LOL: I'm in the LPL, that's my fight!

Chapter 54: Boss Mo's Choice!

Of course, ability doesn't mean everything.

The world is never short of exceptionally talented athletes; what is truly rare are those who can transform talent into victory and turn victory into a story.

What truly motivated LPL clubs to go from "being interested" to "taking action" was something more tangible: profit.

For some managers whose business acumen surpasses their understanding of games, the ID "Crush" hides an untapped gold mine. He's not just a player who can compete; he's a "complete product"—capable of selling tickets, generating traffic, and generating buzz.

Let's take a look back at what Fu Shiyan has been doing during this period.

He climbed the ranks on the Chinese server and defeated Dopa, the top-ranked player on both servers at the time, in a head-on battle.

He put aside his bold statement that "instead of trying out for professional teams, I'd rather lead my own team into the professional scene"; then came the extreme contrast in the City Championship, where he played a "god-like player carrying four terrible players".

A normal person, dragging four teammates who seemed to have just come out of "newbie" mode, fought his way through the professional scene.

These scenes, strung together, were practically a live-action anime performance unfolding before a national audience.

What is the most important thing in marketing?

It's a story!

You need to have a story that you can tell your audience, that they're willing to share, argue about, and buy into.

Moreover, the fact that five Chinese players can also achieve sophisticated operations hits the "Achilles' heel" of countless LPL clubs.

The disastrous S5 defeat, coupled with the tactical collapse caused by language barriers and the mockery of LCK as a "retirement home," still haunts many teams. Excessive speculation by capital has led a number of investors astray, and the path of "all-Chinese teams" has become increasingly difficult due to the gap in the development of local players caused by the rampant introduction of foreign aid in the past.

The emergence of Crush is tantamount to saying one thing in everyone's ears:

The path of cultivating new talent has never ceased. It's just that those people in the past didn't have the ability to do so.

"Didn't they offer you a price you wanted?"

While Fu Shiyan was having a brainstorming session, Boss Mo was pondering his reaction—silence, raising his eyes, then silence again, like a hawk that had its sights set on its prey but hesitated to pounce.

"Pretty much." Fu Shiyan crossed his hands behind his head. "EdG and WE, these powerhouse teams, all have their own mature operating mechanisms. Even if the training team gives you power, you're just dancing within the framework of management; there's not much difference."

"If I really had to choose, I'd lean more towards NB."

"Nonsense? Aren't they offering the lowest possible benefits...?" Boss Mo was a little surprised.

"The pay is the lowest, but they gave us something extra—team shares." Fu Shiyan smiled. "It's like going from an employee to a part-time boss. Besides, NB's League of Legends division has only just been established, so there aren't as many complicated old rules yet."

He spoke frankly and didn't mince words. Anyway, he only had a three-month relationship with BJSB, and Boss Mo had helped him a lot during that time, so he felt there was nothing to hide when it came to this.

"To be honest with you, bro, it's just that I don't have that kind of money right now. If I did, I'd rather build my own team, or even—establish an esports club."

"Build your own team... an esports club."

Mo Ziye repeated it softly, as if he were slowly savoring a piece of candy. The next second, his eyes suddenly lit up; the light wasn't surprise, but a sudden realization.

"I see……"

"Understand what?"

"Oh, it's nothing." Boss Mo came to his senses and waved his hand. "Go and rest first. If anyone from the LPL comes looking for you, I'll have my assistant notify you."

"By the way, tomorrow night is the S5 League of Legends World Championship. Huya asked me to remind you not to forget to stream and get some viewership."

"Hey, what are you doing?" Fu Shiyan drawled out the sound, responded lazily, and turned to walk out the door.

It was only a dozen seconds after Fu Shiyan stepped out of the room.

Footsteps echoed down the corridor, fading into the distance, before being cut off by the soft creak of the elevator.

The room fell silent, with only the low hum of the computer fan and the faint sound of traffic from the distant street outside the window.

Mo Ziye sat on the sofa, looking up at the pale light.

He then turned his head and stared at the seat where Fu Shiyan had just sat. When the young man left, he casually placed a half-finished bottle of mineral water on the table. A layer of fine water droplets condensed on the bottle and were slowly sliding down.

It's like a countdown for him.

Mo Ziye took a deep breath, finally made up his mind, and slowly took out his phone from his pocket.

The screen lights up, and the wallpaper is an old photo—a group photo of him and a few brothers standing at the door when "Never Say Goodbye" first opened a few years ago, laughing carefree.

He scrolled through his contacts and found the number he had called a few days ago. The note had only one word: Qi.

My thumb hovered over the dial button for less than half a second.

Click to make a call.

"Beep—beep beep—"

Each of the waiting sounds was drawn out.

Mo Ziye subconsciously stood up and walked to the French windows, where the blurry silhouette of a man in his thirties was reflected in the glass.

"Feed?" The other end of the phone finally answered, the voice carrying a lazy nasal tone, as if someone was lying on the sofa watching something.

"Hey! Lao Qi." Mo Ziye's voice was a beat faster than usual. He swallowed and said calmly, "Regarding the transfer we talked about last time, let's stick with the price you got."

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone.

"No, you really want to sell?" Old Qi's voice suddenly sharpened, clearly surprised. "That's your dad's retirement fund. Take my advice, you're already doing pretty well in esports, maybe you should try to get some investment..."

"It's alright, there's still one left, it'll still be there even if we don't leave."

"Besides..." Mo Ziye's voice lowered, as if confirming with himself, "I have a feeling that this might be my only chance in this lifetime to realize my e-sports dream."

Everything he had seen during that time flashed before his eyes again.

"If I miss it..."

He didn't finish his sentence.

On the other end of the phone, Old Qi let out a long sigh, but there was something indescribable in his voice, like helplessness, or like he had been touched by something.

"You really are..."

There was another brief silence. Mo Ziye heard a "click" from the other end of the phone, followed by the sound of Lao Qi exhaling smoke.

"Alright, let's talk when we meet." Old Qi's voice suddenly became cheerful. "If possible—count me in!"

"I don't know where your luck came from, you even managed to draw a super gold card like Crush."

……