach the heavens?"
Menglei stared at the three indignant players in astonishment, his face full of disbelief. They seemed somewhat unfamiliar to him, and a chill rose in his heart. How had the humble, low-key starters he remembered turned into this?
They could no longer even tell basic right from wrong.
A heavy sigh came from Zhan Yuwen beside him. Clearly, he had been forced by circumstances to leave out the beginning and end of the story earlier, making his account sound as though it favored Pei Qian.
"Anger is bad for your health, Teacher Meng. Take a moment to calm down."
Zhan Yuwen patted Menglei on the shoulder and gave him a look. "Let's talk outside."
The two men left the training room and went to a secluded corner of the corridor.
Zhan Yuwen lit a cigarette and took a deep drag, his face full of exhaustion. "Teacher Meng, after what happened, I'm sure you can see that things inside AG aren't looking good."
"What exactly happened?"
Zhan Yuwen hesitated, struggling with himself for a long time before finally revealing the truth. "It's the same problem Wolves and eStar had after creating KPL dynasties. After winning the Grand Slam, the players all let it go completely to their heads."
"Back then, you, Laoshuai and the other veteran players were on the team, along with Yueguang, Bao, Yueguang and the other veteran coaches. With old hands like you keeping them in check, they wouldn't have become so smug and arrogant, even after winning a championship."
"But now, the veteran players and coaches have either retired, transferred, or gone back to ordinary life. There's no one left to keep them in check, and on top of that, Sister Fei spoils them too much. Every one of them has gotten terribly full of himself."
Menglei clenched both fists. What he heard was truly shocking.
"But surely it hasn't gotten to the point where they can't tell right from wrong? I watched Yinuo and the others grow bit by bit. I know their personalities very well."
"That has to do with the upcoming Overlord Feast. Everyone in the scene is saying that as long as Zhongyi wins the Jungle Overlord title and completes the final piece of the puzzle, AG is certain to win the summer season championship, and Yinuo will become the first King-Titled Player in AG's history."
Zhan Yuwen spoke with a heavy heart. "Under these particular circumstances, Yinuo and the others place enormous importance on the Overlord Feast. Once someone threatens their chances of claiming the Overlord throne, they'll see things through to the end even if they know their words and actions are wrong, and nip any unforeseen factors in the bud."
"You know that this kind of behavior is actually very dangerous."
"If it goes any further, they might even resort to any means necessary so the whole team can become Overlords and Yinuo can become a King!"
Menglei bit his lip, trembling all over with anger. He now had a wife and child, and his focus had shifted to his personal life. He had no energy to take part in managing the team, much less time to pay attention to the players' mental state.
But if they were allowed to continue, all that awaited them was self-destruction!
"I need to think this over carefully when I get back."
Menglei took a deep breath and calmed himself. "The most urgent thing is to resolve the issue with Exalted Emperor. AG is in the wrong, so we have to give him a proper apology."
"Mm-hmm."
Zhan Yuwen nodded. "Teacher Meng, here's what I'm thinking. If Exalted Emperor mentions this the next time he streams, or posts the recording of his call with Pei Qian online, we'll use AG's official Weibo account to explain what happened and publicly apologize to him."
"If Exalted Emperor doesn't mention it, we'll apologize in private."
Menglei frowned. This solution was really in AG's favor. "I think that whether Exalted Emperor mentions it publicly or not, AG is in the wrong, and we must apologize to him publicly."
Zhan Yuwen put it tactfully. "I understand what you're thinking, but the Overlord Feast is drawing near, and all parties, including the officials, are watching AG. The team is in the eye of the storm, and it's a sensitive time."
Menglei thought it over and ultimately agreed to Zhan Yuwen's solution.
"We'll do it your way."
Inside the training room.
"There's no way I can swallow this insult!" Pei Qian slammed the table and stood up, saying viciously, "We have to make that little bastard Exalted Emperor pay the price he deserves! Make him understand the consequences of crossing AG!"
At first, Pei Qian had merely been annoyed by Exalted Emperor's confrontational way of speaking, but after Menglei had given him a thorough dressing-down, all his displeasure had turned into resentment.
Zhongyi browsed gaming news about Exalted Emperor.
"The whole internet is going crazy over how Exalted Emperor is going to reach legendary hundred stars with a 100% win rate and an MVP in every match, setting a mythical record that even a Champion Emperor player has never achieved."
"What a pipe dream!"
Pei Qian's eyes were ruthless. "He wishes! I'll use AG's network right now to put out a high-reward bounty and have the top streamers, boosting studios, and gaming companion groups we work with snipe him."
"I'm afraid that won't be enough." Yinuo leaned against his gaming chair, his left fist against his cheek, his expression blank. "Exalted Emperor's gaming skills have already reached the King Title threshold. His crushing the top streamer Zongshi is a very clear example. Unless we can contact a King-Titled Player, we won't pose a threat to him!"
"Nuozai, what do you want to do?" Pei Qian said angrily.
"Brother Pei, help me contact Nuanyang." Yinuo closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose with his right hand. "Tell him I want to eat carp."