Translator: Nomyummi Editor: Nomyummi
Heavenly Swords and Happy were in completely different situations.
Yet, just like that, Ye Xiu calmly used the other captain's speech, not even making an effort to modify it. Upon finding out, the reporters felt like plastic bags blowing in the wind.
The only saving grace was… this kind of promotional speech was all empty talk, so there usually wouldn't be anything interesting to write about. After listening to this speech while clutching at their hearts, it finally came to the Q&A session that they were most eager for.
"Hm, next we have our question and answer session." The Alliance press officer had only just announced this when a sea of hands rose. Thankfully, Team Myth had already left, otherwise they would cry for sure, seeing the difference in their treatment.
Having too many hands raised was troublesome as well. Pointing at a person would cause a group to stand. Then it had to be specified whose question was being answered from that group.
The first chosen one stood under the envious and jealous gazes of the other reporters.
"Hello, I'm a reporter from City B.B City. First of all, congratulations to Happy on winning the Finals of the Challenger League and gaining the qualifications to entering the Pro Alliance." The reporter directed this congratulations to the entire team, but his gaze was fixated on Ye Xiu. Ye Xiu had no choice but to respond for the entire team. "Thanks."
"I don't mean to disrespect Happy, but Happy truly achieved a miraculous victory. However, what I'm more shocked about isn't the result, but the process. In the team competitionTeam Competition, Happy had the initiative the entire way. Compared to simply victory, this is a far more impressive accomplishment. I'm curious as to how Happy managed that." The reporter said.
"This isn't something to be shocked about," Ye Xiu said with a smile, "Opportunity always smiles on those who are prepared."
"Prepared?" The reporter was stunned for a moment, "From what I know of, Excellent Era wasn't negligent with their preparations for this match. From the beginning of the offline matches, they had done specialized research into how to face this final match. In the last week, they even closed themselves off for special training. I believe Excellent Era was very well prepared."
"Unfortunately for them, we were more prepared," Ye Xiu said.
The reporters were going crazy. Was it fun to give us all these vague statements? This was just wasting time!
"Why are you so certain?" The reporter hurriedly asked.
"Because we prepared for this match for a full year." Ye Xiu replied.
Everyone was struck dumb.
One side had started preparing since the offline matches, which could be considered at most a month of preparations, while the other had prepared for a whole year.
This was true!
All the reporters immediately realized this. This was because a year ago was when Excellent Era had been relegated. Even if you used your knee to think, you'd know that this would be an unprecedented boss in the Challenger League, the ultimate final boss. No matter who it was, if they wanted to conquer the Challenger League, they would have to get through this step. They completely trusted that Happy had started researching Excellent Era from that time forth.
A year of research and this research was directed towards Excellent Era that Ye Xiu was extremely familiar with in the first place...
As for Excellent Era? Even though they had known since the start that Happy had Ye Xiu, would they put everything into studying an opponent like Happy? The one they had been on guard against this entire time was just Ye Xiu, no? Yet in that team competitionTeam competition, every single member of Happy had shown their worth. They might not have been the MVPs, but in that match, everyone managed to display their strengths to the fullest.
Was this because Happy's players were in a better state?
Now everyone knew that it wasn't the case. This was the result of ample preparations! For this match, who knew how much specialized training Happy had gone through?
A full year of preparations sent everyone into speechlessness for a while. It wasn't until the Alliance press officer called out that the reporters came to again.
The second chosen reporter stood up, but his question was no longer about that match. That match had been a whole week ago. Focusing on it now would be a waste of pages, and there were more interesting things to report now anyways.
"I want to direct this question to Captain Ye Xiu. As Excellent Era's ex-captain, I trust you've heard of the recent news that Excellent Era is being sold. What thoughts do you have on this?"
"I believe that Excellent Era won't fall just because of this. Excellent Era has a shining future ahead of them," Ye Xiu said.
"But from the current situation, Excellent Era is likely to be disbanded and cleared out in a sale. The name Excellent Era might cease to exist," the reporter retorted.
Ye Xiu smiled and said, "With so many people who care for and love Excellent Era out there, do you really think that the name Excellent Era would cease to exist? I believe that a successor to Excellent Era will appear. Excellent Era won't crumble because of one man's decision. This is because Excellent Era isn't an asset to be sold, but a mindset, even a culture. It exists within the hearts of everyone who cares about and loves Excellent Era. They are the true people of Excellent Era. This is something that no one can sell. So long as they exist, Excellent Era will never fall."
"Brilliant!" Someone suddenly yelled loudly. The reporters all turned their heads and saw that one of their fellows had been unable to keep to himself any longer. Those who knew this person knew that he was a deeply loyal fan of Excellent Era's. This speech that sounded simply like pretty but empty words to most managed to move this real Excellent Era fan.
This was because only real Excellent Era fans would know what sort of panic and anxiety that the news coming from Excellent Era during this time had brought them. Now, Ye Xiu's words had awakened him.
"Excellent Era will never fall!" This person said with force, seeming to have come to some sort of decision.
"Yes." Onstage, Ye Xiu nodded his head firmly in response.
The ex-captain of Excellent Era had taken a new responsibility now, and when faced with Excellent Era, he hadn't shown any mercy. Excellent Era's current situation could even be seen as his personal handiwork. However, he was a true person of Excellent Era. He knew better than anyone what Excellent Era was.
Excellent Era wasn't a good or service to be sold, and not something that the owner could destroy with a single decision to sell. So long as Excellent Era's spirit lived on, it would continue to endure. If worse came to worst, they could always copy Happy and create an Internet cafe, rising back up as grassroots. They might not have Excellent Era's ace accounts or ace players, but they had Excellent Era's spirit. So long as they had that, they were Excellent Era.
"Thank you!" This reporter had forgotten his job already and stood, bowing deeply to Ye Xiu who was on stage. Those who knew him well knew that this loyal Excellent Era fan had published many articles condemning and doubting Ye Xiu upon the release of the news of Ye Xiu being at Happy. But now, he had managed to gain an understand of what Excellent Era truly was from this old captain. He felt that he had to give him this show of gratitude.
"You're welcome. Good luck." In that moment, Ye Xiu didn't seem to see a reporter either, but a brother that had once fought by his side.
An unfathomable atmosphere had blanketed the press conference and, in that moment, no one was able to come up with a question.
"Ahem, is there any reporter that still has a question to ask?" The Alliance press officer asked.
Question? Of course they did. The questions that had been begging to be asked had been held back for this occasion. But now after gaining an understanding of Ye Xiu's inner thoughts, they suddenly found that these questions had all been answered in that instant. Everything that had happened between Ye Xiu and Excellent Era in the past had no gossip value any longer. They had already clearly felt Ye Xiu's true feelings.
Chapter 1060: Can’t UnderstandTranslator: Nomyummi Editor: Nomyummi
The question about Excellent Era caused the atmosphere to die down a little. It was only when the press officer asked for the third time if there were any more questions that a reporter finally stood.
"Hello, Captain Ye Xiu. Your words just now filled us with confidence for Excellent Era's future. However, I still want to hear your personal thoughts on Excellent Era being put up for sale. Thank you."
It was only until this person finished speaking that the reporters realized something.
Wasn't this the same question as before? However, Ye Xiu's response wasn't exactly answering the question. His answer was one that didn't answer the question directly, but followed from it. He had switched topics and left everyone in deep contemplation about it. It was good that there were people who managed to stay clear headed. With this reporter's emphasis and repetition of the question, the other reporters realized that this God, who had never really interacted with the media, would be very hard to deal with.
"Uh…..." Ye Xiu's expression wasn't so calm as it was before, "To be honest, it pains me and at the same time, I feel very disappointed."
Hearing this, the eyes of the reporters lit up.
"By pained and disappointed, are you referring to the decision to sell Excellent Era?"
"Yes," Ye Xiu nodded, "Excellent Era is at its most desperate times and, deciding to put Excellent Era up for sale at a time like this, I think, this is a complete betrayal and abandonment of what they once fought for. In this decision, Excellent Era has become nothing more than a commodity."
Ye Xiu didn't mention a specific name in his speech, but who else could make the decision to sell Excellent Era? Only the boss, Tao Xuan.
However, the reporters wouldn't lose out from making this all clearer. Immediately, someone asked, "So the one that caused you this pain and disappointment is actually the boss of Excellent Era, Tao Xuan, right?"
"Yes." Ye Xiu nodded. "If it was for the continued and better growth and development of the team, no matter in what shape or form, I could try to understand. Since everyone looks at problems differently, they would naturally come up with differing solutions. However, excuse me if I cannot bring myself to understand the decision to sell the team.
"But you just said that, no matter what, Excellent Era wouldn't fall."
"Yes, Excellent Era will never fall, but some people already have." Ye Xiu replied.
This time, no reporter stood to ask for clarification on who this person was. After these questions, everyone had more insight to what Ye Xiu meant. Excellent Era did belong to Tao Xuan, but this was only from a business standpoint. From an esports standpoint, Excellent Era was a team that existed in the hearts of all its fans. Even though Excellent Era belonged to Tao Xuan in name, he could only have the commodity. When he put Excellent Era up for sale, he had completely left the true Excellent Era that existed in the hearts of the people.
This time, the reporters truly understood. Some people were thinking to themselves quietly. Others had already opened up their laptops and started typing, and those who were more used to pen and paper started jotting stuff down.
With something to write about, the reporters seemed to be afraid to forget something, already beginning to draft their articles and forgetting their current situation.
The Alliance's press officer had attended countless interviews and press conferences, but this was the first time he had seen reporters forget where they were and start drafting up their articles. He was stunned for a long while before managing to react. "Ahem, are there anymore questions?"
His question managed to bring these reporters back to reality. Everyone snapped out of it, feeling unsettled by their actions just now. It was almost like they had been bewitched. They all hurriedly composed their thoughts. It wasn't until the press officer asked again that some people finally sat straight, focusing on Ye Xiu who was on stage.
Everyone was already very satisfied with what they had managed to elicit from this press conference. However, the one onstage right now was Ye Xiu. After all these years, this was his first time ever attending a press conference. They couldn't just let him go like that. After so many years, there were too many questions they had for Ye Xiu about all sorts of matters. They had to make the most of today. Even if they couldn't think of any big questions, using some small meaningless questions to drag things out was good, too.
Thinking of this, there were immediately some reporters who raised their hands. The one who was picked probably had yet to think of a good question to drag things out and made a few noncommittal sounds before gathering his thoughts and asking, "May I know why Team Happy didn't attend the press conference after the Challenger League?"
The reporters all stared at him.
This question was one that the reporters who had been stood up were desperate to know, but these reporters weren't so docile and well-behaved to wait until today to ask. They had already pried for an answer from the Alliance after the press conference came to an end with Happy's lack of attendance.
The Alliance made up a reason for why Happy didn't attend the press conference that day, so it was no longer a problem anymore. Now this person was asking again; this was rather tactless! The press officer that had given them the reason before was right there. Hearing this, he might think they had no more questions and end the press conference. That couldn't be allowed to happen!
It was a good thing that while the problem was resolved for the Alliance and media, it wasn't unexpected for Happy. This time, it wasn't Ye Xiu who answered, but Chen Guo.
"First of all, I'd like to apologize to everyone who came to the press conference that day." Chen Guo imitated a professional, official tone. "As everyone knows, Happy is a very ordinary grassroots team. We've never attended a pro match before and don't have any experience with this. That day, though we received the call about the press conference, we were delighted upon winning the championship and forgot. I really am sorry."
This explanation was more or less the same as the excuse the Alliance had given, but the reporter, looking at the stage, suddenly felt that something wasn't right. He gazed at Ye Xiu who was on the far right. "But, God Ye Xiu…" The reporter had only gotten there before his words got stuck. Ye Xiu, on the other hand, smiled and responded, "What about me?"
"No… nothing…" The reporter was about to say that God Ye Xiu had a lot of experience with pro matches, but then he remembered that while Ye Xiu had much experience with the matches, had he ever attended a press conference? Never! With the other's meaningful smile, the reporter decided to not bring it up.
With that problem settled, another reporter was called to speak. "May we have some information on what plans Happy has for the next season? For example, is Happy planning anything in the summer transfer window?"
"We've already settled a transfer," Chen Guo replied, tone serious.
"Can you give us some specifics?"
"Su Mucheng has confirmed that she will transfer for free to Team Happy next season," Chen Guo said.
This was something the reporters had guessed already with their sharp senses. However, an official announcement was still far more meaningful. With this, Team Happy wouldn't be just held up by Ye Xiu. Would the best partners in the Alliance resurface in Happy?
"Could we have some details on the contract Su Mucheng will be signing with Happy?" Since the transfer of pro players was a hot topic, reporters were interested in the contents of contracts, too. Logic said that an All-Star player like Su Mucheng wasn't someone an internet cafe team like Happy could keep. However, there was already an even bigger god residing there, so people couldn't judge Happy through this usual logic.
"Uhh we're still discussing some details, so we can't leak anything yet." Chen Guo's response was rather well formulated, but the awkwardness in her expression that had appeared in that split second didn't go unnoticed by the reporters. Pay and treatment was something Chen Guo worried about. They had managed to get through the Challenger League, but now it was the Pro League. Everyone was a pro player now. She couldn't have them play pro matches with just board and food in repayment. What sort of contract should she give to them? The very thought gave Chen Guo a headache. She had too little experience because no grassroots team had ever managed to slaughter their way to the Pro League before.
The thousand something RMB in being an Internet cafe employee? That definitely wasn't appropriate! But, going by pro player standards? Chen Guo had gleaned some understanding of it. Currently, the income for pro players was very high. For example, Team Tyranny's captain Han Wenqing had earned thirty million in three years. That meant ten million per year and two hundred thousand per week. In Chen Guo's eyes, Ye Xiu was an existence beyond even Han Wenqing, but, let alone something higher, just Han Wenqing's income would cause Chen Guo to cry to death.
However, Han Wenqing's contract ended this year. He'd have no problem renewing it, but his pay might decrease by a lot. After all, he was a veteran past his peak. His current record of having the highest salary might come to close this summer.
The most common contract in the teams of the Alliance was a three year contract. And, for the Golden Generation who had joined in the fourth season, most of their contracts would come to an end this summer after the ninth season. They were all at the peak of their forms as well, and then if you considered the growth Glory had gone through with the teams all flourishing, a new record for pro player income might appear this summer.
Under this circumstance, Team Happy dealt with their player's wage through board and food. This was extremely unscientific.
The reporters acutely sensed Chen Guo's awkwardness and they immediately keenly posed another question. This time, their target was no longer Ye Xiu. They focused on Tang Rou. She had already caught the attention of countless teams and was an extremely valuable player in the eyes of most.
"Ms. Tang Rou, may I ask, are you familiar with the current income situation of pro players?" The reporters asked.
"The income situation? I'm not sure." Tang Rou didn't show any sort of confusion, merely saying this calmly.
The reporters took a moment to react. This answer really wasn't what they were expecting. They might have asked such a question, but this was just to set up the following discussion. The income of a pro player was something that any normal Internet cafe player would drool over for half a day. Yet Tang Rou had replied with "not sure". This sort of answer was setting things up in the wrong direction!
Some veterans who heard this response from Tang Rou all sent meaningful stares at Chen Guo. They thought that this was a plot by the Happy boss, to keep the players ignorant and naive so that they were easier to control. But unfortunately, when they went to scrutinized Chen Guo, they found that she didn't seem at all unsettled or nervous at Tang Rou's answer, and instead smiled happily and that was the extent of her reaction.
What was going on?
Now the reporters were confused. Never mind pro players, no matter what job, who would go in completely blind to the income situation? Was this pretty lady messing with them on purpose?
The reporters looked around doubtfully until the press officer asked to rush them again, "Are there anymore questions?"
All these hold ups in the press conference today was causing him to get a little impatient.
"Could you guys leak a little information on the treatment Team Happy's players are getting right now?" The reporters kept at it, but they no longer focused on Tang Rou, throwing the question at Chen Guo instead.
The reporters did have a rather keen judgement. This question striked at Happy's heart. Chen Guo answered a little stutteringly, "In the Challenger League, we all gathered out of our love for Glory. Now that we're going to be a pro team, we're going to begin discussing the contracts in detail. We have yet to start, so there's nothing to leak, yet."
The reporters were thunderstruck.
If this was a tourist team that a few players created just to have fun, then this sort of circumstance would be definite. However, Team happy was the winner of the Challenger League who defeated Excellent Era and had God Ye Xiu. Chen Guo seemed to be saying, that with their lineup and circumstance, they didn't seem to have any sort of income; it was all out of joy.
"So what you mean to say is that, until now, Team Happy's players aren't earning an income?" Someone finally asked carefully.
Chen Guo felt a little awkward, but she wasn't the kind of person to hide things and would never tell a blatant lie in such a situation. She could only nod and say, "Yes."
A cacophony rose from the crowd at once and someone immediately pursued the issue. "Even God Ye Xiu?"
"Um… yeah." Chen Guo hesitated for a moment. It was probably better to not talk about the income he gained as an employee of the Internet cafe...
Nothing needed to be mentioned about the chaos that erupted then. Happy's situation was truly too shocking. Even disregarding the no income thing, Chen Guo's words suggested that they had yet to talk about contracts. That was something they definitely had to report on.
You had to keep in mind that they already had the qualifications to attend the Pro League next season and everyone was about to become real pro players. Were they waiting to have a big sale of players upon entering the Alliance or something, still not ready with the contracts to ensure the players stayed? With the performance Happy's players had in the Challenger League, the reporters knew that a lot of pro teams would show interest. Hadn't a lot of gossip come out when the Challenger League?
Speaking of, there were teams who were interested in Happy's players even back then, but now, Happy's lineup was still whole and none of them had been moved by what the other teams said. Yet, from what the boss had said, there had been no incentive given for the players to stay. Happy's players formed a team and stayed true to it of their own volition?
That was unscientific...
The other teams probably knew how strangely Team Happy operated and therefore didn't make any moves on their players. If this information was released… Team Happy wouldn't be immediately dismantled, would it?
The reporters even started worrying for Happy about this. However, they knew that this would most certainly get out. There were so many reporters here and they couldn't be certain that everyone was willing to keep this information to themselves, so the thought of helping them hide this information out of sympathy was childish and illogical. Someone was probably already organizing this information into a draft to publish.
Overall, Happy really was a new experience for the media! They actually leaked something so important in a press conference. The reporters lamented over this, gradually having the suspicion that Happy was acting nonchalant after gaining something big.
The conference was a little chaotic and, looking at the time, the Alliance press officer realized it was late, deciding to announce that the next question was going to be the last one after discussing with Happy.
The reporters had gotten a lot of information from today's press conference. They couldn't pry too much for the last question so any experienced reporter wouldn't ask anything too complicated. There was little point in ending this on low-spirits.
"After being apart from the Alliance for so long, is there anything you want to say right now?" The last question was still directed at Ye Xiu.
"Hahaha." Ye Xiu chuckled and then said, "I'm back."
I'm back!
This simple sentence displayed immense determination. Although a surplus of interesting information had been dug up in the press conference and even though everyone had started drafting out their articles on this information during the press conference, in the end, the media stands all chose this one sentence as their headlines.
Ye Xiu: I'm Back.
Apart from that, the media groups all did did their best to compile, collate and express, reporting the other contents.
A year of preparations was what gave Happy the win. Opportunity smiles only upon those who are prepared!
Excellent Era's ex-captain strikes in the press conference, condemning Excellent Era's boss, Tao Xuan, for abandoning Excellent Era!
Happy, brought together by love!
...
This news all had plenty of substance to it and were written in whatever way that would elicit the best reactions. Yet this was nothing more than leaking the information from the press conference. The true value of this discussion was in using the information to guide the people.
Those reporters that liked Excellent Era used Ye Xiu's speech and the best of their writing capabilities to segregate Excellent Era from Tao Xuan. All the dirt on Excellent Era's name was shifted onto Tao Xuan. The other neutral reporters didn't point them in a different direction either, faced with the clarity of truth.
It isn't the team's fault, but a specific person!
With this description, everyone found it reasonable after reading! All these incidents were created by a single person, the boss, who had ordered this. It was his control that had brought the team down with him.
Thus, in an instant, the winds changed.
Many Excellent Era fans had already disbanded. They couldn't tolerate all the shocking situations that Excellent Era had revealed and were giving up on Excellent Era. However, with the freshly printed articles, their sorrow and disappointment all turned to anger. They gathered once more to protect their Team Excellent Era. They wanted to exorcise the real malice behind all this.
Get out of here, Tao Xuan!
Within the day, signs like these were all over Club Excellent Era's walls, their grounds and in the hands of the players. Beg for Excellent Era to not be sold? No such player ever appeared again. They had already realized that the sale of Excellent Era wouldn't cause it to collapse, but if they let Tao Xuan continue his ways, then Excellent Era's name would be forever tarnished.
Excellent Era belonged to all of them, but it was nothing but fixed assets in Tao Xuan's hands. That was Excellent Era's physical form, but not its soul.
Where was its soul? Its soul was in the hearts of all its fans.
The loyal Excellent Era fans condemned Tao Xuan while at the same time began to call out, asking for someone who truly loved Glory and Excellent Era to take over Team Excellent Era.
In that instant, Excellent Era was revived.
The fans were always the greatest wealth a team had.
No one was willing to take Excellent Era in full because all the things that had happened with Excellent Era had caused them to lose the support of their fans. This sort of mess wasn't something that anyone was willing to deal with. Yet now, the fans had saved themselves. They realized where the problem had occurred and found a way to solve it. They came out to support Excellent Era once more. This was something everyone noticed.
This sort of Excellent Era could stand on its own once more. However, there was a requirement to that, and that was that Tao Xuan had to leave. He could leave with all his possessions, but he couldn't take a single fan with him. Even if there was nothing here any longer, the fans would stand guard here. With their protection, Excellent Era could rise again from nothing and be reborn.
How did this change happen? It started from the words Ye Xiu had said to the reporters. They awakened so many fans.
Ye Xiu was their captain forever!
No Excellent Era fan would ever doubt that again. Even though Excellent Era had been sent out of the Pro League by him personally, that was a match and that was all there was to it. Wasn't this always their captain's attitude on the field?
After departing for a year, their once captain officially announced: he was back.
It was just unfortunate that he didn't return to Excellent Era. Though some people were already calling for Ye Xiu to come back and lead Excellent Era again, most of the fans couldn't ask that of him anymore.
It was too selfish.
Ye Xiu had done enough for Excellent Era. They had no reason to relentlessly demand him make any more contributions.
Ye Xiu didn't owe Excellent Era anything. It was Excellent Era that owed him too much.
Disregarding everything else, this was true from just looking at the contract he had signed. Han Wenqing, who had slaughtered his way through the Alliance from the very beginning alongside Ye Xiu, had the heftiest contract in the Alliance. As for their captain? All these years, he still held the contract that had been signed at the beginning of the Alliance, a contract that gave him a pitiful income in these times.
Talking about money was somewhat blunt, but Excellent Era owed their captain this bluntness. However, he had never expressed anger about it because he had never cared.
All he wanted, all he ever wanted was one thing: victory. This was something that would never change for him, no matter where he was. All the Excellent Era fans could do was give him their blessings.
Chapter end
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